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Post by bennybjorn on Oct 24, 2021 23:29:31 GMT
I thought it would be fun (and useful) to have a thread for Voyage reviews, when they finally come in, and for our predictions before they do.
The most useful site for reviews is probably Metacritic which gives an average score taken from reviews in numerous credible websites and publications.
Anything over 80% is considered to have attracted 'universal acclaim', 60 to 80% is 'generally favourable', and under 60% is 'mixed or average'.
Judging from the reviews of the first singles to date, unless they are easily the best songs on the album, I think it should get over 70%.
I'd be surprised if it scores over 80% however. I think the fact that there's a mixture of very old songs (at least one) will probably count against it.
It seems the band and the record company are keeping the album under wraps, possibly until release day if they can, which is not unusual these days.
In the past (and still for some albums), they are reviewed by journalists several weeks before release day but that can feel like a risky strategy with record companies worrying about the impact of bad reviews on sales. I guess albums are more likely to leak, too, when handed out to journalists in advance.
PS - mods, obviously feel free to merge if you think this should be in another thread.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2021 23:43:20 GMT
Bennybjorn, I'm all for starting a new thread for reviews of " Voyage ". We could also, start a megarate of all the songs featured on the new album. Let's go for it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2021 9:06:50 GMT
I don't think any ABBA album would get over 80% from me. They are mixed to good rather than great.
With the 3 songs I have heard of Voyage I like the first two. Less impressed with Just a Notion.
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Post by bennybjorn on Oct 25, 2021 10:15:46 GMT
I don't think any ABBA album would get over 80% from me. They are mixed to good rather than great. With the 3 songs I have heard of Voyage I like the first two. Less impressed with Just a Notion. Yeah, I'm the same. There are loads of great Abba songs but every album has plenty of filler which would drag the scores down below 80 for me. This one might be different given the amount of time they've had to work on it. If the overall quality is a good as the first three songs, it could hit 80, but I'm guessing they've showcased the strongest ones. There is a ton of goodwill out there in the wider music world for Abba, though, and this can influence reviews quite a bit, too. I'm going to guess an overall Metacritic score of (drum roll!) 74%. |
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Post by Michal on Oct 25, 2021 10:43:03 GMT
I don't think any ABBA album would get over 80% from me. They are mixed to good rather than great. With the 3 songs I have heard of Voyage I like the first two. Less impressed with Just a Notion. Yeah, I'm the same. There are loads of great Abba songs but every album has plenty of filler which would drag the scores down below 80 for me. This one might be different given the amount of time they've had to work on it. If the overall quality is a good as the first three songs, it could hit 80, but I'm guessing they've showcased the strongest ones. There is a ton of goodwill out there in the wider music world for Abba, though, and this can influence reviews quite a bit, too. I'm going to guess an overall Metacritic score of (drum roll!) 74%. I'm shocked  I would rate every ABBA album from Arrival onwards 5 stars out of 5. And you call yourselves ABBA fans?   Honestly, I see no "fillers" on any of the ABBA albums from 1976 - 1981... |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2021 12:27:19 GMT
Bennybjorn - glad somebody agrees with me!
Michal - of the albums from Arrival onwards the number of songs I like...
Arrival - 6/10
The Album 6/9
Voulez Vous 7/10
Super Trouper 7/10
The Visitors 6 or 7/9
A lot on Super Trouper I like but not that many I love.
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Post by richard on Oct 25, 2021 13:04:28 GMT
I wonder if anyone has any sort of system for rating an album, or is it just your general feel about the overall quality of the songs on the album? If I bothered, I think I'd opt for the latter way.
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Post by bennybjorn on Oct 25, 2021 13:38:16 GMT
I wonder if anyone has any sort of system for rating an album, or is it just your general feel about the overall quality of the songs on the album? If I bothered, I think I'd opt for the latter way. That's a good question. I have one for songs and I guess I just average them out approximately for an album, although some albums feel more than the sum of their parts. 10/10 = perfection (words, music, singing, arrangement) 9/10 = almost perfection, but some element not quite there 8/10 = a really good song would deserve to be a single, but not quite up there with their best 7/10 = a good album song but not quite melodically strong enough to be a single 6/10 = an OK song if you don't hear it too often. Down to 1/10 = a song so bad, you'd switch radio channels if it came on (for me this is something like Let Me Entertain You by Robbie Williams or Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader, but this is obviously super-subjective!). I don't know that Abba have any of these but I Saw It In The Mirror is pretty close! Also, for me, the very best albums are those which have at least 5 genuinely great songs. I normally only hear one of those every year or two. |
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Post by richard on Oct 25, 2021 13:55:54 GMT
I wonder if anyone has any sort of system for rating an album, or is it just your general feel about the overall quality of the songs on the album? If I bothered, I think I'd opt for the latter way. [...] I have one for songs and I guess I just average them out approximately for an album, although some albums feel more than the sum of their parts. [...] That seems to me a good mixture of how to go about things. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2021 15:29:54 GMT
Have returned to the forum after a couple of years' break. (Can it be true?  ) With all that's been going on, it would have been rude not to... Regarding albums, I tend to opt for star ratings, ranging from five (sublime) down to one (dreadful). The Visitors is the only ABBA album I absolutely love, front to back, without any meaningful reservation of any kind. FIVE STARS. In other news: ABBA: never been much of a devotee of I Do x5, but otherwise I enjoy all of this album immensely (and, yes, I really do mean 'all'!). FOUR AND A HALF STARS. Arrival: only one clunker (TM) and a couple of others I'm a bit meh about. But the good stuff is stellar. FOUR STARS. The Album: love it front to back, with the glaring exception of the talky bit that makes MO sound a bit silly. FOUR AND THREE-QUARTER STARS. Voulez-Vous: highly enjoyable throughout, although TKHLHC and LLALL don't really bear repeated listens too close together. FOUR AND A QUARTER STARS. Super Trouper: again, only one big clunker (TWOFD). Everything else very good to excellent. FOUR AND A HALF STARS Waterloo & Ring Ring, of course, are real cocktails of some really good stuff and some total nonsense. RR: THREE AND A QUARTER STARS. W: TWO AND A HALF STARS. In terms of Voyage, ISHFIY and DSMD had me believing that another five-star job might be within reach. JAN has taken the edge off that optimism just a little, but I'd be pretty disappointed with anything less than a four-star effort. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2021 17:04:40 GMT
My ABBA studio album ratings,
" Super Trouper " : My favourite studio album from the band. Songs I love TWTIA, AA, HNY OLS and LAYLOM. An accomplished and very melodic collection of songs ( 10/10 from me )
" Voulez-Vous " : A great album full of polished disco classics and melancholy ballads. Songs I'm very fond of AGAN, A, ITWFTN, C and KOF. Also, GGG is a fave of mine. ( 9/10 from me )
" Arrival " : Another masterpiece album including firm faves of mine WIKTT, DQ, MLML, KMKY, TM and T. Also, F. ( 9/10 from me )
" The Visitors " : Overall, it is an outstanding album with many standout tracks. My favourites include WAISAD, S, OOU, STMF, C and TDBYC. ( 8/10 from me )
" The Album " : It is a very good album but I am not that keen on the last two tracks. Songs that I love are E, TACOM, OMOW, TNOTG and MO. ( 8/10 from me )
" ABBA " : Again a very good collection of songs with MM, SOS, BAB, IDIDIDIDID and IBWFY as my faves. ( 7/10 from me )
" Waterloo " : On the whole there are solid pop songs on this album. Ones that I love, HM, HH, D ( WTMSGO ) and GSYML. However there are a few " wobblers " as well ( 6/10 from me )
" Ring Ring " : The weakest and least favourite ABBA studio album of mine. However the songs that shine are D, NPB, and HIYB. ( 5/10 from me )
ABBA's new singles are exceptional and I award 10 points to both ISHFIY and DSMD. JAN receives 9 points. I will compile a complete megarate when " Voyage " is released.
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Post by chron on Oct 25, 2021 18:39:19 GMT
I'm shocked I would rate every ABBA album from Arrival onwards 5 stars out of 5. And you call yourselves ABBA fans? Hard to credit the view that the rather bloodless, desultory Super Trouper or the patchy, disconnected Voulez-Vous are on the same level as The Album, in terms of ambition or (near) sustained-from-start-to-finish quality, but the problem may be that you've adopted the limiting 'Amazon' out-of-five method of grading. If you were to be asked to mark out of a hundred, I bet you wouldn't give them all the same maximum score. |
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Post by Michal on Oct 25, 2021 18:58:43 GMT
I'm shocked I would rate every ABBA album from Arrival onwards 5 stars out of 5. And you call yourselves ABBA fans? but the problem may be that you've adopted the limiting 'Amazon' out-of-five method of grading. If you were to be asked to mark out of a hundred, I bet you wouldn't give them all the same maximum score. Good point! You're actually right. And obviously we have the same favourite ABBA album... or I should rather say Album  What I meant is that in my opinion ABBA's albums are so good (at least for me, surely there are many people who think they're awful) that to give them 4 out of 5 (i.e. 80%) would be extremely unfair. |
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Post by Michal on Oct 25, 2021 19:01:49 GMT
I wonder if anyone has any sort of system for rating an album, or is it just your general feel about the overall quality of the songs on the album? If I bothered, I think I'd opt for the latter way. I go by general feel. I definitely don't do a scientific track-by-track analysis as bennybjorn, (no offense! ) |
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Post by Michal on Oct 25, 2021 19:10:53 GMT
Michal - of the albums from Arrival onwards the number of songs I like... Arrival - 6/10 The Album 6/9 Voulez Vous 7/10 Super Trouper 7/10 The Visitors 6 or 7/9 A lot on Super Trouper I like but not that many I love. Interesting. Personally I like every song ABBA recorded (ah.. ok, with maybe one exception, which is I Saw It In The Mirror, but I don't skip even that one, as it has at least some interesting backing vocals). Of course, I don't like all of them the same way but compared to other groups / artists, ABBA definitely stands apart in this respect. As for the albums... The Album is probably the one album that I would hardly find anything to criticize on. Voulez-Vous and The Visitors are very close behind it. And Super Trouper is hard to find words for... somehow I feel it's so perfect that it actually gets boring. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2021 8:58:43 GMT
I couldn't claim to like every ABBA song, although there are vanishingly few I genuinely dislike - and most of those are on the 'Waterloo' album... But I wouldn't be without any of them as they're all bricks in the wall, so to speak - part of ABBA's unique trajectory. And I'll ALWAYS stand up for 'I Saw It In the Mirror' (and of course TFTPOO).
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Post by bennybjorn on Oct 26, 2021 10:18:42 GMT
Anyone else prepared to hazard a guess at the eventual Metacritic score for Voyage?
I've gone (perhaps a little optimistically!) for 74%
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Post by Alan on Oct 26, 2021 12:18:22 GMT
And I'll ALWAYS stand up for 'I Saw It In the Mirror' (and of course TFTPOO). This is a big reason why it’s so good to have you back, Barry. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2021 16:54:53 GMT
Bennybjorn, I will say 80% as I have every faith that ABBA's new album will not disappoint.
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Post by bennybjorn on Oct 26, 2021 19:39:33 GMT
Bennybjorn, I will say 80% as I have every faith that ABBA's new album will not disappoint. Nice one! So I've said 74%, Eddie's going for 80%. Any more? Remember, we're just trying to predict what the reviews will average (on Metacritic). Biffy Clyro currently have the highest score for 2021 on 93%. www.metacritic.com/music |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2021 20:01:02 GMT
Just for the fun factor, put me down for 62%. Bound to be a critical backlash in some quarters and the odd provocative contrarian venting their wrath. Only this week, there was an (albeit largely light-hearted) 'anti-ABBA' piece in The Guardian here in the UK.
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Post by bennybjorn on Oct 27, 2021 20:43:56 GMT
Just for the fun factor, put me down for 62%. Bound to be a critical backlash in some quarters and the odd provocative contrarian venting their wrath. Only this week, there was an (albeit largely light-hearted) 'anti-ABBA' piece in The Guardian here in the UK. Admirably realistic, 'This Boy'! If the first three songs are easily the best things on it, I think you could be pretty close. Love the phrase 'provocative contrarian venting their wrath'! The Telegraph has already assumed that role, having really lashed out at the first three songs in its review section. So Eddie's going for 80%, I've said 74%, and Thisboycries, 62%. Any more takers? |
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Post by madonnabba on Oct 28, 2021 5:59:40 GMT
Who reads the Telegraph anyway? Lol. They know where they can stick their opinions.
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Post by foreverfan on Oct 28, 2021 9:07:31 GMT
I hope I'm way under, but Ill plump for 65%, I feel that may be optimistic...
I think ISHFIY will help raise profile, musically great, lyrics for all the sentiment a bit twee ! DSMD, was commercial enough and a good throw back to what could've been. JAN will get unfavorable reviews , old, throw back , making the numbers etc ( I really like it but... ) and may be the first single to miss the UK top 40, currently at 40 on latest update down from 26 ! ( mid weeks ).
As we no nothing about the other tracks, I feel two titles will drag the % down, Bumblebee and Dan.. with Dan being the comic track, ( we guess ) which wont go down well, of course time will tell. Ode To Freedom , is also a little worry , could be " I Let The Music Speak " I like , but dont listen to it much....and may be to heavy to say goodbye and close the album...
So I think many critics will say a good farewell Album with a few tracks that bring its score down... so no Super Trouper or Visitors... but a nice goodbye.. fans will love it...
Now, I hope I'm wrong of course and all tracks are brilliant and its the best they've done...only a week to find out....
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Post by madonnabba on Oct 28, 2021 9:48:03 GMT
Only Dan concerns me. Not sure to home in on that one first when I stream after midnight. Or Bumbleebee.
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Post by JeniLP on Oct 28, 2021 10:44:21 GMT
I already like the album because I don't set any hopes at all, I don't believe we'll have another GGG, SOS, (...), and ABBA are so damn experienced and trustworthy that they can't possibly release outright crap. So I'm going to enjoy the album at least.
Speaking about predictions, I'd say 82% if the most of other songs are as good as the three we've heard. And if the rest part is weaker - 63%.
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Post by richard on Oct 28, 2021 13:21:00 GMT
If they've released what they think are the three most commercial songs from the Voyage album - I won't say the 'best' (that's subjective) - and the other songs are generally regarded as weaker - then I agree with JeniLP : 63%. If the songs are mostly regarded as on a par with ISHFIY and DSMD, then 78% |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2021 20:16:11 GMT
I hope I'm way under, but Ill plump for 65%, I feel that may be optimistic... I think ISHFIY will help raise profile, musically great, lyrics for all the sentiment a bit twee ! DSMD, was commercial enough and a good throw back to what could've been. JAN will get unfavorable reviews , old, throw back , making the numbers etc ( I really like it but... ) and may be the first single to miss the UK top 40, currently at 40 on latest update down from 26 ! ( mid weeks ). As we no nothing about the other tracks, I feel two titles will drag the % down, Bumblebee and Dan.. with Dan being the comic track, ( we guess ) which wont go down well, of course time will tell. Ode To Freedom , is also a little worry , could be " I Let The Music Speak " I like , but dont listen to it much....and may be to heavy to say goodbye and close the album... So I think many critics will say a good farewell Album with a few tracks that bring its score down... so no Super Trouper or Visitors... but a nice goodbye.. fans will love it... Now, I hope I'm wrong of course and all tracks are brilliant and its the best they've done...only a week to find out.... I very much agree with this. |
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Post by madonnabba on Oct 29, 2021 17:37:36 GMT
Lyrically the best albums are...The Album, Super Trouper and The Visitors. But if I think of which albums I have listened to most then it's Arrival, Super Trouper and probably Voulez Vous. And one of the overlooked tracks that I love is on The Album...I'm a marionette. Loved the Movie version but the album version is a masterpiece ....the build up , all those instruments, the story and quite sinister. Love their theatrical songs...I let the Music Speak is another. So I am not sure where the new album will fit into my preferences but so far I am optimistic.
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Post by livingstoneagle on Oct 29, 2021 21:56:21 GMT
I hope I'm way under, but Ill plump for 65%, I feel that may be optimistic... I'm going lower on this. I don't think what we've seen so far is boding well. From the grand launch and the awesome 'I Still Have Faith In You', which sounds remarkably good after listening to the last ABBA recording from 1982 'The Day Before You Came'. I think the press are getting irritated with the fact A&F are not coming out to play and with only 50% of ABBA on display, this is being seen as a half hearted project to launch and cash in on the ABBAtar concerts. Musically it seems to be going downhill rapidly. 'Don't Shut Me Down' was released too soon and didnt give 'Faith' time to breathe. In itself 'Shut' is a pale shadow of anything ABBA did earlier. Agnetha's vocal sounds like she was recording another song for 'A' and its only when she and Frida sing together the song is elevated, something the boys should have remembered from 'The Visitors'. The third single 'Just A Notion' is just a huge mistake, Number 59 on the Uk chart by some miracle but much lower in The Netherlands and non charting in Australia. People were expecting an album of 10 new songs, this one didnt make it in 78 and giving it a tepid leftover backing track from a Mamma Mia movie hasnt helped. so I recon Voyage will be a piss poor 50% (C'mon they couldnt even be bothered to pose for a cover photo!). In Comparrison Ring Ring - 40% Waterloo - 45% ABBA 60% Greatest Hits `100% Arrival 80% The Album 75% Voulez-Vous 85% Greatest Hits Vol 2 100% Super Trouper 95% The Visitors 70% |
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I would rate every ABBA album from Arrival onwards 5 stars out of 5. And you call yourselves ABBA fans? 
) With all that's been going on, it would have been rude not to...
What I meant is that in my opinion ABBA's albums are so good (at least for me, surely there are many people who think they're awful) that to give them 4 out of 5 (i.e. 80%) would be extremely unfair.
