The Jukebox Rebel

Staring back at you from the cover (l to r) were engaged couple Benny Andersson (26, piano, keyboards, mellotron, vocals) and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (27, vocals) opposite married couple Agnetha Fältskog (22, vocals) and Björn Ulvaeus (27, acoustic guitar, guitar, vocals). Additional guitars and drums were provided by session musicians. This was Björn and Benny's second LP together, and formalized their musical partnership with their real life female partners who, as well as having their own projects on the go, had featured informally as backing singers with the two men in recent years. Friend, mentor and manager Stig Anderson released the LP on his own Polar label in March, 1973. Their brand of Europop is not without charm, but largely struggles to win me over, being predictably weak and sugary as pop normally is. I rather suspect they're aiming for Phil Spector levels of cool, but this they only manage to achieve with the exciting “Ring Ring”, featured here in both Swedish and English language versions. Their mass market potential as a quartet is plain to see and hear. Stig Anderson can smell some dollar.

The Jukebox Rebel
13–Feb–2016

A1	[03:04] Björn and Benny, Agnetha and Frida - Ring Ring [bara du slog en signal] (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson) Pop
A2	[03:12] Björn Benny and Agnetha Frida - Another Town, Another Train (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus) Pop
A3	[03:04] Björn Benny and Agnetha Frida - Disillusion (Björn Ulvæus, Agnetha Fältskog) Pop Ballad
A4	[02:46] Björn and Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid - People Need Love (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus) Pop
A5	[02:34] Björn Benny and Agnetha Frida - I Saw It In The Mirror (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus) Pop Ballad
A6	[02:51] Björn Benny and Agnetha Frida - Nina, Pretty Ballerina (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus) Pop
B1	[02:53] Björn Benny and Agnetha Frida - Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough) (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus) Pop
B2	[02:50] Björn Benny and Agnetha Frida - Me And Bobby And Bobby’s Brother (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus) Pop
B3	[03:18] Björn and Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid - He Is Your Brother (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus) Pop
B4	[03:03] Björn and Benny, Agnetha and Frida - Ring Ring [engelsk version] (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson, Phil Cody, Neil Sedaka) Pop
B5	[03:01] Björn Benny and Agnetha Frida - I Am Just A Girl (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson) Pop Ballad
B6	[03:09] Björn Benny and Agnetha Frida - Rock n Roll Band (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus) Pop

ratings by TJR