Shnootz - Reaction Video (ABBA - Under Attack)

What's up, people! I'm back with another ABBA reaction from the bonus material on the expanded edition of their 1981 album The Visitors, and this time we listen to "Under Attack," another song with clever composition, electric production, and brilliant vocals, though as you'll see, my thoughts on the themes evolved over the course of the song (and I'm still not sure what exactly is at play). Either way, join me for another top track from the one and only ABBA. Cheers!
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#ShnootzReactions #ABBA #TheVisitors #VocalPop #SynthPop #ABBAReactions #SynthPopReactions #Shnootz

[@mathijs2cv]

This track always made me a little sad. It was the final track on their album ‘the Singles’ and also the last song they performed as a group and the final single they released as ABBA. That is until the Voyage album of course. But for many years I found it hard to listen to knowing they split up after this. You can imagine my response to the news that ABBA would release a new album with new songs. I balled my eyes out when I joined the live launch of the Voyage album on KZbin. Now I can listen to this beautiful song a lot easier but still can ‘feel’ the sadness when you watch the video clip. Final shot is them walking away into the light.

[@alexioverdo5225]

'Now I can listen to this beautiful song a lot easier but still can ‘feel’ the sadness when you watch the video clip. Final shot is them walking away into the light'. Yes this final scene with The band's exodus walking away was iconic and haunted many of us.Same way was the clock tikin of the final song to the Visitors album.

[@ayman-asmr]

How a gem like this didn't have the proper position in charts?

[@MarkJohnson-dr4ws]

So true. This and TDBYC showed how easily ABBA embraced 80s electronica. But ... the audience had moved on. ABBA's time was up. To their credit, they recognised this and didn't prolong the agony or attempt a reinvention . ABBA's class showed by their walking away.

[@ono1dij]

ABBA's last single for almost 40 years!!! I was obsessed with this song and "The Day Before You Came" when were released, and waiting for the new album that never was... The sound of this song was ahead of their time, just amazing what Benny and Bjorn done in the studio... Thank you Matt for another ABBA reaction!!!

[@flemmingkristoffersen1896]

Yet another great pop-synth song from ABBA, that didn´t do so well in the charts! Maybe it was because of the more electronic synth sound - or perhaps ABBA just didn´t appeal to as many as earlier? Other music styles were dominating in the early 1980´s - such as punk, new wave and rock. I remember also being kind of sad when I saw the video to the song - ABBA members were not really acting together and seemed not keen of doing this, and at the end they walked out of a gate against the light and disappeared into nowhere! And as others mentioned - when the news came in 2018 that ABBA had been in the studio recording two new songs - almost 40 years of longing for more ABBA music were about to end - and that feeling just made me so happy and uplifted! And when they revealed in 2021 that it was not just two new songs - but a whole album AND a Voyage Avatar concert in London - I just couldn´t believe my luck and happiness! Only ABBA fans can comprehend that feeling!!! And I can´t wait until november this year when I finally am going to London to see the concert! A❤B❤B❤A❤

[@christianoazzuro6711]

Man!I feel you!That last passage of your comment just mirrored my inner self when the big news break after almost 40 years of drought.A mixed feeling of unbelievable euphoria and agony because i wanted this to be good and succesful.And it was.I cried my eyes out on 2nd September.Then again on Nov.5th when BBC anounced in Zoe Ball's interview with Frida that Voyage album rockete to the top and outsold everything all around.I was in the 7th heaven i re-lived this.All dazzled not being able to believe it,It was like perfumed lifeline oxygene and i think no one can feel this better than an original lifelong Abba fan that has grown up with their music. A kiss of life.

[@flemmingkristoffersen1896]

@@christianoazzuro6711 Yes! Exactly! And I also were a bit worried whether ABBA would still sound like ABBA on Voyage! But they did - but also great to hear their matured voices and lower range. But still very much ABBA! And yuu're right! When the news came that the Voyage album went straight to no. 1 in the UK- outselling the rest of the top 40 all together - that was HUGE! ABBA WERE BACK! ❤️

[@jeffreyweitzman6463]

For those who were grown adults during Abba's years of being active in their long heyday of success - you lucky people!! Ultimately of course we will always have the recorded memories thanks to all that wealth of archive material on KZbin and of course when the odd occasion they show 1 of their old concerts on tv but - so wished would have been born beginning of the 70's rather than end of to see them in person giving their dose of Abba and their great songs

[@The_Jupiter2_Mission]

I was lucky to be at the famous Sydney concert as a kid when it poured with rain. Memories.

[@paulwells9882]

Just waiting for Matt on his perfect opinions on the voyage LP

[@discogareth]

My all time favourite ABBA song. The verses are pretty much parts of two unreleased tracks (Rubberball Man from 1979 and Just Like That from 1982) joined together. Hopefully you may hear clips of those if you have access to the 1994 demo medley ‘ABBA Undeleted’. Also really hoping to have access to the other demo medley from The Visitors deluxe edition ‘from a twinkling star to a passing angel’.

[@francismedina4547]

This track should have been included in The Visitors album since it has a similar theme. ABBA is really ahead of their time here. This song sounds like it came out in 1986 or 1987.

[@terrykemp1876]

I'm pretty sure this was recorded after the Visitors album was done - it was to be included on the follow up that never was. (Voyage excepted).

[@alejandrosantanaborquez917]

Yeah.... It's the most 80's song, they have 😊 (the synthz... The computerizing voice)

[@dorojessy6932]

This one and The Day Before You Came were recorded after the Visitors Album.

[@Urfinchannel]

@@alejandrosantanaborquez917 vocoder

[@francismedina4547]

Agnetha seems to be the one who uses the vocoder. Frida didn't need to use one since her voice can almost mimic it's sound

[@izzyworld8068]

This was a fantastic tune, great harmonies and the production and synths were pushing boundaries for mainstream pop

[@alejandrosantanaborquez917]

Love this track!... the video too! Thanks again for sharing this reactions and analysis, Matt... I miss Lucca a little bit. See ya ❤🇨🇱👍

[@mattsnider2667]

Haha, cheers, Alejandro. And yeah, it's been crazy hot here lately, so Lucca has been sitting on the wood floor of the kitchen a lot (it's a bit cooler in the kitchen than my room). But we'll get her back on camera soon. :)

[@txxredtache]

The last single of their original run. Comment for the algorithm.

[@DD-58]

YAY ..Just ANOTHER ABBA banger🎉

[@adamlewis3729]

sorry ABBA community, the way I have my server setup is just the main album on Disc 1 then all the "Extras" whether they be B-sides or content from the remasters released in the 2000's. To me, they are all from the same era, so it is just easier for me.

[@walterw9829]

An amazing song that so many don't even know exists.

[@nealwhaley63]

The Visitors provides a glimpse of what Abba would’ve sounded like if they had progressed further into the ‘80s. It also showcases the theatrical sound through which Benny and Bjorn were about to start a new chapter in their careers. Although they never announced a formal dissolution (and still haven’t), Abba chose the right time to close shop, at least for the next 40 years.

[@ingvarjensen1088]

OMG, Matt, I only just discovered your channel and while being a bit ill in my bed, I'm in my third hour listening. Time to make a comment, I think 🤗 I'm going to spend the rest of the day going through your reactions. How enjoyable they are and how much they remind me of my own ABBA journey ❤ Turning 59 in November, my first memory of ABBA harkens back to 1974 when I heard "Ring Ring" in Swedish on an East German radio station. As a child I wondered what language that was thinking it might be Hungarian because they of course played many songs by artists of the Eastern Block back then. I really KNEW there was a group called ABBA with "Mamma Mia". Greetings from Berlin 🤗

[@mattsnider2667]

Hey there! Cheers, thanks for the comment, really glad you found my channel! And yeah, I spent decades in ABBA-ignorance but have been making up for it in the last few months. Can't believe how special they were/ARE. Thanks again, look forward to any other thoughts you might have as we go through the remainder of the ABBA journey! :) Also I'm going to go through Agnetha and Frida's solo material after we finish ABBA proper, too. ;)

[@ingvarjensen1088]

@@mattsnider2667 And to know you also like Eurythmics and Depeche Mode and Alison Moyet and Erasure (hopefully Yazoo, too) and a-ha - Jesus! Where to start??? If you were living in Berlin I'd force you to spend regular listening sessions with me ❤️

[@mattsnider2667]

@@ingvarjensen1088 Haha, the entire Yazoo catalog is already reacted to! ;)

[@mattsnider2667]

And haha, a couple folks have said similar things. So if I ever have the money and time for a "Grand Tour" of Europe, I'll have lots of stops to make, including a few places in Germany!

[@ingvarjensen1088]

@@mattsnider2667 You're a true soulmate, Matt 🤗 It makes me so happy to see people who could be my kids age-wise discover the music which let ME dream and escape to unknown places when I was young. That's so precious.

[@hahatoldyouso]

The video they did for this song was their last until 2021,!

[@eduardooscar309]

Hello again, and thanks for your new ABBA reactions in our fantastic ABBA Journey "Under Attack" (1982) it's a good song, (8pts to me) much better than "The day before you came" (but all is about tastes and opinions) in a experimental time of ABBA with change of style, but don't have the power of the others I like Agnetha in lead voice and the chorus with Frida is power There is a strange Official video, the last filmed by ABBA to your last single (isn't the last recording, that was 'The day before You came') It's a dark video to a dark song, with a deep lyric and a great lead vocal by Agnetha and a catchy chorus I think that "Under Attack" could be Top 10 in UK, and deserves it, but only was #26, good for any artist but not for ABBA expecting There are two TV perfomance in1982, their last as a group one in a show express in Germany, and these is the last of the three songs (follow "The day before you came" and "Cassandra") the other was in Sweden, follow the almost 'a capella' introduction and ending of "Thank you for the music" I wish you a great day my best regards from Buenos Aires, Argentina South America

[@eduardooscar309]

@marvinpoprockfan I do not see why It's my opinion and taste, as I said clearly, and I can substantiate it and you may not share it, but you must respect it, since no one is the owner of the truth to arrogate to qualify as false to a personal taste and not just "Under attack" Is much better (for me an undervalued song), in my taste ABBA Top50 does not enter "The day before you came", and it's not a blasphame to say it

[@adamlewis3729]

Erasure's "Sunday Girl".... HAS to be inspired from this (you will get to it one day!)

[@colinanderson7384]

Yes, definite similarities in part of the chorus.

[@Lisa-M]

This song is from the point of view of the stalked woman while 'Watch Out' was from the point of view of the stalker.

[@alexioverdo5225]

A ha!I love your comment.Great observation.

[@Lisa-M]

@@alexioverdo5225 Thanks ☺

[@adriankeppel3698]

This one feels a bit like a rather straightforward song, coming after all those innovative and emotionally charged songs from The Visitors and The Day Before You Came/Cassandra single. It's alright but nothing special, I think. This A-side (you'll get the hang of it one day, Matt, don't worry!) was paired with You Owe Me One on the B-side, which is even less special I think. Give it an early 1970s production and instrumentation and it would have been alright on their first two albums, but for 1980s Abba I've always felt this was a bit of a let down. Again, nice enough, mind you, but nothing to write home about. I presume that song will be next on your list so it'll be interesting to hear what you think of it!

[@The_Jupiter2_Mission]

Under Attack is a mid tier song for me. Neither great nor bad. Something in bottom end of the middle. It's another track where the vocal seems quite muddled and it's hard to make out the lyrics-especially in the chorus. Some of the abandoned track, Just Like That, is in this one. Another issue they had was the change from analogue recording to digital. They suddenly found the warmth that their recordings had was lost a bit with digital. There's a rather dry, almost cold sound to a recording such as this one. Again Benny comes up with a synth driven plonkity plonk backing at the high end of the spectrum. A bit one and done feel, file it away track, next. I don't think it was released as a single in all territories but nevertheless it didn't do particularly well.

[@donny1960]

You are reading more into it than need be. She is being pursued by a guy and is having trouble resisting his "advances"..... Just plain old love..... Being compared to a Military operation..... "Advances" "Strategies"........ Ect. As others have said...... This was the END of the 1st phase of ABBA. Always a little sad for us ABBA addicts......... Even the video reinforced that feeling...... All 4 of them just walking away......... ha ha. Thanks for the ABBA journey. It was great.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

Thank you for the journey Abba.We will never forget.'You were our fairytale' as another fan once greatfully stated.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

Thank you for the journey Abba.We will never forget.'You were our fairytale' as another fan once greatfully stated.

[@stevehulse4005]

Lots of vocal effects on this song as well as numerous background harmonies. Very synth very 1980’s in feel and the video is very poignant where it ends with the 4 of them walking away signalling the end or so we thought!

[@richschmidt307]

That means you should have two left before jumping ahead almost 40 years. I Am The City (great) You Owe Me One (not so great)

[@addersdewinter7495]

This was a single release, but besides from a couple of countries it did not perform well. Its a good song but its at the tail end of their career and there was too many new sounds for the song to compete with. ABBA were also losing energy and interest in the Abba project ( with both couples now divorced) , it was time for a 40 year break. 🙃

[@petterhansson7312]

About stalking ... something Agnetha got to experience later on.

[@mattsnider2667]

Oh wow, I see.

[@bjornerikroth]

Under Attack was not a B-side but a single A-side in 1982. It was the final ABBA single until 2021.

[@mattsnider2667]

Right, I made a point to say it wasn't a b-side this time!

[@bjornerikroth]

@@mattsnider2667 Ah, my mistake then!

[@mattsnider2667]

@@bjornerikroth Ha, you're totally fine. But it was amusing to me because I made that mistake last time and like 30 people told me it wasn't technically a b-side. But thanks for commenting, I appreciate the help and insight as I go through ABBA's catalog.

[@toddlandry5736]

A bit of a vanilla song for me, just never did it for me. The B side for this one was much better IMO.

[@italoblu]

Piece of feedback, because I really enjoy your channel, but IMO I could do a little less with lyric analysis and the philosophical run-in regarding the title, keep the analysis of the individual components of melody and instrumentation etc, and MUCH MORE of how it made you feel as a whole, as a work of art, as a groove, as a celebration. This song, for example, has this joyous, marching chorus that is uniquely ABBA and both fits in and stands out in their discography. You know what I mean? Like, is the song you just listened to a banger or not?! Thanks for listening!

[@mattsnider2667]

Ha, cheers for the feedback. I try not to be too verbose on the front end, but it's just part of the way I approach music. Basically, I'll continue to try to rein myself in, but it's hard to get outside of my brain, you know? :)

[@mattsnider2667]

Also I would say I don't always come to an "overall" feeling about a tune right away. I can speak to what I thought about the different parts on a first listen, any lyrics I caught, and a general sense of how the tune hit me, but more detailed assessments take time to filter through my brain.

[@marcodebrabander5751]

This one is not one of my favorites, but I like the intro and the baseline which was far ahead of its time in my opinion

[@David-uf8ex]

I love the song but it was definitely weaker by ABBAs standards

[@handsolo1209]

It is over 40 years since ABBA split up. Thank goodness!

[@mattsnider2667]

Lol, your intransigent sense of humor may not go over without a challenge here. But I await your snark when we get to Voyage!

[@handsolo1209]

@@mattsnider2667 "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", where this garbage belongs!

[@marcodebrabander5751]

You mean it is not your favorite style of music. That can be but calling it garbage shows more a lack of musical insight.

[@handsolo1209]

@@marcodebrabander5751 I want to be blind if that is insight.

[@marcodebrabander5751]

@@handsolo1209 just dont listen to it. Its not that difficult