Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 11/16/1999
Run Time: 264:17
When
ABBA was together, many American rock critics gave the Swedish group scathing reviews and dismissed its pop-rock, Euro-pop, and Euro-disco as disposable fluff. But time would be much kinder to
ABBA than American rock critics, and its songs proved to be
anything but disposable. Although
ABBA broke up in 1983, its music proved to be quite durable and continued to be incredibly influential when the 21st century arrived -- in 1999 and 2000, artists all over Europe were proudly claiming
ABBA as a major influence. One example of
ABBAmania came from Swedish teen popsters
the A*Teens, who pay tribute to their idols on
The ABBA Generation. The members of this half male, half female quartet from Stockholm were 15 and 16 when this CD came out in the U.S. in 2000, which means that they weren't even born when
ABBA was together. And that fact says a lot -- even though
ABBA's ex-members are old enough to be
the A*Teens' parents, the adolescents are calling themselves
The ABBA Generation.
The A*Teens' versions of
ABBA gems like
"Take a Chance on Me," "Mamma Mia," "Dancing Queen," and
"Voulez-Vous" aren't brilliant, but they're enjoyable -- and they show just how well the songs have held up over time. Not surprisingly, the high-tech production is about as European-sounding as it gets; anyone who appreciates the Hi-NRG/Euro-dance sound will have a hard time not moving to
the A*Teens' remakes of
"S.O.S.," "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme (a Man After Midnight)," and
"Lay All Your Love on Me." Listeners could nit-pick about the absence of
"Waterloo" (one of
ABBA's finest songs), but all things considered,
The ABBA Generation is a pleasing, if unremarkable, testament to the durability of
ABBA's songs.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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