Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisnaholic
As Neapolitan says, Karen Carpenter had a great voice, and afaik most Carpenter songs were about everyday matters like love, etc
ABBA on the other hand have several counts against them imo. Firstly, a friend of mine liked them so I heard them much more often than I would've liked. Secondly they were unremittingly cheerful, and thirdly, they must've run out of things to say about Sweden, because lyrically they ventured into territory in which they were hopelessly unconvincing, e.g. Fernando:-
To hear them singing about fighting for freedom by the banks of the Rio Grande is just laughable to me. And while they did write another song that was about the altogether grittier and more honest topic of tour burn-out in Glasgow, the song is so upbeat that the angst might pass you by: this happy little gem, for instance, (which repeats about five times in the song) is something you can quickly tire of:-
So, yeah, Carpenters, with their wistful ballads, are suddenly looking pretty good. More plaintive, less pop - good for you, Karen!
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Seriously, Lisna? ABBA should have been restricted to singing about their home country? I thought "Fernando" was a good song. It's not meant to be taken seriously. After all, Iron Maiden were hardly at Passchendale, and Lizzy didn't actually see Hitler at the Maginot Line. Doesn't make those songs any less excellent. What about "The Winner Takes It All"? "Name of the Game"? "Dancing Queen"? Come on: ABBA weren't meant to be serious - most of the time - they were just a fun band.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rubber soul
Don't get me wrong. I love the 70s. I grew up in the 70s. But, with the exception of a couple songs, I just wasn't into the Carpenters, Sing, sing a song? Give me a break.
And, actually I don't hate ABBA, and Waterloo and SOS aren't all that bad (though please don't see them do SOS on TV; it predates the Village People).
It's just that I'm not much of an MOR guy. Then again I do admit I like You Light Up My Life for some perverted reason. It mixes in well with Anarchy in the UK  |
That's cool: Karen was a goddess but not everyone would have been into the lightweight, poppy sound of the Carpenters. Personally I think they were great, but I loved ABBA too. Have you heard "Goodbye to Love"? Worth it just for the solo at the end...