Shnootz - Reaction Video (ABBA - The Way Old Friends Do)

What's happening, folks! I'm back with another ABBA reaction, and this time we listen to the final track on the proper version of Super Trouper (1980), though as I discuss, the song "Elaine" is included on a second disc I have access to. In any case, join me as we listen to a truly grand and monumental album-closer by the one and only ABBA. Cheers!
Also I recently set up a Patreon, so anyone interested in supporting what we do on this channel through donation can go here. Cheers! / shnootz
#ShnootzReactions #ABBA #SuperTrouper #VocalPop #ABBAReactions #VocalPopReactions #Shnootz

[@mattsnider2667]

Hey, folks! I forgot to talk about what I caught from the lyrics at the end, but that line about facing things together "the way old friends do" seemed central to the themes. Cheers, I look forward to all your comments. And big thanks to all the ABBA fans, you really are amazing.

[@geordieboy8945]

Matt, a while back, I suggested that you re-listen to the first track of the first album before reacting to the first song on what was, at the time, the last album. I think it will bring into focus the evolution of their song writing. I'll leave the choice to you!😀

[@darrenbertram7289]

Theres also a video version here on KZbin, it sounds different to the album version, more "live". I have watched it so many times since the covid lock downs, the two girls' voices together proving they CAN sing live no matter what is happening behind them. And for that I am truly grateful to them (and to B&B for writing these amazing songs to begin with 😘)

[@marsbearmcw3050]

I love this song. As a gay man growing up in the 80s when there was so much homophobia and a lot of my gay friends were ostracised by their families this song has always resonated with me in that you can’t choose your family but you can choose your friends. I love my friends dearly and I want this song played and sung at my funeral.

[@paulecrosby2006]

Breathtakingly beautiful ❤

[@klausolekristiansen2960]

Benny playing his first and favorite instrument: the accordion.

[@frankjoi6403]

One of ABBA's anthems. Becomes better every time you hear it.

[@supastah68]

Yay! The Visitors is the next album and best ever

[@victor543211000]

Abba is SPECTACULAR!

[@flemmingkristoffersen1896]

This track was a live recording from their 1979 World tour, recorded at Wembley Arena, London where ABBA played 6 sold out concerts - 11.000 fans at each concert. The Way Old Friends Do was the last song before the encores. It is almost like an Anthem - and you con hear Bennys love of classical music in this - as in many other ABBA songs! And Benny has in many interviews said, that he only listens to classical music today! Modern music - "I don't understand it" - he said! ❤️ And you will hear more of the classical elements on The Visitors and on Voyage - all though it is still popmusic per excellence!

[@Urfinchannel]

Wembley Arena in London had so much Abba Tickets request -enough for the next three years on that stage every night

[@bjornerikroth]

One of the Wembley nights was eventually (long overdue!) released as "Live at the Wembley Arena" in 2014. It's almost as perfect as a live show can be.

[@JCWiley2300]

If you ever get a chance, listen to the actual live track from the 2014 "Live at Wembley Arena" album; it's a completely different experience without the extensive overdubs from the Super Trouper album. Much rougher, rawer, but no less powerful. I do hope you get access to the bonus track Put On Your White Sombrero. It was originally meant to be the leadoff track to the Super Trouper album, but the boys felt the album needed one more banger, plus there was no title track. So like four weeks before release, they recorded the song Super Trouper and shelved Sombrero. The song would not see the light of day till 1994 with an archival box set release. It has one of Frida's best vocals from their entire career, with some harmonies that are actually borderline shocking. And now a word on The Visitors: ABBA fans are not a monolith. Some true devotees believe that The Visitors is the last gasp, the group running out of steam, not the "ABBA sound", not as big in the charts, etc. And we love those fans too. Others, such as myself, believe that The Visitors is a towering entity, an artistic achievement that ranks among the top ten albums of any popular music artist, ever. Yes, it is colder, yes it is more "mature." Some of the playfulness is gone, replaced with a certain wry smirk. But it's a cocoon, an tiny universe contained within the walls of a pop album, a frozen winter night. A production note that I hope you will find helpful: The Visitors has been subject to multiple remasterings of varying success over the years. It's a hard album to remaster because of its sonics: It was one of the first non-classical albums to be recorded digitally (in ABBA's then freshly renovated Polar Music studios), and the chilly, matter-of-fact quality of the recordings can be a challenge to present within the overall context of ABBA's output. The Deluxe version, the most recent from 2015 I think? hewed to a different tactic than previous editions, in that the remastering was meant to be totally faithful to the original source tapes, with little to no compression or equalization. You really do get the starkness of the originals, but there is like, literally no bass. So if this is the version you have, I strongly recommend boosting your bass levels during playback, because The Visitors kind of needs to thump in order to achieve its full capacity to stir the insides.

[@discogareth]

In 2016 Agnetha and Frida got on stage at a private party for Benny and Björn and sang this. When very shaky footage emerged online, just imagine the fans reaction at seeing and hearing them sing together again after all those years. This was a couple of years before the announcement of new songs.

[@adamlewis3729]

not many songs make me cry, this one does. also happy to see you are a Seinfeld fan 🤪

[@Pulsar77]

This song is for ABBA what We Are The Champions is for Queen. It's such a powerful anthem. What a tune to end a concert (granted, they added studio overdubs to make it sound grander).

[@eduardooscar309]

these song was performed only in 1979 tour... I think that for comparison it is much more appropriate "Thank you for the music" because ABBA has always performed it since 1977 it is even now on the setlist of the new Voyage Concerts

[@eduardooscar309]

new statistical data of the ABBA playlist It just finished the album "Super Trouper" and even so it is already the one with the most accumulated views of all the albums it is a curious fact despite starting later, each new album adds more cumulative views than the previous one (except Ring Ring, which is in front of Waterloo) Likewise, in terms of average views "The Album" continues to lead, followed by "Super trouper" and "Voulez Vous" (the three albums with more than 13.000 accumulated views) as for the views of the songs +2500 Ring Ring +2000 S.O.S. As good as new +1500 The winner takes it all Knowing me knowing you Eagle Thank you for the music Chiquitita When I kissed the teacher Angeleyes Gimme gimme gimme (a man after midnight) +1000 29 more songs (among them "Lay all your love on me" which comes second in their album, close to exceeding 1500 views in just a few days) In a few days we will see how the new album "The Visitors" goes I send you my best regards, as always, from Buenos Airees, Argentina South America

[@mattsnider2667]

Thank you as always for helping me keep track of this, Eduardo! It's fascinating to see the way ABBA fans engage with the material as we continue to go through the catalog. :)

[@eduardooscar309]

@@mattsnider2667 I found a mistake ; the "Super Trouper" album is third in the accumulated, but It grows more and soon could be the first

[@supastah68]

Wouldn’t it be great if this was the motto these days 😊

[@davidwilding7405]

A few of my random thoughts as I watch your reactions. Firstly I like the way you sign of with "Cheers!" That's a particularly British way of saying 'thank you', and is my usual choice also, both written and verbal. Secondly, you've probably got to the point where you accept that ABBA are their own genre. 'Pop with some funk, rock, and blues' or 'Pop with some disco, synth, and electronic' or even 'Pop with some European folk, and jazz' - it's easier to just say "Well it's ABBA!" And finally, even if you genuinely disliked the majority of their catalogue, it's hard not to be impressed by their overall talent. Bjorn can really tell a tale, Benny can really compose, the ladies can really, really sing, and they bring it all together so perfectly.

[@mattsnider2667]

Ha, that's right! ABBA really are their own genre. Hadn't thought about it with that framing but it's clearly true.

[@eduardooscar309]

It's good to see you again with our ABBA Journey with the latest song from the album "Super Trouper". (there are also two bonus tracks: "Elaine" and "Put on your white hat") "The way all Friends do" (1979) This song was a special composition that ABBA made for their 1979 North American and European tour. It is the first of the encores, then the flagship song "Dancing Queen" will arrive, and finally the iconic "Waterloo" in a last and special encore. and so, as it performs live, with some post-production in the recording studio, it was included as the last song on the next album "Super trouper" (1980). like you said, it's a perfect end to the record, a live performance with the sound of the audience, beginning with the high beams of the 'super troupers' It's exciting to see all four of them, after two hours and 20 songs, appear again, Björn introducing his friend Benny solo on accordion, the four of them standing in front of the audience, a first verse with Frida, a second with Agnetha, and then the four of them, to pure joy, emotion and gratitude with the fervent audience but the most important act was in June 2016: to celebrate 50 years since Björn and Benny's first meeting, and the beginning of their musical collaboration and friendship, Agnetha and Frida took the stage, and gave Björn and Benny a performance of this very song: "The way all Friends do" Here I leave the link of that impromptu and Historic live performance taken by a fan kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWbRiod9hsuhpLM It must be borne in mind that between 1982 and 2016 there was only one private presentation of the four members of ABBA (in 1986 for a birthday of their manager Stig) and only once did the four attend the premiere of the film "Mamma Mia" ( but they did not pose together) Because ABBA was always very careful with all kinds of speculation about their meeting I think this tribute performance by Frida and Agnetha was the starting point for what happened just two years later: ABBA's confirmation that the four of them had already returned to the recording studio together for the performance of two new songs, which they eventually became the new album Voyage. and the new Voyage Concerts that a few days ago was their first anniversary, with the assistance of three members of ABBA in London (only Agnetha was not there). PS: The first musical instrument Benny played as a child was the accordion P.S.2: One of the new songs: "I still have faith in you", takes the same words 'joy and sadness' that are in "The way all friends do" same song: PS3:At the end of that video, while the four of them embrace each other, Frida with the microphone in her hand jokingly asks the audience "Do you want the four of us to sing together"? Interestingly, the following year they did it again I send you a big huge from Buenos Aires, Argentina South America

[@tammyblack2747]

There is a video of this song where it was just the ladies on stage. I think it was at some award ceremony or something. They spontaneously sang this song. Someone videotaped it and put it on KZbin. If I had been there when they did that I would have been bawling like a baby.

[@hardwickebenthow]

There's also a great cover of this song by the London Symphony Orchestra on the album "Plays the Music of ABBA".

[@donny1960]

Great reaction. i was lucky enough to see ABBA live in Chicago on the 1979 World tour..... This was the song that closed out the show........ Even though I was just a teen. The words of this song have always stuck with me..... Life is so much better........ When there is a "together".. .... Thanks for the great videos you create.

[@eduardooscar309]

Another comment Thanks a lot for your the passion to all ABBA music I think that "Super Trouper" album (1980) is 7,5pts, only behind "The Album" & "Arrival", and at the same level with "ABBA" (1975) & "Voyage" (2021) two singles stand out: the masterpiece heartbroken "The winner takes it all" (10pts) and the musical beauty opening track "Super Trouper" (9/10pts) other wonders (8pts) "Happy new year" & "The way all friends do" and the surprise: "The Piper" two special comments 1) "Super Trouper" single and album was at #1 in UK when John Lennon was murder 2) it have two more songs in spanish version: "Felicidad" (Happy new year) with an official video in spanish too, and "Andante andante" I see you soon in next ABBA album my best regards from Buenos Aires Argentina 🇦🇷 South America

[@tammyblack2747]

This reminds me of “When You Danced With Me.”

[@Nadnisred]

I really love that song

[@Beboham]

First of all, thank you again for your consistent Abba JOURNEY. This last song of the album shows in a particularly condensed way the entire genius of always serving the catchy tune independently. This emotionally touching song is definitely anchored with my respect for Abba. Listening to *Elaine* now might even seem like a step backwards in terms of quality. I'm curious. But that will certainly change with * The visitors *, (I'm on the fans' side. 🤩) my thoughts on this: all the songs are fantastic in general, with *The visitors*, *I let the music speak* and *When all is said and done* being my favorites and *Two for the price of one* falling a bit short, But you're right, everyone sees it with their own eyes !

[@flemmingkristoffersen1896]

I agree! The Visitors is so amazing. Apart from Two for the price of one, which should have been left out and Should I laugh or cry replacing it!? But don't forget to mention Like an Angel passing........And overall I think The Visitors is where Frida shines the most! Look forward to Matt's reaction to what was regarded as ABBA's swansong! BUT LUCKILY - IT WASN'T ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@eduardooscar309]

I have seen that there are different opinions about the inclusion of "The way oll friends do" as a live track respecting diversity, which is what enriches me, allow me to share this link, in which both Björn and Agnetha refer to it, with their opinion: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpfCoGeKqbWhms0 Personally, I think it's a wise choice and a great ending to a great album

[@Bandido894]

Recorded at London Wembley arena 1979. You could say they made even a national hymn, could almost be Sweden's nh.😀

[@andrewjenkinson7052]

The two bonus tracks mentioned by Eduardo (sombrero not hat) are well worth reacting to - and again are very different. If they are not on your CD they are readily available on KZbin.

[@mattsnider2667]

Cheers, though fair to say, I'm not equipped to react to KZbin videos currently. But I think that song is probably just in another folder. One way or another, I'll get my hands on a copy and react to it.

[@rdwulf6289]

I've not really thought of it before but this has to be one of my favourite tracks as the tune has been in my ear for ever. It is such a rich yet simple melody. The lyrics mean a lot to me. Recorded at Wembley Arena, London, in November 1979. Elaine was the b-side to The Winner Takes It All. You did not mention Put OnYour White Sombrero. That was dropped from the album to make way for the song Super Trouper. It's quirky with an fantastic vocal from Frida and amazing harmonies at the end.

[@txxredtache]

What a big production for such a tender sentiment. Elaine's a personal favourite, in fact the opening was my ringtone for years (before i left Android for Apple. Bloody Apple!) Have fun! 😃

[@laurentpailhoux6854]

La plus belle chanson d abba❤

[@rcmorl6390]

Adore this song...a sweet thoughtful light song that turns into an anthem of glory.

[@Lisa-M]

I hope you will also react to Put On Your White Sombrero, the second bonus track of the album after Elaine. 😃😍

[@mattsnider2667]

I hope so too, though admittedly, it's not shown in the same "Disc 2" folder. Will investigate and get to it somehow!

[@Lisa-M]

@@mattsnider2667 😀👍

[@francismedina4547]

I prefer Sombrero over Elaine

[@darrenbertram7289]

@@mattsnider2667 Get Adam on to it, "Sombrero" is a fantastic track!

[@darrenbertram7289]

@marvinquezada7203 good point but it pertains to these sessions - unless Adam has it as a bonus track after the Visitors? That and Dream World? Oh I feel so jealous of Matt experiencing all this for the first time but grateful that I grew up with it and my love and appreciation for it only ever grows stronger with each passing year! 😍

[@alexioverdo5225]

This is an anthem to friendship and forgiveness.This must be from a CD cause in the original 1980 vynil there was a longtime aplause with overenthusistic crowd cheering very loudly since it was the closer to their Wembley concert.

[@darrenbertram7289]

On the vinyl the applause goes on right to the end of the groove so it just goes on and on (assuming your record deck doesn't automatically trigger the stylus arm to head back to its cradle!)

[@alexioverdo5225]

@@darrenbertram7289 I still got both the original 1980 vynil and the cassete.All scratched but filled up with sacred cherished childhood memories.

[@imntojj]

Fantastic closing anthem for this album. “You and I can share the silence Finding comfort together The way old friends do” is a powerful lyric no doubt. There is a live video of this song on KZbin that I actually enjoy more. There seems to be more processing on the album version that I don’t enjoy quite as much - but still a powerful song nonetheless. I’m looking forward to Elaine when you react to it, an underrated song imho. I’m also looking forward to The Visitors. I’m in the camp that feels that it is a brilliant album. Thanks Matt for this stellar deep dive. 👍

[@Bjorn9284]

Faced together, the way old friends do. 👍💅

[@Vikinggirl1679]

Sure wish you would show the videos

[@mattsnider2667]

Hey there. So I'm not equipped to react to videos yet. So it's just a product of my DIY setup. I'm working to see if I can add video-reactions, but it's not a lack of desire.

[@Vikinggirl1679]

@@mattsnider2667 hey good luck 👍

[@The_Jupiter2_Mission]

Taken from their 1979 concert with Timpani overdubs in the studio to give it that big dramatic rousing feel. Usually both Elaine & Put On Your White Sombrero are added to subsequent re-releases of the Super Trouper album. I'll be getting ready to duck for cover with aspects of The Visitors album which I have issues with!

[@rdwulf6289]

Oh, David, I hope you're not referring to The Visitors, When All Is Said And Done, I Let The Music Speak, Slipping Through My Fingers and Like An Angel Passing Through My Room. Surely not...

[@The_Jupiter2_Mission]

@@rdwulf6289 Surely yes. Not all tracks of course, but I have issues with some and the album as a cohesive whole. It's quite a disjointed album. More when we get to it.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

@Marvin MQZ sorry don't blame me i love this too.

[@achristoffersen6850]

Matt !! Please don’t forget “Put on your white sombrero”

[@mattsnider2667]

Hey there! Cheers, I certainly want to react to that but will have to see where it's located in the umbrella ABBA folder (as it's not in with "Elaine" on Disc 2 of the version of Super Trouper I'm working from). So I'll get to it somehow, but right now I don't see it in the same folder as "Elaine."

[@alejandrosantanaborquez917]

Very moving song😢 The Visitors is a great album... The evolution of ABBA... or an experimental album... I don't know, maybe both🤔 See ya, Matt & Lucca ❤🇨🇱👍

[@patrickhicks9880]

Elaine is the b-side of the winner takes it all the way old friends do is very popular in ireland it features at the end of episode 1 of new BBC drama woman in the wall but not the ABBA version the rest of the soundtrack is quite punky

[@jamesbachmann7376]

The Way Old Friends Do, I think, was the last song performed in their concert show before they performed an encore of Dancing Queen and Waterloo. But this song, starts out with just the four of them with Benny playing the accordion. As the song progresses, the band and background singers come in. The song is shown being performed on the video ABBA In Concert and it's quite touching to seem them perform it live in front of an audience.

[@stevehulse4005]

Great way to end the album with a stripped back performance.

[@stevehulse4005]

I seen to recall that the vocals for this were re-recorded in the studio so I don’t think the vocals you here on this are actually what was sung on the night. Im sure someone will know if I’m right on this!

[@mattsnider2667]

Makes sense they would do that for the album release.

[@alexioverdo5225]

@@stevehulse4005 Wembley was sold out for 6 gigs(5-10 November).The original main vocals as well as the music and the sound of the hall were kept as they were from one of those nights.But they did some fixation in the studio by enriching the music and possibly adding some more Backing vocals on their own and maybe excluding the ones featured by the session backing vocalists in those nights..Here's a the raw Wembley version with Bjorn and Agnetha partly explaining how it happened to include this in the album right before the actual performance . kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6a4iXmVqLSbjZI

[@alexioverdo5225]

@@stevehulse4005 p.s.It's emotional to see them all 4 standing in front of the stage closer to the fans performing this .Frida having wrapped her arm around Benny's body almost leaning on him while he was playing the accordion and even Bjorn hugging with his left hand Agnetha's shoulder no matter if they were already seperated.I usually get wet eyed while watching this.

[@fernandocolman2]

I would like to communicate with you.

[@mattsnider2667]

Hey there! Feel free to ask me anything, and if it's a longer question, you can email me at [e-mail] Cheers!

[@richschmidt307]

I've read the comments regarding how divided the fans are about the next album, The Visitors. It's a fine album with some great moments, but if I had to describe it with just one word, it would be "cold".

[@Beboham]

i think the word *cold* doesn't really fit the album, I see no connection there. Did you really HEAR it? Slipping through my fingers, Like an angel passing through my room, I let the music speak, Soldiers....?!

[@christianoazzuro6711]

@@Beboham "Dark" i would say.But there was a cold feeling between the 2 couples due to both women being divorced from the guys.Recording sessions were sad and painful for Frida when she did WAISAD/LAAPTMR.Also the photo sessions for the cover sleeve had been described as being wrapped by a very cold atmosphere in the air,according to someone who worked for it,(can't recall his name).The cool dark atmosphere is also featured in the photo.All of them distanced from each and no smiles.They supposedly had to match the theme title but i believe this also coincidented with the state they were in in their personal lives.I think this might also be part of its special charm.

[@Beboham]

@@christianoazzuro6711 If you looked at it closely, all their albums had mixed parts of all the human characteristics ... thoughtful, cheerful, sad, reflected or just full of life, fearful or despairing, always close to people's feelings. It's no different with "the visitors"... but since you have a better idea of ​​the circumstances of their relationships with each other afterwards, a lot is interpreted about it but that's neither good nor bad...it's human the nature of their work is impressively sophisticated and full of creativity from Björn and Benny, perfectly implemented by Agnetha and Frida

[@davidwilding7405]

It's funny isn’t it, how people hear things differently. The Visitor's is probably my least favourite album. But 'one of us' and 'slipping through my finger's', are 2 of my ABBA favourites 😂

[@addersdewinter7495]

Its pleasant but not a song I go back to. Not a fan of live songs on Studio albums, and despite the songs sentiments, its just too OTT fot me. I think that Happy New Year and the way old friends do should have been replaced by Elaine and put on your white sumbreo on the Super Trouper Album ( just as chiquitita and I have a dream should have been replaced with Summer Night City and just a notion on the Voulez vous album). A criticism often levelled at Abba was the lack of cohesion on most of their albums as their musicial soundscape was sometimes too wide.

[@mattsnider2667]

Entirely fair, and I seriously welcome the "counterpoint" takes as I go through this ABBA journey. Helps me get a sense for what various fans felt as these albums came out and over time. So cheers, appreciate this take and the context.

[@mattsnider2667]

And I will come with you with the point about live/crowd sounds on a studio album. Seems to change the dynamic somewhat, though I do appreciate what they were doing here with the "Super Trouper" title, the image on the cover, and the idea of ending a big musical-show in front of an audience.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

@Marvin MQZ Here's their own answer on the reason why a live version in a studio album by Bjorn and Agnetha while being interviewed. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6a4iXmVqLSbjZI

[@eduardooscar309]

I think the inclusion of "The way all friends do" live is very appropriate as Agnetha says in an interview that the four of them did separately to promote the album "Super Trouper" I even have it in my Top5 of the album ahead of other songs like "Lay all your love on me" or "Andante andante" that are more fan favorites but this is what it is about: sharing music with respect for the diversity of tastes