101. Crazy World (single b-side 1976)

 

Although we are still at number 101 in my ranking of Abba songs we have crossed the threshold between songs that I don't really like to the songs that are either good or very good. Crazy World, an Abba gem hidden on the b-side of Money, Money, Money single, was one of the last Abba songs I heard. During my visit to the UK in 1986 I found a stack of Abba singles at a flea market including several single b-sides that I had not heard before. After being a major Abba fan for seven years it was a revelation to hear three new songs by my favourite group for the very first time. Of those three Crazy World was my favourite.


Since adding this rare track to my Abba collection I first played the hell out of it, but soon got tired. It is not a perfect Abba recording by any stretch, and as this song does not pop up when listening to regular Abba albums I soon forgot it. Now listening to it again as if for the first time I hear the things that fascinated me back then and still sound great today. After blaming the previous entries of this blog for not including the elements that I love in Abba music, I can happily say that this has an abundance of them.

The song tells a story about a jealous man accusing his girlfriend of meeting another man behind his back. A rather plain melody with Björn Ulvaeus's naive vocal creates an image of a not a very bright man trying to make his stand. The arrangement builds subtly from verse to verse leading the listener and the protagonist to the climax, which is not the chorus but a perfectly crafted middle eight, where the protagonist confronts his girlfriend only to find that the man was actually her brother. After the reveal the singer sheepishly blames the crazy world of his error. 

This recording has a marvellous arrangement with different details to pick up. The melody in itself is quite simple, but the short ominous interlude before each verse is in tune with the mystery of the song narrative itself. Who is that strange man who the protagonist sees with his girlfriend? The strings seem to paint the scene from man's point of view as his anxiety grows from verse to verse. The playful piano flourishes by Benny Andersson depict the carefree feelings of the girl in this love triangle. 

In the 1960s Björn was the heartthrob lead vocalist in one of Sweden's most popular groups The Hootenanny Singers, but in Abba the attention was in the female half of the group. In this song Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog are only faintly heard in the backing choir which is probably the reason this song is not that highly thought of. I don't regard this song particularly high in Abba canon myself either, but to me it is a perfect example of Abba using the same amount of care and creativity on a single b-side as they would use in their biggest hits. 

Pay attention to:
  • The pre-verse interlude
  • How the string arrangement builds the tension towards the climax
  • The middle eight climax
The first bonus track coming up: Det kan ingen doktor hjälpa (by Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson)

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