Reviews by wyattnew

Pretty boring but perfectly fine background music

a little disappointing. but still pleasant and inoffensive

I surprise myself sometimes

I actually really like the production! But the songwriting isn't really memorable at all

I really want to like this because it's so interesting, but I can't lie to myself.

A bit of a grower, but still feels right. A huge relief to hear an actually decent electronic album after several swings and misses.

This one's for you, Nick <3

I'll start this off by saying that ABBA is my favorite musical artist, so this will be more biased and analytical than any previous review.

While I wished there were more than 2 albums on the list, I do admit that ABBA isn't really an album-strong group and is much better when just listening to singles and Best Of collections.

As far as The Visitors, their true "last album" before Voyage, I used to avoid it like the plague. Whether it was the album as a whole or the singles off of it, it seemed beneath me as an early ABBA fan. I would relish in the saccharine nature of their older songs and wince at the notion that anything could be dark and moody without being a melodramatic power ballad (The Winner Takes It All).

I suppose Arrival is a logical inclusion on the list - after all, it would be hard to pass on the album that birthed Dancing Queen. I do think that Super Trouper is the best representation of the band's hit singles and overall sound, but Arrival is still a decent choice. The disco-laden Voulez-Vous is my personal pick, but I acknowledge that it carries a pretty dated sound.

Even then, when I saw that this was one of the sole inclusions for an ABBA album, I was stunned and even confused. How could the album that I had looked down upon for years be one of the most essential for not only the group, but for all of modern music history?

And then it hit me.

Well, for the most part. It's still not my favorite ABBA album and probably doesn't even scrape top 3, but I have a new appreciation after finally listening to it in full in this setting.

The Visitors is the perfect opening track, with such an impressive arrangement. I never paid too much attention to the lyrics and dismissed them with some of ABBA's cheesier excerpts, but they ring clear in a world that is becoming more paranoid and tense. It's still not one of my favorite singles, but the instrumental climax is classic. Frida is also likely my favorite vocalist in the group and her delivery here is impeccable.

Head Over Heels is one that I've liked for a long time but has become a guilty pleasure that I often skip on shuffle. Hearing the full synth intro and slick melodic downward progression really made me appreciate it again though.

When All Is Said and Done has to be my favorite track on the album. A bit lyrically clunky now and then, but it does what it's supposed to do and excels at it. The bass synth coming back in after the dropout in the third verse gets me every time.

Soldiers is..... not good.... don't get me wrong, I appreciate the message here and how timely it was, but it's hard to justify it sonically. This is part of why ABBA is tough to appreciate in album listens - even with hard-hitting tracks, there's always going to be some obvious skips. I will say that I always viewed this at surface level of advocating for soldiers for risking their lives etc., but it's very interesting to view it from a metaphor of a troubled couple (thematic to the album) not being in sync and willing to sacrifice for each other like soldiers are.

I don't remember ever hearing I Let the Music Speak before, so I had to pay closer attention than I did to the others. The intro is so dark and glorious and I can't believe I am usually so quick to skip over it. I understand why it hasn't broken through as much, but it's a real treasure and I'm glad I got to relish in it here. It feels more raw in a heavily-produced album and lets Frida's technique shine. The chorus does make it feel a bit too dramatic show-tuney though.

One of Us is the biggest hit here, and for good reason. What else is there to say?

Two for the Price of One is hilarious, but hard to deny that it's one of the weakest ones here. Similar to Soldiers, though, not quite as cheap as I remembered. Maybe I'd disagree if I was sober.

Slipping Through My Fingers isn't my favorite, but I completely understand how it's become a favorite of the masses - it has to hit hard with any parent. Beautiful chord progression too.

Looking at the Spotify streams, I'm really surprised that Like an Angel Passing Through My Room is so low. Yes, the production is a bit odd, but it's really special. It's perfect cover material as well, as evidenced by Celtic Women's effort.

I listened to the bonus tracks but didn't count them in my review - but I will emphasize to any listener to check out The Day Before You Came.

After listening to this, The Visitors still isn't my favorite album, but it has to be ABBA's most consistent. A worthy inclusion, and I appreciate any opportunity to explore their art.

Don't we already have like 3 John Lydon albums on this list? Why do we have to be subjected to him on a featured song on an already overly-long album?

This is a tough one to rate. On one hand, I'm really not a fan of the overall sound and the influence of 12-bar blues. On the other hand, there are so many elements that make it such a solid album that it's hard not to respect.

This album utilizes the best organ (both in sound quality and technique) that I've heard so far. I also love the instrumental track and the vibe there. And Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is masterful enough to elevate the album on its own.

While I may not be as quick to listen to this again as other albums I put on this tier, the quality is undeniable.

And if nothing else, we'll bump it up to a 4 because of the cover art.

My expectations were kind of high for this one so I may have messed myself up here because it did not meet the mark. At all. I guess Air is alright but. Bleh.

Heard this one before. Good concept, good execution, good length. Nothing more, nothing less.

Obviously I'm missing something here, but it does absolutely nothing for me. Hopefully the 6 other Bob Dylan albums won't be this excruciating.

High 4 but have to save room on the S tier for other Radiohead albums

It was competing for a 5 before the random tribal grunts kicked in. But an excellent listen nonetheless.

Hated listening to it from the start. Lyrics were fascinating at first but then they just got fucking weird

Fucking fantastic

I saw Janet Jackson at a grocery store in Charlotte yesterday. I told her how cool it was to meet her in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother her and ask her for photos or anything. She said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but she kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing her hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard her chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw her trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in her hands without paying. The guy at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Ma'am, you need to pay for those first.” At first she kept pretending to be tired and not hear him, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter. When he took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, she stopped him and told him to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After he scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, she kept interrupting him by yawning really loudly.

I don't really miss God but I sure miss Santa Claus

I don't enjoy the majority of songs here, but there's enough solid ones to barely scrape a 3.