New Abba album

[gilbertharding]

Beaten to it by not reading page 2. My apologies. Although the number 1 on that list is obviously a vanity project.

They're nearly all vanity projects...

[TheMonk]

All this chat about Abba (a band I generally only know the greatest hits of) has led me to discover the absolute banger that is "If it Wasn't For The Night"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cygAFdzCcdU&ab_channel=DODV


Any Abba fans have lesser known classics for me to listen to? (other than The Day Before You Came which I'm well acquainted with thanks to Chart Music)

As Good As New?
I guess On & On & On isn't lesser known but it's not one of the main ones. Great production and reminds me of a discofied Beach Boys.

[Dr Rock]

On & On & On is my current favourite, with Summer Night City staying strong at number 2. Both feature a strong sex-positive woman, in one rejecting sexual advances because she's in 
the mood fora boogie, the second she's randy as hell, wandering  a city overflowing with fuck-energy.

[Pseudopath]

Eeeeeesh...this is a bit of a stinker, isn't it? Every song (bar the singles) sounds like the kind of tripe you'd hear at a German Volksmusik festival.

Concert trailer looks pretty fucking mindblowing though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlGC_1k1Bgs

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

It's not a stinker, it's just what you'd expect from ABBA in 2021. Three or four good songs surrounded by cloying yet acceptable Chess-esque ballad filler.

Just A Notion made me smile, it has that classic glam ABBA sound, but I've just read that it's a spruced-up outtake from 1978. I guess they discarded it because it was a throwback. Sounds fun in the context of this album, though.

Keep an Eye on Dan is a decent approximation of their late '70s/early '80s sound (cheeky old Benny throws in a bit of SOS at the end; a bit like The Beatles referencing She Loves You during the All You Need is Love coda).

Bumblebee is a prime piece of well-meaning ABBA corn. It's endearingly gauche.

No Doubt About It is a BANGER. The album would benefit from at least one more song in that vein. I'm all for melancholy ABBA, but the Voyage ballads don't have the wintry divorce-pop heft of the gloomier numbers from The Visitors.

It's an okay album. They haven't embarrassed themselves.

[daf]

Just A Notion made me smile, it has that classic glam ABBA sound, but I've just read that it's a spruced-up outtake from 1978. I guess they discarded it because it was a throwback. Sounds fun in the context of this album, though.

Yes, they released about a minute of the 1978 version on their 1994 box set as part of the 23 minute 'ABBA Undeleted' medley.

The version on Voyage had a new backing track recorded for it, but uses the 1978 vocals - though I think the final couple of lines ("you're dream is about to come true") are new vocals.

[mrClaypole]

Heard some of it this afternoon.  I like it so far. The only criticism is the production doesn't seem as glossy as their heyday. But then again I suppose they have to modernise slightly.

[holyzombiejesus]

Really hoped that Christmas song was going to be a classic Abba glam stomper (or at least a bit poppy). Imagine the disappointment when I heard that insipid load of old bilge.

[Glebe]

When You Danced With Me.

Dere's more to ABBA den dis.

[daf]

Really hoped that Christmas song was going to be a classic Abba glam stomper (or at least a bit poppy). Imagine the disappointment when I heard that insipid load of old bilge.

I thought it was pretty thin stuff too on first listen, but it's a grower. Links nicely with the next track - with its reference to children following the Christmas choir of urchins.

[daf]

Good article by Pete Paphides :

The Way Old Friends Do: An Unreview of ABBA Voyage

[Custard]

I quite like it. It doesn't have the energy or the great songwriting of their previous stuff, but then who expected that really? It's still mighty decent for a group of 80 year olds

Surprising how good the ladies' voices still sound

[daf]

I think the first two singles were of such an unexpectedly high quality, that expectations were raised for more of the same - leading to a few mixed reviews.

Of course, it's easy to forget that their albums have always featured a wide variety of styles - The Visitors has that daft 'Two For the Price of One' joke song, and a track that wouldn't have been out of place on an Elaine Paige album (I Let The Music Speak'). Even their disco masterpiece 'Voulez-Vous' contains two sappy ballads (ironically the singles!).

[Custard]

I Still Have Faith In You is a really good tune. They'd probably win the Eurovision even now with that one

LIGHTERS IN THE AIR
SNARKY COMMENT FROM GRAHAM NORTON
EVERYONE CRYING

[Custard]

I'm actually really enjoying this on the third listen

Don't Shut Me Down is pure pop brilliance, and I'm deffo adding it to my Abba playlist. Congrats to all concerned!

Just A Notion is a corker, too. I know it's an old unused tune, but it's a banger

I Still Have Faith In You makes the hairs on my neck stand up. I can see why some find it a bit syrupy, but I find it genuinely moving for reasons I can't quite put my finger on

I'm not even that big an Abba fan, but this record I am enjoying quite a bit

Again, kudos to them for sticking out a genuinely decent record after 40 years. One of the strongest comebacks I can remember

[Fisher Goes Berserk]

I haven't been able to bring myself to listen to the new album yet, because I love them too much and I was quite underwhelmed by the singles. I think I want to like it so much that it will cloud my judgement.

Any Abba fans have lesser known classics for me to listen to?

All the ones that have been suggested so far have been gold. I'd like to add a word for The Visitors - they were channelling pure Cold War paranoia on that one, and it doesn't really sound like anything else.

[Kankurette]

As Good As New?
I guess On & On & On isn't lesser known but it's not one of the main ones. Great production and reminds me of a discofied Beach Boys.

I've been listening to that a lot lately. I'm on an ABBA kick after watching that documentary about Agnetha. I'd say I Am the City is an underrated classic as well.

The Visitors is one of the creepiest things they've ever done and I love it. ABBA could be pretty dark when they wanted to be.