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Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Nov. 09 2006, 20:18 When I was a kid, ABBA drove me nuts. Not because I hated them - actually because I loved them. But my only contact with them was through "Greatest Hits" compilations, the famous songs, the usual suspects, Dancing Queen, The Winner Takes It All - fantastic songs which I adore even today. And I just started getting into their albums recently, and I had never listened to ABBA's original recording of Arrival until a few weeks ago. Well, the funny thing is that, upon going back to Mike's interpretation of it, I was surprised at how my feelings for it have changed. Not that ABBA really compare to Mike Oldfield when it comes to instrumentals, but as of now, I find ABBA's original to be far more gentle, enchanting, naïve and profound than Mike's version. The cover sounds too hyperactive and all-over-the-place to me, now. And it's really weird, because not too many people seem to care about ABBA's original recording. But I really like it, for it gives much more importance to the melody itself. Still, a great melody is always a great melody, and I'm by no means disappointed with Mike's rendition. I'm just honestly surprised at myself. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Tubularman Group: Awaiting Authorisation Posts: 2304 Joined: June 2004 Posted: Nov. 10 2006, 05:38 must be years since i heard the orginal, but today i did download it. And after a listen, i think the orginal is the best. It is something about this abba feeling that lives in their songs. My favorite song of them must be Fernando. I just love the video. -------------- Mike Oldfield M i x e s https://soundcloud.com/tubularman Back to top

Piltdownboy on horseback 22 Group: Members Posts: 1548 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Nov. 10 2006, 13:42 Yes, nothing wrong with Abba!!   I like em too, very much in fact. I got a lot lp's (The Album being my fav) and also the one with the original Arrival. Good song!! Both versions   -------------- "And now we're going to play Platinum!" Back to top

imhotep Group: Members Posts: 92 Joined: Jan. 2007 Posted: Mar. 26 2007, 11:27 ABBA had amazing arrangements and melodies. Maybe it's easier to say you like ABBA nowadays and not back in the day when they were super popular and hyped. Back to top

Bill Bobaggins Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Mar. 26 2007, 14:55 Yea, me too. I've always liked ABBA and own their greatest hits CD.   I have never heard their version of Arrival.  I will have to explore to see if I can find it online. -------------- Speak friend and enter. Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Mar. 26 2007, 16:34 I've always liked the music coming out of those Swedish guys & girls, and 'Arrival', as one of their few instrumentals (I think they did three in their whole career), is not bad at all... indeed to me it's quite good. All the same, there's really nothing that I find 'hyperactive' in Mike O.'s version. It sounds to me more like an updated version of ABBA's piece than anything else, and I just love the 'tump-cha, tum tump-cha' kind of beat that Mike has put to it, to the point that I really miss it whenever I hear ABBA's original. I really think they should've had some drums in it as well. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

SoimSandheaver Group: Members Posts: 325 Joined: May 2006 Posted: Mar. 27 2007, 09:56 I remember getting my mum (a huge ABBA fan) the Album Arrival, and I knew Mike had done a cover of the title track. When I listened to it, I was surprised. I liked it a lot, but because I was more used to Mike's version, I preferred the cover. But I'm not saying the ABBA version was bad, because I liked it. I like a lot of ABBA's songs. That being said, I still don't know how they kept We Are The Champions by Queen from the Number 1 spot all those years ago with The Winner Takes It All. But, they're both still great songs. -------------- "Three blokes go into a pub, one of them's a little bit stupid, then the whole scene unfolds, with a tedious inevitability." Back to top

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