Customer Reviews

Ring Ring

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nobody could claim that this is the best Abba album, but it is much better than some would have you believe. Indeed I prefer it to a couple of their later albums.

The title track was a hit in several European countries but not the UK, so this album never got a British release on vinyl. That is a pity, because the songs here are of a remarkably high quality. Five of them appeared on the first Greatest hits album - Ring ring, Another town another train, People need love, Nina pretty ballerina and He is your brother - every one of them superb. It might all have been different if Ring ring had been Sweden's entry in the 1973 Eurovision song contest. It came third in the qualifying contest. The Swedish public thought it should have been their entry. Voting rules were changed and Abba won for Sweden a year later with Waterloo.

Benny and Bjorn both started in Swedish folk groups, while Agnetha and Frida were Swedish pop stars, although Frida was actually born in Norway. At the time of its original release in Sweden, the name Abba had not been invented. This album provides a fascinating insight into the early development of the band. She's my kind of girl just features Benny and Bjorn. People need love features Benny and Bjorn with Svenska Flicka, but Svenska Flicka are actually Agnetha and Frida, so this (it would seem) was the first recording featuring all the Abba members, before the name existed.

This is a great album for Abba fans to have, but anybody not already familiar with their music should try some of their later albums first - I particularly recommend Arrival, The Album and Super trouper - before worrying about this.

I am upset with all of the people who don't like this DEBUT! album. Most of the songs on here are highly listenable. Except for "I Saw It In the Mirror" and "I Am Just a Girl" all of the songs are perfect. While this isn't my favorite album of ABBA's, it never fails to bring a bit of sunshine to my day. This album has a lot more Bjorn and Benny vocals than their later ones, so enjoy the male half of ABBA as much as you can now. Please buy this outstanding CD!
ABBA'S FIRST ALBUM
BEST SONG: ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND
WORST SONG: I SAW IT IN THE MIRROR

The first album released by the supergroup is really a mixed bag for me. "Ring, Ring" has a nice pop feel to it and "Disillusion" is a meloncholy song alot which they would be known for in future releases but then there is the "rock" song. "Rock n Roll Band" is ok but rock is not what this group was.

Before the went pop all the way, ABBA was a home town group and this album reflects that sound. It is a MUST for ABBA fans to understand the roots of the team.

For me "Another Town, another Train" reminds me of life in northern Europe, where the sun goes down at 3pm in the winter and love blossoms in the spring.

Give it a good try, and after a few times you will enjoy the sound

Finishing up third in the Eurovision Song Contest doesn't necessarily mean chucking in a prospective music career. That's what Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog, and Anni-Frid (later Frida) Lyngstadt, the pair of married couples found out after what would become the title track of their debut album, despite it being very popular with the fans, did just that. However, that debut eventually made them one of the biggest groups in the 70's, taking them up to the early 80's. (Note: all songs sung lead by Agnetha unless otherwise noted).

There are two versions of "Ring Ring" here, the Swedish language version and the English language version, the former which at one time, topped the Swedish charts while its English counterpart, with English lyrics contributed by Neil Sedaka, was at #2 and the album being at #3. (Note: I don't know if it's that way still now, but back then, Sweden's chart was of singles and albums combined.) Both versions though have the infectious pop melodies, harmonies by Agnetha and Frida.

Not all of ABBA's songs were the cheery danceable pop songs like the later "Waterloo" or "Mamma Mia." Bjorn sings lead on the sad farewell of "Another Town, Another Train", while the chirpy mellotron contributes to the melody. "Disillusion," the only song with an Agnetha co-contribution, proved their worth at sad "the love is gone" songs, with only the guitar or keyboards to accompany them. Surprisingly, any expected swirling of strings don't come.

"People Need Love," with a peppy beat and "la la la" that recalls Elton John's "Take Me To The Pilot" features all four on harmonies or trading verses and has some silly yodeling by the ladies at the end. This one got to #17 on the Swedish chart. Bjorn sings its B-side, the mid-paced song of loss, "Merry-Go-Round."

Bjorn's "I Saw It In The Mirror" is another slow song with backing from a mellotron, bass, and drums. With a little more instrumentation and production, this could've been a good single.

Who is "Nina Pretty Ballerina"? Just another woman in an office by day, but at night, the queen of the dance floor. Another song that became a single in other countries. Curiously, in the first ABBA reissue, this was tacked on the self-titled one, as was "Ring Ring."

"Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" has Bjorn and Agnetha sharing leads. There is a point when some intense instrumentation comes in with Agnetha's voice, which is something used in "Mamma Mia," for one.

Frida sings lead in the skippy "Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother" which melodically could've been a country song with different instruments. Some ABBA songs lean towards country, such as the later "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do" and "Why Did It Have To Be Me?"

The latter-day Beatlesque "He Is Your Brother" extols a life of compassion towards one's fellow man. Its B-side is "Santa Rosa," a nostalgic longing for one's home there. Bjorn and Agnetha sing verse 1 and 2 respectively. "She's My Kind Of Girl" by Bjorn resembles 60's Brit-pop, while "I Am Just A Girl" is missing a steel guitar to become a country ballad. Happy trails!

Not a bad start, as releases such as the self-titled release, Arrival, and Super Trouper would be among their best. With more mid-paced songs and ballads and without the production and vocal arrangements that became tighter as time went on, Ring Ring serves as a look at how the Swedish quartet started.

at the time of its (original) release, this album provided no clues to the 300 million records they would eventually tuck under their belts (and bank accounts) 29 years after.

"ring ring" however shows their still-being-nurtured grasp of the english pop idiom. the same cannot be said of their production techniques - phil spector's legendary "wall of sound" and the beach boy-esque vocal harmonies make for a very interesting mix.

the title track is the first and last song to be co-written by persons outside the group (phil cody and neil sedaka). judging by the staggering success they'd achieve in the following 8 years, it seems they didn't have to get outside help in the first place.

Ring Ring, Abba's 1973 release, is my favorite of their first three (the other two being Waterloo and Abba). The early Abba sound is a little more folky and little less disco compared to their later music. The title track is one of my all time favorite songs, it's so catchy! Other standout tracks include Another Town Another Train, People Need Love, Nina Pretty Ballerina, and He Is Your Brother. Definitely a great disc for Abba fans who already have The Album and Arrival.

This disc contains some really good tunes not found on the regular 'Greatest Hits' type albums. I've been looking for some of those songs for months. One of them for years.

What can I say about the ultimate Euro-pop group of the 1970s and early 1980s? If you've enjoyed this album on vinyl, you'll get a real kick out of this CD version.

"Ring Ring" album is great! I love this album. Most people are saying "I Saw It In the Mirror" is a boring song. I don't think it's half bad. But the other songs are fun to listen to. They sound a lot different it being their first album. This is a great CD.