| Arrival | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 11 October 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 4 August 1975 – 18 September 1976 | |||
| Studio | Metronome, Stockholm, Sweden | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 33:12 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| ABBA chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
.jpg) French edition using the inner sleeve image | ||||
| Singles from Arrival | ||||
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Arrival is the fourth studio album by the Swedishpop groupABBA. It was originally released in Sweden on 11 October 1976 byPolar Records. It became one of ABBA's most successful albums to date, producing three of their biggest hits: "Dancing Queen", "Money, Money, Money" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You". The track "Fernando", which had been released as a single in March 1976, was included on the Australian and New Zealand versions of the album.Arrival was the best-selling album of 1977 in the United Kingdom and was certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of America.[2]
In 2024, the album was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Recording Registry by theLibrary of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3][4]
By the time ABBA began working on their fourth album in August 1975, they had achieved a modest level of success around the world. It was withArrival however, that they would achieve global superstardom. Recording sessions began in August 1975 and continued until September 1976 atMetronome and Glen studios inStockholm, Sweden.[citation needed]
The first song to enter the studio was a track called "Boogaloo" on 4 August. Taking inspiration from the current disco sound (and in particularGeorge McCrae's "Rock Your Baby"), the backing track was laid down.[5] The group knew that they had something big on their hands, as memberAgnetha Fältskog remarked: "We knew immediately it was going to be massive".[citation needed] With re-written lyrics, the song became known as "Dancing Queen", and would go on to be ABBA's biggest ever hit. Work on the song continued intermittently until December 1975 due to the group's increasing commitments in the latter half of the year. This was a result of the sudden surge of popularity that they found in the United Kingdom and Australia.[citation needed] During this time they also recorded a song (in Swedish), "Fernando", for memberAnni-Frid Lyngstad's solo album,Frida ensam.
In March 1976, "Fernando" was re-written with English lyrics and released as an ABBA single, becoming the group's biggest hit to date - hitting No.1 in many countries, including a 14-week stay at No.1 in Australia.[2] It was featured as a brand new track on theirGreatest Hits album which became the UK's biggest-selling album of the year. (In the Australian release ofArrival, "Fernando" was included between "Why Did It Have to Be Me" and "Tiger"). The next song they began working on, in late March, was "Knowing Me, Knowing You", which became another major hit worldwide. MemberBenny Andersson has said that it is "one of our five best recordings".[5]
By the end of April two other songs had been laid down: "That's Me" and "Why Did It Have to Be Me". The latter track was reworked into "Happy Hawaii" before being reverted to its original title, with new lyrics and vocals byBjörn Ulvaeus ("Happy Hawaii" would later be released as a B-side).[citation needed] Similarly, "Money, Money, Money" was worked into "Gypsy Girl" and then reverted to its original title. The song was released as a single and became a major hit some months after the album's release.[5]
In June 1976, a TV special dedicated to the group (entitledABBA-dabba-dooo!!) was filmed. Around the same time, what was to become the album's opening track, "When I Kissed the Teacher", was recorded. By late July "Tiger" and "Dum Dum Diddle" were recorded, considered by biographerCarl Magnus Palm as the "complete antithesis" of each other,[citation needed]. Both Lyngstad and Ulvaeus have expressed dissatisfaction with "Dum Dum Diddle". In Ulvaeus own words, "I'd been working all night trying to come up with a decent lyric. And I thought, 'Well, I'd better take in something to prove that I've been working.' I showed them this song, thinking they'd say, 'Oh, no! We can't do that!'".[6] "My Love My Life" was recorded next. Originally a more upbeat song titled "Monsieur Monsieur", it became a lush ballad with backing harmonies inspired by10cc's hit "I'm Not in Love".[5]
The final track to be recorded was an instrumental piece entitled "Ode to Dalecarlia". Mostly featuring Andersson on keyboards, the track was renamed to "Arrival" – a word that had already been decided as the title of their new album.[citation needed] By September 1976, work on the album was finished.[citation needed]
Arrival was released in 11 October 1976.[7] The album was first released oncompact disc (CD) in 1984 and then re-issued in digitally remastered form a total of four times; first in 1997, then in 2001, 2005 as part ofThe Complete Studio Recordings box set, and again in 2006 (as a special Deluxe Edition).
On 7 October 2016, the album was reissued for its 40th anniversary as a multi format release that included: a 45 RPMhalf-speed mastereddouble vinyl edition of the album, done byAbbey Road Studios on 12" black 180g vinyl; a seven-inch box set of the singles "Dancing Queen", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Fernando" and "Money, Money, Money", pressed oncolored vinyl; and 7"picture discs of each of these four singles.[8][9][10] The liner notes on the double LP release featured new liner notes by Swedish journalist Jan Gradvall, who also conducted a new interview withMichael B. Tretow.[10]
In 2006,Arrival was reissued as a deluxe edition CD/DVD set to celebrate the album's 30th anniversary.[11][12][13] The first disc consisted of the original album, expanded with five bonus tracks.[12][13] The DVD, along with the "International Sleeve Gallery" (comprising single and album sleeves from around the world), featured extra content from theArrival era, including: the one-hour long 1976ABBA-dabba-dooo!! special, made by producerLeonard Eek and reporterPer Falkman forSVT, in which the band perform twelve songs and where footage of Björn and Benny working in their Viggsö cottage is featured;[11] a performance of "Dancing Queen" from a West GermanMusikladen special titled "The Best of ABBA"; an April 1976 performance of "Fernando" onTop of the Pops; a feature of ABBA's promotional visit to London, titled "ABBA in London" fromYoung Nation (November 1976); footage of the "Dancing Queen" recording session fromMr. Trendsetter, a 1975 Swedish documentary; a December news report from SVT'sRapport on ABBA's 1976 success; a cartoon version of "Happy Hawaii" byFremantle Media; and twoArrival television commercials.[12][14] The set also contained a 28-page booklet with an essay on the making of the album.[11][12]
This was the first release from the ABBA Deluxe Edition album series.[15]
The album cover shots were taken of the group posing in and out of aBell 47 helicopter at theBarkarby Airport, northwest of Stockholm.[5] The now-renowned "mirrored-B" copyrighted ABBA logo, anambigram designed by Rune Söderqvist in 1976, was also premiered on this album cover.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16] |
| Blender |  [17] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [18] |
| Ondarock | 7.5/10[19] |
| Pitchfork | 8.6/10[20] |
| Q | [21] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [22] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10[23] |
| The Village Voice | C[24] |
In a contemporary review forRolling Stone, music criticKen Tucker pannedArrival as "Muzak mesmerizing in its modality" and wrote, "By reducing their already vapid lyrics to utter irrelevance, lead singers Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog are liberated to natter on in their shrill voices without regard to emotion or expression."[25]Robert Christgau ofThe Village Voice gave the album a "C",[24] indicating "a record of clear professionalism or barely discernible inspiration, but not both."[26]
In a review upon the album's 2001 reissue byUniversal Records,AllMusic editor Bruce Eder found the material "brilliant" and complimented the reissue's "upgraded sound" as well as "those dramatic musical effects that this group played for maximum effect, which gave their music a raw power that their detractors usually overlooked; in the new edition, it's impossible to ignore."[27] InThe New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), music journalist Arion Berger recommended its Universal reissue to consumers.[22]
The album became a major seller all over the world,[28] becoming the top-selling album of 1977 in both the UK and West Germany, among others.[29][30] It had three of ABBA's biggest hits – "Dancing Queen," "Money Money Money" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" – and in some territories a fourth with the inclusion of "Fernando" (which had featured in most markets on their earlierGreatest Hits compilation). "That's Me" was released as a single in Japan only.
Arrival was included in Robert Dimery's1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die; the album re-entered the UK album charts at #94 for the week of August 3, 2018, for the first time since 1979.[31]
The information has been adapted from the official ABBA website.[15] All tracks are written byBenny Andersson andBjörn Ulvaeus, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When I Kissed the Teacher" | 3:00 | |
| 2. | "Dancing Queen" |
| 3:50 |
| 3. | "My Love, My Life" |
| 3:52 |
| 4. | "Dum Dum Diddle" | 2:53 | |
| 5. | "Knowing Me, Knowing You" |
| 4:02 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Money, Money, Money" | 3:05 | |
| 2. | "That's Me" |
| 3:15 |
| 3. | "Why Did It Have to Be Me?" | 3:20 | |
| 4. | "Tiger" | 2:55 | |
| 5. | "Arrival" (instrumental) | 3:00 | |
| Total length: | 33:12 | ||
Notes
Released for the album's 30th anniversary. The information has been adapted from the official ABBA website.[15] All tracks are written byBenny Andersson,Björn Ulvaeus, andStig Anderson, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fernando" | 4:12 | |
| 2. | "Happy Hawaii" (B-side of "Knowing Me, Knowing You") | 4:25 | |
| 3. | "Fernando" (Spanish version) |
| 4:17 |
| 4. | "La reina del baile" (Spanish version of "Dancing Queen") |
| 4:04 |
| 5. | "Conociéndome, conociéndote" (Spanish version of "Knowing Me, Knowing You") |
| 4:04 |
| 6. | "Fernando" (Frida's Swedish solo version; fromFrida ensam) | 4:14 |
Adapted from the original album's liner notes.[33]
ABBA
Additional musicians
Production
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavia | 11 October 1976 | Polar | LP ·cassette | POLS 272 | [7] |
| United Kingdom | 5 November 1976 | Epic | LP ·cassette ·8-track cartridge | EPC 86018 | [69] |
| Australia | 15 November 1976 | RCA Victor | LP ·cassette | VPL1-4034 | [70] |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | — | 960,000[71] |
| Canada (Music Canada)[72] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[74] | Gold | 330,000[73] |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[75] reissue | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[76] | Platinum | 86,420[76] |
| France | — | 200,000[77] |
| Germany (BVMI)[78] | 2× Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
| Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[79] | Gold | 10,000* |
| Ireland | — | 150,000[80] |
| Israel[81] | Platinum | 40,000[82] |
| Japan (Oricon Charts) | — | 645,000[44] |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[84] | Gold | 500,000[83] |
| New Zealand | — | 60,000[85] |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[87] | Gold | 167,000[86] |
| Poland | — | 800,000[88] |
| Sweden | — | 740,000[89] |
| Taiwan | — | 3,500[90] |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[92] | Platinum | 1,700,000[91] |
| United States (RIAA)[93] | Gold | 500,000^ |
| Yugoslavia[94] | Platinum | 70,000[94] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
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