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Post by jj on Sept 19, 2020 15:14:13 GMT
This is what I'm listening to right now:
I've had it on repeat. The way all those different intruments come in at certain points, it's like wild! All that mish-mash of clashing and banging together works out so well, the person who created this arrangement is a genius. The magician on bass guitar here is none other than the great Pino Palladino.
Before I heard this, I knew the original song by Ann Peebles. Hers is a delicious soul number, full of a kind of smiling, gentle malice, and probably more wicked than the Paul Young version because it's understated. She's relishing what she's about to do to her unsuspecting ex, whereas Paul Young's version is openly angry and vengeful.
But I'm blown away by this new discovery and really think Paul Young's version is out-of-this world great! Just Wow!!
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Post by Liebezeit on Sept 21, 2020 1:15:53 GMT
Right now, for the past few weeks:
Nico, the Marble Index!
I accidentally fell mesmerized with her voice and her looks after indulging myself into listening to The Velvet Underground's Femme Fatale, but surely Nico, the featured singer in the VU's album, seems to have a neat way of reinventing herself. She has quite of a dark, un-ethereal (what's the opposite of ethereal? maybe scary, but that's far too generalized), broody yet cathartic way that I certainly dig. She makes Scott Walker look as if he took a page from Nico's playbook.
Fred Frith, Guitar Solos.
OH MY. I cannot stress enough that this is becoming one of my favourite albums from him alongside Gravity. In times of quarantine, this music is not only a stress reliever but just inspiring. Even Dylan Brady of 100 gecs loved this. As a musician, this encouraged me to expand my palettes and be open to various innovation in popular music and experimental music.
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Post by richard on Sept 23, 2020 13:05:05 GMT
Nice to read a bit about what appeals to someone and makes them want to listen to this or that track.
I've been listening to some late 50s and early 60s pop. My interest in this era took off from when I bought, a year or two back, a compilation album of The Ronettes' most well-known songs, and I thought it was fantastic - still do. It led me to exploring this period of pop, and there is so much I've come to appreciate and enjoy. Some incredibly tuneful songs, written by professional songwriters who obviously knew their craft when it came to appealing to the teenagers of that time. It's the era of songwriters such as Leiber and Stoller, Goffin and King, Neil Sedaka, Mann and Weil, and numerous others. I like the sheer immediacy and energy of these songs, the catchiness of the melodies, the often high-quality of musicianship of the session musicians employed... And there was no padding: three minutes and they were done and gone. They obviously didn't believe in outstaying their welcome! (Perhaps one of the enforced benefits of the more limited recording times available then? 😉)
Here are a couple of examples of my favourite pop songs from that era: a Ronettes track (1964) - love that fantastic intro; the other a 1982 cover by Timothy B. Schmit (of Poco, then The Eagles, fame - how he changed in appearance!) of The Thymes hit from 1963. He did all the vocals on the recording, by the way. I slightly prefer his version to the original, but I like both.
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Post by foreverfan on Sept 25, 2020 10:49:03 GMT
I wasn't sure of where to put this really as in cover versions or ABBA related whatever...
However this is the 2nd single to be released by Steps which is very ABBAesque.. in fact it came from 2011 Melodifestivalen..actually failed to qualify..
Know a lot of fans dislike Steps, seen as a poor mans ABBA, however I disagree, they are fun pop music that we need , Its not going to set the charts alight, in fact highly unlikely to chart at all, especially these days under current rules, but it will get a fair bit of airplay and may be record of the week on Radio 2.
Their, current single , also in the same vain.. What The Future Holds.. also very catchy, but has been out 2 weeks so far and not even entered the UK top 100, alas there may be portents of ABBA singles to come , ( I hope not )... Steps album is due out in November and will most probably be a top 5 hit if not number 1, they also have a big tour dates for end 2021.
Very popular group whether you like them or not...
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Post by jj on Sept 25, 2020 18:25:02 GMT
Steps have kept very much to their 1990s style, haven't they?
I hope ABBA's new songs are more reminiscent of their 1977-era "The Album" style.
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Post by Liebezeit on Aug 30, 2021 7:21:51 GMT
Listening to... Wendy Carlos' The Well-Tempered Synthesizer (1969). It remains a cherished album for years for me; been reminiscing the several years past and remember well that it led to my appreciation for synthesizers and a bit of classical music. Really wonder if Benny Andersson has acknowledged that she influenced his musicianship? ( Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, had, at some point) They have a bit of a Bachian if not Baroque streak and in some of Benny's solo pieces (even the incidental music for other stuffs) the music reminds me as if she had realised it. Of course the major differences between him and her is that Carlos was more into the sound designing and eccentric creativity, whereas Andersson was more cohesive and fuller in terms of arrangement |
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Post by tagaytay on Aug 30, 2021 10:59:04 GMT
since about two weeks ago ive been listening to all the abba albums stored in my notebook computer and its putting me to sleep nightly. this is in preparation for the new songs to come out this week.
i have also developed an interest in ed sheeran only because many guys here started talking about him as worthy chart competition to abba. ive only known him when he appeared in game of thrones and i have to admit im not familiar with any of his songs although i know a lot of girls in my workplace who swoon over him. anyway ill be getting his album "divide" because thats the only one available locally in physical vinyl format.
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Post by tagaytay on Sept 9, 2021 4:27:23 GMT
since the release of the two new songs i have been reacquainting myself with the girl's voices. i have been listening to the live album and agnetha's A album.
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Post by jj on Apr 27, 2023 3:19:32 GMT
I heard this being played on Triple J, an Australian alternative music/youth-oriented radio station, and was intrigued enough to listen again via youtube, where the second comment is:
"What a bloody amazing first song! Your sound is like the perfect mix of ABBA, Kate Bush and Florence + the Machine"
So what do other ABBA fans and Kate Bush fans think?
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Post by gary on Apr 27, 2023 12:55:56 GMT
^ I must be getting old, or perhaps just prudish! 😁
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Post by gary on May 30, 2023 20:19:07 GMT
There was a discussion somewhere else on this site about AI, but I can’t find it now. Anyway, I found this on YouTube. I suspect there will be a lot more like it.
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lucky
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by lucky on May 30, 2023 23:10:39 GMT
I heard this being played on Triple J, an Australian alternative music/youth-oriented radio station, and was intrigued enough to listen again via youtube, where the second comment is:
"What a bloody amazing first song! Your sound is like the perfect mix of ABBA, Kate Bush and Florence + the Machine"
So what do other ABBA fans and Kate Bush fans think?
This is right up my alley, thanks for this. Am digging the Kate Bush vibe, it’s not giving me Abba though.. well maybe some of the lead vocals sound a little Frida-esque |
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Post by jj on Jun 1, 2023 10:14:10 GMT
There was a discussion somewhere else on this site about AI, but I can’t find it now. Anyway, I found this on YouTube. I suspect there will be a lot more like it.
It'd be fun to hear "ABBA" (i.e., the AI version of ABBA's voices) covering Space Oddity! "Frida" could do the verses, and then a glorious choir of "ABBA" voices could sing the choruses! Haha!
Who's up for that?! I am!!
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Post by jj on Jun 1, 2023 10:48:21 GMT
This is right up my alley, thanks for this. Am digging the Kate Bush vibe, it’s not giving me Abba though.. well maybe some of the lead vocals sound a little Frida-esque
You're welcome. I guess the verses are a bit Kate Bush-ish, and there's a kind of flourish sometimes, or a final vocal near the end that's held for a good few seconds that could remind one of some moments in ABBA's oeuvre, but it's still a bit of a tenuous link, I think, re. ABBA.
Re. the foul language in it: I guess the F-word could one day be completely acceptable, almost everyone seems to drop it now, sometimes, especially when they really want to underline something. ABBA sang "screw you" recently.
"Bloody" is no longer such a shocking adjective, and hasn't been in a long time - in fact it's often used humorously in conversation to show fake outrage or to deride something in a funny way. I'd say things like Abfab (the TV series) made both "bloody" and "bollocking" fun to the point that they're no longer considered controversial. You never hear a glass drop and/or a room go completely quiet if someone drops either of those two words at a cocktail party these days. Then again, neither feature in many songs. The only artist I can think of that has used "bloody" is Supertramp, but, unbelievably, it's the song's title and chorus.
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Post by gary on Jun 1, 2023 15:16:36 GMT
It’s not going to be long before AI lets us hear ‘Frida’ singing The Winner Takes It All and ‘Agnetha’ singing Our Last Summer. Seriously.
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Post by richard on Jun 1, 2023 16:32:58 GMT
This little thread from a year ago (only four posts) might be of interest to anyone intrigued by 'Agnetha' and 'Frida' now singing songs - through vocal trickery as Josef describes it (hope he hasn't given up on this forum, by the way) - which they didn't! For me, it touches on some interesting technical and ethical points. abbachat.com/thread/1486/sampling-agnetha-fridas-voices |
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Post by gary on Jun 3, 2023 20:55:29 GMT
My first single:
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Post by HOMETIME on Jun 3, 2023 22:12:17 GMT
My first single was The Name Of The Game by some Swedish group. But it was a present, so it probably doesn't count. This first single I actually spent my pocket money on was "Substitute" by Clout
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Post by jj on Sept 28, 2023 18:19:55 GMT
I found out the oddest thing today. This strange instrumental tune reached #1 on the UK charts in the 1970s!
Who else knew this?? Just... crazy! 
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Post by gary on Sept 29, 2023 7:16:01 GMT
^
We must be a similar age!
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Post by jj on Sept 29, 2023 9:52:06 GMT
And it spent 4 weeks at #1, too, which is amazing!
Must have been a popular tv show. I imagine mostly older people needed to own this tune so they could play it at home to their heart's content, and they flocked to the record stores in hordes to buy it, otherwise it wouldn't have been number one for so long.
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Post by jj on Sept 29, 2023 9:58:03 GMT
I have a strange feeling Benny would like it.
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Post by bjorenny on Oct 21, 2023 7:31:33 GMT
As a kid, I remember a version with lyrics, very easy-listening in an Andy William's style from memory (but I haven't heard it for about 48 years)
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