Product Description

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Media Type: DVD
Artist: ABBA
Title: DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
Street Release Date: 07/30/2002
Domestic
Genre: ROCK/POP

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19208 in DVD
• Brand: Abba
• Released on: 2002-07-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 136 minutes

Amazon.com
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). Lassé 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

From the Back Cover
Two decades after they last recorded together, ABBA remain as one of the most popular music acts of all time. Hits like Waterloo, SOS, Fernando, Dancing Queen, Take a Chance on Me, The Winner Takes It All, and Super Trouper are as loved today as they were when the four Swedes ruled the charts worldwide.

But for all the brilliance of their music, ABBA are remembered as much for their glittery costumes and general 1970s appearance--and perhaps this part of their legacy was never better exposed than in their groundbreaking music videos. Made at a time when MTV didn't exist and very few artists produced "promo clips"--as they were known at the time--ABBA have been hailed as pioneers in this field. Most of the videos were made by award-winning director Lasse Hallstrom, who today is well-known for movies such as My Life as a Dog, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and The Cider House Rules.

The Definitive Collection features every official ABBA video in one package for the first time, including three Spanish clips that have never been commercially released before. Two additional bonus selections from ABBA's television appearances have also been included: When I Kissed the Teacher, and a performance of Dancing Queen at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. All clips have been digitally remastered from the original negatives and synchronized with 24-bit remastered sound, making them look and sound better than ever before.

The Definitive Collection is an amazing journey through ABBA's string of hits, and a wonderful celebration of their timeless appeal. Sit back and enjoy!

Videos: Waterloo, Ring Ring, Mamma Mia, SOS, Bang-a-Boomerang, I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do, Fernando, Dancing Queen, Money Money Money, Knowing Me Knowing You, That's Me, The Name of the Game, Take a Chance on Me, Eagle, One Man One Woman, Thank You for the Music, Summer Night City, Chiquitita, Does Your Mother Know, Voulez-Vous, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight), On and On and On, The Winner Takes It All, Super Trouper, Happy New Year, When All Is Said and Done, One of Us, Head Over Heels, The Day Before You Came, Under Attack. Bonus tracks: When I Kissed the Teacher, Estoy Sonando (I Have a Dream), Felicidad (Happy New Year), No Hay a Quien Culpar (When All Is Said and Done), Dancing Queen (at the Royal Swedish Opera). 136 minutes.

Customer Reviews

ABBA Rediscovered
I remember ABBA from the 70's but I was never really a fan.
I rediscovered ABBA when my daughter gave me the ABBA Gold CD to listen to. After one listening session I was hooked on ABBA. I purchased the Definitive Collection CD and most recently purchased the DVD. I love the DVD. I read some reviews criticizing the quality of the videos (or promotional films as they were called). However you have to remember these were made in the 70's before MTV. As far as I'm concerned these "films" were terrific. The only thing better than listening to ABBA is to watch them. The version of "Dancing Queen" at the Swedish Opera House in front of the Queen of Sweden was great. I found all the films entertaining. I couldn't stop stomping my feet and clapping my hands. If you love ABBA and want to see them perform instead of just listening to their music, then this DVD is for you. As far as I'm concerned, you won't be dissapointed. I know I wasn't. Buy it, you'll love it.

ABBA Profiled
With thirty-five videos to view on one disc, this truly is the ultimate ABBA collection. Although music videos were progressive in the seventies, these still look very dated. Most are just poor lip-synching with bad sets, but that's okay. ABBA was about the music more than anything and the quality of the sound is fantastic. The video that truly stands out is, "The Day Before You Came". The song has always been under-rated and it seems like a lot of thought was put into this filming.

It's too bad this is not available on DTS Surround Sound, but maybe in the future it will be available on that and SACD! To top it all off, the profiling against face-on head shots is hilarious. You know they had fun with those. In the end, however, it is all about what four Swedes accomplished in a very short period of time. ABBA made a huge mark on the world of music and this is a great way to celebrate it.

Two hours of ABBA goodness!
The face of music was forever changed in 1981 with the debut of MTV. Suddenly, artists who had not been exposed to a wide audience were being seen -- and heard -- by millions. The music video format did not begin with MTV, though. Prior to MTV, bands created what were then known as "promotional clips." This was not a particularly common practice, although groups like The Beatles took advantage of film as a promotional tool.

ABBA, a band not fond of touring, were early pioneers of the music video format. "ABBA: The Definitive Collection" gathers a decade's worth of these videos as released by the band and its label, Polar. The bulk of the clips were directed by Lasse Hallstrom ("My Life as a Dog, "The Cider House Rules"), and are now finally available collectively on DVD.

The budgets for most of the clips were miniscule. Time has not treated them well, and the DVD format only reveals those flaws. But that's beside the point. This is not a DVD for the video purist. Although the packaging states the videos were re-mastered from the original negatives, it's hard to tell at times. Grainy with artifacts and washed out colors, this is not the DVD to pop into your new progressive-scan player to impress your friends, unless your friends are all ABBA fans. Still, this is probably the best these clips have ever looked, and given the production values, some of them look pretty good. The colors in "SOS" are actually pretty vibrant, and "The Winner Takes it All" also looks great. Director Hallstrom, unfortunately, shot many of the videos against a white background, which when presented with the clarity of DVD, is fairly blinding.

Starting with 1974's "Waterloo," and concluding with the group's last video, "Under Attack," "The Definitive Collection" is a must-have. Almost all of the songs have been remastered to 24-bit sound (according to the packaging), so while the video quality is poor, the sound quality is pretty good. I'm assuming Dolby Digital 2.0, as the songs don't sound like 5.1, nor is that fact mentioned on the DVD packaging.

It's also a kick to see the 1970s wardrobes on display, which range from almost normal to the bizarre. It's all part of the ABBA package. Nearly all of their singles are here (with the exception of "Lay All Your Love on Me"), as well as a few Spanish-language clips intended for the South American market, and an appearance on Swedish television, in period costume, performing "Dancing Queen" for Sweden's King Gustaf.

The DVD extras are sparse, the usual band biographies and still photographs. The liner notes booklet is actually very well done, about 17 pages, with lots of photographs and background information on the clips. It doesn't make up for the lack of a director's commentary track, but it comes close.