The Winner's Gonna Take It All: The final...

I had a sneaking suspicion it was going to be the Medley. There are still too many songs from the first two albums left to start eliminating the actual bops though, gorls. Get it together.
 
No entiendo?

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...really?!
 
He/Him
83.

'...Doesn't talk very often, kind of shy and uncertain, everybody seems to think she's a bore... But they wouldn't know her little secret... What a Friday night would have in store...'
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in Nina, Pretty Ballerina -

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Poor Frieda.

Average: 5.3478
Highest score: 1 * 10.00 - @bichard
Lowest score: 1 * 0.00 - @VivaForever
My score: 5.00

Recorded and released in 1973 when the band was still called Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid as the sixth song on Ring Ring, Nina, Pretty Ballerina was a low-key single release in France and Austria (where it was a decent-sized hit) to promote the album and was oddly unleashed as a single in Kenya and the Philippines to promote The Best of ABBA in 1977.

I don't really mind it, as it's quite upbeat and something different to the rest of the album, but I just don't think Frida's performance on it is one of her best and Agnetha does the most to these ears during the chorus. Hence the five I threw it. Sorry.
I do, however, sometimes like to pretend they're singing about Agnetha in The Day Before You Came. IMAGINE.

Mumty and myself get along for once when she utters "If I’ve ever heard a 5/10, it’s this.". I see you, sis.

Someone who did actually appreciate it, but could only muster up 6 points to give it is Mikey1701, who finds "This is much better than much of the parent album with the exception of Ring Ring and Disillusion... but then again that’s not hard to do. I’ve seen a few of my fellow hunties coming out in support of this but I’m afraid that I have to disagree with them. It’s a bit too cheesy for me and you look at what they would come to produce in the years ahead- this is as basic as it comes.".

Talking about his fellow hunties, the good sis bichard gives this a 10... "Ah finally! The only song on the album that shows what the band would be capable of in years to come! Agnetha's and Frida's vocals blend to perfection. Brilliant." he states... A fucking 10, people! Madness.

Some of you did actually compare this to one of their future classics.
Hudweiser thinks is "The proto-Dancing Queen in so many ways. We used to think the lyrics were "everybody seems to think she's a whore." It always sounded like little mice singing the "just like Cinderella" repeats in the choruses."... The proto-Dancing Queen? Really theaux?
I can agree however with Mina who tells the song "Nina, Pretty Ballerina, who knew getting through your song would be such a chore; Dancing Queen did this trope so much better, so I don't want to hear you anymore.". This was an attempt at clever rhyming, gurls.

You can definitely say Mina hates Nina I'll get my coat but not as much as our zero giver VivaForever, who shouts "OH MY GOD THIS IS TERRIBLE.". There, there.

This is going out quite early here, but some of y'all actually really loved it.
TrueBeliever thinks it's "One of the best songs on the album, but not as good as I remember. Reminds me of our reel-to-reel we had in the 70s." and WhatKindOfKylie admits this is a "A guilty pleasure for me. And thankfully after the not so great I Saw It in the Mirror, things on Ring Ring pick up again with this very fun bit of old skool Euro Pop. Not exactly the greatest and most accomplished piece that Benny and Bjorn wrote of course, but that hook! Amazing and ends way too soon."... Brought to you by someone who already gave out eight zeroes and has a couple of them still to come, but gives this a fucking 9.

Filippa used to love this, but kinda doubts haself now, saying "When I first heard it as a teenager, I really loved it. Today I’m not so sure..." and Epic Chocolat doesn't mind it either, but would never seek this out intentionally, thinking "The chorus is fun, with the rhymes and the falsetto, but all in all, only good in passing.".

You can always count on SecretsOfFatima for a good blast from the past as she mentions this icon:
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"I will get attacked for this score, but I don’t care. A slice of pure cheese and fun on the album, with everything from Casey Jr opening the song to the demented screams of the crowd. Love it.". Also giving it a 9.

Talking of those crowd noises, they were the highlight of the song for some of you.
tylerc904 admits he "Can’t help but sing along. The crowd cheers are a nice touch." and poor ol' Sprockrooster thinks "That crowd in the background really elevates this track.".

constantino finds it "a fun little ditty", while CasperFan isn't the zero giver here, thinking it's "A catchy song, nice story and memorable.". Tell me. In what way is this in any way memorable? I can't really think of any positives. Maybe that's why.

We'll end with One Stop Candy Shop who's either shading Frida or is actually thinking Björn is audible anywhere else but in the background of the chorus...
"...aka Björna, Pretty Bad Singer."



This was covered by Rowena Cortes for her 1977 album Sweet Fairy and also that same year by German girlband Pretty Maid Company. You can listen to the latter here:
 
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Deleted member 312

I knew it wouldn't be around much longer, but it's easily my favourite thing from the first two albums. Wonderful early ABBA.

(PS: there's no way on earth Disillusion is better than Nina).
 
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Deleted member 26234

don't really mind it, as it's quite upbeat and something different to the rest of the album, but I just don't think Frida's performance on it is one of her best and Agnetha does the most to these ears during the chorus.

Isn't it nearly all about Agnetha's voice on these early albums?
 
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