Yes, this is the very first ABBA album and it actually contains many stories for every song. For example, Disillusion is written by Agnetha & Björn (his only contribution being the lyrics, as usual) and is the English version of her romantic Mina Ögon solo song. Beautiful song #2 would be I Am Just a Girl, another gentle ballad which shows ABBA's great potential early on before Waterloo glory days. Another Town (they should re-issue this album with the rare German version of this song) is a slow, enjoyable song about departures and the emotions behind it(?), and I Saw It In the Mirror would be the fourth easygoing song, and in my opinion, the first minute of it is the worst rubbish ever to come from ABBA. Later on the song evolves in a pretty good way.
Ring Ring, the opening track is, of course, "available" in many, many versions, and this one is their first, no wait, second attempt at Eurovision Song Contest, but luckily, they didn't get there in 1973 (with Agnetha heavily pregnant) but a year later. This song was actually a top 40 hit in the UK but only after Waterloo stormed the charts. Both songs are, of course, very similiar, this one being weaker and even more silly.
People Need Love is one of the best tracks here and is often known as ABBA's first single (in Scandinavia, anyway). It reflects everything ABBA were about in the early day. Very Middle-Of-the-Road style, happy and crappy.
Nina, Pretty Ballerina is one of those songs they made before the lyrics and it really shows. Many fans love it. Love Isn't Easy (or Patience as I used to call it before I bought this CD) is more of the same happy beats and is interesting for the fact that it has the longest of any ABBA songs. Me and Bobby... is also similar, one of those childish clapping songs which also makes this album quite enjoyable if you don't take it too seriously. This should be the album to which children learn their foreign language. He Is Your Brother is vocally very challenging and you can hear the girls' full potential here. Also, it is one of those songs they enjoyed performing live and the audience reception was, of course, just as exstatic. One of the top 3 songs on this album. The last song Rock 'n Roll band is a great R&R songs that ABBA unfortunately, just didn't have enoguh. The intro is perfect, the guitar really does the trick here! I heard there is more than this version, but I don't have the other version.
Anyway, album #1 from the greatest band of the 70s is not the debut that set the world on fire. But it still beats Waterloo album so it isn't their worst album. The lyrics are extremely basic and the music is playful but highly enjoyable. It is ABBA after all!
