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Post by Michal on Mar 16, 2019 10:02:10 GMT
Very interesting site! Thank you!
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Post by Michal on Mar 15, 2019 19:15:29 GMT
Well, not much news about Voulez-Vous in the magazine actually. Just a short notice that Polar Music plans to "issue some great items, along the lines of what we saw for Arrival and The Album" printed beside a photo of the half-speed mastered album. So, we have to wait a little longer…
The most exciting part of the whole magazine for me was the interview with Bernard Löhr, where he goes into detail about recording the two new songs. However the most fascinating information for me was, when he revealed that the original Swedish theatre version of Kristina från Duvemåla was fully recorded (both sound and vision), apparently in professional quality. When asked when it would be released he replied that the recording was made more or less just to have it documented but that it's "too good to not show it to everybody".... Well, I really don't understand this. If Björn and Benny decided to let Just Like That rot in the vaults, so be it. But how can they withhold this kind of material and for what reasons is a real mystery for me...
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Post by Michal on Mar 9, 2019 16:37:38 GMT
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Post by Michal on Mar 7, 2019 12:55:31 GMT
Well, to be honest, I've never heard of this Dan Wootton before. Hence the distrust in the first place. Now that I bothered to put his name to Google, I found out that he's a tabloid journalist (The Sun). Is such a person to be trusted? And the main reason I've already told you… I just don't believe Björn would let the whole world know about such important news by letting it slip to some Dan Wootton who goes to a talk show and reveals it just like that.
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Post by Michal on Mar 7, 2019 5:13:45 GMT
foreverfan , I also still cherish the hope that finally we will get that album. That the ABBA members are thinking that maybe after all these delays and waiting and rumours we deserve it. But this guy does not make me believe in it more. Rather the opposite...
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Post by Michal on Mar 7, 2019 5:08:46 GMT
For me the RSD means an opportunity to release something which we wouldn't get at all otherwise. Also I see it as a kind of prestigious matter, which draws attention to ABBA. Maybe I'm positive towards it because during the few past years I was extremely lucky to get a copy of every ABBA-related RSD release at retail prices even though I have no participating store nearby and actually, there's none that would have been able to get a copy of any of these ABBA releases in the whole country (!). I can understand it is irritating to see these special releases resold on eBay but on the other hand, I'm usually not so desperate to have them to actually seek for them if I'm not able to obtain them on the RSD itself.
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Post by Michal on Mar 6, 2019 17:10:27 GMT
Well.. who is this guy? Is he supposed to make such statements? Is he credible at all? It seems to me he's just trying to be important. Somehow I don't feel that if the new ABBA album really was on cards, Björn would choose to let the whole world know this way. Somehow the news seem too good to be true...
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Post by Michal on Mar 6, 2019 13:38:34 GMT
Well, yes, I suppose both colour vinyls and picture discs as well as the half-speed mastered album will be released. They won't break the series. As for GGG, I haven't realized some releases were added to the RSD list at some later point. So maybe somebody should make a suggestion :-)
As for the off-topic part... it is not so long ago that Björn insisted there won't be any new album for sure… but then again a few years ago he insisted ABBA would never ever record together again. :-) However, I will believe it the moment I will hold the album in my hands...
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Post by Michal on Mar 6, 2019 7:03:14 GMT
abbafun, 12" would be a change, as neither Arrival nor The Album had any 12" singles released for their respective anniversaries. Actually, if Universal really considers the 12" format, I would prefer it the other way round - the box of 7" coloured vinyls and separate 12" picture discs… As for GGG and SNC, I guess they will be included, as Fernando was included in the set released for Arrival. GGG as a RSD release is a good idea but we already know that ABBA (and related) are nowhere to be seen during this years Record Store Day unfortunately.
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Post by Michal on Mar 3, 2019 7:57:32 GMT
I wonder where the retailer got his information from. 12" singles would be great… and it's likely they would be picture discs again! No hope for any bonus material, though, from my side. I guess we've learned from the past...
By the way, I listened to the Voulez-Vous album recently after some time and it struck me again what a magnificent (and often overlooked) record it is. One of the coolest ABBA made, very fresh, full of energy, marred just a little bit by the inclusion of I Have A Dream maybe. Can't wait for the anniversary re-releases! Hopefully the official announcement comes soon.
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Post by Michal on Feb 22, 2019 10:53:41 GMT
I've been putting the attendance off for 20 years now for various reasons. Hopefully I'll manage to take part while the Fan Club is still active...
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Post by Michal on Feb 5, 2019 14:11:30 GMT
They don't usually announce their plans earliear than 2-3 months prior to the actual release (the most remarkable exception being of course the two new songs :-)), so I would not be afraid. In fact, it's not even certain it will be released exactly on the anniversary (i.e. in April) - it can be almost anytime this year. And you're probably right that they're aware it should not interfere with the release of the new songs (if we get them at all…)
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Post by Michal on Feb 3, 2019 12:43:46 GMT
Actually I think we will get both the box of coloured vinyls and the separate picture discs as well as the half-speed mastered album. Somehow I don't think Universal would want to discontinue the series. And I guess the 6-disc set is more likely (Fernando was also part of the set in spite of not being on the album).
However, no official information about the releases yet. I guess we might hear about them from the Official ABBA Fan Club in the March issue of their magazine.
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Post by Michal on Jan 29, 2019 19:36:53 GMT
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Post by Michal on Jan 22, 2019 18:26:12 GMT
OK, here’s mine. I’ve excluded the ‘foreign’ language versions, and Medley, and She’s My Kind Of Girl and Santa Rosa (those last two aren’t really ABBA). Rock 'N Roll Band could be excluded for the same reason as She's My Kind Of Girl and Santa Rosa, although no one has included it on their list. It's not entirely true, because Rock 'N Roll Band features vocal contributions from Agnetha and Frida (although there is an earlier version released only by Björn and Benny as a duo without the female backing vocals). She's My Kind Of Girl and Santa Rosa don't and they "became" ABBA songs only by being released on ABBA records… Moreover, there is a version of Rock 'N Roll Band featuring Frida as a lead vocalist (they played it that way during the 1975 tour).
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Post by Michal on Jan 22, 2019 16:44:12 GMT
Definitely their golden era... Yes, definitely their best period. The later albums are excellent, too, but marginally less inspired. I’m surprised so many fans consider The Visitors their best, but each to their own! For me their last really exciting album is Voulez-Vous. Interestingly, when I first got Super Trouper as a Christmas present when I was 17, I just couldn't get enough of it. I played it over and over and when I went for a ski course for a week in January, I couldn't get the songs out of my head and almost suffered from a withdrawal syndrome However, after a while I got tired of it (and it's the only ABBA album I experienced this with) and up to these days when I play it, I enjoy it but at the same time I some kind of boredom seizes me before I play it through. Very strange… Maybe it's too polished or what… I don't know.
As for The Visitors, I listened to it recently and there are really magnificent songs on it and the whole atmosphere, the gloom is sort of captivating, but still it feels a bit heavy.
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Post by Michal on Jan 22, 2019 16:33:56 GMT
Remember that we're talking about personal preferences, not the actual quality of certain songs That means... I can see why chron , included for example The Winner Takes It All in his list, which otherwise I would consider simply outrageous Nice of you to be so reasonable and restrained about that one choice, Michal! know it's considered sacrilege by many to cite TWTIA as anything other than one of the prime jewels, but I've never been able to get along with it. For me, a rare Ulvaeus/Andersson misfire tune-wise, with lyrics that stray too far into self-pity, and exacerbated by Agnetha's over-emoting. It's undoubtedly made from a solid piece of timber, if you like, and has been worked on with ABBA's usual care and attention; it's just that I happen not to like the type of wood chosen, nor the way it's been carved. Well, I had to restrain myself a lot For me The Winner Takes It All really is a piece of art and I Agnetha's "over-emoting" is the best part of it all But I can understand that we all have different tastes...
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Post by Michal on Jan 21, 2019 15:02:27 GMT
The high number of inclusions from Arrival and The Album shows me once again what stand-out albums I consider those two to be - side-by-side at the toppermost of the poppermost. Definitely their golden era...
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Post by Michal on Jan 21, 2019 14:57:25 GMT
One Of Us? If It Wasn’t For The Nights? And no mention of I Am Just A Girl and Two For The Price Of One? Oh dear. I shall have to do my own list! Remember that we're talking about personal preferences, not the actual quality of certain songs That means... I can see why chron, included for example The Winner Takes It All in his list, which otherwise I would consider simply outrageous If you compare the Top 20 and Bottom 20 threads, you will see that some of the songs that appear in some people's Top 20 appear in others' Bottom 20 (I find that quite interesting). As for I Am Just A Girl and Two For The Price Of One, I have a soft spot for both. Actually... I could live without the whole Ring Ring album, but there are songs that I still like and I Am Just A Girl is one of them. And I've never really understood the negative feelings toward TFTPOO. It doesn't really fit on The Visitors album but otherwise it's quite a good song. In fact there's not a single ABBA tune that I really don't like, with maybe the only exception being I Saw It In The Mirror - every time I listen to it I can't help but feel "Oh my God, what were they thinking when they recorded this one"...
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Post by Michal on Jan 20, 2019 6:22:20 GMT
Well, now it is a perfect match with the Top 20 thread indeed :-) Thank you! And what about filling in your candidates?
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Post by Michal on Jan 19, 2019 16:00:44 GMT
The Top 20 ABBA songs thread (abbachat.boards.net/thread/1089/top-20-abba-songs) made me think that maybe we could try to do the opposite as well - that is, name 20 of your least favourite ABBA songs. Let's not count the demos or the half-finished recordings (released on bootlegs or as a part of ABBA Undeleted) - just the officially released tracks. Personally I thought it would be easier than doing the Top 20 but in the end it wasn't… maybe the first 10 tracks were obvious but the other ten were a bit harder to choose. This is my list:
Åh Vilka Tider Another Town, Another Train Crazy World Happy Hawaii Happy New Year I Have A Dream I Saw It In The Mirror Love Isn't Easy Man In The Middle Me And Bobby And Bobby's Brother Merry-Go-Round My Love, My Life One Of Us People Need Love Put On Your White Sombrero Ring Ring Santa Rosa She's My Kind Of Girl Watch Out You Owe Me One
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Post by Michal on Jan 17, 2019 17:35:08 GMT
It was a difficult task.. Top 50 might have been easier… or not :-) Some choices were quite obvious, others were very tough. And the list is definitely not definite, as it keeps changing. In the end, I've chosen these songs (in alphabetical order):
Angeleyes As Good As New Dance (While The Music Still Goes On) Dancing Queen Eagle Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! He Is Your Brother (live 77) Hole In Your Soul I Am The City I'm A Marionette I've Been Waiting For You Mamma Mia Money, Money, Money Move On Our Last Summer So Long The Day Before You Came The Name Of The Game The Winner Takes It All When I Kissed The Teacher
Actually, there are at least 10 more that would probably make it into the Top 20 tomorrow :-)
P.S. somehow I haven't managed to get a full-size version of the picture into the post...
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Post by Michal on Jan 4, 2019 15:51:57 GMT
Only Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' could outsell it, when that is available on DVD...(The Queen Film is much bigger than either 'Mamma Mia!' Film. It has now taken well over $700 Million at the Global Box Office. To just over $609 Million for 'Mamma Mia! 1' and just under $400 Million for 'Mamma Mia! 2'. It will be interesting to see how well the DVD of Bohemian Rhapsody will do... The movie is massive here (Czech Republic) - every projection is sold out immediately, cinemas add more and more to their schedules and still it's almost impossible to buy the tickets. I haven't managed to see it until last week. I would never guess that Queen are so popular.
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Post by Michal on Dec 16, 2018 20:39:31 GMT
Today I stumbled upon this thread… maybe we should bring it back to life :-) When I first heard Highland by One More Time, I thought it was an ABBA song. It remains my favourite to these days and I think it would be interesting to hear Agnetha and Frida singing it…
And I agree with Zeebee that Another You Another Me would make a good ABBA song... certainly Agnetha and Frida could handle the vocals better, especially the chorus.
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Post by Michal on Dec 16, 2018 17:34:06 GMT
Ah, you're right. I've forgotten about Åh, Vilka Tider. It's definitely an ABBA song... even more so than for example She's My Kind Of Girl, which is a B&B recording with no contribution from the ladies whatsoever. It became an ABBA song only after it was included on the CD version of the Ring Ring album in some territories.
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Post by Michal on Dec 14, 2018 22:32:12 GMT
I made this list a while back when I was trying to make a fictional compilation album cover, and I can't guarantee that all of Bjorn's lead vocals are included there, but I think I wrote down most of them.
I personally love Bjorn's vocals and part of me hopes that he and Benny will at least be recording backup vocals for the new tracks that we'll eventually get to hear. There are a few more, I'll try to name them all: Another Town, Another Train Burning My Bridges Crazy World Crying Over You Dance Does Your Mother Know Free As A Bumble Bee Givin' A Little Bit More He Is Your Brother (shared lead) I Saw It In The Mirror King Kong Song (shared lead) Love Isn't Easy (shared lead) Man In The Middle Merry-Go-Round People Need Love (shared lead) Pick A Bale Of Cotton Rock Me Rock 'n' Roll Band Santa Rosa (shared lead) She's My Kind Of Girl (shared lead) Sitting In The Palmtree Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Two For The Price Of One Watch Out Why Did It Have To Be Someone correct me, if I'm wrong. Suzy-Hang-Around has Benny on lead vocals (the only such song in ABBA's catalog… he has some solo lines in Here Comes Rubie Jamie (or Terra Del Fuego) too, but only a snippet of this song was ever released).
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Post by Michal on Dec 14, 2018 22:17:10 GMT
Pls keep positive. Let the 4 do what THEY like to do. We are not as fans the ones to judge about that. They are also not judging about what you are doing. The problem is, the whole world is watching and waiting and they will be judged by everybody, whatever they do (or don't do) in the end. That's the reason why some of us here may be afraid that something may go wrong and the group, who worked so hard and has finally earned their very well-deserved respect among critics and media may be laughed at by them all again. Personally I'm very glad they finally recorded something together and I wouldn't care even if it was a folk cover they did… just to hear and see them together is enough for me. However, I feel a bit nervous about the ABBAtars too, as the anticipation is very high and if the whole thing doesn't turn out well, it may be very embarrassing. It doesn't mean I'm less of a fan than the one, who's watching their progress with starry eyes...
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Post by Michal on Dec 14, 2018 17:03:39 GMT
I don't recognize the titles Gammal fäbodspalm and Med en enkal tulipen. Gammal fäbodspalm is the opening track that they would play before Voulez-Vous during the 1979 tour, and after some digging, I believe Med en enkal tulipen is a song that they sang at Gorel Hanser's 50th birthday. I wish there was a recording somewhere. Actually it is Med En Enkel Tulipan, but otherwise you're absolutely right. They rehearsed it beforehand in the bathroom and then sang it for Görel all four together. Unfortunately no recording of it ever leaked onto the Internet (the guests were very disciplined :-))
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Post by Michal on Dec 8, 2018 15:10:39 GMT
Personally, when they announced the ABBAtar thing, I was quite excited about the prospect of maybe being able to experience the recreated ABBA tours as I was born at the very end of ABBA's active career and thus wasn't able to see the real thing. However, as the project evolves (or does not evolve) my enthusiasm slowly dies out. It doesn't seem they're actually planning to do copies of the original concerts, it's not even sure they will use the original live recordings, so what will become of it? Holograms, miming to ABBA Gold CD? That's something one may go to see once out of curiosity but I don't see how they want to make people come repeatedly… So what I'm really looking forward to are the new songs and I just hope they won't cancel the release just because the ABBAtars don't work the way they hoped.
P.S. @abbafan2018, I don't really think they're doing it for money… they certainly don't need to. And remember the 1 billion dollar offer ;-)
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Post by Michal on Nov 29, 2018 17:51:44 GMT
^ Somehow I don't feel the new album is completely impossible anymore. Could it actually be a reason of postponing the release of the two new songs?? Maybe their joint experience in the recording studio was so enjoyable that they decided to expand their "comeback" to a final album (and one of the reasons may be that they're fully aware of the fact that it's likely their reunion will be more spectacular chart-wise).
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