Customer Reviews

Shine

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

While not for all tastes, this second English-language solo album from Abba soprano Frida is overall a strong effort to express her vocal talent and wide-ranging musical taste. Several songs on this album would have played perfectly on American 80's FM radio if they'd ever been given the chance. "Chemistry Tonight," "One Little Lie," and the title track are all prime examples of catchy synth-pop which follow right along with where Abba themselves left off. On the other hand, "Twist In The Dark" is a rather awkward attempt to express paranoia over a failing relationship. A good lyric is marred by a fumbling melody which seems intent on tripping over itself. More middle-of-the-road fare such as "Heart Of The Country" and "Slowly" (the latter penned by Abba alums Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson--Frida's former husband) add a sense of balance. "The Face" is one of the most angst-ridden vocals of Frida's solo career, effectively capturing the eerie uncertainty of a relationship gone sour. All in all, this is an uneven album, but not one to be easily dismissed. While not as strong as her "Something's Going On" album, it certainly maintains its overall focus, even if the picture itself is a bit fuzzy.

From the opening electro-treated drum crash, there is no mistaking the era of this album. It shouts "1984" at the top of its voice. Which is my way of saying "approach it in context".

"Shine" is Frida's second international solo album and, from the sound of things, she was determined that it would be a bit more commercial than its predecessor (1982's excellent 'Something's Going On'). By 1980s standards, there were plenty of potential hits here: the perky 'One Little Lie' and 'Chemistry Tonight'; the darkly dramatic 'Twist In The Dark' (there's a great video for this track); and, of course, the sweetly romantic 'Come To Me (I Am Woman)'. The title track, with its huge drum sound and swishy synths, even had shades of Peter Gabriel dancing around in the mix.

In the UK, the record company didn't bother to promote the album. The first single there, an edited mix of the sparky title track, made little impact on the charts. The second (and final) single, 'Heart Of The Country', was a catchy and mellow rock number - but not a hit either.

The lack of success was unfair, but kind of predictable. By 1984, the public were tired of anything ABBA-related (they had had 8 or 9 years of unadulterated ABBAmania and something had to give). This attitude combined with the record company's apathy spoiled its chances of success.

Now with 80s nostalgia becoming big business, "Shine" could earn a few new fans. This is a great mix of well-written pop tunes (credits include Kirsty MacColl and David Dundas) and pristine, of-its-time production from Steve Lillywhite (previous credits include U2 and Simple Minds). It's a budget re-issue and, therefore, a low-rick investment. Give it a whirl!

I sometimes dance for exercise, and this is one of the perfect albums I've found for that purpose. This superb piece of eighties pop was performed by Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA and produced by Steve Lillywhite (U2, etc.). From everything to rock, dancefloor pop, pop-rock, a little bit of folk, romanticism, the ups and downs of love, romance, and relationships. It's all here. And it's all done by one of the best vocalists ever. I think people who cut this album just don't understand the fact that it DID come out in 1984, so it's gonna sound a bit over-sythed at times. Another thing is the cover. Personally, I don't think that pose of Frida is all that bad. It's just another signifier of eighties stuff. And she looks like she's gonna kick some @$$! I also think it's unfair for people to say that Agnetha is better than Frida or the other way around. I have the girls' English solo work, and I have to say I don't think one is better than the other. They complemented each other's voices so well to make one big voice with ABBA, and solo they both experiment with different styles, although I do think Frida takes on a grittier image, and Agnetha a more light one. Basically, just go buy this album if you're curious. It's got a lot of good songs (even one by Bjorn and Benny called "Slowly."). You really won't regret it.

Think of what you might expect from Frida. Number 1- A great voice and Number 2- great written songs. Anyone who cuts this album down obviously does'nt know anything about good music! I have this album and it works for me!

"Shine" is a great album! I think it is a progression from SGO album. The music is more upbeat, clear, modern, etc. The title track and Twist in the Dark are great! Come to Me (I am Woman) is also a good song. Comfort Me is very interesting. Is it just me or does it have a twist of "Enya" in it??? :-)

It is unfortunate that Frida didnt record another album after Shine. I am sure if she would have recorded something in 86, 87 or 88, it would have had a great sound and concept to it (mid/late 80s style). Her duet with RATATA in 87 was excellent, and she looked wonderful in the video. Frida should have had a solo album to follow up with that.

James

One man's trash is another man's treasure - I'm fascinated by the variety in the opinions expressed by my fellow reviewers on this album. Personally, I think is album is one of the 40 best CD's ever recorded.

Frida was clearly interested in making an album that stood apart from the sounds of her former group. Hooking up with Steve Lillywhite was a brilliant move, not only because of his production but because of the involvement of Lillywhite's wife at the time, Kirsty MacColl. MacColl co-wrote three of "Shine"'s tracks and blessed a few tracks with her signature multi-layered background vocals. The late, great, severely under-rated MacColl is the secret to "Shine" giving Frida a sound all her own.

I won't go into every track, but I truly love three tracks - "One Little Lie," "Slowly," and "Heart of the Country." Frida was clearly disinterested with commercial success (and with her fortune already firmly established, who could blame her?) and wanted to sing songs that spoke to her heart. While these three tracks particularly speak to my experience, the whole album bears close listening (although I agree with other reviewers regarding the album art - atrocious!)

Try this out - be prepared for a darker sound than ABBA had (although "The Visitors" was of a similar tone). Sadly, this was Frida's last English-language solo album, but it has stood up over time and still sounds wonderful.

It's always remained a mystery to me why Frida's 2nd international album failed to set the charts alight. I immediately loved the album when it was released back (when I was 10 years young!). This is bombastic production with big drums, synths all over, sharp guitars, all showered in neon light and pink gloves - this is 1984. Whereas Frida dealt with the hurt of divorce on "Something's Going On" (1982), this record is much more straight-forward pop, yet I see ABBA/Frida-fans in general have surprisingly different opinions on the songs here, there are no huge favourites, nor no unanimous dislikes. Personally, I enjoy the record from start to finish. The powerful title track opens the ball - this was also the flagship single but faired disappointingly, perhaps because the unusual structure of the song (nearly no part was repeated identically) made it less instantly memorable. It was the last track recorded for the album as they felt they lacked something "a cut above the rest". "One Little Lie", the second track, is an excellent power pop track too, and rumoredly tipped as the intended first single. "The Face" has a haunting melody with its 60s rock feel. It's not difficult to imagine Suede could have recorded this 10 years later. "Twist In The Dark" is probably the oddest track Frida has ever recorded - with its heavy pace, thunderous drums and soaring guitars, this is quite interesting. This was chosen for the 2nd single in France - the confusion the album created resulted in no less than three different choices for the 2nd single, depending on which country you were in. Most countries opted for the wonderful mid-tempo ballad "Come To Me" which is one of my favourites with its sweet melody, Frida's melancholic vocal and the pleasant ABBA-esque "oooh" backing vocals. Sadly, in 1984, it went nowhere. The B-side of that single (and closer of side 1) is "Slowly" by Benny & Björn. Originally a leftover from "Chess", this wouldn't have been out of place on "The Visitors", but this is perhaps a less convincing performance by Frida, and one of the songs I enjoy the least on the album. In the UK, they chose "Heart Of The Country" for the 2nd single, a haunting song written by Stuart Adamson of Big Country. This has always been one of my favourite songs of the album. "Chemistry Tonight" is arguably the least interesting song on the album, just enjoyable album filler, but no more. "Don't Do It" marks Frida's debut as a songwriter and a pleasant ballad which I also always liked a lot, although in 1984 her hurt didn't appear all as deepfelt as in 1982. No surprise since she'd just fallen in love at the time! The album closer is the eery "Comfort Me", a low-key, sinister track, and as another reviewer mentioned, not without similarities to "Like An Angel ..." from "The Visitors". All in all, "Shine" is a much better album than its reputation. I hope Universal will soon release a remaster with the 12" mix of "Shine" and its rocky B-side "That's Tough" (another Frida co-write) + the videos "Shine" and "Twist In The Dark" of course!

Søren

Shine from 1984 is Frida's (Anni-Frid Lyngstad) second and last English solo-album after ABBA. Something's Going On (produced by Phil Collins) was a huge succes in 1982, so already in 1983 Frida was planning a follow-up. She recored several demo's of songs that she had written herself. Originally she wanted Phil Collins again to produce this album, but when it turned out he didn't have the time she went for Steve Lillywhite.

Shine was the last song recorded for this album. It became the first single, but was a commercial disappointment despite reaching the Swedish Top 10 and the Dutch Top 30.
One Little Lie is perhaps the best song on the album. It has a great chorus and great lyrics as a whole. It was never released as a single. This is one of the few songs from Shine that would have fitted greatly on her previous album.
The Face is probably the worst song from Shine. A boring melody and stupid lyrics.
Twist In The Dark was released in some countries as a single. In my personal opinion this song isn't worth much, most certainly not a single release.
Slowly is one of the best songs on this album. Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA. The song has got great lyrics by Bjorn and Slowly would have fitted greatly on ABBA's "Opus 10", if that album ever got recorded.
Heart Of The Country reminds me of Scotland. It became a single in some countries I believe.
Come To Me (I Am Woman) became the second official single. It's a nice ballad, but too long.

Chemistry Tonight is one of the lesser songs recorded for this album. It really doesn't go anywhere.
Don't Do It was written by Frida herself. The synthesizer riff at the end reminds me very much of ABBA. With this track Frida proves that she could write her own songs quite well.
Comfort Me is a great mysterious song. The meldoy and the vocals sound haunting, almost a bit like ABBA's Like An Angel Passing Through My Room. A nice closing song for this album.

As a whole this album has some great songs on it, but there are also a couple of very weak songs on it. Quite a mixed bag. Frida was disappointed by it's commercial failure and this became her last album until 1996 when she recorded a Swedish solo album, Djupa Andetag, that reached the top of the Swedish charts. It's a shame Frida has never tried to record a new English solo-album, at least so far she hasn't. Her wonderful voice is missed on the popscene...

Dont' let those other reviews stop you from getting this album. Frida worked along with Kirsty Mcall to make this ground-breaking Europop album. From the hynotic drum intro of Shine to the folksy Heart of the Country, this album is filled with Euro-style melodies that you are instantly drawn to. And that Frida's voice is more haunting and alone is a departure from Abba. If you liked the Visitors, you'll like this one. And there's even the cut "Slowly" that is much like an ABBA song, written by Abba. If you can find the extended version of Shine, get it. Its a Euro-dance masterpiece.

What is it with all the Frida bashing? The Europeans who put her down are obviously deaf. Frida has always chosen smart, adult pop songs. Agnetha can't get away from the bubble gum. Shine has some of the best work she's ever done. My favs are the face, twist in the dark, and don't do it.