Where Do We Go From Here [Not about the Agnetha song]

I have this little fantasy of Just Like That appearing without fuss or fanfare on a final album that also includes the two songs that weren't completed at the time of the Voyage album. But I don't suppose it will happen. I also like the idea of an up-to-date documentary in which the four members reminisce about their lives because of ABBA. And another one, as Tony (HOMETIME) has suggested elsewhere, focused in more detail on their music: how the songs came about, the vocals, arrangements, etc.

The Voyage experience is a fantastic success and I suspect they'll recoup their costs on schedule. I wonder if it would take moving the Voyage show to America to get them back in the studio? richard's comment reminds me that we have roughly a third of an album ready to go. I'm not downplaying the challenge of creating seven more songs worthy of the ABBA label but there are so many ways of creating a meaningful release. But the biggest challenge here is the age of the ABBA members: despite the energy we saw from them on opening night, mustering and sustaining the energy to record a new album is a bigger ask than ever before. Do we settle for The Singles - The First 50 Years, with a couple of new songs like their last farewell in 1982?

I'm surprised that no documentary on the development of Voyage and the recording of the album has yet emerged. Maybe they've learned to play a longer game, to release things at a pace that doesn't wear out their welcome. The album is still not a year old and with the Christmas market gliding slowly into view, this would be a good time to consider an expanded voyage album and release something to broadcast. If they have decided that ABBA is now officially retired, I suspect that they'll keep any residual material and documentaries for the Eurovision anniversary in 2024.

Despite my doubts about the possibility of one final album from ABBA, partly because of the age thing thatTony mentions, I do still feel a bit of lingering encouragement floating about because of Agnetha and Frida's responses when the Voyage album came out. Trouble is, I can kind of imagine Benny saying: " Come on, girls! We've done Voyage. That enough now at our ages! Let me get back to BAO. (Oops, I don't know where that last sentence came from - just sort of slipped out!. 😃)

I'm sure others have already mentioned this, but consideration must be given to the Voyage concerts serving as an ongoing platform for future recordings being released. The shows could provide the perfect promotional opportunity, both for any such new recordings and the concert itself, ensuring it remains fresh and current. The recent decision to extend the show to 2026 bodes well for such an idea - it would allow sufficient time for one last album and/or any singles to be written, recorded, released and promoted.

I'm confident that there is more material than two unfinished songs from the Voyage sessions - Bernard Lohr indicated as much during an interview last year prior to the album's release. The fact that Benny referred to just two songs suggests that these were actual contenders for inclusion, but I suspect they simply ran out of time with a looming album release date that could not be altered due to a tightly coordinated undertaking. I also believe that Bjorn and Benny could write an entirely new batch of ten or twelve songs in three months if they were focused and this may lead to the very thing that I believe Voyage lacked - a thematic quality that The Visitors had in spades. I adore Voyage, but it was not initially envisaged as an album but rather disparate tracks that kept growing and eventually morphed into an album. A fine collection but very little to tie the individual songs together other than quality songwriting and the girls' vocal harmonies.

My only caveat to a tenth and final album being recorded is the group's respective ages. They are all now at a stage of their lives where nothing is guaranteed - writing prowess; vocal ability; a keen set of ears; judgment and of course, health and looming mortality. If their collective hearts are in it, there is no reason why another recording could not occur but they would need to make a decision and commit soon - that's if they haven't already been planning and working on such a project under our noses.

joseph - Nice avatar!

Joseph - no disrespect, you are absolutely entitled to your views, and I have no wish to offend you, but I think there is a time and a place. In my opinion, this is not it, sorry.

Thanks Alan. You’re right.

In lieu of a lengthy, serious documentary about ABBA (for once not one involving Pete Waterman or faded has-beens) I spotted this. It's really rather good. It does beg the question, "What next?" Is there more? Can we even hope for more from ABBA? I've actually been revisiting some of their earlier work- songs like What About Livingstone? It's not that I'm mad about this kind of early output but it does make me nostalgic and rather wistful for what seem like simpler, more innocent times. Sure, the world has always been troubled, but to me it's particularly grim right now. People burying their heads in the sand and suffering from what I see as Stockholm Syndrome. I listen to songs like Soldiers and Happy New Year ("dragging on feet of clay, never knowing he's astray") Thankfully, we still have music.

Yes Joseph - that video was interesting and uplifting, and much appreciated. Did it originate in the USA or Canada ?

breifne, oh gosh, I'm sorry, I have no idea where the video came from. It just came up on recommendations on YouTube Algorithm? I don't know why there's a logo on it? People often do that, not sure why. The most annoying example of it being those ABBATALK people. They plaster their name over everything but something tells me they're not always the copyright holders, if ever? Lol they really think very highly of themselves. Anyone would think they were a group of experts with delusions of authority. Just sayin' 😉

I must watch the video again actually. It was quite refreshing. I'm glad it popped up. We need more of this and less of those Channel 5 thingies.

Joesph... at last we disagree..lol... well I assume we do unless your being sarcastic... Your New Avatar... each to their own.....
Thanks for posting that clip, for some reason, it’s taken this long to play it, and very interesting it was to, more than the same old stuff pumped out time and time again.
I guess this shows we all could do with a definitive biography of their life/ music/ business..
There may be hope yet, as why film the making of Voyage if it’s not to be used...... we wait....

voulez , Well said I like all that you have talked about in your post. People in their 70's go on and do so many great things as do members of my family who are in their 80'. I have not posted as much on here as most posts are all doom and glum. I want to come on this site and feel happy. So again voulez , well said.

Where do we go from here?

1. Annual refreshment of the VOYAGE show - some songs added/moved round/moved each May. London venue runs until spring 2026, in the interim a new Las Vegas show opens, then one in Singapore. Once London's venue closes, the 'European' version goes to Berlin...

2. Occasional new releases based on ABBA's back catalogue - The Visitors 2LP half-speed remaster in 2023, a new Voyage package including vinyl singles, occasional 'best of' sets but with a continued promotion/prominence of 'Gold' over the next decade...

Obviously, only a guess!

…and

I would love to see a big-budget, serious, in-depth, fully-researched Netflix (or suchlike) docu-series with all four main players participating.

The only ABBA documentaries we have on You Tube are those bland 2000s-era/Pete Waterman/casual-fan/general public, Channel 5 efforts.