Pure Pop
Lonnie E. Holder | Columbus, Indiana, United States | 10/21/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Looking back to the now distant beginning of the 1990s, I remember listening to this CD constantly. I remember listening to it on the radio constantly. I remember liking it. However, it is now in limbo between current music and becoming "classic". It is dated, already, and has yet to withstand the test of time. So rating this CD fairly is difficult.
When Ace of Base debuted, they were hailed as the 1990s version of Abba. Just like many other groups that have been hailed as successors to a previous group (remember Oasis being hailed as the successors to the Beatles?), Ace of Base fizzled fast, leaving the memory of this monster-selling debut CD.
What was so catchy when this came out? Well, the beat, of course. The lyrics were basically easy to remember and sing to, and the tunes were easy on the ears. Truthfully, they did sound in many ways like a techno version of Abba.
Really then, how is the music? Well, dated. It really is Abba turned techno pop. While the music sounds different when you first listen to it, after a while it is so repetitive that it can become annoying. Their style changes very little from song to song, that after a while you start to realize that you are hearing a variation on a style, and not a style that encompasses a lot of breadth. I guess you could say that this is a group that has a lot of depth and not too much breadth.
I originally thought about giving this CD 3 stars, and decided that was unfair, because their music is technically well done, and it was original at the time they came out. Furthermore, it is still relatively unique. However, their music doesn't explore its bounds, it just stays boxed up in a small area.
Even though I give this CD 4 stars, I stop short of recommending it as a "must have". The music was so incredibly popular because of its radio appeal, not because it was breakthrough or the greatest quality. If you've heard "The Sign" or "Don't Turn Around" or "All That She Wants" on the radio and liked it, and wondered whether you would like the CD, then wonder no more: The rest of the songs are similar, so by all means go buy it!
Note that this particular version of "The Sign" is a Japanese remaster. While the quality of the remaster is probably better than the original, unless you are a super audiophile I am unable to justify the price of this CD over other versions. Look around before you buy this one!
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Track Listings (12) - Disc #1