+ Reply to Thread
Page 4 of 8 FirstFirst 1 4 8 LastLast
Results 61 to 80 of 152

Thread: ABBA — 40 years younger again

  1. Link to Post #61
    United States Avalon Member RunningDeer's Avatar
    Join Date
    6th February 2012
    Location
    Forest Dweller
    Language
    English
    Posts
    18,341
    Thanks
    127,398
    Thanked 168,292 times in 18,139 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    Lay All Your Love On Me

    I wasn't jealous before we met
    Now every woman I see is a potential threat
    And I'm possessive, it isn't nice
    You've heard me saying that smoking was my only vice

    But now it isn't true
    Now everything is new
    And all I've learned has overturned
    I beg of you

    Don't go wasting your emotion
    Lay all your love on me

    It was like shooting a sitting duck
    A little small talk, a smile and baby I was stuck
    I still don't know what you've done with me
    A grown-up woman should never fall so easily

    I feel a kind of fear
    When I don't have you near
    Unsatisfied, I skip my pride
    I beg you, dear

    Don't go wasting your emotion
    Lay all your love on me
    Don't go sharing your devotion
    Lay all your love on me

    I've had a few little love affairs
    They didn't last very long and they've been pretty scarce
    I used to think I was sensible
    It makes the truth even more incomprehensible

    'Cause everything is new
    And everything is you
    And all I've learned has overturned
    What can I do?

    Don't go wasting your emotion
    Lay all your love on me
    Don't go sharing your devotion
    Lay all your love on me

    Don't go wasting your emotion
    Lay all your love on me
    Don't go sharing your devotion
    Lay all your love on me

    Don't go wasting your emotion
    Lay all your love on me

  2. The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to RunningDeer For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (15th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (22nd September 2021), Gemma13 (15th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), Ravenlocke (20th September 2021), Stephanie (15th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021)

  3. Link to Post #62
    United States Avalon Member RunningDeer's Avatar
    Join Date
    6th February 2012
    Location
    Forest Dweller
    Language
    English
    Posts
    18,341
    Thanks
    127,398
    Thanked 168,292 times in 18,139 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

    Half past twelve
    And I'm watching the late show in my flat all alone
    How I hate to spend the evening on my own

    Autumn winds
    Blowing outside my window as I look around the room
    And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom
    There's not a soul out there
    No one to hear my prayer

    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
    Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away
    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
    Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

    Movie stars
    Find the end of the rainbow with a fortune to win
    It's so different from the world I'm living in

    Tired of TV
    I open the window and I gaze into the night
    But there's nothing there to see no one in sight
    There's not a soul out there
    No one to hear my prayer

    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
    Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away

    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
    Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

    There's not a soul out there
    No one to hear my prayer

    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
    Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away

    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
    Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
    Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away

    Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
    Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

  4. The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to RunningDeer For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (15th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (22nd September 2021), Gemma13 (15th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), Ravenlocke (20th September 2021), Stephanie (15th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021)

  5. Link to Post #63
    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
    Join Date
    7th February 2010
    Location
    Ecuador
    Posts
    34,206
    Thanks
    207,996
    Thanked 456,558 times in 32,726 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    The really, really interesting thing for me — and my main motivation for starting this thread — is the worldwide outpouring of sometimes near-uncontrolled emotion, grown men and women just collapsing in tears when they heard ABBA's two new songs. It happened everywhere. The comments on some of the YT videos are in almost every language.

    I shed tears myself, and I've been trying to figure out why. Several days later, I still find myself affected.

    Of course, the harmonies (once again, 40 years later) are magically near-impeccable. And the compositions are as ingenious, catchy and perfect as ever. But why so much emotion?

    Some of it, as I tried to express in my post #21 here, surely has to be about being catapulted back to an age of relative innocence and sunshine, when we were much younger, or in some cases even before we were born. But there may be more.

    I can still relive my own stopped-in-my-tracks amazement when I saw the CGI stage performance for the first time. (I knew that was coming, as well, but was still unprepared.)

    As I mentioned in several other posts, many of the reviewers in the reaction videos were impacted in similar ways. Some were so astonished they could not speak. Others were emotionally overwhelmed. Some even thought it had to be a real performance and just couldn't understand how come no-one seemed to have aged.

    I've seen that quite a number of times now, and the effect wears off — of course. The CGI becomes so obvious that there's little further impact. But at the very first viewing, it's still a kind of shock. Why is this?

    I think it's because of a very deep aspect of the human condition that escapes not a single one of us — that we're all failingly mortal, we age (slowly but irreversibly), and will some day no longer be here in our current bodies. Day by day, usually millimeter by millimeter but always to some tiny degree, we become more infirm. This knowledge, which we carry with us every day, but seldom talk about as openly as we could, is deeply hardwired.

    We all know it's a one-way journey. We all know, those of us who may be 40, 50 or older, that we just can't do some of the things we used to when we were 20 or 30. We've lost some of the skills, the nuances, and talents, and (usually) our very appearance when we dare look in the mirror.

    I noticed this when watching some of the new videos which feature ABBA as they are today. I don't actually want to see them in their 70s.

    They're clearly lovely people still. (I think they always were, part of their eternal attraction.) But they're no longer glamorous. Agnetha still looks surprisingly attractive and sprightly (in her recording sessions, though, she's now wearing glasses.) But Frida has aged a lot, and looks like someone's dear grandmother. Bjorn, long having shed his chipmunk haircut, looks like someone's accountant. And Benny is overweight and looks like he's just not taken very good care of himself.

    For many of us, it's just a little too close to home.

    I want to see them eternally young. I want to see myself eternally young when I look in the mirror. But that's just impossible.

    Yet here, that impossibility was reversed. It really was like we witnessed some kind of minor Biblical miracle. In the new songs, I know there was sophisticated post-production, but then there always was on everything they ever did, even 45 years ago. (Though in their live performances, the girls' voices were sublime every time.)

    I think the tears that so often immediately started flowing were because the girls' voices just hadn't changed. Barely at all, after more than half a lifetime had passed.

    Almost everyone was astounded, expressed in different ways, that OMG, they sound just the same. (And yes, they do. ) And when the CGI stage performance kicked in, that was all reinforced even more. It was like some kind of sudden, unexpected, through-a-portal time travel experience.

    Here's a thought experiment to help present the point. Imagine that you learned that a beloved old friend of yours, from decades back, who you'd not seen or heard from for years and years, was going to come to visit. You'd be delighted, excited — and also, very probably, rather afraid that somehow too much might have changed in all those years.

    And then they arrive at your door, which you open, excited but a little fearful — and, as if by a miracle, there they were just as they were so many years ago, utterly unchanged, just not aged a day.

    I think you might just collapse in a blubbering heap, having been braced for someone who might have been a shadow of their former self, but instead there they were still radiant in all their former glory and beauty.

    I think that may possibly be quite a good way of describing the shock and sheer unbelieving delight that has overwhelmed millions. (And yes, me too. )

    Last edited by Bill Ryan; 15th September 2021 at 17:35.

  6. The Following 27 Users Say Thank You to Bill Ryan For This Post:

    7alon (16th September 2021), amor (15th September 2021), Blacklight43 (15th September 2021), BoR (19th September 2021), ByTheNorthernSea (15th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Gemma13 (15th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Johan (Keyholder) (15th September 2021), Le Chat (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), Michi (15th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), onevoice (15th September 2021), Open Minded Dude (15th September 2021), Pam (17th September 2021), Ravenlocke (20th September 2021), RunningDeer (15th September 2021), Sérénité (16th September 2021), Sirus (15th September 2021), Stephanie (15th September 2021), Tigger (16th September 2021), wondering (15th September 2021), Yoda (15th September 2021), Zampano (16th September 2021)

  7. Link to Post #64
    United States Avalon Member
    Join Date
    24th June 2013
    Language
    English
    Posts
    1,984
    Thanks
    2,723
    Thanked 6,945 times in 1,689 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    I listened to the first video which was absolutely beautiful and then read the lyrics. The arrangements were superb and the words heart wrenching. If you have lived, experienced life, the hoped for and the disappointing, you must cry. The music itself was expressive as the words and can leave you sobbing. I remember the sounds of their songs on the radio. They were beautiful as is love, for those that have experienced it and for those that wish they had.
    Last edited by amor; 15th September 2021 at 21:56. Reason: Typo.

  8. The Following 16 Users Say Thank You to amor For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (15th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Ernie Nemeth (16th September 2021), Eva2 (15th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), mokosh (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), RunningDeer (15th September 2021), Stephanie (17th September 2021), Tigger (16th September 2021), Tracie (Bodhicee) (17th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021)

  9. Link to Post #65
    Australia Avalon Member 7alon's Avatar
    Join Date
    30th August 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Age
    37
    Posts
    549
    Thanks
    2,634
    Thanked 3,568 times in 524 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    There is an element to Gnosis that involves music. It wouldn't surprise me if a trigger was encoded into the music to create a benevolent response (positive, but powerful emotional release). I find triggers like this in a LOT of music. Maybe it does indeed contain a message relating to youth? We are globally at the precipice of massive change, and I have also seen encoded messages in music/movies/tv the last few years. Messages that hint at something coming, a shift more precisely. We can already see this shift around us, I am curious.

  10. The Following 16 Users Say Thank You to 7alon For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), ByTheNorthernSea (16th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Sérénité (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (16th September 2021), Tracie (Bodhicee) (17th September 2021), Valle (16th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021)

  11. Link to Post #66
    UK Avalon Member Sérénité's Avatar
    Join Date
    12th March 2013
    Language
    English
    Posts
    894
    Thanks
    3,644
    Thanked 9,055 times in 868 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    It has perplexed me the last couple of days.
    Is it the fact ABBA have such a unique pitch, melody and voices that it can’t help but transport you back to the distant past maybe?
    Music and smells, I find they are the biggest trigger for deep emotional memories.

    Or is it something neurally induced?
    Apparently, when you hear a song and you get the chills/goosebumps, it’s actually your parasympathetic nervous system, or “rest and digest” system being activated along with the reward-related brain regions of your brain and releases of Dopamine.

    So maybe it’s both. The chords literally hit a key within us and the memories and feelings flood out.

    I find, despite loving music, when I’m going through some stuff I need silence.
    Music is too powerful a trigger when you are feeling low. Get the wrong music and it’s taking you lower.
    Get the right music and your mood is lifted instantly.

    ABBA have the frequency set just perfectly.
    And we really need this right now.
    Thankyou for the music 🎵

  12. The Following 14 Users Say Thank You to Sérénité For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), ByTheNorthernSea (16th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), onevoice (16th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (16th September 2021), Tracie (Bodhicee) (17th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021)

  13. Link to Post #67
    Sweden Avalon Member
    Join Date
    3rd February 2012
    Posts
    147
    Thanks
    635
    Thanked 716 times in 132 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    Ace of Base is an other a wake swedish group very similar to Abba.. very "gnosis songs".
    (and the same eyes)

    Ace of Base - Wheel of Fortune


    Ace of Base - The Sign



    Its the same with the Ark.. very gnostic

    The Ark - It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane



    Avicii - Wake Me Up ;-)
    Last edited by Valle; 16th September 2021 at 10:08.

  14. The Following 10 Users Say Thank You to Valle For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), ByTheNorthernSea (16th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), onevoice (16th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021)

  15. Link to Post #68
    Avalon Member Gemma13's Avatar
    Join Date
    25th May 2011
    Location
    Western Australia
    Language
    Australian
    Age
    59
    Posts
    2,568
    Thanks
    8,947
    Thanked 17,554 times in 2,528 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    OMG Bill, OMG, OMG, OMG

    I've just watched this guy you provided a link for on Page 1.  He nails it.  Cried and sobbed with him all the way and couldn't stay sitting.  Had to get up, move, sway, and wiggle and jiggle, as ABBA's celestial vibrations moved through every cell in my body lifting me to heights of euphoria.

    Gotta watch this dude in the following order.  ABBA fans will not be disappointed.

    Anyone not familiar with ABBA you will, should, totally get it if you watch these two videos.





    OMG this resurrection and second coming could not have come at a better time for our planet.  AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER.  8 more songs to come in November, so we will know all of them backwards in time for the grand finale concert next year.

    I can't help seeing the universe singing to us, saying, thank you, hang in there, you got this, and we've always got ya back.  I personally have been triggered into incredible elevation, as 7alon pointed to.

    And imagine how many people will come out in droves if protests start blasting these new ABBA songs in the streets.  Jeezuz even the riot police would be hard pushed not to join in.

    BUT . . . it won't stop there.  This global vibration is going to rock our world for many years to come, repeatedly.  They are going to die.  And most likely one at a time.

    I will not be surprised if this energy is just the beginning and if it is going to eventually be as great, if not higher, than those heights of spiritual ecstacy many are fortunate to have reached and experienced at least once in their lifetime so far.

    Imagine too, the powerful vibrational healing, cleansing, and joy being experienced by billions . . . at the same time, repeatedly.  It's pure f*cking genius.  We've felt something big coming.  Who woulda guessed.

    P.S. As with everything ABBA, the more times you listen, the more you get. It's as if there are endless encoded doorways, layered on top of each other, that continue to open, again and again and again.
    Last edited by Gemma13; 16th September 2021 at 10:01.

  16. The Following 15 Users Say Thank You to Gemma13 For This Post:

    7alon (16th September 2021), Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), ByTheNorthernSea (16th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), onevoice (16th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (16th September 2021), Tracie (Bodhicee) (17th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021)

  17. Link to Post #69
    Australia Moderator Harmony's Avatar
    Join Date
    11th May 2020
    Language
    English
    Posts
    2,593
    Thanks
    91,639
    Thanked 18,639 times in 2,597 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    ABBA really are unique, imbueing personal deep moments and then bringing a joyful unity where everyone is sharing in a celebration. They are brave to make a comeback, knowing they will be compared to their former glory. I hope the world will be kind and grateful for the sharing of their personal gifts.

    I still listen to ABBA with a sense of fun, but more and more I just enjoy the sounds of nature and a inner heart song and it can be fulfilling and satisfying and not boring at all.

    Age is a funny thing, on the inside you can feel like your original inner child with knowledge and wisdom as a lens to look through and navigate life situations and relationships. But the physical body kind of slowly drops away, not so shinny and new any more, so love must discover what is beyond the transient body and realise the important parts of ourselves that never leave us, our love and heart felt relationships, what we have shared, the beauty of living and lessons we have learned. When the times death of the body is near or was near, it becomes very apparent what is important.

    What a wonderful gift ABBA has shared with the world, beyond the commercial part

  18. The Following 15 Users Say Thank You to Harmony For This Post:

    7alon (16th September 2021), Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), ByTheNorthernSea (16th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), onevoice (16th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tracie (Bodhicee) (17th September 2021), Valle (16th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021)

  19. Link to Post #70
    Australia Avalon Member Anchor's Avatar
    Join Date
    10th February 2010
    Location
    NSW, Australia
    Language
    English
    Age
    60
    Posts
    4,600
    Thanks
    11,209
    Thanked 25,814 times in 3,730 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    Late to this party.

    I watched the "Still have faith in you video".

    And I am now requiring tissues for my runny nose and dripping eyes.

    Thanks for pointing this out. I was 10 when they burst on the scene and I have been a lifelong fan.

  20. The Following 15 Users Say Thank You to Anchor For This Post:

    7alon (16th September 2021), Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), ByTheNorthernSea (16th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021), Tracie (Bodhicee) (17th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021)

  21. Link to Post #71
    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
    Join Date
    7th February 2010
    Location
    Ecuador
    Posts
    34,206
    Thanks
    207,996
    Thanked 456,558 times in 32,726 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    Quote Posted by Gemma13 (here)
    OMG Bill, OMG, OMG, OMG


    And this is for Star Mariner:

    Quote Posted by Star Mariner (here)

    I think I need to hear the first song (I Still have Faith in You) again a few times, it's very good indeed, but WOW, this one - 'Don't Shut me Down' - which I've just listened to, and only once, has me sitting here kind of stunned. Literally stunned.
    You know, you're absolutely right. At first, I thought this one (of the two) wasn't quite so special. But now I can't get it out of my head. Literally!

    Abba did their magic thing again, as they so often always have done. The song, which is far cleverer than I'd first thought, just grows and grows.

    It's almost more perfect, in its own unique way, than the other one. I paid close attention to it the last couple of days, and it's an Abba-classic masterpiece, too. It really is. The lyrics are ingenious, with multiply layered meaning.

    I'm pretty sure that the introductory "The sun is going down, it's getting dark" refers to the knowledge that they're all inevitably nearing the end of their long lives and so there's not much time left for their final act. I missed that for quite a while at first. Almost no-one has picked up on that yet.

    That there'll be 8 more like this in a few weeks' time is a little mind-blowing. Benny, in an interview, said typically modestly: "Well, we just did the best we could". But the best they can do is several levels higher than most other popular musicians past or present.


  22. The Following 19 Users Say Thank You to Bill Ryan For This Post:

    7alon (16th September 2021), Alan (16th September 2021), Bluegreen (17th September 2021), ByTheNorthernSea (16th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Donald Ryan (24th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), onevoice (16th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021), Tracie (Bodhicee) (17th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021), Yoda (16th September 2021)

  23. Link to Post #72
    Australia Avalon Member Anchor's Avatar
    Join Date
    10th February 2010
    Location
    NSW, Australia
    Language
    English
    Age
    60
    Posts
    4,600
    Thanks
    11,209
    Thanked 25,814 times in 3,730 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    I wonder what role that excellent CGI will have in helping people eventually fully understand that it is possible lot of people who are on "TV" (tell you a vision) are actually ai driven CGI now?

  24. The Following 10 Users Say Thank You to Anchor For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021)

  25. Link to Post #73
    Avalon Member Gemma13's Avatar
    Join Date
    25th May 2011
    Location
    Western Australia
    Language
    Australian
    Age
    59
    Posts
    2,568
    Thanks
    8,947
    Thanked 17,554 times in 2,528 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again



    Quote Posted by RunningDeer (here)
    Chiquitita

    Chiquitita, tell me what's wrong
    You're enchained by your own sorrow
    In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow

    How I hate to see you like this
    There is no way you can deny it
    I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet

    Chiquitita, tell me the truth
    I'm a shoulder you can cry on
    Your best friend, I'm the one you must rely on

    You were always sure of yourself
    Now I see you've broken a feather
    I hope we can patch it up together


    Chiquitita, you and I know
    How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving
    You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end
    You will have no time for grieving


    Chiquitita, you and I cry
    But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you
    Let me hear you sing once more like you did before
    Sing a new song, Chiquitita

    Try once more like you did before
    Sing a new song, Chiquitita

    So the walls came tumbling down
    And your love's a blown out candle
    All is gone and it seems too hard to handle


    Chiquitita, tell me the truth
    There is no way you can deny it
    I see that you're oh so sad, so quiet

    Chiquitita, you and I know
    How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving
    You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end
    You will have no time for grieving

    Chiquitita, you and I cry
    But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you
    Let me hear you sing once more like you did before
    Sing a new song, Chiquitita

    Try once more like you did before
    Sing a new song, Chiquitita

    Try once more like you did before
    Sing a new song, Chiquitita

  26. The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to Gemma13 For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021)

  27. Link to Post #74
    Administrator Mark (Star Mariner)'s Avatar
    Join Date
    15th November 2011
    Language
    English
    Posts
    4,385
    Thanks
    29,047
    Thanked 35,396 times in 4,297 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    I must admit when I first heard a while back that Abba were going to make this return I felt the same as everyone else I'm sure. It was like hearing one of your favourite films is at long last going to get a sequel, that we're going to revisit a world we have very fond memories of and see those beloved characters again. But as with a sequel, I had misgivings. As you said Bill, they are old now, in fact aged. Not just the face, but everything, including vocal chords. Agnetha and Frida just won't have the range and control at 75 they had at 35, they simply can't, so it isn't going to be the same.

    Secondly, what if the group 'updated' themselves? Although they always kept their signature sound and identity, they did adapt with the times. If you compare 'Dancing Queen' ('76) with say 'The Day Before you Came' (82) they are chalk and cheese. When disco came along they got onboard that train, briefly, and thankfully got off again. So what if they reimagined themselves for 2021? I didn't think I wanted to see what. Because what if this 'revival' ended up, in the eyes of the fans, being a blot on their legacy?

    Why this has blown up to such extraordinary proportions is that all those fears - I think many naturally had them - were proven totally unfounded. They sound superb. If Benny and Bjorn used a little modern tech to smooth out any vocal blemishes, then so what! In assuming the exact brand and stylings of the Abba we all remember and love, they hit a hole in one around the world. I like to think they outright refused to even countenance the idea of 'updating' themselves for modern markets and morphing into some kind of R&B/Hip-hop Abba. That would've been just horrible. They stayed true to who and what they are, and thank goodness.

    I've scrolled many youtube comments to see for myself what people are saying. It really is remarkable actually. This one really stood out to me and sums up much of what I'm seeing. This was in response to 'Don't Shut me Down'.



    Another one of my Abba faves. Infectious!

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version

Name:	abba_1.jpg
Views:	477
Size:	69.2 KB
ID:	47462  
    "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace."
    ~ Jimi Hendrix

  28. The Following 12 Users Say Thank You to Mark (Star Mariner) For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), Bluegreen (19th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021), wondering (16th September 2021)

  29. Link to Post #75
    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
    Join Date
    7th February 2010
    Location
    Ecuador
    Posts
    34,206
    Thanks
    207,996
    Thanked 456,558 times in 32,726 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    Quote Posted by Star Mariner (here)
    Why this has blown up to such extraordinary proportions is that all those fears - I think many naturally had them - were proven totally unfounded. They sound superb. If Benny and Bjorn used a little modern tech to smooth out any vocal blemishes, then so what! In assuming the exact brand and stylings of the Abba we all remember and love, they hit a hole in one around the world. I like to think they outright refused to even countenance the idea of 'updating' themselves for modern markets and morphing into some kind of R&B/Hip-hop Abba. That would've been just horrible. They stayed true to who and what they are, and thank goodness.

    I've scrolled many youtube comments to see for myself what people are saying. It really is remarkable actually. This one really stood out to me and sums up much of what I'm seeing. This was in response to 'Don't Shut me Down'.


    Yes. There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of comments like that. Many said in different ways that they had just no explanation for the emotion that suddenly swept them away.

    Quote If Benny and Bjorn used a little modern tech...
    They always did, of course. Their old sound engineer, Michael Tretow (now also in his 70s but sadly rather infirm, and who ABBA generously set up for life with royalties) would often enhance the vocals with a double-track copy that was slightly sped up by about 0.5%. Back in the analog age, he did that by winding a bit of sticky tape round the tape spool so that the speed was ever so slightly different. (But of course, it was barely necessary: live on stage the girls always sounded just the same. )

    In 'Don't Shut Me Down', there's the line "I'm now and then combined". And so they are. There's the sweeping synthesizer, and the catchy dance-floor synth base deliberately undisguised. And then on top of that, in comes the signature ABBA piano. Just like one that Beethoven had. Everything is there for a reason.

  30. The Following 14 Users Say Thank You to Bill Ryan For This Post:

    Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Donald Ryan (24th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), onevoice (16th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021), wondering (19th September 2021), Yoda (16th September 2021)

  31. Link to Post #76
    Administrator Mark (Star Mariner)'s Avatar
    Join Date
    15th November 2011
    Language
    English
    Posts
    4,385
    Thanks
    29,047
    Thanked 35,396 times in 4,297 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    I'd call that a beefing up of the quality that is already there. That's a far cry from tech used in the music industry today, where a singer could literally bleat out anything, with neither pitch nor tone - a computer auto-corrects everything for you.

    That is more or less what is like nowadays, at least in the mainstream. I've actually watched several reaction videos in the past, particularly involving one of my favourite vocalists, Freddie Mercury, singing live. Young people are in awe at his skill and range, and some cannot believe it was even possible for a singer to do what he could do - live - without auto-tune.

    If you're enjoying 'Don't Shut me Down' give this a try. This is a fan-made extended play version (6mins). Very creative and it sounds great:

    "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace."
    ~ Jimi Hendrix

  32. The Following 10 Users Say Thank You to Mark (Star Mariner) For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), Bluegreen (19th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021)

  33. Link to Post #77
    United States Avalon Member thepainterdoug's Avatar
    Join Date
    27th November 2013
    Age
    70
    Posts
    3,203
    Thanks
    10,980
    Thanked 33,066 times in 3,146 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    another quick thought came to me this morning regarding the wonderful response to this post. we are all tired. tired of bad news, depressing end of the road news. the same dire stuff we need to keep up on, and yes we need to keep informed and determined, but as you can see with this post, so many want to be free again, to be happy , to sing, dance and celebrate life.

    everyday i wake, i have a sick feeling, a low grade depression in my gut. everyday hearing more bad, frustrating things as I read it and hear it all in disbelief. Its all too much.

  34. The Following 15 Users Say Thank You to thepainterdoug For This Post:

    Alan (17th September 2021), Bill Ryan (16th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Gemma13 (16th September 2021), Harmony (16th September 2021), Heart to heart (16th September 2021), Mark (Star Mariner) (17th September 2021), Mercedes (16th September 2021), mokosh (16th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), onevoice (16th September 2021), RunningDeer (16th September 2021), Stephanie (16th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021), wondering (19th September 2021)

  35. Link to Post #78
    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
    Join Date
    7th February 2010
    Location
    Ecuador
    Posts
    34,206
    Thanks
    207,996
    Thanked 456,558 times in 32,726 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    Quote Posted by RunningDeer (here)
    Quote Posted by Gemma13 (here)
    Oh Paula you are so beautiful, all the way. You are my Goddess
    Sending a big blushing thank you, Gemma.

    This introvert soul is uncomfortable putting them out there.
    Dear Friends, I've moved several personal photo posts to a new thread in a members-only section. I'd certainly love to encourage others to share their very interesting (and often very wonderful) then-and-now photos — and maybe also share something even more important, which is what you could do now that you couldn't do then, and vice versa. The very remarkable Abba comeback is really all about transcending the apparent boundaries of aging, whatever one happens to look like.
    Last edited by Bill Ryan; 17th September 2021 at 12:32.

  36. The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to Bill Ryan For This Post:

    7alon (17th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (28th September 2021), Gemma13 (17th September 2021), Harmony (17th September 2021), O Donna (18th September 2021), RunningDeer (17th September 2021), Stephanie (17th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021), Yoda (17th September 2021)

  37. Link to Post #79
    Avalon Member Gemma13's Avatar
    Join Date
    25th May 2011
    Location
    Western Australia
    Language
    Australian
    Age
    59
    Posts
    2,568
    Thanks
    8,947
    Thanked 17,554 times in 2,528 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    Thanks Paula for the songs and lyrics. Really appreciate it. A very handy go to.

  38. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Gemma13 For This Post:

    Bill Ryan (17th September 2021), Denise/Dizi (1st October 2021), Harmony (19th September 2021), RunningDeer (17th September 2021), Stephanie (17th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021)

  39. Link to Post #80
    United States Avalon Member RunningDeer's Avatar
    Join Date
    6th February 2012
    Location
    Forest Dweller
    Language
    English
    Posts
    18,341
    Thanks
    127,398
    Thanked 168,292 times in 18,139 posts

    Default Re: ABBA — 40 years younger again

    Quote Posted by Gemma13 (here)
    Thanks Paula for the songs and lyrics. Really appreciate it. A very handy go to.
    You’re welcome, Gemma. Reading the lyrics help me hear the song.
    It's usually the feelings and the rhythms that make the song meaningful.
    Last edited by RunningDeer; 17th September 2021 at 19:18.

  40. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to RunningDeer For This Post:

    Gemma13 (17th September 2021), Harmony (19th September 2021), Tigger (17th September 2021)

+ Reply to Thread
Page 4 of 8 FirstFirst 1 4 8 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts