The Abba Generation
(MCA)
This entire concept (four Swedish teens-- Amit, Sara, Marie and Dhani, average age:15) who perform nothing but ABBA songs in a disco/boy band/teen pop way (and have snagged the coveted opening spot on this summer’s Britney Spears tour) begs the eternal question: Why didn’t I think of that?
Feeding perfect ready-made pop treats to the teeming legions of Britney, Christina, N’Sync devotee far too young to care about ABBA’s original genius is too brilliant. Will they buy it? Well, here’s what one real live nine year-old had to say after listening to two versions of “Mamma Mia”; the original followed by the A-Teens version: “The A-Teens song is much, much better because they’re younger and they have better voices. Why are you giving me this stupid test anyway?”
So much for following Dad’s footsteps into a career of pop music connoisseurship, but, see as far as most kids are concerned, these are the A-Teens songs. The group’s handlers don’t overload Abba Generation with the whole hog of ABBA classix, but there are renditions of “Mamma Mia”, “S.O.S.” “Dancing Queen”, “Super Trouper” and “Voulez Vou”. They seem to be saving stone-cold killers like “Waterloo”, “Bang-A Boomerang”, “Fernando” and the highly outstanding “Nina Pretty Ballerina” for the next album. A shame, since everyone who will buy Abba Generation realizes the A-Teens will be completely passe by the time they release a second album.
The important questions, of course, are does it work, is it any good, does it stack up to the originals? Of course not, it’s terrible, offensive to those who love Benny, Bjorn, Agnetha and Frida, but to get hung up on these kind of details is to miss the point. Abba Generation is nothing less than a brilliant interpretation of the cultural zeitgeist, and the only reasonable thing to do is immediately purchase a copy. If it becomes this year’s Saturday Night Fever then you’re all set, if not, well, something else will be along by the time you’re finished reading this magazine anyway.
Time Out New York, 2000
