Fans of
ABBA's sugary-sweet pop songs will no doubt be surprised by
Something's Going On, the remarkably hard-edged 1982 solo album by
ABBA vocalist
Anni-Frida Lyngstad, better known simply as
Frida. Produced by
Phil Collins,
Something's Going On includes a wide range of material, including songs written by
Bryan Ferry ("The Way You Do"),
Stephen Bishop ("Tell Me It's Over"), and
Gerry Rafferty ("I See Red"), and even includes a
Dorothy Parker poem set to music ("Thernody").
Something's Going On boasts impressive guitar work by
Daryl Stuermer, who has toured with
Genesis as well as appeared on several
Collins solo albums.
Collins' drum work is also outstanding, particularly on the hard-hitting hit single "I Know There's Something Going On."
Frida herself shows an unexpected emotional range given
ABBA's two-dimensional pop gloss. Sure, she still chirps and tweets like a bird, but the diversity of the material and the freedom of recording solo obviously allows her to enter different musical territory.
Frida escapes the creative limitations of being a member of one of the world's most popular groups on this solid and often riveting album. ~ William Cooper