As a seven year-old boy I loved ABBA. My mum and dad loved ABBA and infact everyone in my family did. We had almost all their LPs released on Polygram in India which costs us Rs 52 in those days, a princely sum to pay for an LP record. If ever I went round to a friend’s home whose parents had a record player, you could count on there being an ABBA LP leaning in the showcase cabinet. Everyone, so it seemed in my five year-olds perspective of the universe, loved ABBA. Even today, who doesn’t love them, I still do and here’s my take on this most lovable band who has a host of tribute acts across the world.

The band comprised of four Swedes, two couples, Agnetha and Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid (aka “Frida”) their first initials making up ABBA. ABBA first invaded British shores in 1974 at the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton with their winning entry Waterloo.

‘Arrival’ is the fourth studio album by the Swedish band and was originally released in Sweden on 11^th October 1976 on the Polar Records label. Its three predecessors—1973’s ‘Ring Ring’, 1974’s ‘Waterloo’, and 1975’s ‘ABBA’ had good success and swifted through folk-rock, glam, light ballads, and novelty rock‘n’roll. 

Other tracks included the harmonic rush of When I Kissed the Teacher that lyrically takes a nostalgic look at a problematic relationship between a teacher and a high school student. My Love, My Life offers a melodramatic but beautiful song about a broken relationship, something that is the subject of many ABBA songs and the romance that surrounded members of the band. There’s the heartbreak in Knowing Me, Knowing you with the lyrics going “Breaking up is never easy I know/But I have to go”….,

Flipping over to Side B you had Money, Money Money, a cynical song about the desire to make it in a rich man’s world and the pangs that come along with it. And then along comes words like “I am behind you, I’ll always find you,” screech Agnetha and Frida on the predatory Tiger. The album ends with the title song Arrival originally written out as “Ode to Dalecarlia” in honour of the Swedish folk province, but was changed to its original title. Listening to the harmonies of this song is truly a magical experience, a full 3 minutes racing through. The instrumentals in this song invoke those memories as if they were played yesterday. Even without lyrics the song can be powerful and full of emotions.Other songs are Dum Dum Diddle, That’s Me, Why Did It Have to Be Me.

The album cover shots were taken of the group posing in and out of a Bell 47 helicopter at the Barkarby Airport, northwest of Stockholm.  It was probably also a time when the band was jet setting across Europe with immense success on their plate. The now-renowned "mirrored-B" copyrighted ABBA logo, an ambigram designed by Rune Söderqvist in 1976, was also premiered on this album cover.

‘Arrival’ became one of ABBA's most successful albums to date, producing three of their biggest hits, namely the impressive Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money and Knowing Me, Knowing You. They also recorded a beautiful ballad Fernando which had been released as a single in March 1976, was included on the Australian and New Zealand versions of the album. ‘Arrival’ was the best-selling album of 1977 all over the world especially in the United Kingdom and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira