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Post by madonnabba on Oct 17, 2021 9:11:08 GMT
I just think about the classic lyrics to some of the hits TNOTG in particular and the lyrics on the album tracks from The Album onwards. And the lyrics for JAN seem comparable with early in their career. I think we have came to expect more as we grew with Abba and Bjorn's lyrics. Mind you IHAD was a big hit and still popular and the lyrics were simple. Listened to the group Arrival do JAN and it is quite catchy. So maybe if done as well or better it might become a favourite. Can't it imagine what the inspiration could be for KAEOD. Never liked humourous songs by anyone and did not like Abba's attempts on TFTPOO and Head over Heels. The only humourous one that I do like is by the Muppets. Mah na mah na. Just because it's so daft. When I looked at the song titles I was drawn to two JAN and KAEOD. JAN because of Abba undeleted and KAEOD because I did not like the title. But maybe I will get a pleasant surprise. As for songs to be included in the concert I can't understand why TKHLHC would be one of the 22 songs chosen. Not in my top 50. Sometimes Bjorn and Benny seem to favour songs more than others...I Wonder is another...TFTPOO was considered as a potential single. I wonder is a very good song lyrically and reasonable tune but did not deserve to be on GH2. I consider TKHLHC is one of the weaker tacks on Voulez Vous. Over the years my favourites on that album have changed but my opinion on that song has remained the same. Nice verses but hate the chorus and the chorus lyrics.
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Post by Michal on Oct 17, 2021 9:11:13 GMT
We fans really are an ungrateful lot. We've been asking for the songs from the vaults for decades and when we finally get one, it's not good enough and we even worry there may be more on the new album  I see, we would all probably prefer to have all those demos and alternate versions released separately but isn't it a bit unfair to dismiss Just A Notion before we actually hear it? By the way, on BAO3 there is a song Crush On You (written in 1978 for ABBA) and I recommend you to listen to that one - you will start to appreciate Just A Notion, because it is a piece of sophisticated poetry, when compared to Crush On You.  P.S. Not only ABBA fans are ungrateful though... Per Gessle's generosity with unreleased stuff and demos was already mentioned on this forum and still when releases such as RoxBox or Bag of Trix came out, there were voices that this or that is missing and this or that could have been better... |
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Post by joseph on Oct 17, 2021 9:17:10 GMT
The lyrics to Just A Notion are kind of lightweight. Inoffensive and not very stimulating. B side-ish. I hope the music and production makes up for it. As for Keep An Eye On Dan...as much as I made my peace with Two For The Price Of One (I can appreciate the music and harmonies if not quite the subject matter) I do hope it's not going to be a cringe 'comedy' song. I'm sure ABBA had a cracking sense of humour privately but Björn was known for some clangers in his time, bless him.
I think what's happened is I feel spoiled by Don't Shut Me Down, lyrically in particular. It's so nuanced and I love the story telling and how it appears as a love story (following on from 'One Of Us', perhaps) but can absolutely be taken as the group sending a message to their fans and the world to accept them as they are now.
We're a demanding lot, us ABBA fans, aren't we?! For all of my waffle, I'm ultimately just thrilled and grateful we have this late gift from the group. It really is the cherry on the cake. Or is it icing? Anyway, you get my drift.
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 17, 2021 9:19:11 GMT
My hunch is that the new single - and this particular new single - is simply an ad for the album. It's a second relax-ABBA-still-sounds-ABBAish "new" song for the general public, to reassure them ahead of the album's release that they really, really want this LP. It's for the people - including radio presenters - who balked at the musicality and length of ISHFIY. It's the kind of safe and catchy tune that milkmen will whistle on their rounds and Strictly producers might consider for a jive sequence. ABBA knows that the fans know this song inside out. It's merely an amuse bouche for the fans ahead of the main meal of 9 other songs next month. Who knows, they might be kind and offer a video and possibly even vinyl and/or a CD for our shrines. But ultimately, I don't think the single is really for us. I don't even think it's pitched at the singles charts.
Like I say, this is just a hunch, my own personal opinion.
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Post by gamleman on Oct 17, 2021 9:21:53 GMT
I think we have to keep an open mind about "Just A Notion". It could sound pretty good in the final production, although I was disturbed by the alleged similarity to WDIHTBM. A new single next week is a good move as a reminder of the album release (people have short memories and attention spans these days) and as a final push for pre-orders.
While "Keep An Eye On Dan" does seem an odd title for an ABBA track, I wouldn't pre-judge it based on the title. Michael B. Tretow's "Doc McGurgles Babylonian Lizard Tooth Oil" had the most odd, off-putting title but was a fabulous song (apart from the spoken intro) with a glorious ABBA-esque chorus featuring Agnetha and Frida. And KAEOD almost certainly isn't a re-make of "You Are My Man", as B&B don't believe in re-using songs - although they sort of did it with WDIHTBM and "Happy Hawaii", they said we can't have two official versions of "Just Like That".
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Post by madonnabba on Oct 17, 2021 9:47:58 GMT
Listened to Crush on you and boy those lyrics are awful. Sound like working lyrics for a song just to see how it would sound. And JAN lyrics are far superior although not in the same league as the last two singles but the JAN tune is catchy. Some of the songs in the charts these days don't have great lyrics. Some just repeating the same two or three lines for the duration of the song. No wonder there is a lot of skipping going on.
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 17, 2021 10:03:30 GMT
Some of that sounds like it was recycled for Hovas Vittne or Sång till Görel? It really is dire.
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Post by richard on Oct 17, 2021 10:22:48 GMT
If a pop song is catchy enough melodically, and the vocals and arrangement are well done, I wonder if listeners in general are all that bothered about the lyrics as long they're 'serviceable' and not naff? Melodically, I quite like the version we know of Just A Notion, and I expect the new version for Voyage to be much better. It'll be very disappointing if it isn't.
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Post by justabba on Oct 17, 2021 10:26:09 GMT
If a pop song is catchy enough melodically, and the vocals and arrangement are well done, I wonder if listeners in general are all that bothered about the lyrics as long they're 'serviceable' and not naff? Melodically, I quite like the version we know of Just A Notion, and I expect the new version for Voyage to be much better. It'll be very disappointing if it isn't. Yes I'm with you on this Richard... |
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Post by foreverfan on Oct 17, 2021 10:31:33 GMT
Well little time to wait for JAN, I tend to agree as I previously mentioned its so ABBA it has to be ABBA.
We tend to be a bit critical and I think we deserve the right after all theses years, but when it comes down to it , we just love them really and put up with the JAN compared to for instance TWTIA, its all good stuff.
Our tastes do change over the years and some tracks improve, I quite like TKHLHC and even tolerate TFTPOO especially the oopmpah bit at the end , just great.
So JAN may be one of those tracks, just because we are familiar , and personally I dont think it will digress much from the demo, will potentially be a big hit with the public ( if not the charts ) , It will get a lot of airplay and will be great promotion for the Album.
Charts don't mean much these days, even for me, but i do like to see success, for our group, A top 40 hit would be great, as they have never missed the top 40 apart from So Long which didnt chart at all , and of course Id love them to get a 10th UK number 1 album.
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 17, 2021 10:35:00 GMT
Agreed, richard. The lyrics are fun, positive and whimsical. The style is nostalgic. If the whole album turned out to be a coded "we're back and here are lyrics begging for your approval" it could get tired very quickly. I'm sure every care was taken with the arrangement and vocals for the new version of JAN. I like that ABBA are back to using real strings (missing on the last two albums) and hope that JAN could be enhanced with a great string arrangement just like the early '60s-sounding strings on DSMD. |
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Post by Michal on Oct 17, 2021 11:13:55 GMT
Listened to Crush on you and boy those lyrics are awful. And the songs sits on the album alongside Du Frälste Mig I Sista Stund, which has one of the most beautiful lyrics Björn has ever written... Posted by richard51 minutes ago If a pop song is catchy enough melodically, and the vocals and arrangement are well done, I wonder if listeners in general are all that bothered about the lyrics as long they're 'serviceable' and not naff? Melodically, I quite like the version we know of Just A Notion, and I expect the new version for Voyage to be much better. It'll be very disappointing if it isn't. Yes I'm with you on this Richard... And one should not forget that ABBA have so many fans, who's first language is not English, and being one of them, I can confirm that lyrics don't matter that much, as I often don't pay them attention at all. |
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Post by richard on Oct 17, 2021 12:06:32 GMT
[...] I'm sure every care was taken with the arrangement and vocals for the new version of JAN. I like that ABBA are back to using real strings (missing on the last two albums) and hope that JAN could be enhanced with a great string arrangement just like the early '60s-sounding strings on DSMD. So agree about this, Tony. It was only when I got more into being a hobbyist musician, complete with the required DAW, that I became far more interested in the finer details of arrangemennts, and how much richer, organic - simply better - real acoustic instruments, including strings, often sound, to me, compared with a lot of virtual instrument versions of acoustic instruments. So I also would like to hear that the arrangement on Just A Notion has real acoustic strings. That said, the synthy bass sound in the verses of DSMD is fantastic! |
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Post by madonnabba on Oct 17, 2021 12:45:49 GMT
Just keep thinking about Bjorn being reported as saying that the songs on the album could tell their own story. Would that explain JAN being revisited...it fits in with a story being told on the album? I wonder where the album will fit into my favourite Abba albums. To me Super Trouper had no tracks that I would skip. Arrival also although DDD lyrics a bit daft.So looking good so far. And I prefer the lyrics of JAN to DDD. Did not stop Arrival being my favourite album until Super Trouper.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2021 13:37:25 GMT
When are people going to listen to the new album?
When it is avaiable online Friday morning or when you get your CD?
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Post by foreverfan on Oct 17, 2021 14:15:58 GMT
^^^^ What an interesting question....
I normally go bed quite early compared to most around 1030, so to stay up to midnight, I'm guessing, is usually my once in a year event New Year...plus being tech stupid ..lol Ill probably wait until the CD.. That said who knows what time it will arrive and by then probably most tracks will be on You Tube so the temptation will be enormous to actually listen.....
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Post by Michal on Oct 17, 2021 14:20:40 GMT
When are people going to listen to the new album? When it is avaiable online Friday morning or when you get your CD? I usually wait until the physical copy arrives, partly because of a superior sound on my stereo system. However, this time I probably won't resist and will listen to the album on Spotify as soon as possible. Actually that's what all of us should do if we want to see Voyage to top the charts - every stream counts. |
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Post by madonnabba on Oct 17, 2021 14:39:46 GMT
I normally go to bed early too butn not that night. Will get my physical copy on Friday but I will he listening after midnight on Spotify. Having resisted for a long time, decided to subscribe to Spotify to stream the new material. Now a convert. For £10 a month, you can stream whole albums , make up your own playlists, random plays by artists and you don't have to worry about storage of cds or vinyl. Yet to explore what else I can do. The under 30s seem to be embracing it more than the over 30s hence the state of the singles charts. In future , I will only be buying Abba in physical form for my collection. It is really easy to stream and what a library of music you have access to....handy for parties too ...like a digital juke box. Will be requesting the Friday off work I think. My own declared Abba day.
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Post by madonnabba on Oct 17, 2021 14:46:01 GMT
Oh and I will be streaming the album on every occasion to help the Abba cause. And one listen on my cd player just for a comparison. When I was a young I used to spend more than £10 a month on music. Some people spend that a day on cigarettes. Really is good value. Get to listen to artists /albums that I would not normally have gone out and bought.
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Post by Alan on Oct 17, 2021 14:59:44 GMT
I’ll probably listen at midnight on either Spotify (if it’s available on their free service) or YouTube (again if it’s on there that early). Physical copies may not necessarily arrive on the Friday so I’ll be at HMV to get their exclusives.
I know it’s released worldwide on the Friday, but time differences will mean some will get it first? Those in Australia and New Zealand for instance. Is it therefore possible they could leak online earlier than midnight local time?
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 17, 2021 15:35:32 GMT
I'll be staying up to listen from midnight on either iTunes (better sound) or Spotify. Then after the school run on Friday, I'll have the house to myself to listen nice and loud!
I'm sure it will be available on the free service, @alan . You just might get an ad break after a few songs. Also worth remembering is that 100 paid streams counts as one sale; it take 600 free streams to count as one sale. Or at least that's the position for the Irish charts (I have a vested interest!). But given that so many here are buying multiple physical formats, a few free streams seems like something well earned!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2021 15:44:02 GMT
⬆️ Those ratios for UK charts too
100 streams = I sale. Premiium
600 streams = 1 sale. Ad
You could try trial period for Premium for a month!
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Post by gamleman on Oct 17, 2021 16:42:06 GMT
I will wait for a physical copy before listening to the album. I prefer to play it on vinyl first, as I did back in the day. Amazon have said they will deliver on the day of release. I also have a blue vinyl copy ordered from my local independent record store, which I should be able to pick up on the day. I'm not sure whether the ABBA Voyage store will deliver for the day of release.
I just hope there are already physical copies stored somewhere in the UK and they're not out at sea on a container ship that might get into a port and be unloaded sometime before Christmas, if we're lucky.
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Post by Alan on Oct 17, 2021 16:57:33 GMT
I'll be staying up to listen from midnight on either iTunes (better sound) or Spotify. I know someone that’s ordered it on iTunes. They were wondering if they would get Just A Notion automatically on Friday. |
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 17, 2021 17:25:47 GMT
Yes, they should. I have it preordered there too. Another good thing about the iTunes edition is that it has a digital booklet too.
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Post by richard on Oct 17, 2021 18:14:14 GMT
I will wait for a physical copy before listening to the album. [...] I just hope there are already physical copies stored somewhere in the UK and they're not out at sea on a container ship that might get into a port and be unloaded sometime before Christmas, if we're lucky. Same with me. And let's hope your understandable concerns about the state of deliveries don't turn out to be reality! |
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Post by bennybjorn on Oct 17, 2021 19:02:53 GMT
If a pop song is catchy enough melodically, and the vocals and arrangement are well done, I wonder if listeners in general are all that bothered about the lyrics as long they're 'serviceable' and not naff? Melodically, I quite like the version we know of Just A Notion, and I expect the new version for Voyage to be much better. It'll be very disappointing if it isn't. A good song can still have pretty rubbish lyrics but an amazing song (e.g. The Name Of The Game or The Winner Takes It All) can't really. It's the combination of words that resonate set to an irresistible melody that you need for greatness. But, yeah, Just a Notion may be good enough as a pre-album radio-friendly song. I'm actually not that worried about the title, 'Keep An Eye On Dan'. I don't think it will necessarily be a comedy song as others have suggested. It could be a concern about someone's wellbeing a little like Worried About Ray by The Hoosiers from a few years ago. We'll find out soon enough! |
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Post by daronjulian on Oct 17, 2021 20:27:45 GMT
So far the Happy New Year coloued vinyl issue has not surfaced online as yet.
I was wondering whether they cancel this years issue in favour of JAN, and do some limited edition formats with this release.
Don't forget ABBA will have three singles and an album all within the time frame of three months.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2021 7:08:34 GMT
Yep. Official. Just a Notion coming out on Friday. Heard a snippet.
Vocals sound deeper - and clearer.
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Post by pixi on Oct 18, 2021 7:30:05 GMT
CD Single available!!!   Sound snippet at TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@abba/video/7020277226117598469 |
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I see, we would all probably prefer to have all those demos and alternate versions released separately but isn't it a bit unfair to dismiss Just A Notion before we actually hear it?
