Album Review: Waterloo

A year makes a big difference, and the Waterloo album proves that.  A much more cohesive effort than 1973's Ring Ring, 1974's Waterloo featured a good number of classics, instead of a precious few.  "Waterloo" and "Honey Honey" were hit singles, while "Hasta Mañana," "Dance (While The Music Still Goes On," "Gonna Sing You My Lovesong" and "What About Livingstone" demonstrated that ABBA was becoming masters of the pop genre.  But, as brilliant as all of the aforementioned tracks were, there were still some failures here.  "King Kong Song," "Sitting In The Palmtree" and "Suzy-Hang-Around" did nothing to advance the cause of taking the group seriously.  "My Mama Said" is a good attempt at funk, while "Watch Out" showcased the rock side of ABBA.  But still, one thing became clear:  ABBA could do pop, and do it well.  Critics in Europe gave Waterloo a luke-warm reception, but in America, critics compared ABBA to the innocent girl-group sound of the previous decade.  The second album was clearly a step in the right direction.