ALBUM BY ALBUM

THE HARMONI ES AND H EARTACHE OF THE SWEDISH QUART ET WHO DOMINAT ED THE CHART S I N THE 70S AND B EYOND…

STEVE HARNELL

“THERE’S PLENTY OF HIT-MAKING POTENTIAL BUBBLING UNDER THE SURFACE, BUT IT HAS YET TO BE FULLY REFINED.”

When you consider just how dominant ABBA were as a force on the singles chart in particular during the 70s and early 80s, you’d be forgiven for thinking they had the formula for pop perfection all along.

There’s plenty of hit-making potential bubbling under the surface of the quartet’s 1973 debut but it has yet to be fully refined. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus had already carved out a career as successful songwriters in Sweden before inviting their respective partners to record a one-off single. In fact, they had plenty of other irons in the fire, ABBA was just one of several projects each individual member were involved in at this stage.

The resultant 7", People Need Love, included here on their debut, is a winsome slice of pop bounce with a decent thumping piano part from Benny and what would eventually become a trademark of theirs – a key change at the midway point to up the ante. Agnetha and Frida even sneak in some yodelling backing vocals as a nod to their Nordic homeland.

The eventual album’s opener, the bouncy glam rock title track was ABBA’s pitch for 1973’s Eurovision contest. With additional lyrical help from Neil Sedaka and writing partner Phil Cody, it’s the clearest hint here of their knack for earworm choruses. There’s a lilting charm to the elegant Another Town, Another Train, the vocal blend of the group coalesces nicely.

Agnetha gets her only ABBA co-write credit on the ballad Disillusion, a fine performance but it doesn’t quite tug at the heartstrings to the same extent as their best work. Benny and Björn duet on the introspective I Saw It In The Mirror – its plodding tempo sees them fail to get out of first gear, though.

ABBA’s melodic sensibilities are placed to the fore more obviously on the perky character study Nina, Pretty Ballerina. Like the title track, it’s the clearest indication on this debut of what the group would go on to achieve – a supremely hooky chorus and an irresistible melody in the verses.

The country rock textures of Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough) are something ABBA could have explored further – the kettle drum drop-ins raise a smile and hint at a playfulness in their arrangements. There’s impressive lead guitar soloing on He Is Your Brother and a kitschy 60s Carnaby Street charm to the swoonsome I Am Just A Girl. Whether they quite live up to the titular billing on Rock’N’Roll Band, though, is a moot point.

Ring Ring was a competent opening statement of intent and rose to a respectable No.2 in ABBA’s homeland, even making a surprise appearance in Australia’s Top 10.

We can we mark this third eponymous album out as the point at which ABBA begin their rise to chart ubiquity. The group’s label saw this as an opportunity to flood the marketplace; an astonishing seven cuts from the LP were released as singles, doing brisk business across most of Europe and on a couple of occasions making waves in the United States, which had hitherto remained pretty much impervious to their charms.