ABBA Voyage: General Discussion 2021 Sept - Dec

   Alan -- Yes, Universal's actual UK 'Pre-Sale Records' do only go back a few Decades.
   Take That's 'Progress' was a 2010 Album. However, it would be impressive, if ABBA
   had over-taken that Album's UK 'Pre-Sale' Orders, as it went on to sell 2,800,000
   in the UK. It sold 235,000 UK copies on Day 1 and 520,000 in Week 1. Yes, ABBA's
   80,000 'Pre-Sales' does not sound much, but they are more than that by now. The
   80,000 was for 3 Days - 72 Hours. I know a lot of UK Chart Experts, who are not
   ABBA Fans. Even they say that 'Voyage' is on course, for a very big UK 1st Week
   Sale. But, Album Sales have plummeted. Both in the UK and Globally. Ed Sheeran
   had a 5 Week No.1, with his last Album. It has sold around 600,000, in the UK. It
   sounds a lot, but his previous 2 sold over 3,600,000 UK copies - each! So, we may
   see 'Voyage' struggling, to reach the high UK, (and World), Sales, of ABBA's past
   Studio Albums. 'The Visitors' sold about 4,800,000 Globally.

Bennybjorn

Yes, I think Ed Sheeran's 1st week sales probably 500,000 plud dropping to 200 000 in week two. Abba might have a chance - if no Adele album

Yes, I also took it that pre-orders are ordinary consumers orders for the album, whereas advance orders are the retail outlets' orders based on the expected demand from customers. In other words, too many advance orders can backfire on retail outlets because they were being too optimistic about demand, but pre-orders are solid, pre-paid units.

   Johnny -- Of course, I'm aware that Ed Sheeran's last Album was a Collaborations Album. It was with several
   other Artists. I never mentioned it, as I was talking about its UK Sales. I saw no need to say, what kind of
  'Ed Album' it was. I'm also aware, that Ed says, that it was 'not a proper Studio Album'. Regarding Adele - if
  she Releases Album 4 quite near to ABBA's - of course she will do very well in the UK, (and World), Top 2's. 
  However, it won't do as well as Albums 2 and 3, because I read a great many Reviews of '25', and a lot of
  her Fans did not like it. They said that she seems unable to change her style, in any way. They said that
  they would never buy another Adele Album. So, I'm not expecting her New Album, to do anywhere near
  as well as '25'. People really do want more cheerful Albums. You don't really get them from Adele.

  If ABBA's Album is not a UK No.1 in November, there is always December and January. Good things don't
  have to happen right away. ABBA will not have: 'missed their chance', if 'Voyage' is not No.1 in November.
  Some Fans, seem to think, that ABBA will Enter at No.2, or No.3, and then drop out of the Top 100 in just
  4 to 7 Weeks, or some similar short time. In fact, you can stay in the UK Top 10 Albums, with about 4,500
  Weekly Sales. An Album can hang around the Top 5, with about 8,500 Sales. ABBA can easily keep up such
  low Sales. There is no reason for 'Voyage' to plummet out of any Top 100, after just a few Weeks. (That 
  applies to any other Country's Album Charts, too). 

  jj  -- Of course, we are all very delighted that ABBA is about to Release 'Voyage'. However, they really did
  not have to add any 'mediocre' Tracks, in order to finish it. They really didn't. ABBA are not that hard up
  for decent New Songs. Benny and Bjorn are still alive, and they are very good at creating them. No-one
  is actually stating that 'Just A Notion' and 'Bumblebee' are 'ordinary'. We have yet to hear if ABBA have 
  improved them, for 'Voyage'. It would not be hard to make 'Free As A Bumblebee' into a strong Song, as
  the 1978 Demo was awful. I know no ABBA Fan who likes it. There is nothing, (and was nothing), to stop
  ABBA coming back with a very strong 10 Track Album. So, let us hope that they have done so. We will see,
  (hear!), on November 5th. Constructive criticism of ABBA is not unfair. As long as it is not just for the sake
  of being 'negative'. No Act 'has' to add weak Songs to a Studio Album, just to finish it. That is 100% true.

  I do know, that there is a 'rumour', that ABBA have held back, at least 3 New Songs, to put on a future 
  'Deluxe', (or 'Super Deluxe'), Edition of 'Voyage'. To try to get 'The Fans', (and 'The Public'), to buy it
  again. Some Fans regard that as: 'Outrageous', and are angry about the idea. (If the 'rumour' is true!).
  But Album Sales, have collapsed, and it is the only way that Artists, and Record Companies, can make
  any cash, these days. They try to sell each Album, twice, (or more), to the same People. It is quite the
  normal thing to do. So, if ABBA Re-Issue 'Voyage', in 2022 - with 'Bonus' Tracks - it would not be an
  unfair thing to do. ABBA Fans, (and 'The Public'), can either buy it, (again), or ignore it. No-one is being 
  made, to buy a 2022 'Deluxe', (or 'Super Deluxe'), Edition of 'Voyage'. 
  

It's worth remembering that things are very different now for Abba than they were in the 70s. Back then, all their singles were guaranteed extensive airplay, and it's the airplay of later singles that keeps album sales up beyond their initial release.
The new Abba songs are slipping down the airplay chart already and they've only been out 2 weeks.
Has anyone heard them much on any station other than Radio 2?
The album sales of legacy bands tend to be very much front-loaded. Loads of hype and media attention when the album comes out, perhaps the Radio 2 a-list for a single (maybe two) and then they go tumbling down the album chart. It's nothing like an act in its heyday like E Sheeran or Adele Adkins who can stick to the top 20 for months.
Perhaps the biggest determinant of whether this album will sell well beyond the first few weeks will be the Christmas single. There is no guarantee at all that it will be a big Christmas song (again this would have been guaranteed for them in the 70s), as hugely successful younger artists like Robbie Williams have found out recently, but if it is, this will propel album sales massively,
So, Abba are guaranteed very big sales in the first few weeks but, as a legacy act nowadays, there is no guarantee at all that the album will hang around in the top 10 for long, or return to it at a later date.

Some news on the vinyl versions. I mentioned a while ago that I knew someone that had been contacted by an independent record shop to say they will have an “exclusive gatefold sleeve” version. Well, they’ve since found out that all vinyl versions have this. It will still be interesting to see how the HMV/Fnac etc version looks. Will it just swap an inner gatefold design?

Onlyabba4meagain

I agree, constructive criticism of ABBA is not unfair. It is disappointing that Just a Notion and possibly Free as a Bumblebee will be on Voyage.

There was never going to be 10 good songs. All the albums had some poor songs.

The first 3 albums had several each.

Arrival - Dum Dum Diddle was terrible. That's Me, Why did it Have to Be Me not great

The Album - most of Side 2!

Voulez Vous - The King Has Lost His Crown, Lovers

Super Trouper - no real bad song but Our Last Summer, Andante Andante rather bland.

The Visitors - Two for the Price of One. Not a huge fan of Slipping Through My Fingers or The Visitors

i have to admit i find "dum dum diddle" and "Thats me" great. I know that Agnetha loves That's Me. I dont like why did it have to be me but i love its other version Happy Hawaii

The only songs I dont like in The Album are "I wonder" and "I'm a Marionette" although the version of I'm a Marionnette in the The Movie, I like.

I love "the King has lost his crown" which I agree with B&B are underappreciated.

I dont find Our Last Summer and Andante Andante bland. Andante Andante is even in my top 5 Best ABBA songs!

I'm okay with Slipping Through My Fingers and The Visitors but definitely not in my top 50%

That will be me then! It’s when Agnetha and Frida come in that I like this - it lifts it to a different level. Much of the time they’re just repeating what Björn says (“this boy cries”) but it’s still enough.

I posted on the ABBA topic on PopJustice the other day about Two For The Price of One. I put in the disclaimer “no one likes this song” to test reaction, and I was met with loads of responses from people that liked it. It was so refreshing to read, and not at all what I have been used to from various ABBA forums over the years. It was nice to hear from people who felt the same as me.

What is it with certain songs, do some fans feel they have to dislike something just because the majority appear to? That somehow they’ll be ostracised if they dare admit to liking it? Is it an opinion by proxy? Others say it’s bad so it must be?

We haven’t heard the new versions of Just A Notion or Bumblebee yet so we’ll have to hope for the best. My main gripe is going back to things discarded at the time and previously released (albeit only as part of ABBA Undeleted). Resurrecting some little known soundtrack melody (I Still Have Faith In You) is absolutely fine with me, as is recycling bits of discarded songs to use in others. Just not sure about whole songs, particularly ones that are well known within the ABBA community.

Just listened to the ABBA version followed by the Arrival rendition and… I’m still not convinced. To me it sounds like something that backing vocalists would sing while the main act is backstage changing costumes and having a breather.

If compared with other songs from the same period that had Agnetha and Frida singing together throughout (Voulez-Vous, Angeleyes, If It Wasn’t For The Nights) it doesn’t come out favourably. There’s better stuff in ABBA Undeleted. Also, it seems a bit repetitive (even the Arrival version). Get On The Carousel was discarded due to this reason, but I think I’d rather have that!

I like Two For The Price quite a lot and maybe for similar reasons as you like I Saw It In The Mirror - the backing vocals are brilliant. The only objection I have is that it really doesn't fit in The Visitors album. But it works very well on its own.

Again... it's you who see it that way ;-) Hole In Your Soul is definitely among my Top 10 ABBA songs - that scream Agnetha makes is worth a million in itself. Move On has some wonderful harmonies, Frida singing the upper part. I don't mind the spoken intro at all, actually I miss it in the Spanish version. And the whole mini-musical is a pleasure to listen to, culminating with the ominous I'm A Marionette. But maybe The Album is too different from what people expect from ABBA.

Madonna's latest studio album "Madame X" is a case in point here. In the US it entered the Billboard charts at number one, in the second week it dropped to number 77 and in its third week it fell off the charts, never to return again. In the UK it only spent five weeks in the charts, of which one week in the top ten (at number two).

It's a pity that music consumers have such a short attention span these days. It's as if a new single or album is interesting for one week only, and then it's off to something new. It's obviously very different from the seventies or eighties. Every new ABBA single or album was an event that could linger on for weeks/months (for a single) and even more than a year (for an album). In those days I used to follow the charts closely, but these days they are of little significance to me. Of course, it's wonderful if ABBA achieves good chart placings but to me it's not vital.

ABBA may have the advantage that the Voyage album will be promoted by the Voyage show and vice versa, so they won't have to do much (or any) promotion. It's quite a clever marketing strategy really. But there are more than six months between the album release and the opening night of the show. It also depends on how much enduring media coverage they will get.

As far as I'm concerned, the comeback is already a resounding success. Before the songs arrived I was a bit hesitant if they would be able to live up to the enormous expectations, but they have even exceeded them by creating music of such beauty. To me, this is exactly how ABBA should sound at this point, and more. I'm overjoyed.

  I know that my Posts, (and Comments), are often rather long. I try not to bore any of you.
  Also, I try - very hard - not to upset, or offend anyone here, (Or elsewhere). I know that
  I sound confident in my Posts. I'm not really. Whenever I Post here, I stay away, for a few
  Days, in case I've upset or angered someone. In 'Real Life', I'm a very shy and nervous
  Person. It is hard for me to Post here. I force myself to do it, as my 'Real Life' is very lonely,
  and I simply must try to have some kind of 'Friends', even though it is The Internet, and not
  like 'knowing' People in 'Real Life'. 

  I know that was 'Off Topic', but I wanted to let you know how I really am. I hope that no-one minds. 

  1).. I've heard that 'Don't Shut Me Down' is now at No.27, in the Thursday Mid Week's. This is good
news. On Monday, it had fallen from last Week's No.9 to No.25. A big fall. But, 3 Days later, it has only
fallen 2 more places. This means that it is stabilising. It is not collapsing in Streams, as much as it was
on Monday. ABBA will certainly Release a proper Video, for it, soon. When that happens, it will stabilise
even more. However, 'I Still Have Faith In You' had fallen from No.14 to No.39, on Monday. It is no longer
in the Top 40. It looks like that ABBA Single has not captured the Public 'taste' as much as 'DSMD'. Maybe 
it felt too much like a 'Musical Number', to hang around the Charts for very long. 

 2).. In the meantime, Rod Stewart, will Release his New Studio Album, a Week after ABBA, on Friday 12th
November. His last 2 Albums were his 9th and 10th UK No.1's. What is interesting, is the tiny number of
Streams, his 2018 and 2019 Albums got. He still got to No.1. ABBA should easily have a UK No.1 with
'Voyage', as Streams don't dominate the UK Album Chart. So Rod Stewart's 2018 Album, sold 41,186
copies, to go to No.1. Its Streams were just 505! His 2019 Album went to No.1 on 44,776 Sales. Only
373 of them were Streams. This means 2 things - ABBA can easily outsell his New Album, when it tries
to Enter at No.1. The 2nd thing - ABBA's Album does not need huge Streams, to reach No.1. Its CD and
Download Sales, will be more than enough. Its real threat, (for No.1), is how many Ed Sheeran's New
Album, sells on its 2nd Chart Week. For it is then, that 'Voyage' will Enter the UK Top 100 Albums Chart.