Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Abba's creative beginnings, 29 Aug 2006
This 1970 Benny and Bjorn album represents the seeding of what would be one of the most successful writing partnerships in popular music. Both had enjoyed success for several years in other bands. Benny was a member of Hep Stars, who covered a lot of the same material as the early Kinks and were screamed at by teenage Swedes as a result. Bjorn was with the folk-styled Hootenanny Singers, though his 'Baby Those Are The Rules', a red rag to all feminists, revealed a desire to follow The Beatles' path.
'Lycka' is a mix of folk, country, schlager and 'Ticket To Ride' style Beatles. Though the lyrics are an acquired taste for those who, like me, don't understand Swedish, the melodies shine through on most of the songs. Unusually, the second half of the original album is probably stronger and includes one song co-written by Agnetha Faltskog, a fine songwriter in her own right until her role in Abba made that job redundant. This is a generously-expanded reissue of an album that originally consisted of less than a dozen songs. It's debatable as to whether later numbers such as 'Rock 'n' Roll Band' should be included here, but the linking theme is clearly Benny and Bjorn as singers and therefore at centre stage. Though it's well-known that their singing isn't great they manage OK for most of this album. Definitely for Abba enthusiasts only, 'Lycka' is nevertheless full of warmth and melody.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pre-ABBA album of Bjorn & Benny, 5 Jul 2007
This album was originnaly released in November, 1970, and it has it's own unique fascination, especially this re-issue. There are 11 original tracks of the first release and 14(!) bonus tracks, among of which there is 1 previously unreleased track ("To Live With You", English version of "Lycka). All the records were digitally remastered. Sleeve notes are in Swedish by Carl Magnus Palm, contain images of Bjorn & Benny's singles which were released in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Japan and so on...
In some tracks we can hear voices of Agnetha and Frida (for example, in "Hey gamle man!", "På bröllop" or "Merry-Go-Round") although the album is fully credited to Benny & Bjorn. And fact is that it was so quite near for future music of ABBA. Most of all songs I like "Lycka", "Livet går sin gång" (so soft and melodious), "På bröllop" (it is almost ABBA) and "Inga Theme" (simple and attractive). I listen to this CD rather often and I like it...
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5.0 out of 5 stars
EARLY HAPPINESS, 10 Jul 2009
So many re-releases are put out for invalid reasons by record companys hoping to make a few bucks off the back of Abba but,anyone in the know will realise this re-release of Bjorn & Benny's 1970 album "Lycka" has it's own rewards for fans,if not the masses.
The CD contains the whole original "Lycka" album with many worthy tunes written by B & B and in some cases other lyricists as they were such a trial in the early days."Hej Gamle Man","Lycka","Kara Gamla Sol","Det Dar Med Karlek","Livet Gar Sin Gang" and "Valkommen In I Ganget" are, for me, the fore runners of the Abba songs and would have been worthy options for english translation."Liselott" which is co-written with Agnetha Faltskog is folksy and not to be over-looked.
However the most interesting part of the presentation is the release of bonus tracks many of which appear on CD for the first time."Det Kan Ingen Doktor Hjalpa","Pa Brollop","Tank Om Jorden Vore Ung" and "Traskofolket" all feature backing vocals by Agnetha and Frida and are quiet rare these days."To Live With You" is an english demo version of "Lycka" with Bjorn's leadvocal, which was exprerimented with in 1975 and the earliest version of "Rock "N" Roll Band" is interesting."She's My Kind Of Girl" has,in some instances,been portrayed as an early song...it isn't..it's Bjorn & Benny with no audible vocal prescence of the "girls".The inclusion of it's B-side "Inga Theme",from an obscure swedish movie not to be dwelt on is far more interesting.
Two German rareties "Hey Musikant" and "Was Die Liebe Sagt" (translations of "Hej Gamle Man" & "Livet Gar Sin Gang") are finally available as is the bizzare "Love Has It's Way's" written for the Japanese market.
"Merry-Go-Round" and it's swedish counterpart "En Karusell" are also here but sadly "Santa Rosa" which would have made the product about as deffinitive as could be, without getting into the unreleased tracks from this period,is not."Att Finnas Till" with female backing vocals,though not Agnetha and Frida,is pleasant enough but nothing special but, there are some fine tunes here though Frida's version of "Lycka" remains the most deffinitive version of the song. With tunes like the one's on "Lycka"
it should have been obvious at the time what a future these guys had ahead of them!
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See all 25 tracks on this disc
