Arrival [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

ABBA | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 16, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B00005CDNG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,795 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #5 in Music > World Music > Europe > Scandinavia > Sweden
  • #6 in Music > Pop > Dance Pop > Euro Dance
  • #9 in Music > Pop > Euro Pop > Swedish Pop

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

At the height of their success, ABBA were second only to Volvo as Sweden's biggest export earners. Arrival (1977) sees the quartet just finding their stride, after a year of relative obscurity which followed the success of "Waterloo," their 1973 Eurovision Song Contest winner. Like their '70s peers ELO, ABBA knew the value of tunes, tunes, tunes. Arrival's hits include the glistening, full-on sheen of "Knowing Me, Knowing You," the irrepressible, piano-led disco stomp of "Dancing Queen," and the almost Cabaret-esque sarcasm of "Money, Money, Money"--all three cowritten by manager and mentor Stig Anderson. The album ends, meanwhile, on an almost Celtic theme with the soaring, wordless title track. Arrival is superconfident and superpolished, and was an unstoppably chartbound record of its moment. --Everett True

Product Description

Arrival [Import Bonus Tracks 2001] (Remastered, Digipack Packaging) Label: Polydor / Umgd Release Date: 10/16/2001 1 When I Kissed the Teacher - 3:02 2 Dancing Queen - 3:50 3 My Love, My Life - 3:52 4 Dum Dum Diddle - 2:54 5 Knowing Me, Knowing You - 4:03 6 Money, Money, Money - 3:06 7 That's Me - 3:16 8 Why Did It Have to Be Me? - 3:22 9 Tiger - 2:55 10 Arrival [Instrumental] - 3:05 11 Fernando [*] - 4:15 12 Happy Hawaii [*] - 4:25

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Watch that scene, dig in the Dancing Queen, March 2, 2004

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Arrival (Audio CD)

With the arrival of Arrival, their fourth album, ABBA, the Swedish group were definitely on a roll, singles from their previous album having dented the Australian charts, and yielding another British #1. This album would yield two more, including one that was so big, it was easier to list the places where it didn't get to #1. Suffice it to say that Arrival is my favourite album because the songs and sounds, catchy rhythmic devices and great melodic arrangements keep getting better. Plus, along with their eponymous album, I first got a very full taste of these guys.

All I'm saying is that I hope the unnamed protagonist in the engaging "When I Kissed The Teacher" is not named Lolita, as it's a song about a student with a crush on the teacher who stuns the class when she performs the title act, much to the surprise of the teacher.

It was clear that the group was making inroads into disco, which was sweeping the US during this time, and "Dancing Queen," which scarcely requires elaboration, whose disco-like synths, highlighted by the piano work from Benny.

"My Love, My Life" is probably the best ballad I've heard from Agnetha, a lovely song even if it's a breakup song. Which means, yes, there are string arrangements

I've never heard a song about someone's violin practicing paying off and wishing for the same kind of attention to that point that the girl wished she was the fiddle so she'd be noticeable. That about sums it up for "Dum Dum Diddle." The synths hear somewhat mimic the fiddle, but not that much.

Frida sings two songs here and they are back to back. The first is the mid-paced and downbeat "Knowing Me, Knowing You", another breakup song, only this time, it seems marital divorce and permanent: "Walking through an empty house, tears in my eyes/here is where the story ends, this is goodbye." I wonder if this and "My Love, My Life" karmically backfired on them, as both couples divorced two albums later. And next...

An excerpt from the promo clip from "Money Money Money" was the first where I heard an ABBA song, and that was when I decided I had to have more of their stuff. The wishing and hoping of a hard-working down-on-her luck woman for a rich man, who'd probably never notice her. The catchy blend of guitars, keyboards, and harmony vocals is captured best here.

The quasi-feminist "That's Me," with its independent but sensitive protagonist features a synth that rapidly descends in register like a waterfall, also has another double rhyme in one line: "I'm Carrie not-the-kind-of-girl-you'd-marry."

The country-tinged "Why Did It Have To Be Me" is sung by Bjorn here, portraying a man who got burned by a woman who only wanted a quick affair, with Agnetha singing from the woman's POV. The sax here is buried beneath the usual instrumentation but can be picked up. However, the B-side of "Knowing Me, Knowing You," the wanting-to-have-a-great-fun-vacation of "Happy Hawaii," sung by Agnetha, was an earlier version of that song, as it has the same melody.

The guitars and drumming of "Tiger" is like that of "Mamma Mia," but this is a more hard-driving song, with a somewhat darker subject, the predatory dangers of the urban landscape, described as a jungle, nightmare, and prison, with the yellow eyes likened to the city's neon lights. The way they make the song tight and punchy with lines, "And if I meet you, what if I eat you, I am the tiger."

The title track is a wistful Celtic-like instrumental where Benny played any keyboards he could lay his hands on, per the liner notes, and Agnetha and Frida vocalizing like a choir towards the end. I can imagine a sunset listening to this.

When this CD was issued in the 1990's, "Fernando" was left off, so I had no idea it was part of this album. Fortunately, that fault has been rectified, and their other #1 UK single is thus included. Wavering between a mellow strings and flute ballad comparable to the love song or theme of some 70's movie and the usual engaging ABBA sound, this spent 14 weeks at the top in Australia.

Arrival demonstrates the band at their peak, with no sign of letup, yet from the faces on the album cover, I wonder if ABBAmania was taking its toll on the quartet.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch!!!!!, June 27, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Arrival (Audio CD)

I truely think that this CD is ABBA's best CD. They must have worked incredibly hard because it shows that they really are talented musicians.
Ratings on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the best.

1."When I Kissed The Teacher" is a really cute song about a student kissing a teacher. Agnetha dreamily croons, "One of these days i'm gonna tell him i dream of him every night. One of these days, gonna show him i care, gonna teach him a lesson alright." It's an adorable song and has really cool lyrics. It's one of those songs that makes you want to get up and dance. (10)
2."Dancing Queen" is as most people describe it, a 'classic'. It was probably ABBA's biggest hit and is very memorable. It's a completely awesome song ad has a wonderful beat to it. I absolutely adore it. (9)
3. "My Love, My Life" is such a beautiful, romantic song. It's definitely the best ballad performed by Agnetha. Agnetha is given the chance to show off her breathtaking voice and Bjorn and Benny get to show off the fact that they can write slow love songs as well as upbeat rock 'n roll songs. It's a sad song, butit has a beautiful meaning behind it. Simply lovely. (10)
4. "Dum Dum Diddle" indeed is about a different topic than most songs, but is nonetheless creative and made me smile because i lay the violin and sound bad sometimes, as does the person in the song. (9)
5. "Knwoing Me, Knowing You" is an awesome song and has meaningful lyrics as well. It's chorus has very powerful words and gets its meaning across very well. Great song. (10)
6. "Money, Money, Money" shows that Frida as well has a lovely, flowing voice. The song is about wishing you were rich and had more money. It's a disco song, but really makes you wanna dance. I LOVE this! Probably ABBA's best upbeat song. (10)
7. "That's Me" is a charming song about a girl who's not exactly what most guys want, but she doesn't care. She's probably beautiful (like Agnetha and Frida) but is shrewd and independent as the girls sing, "I can't help my ways, I'm just not the girl to hide my face." In other parts they say, "I'm not a man's toy, i'll never be." It's lyrics excelerate as does the music alone. (10)
8. "Why Did It Have To Be Me" shows that Bjorn is good at singing as well as composing music. The song is overall completely magnificent. (10)
9. "Tiger" is a good song and really has spooky lyrics. It sounds like it should be in the play "Cats". Nonetheless, i love it. (8)
10. "Arrival" is a beautiful instrumental. It sounds Celtic and is very relaxing. (10)
11. The bonus track "Fernando" is a very nice song. Very heroic and very fun. No wonder it was a big hit. (10)
12. "Happy Hawaii" has the same music to "Why Did It Have To Be Me", but was not used. "Why Did It Have To Be Me" is better but "Happy Hawaii" is good as well. (9)
My further comments are to buy this CD now!!!!

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Abba album, January 27, 2003

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Arrival (Audio CD)

I originally bought this on LP, replaced it with a CD, and then replaced that CD when a re-mastered version was released with Fernando added as a bonus track, as well as much-improved sound quality. I decided not to bother with this, the most recent version, a digipack featuring Fernando and an additional bonus track, Happy Hawaii. I have not heard that song, but it uses the tune of When I kissed the teacher and first appeared as the B-side of Knowing me knowing you. It seems that Benny and Bjorn tried two completely different sets of lyrics, but When I kissed the teacher is a great opening song that demonstrates the high standard of the album.

The most famous song here is Dancing queen, which provided Abba with their only number one hit in America. It was also number one in Britain and many other countries. Fernando and Knowing me knowing me were also British number ones, while Money money money peaked at number three in December 1976.

Fernando was never released on any original Abba album, although it was included in many Abba compilations. It was released as a single in the spring of 1976 and its wonderful images and brilliant melody ensured that it was a huge hit in many countries, though it did not provide Abba with their American breakthrough. I wonder what might have happened if it had been released in America after Dancing queen.

Among the less well known tracks, Bjorn sings some lines on Why did it have to be me, while Tiger was tipped by some critics as a possible single. My love my life is a lovely reflective song. Arrival, the title track, is essentially an instrumental with the ladies singing la la la - but it works superbly, with a nice Celtic flavor.

Abba was - and still is - my favorite pop group. This was my favorite album of theirs even without Fernando, which I always thought should have been part of the album anyway.