At Home in Hespeler

Abba were my parents 70’s rock band. It has taken me years to appreciate what they are, the songwriting, the musicality, the entertainment value. So I was looking forward to Live At Wembley Arena, the chronicle of Abba’s Nov 10, 1979 Abba concert, the last of a six night residency at London’s famous Wembley Arena. While it’s a good album, everything that is/was wrong with Abba is in high evidence. The disco beat to too many songs, the horrible stage patter, the bad schtick between the performers onstage. You can almost hear the bell bottoms and sequins at times.

The above aside, however, it is an album loaded with hits and, not always the same thing, good songs. Abba, if nothing else, crafted high quality songs wrapped up in a catchy pop beat. whether it’s mature relationship songs like Knowing Me, Knowing You or The Name of the Game or pop wrapped up in historical allegory like Waterloo, Abba had a number of good songs.

Live At Wembley Arena’s is an excellent album, if you can overlook the sound of the clothes.

Tracklist

Gammal fabodpsalm
Voulez-vous
If it Wasn’t For the Nights
As Good as New
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Rock Me
Chiquitita
Money, Money, Money
I Have a Dream
Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)
S.O.S.
Fernando
The Name of the Game
Eagle
Thank You For the Music
Why Did it Have to be Me
Intermezzo No. 1
I’m Still Alive
Summer Night City
Take a Chance on Me
Does Your Mother Know
Hole in Your Soul
The Way Old Friends Do
Dancing Queen
Waterloo

1970's, Record Release, Review Abba, Knowing Me Knowing You, Live at Wembley arena, The Name of the Game, Waterloo, Wembley

Do you follow the Eurovision song contest? Eurovision is a nation vs. nation version of American Idol, in which each country nominates a performer and song to compete against the rest of Europe. Abba, representing Sweden, won it in 1974 with their song Waterloo. Canadian Celine Dion, in an act of musical treason so appalling most Canadian’s can’t bear to even hear of it, won for Switzerland in 1988 for Ne partez pas sans moi.

This year, Austria’s representative is a cross dressing transexual/ bearded man in an evening gown called Conchita Wurst.

Cue the angry Belarusans:

Thanks to European liberals, the popular international contest, which is to be watched by our children, has turned into a hotbed of sodomy…

Then there’s the bit about Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko saying it is “better to be a dictator than a gay.” Well, yea, it’s better to be a dictator than a lot of things, but if you live in Berlarus, and your not the dictator, maybe life isn’t quite as rosy.

Watch out Canada, if you think Belarus is upset at Austria now, wait until they find out that was Patois and not Swiss at all.

h/t Alan Cross

Uncategorized Abba, Belarus, Celine Dion, Conchita Wurst, Erovision

Saturday Fluffernutter – all the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities.

The Return of the “Led Zeppelin rumour of the week, courtesy of Ramble On:”

Is Led Zeppelin going to help fill the hole in the 02 arena’s schedule left by Michael Jackson’s death? Reports are that the Zeppeliners has been offered some or all of his 50 date slot. No word from Camp Zeppelin as of yet, but with a start date of next week, you have to think this is improbable to say the least.

In other Zeppelin news, singer Robert Plant received the Commander of the British Empire this week from Prince Charles in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Plant’s honour means he now outranks Led Zeppelin founder and guitarist Jimmy Page, who has an Order of the British Empire. 

Mrs. Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes will be appearing in an upcoming episode of “So You Think You Can Dance.” She will be paying homage to Judy Garland by singing and dancing “Get Happy,” from the 1950 musical Summer Stock.

Here’s the Garland original:

Socialite, and professional BFF Paris Hilton will take the stand this week in a lawsuit by investors for the movie Pledge This.  Producers of the movie claim Hilton reneged on a contract to promote the film when she refused interviews and “other promotional opportunities.”

Fluffernutter Abba, BFF, Get Happy, Jimmy Page, Jimmy Page OBE, Judy Garland, Katie Holmes, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, Paris Hilton, Prince Charles, Robert Plant, Robert Plant CBE, Summer Stock