abba sound taking shape

Review Score: (8/10)
The eponymous ABBA LP was actually the 3rd by the Swedish quartet after 1973 Ring Ring and 1974 Waterloo. It is true that it shows a group still looking for its own identity. But here, Abba are starting to find their very own sound : SOS (which by the way was recorded and released as a single before Mamma Mia) is widely considered as a milestone in this perspective. Although the classic sound which will be present from 1976 is not fully blown yet on "Abba", the whole album is already giant steps away from the two first albums : the overall quality is there, almost all the tracks ended up being released on singles : out of eleven songs, seven were A-sides in at least one country and thus made it to the charts. Even some of the glam rock attempts, like So Long or Rock Me, have some kind of charm about them, although they're obviously not what Abba did best. If you don't own any of the original albums yet, this might not be your first choice, but it should definitely not be forgotten.

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