Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Now for something different

Everyone is tired of politics, a mean, nasty sport based on destroying the other person's good name.
How about something uplifting for a change?
Abba!
This greatest of all pop groups is going to sing again, in December on NBC.
While it will be their voices, in a new tune not previously recorded, they won't actually sing it in person. They will be "digitally represented" in avatars, holograms or some such techie thing.
But it is the music that matters.
It is extremely difficult for a small group in a small country to become an international sensation. But that is what Abba did in the 1970s. With masterful productions they took Europe by storm, beginning with "Dancing Queen."
That was their only song to reach the top in America and they made only one limited appearance here, for various reasons. Had they focused more on the American market I have no doubt they would be even more renowned today.
What sealed their place in music history was the Australian tour. That country Down Under went completely over the top for the group, with sold out appearances at every stop.
Also, in this century a stage production and movie called "Momma Mia" rekindled the admiration for Abba. I saw Momma Mia onstage in London and it was tremendous.
The music comes from the minds of Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and is delivered, mostly, by the incredible singers Frida Lingstad and Agnetha Foltskog. Music experts say the music is complex and the singers are exceptional.
All I know is I could listen to it every day. And I do.

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