- Top Features:
- War Room
- Glenn Greenwald
- Broadsheet
- Joan Walsh
- Camille Paglia
- Since You Asked
- Follow Salon:
Read other letters about this article
You summed it up nicely. I could never appreciate it till now, but they were actually serious musicians with talent, and knew how to construct intricate yet very playable, catchy songs. The pop crap heard today? Hardly intricate or with any flair of musicianship that the 2 ABBA men showcased, along with the great vocals of the women.
And yes, if you take the time to listen to some of the lyrics, they're actually pretty moving and with depth. "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "One Of Us," "Winner Takes It All, "Chiquita", "Slipping Through My Fingers", and "Fernando" are but a few.
But the one that always gets me verklempt/lump in throat has got to be "Thank You For the Music". It is joyous, heartfelt, and always lift you up somehow, appreciative of the world, and yes, the beauty of music, which is what the song is all about ... how grateful the band is for being able to do what they love the best, and a lovely thank you to their legion of fans.
Back in the early eighties, my father (of all people!) actually turned me on to their music, and I was only 10-11 yrs old at the time. Here's this Indian immigrant who decides to bring back one of their early albums to Toronto after one of his business trips. I was hooked.
They were the first band (for me) that I was a genuine groupie of. Couldn't get enough of them. I remember snuggling in bed with my parents to watch one of their rare music specials on TV, and then watched, starry-eyed, their big-screen movie in Karachi, Pakistan when I visited there.
Of course none of my peers understood my obsession or even heard of their music, back in '80's Toronto. They actually snickered at me ... but I get my revenge now with the band's resurgence in popularity and proper praise of their musical genius and talent.
My dad died this past March ... and I had forgotten how he gave me my first taste of great pop music and created a fan of ABBA in me, and indulged my love for them by buying their albums for me. I miss him.
