He/Him
20. - a tie
'...Oh, I'm so restless, I don't care what I say and I lose my temper ten times a day... Still it's even worse when the night's on its way...'
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in If It Wasn't for the Nights-
Don't say I'm not good at trolling.
Average: 8.6522
Highest score: 2 * 11.00 - @hownee @bichard
16 * 10.00 - @SecretsOfFatima @funkyg @CasperFan @Mikey1701 @WhatKindOfKylie? @Gotnomoretosay @ufint @AGiantSheep @Terminus @idratherjack @Animalia @Filippa @Scoundrel_Days @haps @Baby Clyde @Uno
Lowest score: 3 * 5.00 - @cityofdoomsday @Sprockrooster @JonBcn
My score: 9.50
So here it is... The album track that could...
Written and recorded in October 1978, If It Wasn't for the Nights was eventually released a year later as the seventh song on its parent album. The song deals with Björn's state of mind during his divorce from Agnetha, when he was constantly working through the day, yet had to deal with the mess in his head at night... Relatable king.
Considered one of the best album tracks by fans and critics, it was slated for release as the first track to be lifted from Voulez-Vous in January 1979, yet during later writing sessions for the album the boys came up with Chiquitita and considered that song a better single option... Hence them performing Chiquitita at the Music for UNICEF Concert, instead of opting for the more disco If It Wasn't for the Nights.
Disco... The word has fallen. This is straight up, no holds barred, funky as all hell, PURE UTTER DISCO. Where they had fused other elements with the genre elsewhere on the album, this was the most contemporary song present and personally I think it's a tragedy that this was never released as a single. It sounds fucking cool, uplifting (though the lyrical content doesn't say so on paper), the production is still as crisp as ever and the girls' performance is glorious, giving us a different kind of harmony than the one we were used to...
Guess we'll just have to live with the fact it actually did see the light of day as the b-side to Super Trouper in Japan in 1981.
Filippa tells us it's "The best song on this album." for her, Mina thinks it has an "Interesting take on this theme." and ufint calls this an "Instant classic! Why wasn't this released as a single?"... And that's the beef most of y'all had with the ABBA camp about this song.
Mikey1701 SCREAMS into the void "WHY DID THEY SCRAP THIS AS THE LEAD SINGLE?! WHY?!?!? This is THE standout track from the parent album, made even more remarkable given that Agnetha is singing lyrics written by Bjorn about his divorce from her. The chorus is uplifting despite the sombre nature of the lyrics and once again, Agnetha and Frida’s tight harmonies are beautiful. So, so good."...
P'nutbutter states it "Should have been a single. (The structure reminds me so much of Xenomania.)", with CasperFan sighing "Ah the No.1 single that never was but should have been. On an album packed with potential singles, some were going to remain album tracks but this is a real lost opportunity. Just a genius song, catchy as hell but a nice gem for people only familiar with the singles to discover later on!" and tylerc904 sums up "Fantastic, bombastic, LOUD." before stating it "Sounds like a classic despite being shunned single status.".
Normally I'd tell you girls to calm down, yet I completely agree your frustrations here.
constantino gave it a 7 and I don't know if his commentary is meant to be a compliment, but he tells us he loves "the way the vocals practically pierce my eardrums on the chorus.", TrueBeliever believes it's "Pleasant yet ardent, glamorous disco filler music. Nothing special, but far from a bad song." and poor ol' Sprockrooster has a hard time staying awake, saying "Yeah... this almost makes me feel asleep.". Really, sis?
WhatKindOfKylie? "can almost forgive B and B for casting this divine offering aside as lead single status in favour of the magical Chiquitita, but for a song so wonderful as this not to have been a single at all, is just madness on every level! A song full of sorrow and anguish cleverly hidden behind a perky bop beat, was one of many skills as songwriters that Benny and Bjorn had, and If It Wasn’t for the Nights is perhaps definitive proof of that. Amazing.". Look at us getting along these past few eliminations eh? Who would have thought during the early weeks of this countdown?
Though haps had hoped he could have given "it 10,5. So fab and recently discovered!", Hudweiser can only give it "an 8!? I just don't love it *that* much - the choruses go on a bit too long. It's still awesome though.". The length wasn't only his issue though, as Mumty thinks it's "such a fantastic song but it is exactly one minute too long." and idratherjack says it "Could do with a radio edit though." after stating it's "Perhaps the ultimate lost ABBA classic single.".
And though this received two 11's, the good sis bichard was the only vocal one, saying he'd "toyed with this and one or two other songs for the eleven, but I think this was always going to win. In the last ten years it has been consistently my favourite ABBA song and remained atop my ABBA playlist for a similar amount of time. It just demonstrates everything that is great and loved about ABBA in one song, without the general public knowing about it. But if they heard it, they'd instantly know it was ABBA. Really should have been the album's lead single as originally planned. I'm sure this is the Voulez-Vous number 1 single that never was...".
Preach a bit.
SecretsOfFatima yells "MASTERPIECE. So good that it gave us a Japanese performance in front of a balloon tube and accompanied by a Frida dance break. Magical." Said performance was the one they filmed for their 1978 tv special Live in Japan...
...and it was performed again that same year on the Mike Yarwood Christmas Show, which actually served as the unofficial video for the song. I"d have opted with the Japan one, but hey ho.
Of course, the song was also performed during their 1979 world tour.
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in If It Wasn't for the Nights-
Don't say I'm not good at trolling.
Average: 8.6522
Highest score: 2 * 11.00 - @hownee @bichard
16 * 10.00 - @SecretsOfFatima @funkyg @CasperFan @Mikey1701 @WhatKindOfKylie? @Gotnomoretosay @ufint @AGiantSheep @Terminus @idratherjack @Animalia @Filippa @Scoundrel_Days @haps @Baby Clyde @Uno
Lowest score: 3 * 5.00 - @cityofdoomsday @Sprockrooster @JonBcn
My score: 9.50
So here it is... The album track that could...
Written and recorded in October 1978, If It Wasn't for the Nights was eventually released a year later as the seventh song on its parent album. The song deals with Björn's state of mind during his divorce from Agnetha, when he was constantly working through the day, yet had to deal with the mess in his head at night... Relatable king.
Considered one of the best album tracks by fans and critics, it was slated for release as the first track to be lifted from Voulez-Vous in January 1979, yet during later writing sessions for the album the boys came up with Chiquitita and considered that song a better single option... Hence them performing Chiquitita at the Music for UNICEF Concert, instead of opting for the more disco If It Wasn't for the Nights.
Disco... The word has fallen. This is straight up, no holds barred, funky as all hell, PURE UTTER DISCO. Where they had fused other elements with the genre elsewhere on the album, this was the most contemporary song present and personally I think it's a tragedy that this was never released as a single. It sounds fucking cool, uplifting (though the lyrical content doesn't say so on paper), the production is still as crisp as ever and the girls' performance is glorious, giving us a different kind of harmony than the one we were used to...
Guess we'll just have to live with the fact it actually did see the light of day as the b-side to Super Trouper in Japan in 1981.
Filippa tells us it's "The best song on this album." for her, Mina thinks it has an "Interesting take on this theme." and ufint calls this an "Instant classic! Why wasn't this released as a single?"... And that's the beef most of y'all had with the ABBA camp about this song.
Mikey1701 SCREAMS into the void "WHY DID THEY SCRAP THIS AS THE LEAD SINGLE?! WHY?!?!? This is THE standout track from the parent album, made even more remarkable given that Agnetha is singing lyrics written by Bjorn about his divorce from her. The chorus is uplifting despite the sombre nature of the lyrics and once again, Agnetha and Frida’s tight harmonies are beautiful. So, so good."...
P'nutbutter states it "Should have been a single. (The structure reminds me so much of Xenomania.)", with CasperFan sighing "Ah the No.1 single that never was but should have been. On an album packed with potential singles, some were going to remain album tracks but this is a real lost opportunity. Just a genius song, catchy as hell but a nice gem for people only familiar with the singles to discover later on!" and tylerc904 sums up "Fantastic, bombastic, LOUD." before stating it "Sounds like a classic despite being shunned single status.".
Normally I'd tell you girls to calm down, yet I completely agree your frustrations here.
constantino gave it a 7 and I don't know if his commentary is meant to be a compliment, but he tells us he loves "the way the vocals practically pierce my eardrums on the chorus.", TrueBeliever believes it's "Pleasant yet ardent, glamorous disco filler music. Nothing special, but far from a bad song." and poor ol' Sprockrooster has a hard time staying awake, saying "Yeah... this almost makes me feel asleep.". Really, sis?
WhatKindOfKylie? "can almost forgive B and B for casting this divine offering aside as lead single status in favour of the magical Chiquitita, but for a song so wonderful as this not to have been a single at all, is just madness on every level! A song full of sorrow and anguish cleverly hidden behind a perky bop beat, was one of many skills as songwriters that Benny and Bjorn had, and If It Wasn’t for the Nights is perhaps definitive proof of that. Amazing.". Look at us getting along these past few eliminations eh? Who would have thought during the early weeks of this countdown?
Though haps had hoped he could have given "it 10,5. So fab and recently discovered!", Hudweiser can only give it "an 8!? I just don't love it *that* much - the choruses go on a bit too long. It's still awesome though.". The length wasn't only his issue though, as Mumty thinks it's "such a fantastic song but it is exactly one minute too long." and idratherjack says it "Could do with a radio edit though." after stating it's "Perhaps the ultimate lost ABBA classic single.".
And though this received two 11's, the good sis bichard was the only vocal one, saying he'd "toyed with this and one or two other songs for the eleven, but I think this was always going to win. In the last ten years it has been consistently my favourite ABBA song and remained atop my ABBA playlist for a similar amount of time. It just demonstrates everything that is great and loved about ABBA in one song, without the general public knowing about it. But if they heard it, they'd instantly know it was ABBA. Really should have been the album's lead single as originally planned. I'm sure this is the Voulez-Vous number 1 single that never was...".
Preach a bit.
SecretsOfFatima yells "MASTERPIECE. So good that it gave us a Japanese performance in front of a balloon tube and accompanied by a Frida dance break. Magical." Said performance was the one they filmed for their 1978 tv special Live in Japan...
...and it was performed again that same year on the Mike Yarwood Christmas Show, which actually served as the unofficial video for the song. I"d have opted with the Japan one, but hey ho.
Of course, the song was also performed during their 1979 world tour.
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