Tros Kompas, October 1982: Record with much variation

A review of Frida's album Something's Going On from Dutch TV-guide TROS Kompas.
“My biggest wish has always been to record an album without ABBA. To prove to the music business that I can do it without the group as well. This has nothing to do with the countless rumours that ABBA has become history. The difficult period with the group is behind us, for the time being ABBA doesn’t think about giving up,” says Frida Lyngstad.

With the album ‘Something’s Going On’ the red-haired ABBA-singer has proved that she’s able to start a solo-career as a singer. The album, produced by Genesis-boss Phil Collins, turned out to be a very versatile record, that doesn’t resemble the famous ABBA-sound in any way.
The forceful ‘I Know There’s Something Going On’ is already known from the charts. Phil Collins’ excellent drumming can also be heard on the Stephen Bishop composed ‘Tell Me It’s Over’ and ‘Here We’ll Stay’, in which song Frida is assisted vocally by Phil Collins. The songs ‘I Got Something’ and ‘Baby Don’t You Cry No More’ show that she’s a valuable jazzy-singer as well. The same goes for the reggae-flavoured ‘I See Red’.
The bright and airy ‘Threnody’ certainly has hit-potential, but it will probably never reach the charts because the song was already released as the B-side to ‘I Know There’s Something Going On’. One of the most beautiful songs on Frida’s solo album is the Phil Collins penned ‘You Know What I Mean’ that has a classical feel due to the use of harp and strings.
The album ‘Something’s Going On’ can rightfully be called a good and well thought out product, that proves that Frida is not only a good looking woman, but also an outstanding and versatile singer. Frida has no problems sharing why she chose Phil Collins as her producer. “Actually, my daughter was the cause of that. She was totally in love with Phil’s solo single ‘In The Air Tonight’ and advised me to listen to the record. After a few listens, I was impressed with ‘In The Air Tonight’ as well. Reason enough to buy Phil’s album ‘Face Value’. I listened to that album every day for weeks. That’s when I realized he was the right man to produce my solo album.”
About the preparations, Frida says: “It had to be an album with much variation. After having listened to all kinds of music, Phil and I decided to ask composers to write something for our project. That’s why so many well-known songwriters worked on the album. We also used Earth, Wind & Fire’s horn-section during the sessions and also musicians that played on Phil Collins’ record."
The group ABBA wasn’t involved at all in Frida’s solo album. Still, for the most part the album was recorded at Polar Studios in Stockholm, where most ABBA-recordings were done as well. However, her collaboration with the successful Swedish group is in no danger. Frida: “Recently, we’ve recorded new material and in the end ABBA is still very popular. So no worries.”