ABBA becomes famous...

This album was ABBA's second one after "Ring Ring" that wasn't so successful. The songs "Waterloo", "Honey, Honey", and the peaceful track "Hasta Mañana" made this album so famous...there's however other great tracks: "My Mama Said", "What About Livingstone", "Watch Out", and the ballad "Gonna Sing You My Lovesong". This album is a pearl of pop music and very valuable for that...there's some songs like "Sitting in the Palmtree" and "King Kong Song" which may be cute and funny but not good musically.

Stars: Hasta Mañana, Honey, Honey, Waterloo

One of their finest moments

I usually consider Super Trouper and Arrival as their best albums then comes the others. I used to think that the first

two records Ring Ring and Waterloo (from which I used to listen to only the title track and Honey Honey) weren't that

good.

When I finally bought Waterloo to myself and started systematically listen to its songs I was blown away by the

quality put on its tracks.I think that by the time Waterloo was recorded in 1973-74, Abba was more wide open to different influences, ready to create material without prejudices, everything that worked in the studio. Therefore Waterloo's soundscape is more surprising and unusual than their later works was.



Many of this albums songs have truly classic melodies and when you get them in your head you just sing them for weeks. Honey Honey, Dance and the title track are many times cherished as Waterloo's finest moments but really there are songs such as Hasta Manãna, Gonna Sing You My Lovesong, What about Livingstone and Suzy Hang Around that are absolutely quality material.

I adore especially Gonna Sing You My Lovesong for it's a ballad-like, Frida on lead vocals and when the chorus sets in the song's layered harmonies really blooms.

Sittin in the Palmtree has a light reggae-feeling in it, King Kon Song and Watch Out are more rocking tunes - the style

that dissappeared from Abba's repertuare as time went on.



If you're searching an album by Abba from where to start I can gladly tell you that Waterloo is as good choice as The

Album, Abba, The Visitors or Voulez-Vous. Nowadays it's my personal favourite after Arrival just because it contains

so many classic Abba melodies.

patchy

It's ok- hasta manana is brilliant. But 'suzy hang around' has some very off ey singing. 'Waterloo' was never great in my book and 'the king kong song' is definitely the worst song ever by ABBA.

The gorgeous melodies were yet to arrive.