The A-Teens Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
When the A-Teens paid tribute to ABBA on 1999's The ABBA Generation, it was obvious that none of the group's members had great voices. But they had great material to work with; "Dancing Queen," "S.O.S.," and other ABBA hits are Europop classics. So, despite their limitations as vocalists, the A-Teens were able to provide a pleasant, if unremarkable, tribute to Sweden's most famous Euro-popsters. But Pop 'Til You Drop, the A-Teens' third album, is another matter; this time, they are saddled with a lot of pedestrian material. While The ABBA Generation had more of a Hi-NRG/Euro-dance outlook, Pop 'Til You Drop isn't as consistently European-sounding. The ABBA influence has not disappeared altogether -- "Closer to Perfection," for example, is full of ABBA-isms -- but overall, this bubblegum CD favors more of an American teen pop approach along the lines of Britney Spears, *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. And more often than not, Pop 'Til You Drop has a mechanical, assembly-line quality. Nonetheless, the CD has its moments. The A-Teens' dance-pop remake of Alice Cooper's "School's Out" (which features Cooper himself) may offend some '70s rock devotees -- some Cooper fans may be horrified that the influential shock-rocker would have anything to do with a teen pop act. Regardless, the A-Teens' "School's Out" cover is fun and is arguably Pop 'Til You Drop's best track. And the mildly funky "Floorfiller" (one of the album's more European-sounding tunes) has a somewhat Silver Convention-ish charm -- the high-tech production is early 2000s, although the hook has a "Get Up and Boogie"/"Funky Party" type of Euro-disco vibe. But the memorable tracks are the exception instead of the rule. The ABBA Generation is still the A-Teens' best album, and Pop 'Til You Drop is, for the most part, a forgettable exercise in Britney Spears/*NSYNC/Backstreet Boys worship. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When the A-Teens came out in 2000 with an album full of remakes of ABBA songs, the quartet of photogenic young Swedes had a nice run up the charts. If anything, the group was a testament to the lasting power of ABBA's sugary but lush pop music. This time around, instead of blatantly ripping off ABBA, they choose to emulate the trademark sound of ubiquitous Swedish pop super-producer Max Martin, who has been responsible for writing and producing hits for *N Sync, Britney Spears, and the Backstreet Boys. Most of the songs on the album are right out of the Martin handbook, complete with cookie-cutter rhythm tracks and lyrics, and lightweight, electronically enhanced harmonies. ~ Jon Azpiri, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When ABBA was together, many American rock critics gave the Swedish group scathing reviews and dismissed its pop-rock, Euro-pop, and Euro-disco as disposable fluff. But time would be much kinder to ABBA than American rock critics, and its songs proved to be anything but disposable. Although ABBA broke up in 1983, its music proved to be quite durable and continued to be incredibly influential when the 21st century arrived -- in 1999 and 2000, artists all over Europe were proudly claiming ABBA as a major influence. One example of ABBAmania came from Swedish teen popsters the A*Teens, who pay tribute to their idols on The ABBA Generation. The members of this half male, half female quartet from Stockholm were 15 and 16 when this CD came out in the U.S. in 2000, which means that they weren't even born when ABBA was together. And that fact says a lot -- even though ABBA's ex-members are old enough to be the A*Teens' parents, the adolescents are calling themselves The ABBA Generation. The A*Teens' versions of ABBA gems like "Take a Chance on Me," "Mamma Mia," "Dancing Queen," and "Voulez-Vous" aren't brilliant, but they're enjoyable -- and they show just how well the songs have held up over time. Not surprisingly, the high-tech production is about as European-sounding as it gets; anyone who appreciates the Hi-NRG/Euro-dance sound will have a hard time not moving to the A*Teens' remakes of "S.O.S.," "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme (a Man After Midnight)," and "Lay All Your Love on Me." Listeners could nit-pick about the absence of "Waterloo" (one of ABBA's finest songs), but all things considered, The ABBA Generation is a pleasing, if unremarkable, testament to the durability of ABBA's songs. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
