ABBA Voyage: General Discussion 2021 Sept - Dec

Lil Nas X’s long-awaited full-length debut, Montero, powers to Number One on the Apple Music Pre-Add Chart, as Voyage, ABBA’s first album in 40 years, enters at Number Two. 

Top Albums, Apple Music Pre-Adds – August 27th through September 2nd

1- Lil Nas X, Montero – +2
2- ABBA, Voyage – NEW

link to Rolling Stone article

Somebody knows that chart ?

Edit : Pre-adds allow listeners to queue up an album to be added to their library when it's released, offering a good indication of the albums that fans are most excited for.

Look promising...

I can't lip read but Bjorn should have an acoustic guitar for "Knowing me , knowing you" - also to my mind Frida's gestures don't really fit the song.

They had tea and cake between verses..lol

Really like HIYS , so there's a hope for me....

I think they are singing "Mamma Mia" in that ABBAtars clip, with Agnetha 'punching' out "Just one look" or "One more look" in the air. In reality, they weren't as animated as that on stage.

One of their attractions for me was that they were modest and not too showy in their performances. But I guess modern audiences are used to and demand something more vigorous. I too have wondered about the current ABBA performing those moves and I strongly suspect that the moves were sped-up for the video (which would mean that the song was slowed down for them to act it out).

I wouldn’t say I am at all, and I don’t think gamleman was suggesting that. What I meant was, ABBA didn’t do those kind of moves in their 20s and 30s so it’s surprising to learn they’ve done them now, in their 60s and 70s! Though if it is sped-up, then it’s a bit more believable!

I certainly didn’t say that I didn’t like the clip. It amused me. The whole thing is a re-invention of ABBA as they were then. I tend to think it’s how they would look and act now if they were that young today. The only things that are familiar are Agnetha and Frida’s hairstyles (and even they aren’t exact). The rest is a complete re-imagining.

(Hence the key lines in Don’t Shut Me Down “I’m asking you to have an open mind and I won’t be the same”)

I attended a Roxette concert in London in 2015 and was shocked to see Marie helped onto the stage and then sat-down throughout the show. I hadn't expected that. And she was a lot younger than ABBA are now. Very sadly, she is no longer with us. Just thought, wouldn't it be a lovely gesture if ABBA did a tribute to Marie Fredriksson, as a fellow Swede, perhaps their version of "It Must Have Been Love" - when I first heard that song, I thought she sounded rather like Agnetha.

I've seen them live three times - once in 2001, shortly before Marie fell ill, and then twice during their comeback after her recovery. I agree it was very emotional, sad in a way, to see her in such state, when I could remember her running across the stage. I wasn's shocked only because I knew what to expect but many people were. We are indeed lucky that all four ABBA members are alive and well. Nice idea with It Must Have Been Love but I doubt ABBA would do a cover. Actually, Marie was a mezzosoprano, so maybe the song would better suit Frida. On the other hand, there are those key changes that take it very high towards the end. I remember Marie being quoted that she did not understand how whe was able to reach those high notes.

Interesting article from the magazine Pianist


The return of ABBA: What is it about their music that is so everlasting ?

   I've heard 'Rumours', that ABBA have held back, (at least), 3 New Songs.
   If it is true, then they, (and Universal), may plan to add them to 'Voyage',
   in 2022. Maybe around the time, that The ABBAtars Show Opens - May.
  (Maybe June). Then, a 'Deluxe', (or 'Super Deluxe'), 'Voyage' would be
  Released - to try to get us all to buy the Album, all over again. It would
  not be 'Outrageous'. Album Sales, (Global), are so low, that a lot of Acts
  Release their latest Album - then Re-Release it - Months later - with extra
  Tracks. ABBA may well do the same. However, it is such a novelty, to be
  able to buy a New ABBA Album, that I will certainly buy an 'Enhanced'
  Edition, in 2022. (If we get one!).

  In the meantime, someone, at a UK Chart Site, has Posted the 'Billboard',
  (USA Music Magazine), for W/E 8th September 1979. There is a huge ABBA
  Feature in it - From Pages 33 to 56! I thought that you may wish to see it:

 Link Below
  
 link
  

   Gamleman -- It would not be 'outrageous' to me, if ABBA Released an 'Enhanced' 'Voyage'
   in several Months time. It matters not to me, how many Editions of 'Voyage' are already
   out. I'm only buying the CD. That's it. I'm not in the least interested in the other versions.
   ABBA are about the Music to me. It has been noted, that not one of the other Editions of
   'Voyage' has any additional Music on them. The differences are purely in how the Album
   looks. I've Zero interest in paying for cosmetic differences. I will buy a 2022 'Enhanced'
   Edition, with Bonus Tracks. (If we get one).

   It looks like Australia's Singles Chart is even more Streams based, than the UK's.

   'Don't Shut Me Down'  -- New Entry at No.27

   'I Still Have Faith In You'  --  New Entry at No.39

  It will look very odd, to the Australian Media, that it has made a huge fuss, about
  ABBA's 'Return', only for the 2 New Songs to struggle to be decent sized Hits. It 
  is the same as in the UK - 'Old' Acts cannot have big Hits, due to Streaming being
  the main factor, in how the Chart is compiled. ABBA should have a Top 2 Hit there
  with 'Voyage'. It may be their 5th Australian No.1 Album. Ed Sheeran permitting.
  He is huge in Australia.

To jump in on the "deluxe edition" discussion, I'll admit that one of the first things that popped into my mind was how they would approach such a thing. If the rumours that Colin heard are true, I think it would be something nice to look forward to. There's no way that 2,067 different-cover permutations will emerge of an expanded album - at least I hope not - but I think it could revive the fortunes not only of the album, but the back catalogue and even the show. 

I had been streaming Jessie Ware's gorgeous "What's Your Pleasure" album and, when she released an expanded deluxe edition recently, I went out and bought the CD version. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that some people who had previously just streamed Voyage might be interested in finally getting themselves a physical edition. I know some people who will hold off buying an album until the expanded edition comes out - value-for-money, yada yada yada. It's become a standard business model in the music industry. Even Benny has done it.

Three extra songs would always be a treat. A selection of live tracks from the show offers scope for the potential of expanding the set even further - and serving as an ad for the show. 

onlyabba4meagain - No, not at all. I was concerned about offending you in my response. I do admire you for being content with a CD edition. I am now better than I was in ABBA's heyday, when I had to buy every possible edition of ABBA's records that I could get my hands on. For example, after the release of the "Dancing Queen" single, Epic in the UK changed the colour of their label from yellow to orange - I already had DQ on the yellow label but then I had to buy it again on the orange label. It even stretched to cover versions - in the early days I had to have all possible cover versions of their songs too. When Brendon released a cover version of "Rock Me", I had to buy that - when my Grandad (who gave me my pocket-money) heard me playing it, he went mad because he knew that I already had the same song by ABBA.

I agree that ABBA could have been a bit more imaginative with the physical editions of the two new singles. I'm not sure why there is no vinyl edition of DSMD. And it does seem a waste to leave the B-side of ISHFIY blank. I would have liked to have seen a Spanish version or Swedish version on there. They could have even put an instrumental version, perhaps a piano version.

I had a collecting frenzy a few years ago trying to get all (or most) of the different UK-issued Epic label variants. Many singles were issued in several different labels. Gimme Gimme Gimme, for example, was issued in orange paper, orange plastic (or injection moulded) and blue, but there were still further variations in printing on the label.

For instance, the first Gimme Gimme Gimme on blue, issued in 1979, had the printing exactly as it would be on the orange, with the “ABBA” name going down the side. A later version had it more in the standard blue printing style. And Dancing Queen (and several other yellow or orange era singles) were also issued in blue.

I’ve got most of them now. My most recent one was I Have A Dream on orange (issued only in Ireland). I’m still after the Dutch label variant for the same single (the Dutch variant being the purple label that often comes with silver printing) - it’s extremely rare for I Have A Dream but does exist. It’s quite common for Super Trouper or Head Over Heels. Dutch pressing plants helped CBS in the UK meet demand. CBS didn’t have the ABBA licence for the Netherlands. Similarly the plastic or injection-moulded variety tended to come from French pressing plants.