Popinjustice!
The Winner's Gonna Take It All: The final...
- Thread starter Remorque
- Start date
He/Him
I'd like you all to know there is an updated second post in this thread every time there is a cut.
My 1 was too low. A 3 or 4 would have been more honest.
How the hell did Love Isn't Easy outlast it?!
How the hell did Love Isn't Easy outlast it?!
He/Him
85.
'Now listen to that! Just look at that cat! You'd think he was an angel, but he's talking through his hat...'
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough) -
'Now listen to that! Just look at that cat! You'd think he was an angel, but he's talking through his hat...'
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough) -
Björn cringing throough his teeth...
Average: 5.0870
Highest score: 1 * 10.00 - @DJHazey
Lowest score: 1 * 0.00 - @VivaForever
My score: 5.00
We lose another single at #85 and it's Ring Ring that takes another hit to the face. Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough) was one of the last songs to be written and be recorded for the album in 1973 and it features all four members on vocals. Released while the band was still called Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid, it didn't really set the charts alight, but it did eventually become quite a radio hit in their native Sweden. Its b-side was I Am Just a Girl, which we already lost at #90.
I don't really mind the song with its country-esque vibe and the boys and girls interacting with each other, but it's far from my favourite on the album, hence the kinda indifferent score I gave it...
Let's get right to your commentary, shall we?
Mikey1701 gives it the same score I did and admits "I used to love this when I discovered the Ring Ring album in my local library at age 10 or 11, but over the years that love has all but worn off. Like much of the album, this doesn’t feel like an ABBA track and I really don’t respond well to Bjorn-led tracks. He’s just not an interesting vocalist. Stick to the writing, hunty.". I definitely agree about him not being a very notable singer, but I actually do think that the foundation for what would eventually become 'their sound' is quite present in this song.
Resident Ring Ring zero giver VivaForever first felt kinda generous, then took it back, saying "I was going to give this a point because it was marginally better than the last two songs but then it came back to the chorus and I was like fuck it.". I'll give you the fact that I Saw It in the Mirror is one of their worst songs, but Nina, sis?
I can agree with what Sprockrooster says here: "Oh wow, for not even clocking in 3 minutes this one feels LOOOOOOOONG!". I, too, thought it was over four minutes long after listening to it again. Poor us.
kalonite thought "The production's just so basic." and I kinda see what he's getting at, but One Stop Candy Shop claims it's the "Best song on Ring Ring. The chorus is awesome. I also love that xylophone/marimba (?) and the 'door slams'. I'm not your bitch don't hang your shit on me.". Madge, crawling her way into other icons' rates. It's the first time she's mentioned, but definitely not the last. Kii.
It's quite a Björn-filled track and some of you weren't here for it because of that...
WhatKindOfKylie? thinks it's "Not that bad, again what really lets this one down, is the dominance of Bjorn on lead vocals. It is only really only about the two ladies on that respect.", but constantino doesn't mind the male vocals, saying "I love the contrast between the sharpness of the female vocals and the more subdued and subtle male vocals.". So do I. It's all about the couples interacting with each other here.
Talking about that contrast, the female vocals were criticized too for once. 'Shrill' was a word that came to some of your minds a bit quick...
Hudweiser also gives it cinq points, stating it's "Quite a bouncy early effort but I've never really warmed to it. The girls' vocals tend to go a bit shrill, almost as if to sound like a nagging woman.". I think that was actually the point though? CasperFan on the other hand gives it one single point, questioning "Hmm maybe I rated this a little low but sounds shrill! Quite catchy.". Yes.
"The chorus is my favourite part, the verses are a bit limp but Agnetha and Frida shouting at Björn buoy my score here.". Poor Björn. Poor Benny being ignored! SecretsOfFatima knows no compassion.
TrueBeliever, meanwhile, shows he has no time for Frida, saying "Agnetha really shines on this one.". Personally, I think Agnetha does a bit tew much on this one, but do you.
tylerc904 admits he's "partial to this one, it’s a bit “high” vocally, but very underrated in terms of being prime proto-ABBA." and bichard also favours the girls over the boys, thinking that "The girls' bits in the verses are clearly the highlight here, but I hate the nursery rhyme chorus and its stupid kettle drum.". Though I like the song, I actually get what you're saying.
Lastly, Mumty has "a soft spot for this. Just look at that cat!", while Filippa goes all 'behind-the-music" here, uttering "I like that song, it sounds as if they really had fun…". You had fun with your commentary too, did you?
The two of them should be easy victims for Mina who envisions "this song playing on endless loop in a torture chamber to induce victims to crack or have a psychotic break.". Have fun, gurl!
They also made a nice little video for this one:
Average: 5.0870
Highest score: 1 * 10.00 - @DJHazey
Lowest score: 1 * 0.00 - @VivaForever
My score: 5.00
We lose another single at #85 and it's Ring Ring that takes another hit to the face. Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough) was one of the last songs to be written and be recorded for the album in 1973 and it features all four members on vocals. Released while the band was still called Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid, it didn't really set the charts alight, but it did eventually become quite a radio hit in their native Sweden. Its b-side was I Am Just a Girl, which we already lost at #90.
I don't really mind the song with its country-esque vibe and the boys and girls interacting with each other, but it's far from my favourite on the album, hence the kinda indifferent score I gave it...
Let's get right to your commentary, shall we?
Mikey1701 gives it the same score I did and admits "I used to love this when I discovered the Ring Ring album in my local library at age 10 or 11, but over the years that love has all but worn off. Like much of the album, this doesn’t feel like an ABBA track and I really don’t respond well to Bjorn-led tracks. He’s just not an interesting vocalist. Stick to the writing, hunty.". I definitely agree about him not being a very notable singer, but I actually do think that the foundation for what would eventually become 'their sound' is quite present in this song.
Resident Ring Ring zero giver VivaForever first felt kinda generous, then took it back, saying "I was going to give this a point because it was marginally better than the last two songs but then it came back to the chorus and I was like fuck it.". I'll give you the fact that I Saw It in the Mirror is one of their worst songs, but Nina, sis?
I can agree with what Sprockrooster says here: "Oh wow, for not even clocking in 3 minutes this one feels LOOOOOOOONG!". I, too, thought it was over four minutes long after listening to it again. Poor us.
kalonite thought "The production's just so basic." and I kinda see what he's getting at, but One Stop Candy Shop claims it's the "Best song on Ring Ring. The chorus is awesome. I also love that xylophone/marimba (?) and the 'door slams'. I'm not your bitch don't hang your shit on me.". Madge, crawling her way into other icons' rates. It's the first time she's mentioned, but definitely not the last. Kii.
It's quite a Björn-filled track and some of you weren't here for it because of that...
WhatKindOfKylie? thinks it's "Not that bad, again what really lets this one down, is the dominance of Bjorn on lead vocals. It is only really only about the two ladies on that respect.", but constantino doesn't mind the male vocals, saying "I love the contrast between the sharpness of the female vocals and the more subdued and subtle male vocals.". So do I. It's all about the couples interacting with each other here.
Talking about that contrast, the female vocals were criticized too for once. 'Shrill' was a word that came to some of your minds a bit quick...
Hudweiser also gives it cinq points, stating it's "Quite a bouncy early effort but I've never really warmed to it. The girls' vocals tend to go a bit shrill, almost as if to sound like a nagging woman.". I think that was actually the point though? CasperFan on the other hand gives it one single point, questioning "Hmm maybe I rated this a little low but sounds shrill! Quite catchy.". Yes.
"The chorus is my favourite part, the verses are a bit limp but Agnetha and Frida shouting at Björn buoy my score here.". Poor Björn. Poor Benny being ignored! SecretsOfFatima knows no compassion.
TrueBeliever, meanwhile, shows he has no time for Frida, saying "Agnetha really shines on this one.". Personally, I think Agnetha does a bit tew much on this one, but do you.
tylerc904 admits he's "partial to this one, it’s a bit “high” vocally, but very underrated in terms of being prime proto-ABBA." and bichard also favours the girls over the boys, thinking that "The girls' bits in the verses are clearly the highlight here, but I hate the nursery rhyme chorus and its stupid kettle drum.". Though I like the song, I actually get what you're saying.
Lastly, Mumty has "a soft spot for this. Just look at that cat!", while Filippa goes all 'behind-the-music" here, uttering "I like that song, it sounds as if they really had fun…". You had fun with your commentary too, did you?
The two of them should be easy victims for Mina who envisions "this song playing on endless loop in a torture chamber to induce victims to crack or have a psychotic break.". Have fun, gurl!
They also made a nice little video for this one:
OOOH....
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
I really can't wait to see what non Ring Ring/Waterloo/ABBA cut will be shown the door, and be told to turn around now, as they ain't welcome anymore.
(Sorry).
(Sorry).
D
Deleted member 312
I think the point @Mumty was trying to make isn't that Ring Ring isn't a terrible album (because it clearly is), but rather that the few quality songs on there (of which He Is Your Brother is one) being ousted in amongst the general bilge suggests that many posters perhaps didn't bother to differentiate between the utter dross and decent songs on there, but rather just flung out low-middling scores to everything on there to expedite the painful process of listening to the album (which is completely understandable).
D
Deleted member 16293
Love Isn't Easy is wonderful. I stand by the 9.5 I gave it.
Sidestepping the latest elimination...
So, since scoring, I've kind of grown to love People Need Love in all its 'Kids From The Brady Bunch' realness.
So much so, I'm hoping a few non Ring Ring/Waterloo tracks go before it in spite of my middling score.
So, since scoring, I've kind of grown to love People Need Love in all its 'Kids From The Brady Bunch' realness.
So much so, I'm hoping a few non Ring Ring/Waterloo tracks go before it in spite of my middling score.
Be happy to with Arriving going too next.
