10 ABBA Essentials

Willie Oleson

Willie Oleson

Telly Talk Schemer
In chronological order.

Honey, Honey

Because I think it's their most British sounding song. Or maybe I should say, the British soft-pop sound based on American music.
Kinda like if Tina Charles would cover a Partridge Family hit.
Then there's the sexy heavy breathing which, I think, makes it ABBA's most ooh la la effort. The honey is a love machine, and a beast.
 
Willie Oleson

Willie Oleson

Telly Talk Schemer
SOS

I know it's from 1975 but somehow it always sounds older and more The Mamas & The Papas-esque to me.
Mentally I place in the charts that they "would" share with Little Green Bag (George Baker), Venus (Shocking Blue) and Mamy Blue (Pop Tops).
Late sixties or very early seventies.
Probably because the vocals have the kind of harmony that sounds more folk than the traditional ABBA sound. It's confusing, and every time I hear it I want to grab the nearest person by the shoulders and exclaim "I don't understand! Please help me!" SOS, indeed.
 
Willie Oleson

Willie Oleson

Telly Talk Schemer
Eagle

Ironically, their one and only eco-folk song Eagle sounds unmistakably ABBA. The music guides the vocals, and vice versa. With an almost ungodly precision they created a song that sounds exactly like it was meant to be.
It's pure euphoria, the melancholic tone of the song notwithstanding.

In case I forgot to mention it: I really like it!

Edit - it needs to be the version with the longer instrumental outro.
 
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