The only super-saccharine ABBA song I enjoy (I think) is "Slipping Through My Fingers."
The Winner's Gonna Take It All: The final...
- Thread starter Remorque
- Start date
The only super-saccharine ABBA song I enjoy (I think) is "Slipping Through My Fingers."
I wonder if Lay All Your Love on Me would have been included had it not been for the Erasure EP. That EP was huge and they likely wanted to include all four of the songs from it on Gold. Otherwise, Summer Night City would have made more sense from a technical standpoint.
Angeleyes has been shafted ever since 1982 when it was left off of The Singles: The First Ten Years in favor of the worldwide A-side Voulez-Vous, but considering I do prefer Voulez-Vous (despite my username), I'm not too mad about it.
D
Deleted member 312
It's PooShit.
D
Deleted member 16293
Summer Night City is THE winner y'all. Perfect fit for the ABBA Gold medal and excellent summer anthem. I just hope to see it win before the summer's over. Kiiiii
D
Deleted member 16293
Sorry Cassandra.
'The Name Of The Game' is Sophie Ellis-Bextor's favourite ABBA song, queen of taste.
I like it but it's about time for it to sashay away.
I quite like Slipping Through My Fingers, so touching personally.
I find it hard to listen to given what happened to Frida's daughter. That's probably a bit irrational.
He/Him
31.
'...He's dressed in the striped pajamas that I bought... Trousers too short... Gives me of his small philosophy... Carries on the way he does and me I get so tired...'
- Anni-Frid Lyngstad in Should I Laugh Or Cry -
The boys actually looking better than the girls on their version...
Average: 8.0109
Highest score: 1 * 11.00 - @Filippa
11 * 10.00 - @chris4862 @P'NutButter @Mikey1701 @tylerc904 @ufint @Ed72 @idratherjack @constantino @LTG @One Stop Candy Shop @Remorque
Lowest score: 1 * 4.00 - @Mina
My score: 10.00
At #31 we see a firm fan favourite (well, most fans' anyway...) leave us in the form of Should I Laugh Or Cry. Written and recorded during the 1981 sessions for The Visitors, the song ultimately didn't make the cut and was instead released that same year as the b-side to One Of Us for most of the world, yet in Canada and the United States it was released as the b-side to When All Is Said And Done.
It first appeared on The Visitors as a deluxe track on the 1997 remasters and was featured on the rest of the re-issues from then on.
The Winner Takes It All is seen as their ultimate divorce anthem, yet Should I Laugh Or Cry takes place during those last stages of a marriage that's hanging on by a thread. There's bitterness, there's indifference, yet you can't help but feel kinda hopeful they'll pull through in the end. This is all up to the wonderful production and Frida's performance is one of her best of their later career. Cold and stern during those verses, yet paired with Agnetha during the chorus you get a feeling of melancholy and faith that the years that have flown by weren't in vain.
It's just all a bit complicated, innit.
And yet, it's illustrated wonderfully here in all its 4:32 glory...
Let's get the flop opinions out of the way first, shall we?
Mina, sis... What's the excuse? The answer's a simple "Forgettable.". Well, so is your commentary, so let's forget all about it, eh?
Admitting he's "Not as into this as others,", Hudweiser ultimately follows that up with "it's good but I don't go out of my way for it. The right choice as a B-side.". I think the b-side status actually raises it up in most of our estimations, as I consider it a lovely hidden gem that's only for us and the general public can go suck a dick.
A lot of people are disagreeing though as they think it should have definitely been on the album.
Mikey1701 has a bone to pick with Benny and Björn... "I can’t for the life of me understand why this was not on the original version of The Visitors because it’s one of the greatest tracks to come from the era, which says a lot about just how incredible it is given the calibre of tunes they created in that time. Fortunately, I’ve never owned a version of the album without this on it as a bonus track. What struck me when I really sat down and listened to the lyrics was just how dark the lyrics are: “he stands towering over me beside my bed/ losing his head” and “no more pain where there was pain before/Far away he rambles on, I feel my throat go dry” are just two examples. It adds a sense of menace to the production that leaves me unsettled but intrigued.". It's great to have someone get the exact kind of *feels* I get when listening to it.
Poor ol' Sprockrooster considers it to be "A b-side that is simply too good to be a b-side.", while CasperFan thinks the song was "Wasted as a b-side and could’ve sat easily on the album." and to bichard it's "A lovely b-side that should have been the tenth track on the album (or should have replaced Angel if there wasn't room on an LP for both). Frida is in cool, pensive mode and it suits her to a T. Happy Hawaii aside, this is my favourite ABBA b-side.". To me this makes Happy Hawaii sound like a jingle in comparison, but do you.
Frida's the highlight of this song and a lot of you were praising her for her performance on this one.
One Stop Candy Shop tells us that "Frida, Queen of B-Sides strikes again." and don't you all think that would make a great movie poster? Missed opportunities etc....
Mumty admits he really loves "the ice-maiden Frida became around this time. She’s basically spitting these words out!", while kalonite tells ha to "Drag him. I love how vicious the lyrics are in contrast to the cheery poppy beat.". Therein lies the beauty of this song. Its upbeat nature in the production is actually in stark contrast to the kinda cruel and dry nature of the lyrics.
WhatKindOfKylie? listened to the song and concluded "Ok, so much of the early 80's work from ABBA got all quite dark and depressed about relationships. But this one is quite unquiet in that it's quite damn catchy amongst its sad undertones, with its synthpop instrumental. Wasted as a B Side status track.".
To idratherjack this is "without a doubt the best ABBA song I have discovered as a result of this rate! Sheer early 80s synthpop perfection and further proof that as I have long suspected they were on the verge of delivering their masterpiece when they split up. Criminal that this was left off The Visitors and wasted as a B-side." and to tylerc904 it's "One of my very favorites from their entire discography. It’s so unlike anything else, though I guess it has qualities that would later reappear in The Day Before You Came. The sparse backing really works on this, though the overall song is lacking lyrically. I don’t really mind that, I must admit.". Really? I think the lyrics are quite 'out there' and although they're quite simple, they definitely strike a chord with me.
It sounds like a "Perfect bridge from 70s ABBA to 80s Frida. I could hear Erasure doing a remake of this song, actually. Enjoyable tune, but not top tier" for True Believer, with SecretsOfFatima thinking it's quite a "Peculiar song as it sounds like 2-3 songs mashed together to finish the album. Still enjoyable.". ABBA, the Xenomania of the early 80s.
constantino gives it the full points it deserves and states that it's "such an oddball in their discography but I absolutely adore it. The subtle nods to disco in the production make my puss tingle.". And while we're speaking of oddballs (read: crazy shit spitters), ufint brings one up in his commentary... "Dedicated to Donald Trump. He used to make me laugh and cry, these days it's mostly cry.". Same, sis. Though the man has never made me laugh, really...
And while P'nutbutter tells us this is "One of my all-time favourite ABBA songs. Excellent.", he didn't give it his 11. Yet, Filippa settled on it and did just that in the end. "Ok. This is it. My 11, my favourite song. This song is complicated. Frida’s vocal is very edgy, sad and then so soft, Agnetha sounds as usual like an angel.".
Matt Pop also made a remix of the song as part of his ABBA 80s reworks.
- Anni-Frid Lyngstad in Should I Laugh Or Cry -
The boys actually looking better than the girls on their version...
Average: 8.0109
Highest score: 1 * 11.00 - @Filippa
11 * 10.00 - @chris4862 @P'NutButter @Mikey1701 @tylerc904 @ufint @Ed72 @idratherjack @constantino @LTG @One Stop Candy Shop @Remorque
Lowest score: 1 * 4.00 - @Mina
My score: 10.00
At #31 we see a firm fan favourite (well, most fans' anyway...) leave us in the form of Should I Laugh Or Cry. Written and recorded during the 1981 sessions for The Visitors, the song ultimately didn't make the cut and was instead released that same year as the b-side to One Of Us for most of the world, yet in Canada and the United States it was released as the b-side to When All Is Said And Done.
It first appeared on The Visitors as a deluxe track on the 1997 remasters and was featured on the rest of the re-issues from then on.
The Winner Takes It All is seen as their ultimate divorce anthem, yet Should I Laugh Or Cry takes place during those last stages of a marriage that's hanging on by a thread. There's bitterness, there's indifference, yet you can't help but feel kinda hopeful they'll pull through in the end. This is all up to the wonderful production and Frida's performance is one of her best of their later career. Cold and stern during those verses, yet paired with Agnetha during the chorus you get a feeling of melancholy and faith that the years that have flown by weren't in vain.
It's just all a bit complicated, innit.
And yet, it's illustrated wonderfully here in all its 4:32 glory...
Let's get the flop opinions out of the way first, shall we?
Mina, sis... What's the excuse? The answer's a simple "Forgettable.". Well, so is your commentary, so let's forget all about it, eh?
Admitting he's "Not as into this as others,", Hudweiser ultimately follows that up with "it's good but I don't go out of my way for it. The right choice as a B-side.". I think the b-side status actually raises it up in most of our estimations, as I consider it a lovely hidden gem that's only for us and the general public can go suck a dick.
A lot of people are disagreeing though as they think it should have definitely been on the album.
Mikey1701 has a bone to pick with Benny and Björn... "I can’t for the life of me understand why this was not on the original version of The Visitors because it’s one of the greatest tracks to come from the era, which says a lot about just how incredible it is given the calibre of tunes they created in that time. Fortunately, I’ve never owned a version of the album without this on it as a bonus track. What struck me when I really sat down and listened to the lyrics was just how dark the lyrics are: “he stands towering over me beside my bed/ losing his head” and “no more pain where there was pain before/Far away he rambles on, I feel my throat go dry” are just two examples. It adds a sense of menace to the production that leaves me unsettled but intrigued.". It's great to have someone get the exact kind of *feels* I get when listening to it.
Poor ol' Sprockrooster considers it to be "A b-side that is simply too good to be a b-side.", while CasperFan thinks the song was "Wasted as a b-side and could’ve sat easily on the album." and to bichard it's "A lovely b-side that should have been the tenth track on the album (or should have replaced Angel if there wasn't room on an LP for both). Frida is in cool, pensive mode and it suits her to a T. Happy Hawaii aside, this is my favourite ABBA b-side.". To me this makes Happy Hawaii sound like a jingle in comparison, but do you.
Frida's the highlight of this song and a lot of you were praising her for her performance on this one.
One Stop Candy Shop tells us that "Frida, Queen of B-Sides strikes again." and don't you all think that would make a great movie poster? Missed opportunities etc....
Mumty admits he really loves "the ice-maiden Frida became around this time. She’s basically spitting these words out!", while kalonite tells ha to "Drag him. I love how vicious the lyrics are in contrast to the cheery poppy beat.". Therein lies the beauty of this song. Its upbeat nature in the production is actually in stark contrast to the kinda cruel and dry nature of the lyrics.
WhatKindOfKylie? listened to the song and concluded "Ok, so much of the early 80's work from ABBA got all quite dark and depressed about relationships. But this one is quite unquiet in that it's quite damn catchy amongst its sad undertones, with its synthpop instrumental. Wasted as a B Side status track.".
To idratherjack this is "without a doubt the best ABBA song I have discovered as a result of this rate! Sheer early 80s synthpop perfection and further proof that as I have long suspected they were on the verge of delivering their masterpiece when they split up. Criminal that this was left off The Visitors and wasted as a B-side." and to tylerc904 it's "One of my very favorites from their entire discography. It’s so unlike anything else, though I guess it has qualities that would later reappear in The Day Before You Came. The sparse backing really works on this, though the overall song is lacking lyrically. I don’t really mind that, I must admit.". Really? I think the lyrics are quite 'out there' and although they're quite simple, they definitely strike a chord with me.
It sounds like a "Perfect bridge from 70s ABBA to 80s Frida. I could hear Erasure doing a remake of this song, actually. Enjoyable tune, but not top tier" for True Believer, with SecretsOfFatima thinking it's quite a "Peculiar song as it sounds like 2-3 songs mashed together to finish the album. Still enjoyable.". ABBA, the Xenomania of the early 80s.
constantino gives it the full points it deserves and states that it's "such an oddball in their discography but I absolutely adore it. The subtle nods to disco in the production make my puss tingle.". And while we're speaking of oddballs (read: crazy shit spitters), ufint brings one up in his commentary... "Dedicated to Donald Trump. He used to make me laugh and cry, these days it's mostly cry.". Same, sis. Though the man has never made me laugh, really...
And while P'nutbutter tells us this is "One of my all-time favourite ABBA songs. Excellent.", he didn't give it his 11. Yet, Filippa settled on it and did just that in the end. "Ok. This is it. My 11, my favourite song. This song is complicated. Frida’s vocal is very edgy, sad and then so soft, Agnetha sounds as usual like an angel.".
Matt Pop also made a remix of the song as part of his ABBA 80s reworks.
Noooooooooooooooooooo!
What a discovery Should I Laugh Or Cry was. I still can't stop listening to it. The intro in particular is amazing. Icy, glacial synthpop ABBA is the best ABBA of all.
What a discovery Should I Laugh Or Cry was. I still can't stop listening to it. The intro in particular is amazing. Icy, glacial synthpop ABBA is the best ABBA of all.
This was never a rare find to me, it was on their 1983 comp. Thank You for the Music - one of the first cassettes I had - then also The Love Songs, and I Love ABBA.
Lyrically it's amazing (though as a sprog I always thought she was singing something about "Spain be gone!"), but the way they've processed the vocals and the melody have never interested me. I actually had it ranked at around #70 - it just blahs past me every time.
Lyrically it's amazing (though as a sprog I always thought she was singing something about "Spain be gone!"), but the way they've processed the vocals and the melody have never interested me. I actually had it ranked at around #70 - it just blahs past me every time.
Shame, it's better than 'Dancing Queen'.
