ABBA: The Definitive Collection
by Lasse Hallstr?m, Kjell Sundvall
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DVD details
Actor: Agnetha F?ltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Bj?rn Ulvaeus, Jonas Bergstr?mDirector: Kjell Sundvall, Lasse Hallstr?m
Brand: Abba
Cinematographer: Kjell-?ke Andersson
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 136 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-07-30
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Polydor / Umgd
DVD Reviews of ABBA: The Definitive Collection
DVD Review: ABBA - They are just as good as I remember.
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed the DVD. IT contains EVERY ABBA video. Once you put the DVD in you keep wathing video after video and can't turn it off. It brought back such fond memories; memories of a more carefree, lets dance 70'S. It did not take too long for delivery (about 7 days). It arrived in good shape and the quality was better than I expected. I'm very happy with the DVD and glad I purchased it. I have looked and looked for this DVD in stores and could not find it. I'm glad I checked it out on amazonDVD Review: my first ABBA concert
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered this after watching "Mamma Mia". Thou I have enjoyed the Music of ABBA for years I had never seen them in concert or video. After watching the movie their vids performance seemed a bit drab and unenthusiastic,but still an interesting watch and something you can run over and over without devoting a lot of attenion.DVD Review: Fabulous ABBA Collection
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the most complete collection of ABBA standards in existence and attests to their enduring popularity.It captures the fun and happiness of the early ABBA years and follows them all the way through to their tearful descent into melancholy and polite sadness.Their pioneering work on musical videos is much evident and makes one wish that a similiar DVD were available for the many pieces done only live on stage and not yet on the market.The "Definitive" collection is presented without the pretentious commentary and "review" that degrades all the ABBA DVDs of their live presentations--what a pleasure! "Thank You For The Music"!DVD Review: Sound Bites
Summary: 4 Stars
Lasting impressions of ABBA's 35 videos stem from a flawed, but favorable collection. A cursory glance at every video reveals careful attention to detail and above par visuals, especially given the primitive stages of video production during their era. Realizing their career span was from 1973-1981, they were ahead of the game in more than their syntho-techno sound. Noting that their last album was released the same year that MTV started and before Flock of Seagulls and Human League became popular, you begin to appreciate how ground-breaking they truly were. Don't expect Peter Gabriel-type experimentation, yet experiment is what they did.
ABBA's videos go through the whole gamut: Soft focus and sharp focus, stiff production with matching moves and fluid photography with flowing motion. Special effects alternate with still life scenes. Going out on a limb, I'd say their costumes were vibrant and alluring, way ahead of the stereotypically seventies' cheese curve. Sometimes the videos are effective; at others they're not.
Here are some of the highlights: (SPOILER ALERT: Without a plot, some may, nevertheless, want to stop here and make their own discoveries.)
1. "Waterloo," their groundbreaking first Euro hit is flashy fun. A white backdrop frames their bold costumes. The lip-synching is out of step, but they're only destined to improve. (Bjorn wears heavy make-up, and he looks like Liberace.) 8/10
2.) "Ring, Ring" is a "Waterloo" carry over. Glittery, sexy costumes. Lip-synching is corrected. 8/10
3.) "Mamma Mia" has great pop appeal, and the band makes an emotional commitment. More vibrant, the close ups of faces and musicianship are hallmark. 9/10
4.) "S.O.S." is artful and thoughtful. Sometimes stiff, sometimes flowing, but Agnetha is always engaging. 7/10
5.) "Boom-a-rang" is spirited and playful. Less stiff, more fun, and more natural. Significantly, Bjorn looks better without make-up. 9/10
6.) "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" is soft and sensual. Frida is especially spirited. 7/10
7.) "Fernando" is heartwarming. A camp-fire sing-a-long. Good simple ensemble. 9/10
8.) "Dancing Queen" features ABBA onstage. The dancers in the audience aren't the Swedish equivalent of `American Bandstand,' but Frida and Agnetha sure can bump and grind. 6/10
9.) "Money, Money, Money" employs solid imagery, a correct dramatic tone, excellent lighting, and it's all in synch with the beat. Perhaps their most professional video. 10/10
10.) "Knowing Me, Knowing You" is not as fluid, but it's structurally solid. Facial focus is done like they were competing with The Beatles' album covers. 6/10
11.) "That's Me" Great non-hit song. Siren looks to match voices. Leftovers from "Money, Money, Money" show rare formula, however. 7/10
12.) "The Name of the Game" Impromptu black and white scenes outshine the stagey color ones. Benny always looks like he's having fun. 8/10
13.) "Take a Chance on Me" Sometimes sexy, sometimes silly. `The Brady Bunch' photo ensemble? What were the producers thinking? 6/10
14.) "The Eagle" is visually inventive. Colorfully done in discoth?que neon, not psychedelic. 7/10
15.) "One Man, One Woman" I love this maudlin song. Two faces form as one. I get it, but it gets garish in places. 5/10
16.) "Thank You for the Music" Stage performance like on daytime variety shows. Nice seeing kids singing in the audience though. A precursor of MTV 6/10
17.) "Summer Night City" needs to be more fluid, but the women are pros here. Alluringly sexy. At times blurry, but when it`s playful, it works. 6/10
18.) "Chiquitita" is friendly and festive, sweet and simple--a sharp focus reaction to the last video. 8/10
19.) "Does Your Mother Know?" Natural and exuberant. Bjorn takes the lead, and the supporting cast could be on `Swedish Bandstand' if there was such a show. 10/10
20.) "Volez Vous" an extension of "Does Your Mother Know?". More nightclubbing with the two leading ladies. 8/10
21.) "Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie," shows us the studio process. Insightful, fun, and never a stiff moment! 10/10
22.) "On and On and On" is a theatrical slide show. Not fluid, not a good experiment. Good subject matter, though. 4/10
23.) "The Winner Takes It All" Pensive yet spirited. Scenic, too. They've got the cameras and acting skills on their side. 7/10
24.) "Super Trooper" looks like a `Dynasty' episode at times. The carnival scenes are shot perfectly. 7/10
25.) "Happy New Year" Great color ensemble. Pensive, sage, and celebratory. Video camera work in the MTV era. 9/10
26.) "All Is Said and Done" soft and clear shots. Unremarkable, lazy video. 5/10
27.) "One of Us" Clearest video. Thoughtful, but not inventive enough. 6/10
28.) "Head over Heels" tells a tale. Bjorn gets best actor. Funny, Playful, and Effective. 10/10
29.) "The Day Before You Came" is artsy, well-framed, and foreshadows Agnetha's solo career. 8/10
30.) "Under Attack" is filmed nicely like a detective noir, but is partly unrealized. 6/10
31.) "When I Kissed the Teacher" backs up to `The Arrival' era (1976). Solid concept, but a little stiff. 6/10
32.) "I Have a Dream" is done in Swedish. Never take their English speaking hits for granted. Beautiful native rendition. 8/10
33.) "Happy New Year" alternative Swedish version. 9/10
34.) "All Is Said and Done" alternative Spanish version! 6/10
35.) "Dancing Queen" the royal version. Is that Queen Elizabeth in the audience or the Swedish royalty? The powder wigs make the affair stiff, but the group is properly relaxed. They did need to redo the original, but they could have done something better than this. 6/10
Overall, do check this collection out. You'll enjoy listening to and watching these vintage videos.
DVD Review: Great videos from the pioneers of the format
Summary: 5 Stars
It doesn't really matter what you think of ABBA personally - whether you're a mega fan, or you find them cheesy and annoying - because there's no denying their wide-ranging influence on popular music, and in this case, music videos. ABBA was really the first group to learn that music videos could be a potent promotional tool. Since they got their start in their native Sweden, world tours to promote their early albums was out of the question. Instead, they pioneered the music video, and it sure paid off.
If their videos seem to be pure kitsch or at best, hopelessly cliched, it's only because they *created* all the conventions that we saw in so many classic music videos. Over the course of 136 minutes, we see such a range of styles that it's just obvious why they were so influential.
There are a number of ABBA video collections, but "The Definitive Collection" is the only complete collection and it is, of course, the one to buy. ABBA is one of those groups that you either love to love, or love to hate. Either way, these are classic videos for classic songs. I highly recommend this DVD to any fan of popular music.
Description of ABBA: The Definitive Collection
No Description AvailableNo Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: ABBA
Title: DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
Street Release Date: 07/30/2002
Genre: ROCK/POP
For those who love Abba (and if you're reading this, chances are you do, even if you don't know it yet), Abba: The Definitive Collection represents a happy, joyous compilation of the Swedish supergroup's numerous videos. Granted, they all seem to have been filmed on the same soundstage (even the firelit "Fernando"), but they retain their appeal and infectious charm. Fans can thrill to these vintage clips, which provide an opportunity to rediscover who was the most natural in front of the camera (Agnetha), who was the best dancer (Anna-Frid, a.k.a. Frida), who was the most demure (Benny), and who was the worst lip-syncher (Bjorn--always Bjorn). Lass? Hallstrom, later an Oscar?-nominated filmmaker, directed most of the early videos, and it shows in their natural, no-fuss style; it wasn't until Abba tried to make the jump to '80s-style electronica that they faltered in both style and content. In addition to old standbys like "Waterloo" and "Take a Chance on Me," don't pass up the light-years-ahead-of-its time "The Day Before You Came," or the live performance of "Dancing Queen" (in period costume!) at the Royal Swedish Opera. To this we say: Thank you for the music--and the videos! --Mark Englehart
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