ABBA's "The Album", originally released in 1977 as an accompaniment to their motion picture "ABBA-The Movie" and the follow-up to their 1976 album "Arrival", is a very good album, not as good as ABBA's classic album, "Super Trouper", but still a very good album with a few standout tracks that you wouldn't be able to find on any of ABBA's greatest hits albums. One such track is "Hole In Your Soul"; a great little rock song with super bass throughout, only to be interrupted by the mellow bridges of Agnetha and Frida's "ah-ha"s in the middle. Another such track is "One Man, One Woman", which appears in ABBA's greatest hits video collection "More ABBA Gold", but not on the greatest hits album of the same name. (Go figure!) The track "Move On" is okay, but the Spanish version "El Andar" (found on the album "ABBA Oro", their greatest hits in Spanish) is MUCH better. "The Album" also includes the tracks "Take A Chance On Me", "Thank You For The Music", "Eagle", and the full-length version of "The Name of The Game" - a far cry from the shortened version which Polydor has inexplicably used in ABBA's greatest hits collections "ABBA Gold" and the "Thank You For The Music" box set. All in all, "The Album" is a worthwhile purchase for any ABBA fan.

By 1977, ABBA was one of the best selling bands world-wide. Both of their previous records; "Greatest Hits" and "Arrival" were world-wide smashes selling several million copies each. ABBA would repeat that phenomenal success with the release of "ABBA-The Movie" (which did well in Europe) and their 5th original album titled "ABBA-The Album".

By the time ABBA released their 3rd album in 1975, Bjorn and Benny had finally decided to let the 2 girls take centre stage since they were the better singers. This turned out to be a great move because a large part of the "ABBA sound" and their success was due to the combination of Agnetha's and Frida's contrasting voices. By 1976, Bjorn and Benny had perfected their sound, their technique and the use of their 2 most powerful weapons; Agnetha and Frida. The end result was one of their most polished original albums- "Arrival". "ABBA-The Album" takes it one step further. It pretty much follows the typical ABBA formula; beautiful melodies, strong harmony singing, and attention to detail but this time around the majority of the songs are longer with meaningful lyrics. The opening track is the under-rated "Eagle" which boasts a soaring melody, interesting lyrics, outstanding vocals and exquisite guitar work. This song has appeared on several other compilation albums but in edited form. This is one of the few albums where you can hear it the way it was intended- uncut. "Eagle" is followed by "Take a Chance on Me" which features yet again, extraordinary vocals and intricate harmonies (Agnetha is especially delightful during her 2 solos in this song). Frida is given her moments to shine as well in "One Man One Woman" and "I Wonder (Departure)". The latter song showcases her talents as a vocalist proving what us ABBA fans knew all along, that these women were more than just eye candy, they had great vocal talent. "I Wonder" doesn't sound like a typical pop song. It sounds more like a theatre piece and that's the way it was intended to sound since it was part of Bjorn and Benny's mini-musical "The Girl with the Golden Hair" which was performed during their 1977 concerts.

Pop soprano Agnetha takes the lead in the interesting, undeniably lovely "Move On" and "Thank You for the Music" (also from the mini-musical). "Move On" is an interesting piece because it has a brief introduction by Bjorn and the inspirational lyrics are very poetic. The song comes to life however, when Agnetha takes the lead in the verses and her "La-la-la-la-la-la-la's" during the song's climax is riveting. "Thank You for the Music" is another famous ABBA tune with a gorgeous melody that is enhanced by Agnetha's powerful voice.

Another major highlight in "The Album" is "The Name of the Game". This song may not grab the listener immediately like ABBA's earlier hits but repeated listening (with good quality earphones) will convince you this is one of the finest songs ABBA ever produced. Several have called it a "masterpiece". It offers beautiful vocals by the girls. They start off singing in unison then they branch off with Agnetha having the first solo in the song which perfectly showcases the texture and delicacy of her instrument. Then all members dig into the chorus in perfect harmony before Frida takes the lead. They adorn this part of the song with some creative orchestrations, vocal tricks and harmonies. This song also clearly showcases the differences between the 2 vocalists. Agnetha's solos are always in a much higher register since it's her upper notes that hold her magic while Frida's sultry lower register is her trademark. One of Bjorn and Benny biggest talents (aside from writing perfect pop songs) was how they skillfully used these womens instruments. They really knew how to display their vocal beauty.

"ABBA-The Album" was a commercial hit world-wide. The album reached #1 in the UK, the Top 10 in Canada and the Top 20 in the US achieving platinum status. The 2 singles that were released in these territories were also major hits. It has been said that "Dancing Queen" was ABBA's biggest selling single in the US since it was certified Gold and it reached #1 on the charts but it has since been stated that "Take a Chance on Me" actually sold more copies in America. Whether this is true or not it was still a big hit climbing to #3 and achieving Gold status in the US. The single also reached #1 in the UK and #7 in Canada. "The Name of the Game" reached #1 in the UK, #12 in the US and #15 in Canada. "Thank You for the Music" has always been regarded as one of ABBA's hits and it was even included in their "ABBA Gold" CD. The song was never released as a single in the UK until 1983 after the groups' breakup peaking just outside the Top Thirty.

"ABBA-The Album" was the turning point in ABBA's career. From this point forward, their albums would mature both musically and lyrically. They would become more sophisticated offering not just pretty melodies but emotional depth as well. Their wonderful sound, remarkable vocal harmonies and powerful ballads would continue to grace their future albums and immortalize their talents that went unrecognized during the groups' hey-day when they were considered by many as just a "flash in the pan". Several decades later the four Swedes' music continues to sell in the millions. To date they have sold between 360-400 million records world-wide (Only The Beatles and Elvis Presley have sold more). That only confirms that ABBA's music is more than just "bubble-gum". ABBA's musical legacy will continue to endure for years to come because music this perfectly crafted only gets better with age. We can now fully appreciate them for their beauty and brilliance and when hardened music critics jump on the ABBA band-wagon and admit the radiance of their tunes only solidifies our claims that several of these songs are masterpieces.

So for the uninitiated, forget about the platforms and those silly, form-fitting costumes. It's all about the music; the timeless melodies, the intricate harmonies, the wonderful sound created when combining Agnetha and Frida's glorious voices. All of these elements helped make ABBA's music transcendent. Enjoy.

this album is the studio soundtrack to their cringeworthy 1977 "Abba The Movie". As embarrassing as the rockumentary is, the actual record is a keeper. Eagle has wonderful vox from the 2 girls. Song is a work of art both musically and lyrically. Take A Chance On Me and The Name Of The Game were both hits in the US and UK. Move On is very Hawaiian styled. But the centerpiece on the album is the 3-piece Girl With The Golden Hair mini-musical. The beautiful tracks I Wonder (Departure) and Thank You For The Music as well as the uptempo I'm A Marrionette makes this album distinguishable from everything else Abba cut in the 70's. This is Abba at their commercial peak and is a darn good record by them. Personally I'd rank it third behind The Visitors and Super Trouper

For me in the Seventies, Abba were always a guilty pleasure. I loved SOS, Fernando, Dancing Queen and obscure album tracks like Tropical Loveland, That's Me, Intermezzo #1 and others. They had too much synthesizer and an unreal plastic look, but thirty years on their songs have become pop standards. This album is definitely their peak. They were never more daring and it is a shame they never topped it with their subsequent albums. It is interesting to note that one of the co-writers on some of the songs, Stig Anderson never collaborated with them in writing songs after this album and I think the rest of their albums suffered because of this.

1. EAGLE (5.51): I was wowed by this song when I first heard it and it is still very inventive today. An epic song which probably should have closed the album. It does conjure up images of soaring high in the skies. The production is amazing. Great shared vocals, great guitar work and the synthesizers are used to wondrous effect. Very atmospheric.

2. TAKE A CHANCE ON ME (4.04): Very popular and deservedly so. Great pop song. Enough said!

3. ONE MAN ONE WOMAN (4.31): Frida sings this song with a depressing start but ultimately ends in reconciliation. This would be a rather maudlin song but her vocals do sound full of vulnerability and then joy.

4. THE NAME OF THE GAME (4.54): Probably my favourite single ever released by Abba. This is the full length version of the song with the second verse included. It is a long way from WATERLOO and RING RING. Very complex issues dealt with here but the sharing of vocals by Agnetha and Frida works very well and the chorus is sublime with all the members contributing exquisite harmnonies. Still one of my favourite songs from the Seventies and I am mainly a rock fan!

5. MOVE ON (4.41). Not a bad song but the spoken intro by Bjorn is not necessary. Catchy chorus but the la la las in the chorus could also have benn left out.

6. HOLE IN YOUR SOUL (3.39). More of a rocker. Lyrics are a little cliched but it is nice hear them belt it out. Again the chorus is very catchy.

7. THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC (3.50). The first of three songs from the mini-musical THE GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN HAIR. One of my least favourite Abba songs. I really wish it was on another album of theirs. I know it was part of a musical but the lyrics are self indulgent and self glorifying. Have to admit I really hate this song. Technically I should only give this album 4 stars because of this song but I do enjoy the other eight tracks very much.

9. I WONDER (DEPARTURE) (4.32). Sometimes we tend to miss the lyrics of their songs because the melodies are so memorable. I moved from Ireland to the USA in 1988 and this song does capture the mood I felt leaving a lot of familiar things behind for a new daunting life. Again Frida does a great job on vocal.

9. I'M A MARIONETTE (4.03). A great way to end the album. It is a fast rocker with bitter, jaded lyrics but they pull it off very well. Includes a great guitar solo and great string arrangement. Powerful stuff!!

I know personal issues started to seep into the band at this time. It was predictable that this would take its toll on the members. They did go on to record some great songs like THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL, LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME, THE VISITORS and SLIPPING THROUGH MY FINGERS. But there were too many songs that were just sub-standard. The album VOULEZ VOUS has no brilliance to it at all and was just a second rate disco album. SUPER TROUPER was a hit and miss affair and the album THE VISITORS was an aural picture of four band members fed up with each other just waiting to go their separate ways ("And now they've come to take me, come to break me and yet it isn't unexpected"). ABBA-THE ALBUM showed their vocal, melodic and musical arrangement capabilities at their best.

This album is a gem. It also happens to be one of the few CDs to feature the long version of "The Name of the Game" with an extra stanza which was not on the single version. That track alone is worth the price of admission! Great production, arrangements and harmonies throughout. This album also features some of Benny and Bjorn's experimentation with musical theatre which would bring them great success in the decades following the group's breakup.