ABBA Voyage: General Discussion 2022 May - Aug

My bundle (complete) arrived today. This makes me wonder whether the chart positions reflect orders for individual discs, rather than the bundles? 

I have to say that when I ordered the picture discs, I half expected to be underwhelmed by the delivered products. No need to have worried - they are really nicely done. The outer die-cut sleeves are backed with the reverse side of the original covers. The reverse side of the discs use the images from the back of the original sleeves, without any text - apart from ABBA and the title. In the case of  the 'ABBA' album, the back now looks like an alternative sleeve design. Happy to say that the Frida blur has been cropped from the back of the Waterloo pic disc (although some care could have been taken to centre 'Napoleon' in the disc surface). 

I hope that attention can now return to the delayed Visitors reissue.

More than "may" this is the reason why VV does better than other older albums. 7 A sides if we include SNC and GGG.

For me albums with "high highs" and "low lows" are Arrival - highs eg DQ, KMKY. Lows, Tiger, DDD. Sublime to ridiculous.

To some extent Voyage, DSMD/ISHFIY vs B/LT.

Voulez Vous has a lot of good songs but not that I would call great or the other extreme, awful.

We are a terrible lot !!! Me included..

We don’t seem to be able to start any other thread and stick to it.... any body would think this was a VV thread..lol...at least it begins with V!!

So for my pennies worth.. I ask myself if I could take just one studio album to a desert island which would it be ?

Of course , like most of us it depends on the day , but even though DQ is probably my favourite track, I’d plump for VV.. deluxe..lol....

Just to keep to theme.. are you now going back to other tracks rather than Voyage, or are you still fully entrenched?

Personally, haven’t played Voyage in full for about a month !

I totally agree, I wish more would contribute, we need new blood and thoughts, but totally appreciate those that do, not that I have to agree..
Wonder what the average age is of us that do post..50 ish....

It doesn't make sense... it's not a box set, it's eight (or nine) individual discs sold at a slightly discounted price but each having its own catalog number. So I guess their sales must count. However, there are probably not so many people, who pre-ordered the complete set and that's the reason The Album and ABBA didn't make the charts.

The desert island would make a perfect thread too...   Well, I'll drop my choice here as well - The Album.
As for Voulez-Vous, I agree it is a great album, probably my No.2. The only weak moment for me is I Have A Dream.
I haven't listened to Voyage for quite a long time but recently it has returned to my playlist again.

I remember, Graham, how quiet this forum was getting before Voyage, and that was mentioned from time to time.

Until Voyage, album and show, this forum was half-dead: I remember that once there wasn't a single post for several days. But there's only so much to be said about a long-standing group's music, and such discussion inevitably gets recycled, albeit with little shifts of nuance and emphasis here and there. While ABBA's music, wonderfully, thrives over the decades, it doesn't surprise me that discussion of the music will have it's quiet times.

I'm not too far in advance of you in years (59) and I remember using the ABBA Magazine as a major source of news. I was also a member of the fanclub (at least for a time) but don't recall gleaning a great deal of new info from the newsletters. I  made a couple of UK penpals through the fanclub and they were a good source of news, as they had connections further afield, so we had quite an effective little network. I also had a Swedish penpal that I connected to through a Pop magazine - she was a Bay City Rollers fan but sent me Swedish pressings of ABBA-related records

On the UK album chart, Gold is #9 and VV is #78. Voyage out of top100.

Voyage is probably selling about 1,000 a week. Only a deluxe edition is likely to give a sales boost - and then maybe not much.

Almost everyone interested in it has it already. About 440k UK sales and almost all that actual sales not this streaming equivalent sales. It has done well but that's it now.

I am 61 years old and have loved ABBA since their victorious triumph with " Waterloo " back in 1974 ( when I was a mere youngster ). I too, bought several editions of the ABBA magazine and also had it on order at my local newsagent. A source of good reading and fabulous centre-spread posters.

" Voyage " is now my favourite studio album. " I Can Be That Woman " is now my third favourite song. Agnetha's story-telling vocals are just perfection and although a dark song it is also, very beautiful. " I Still Have Faith In You " is a moving and reflective ballad of epic proportion featuring an unforgettably wonderful lead by Frida. For me " Don't Shut Me Down " is classic ABBA back again after a sorely missed absence. This mighty pop anthem remains my favourite from " Voyage ". Honourable mentions include " When You Danced With Me ", " Bumblebee " and " Ode To Freedom ". ( A gloriously haunting finale. )

" Super Trouper " is now relegated to second favourite. "The Winner Takes It All " is also a stand out for me. You can feel the anguish in Agnetha's heart wrenching delivery enveloped in a pathos of Nordic melancholia. " Our Last Summer " is another fantastic highlight with soaring harmonies and a wistful performance from Frida. " So ahead of it's time " Lay All Your Love On Me " is divine with its intricate hymn-like layers. An accomplished studio album.

" Voulez- Vous " is the ultimate classic disco collection with the exception of " Chiquitita " ( love the moving yet uplifting quality ) and " I Have A Dream ". ( a gentle ode ). " If It Wasn't For The Nights " is such an infectious tune with underlying sadness. The performance from both our beloved ladies is outstanding. Exploding into dynamic chorus " Kisses Of Fire " is pure heaven. " As Good As New " and " The King Has Lost His Crown " are among the other stellar musical polishes.

" Arrival " is just as iconic in 2022 as it was in the seventies. Frida's magnificent vocal prowess within " Knowing Me Knowing You " is unforgettable. An epitome of troubled strife. My favourite from " Arrival ". " When I Kissed The Teacher " and " My Love My Life " are sublime rubbing shoulders with the disco titan that is " Dancing Queen ". One of ABBA's finest moments.

" The Visitors " is ABBA at their profoundest both lyrically and musically. With an eerie ambience " The Visitors " transports you into a world of emotional turmoil led by a stunning centre stage from Frida. With an unforgettable guitar riff and sweeping chorus " Soldiers " is spellbindingly chilling. " One Of Us " , " When All Is Said And Done " and " Slipping Through My Fingers " are articulate examples of perfect pop intricately crafted by Benny and Bjorn. Arguably, ABBA's most creative output from 1981.

These are the albums I listen too the most. I love ABBA at their most introspective. Before I finish I would also like to mention a few other tracks which feature on other ABBA studio albums I often hanker for,

From " ABBA - The Album " , " Eagle " and " Move On " could never be more polar opposites. The ethereal atmosphere of " Eagle " is awesome ( Frida and Agnetha's performances within the accompanying video, what can I say but breathtaking ) whereas " Move On " flows at a more gentler pace with incredible heart warming melody and vocals. My favourite from " The Album ".
" Gimme Gimme Gimme ( A Man After Midnight ) taken from the deluxe edition of " Voulez-Vous " has attitude stamped all over with incredible zestful vocals and swirling orchestration.
Included in the deluxe version of " The Visitors " ABBA's theatrical quality shines within " The Day Before You Came ". An absolute gem from start to finish. Agnetha's plaintive and mundane reflection, Frida's woeful lament, Benny's masterful keyboard wizardry and Bjorn's clever lyrics which make you draw your own conclusions. Pure class.

There are so many other great tracks that I adore. Unfortunately time is too short. Apologies for any omissions.

Well I don't mind admitting to the fact that I am 53.

I too was in the Fan Club and glad I kept my folder and all the newsletters and posters.  Them were the good old days!

I also kept those free giveaway posters from sideshows from fun fairs up and down the country.  The print quality was dreadful but they were free of charge after all.

Fan Club was the only reliable source of info back then, you couldn't rely on the press.  Half the time they made things up anyway!

For those who may not of seen the Latest Official Lyric Video, quite like the edit, especially that they minimise the gross distortion of Agnetha's head.

Nostalgically this was the Song that got me interested, l think it was when l saw them Performing it on some UK Christmas Show In 75 l had just turned 15, which makes me 61 years young; and then around the Summer of 76, l saw The Greatest Hits Ad on TV, This was my first Abba Purchase, and then for my Birthday in December, l asked for The Arrival Album, and began buying their Singles from Knowing Me Knowing you.

Joined the UK fanclub in early 78, where l got tickets to see them at Wembley, 2nights the 2nd night l managed to get to the front of the stage l was directly below them when they came to the front of the stage to perform "The way old friends do'

l spotted myself in a couple of the official Photos, still haven't got the big Official Photo Book yet, and recently came across a fan photo, where l am kneeling in the aisle taking a photo. Incidentally they also did a lot of filming of fans, In the Merchandise area, at Wembley after the show, but don't think it was used

Yes, it is still a vivid memory, but the photos l took on the 2nd night were a disaster really, because l borrowed my best friends Camera, which was a 35mm SLR, and at that time only had experience of using a polaroid instamatic camera, Lol so they all came out blurred. Yes the SOS Lyric Vid is kind of retro The Chiquitita one, now has more views on
The Abba Official YouTube list, than most of the Lyric videos off 'Voyage' Be great if they promoted lesser known Songs with a Official Lyric Video.