ABBA Album: “20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: T”

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of ABBA purports to give us the "best of" ABBA in a single CD--with just eleven tracks yet! There's no way eleven tracks can be the entirety of ABBA's "best." However, as usual with this CD series, what we do get is very high quality control numbers with great sound. The front cover artwork is par for this series; but the "eco-friendly" packaging means that you'll have to go to a website to download or read any liner notes you may be interested in reading.

The CD starts with one of their biggest hits ever, "Waterloo." "Waterloo" compares the huge battle from ages ago to a love affair when one person finally gets roped down by the person who loves them! The electric guitars are excellent and ABBA sings this with a lot of enthusiasm and style. "S.O.S." begins with a brief piano solo and the rest of the keyboard work on "S.O.S." really sounds great. The minor keys of this tune are great and I think you'll enjoy this tune. Moreover, listen for "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do." This ballad has a beautiful melody and ABBA performs this without a hitch!

"Dancing Queen" certainly gets fine treatment from ABBA; they first played this song at the wedding of their country's princess to her special man. Apparently because she would one day be Queen, ABBA decided to call this number "Dancing Queen." It does sound better than `Dancing Princess" if you hear the song--the words "Dancing Princess" never would have fit the melody! "Dancing Queen" starts with a huge musical flourish and they never miss a beat. Even all these years later I really like "Dancing Queen."

"The Name of the Game" starts strong with music and when the ladies come in this number takes flight! They sing beautifully and they harmonize well on this number about a love that needs communication to stay alive. "Take a Chance On Me" also shines like gold; the beat is awesome and this upbeat, pop flavored number is also very good for dancing.

The album ends with "The Winner Takes It All." This features a great piano arrangement and as always ABBA performs this with style and grace. I love it!

Overall, this is a collection of eleven songs by ABBA that simply doesn't capture all of this group's best work. Indeed, I was never particularly enchanted with "Chiquitita" which makes it onto this album while very memorable hits including "Lay All Your Love On Me" are inexplicably absent. I give this CD three stars--or maybe even just two and ½ stars. There's just not enough material here, people. Sorry!

The casual fan will be most likely to enjoy this album if all they want is a sampling of ABBA's finer tunes. More serious fans like me will want CDs including ABBA: Gold and other discs by this group, too.

Many reviewers have given this CD an unsatisfactory review stating the fact that it's several songs short of ABBA Gold. These reviewers are completely missing the point. This CD was intended to showcase the bands American hits and not their International hits.

For the casual listener, this CD is highly recommended as it cuts right down to the chase (but then again, so does ABBA GOLD). For those of you out there who are impatient and can't sit through GOLD's 19 tracks then this CD is a blessing. The CD offers 11 out of ABBA's 20 US Chart entries. All of the 11 songs that are showcased peaked in the Top Forty of the Billboard singles charts. Ranging from their biggest- "Dancing Queen" (US# 1, CAN# 2), "Take a Chance on Me" (US# 3, CAN# 7), "Waterloo" (US# 6), "The Winner Takes It All" (US# 8, CAN #10), "Fernando" (US# 13, CAN# 2), "Knowing Me Knowing You (US# 14, CAN# 2), "SOS" (US# 15, CAN# 9), "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do" (US# 15, CAN# 12), "The Name of the Game" (US# 12, CAN# 15) to their medium sized American hits- "Chiquitita" (US# 29, CAN# 17) and "Mamma Mia" (US# 32, CAN# 20).

However, even as a North American hits showcase, this CD is incomplete. Missing are the Top Forty Hits "Does Your Mother Know" (US# 19, CAN# 8), "Honey Honey" (US# 27) and "When All Is Said and Done" (US# 27). In my opinion, it should have also included their minor US hits such as "Super Trouper", "Money Money Money", "The Visitors", "Angeleyes", "Voulez-vous" and "On and On and On". But then again, THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION covers all the above and more.

It's very hard for me to give an ABBA greatest hits collection anything less than 5 stars considering all of their hit singles are extraordinary pieces of work with strong singing and excellent vocal harmonies. All of ABBA's hardcore fans probably already own the more condensed (and highly recommended) ABBA GOLD or THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION so this review is obviously not geared towards them. For the casual listener who may just want a sample of those four Swedes who conquered the International music charts bewteen 1974-1982, this CD is the perfect buy. Be warned however, that there is a high percentage that it will leave you wanting more.

I was thrilled to hear the music, but for some reason not everything was as clear as I had hoped it would be. For some reason I remember a better sound quality to their songs.

Prior to getting this ABBA CD I only had them on audio cassette. This particular CD has all my favourite songs and each time I listen to it I am on a wonderful nostalgia trip.

I think Abba has such a talent with voice and musical instruments- The sounds of the 70's are fun and airy on this cd and brings back memories of my childhood- The best of Abba really is the best songs they had!!!