(TV) abba dabba doo (TV vs ABBA)

[g grant <grntg@yahoo.com>]

The following article appeared in Pursuit, Summer 2002
edition (pursuit is a free glossy Canadian magazine
not available in stores that supposedly promotes the
arts however it is really just a thinly veiled
cigerate ad for dumaurier (cig ads are ileagle in
Canada) that for unknown reasons, has been sent to us
for the last two years)

abba dabba DOO

"We have met the enemy," wrote Village Voice critic
Robert Christgau in 1979 "and they are them."  With
that salvo, the battle lines were drawn.  On one side
were those who wanted to bring rock back to it's hard
edged roots, underground visionaries like Tom Verlaine
and Patti Smith, or British Punks like the sex Pistols
and the Clash, or Elvis Costello.  On the other side
were those who liked music as sweet and squishy as
angel food cake.  And it sure didn't get any sweeter
than ABBA - the object of Christgau's rage.

They were an obvious target, to be sure.  

The article goes on for a few paragraphs and I'm far
to lazy to transcribe it so here are some snippets the
author used to describe ABBA...

"It was sappy.  It was bouncy.  It was a hit."...Their
lyrics were awful.  Abba did not rage against any
machine....The albums were so syrupy, went the old
saw, that diabetics should be warned away....Yet
lyrics aside the songs were undeniably catchy.  A hook
is a hook, regardless of genre.. and it was this
ability to make melodies that endeared them to legions
of fans.

While Patti Smith's Horses is now a historical
document, and Tom Verlaine is a mere pop footnote,
Abba's records perennially repackaged and remarketed,
continue to sell.  Redemption or final victory?  Mr.
Christagau, I'm afraid, has met his Waterlou. 

Guy Saddy

Oh, screw you Guy

greg



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