www.abba4ever.com

Hades - 18.11.2007, 14:05

The first time I got it was in the shape of the album 'Honey, honey', which was (re-)released in early 1979. The tracklisting and the running order differed slightly from the 'Ring Ring' album. I also have the 'Honey, honey' album on CD, it was shortly available in the eighties.

More than half of the tracks were already familiar, since they had been available on the albums 'Greatest Hits'/'The (very) best of ABBA'. But it was always exciting to discover new ABBA songs.
The 'Ring Ring' album was ABBA's first attempt at working together as a foursome with english language pop music. I guess at the time it wasn't sure yet if they wanted to pursue this, since they all had solo-careers or producers-duties on the side.

The way I see the album now is that it's mostly of interest for ABBA fans. The casual listener probably won't be interested in this pre-Waterloo material (except for 'Ring Ring' which was a sizeable hit in several countries). Still, the album offers several highlights, most of which were included on 'Greatest Hits'. My favourite track on the album is 'He is your brother'. I love the harmonies in the song and the uplifting melody and lyrics.

abbangelears - 18.11.2007, 14:12

Before knowing the album I already knew some songs from Greatest Hits and I wasn't very fond of them. Nina, pretty ballerina, People need love, He is your brother are not exactly among my favourite Abba material. When I got the CD ( in the nineties) I was surprised to find songs like Disilusion or Another town Another train that I really enjoyed.
The Ring Ring album is (in my opinion) the worst of the band, but it's interesting as the embryo of what was about to come.

Carribean - 18.11.2007, 15:10

Hades wrote: The first time I got it was in the shape of the album 'Honey, honey', which was (re-)released in early 1979. The tracklisting and the running order differed slightly from the 'Ring Ring' album.
More than half of the tracks were already familiar, since they had been available on the albums 'Greatest Hits'/'The (very) best of ABBA'. But it was always exciting to discover new ABBA songs.
The 'Ring Ring' album was ABBA's first attempt at working together as a foursome with english language pop music. I guess at the time it wasn't sure yet if they wanted to pursue this, since they all had solo-careers or producers-duties on the side.

The way I see the album now is that it's mostly of interest for ABBA fans. The casual listener probably won't be interested in this pre-Waterloo material (except for 'Ring Ring' which was a sizeable hit in several countries).

These words could be mine because this is what I would have written myself... amazing!

I would like to add that I did not get my hands on that Honey Honey album until 1984 and it was really odd at that time to hear ABBA songs that I had never heard before: I Am Just A Girl, Disillusion, Me And Bobby And Bobby's Brother, Another Town Another Train, Rock 'n Roll Band, He's Your Brother and She's My Kind Of Girl were all new to me and I just loved them except for the last one mentioned.

These days I hardly ever listen to the complete album but when I do I really enjoy these songs but it is not a favourite,

platobird - 18.11.2007, 21:41

Wonderful picture. A super collectable. :D

Ring Ring is not my favorite album. Except for Disillusion, Nina, and a few others, there's too much Björn. I enjoy the yodeling. They must have made this album before they figured out that it was only the girls that knew how to sing. :shock:

Fortunately, Björn knew how to make money, and he took the necessary action; i.e. he sang back-up, strummed his guitar and put the talent up front. :lol:

Zeebee - 19.11.2007, 10:08

abbangelears wrote: Before knowing the album I already knew some songs from Greatest Hits and I wasn't very fond of them. When I got the CD ( in the nineties) I was surprised to find songs like Disilusion or Another town Another train that I really enjoyed.

You should've already known Another Town, Another Train from Greatest Hits.

The two album covers Hades posted and the one Johnny posted have one song title slightly incorrect. It says "I'm Just A Girl". The title is actually I Am Just A Girl, and those are the words in the song.

The Ring Ring album wasn't released here in the USA until around 1995. I had begun to wonder if there was an album I didn't know about, because People Need Love, He Is Your Brother, Nina Pretty Ballerina, and Another Town, Another Train were not on any album I knew of, other than the Greatest Hits album. Then I got ABBA Gold as a gift and saw the pictures of all the album covers, including the Ring Ring album. The Ring Ring album was the first CD I ever bought for myself.

Joe - 19.11.2007, 11:16

I think I got the black LP pretty late, sometime in the 70's, when I finally saw it the shops one day. I only had the "Very Best Of ABBA" (with the "Musikladen" cover) before. By the way same is with the "Waterloo" album.

I didn't know much about ABBA's pre-Waterloo time and it took me quite a while to figure out that "Honey Honey" actually was "Ring Ring". But I was happy to hear several unknown songs. I had changed my room within our house several times and so each ABBA album to me is linked with a certain room, when I got the album and listened to it most. :D

Though most of the tracks are nice songs listening to them one by one I don't listen to the album much nowadays. It's just such a mixed album, no clear style and not all of the songs being real ABBA songs.

Joachim


I never saw the blue LP in a shop back then. I have seen it on ebay a couple of times for pretty high prices up to 50 Euros (which is much on my personal ABBA scale).

Carribean - 19.11.2007, 20:56

Zeebee wrote: You should've already known Another Town, Another Train from Greatest Hits.


Of course not everybody got the Greatest Hits album; in several countries it was not even released.
In ABBA loving countries such as Germany and Holland an album called The Best Of ABBA was released. It was my first ABBA album and there was no Another Town Another Train on it.

Charles - 19.11.2007, 23:28

Yes, I bought dutch "The Best of Abba", because it contained 2 "new"songs, "People need love" and "Nina, pretty ballerina". The same year or the next year I bought the 2lp "The very best of Abba" because of another "new" song, "Love isn't easy (but it sure is hard enough)". And a few years later, I believe it was in London, I finally bought the "Greatest Hits" lp, with another 2 "new" tracks, "He is your brother" and "Another town, another train". I already knew "Ring Ring", because it was on the dutch release of the "Waterloo" lp, it replaced the swedish version of "Waterloo". And I believe it was during a holiday in Denmark, around 1980, that I finally found the (danish? release of the) "Ring Ring" album. I knew of its existence because I had a few Abba books, like "Het Fenomeen Abba" ("Fenomenet Abba"). The lp contained a printing saying "Abba's fØrste lp"...Out of the tracks that I hadn't heard before, I especially liked "Me and Bobby and Bobby's brother" and "Disillusion". Today, it's maybe my least favourite Abba album, together with "Voulez-Vous".

Charles

spong - 23.11.2007, 00:44

hello

gary :D

spong - 23.11.2007, 00:45

hello

fact one:it was ABBA's 1st hit.............lol

gary :D