Arrival is the fourth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in Sweden on 11 October 1976 by Polar 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 recently 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 the Recording Industry Association of America.[2]

In 2024, the album was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3][4]

Background and production

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 with Arrival however, that they would achieve global superstardom. Recording sessions began in August 1975 and continued until September 1976 at Metronome and Glen studios in Stockholm, 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 particular George McCrae`s "Rock Your Baby"), the backing track was laid down.[5] The group knew that they had something big on their hands, as member Agnetha 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 member Anni-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 their Greatest Hits album which became the UK`s biggest-selling album of the year. (In the Australian release of Arrival, "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. Member Benny 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 by Björn 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 (entitled ABBA-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 biographer Carl 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 by 10cc`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]

Album cover

The album cover shots were taken of the group posing in and out of a Bell 47 helicopter at the Barkarby Airport, northwest of Stockholm.[5] The now-renowned "mirrored-B" copyrighted ABBA logo, an ambigram designed by Rune Söderqvist in 1976, was also premiered on this album cover.

Release

Arrival was released in October 1976. The album was first released on compact 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 of The Complete Studio Recordings box set, and again in 2006 (as a special Deluxe Edition).

On October 7, 2016, the album was reissued for its 40th anniversary as a multi format release that included: a 45 RPM half-speed mastered double vinyl edition of the album, done by Abbey 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 on colored vinyl; and 7" picture discs of each of these four singles.[7][8][9] The liner notes on the double LP release featured new liner notes by Swedish journalist Jan Gradvall, who also conducted a new interview with Michael B. Tretow.[9]

Deluxe edition

In 2006, Arrival was reissued as a deluxe edition CD/DVD set to celebrate the album`s 30th anniversary.[10][11][12] The first disc consisted of the original album, expanded with five bonus tracks.[11][12] The DVD, along with the "International Sleeve Gallery" (comprising single and album sleeves from around the world), featured extra content from the Arrival era, including: the one-hour long 1976 ABBA-dabba-dooo!! special, made by producer Leonard Eek and reporter Per Falkman for SVT, in which the band perform twelve songs and where footage of Björn and Benny working in their Viggsö cottage is featured;[10] a performance of "Dancing Queen" from a West German Musikladen special titled "The Best of ABBA"; an April 1976 performance of "Fernando" on Top of the Pops; a feature of ABBA`s promotional visit to London, titled "ABBA in London" from Young Nation (Novemember 1976); footage of the "Dancing Queen" recording session from Mr. Trendsetter, a 1975 Swedish documentary; a December news report from SVT`s Rapport on ABBA`s 1976 success; a cartoon version of "Happy Hawaii" by Fremantle Media; and two Arrival television commercials.[11][13] The set also contained a 28-page booklet with an essay on the making of the album.[10][11]

This was the first release from the ABBA Deluxe Edition album series.[14]

Critical reception

In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, music critic Ken Tucker panned Arrival 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."[23] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave the album a "C",[22] indicating "a record of clear professionalism or barely discernible inspiration, but not both."[24]

In a review upon the album`s 2001 reissue by Universal 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."[25] In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), music journalist Arion Berger recommended its Universal reissue to consumers.[20]

The album became a major seller all over the world,[26] becoming the top-selling album of 1977 in both the UK and West Germany for example.[27][28] 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 in most markets had featured on their earlier Greatest Hits album). "That`s Me" was released as a single in Japan only. Arrival was included in Robert Dimery`s 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and re-entered the UK album charts at #94 for the week of August 3, 2018, for the first time since 1979.[29]

Track listing

The information has been adapted from the official ABBA website.[14] All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted.

"Fernando" was released in the original track listing for the Australian and New Zealand version of the original record, between "Why Did It Have to Be Me?" and "Tiger." This added more than 4 minutes of playtime to Side two.[30]

Deluxe edition

Released for the album`s 30th anniversary. The information has been adapted from the official ABBA website.[14] All tracks are written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson, except where noted.

Personnel

• Agnetha Fältskog – lead vocals (1 & 3), co-lead vocals (2, 4, and 7–9), harmony and backing vocals
• Anni-Frid Lyngstad – lead vocals (5 & 6), co-lead vocals (2, 4, and 7–9), harmony and backing vocals
• Björn Ulvaeus – harmony and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lead vocals (8)
• Benny Andersson – harmony and backing vocals, piano, synthesizer, accordion, chimes, marimba

Additional musicians (original album)

• Ola Brunkert – drums
• Roger Palm – drums, tambourine, and hi-hat percussion on "Dancing Queen"
• Malando Gassama – percussion
• Rutger Gunnarsson – bass; string arrangements on "My Love, My Life"
• Janne Schaffer – electric guitar on "My Love, My Life", "Knowing Me, Knowing You" (rhythm), "That`s Me", and "Why Did It Have To Be Me?"
• Lasse Wellander – acoustic guitar on "Dum Dum Diddle", electric lead guitar on "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "Tiger"
• Anders Glenmark – electric guitar on "Money, Money, Money"
• Lars Carlsson – saxophone on "Why Did It Have To Be Me?"
• Sven-Olof Walldoff – string arrangements on "Dancing Queen"
• Anders Dahl – string arrangements on "Arrival"

Production

• Benny Andersson – producer, arranger
• Björn Ulvaeus – producer, arranger
• Michael B. Tretow – engineer
• Ola Lager – cover design, photography
• Rune Söderqvist – cover design
• Jon Astley – remastering (1997 re-issue and 2001 re-issue)
• Tim Young – remastering (1997 re-issue)
• Michael B. Tretow – remastering (1997 re-issue and 2001 re-issue)
• Henrik Jonsson – remastering (The Complete Studio Recordings box set)

Chart positions

Certifications and sales

See also

• List of best-selling albums in Australia
• List of best-selling albums in the Netherlands