Frida Ensam dates from the aftermath of the first flourish of
ABBA's success, as the vocalist decided to step out on her own after a hiatus of some three years -- although produced by her then-husband,
Benny Andersson, the album features repertoire that will surprise those accustomed to hearing
Frida's voice doing group originals. At the time, she wasn't trying for anything groundbreaking or earth-shattering but, rather, simply to keep her hand in some solo work. The album was notable for the first appearance of "Fernando," sung in Swedish, which became a hit in Sweden and was subsequently re-recorded by the group in English for international release -- but it is actually closer in spirit and content to
Frida's pre-
ABBA work, containing several well-known established pop hits of various eras, including "Young Girl," "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," and "Send in the Clowns," all sung in Swedish. The overall result is a very tame and safe if reasonably pleasing pop album, not nearly as ambitious as her subsequent (post-
ABBA) albums. ~ Bruce Eder