Leave on a High Note

At least one band knows to stay retired.

Swedish supergroup Abba will "never" perform on stage again, two of the band's members have said.

Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson told The Sunday Telegraph there was "simply no motivation to regroup".

"We would like people to remember us as we were, young, exuberant and full of ambition," Ulvaeus told the newspaper.

Praise be. Admittedly money is a motivation for many groups to try to recapture the old magic, but I wish more would be deterred by the embarrassments of past attempts, especially by those that were marginally talented at their peak.

Ulvaeus added: "I remember Robert Plant saying Led Zeppelin were a covers band now because they cover all their own stuff. I think that hit the nail on the head."

It sure did, but Plant still can't resist the urge, and I can understand it a little bit when you still can get awards. But most groups are closer to this than to Led Zeppelin, and when you've gotten to that point, maybe it's time to stop.