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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 18, 2024 8:02:23 GMT
A handsome release!
I understand the urge to treat ABBA, Agnetha, Frida, Benny (incl. BAO), and Benny/Bjorn as distinctly separate entities. But I wish Universal, Polar, Mono, and ABBA themselves would realise that the fans who snap up reissues, coloured vinyl and picture discs would love some properly curated solo reissues too. The SGO box and the commissioned remixes were fantastic, so I don't understand why the idea had to stop there. Whether it's 40-year anniversaries or landmark birthdays, there's definitely a market for the more glamorous reissues. And, yes, the solo releases all sold less than the ABBA albums but that's beside the point. Many heritage releases on specialist vinyl or multi-disc CD sets are being released by acts with significantly smaller fanbases. It seems that slapping the label "limited edition" on anything makes it instantly more desirable and permissibly expensive. Certainly many of us here have fallen for that particular marketing ruse. I know that there are different labels involved, and no two seem to have the same level of interest or commitment, but I don't think there'd be any difficulty selling 3,000 units of a box set for any of the solo projects internationally. Maybe the strategy is for the artists' agents to pitch the re-releases and special editions to the labels?
In the meantime, Universal could still do matching boxes for Shine and Agnetha's WYAAM and EOAW albums. Chess needs a vinyl reissue too. Maybe fans should engage in some pester power with Warners for Agnetha's other albums?
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 15, 2024 20:12:47 GMT
A Wiwiblogs interview with Eurovision host, Petra Mede seems to let a small cat out of the bag....
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 15, 2024 12:07:13 GMT
I've just listened to that, bjorenny, and I loved it. It wouldn't have taken too much effort, I think, to add visuals to that for a TV broadcast. It's so refreshing to have something respectful that focuses on the music.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 13, 2024 23:39:36 GMT
Interesting that you have the picture disc studio albums available in shops, HOMETIME . If I saw them in HMV or Rough Trade or whatever, and at that price, I might be tempted. At least the odd one or two anyway. For sure. Sometimes I wish I was more patient: if they were reliable about stocking these things, it'd be a cheaper way of collecting.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 13, 2024 23:33:26 GMT
Interesting that you'd mention your least favourites first. What would your favourites be?
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 13, 2024 11:39:14 GMT
After many years away, HMV returned to Dublin a few months ago and they have some of the studio albums on CD and vinyl. We've had Tower Records here for decades now - just in Dublin, I think - and they have most of the studio albums on CD and vinyl. The coloured album box set was available there, too. They have all of the picture disc albums on sale for about €27 each, which compares well with online outlets (in that there's no P&P to add on).
Our homegrown record shop, Golden Discs, has been enjoying a revival in fortunes in recent years. They have fewer of the studio albums on CD and vinyl, but they do have some of the picture disc singles (mostly those from The Visitors set, ranging from €13-€16 each), the odd picture disc album and even the Ring Ring singles box at a reduced price.
This year would provide a good opportunity to reissue new masters of the studio albums across the formats. Ideally, the jewel case editions would be phased out in favour of more eco-friendly digipacks. (I know, I know - they're less durable). If everything is being remixed for Dolby Atmos, does that mean they have to be issued as BluRay (he asked, ignorant of technical doohickery)?
The random compilations continue to confuse me. I know they still sell, but I would have thought it made more sense not to renew the licences when they fall due. That would mean that the casually interested would be forced towards the official catalogue for their listening pleasure. Those impressed by Gold could satisfy their curiosity with More Gold (in dire need of a vinyl edition) and/or the studio albums. Given that I never seek them out, I could be wrong - but there don't seem to be random budget-friendly compilations for The Beatles, Queen, David Bowie, etc. Time to make the ABBA brand a little more exclusive, IMO.
The whole CD/vinyl thing is wild. Although I have renewed my love affair with vinyl, I can't agree with the current "vinyl sounds better" assertion, because that comes with too many conditions. Vinyl does sound great if you have a great turntable and amp. But even cheap CD players offer great sound. CD sound is not compromised by the added ambience a turntable brings: pops, crackles, static, needle-on-vinyl surface noise. CDs are not as vulnerable to scratches as vinyl records. I saved up for a decent system and, yes, vinyl does sound amazing on it. But so do the CDs, because the amp and the player are as decent. But my old record player was a sonic disaster, meaning the CD versions were lightyears ahead in terms of sound quality. Vinyl is enjoying a massive marketing moment, but it's much more expensive to produce. I wonder how the profit margins might look...
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 12, 2024 18:56:31 GMT
I wasn't expecting to see ten ABBA singles on the physical chart. Pretty cool - albeit for small numbers of units. The appearance of Waterloo and Voyage on the physical album chart, alongside Gold, is nice too.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 10, 2024 19:45:07 GMT
Bobby's Brother reporting that the entire back catalogue is being remixed in Dolby Atmos.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 10, 2024 10:24:10 GMT
Superb review, iiwftn ! Did you have a favourite moment? (And/or a least fave?)
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 9, 2024 12:32:07 GMT
Regarding the Honey Honey single, well the Box is limited to 2800 pieces, how many boxes will count for UK? And the Honey Honey picture disc is (at least for my taste) one of the least well looking ones from the whole "Albums-The Singles" boxes. I didn't order it. Agreed: the singles/picture discs for the Waterloo set are the least inspired so far. But I think there are enough completists out there to push them into the vinyl chart for a week (maybe lower positions than previous sets?) I think we hyped ourselves into great expectations that nothing so far has met. I took a brief look at the links that Tinneke/Henry posted but I'll have to wait for the English language edition next month. From what everyone is saying, it looks like the interesting aspects of the ABBA story are the human/personal biographies, with the band career being more mundane. As things stand, the members themselves are choosing not to lay bare their personal lives for entertainment (and who could blame them?). So that limits the potential of documentaries to deliver interesting results. If only they'd do a music-focussed analysis - maybe album by album. Talk about the songs, how they were written, the challenges, the feelings they have for some of the songs. Someone like Pete Paphides or Bob Stanley would be great to draw information out of them in interviews, and keep things on track. I have to say that, based on what has come so far this year, CMP's book delivers far more than I expected. It covers the whole "ABBA in Britain" angle far more eloquently than the documentary - which even had input from the same personnel as the TV show. CMP has had a sniffy reaction here and there, but he's the winner so far IMO. I wonder if anyone from Universal/Team ABBA ever swings by to see what we think? If so, can they pull something decent from the bag to make this year a bit more celebratory?
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 8, 2024 17:17:54 GMT
Meh. So much for my theory that the celebratory stuff might boost Gold's fortunes. I guess everything was a smidgen less than we anticipated? Still looking forward to ABBA Against The Odds - hopefully that elevates things a bit.
Do the midweeks give us a glimpse at the vinyl charts, or just the main charts? I'm expecting Honey, Honey to finally be a UK chart single on the vinyl chart.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 7, 2024 10:53:33 GMT
As expected, we non-UK types can't vote. Gosh, sob, etc. Really? Is it linked to BBC iPlayer or something? [...] No idea. I followed the link and it asked me to do the usual registration thingy, then confirm my email etc. It was only then that the system said "Brits only." I should have known, because the Sounds app and the iPlayer won't work here in Ireland any more. I had to tune in online to waste a morning with Gary Davies. Maybe it has something to do with the broadcast licence? That said, we receive BBC TV stations 1, 2, and 4.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 7, 2024 10:43:59 GMT
When ABBA Came to Britain was somewhat disappointing. It's a pity they weren't on screen sharing memories like Blondie members in their programme. Way too much screen time for that one Superfan and the bloke from Primal Scream. Agreed. There was a little overlap with the older The Joy Of ABBA, which I think actually might have done the job more effectively. Possibly? Having Bjorn on screen made the difference. When Blondie Came To Britain was far more effective, because it had its subject front and centre. ABBA in Switzerland looked like it has been restored - everything looked so crisp and vibrant. Looking at it now, the non-performance sequence was pretty tedious and the script was dire. More ABBA at the BBC was fun, despite its reliance on videos and non-BBC productions.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 5, 2024 18:48:57 GMT
So Rock Me is more worthy than When All Is Said Or Done? 🙄 When All is Said and Done...is that the lovely song from Pierce Brosnam? ....runs away from Hometime... I'll take a rolled up TV Times to the back of your legs. As expected, we non-UK types can't vote. Gosh, sob, etc.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 5, 2024 10:49:35 GMT
I hope that somebody understands that this misfire might undermine some important goodwill? This is what happens when you lock a PR intern in a small room and give them too much Fanta and Skittles.
I'm far more annoyed than this BS warrants. Going to dig out some non-ABBA music to take my mind off things. Grrr.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 5, 2024 10:40:19 GMT
I dumped twitter a while back, but I replied to the post on Insta. http://instagram.com/p/C5YEtTSol1o To be fair, I reckon this massive overkill is more likely to have came from management rather than Gary himself. It doesn't even constitute news, given that we've known about it for weeks now.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 5, 2024 10:33:09 GMT
This has to be the most infuriating pricktease yet. Read the room, Gary/BBC. If ABBA or Universal paid a PR to engineer this, they should demand a refund.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 5, 2024 10:23:17 GMT
WT F??!
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 5, 2024 9:24:52 GMT
So Long just played, and dare I say... pretty good..... Agreed. Way better than I expected. Imagine if the multitrack or original master for that recording were in Polar's vaults? It could be tarted up quite nicely for a proper release. Or did the Beeb retain ownership of those things (and the wipe them)?
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 5, 2024 9:20:26 GMT
So the Big News is not ye olde So Long, which has now been played (better than I expected) and it was a promo for the TV show.
An hour to go....
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 5, 2024 9:12:37 GMT
Something struck me about the insistence on playing the old TOTP performance: will it be a cleaned-up track; might it come from from a bigger, more interesting release like....ooooh, I dunno.... an anthology? Yes, I might just be over-caffeinated. Ultimately, I think this particular item is a hyperactive promo for More ABBA At The BBC tomorrow. I don't think it's that unlikely that Radio 2 might be given an exclusive for a new single, foreverfan. They were big supporters of Voyage and its singles, plus it was Radio 2's Zoe Ball who MC'd the really big reveal in 2021 (albeit on telly). Frida spoke to Zoe at length on Radio 2, as did Agnetha when they supported A+. The station still has power to help influence (parts of) the charts. I think a plugger could do a lot worse than offer them an exclusive on (let's say) a single that wasn't the flagship for a new studio album. Hopefully, the next hour will give us something good to savour beyond an old, quickly re-recorded So Long.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 4, 2024 19:37:08 GMT
* puts sobbing back in the diary for tomorrow *
(In pencil. Because I'm an optimist)
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 4, 2024 19:01:39 GMT
Great that the Dolby Atmos version is being released, but please please please don't let this be the vaunted "big news." I'm too old to cry in public.
EDIT: I've decided to hang on for dear life to the phrase "long lost" - which could not be applied to Waterloo, Dolby Atmos or otherwise. No sobbing for now.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 4, 2024 17:58:00 GMT
I guess it's a hook to promote More ABBA at the BBC? A reminder for fans of magic pop to set aside their Saturday evening?
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 4, 2024 17:27:28 GMT
Ah! OK. Thanks for that. I guess I had better try to tune in online. At least it's Friday, so if somehow there's a new release, it'll get a full retail week before the next chart.
He's hardly going to play the dusted-off "live" re-recording that would have been required of a TOTP in the olden days!? I can't imagine that it'd be the most exciting slice of audio.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 4, 2024 17:14:35 GMT
“Huge ABBA news - long lost ABBA track” - Gary just said that. We’ll all be listening tomorrow! " Long lost ABBA track".... Could this possibly mean that Just Like That has been dragged out of the vaults, been given a dab of lippy and a squirt of hairspray? Remember those intriguing registration numbers that emerged last year or the year before? JLT had a suspiciously recent-looking number.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 4, 2024 17:08:31 GMT
HOMETIME : In my post I didn't want to accuse or offend anyone, but just wanted to point out,that very often, the old Western World speaks for "the whole World" but ignoring huge parts of it. If you look up the list of "Most selling Artists" on e.g. Wikipedia, there is no mention, that the list is only counting Artists from the Western World and therefore the list is incomplete. It doesn't matter, if we know the Output of Russian, Asian, Indian or Chinese musicians or not, they are simply ignored although the absolute major part of the world population origins from these countries nowadays. Will ABBA make any impact on the new mega markets? I believe, Björn with his Pop House company already works on it, to place the ABBAtars there. I understand that - we really do think that our little patch of the planet is the be-all-and-end-all. It's a good point about sales: we've touched on it often over the years, but high sales and high quality might sometimes overlap, but they're often distinctly separate entities. After all, The Birdie Song outsold The Day Before You Came by quite a margin. I know which one I adore! (That said, I have absolutely no beef with anyone who enjoys The Birdie Song - fun is a valid choice!). I think that Eurovision might deserve some credit for exposing us to some slightly different sounds than we're used to in our own insular, label-controlled territories. And you're right about how easily huge swathes of foreign music get ignored. I wonder how much of that is down to us finding it harder to connect with songs in languages we don't understand? It seems sad that we don't even try, when many of our western acts do quite well in those territories.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 3, 2024 20:44:54 GMT
Of those two, I prefer WAISAD as a piano melody.
I take it you know the "Funky ABBA" version, sung by Viktoria Tolstoy with piano accompaniment by Benny? I think it's an incredible version. I can only imagine its heartbreaking power if it were recorded by Benny and Frida in the same style at their current ages.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 3, 2024 10:31:25 GMT
I was never a huge fan of TWTIA either. I understand Bjorn wrote the lyrics first, and apparently in a few minutes. Both TWTIA and TDBYC seem lyric led songs which may explain the lack of melody. Tim Rice was on BBC local radio recently. He said for him, the music came first. That way you fit the lyrics to the tune. The other way round ge felt you could get too absorbed in lyrics and its harder to come up with a tune. I don't think that's true, johnny - for TWTIA, there are earlier lyrics called The Story Of My Life and, before that, there were dummy lyrics in French to mark out the vocal melody. I think some of the more maudlin aspects of the final lyric (which Bjorn says came all at once) can be blamed on the bottle of whiskey consumed by Bjorn when he was writing. I'm not the song's biggest fan either, but I'd struggle to deny that there's a lovely melody there. Same with TDBYC, which is probably my favourite track on Benny's piano album. I think it's a gorgeous melody. What both of these songs seem not to have is a chorus.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 3, 2024 10:16:12 GMT
This would be a good time for any Popjustice habitués to swing by and share some barely-veiled gossip. Last time around, they had the juiciest of titbits, suggesting that insiders might have been forum members.
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