Taking Sides: Ace of Base VS. Aqua.

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It's the mid-90's Nordic hitmaker showdown! (thanx to the wunnerful Aqua thread.)

Danish/Norwegian bubblegum combo/doll industry movers and shakers VS. Sordid Swedes making Austrian goth-reagge. Aqua = better singles, Ace of Base = better filler (ever heard "Baron Munchausen"?) Lene could probably take both Joker and Buddha in a fite, but then Ace of Base have the Lord on their side (they're all religious, you know.) Also: "Aquarius" VS. "The Bridge." Outsider pick: The A-Teens.

P.S Hi! I'm new here.

― Death Is A Hedgehog, Friday, 22 August 2003 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't care for either but welcome :-)

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 22 August 2003 19:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I am going to kindly stop for you, Death, but don't let that stop you stopping for me! < /obscure and ill-phrased emily dickinson joke > Anyway, here's two more threads you might be interested in (or not) -->

Eurodance: Search and Destroy

"The trashiness of great pop"

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 22 August 2003 19:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I really like the Ace of Base version of "Cruel Summer" btw, even though it's almost indistinguishable from the original

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 22 August 2003 19:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Aqua did not see The Sign, and as such it did not open up their eyes.

But I've just realised I actually have a bit of a soft spot for both these bands. I do still reckon it's possible to recreate All That She Wants on those shitty keyboards we had at school too.

It's tricky, this one...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 22 August 2003 20:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm-a votin' for Ace of Base, as Aqua were too smarmy and those vocals make me want to kill things.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 August 2003 20:52 (twenty-two years ago)

But didn't Ace Of Base actually contain the smarmiest man ever in the shape of him that did keyboards and played sax?

Also - Ace Of Base's superfluous brunette member. Never seemed to appear in the videos, always on TOTP (or maybe the other way round). When I was eight I was certain she was a ghost, who just stalked and haunted the blonde one. Then impaled her with a window like Patrick Swayze or something (as far as I know that never happened).

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 22 August 2003 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Ace of Base all the way. Granted I'm not TOO familiar with Aqua, but my life would have contained approximately 3% less joy were it not for the ABBA/Human League hybrid with a hard-on for Marley that embraced me in my childhood (dont worry, the hard-on wasn't at full mast during the actual physical embracing).

― Felcher(notatworktoolazytosignin), Friday, 22 August 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

some guy defending ace of base in high school was my first encounter with popist contrarianism!

ah, memories...

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 22 August 2003 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Welcome, Mr. Hedgehog, you have excellent taste.

And thank you to Mr. Hand! After Barbie Girl, a formal feeling comes.

― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Friday, 22 August 2003 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

At the time, I loved Ace Of Base (though not as much as 2 Unlimited). I never liked Aqua. 'Barbie Girl' may well outdo all of AOB's output in terms of kitschery, but AOB had more than one classic song.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 22 August 2003 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

*casts vote for Ace of Base*

Loads of high school memories here. I remember when "All That She Wants" was one of the more popular songs and practically EVERYBODY in school liked it (save for my moody friend, who worshipped the tar Trent Reznor walked on, and my immature '50s-loving friend, who only listened to oldies radio and who now is a Backstreet Boys fan). Also, the first time I ever had a crush on someone IRL (on someone from our brother school) was practically only soundtracked by "Don't Turn Around". Plus, I still like their songs.

Aqua? Oh dear, the only good thing about them is that they pissed off the makers of Barbie. The song itself was quite crap throwaway, wasn't it? Oh well.

*continues perusing through long-neglected [for me] ILM*

― Just Deanna (Dee the Lurker), Saturday, 23 August 2003 02:04 (twenty-two years ago)

'Popist contrarianism'?

― David. (Cozen), Saturday, 23 August 2003 13:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Irrationally, I want to say Aqua. Ace of Base inspire a weird conflict within me-the forgiveness with time factor that allows me to mostly get over 'Barbie Girl' (or is that because I downloaded a gay US Army parody version of it?) hasn't let up on 'All That She Wants', in spite of the cool melody that sounds like it's played on a straw being pulled through a McDonalds cup top/those stretchy plastic tubes you swung around when you were a kid to make crazy noises.

So it comes down to 'The Sign' vs 'Turn Back Time' annnnddddddd...I'm gonna saaaayyyyyyyyy...

Stakka Bo.

― Barima (Barima), Saturday, 23 August 2003 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Ace of Base is incredible, and Aqua are soo goofy it makes me cringe (that guy's voice, and the lyrics, gaaa).

― A Nairn (moretap), Saturday, 23 August 2003 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

As an example of Aqua's goofiness on Aquarius they got:
around the world (with plane sounds)
freaky friday (country western story song)
we belong to the sea (with sea noises)
halloween (spooky sounding with the "ch ch ch - ah ah ah")
back from mars (with "space sounds")
Aquarius (slow piano song)
cuba libre (latin song)
bumble bee (with bumble bee sounds)
goodbye to the circus (with circus music and saying goodbye to the listener)

― A Nairn (moretap), Saturday, 23 August 2003 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Now I want to hear Aquarius.

― Barima (Barima), Saturday, 23 August 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, you should. (but maybe you will only want to hear it once)

― A Nairn (moretap), Saturday, 23 August 2003 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Probably true. Still, the goofy guy was classic. I remember on Top Of The Pops when they started playing up to the 'Barbie-Ken' dynamic and would kiss each other on the lips at the end of performing in this slightly embarassing gay man kissing fag hag-sort of way.

― Barima (Barima), Saturday, 23 August 2003 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

it's a girl singing in aqua, nairn

― Jay K (Jay K), Monday, 25 August 2003 08:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I couldn't take on either. Both were too...sweet....for my taste.

However, welcome to the madhouse anyhow!

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Monday, 25 August 2003 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

ace of base for that 'love is a flower' (or was it 'life is a flower'?) track. absolutely gorgeous slice of lush pop. i like "all that she wants", too. aqua, i can take or leave. i find them a little creepy for some reason.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 25 August 2003 22:08 (twenty-two years ago)

The best thing about Ace of Base's "Flowers" album is that you can probably pick it up cheap. I picked it up for $2, and yes, "Life Is A Flower" and, especially, "Always Have, Always Will" are perfect. Aqua still win.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 25 August 2003 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Aqua never managed anything as urgent as "Young & Proud".

Nor, for that matter, did they cop as svelte a look as this...

http://www.aceofbase.com/images/galleries/3_42.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 August 2003 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

The perpetually po-faced blonde one has a look of withered caution, whereas big beardy bloke looks stern and defiant. The bewitching brunette, meanwhile, stifles a smile of sheer, Scandiweigan schadenfreude, while newly-redheaded, quasi-faux-hawked, ex-skinhead gent does his best maniacal Joker impersonation.

The verdict? GENIUS!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 August 2003 22:25 (twenty-two years ago)

aqua all the way. dr jones and barbie girl are pieces of pure pop genius. they had really bright plasticky videos too.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Monday, 25 August 2003 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

eleven years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb37q1lu824

The original Ace Of Base!

― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Friday, 16 January 2015 18:54 (eleven years ago)

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