ABBA The Album - 2011 EU reissue LP, pressed on 180 gram vinyl
Format: Vinyl Condition: New Year of Release: 2011 Cat. No.: POLS 282 Label: Polar
Without a doubt, 1978's 'The Album' is the Swedish pop demigods' finest moment (forgive them the film.)
From the opening stanzas of the visionary "Eagle" (a "Born Free" for the late '70s) to the pure joyous rush of "Take a Chance on Me" (has a cappella ever sounded so irresistible?) to the drop-dead perfect chorus on "The Name of the Game," not a heartstring is left untouched. The melodies are matchless, the production virtually defining the era. The final three tracks, subtitled "Three Scenes from a Mini-Musical"--the celebratory and often copied "Thank You for the Music," "I Wonder," and the self-deprecating "I'm a Marionette"--merely confirmed what ABBA's fans knew all along: this was pure showtime and Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha, and Frida were masters of the form.
Review by Everett True
TRACK LISTING:
A1 Eagle A2 Take A Chance On Me A3 One Man, One Woman A4 The Name Of The Game
B1 Move On B2 Hole In Your Soul The Girl With The Golden Hair B3 Thank You For The Music B4 I Wonder (Departure) B5 I'm A Marionette
