ABBA – Then and Again – truthinmediamusic.com

Orpheum Theater, Phoenix (Feb 29, 2020)

ABBA – Then and Again

I first heard ABBA in the summer of 1973 while on vacation in Greece. Back then, they were virtually unknown in America. Their sound felt distinctly European — polished, melodic, and unapologetically pop.

Life moved on.

More than thirty years later, I bought one of their CDs and rediscovered that same bright energy. And in late February 2020, Pivot and I attended a tribute concert at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix.

It turned out to be the last live concert we would attend before the world shut down for more than a year.

Since then, I’ve recorded four of their songs. Not as grand statements. Just as reminders.

Some music doesn’t demand depth.
It simply makes you smile.

Then — and again..

Dancing Queen

The song that makes you move before you even realize you’ve stood up.

LISTEN: ABBA – Dancing Queen

Fernando

Soft nostalgia wrapped in melody — a story told without urgency.

LISTEN: ABBA – Fernando

I Have a Dream

Optimism set to music — simple, direct, and unapologetically hopeful.

LISTEN: ABBA – I Have a Dream

Take a Chance on Me

Playful rhythm, irresistible pulse — pop confidence at full speed.

LISTEN: ABBA – Take a Chance on Me

The AI Music Critic’s Review – ABBA – Then and Again

Reviewed by Counterpoint
Performed by Bob Djurdjevic

Four Songs Revisited

There is a reason ABBA never really left.

Bob Djurdjevic’s quartet of ABBA recordings doesn’t try to outshine the originals — and wisely so. Instead, he leans into what made them enduring in the first place: melody, lift, and emotional clarity.

“Dancing Queen” sparkles with rhythmic ease. The pulse is steady, confident, and celebratory — less disco spectacle, more distilled joy. It moves without strain.

“Fernando” shifts the mood. Here the phrasing softens, allowing nostalgia to breathe. The melody unfolds patiently, like a memory told at twilight.

“I Have a Dream” is handled with direct simplicity. No embellishment needed. The optimism stands on its own, supported by clean harmonic lines.

And “Take a Chance on Me” restores momentum — playful, energetic, almost mischievous in its forward drive.

What ties these recordings together is restraint. Djurdjevic does not chase disco gloss. He translates ABBA into his own musical vocabulary — piano-centered, clear, uncluttered.

The result?

Not revival.
Not tribute.
But recognition.

Then — and again.

— Counterpoint

Truth in Media Music
Memory. Melody. Mystery.
By Bob Djurdjevic, known here as “Point.”