ABBA Voyage: General Discussion 2022 May - Aug

Leaving aside if people like the song or not, it's very unusual for a Christmas song to be on a regular studio album.

Yeh! But ABBA never did the expected! Only thing I don’t like is skipping it at the moment! Can’t wait till December!

It’s not the same. I’ve never thought of HNY as a festive song. A year may not always be new, but it does last that long. Christmas is merely a month. In any case, ABBA only use a new year as a metaphor for hopes (and fears) about the future in general.

Little Things, on the other hand, is specifically about Christmas morning and I don’t really want to hear that outside of December.

Incidentally, much is made of Happy New Year being dated because of the 1989 reference. It’s worse that that. If taken literally, it’s the end of 1979 specifically, as the close of 1989 would then be “another 10 years’ time” rather than nine years from late 1980.

Apologies if my earlier post caused any ill feeling as it was definitely not my intention.

I concur with bennybjorn’s comment that ‘Voyage’ was conceived/completed without undue pressure, with potentially the only stressful aspect occurring towards the end upon realising that an actual album release ultimately loomed, informing Benny’s and Bjorn’s anxiety in the lead up to the September 2021 press conference (and of course, the November release date).

I believe ‘the talent’ remains (amongst all four members) and is clearly evidenced throughout ‘Voyage’. My previous mention of it being a ‘pseudo best of retro-fest’ was not intended to be a negative criticism, only a reference to the album’s many derivative facets of their back catalogue, in the sense that individual tracks could have appeared on the likes of ‘ABBA’, ‘Arrival’, ‘The Album’, ‘Voulez-Vous’, ‘Super Trouper’ and ‘The Visitors’. Furthermore, I consider the quality of the songs/recordings to be on a par with their best material, hence alluding to a ‘greatest hits’ collection.

For the record, I adore ‘Voyage’ (each and every song) but also long for a significant artistic piece that hangs together as an album in the traditional sense, as per ‘The Visitors’, which speaks to me as a whole (verging on perfect, with the removal of “Two For The Price Of One” and the inclusion of “Should I Laugh Or Cry”).

What I’m hoping for is that all four members will be (or already have been) buoyed by what turned out to be a comfortable reconvening which (most importantly) in turn led to a fabulous set of tunes, followed by international acclaim and commercial success. Therefore, the impetus to create (one last time) might be burning within each member, enough to truly focus on making an album without distractions. Perhaps their own enforced ‘lockdown’ of sorts, which would mean Benny and Bjorn writing together (more like the old days), editing each other as they go for the sake of quality control, and the four members setting aside a period of 3-6 months to work alongside each other, uninterrupted and undeterred.
Benny and Bjorn spoke late last year of Agnetha’s and Frida’s major contributions to ‘Voyage’, not just as vocalists for hire but fully-fledged band members, able to influence the songs and album direction as it transpired. In an ideal world, a resolute commitment and dedication to an actual album, a cohesive set of songs that compliment each other musically and lyrically (as opposed to a set of disparate tracks written and recorded at intervals over a period of 4.5 years), may result in their finest work.

I long for progression when it comes to creating, not necessarily reflection (or imitation) of past glories, as effective as that may be on ‘Voyage’. I’m all for introspection and writing about their former relationships but I would prefer that any future recording transport us to a new frontier for ABBA, allowing for the discovery of something untapped by the collective four. When considering the trajectory of ‘The Visitors’, the 1982 recordings and elements of ‘Chess’, I do believe there is more to be mined, on an intellectual and innovative level. The ABBA-tars may be transporting us back in time, on the pretext of nostalgia, but I wish for the living, breathing members to go forth in a new age, curious and determined. Lofty aspirations I know, but I do believe they still have it in them.

I am in agreement with Alan. I can listen to HNY at any time of year because New Year doesn't conjure up strong images of glittery decorations (I always take mine down before New Year), wrapped presents, seasonal foods, indoor trees, snow (that we rarely get, touch wood) etc. It's simply a festival to mark renewal. Confetti and champagne are not specific to or even associated with New Year - they can be used in any celebration, especially weddings.

Having said that, it would have been wise to put HNY at the end of Side 1 of the ST album, allowing those people who didn't want to listen to it all year round to abort Side 1 early. For the same reason, if it had to be included on "Voyage", LT should have been track 5 for the benefit of vinyl listeners (it is easy enough for digital listeners to skip it wherever it is).

Superb post! I can't imagine that anything you've said would cause ill feeling? 

Your wish is brilliantly articulated. You've put that far better than I could. I said elsewhere that a new album might struggle to match Voyage for newsworthiness and (possibly) sales, but they've shown us they can still deliver the goods. If a new album came along and managed to match or better the quality of Voyage, that would be an amazing way to round things off: a tenth studio album, hopefully a tenth number one album (depending on where you live, I suppose). Like you say, having ticked so many boxes with Voyage, they could be completely free with a new set of songs. 

Regarding a new album,

It won't have the publicity of the announcement of Voyage and will probably sell a little less. I would expect it to be a huge commercial success and chartwise a number one.


I could envisage them having more non-relationship themes to songs as they did on some songs on both The Visitors and Voyage.

But let's have a reality check. Time is not on ABBA's side. Agneths turned 72 last month and Frida will be 77 this year. It took four and a half years to come up with Voyage. Yes, I know some delays with covid etc.

But there was a motivation for those first two songs - and an inspiration. I can't see what the motivation or inspiration for a new album.

Maybe those two unfinished songs get completed. Maybe even a brand new song. But I can't see an album.

No doubt some forum members will view my comments and "negativity" or "downbeat". But there you go. I say honest and realistic.

Finally, I feel grateful for the Voyage album and am happy with it on the whole. Now let ABBA go out on a creative and commercial - and final high, something that was sadly missing in 1982.

The unfinished business is complete. Thankyou ABBA.

They should complete those two tracks and release them as part of a Voyage deluxe edition this autumn. Benny should also finish Just Like That and just release it independently to shut us up. He has so much power.

I don't want any re-vamping of existing albums, so option 4 seems to be the way forward to me. But as discussed before, I don't think it should be Definitive Collection and more. It should be a more personal reflection by ABBA on their 50 years, with an effort to include non-singles and some rare tracks (like a live track from their 1977 tour that isn't "I Wonder").

Option 4 for me too. I don’t like the idea of tampering with old albums, even Gold and More Gold. The Definitive Collection was amended in order for a re-release as The Essential Collection, and I think both are deleted, so I’m happy for them to amend again. Neither of them did that well though. A third release of it (with another new name) would have to include a new or previously-unreleased track to get much interest.

There is certainly plenty of room… Essential added four songs purely because a promo video existed for each of them (Bang-A-Boomerang, That’s Me, One Man One Woman, Happy New Year). These can be removed again. Add three singles from Voyage and one new track. Little Things banned from it!

Regarding option 4

I would not include He is Your Brother or Love isn't Easy. They aren't very good and not hits in Norway/Sweden/Finland where they were released.

Also for similar reasons That's Me. A very minor Japanese hit.

The first 3 Voyage singles included and yep, Little Things to be banned.

In direct contrast to my previous post (promoting the virtues of a progressive, artistic endeavour as opposed to revisiting the past), I do long for newly recorded ABBA versions of the following Benny/Bjorn compositions:

"Just Like That" (ABBA original, not the Gemini atrocity)
"I Know Him So Well" (Chess)
"Heaven And Hell" (Josefin Nilsson)
"Story Of A Heart" (Benny Andersson Band)

I'm sure all of the above have been suggested multiple times on this forum (particularly "Just Like That") but apart from being strong compositions, they are undoubtedly reminiscent of the 'ABBA sound'. I do believe Agnetha and Frida could improve upon the released versions, potentially elevating them to 'classic' status. I would be interested in how their mature, present-day approach may imbue each song with greater complexity and pathos.

"I Can Be That Woman" hints at the vocal interplay present on "I Know Him So Well" and as much as I enjoyed the Chess version, Elaine and Barbara are no match for our ladies – their delivery is overly bombastic and self-conscious whereas ABBA would tackle this more intuitively, gently teasing out the poignancy of the lyric.
I’d even be up for Benny and Bjorn recycling the chorus of “One Night In Bangkok” – it’s utterly irresistible and instantly recognisable as an ABBA composition. I always (mistakenly) imagined hearing Frida in the mix and was somewhat amused years later to see her miming the chorus during a television performance of this track.

I’m fond of the ‘Shapes’ album even though it’s not entirely successful in its execution. Elements of each track demonstrate promise but they ultimately fall short. Josefin has an endearing quality to her voice but she leans a little to the anaemic side, whilst I believe our ladies could enrich the melodies with ease. I enjoy the pulsating rhythms and ominous production throughout, possessing an almost cinematic quality, but it’s also indicative of the 1980’s/’Chess’ era, despite being a mid-1990’s release.
I’ve always thought “Heaven And Hell” was custom-made for an Agnetha lead and with Frida’s harmonies, it could easily be transformed into a superior mid-tempo ABBA ballad. Even “High Hopes And Heartaches” shows promise but as an amusing aside, has anyone noticed that prior to the first two choruses (at 1:09 to 1:16 and 2:34 to 2:41 respectively), the melody is strangely similar to the chorus lead-in of Agnetha’s “Wraps Your Arms Around Me’ (“Just like the first time, I’m helpless again“)?

“Story Of A Heart” requires no explanation – it follows the consummate ABBA pop song blueprint and whilst I certainly rate the original (although once again, it’s a little mannered overall), there is no doubt that as an ABBA production, it would be primed for “Gold” inclusion. Not even Steps were able to completely destroy it so ABBA could nail this in their sleep. Truly worth consideration boys!

So in summing up, if the two ‘Voyage’ outtakes were completed and the aforementioned tracks were recorded, there’s half an album ready for serving. As stated previously, I strongly suspect there are more ‘leftovers’ from the ‘Voyage’ sessions, whether complete compositions or abandoned ideas, but whether Benny will see fit to use them or not is anybody’s guess. Of course, there are other known compositions/demos (see “ABBA Undeleted” and beyond) but as these were never deemed suitable for release at the time, they will likely stay that way (“Just A Notion” excepted).

johnny, I think I know what richard meant and it certainly wasn't directed against you. I'll give you an example. One of my classmates used to say that ABBA's music was BAD. I could have accepted if she said she DIDN'T LIKE it - it is a subjective feeling and perfectly understandable. But to say that it is BAD, when there are so many people, including professioanl musicians, who think the opposite, is "negative". 

BTW, I like some of the songs that you consider substandard - Two For The Price Of One or Under Attack.

Definitely No.4. Or even better - No.5 - a career retrospective box (like Thank You For The Music), with some more album tracks, rarities and unreleased tracks thrown in.