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Post by evilincarnate on Oct 7, 2023 6:10:57 GMT
My feeling is that the tide has turned somewhat. I've seen mostly positive feedback about these two new versions and I can add to that. I was pleasantly surprised. I like them both a lot. I've given it some thought and although my criticism stands about what I feel is overuse of vocoder I get that it's the 'thing' of the moment and has been for quite time. It's a specific effect used for that very purpose and it's not, as someone else pointed out, as if ABBA didn't utilise vocal effects back in the day. I'm trying to be as open minded as possible while also not denying that my personal preference would be to hear Agnetha's voice as tamper-free as possible. But the music, the groove of these two new mixes, I'm absolutely down for. I just pray the vocoder doesn't come out on every single track. I'm hoping Bubble and Past Forever don't fall victim to (imo) overprocessed vocal tampering. We'll know before too long anyway. I concur with your comments Joseph. These new versions of "Dance Your Pain Away" and "Perfume In The Breeze" are actually kinda groovy and much to my surprise, sound quite retro despite the more modern effects applied, autotune 'n' all. I'm still not keen on the 'reimagined' version of "I Should've Followed You Home", which in my opinion, detracts from what was actually a lovely song the first time around. Whilst I've never been a fan of Mr Barlow, I always thought their voices blended well and that Agnetha's gorgeous tone was highlighted by the union. The opening lines sill move me, but the 2023 version is a little on the dull side and seems to curtail the hooks-aplenty present in the original. I stress this is just my subjective view and obviously does not minimise other people's enjoyment of the newer take. Shifting gears for a moment, I'm still quite taken aback by the comparatively organic sounding production choices present on ABBA's 'Voyage' album. Whilst there might be a little 'tinkering' here and there, I believe Benny favoured a more natural sound this time around - 40 years down the track!  There was much vocal manipulation back in the day, especially between 1979 and 1982, so 'Voyage' demonstrates Benny's evolving tastes during the intervening years. I definitely favour the 'rawer' approach, if you can call it that, but it does amuse me that given the advancing years, Benny and Bernard Löhr had sufficient technology at their disposal to make both Agnetha and Frida sound much younger if they had so chosen. I think the 'bangers' many casual fans were longing for could have been delivered with ease if vocal manipulation had been employed - cue the likes of "Voulez-Vous", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!", "Angeleyes" and "The Visitors" - but this was clearly not their intention. The various fan remixes of "Don't Shut Me Down"' and "Keep An Eye On Dan" (easily found on Youtube for instance) generally picked up the pace and were more akin to the 1970's vibe that many people are nostalgic for, but this was not the version of ABBA they wanted to present at this stage. That said, I would be interested in authorised remixes of some 'Voyage' tracks, especially as presumably there would be access to additional track parts. Circling back to 'A+', I hope "Bubble" isn't overly messed with - it is a beautiful track in its original form and I can't imagine a 'dance' version but you never know... Perhaps an orchestral version might be the order of the day? Anyway, I'm anticipating 'A+' more eagerly than before and that's a positive thing. I will adore Agnetha forever no matter what the case. XXX |
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Post by joseph on Oct 7, 2023 9:29:16 GMT
Vocal manipulation, that's the phrase I was looking for! Thanks Phil.
I must say I haven't listened to the new version of ISHFIY as much and I don't think the original can be bettered. You summed up how I feel perfectly: I'm not a fan of Gary Barlow but their voices did blend well together and the song is lovely. I hear people say how awesome he is, how amazing that he got Agnetha to perform on stage again after umpteen years but although I get it, HE didn't do that, Agnetha did. Yes, she's a sensitive, quiet person but she does what she wants to do. Also, getting up on stage at Heaven to a load of screaming, boiling, hysterical sweaty-obsessed 😆 gays? Um, hello?! Agnetha did that. Kudos to her.
Shifting gear a bit, I heard Matt Pop's mix of Kylie's Padam Padam and it's a banger lol funny word He could do things with Agnetha's songs that would get the gays all hot and sweaty. And what happened to the Freemasons and Soundfactory people? God, I loved those Soundfactory mixes of WYWITR so much! I danced my little butt off to those back in the mid-noughties when I had something resembling a physique. Happy days.
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Post by Alan on Oct 7, 2023 10:13:52 GMT
Someone’s already separated the vocals for the A+ version of I Should’ve Followed You Home:
Perfume In The Breeze:
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Post by Henry on Oct 9, 2023 14:14:56 GMT
A+ is album of the week on BBC radio 2!
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Post by Henry on Oct 10, 2023 16:33:09 GMT
A+: Back on your radio has become an anthem. When you really.....trip inspired beats. Past forever: a pulsing synth line adding an entire new dimension. Bubble: faithful to the original.
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Post by Tinneke on Oct 12, 2023 6:54:10 GMT
A German fan has written a review on abba.de forum. Just as good as A or even better. A modern and beautiful album Except for the duet en When you really loved someone. Vocoder is not dominating the songs.
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Post by Henry on Oct 12, 2023 21:15:45 GMT
On you tube Bobby's brother has a fantastic interview with Jorgen Elofsson. We get to know Agnetha as a person and artist real well. Wonderfull.
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Post by Henry on Oct 12, 2023 22:45:42 GMT
What a wonderful album! Love the sax in bubble. Back on your radio is much better! Past forever is better; not so sugary. LOVE it!
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Post by AdamDawson2003 on Oct 12, 2023 23:33:58 GMT
I have listened to entire A+ and I much prefer the original A album all the songs sound a million times better in their original form I do not in anyway dislike A+ but I do adore 'Where Do We Go From Here'.
The new remixes of the songs have ruined the original songs I would have preferred a Deluxe version of the 2013 version with 'Where Do We Go From Here' and the Orchestral version of 'I Was A Flower' as bonus tracks which would have been a much better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original album.
Dance Your Pain Away is about Agnetha telling her female who has just discovered her boyfriend in the restroom with another woman to forget all her worries and dance to get over him and I much prefer the 2013 version to this new version.
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Post by AlexAlex on Oct 13, 2023 0:00:13 GMT
Honestly it’s very disappointing… most of the originals are way better; WYRLS has been massacred… and the rest just seems way too lite vocally, with tinny production at times… The standouts for me on A+ are DYPA (better), PITB (better), IWAF/PF/TOWLYK (an alternate version neither better or worse), the rest… just forgettable; and the Gary Barlow duets sucks big time; original much better… Such a shame; no fault of Agnetha; she deserved better, but this production rework is very patchy…
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 13, 2023 2:38:12 GMT
I'm not sure what I expected from the album... I hope it's a grower. Here are my initial impressions.
I've softened slightly on WDWGFH. Still mid-ranking though.
Back On Your Radio is the best thing here by a mile. The reworking gives the track energy and zest. The original left me cold, but this is great.
The duet is an absolute mess.
Dance Your Pain Away is an improvement on the flimsy original and is probably my second favorite. I like the Dua Lipa bassline on the outro.
I Was A Flower and Perfume work slightly better than the originals but still not heart-grabbers for me.
Past Forever is the very best song of the set - Carole Bayer Sager is a superb writer - but this version sounds like a cover version by an Erasure tribute band (I hope that makes sense). This was my absolute favourite on the original album and while I'm not writing this version off, I might need more time with it to be sure how I feel. The bass figure kinda works but the synth line on top swamps the vocals a bit.
I never liked The One Who Loves You Now. I think the new version tries to go a little easier with the syrup but the electronic percussion is obtrusive and annoying. It sounds like a Casio keyboard.
Bubble is another improvement, though. It's another track that I cared little for first time around. This new version sounds more intimate. Like many of the tracks, it's steeped in late 90s/early noughties sounds. Third fave, I think.
WYRLS is awful. Maybe I'd feel differently about it if I hadn't heard and liked the original.
And finally, IKTOTFBMB doesn't stray far from the original. It's neither bettered nor worsened (but I'd cheerfully strangle that git whistling like a deranged milkman).
Elofsson said something recently to the effect that Agnetha's voice was "holy" and that he approached the vocal tracks carefully. Really? While her vocals are all heavily filtered/processed, they feel thinner somehow and have to do unnecessary battle with the instruments across many tracks. I think I like roughly the same percentage of this album as I did with the original - it's just that my affection has shifted to different songs. The project feels a bit like an experiment - and to be fair to the PR, it is kinda framed that way. It may take a while to get used to. It looks like huge sums of money have been thrown at promoting the set, so I hope that Agnetha is fulfilled and satisfied at the very least.
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Post by Henry on Oct 13, 2023 6:33:10 GMT
Past forever is so good now. Janne Schaffer on electric guitar.
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Post by Henry on Oct 13, 2023 6:37:23 GMT
God the sax on bubble is out of this world!
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Post by Henry on Oct 13, 2023 6:42:55 GMT
The whistling on I keep them on the floor...love it
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Post by Henry on Oct 13, 2023 7:12:41 GMT
and boys and girls Back on your radio is single material!
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Post by johnny on Oct 13, 2023 7:37:53 GMT
I like roughly the same percentage of this album as I did with the original - it's just that my affection has shifted to different songs. The project feels a bit like an experiment - and to be fair to the PR, it is kinda framed that way. I haven't heard this revamp yet. But my instinct is people will roughly like it - or not, the same as the original with perhaps a slight shift in song preferences. Yes, the project does seem experimental. |
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Post by Alan on Oct 13, 2023 9:20:55 GMT
Dance Your Pain Away is about Agnetha telling her female who has just discovered her boyfriend in the restroom with another woman to forget all her worries and dance to get over him… Er… it’s actually about a man that’s been cheated on by his boyfriend. It’s not explicitly stated in the lyrics but all the clues are there. Not many women go into men’s toilets do they? Or vice-versa. Not sure what gender Agnetha’s character is meant to be but could be any. Jörgen did it deliberately to appeal to the gay audience, but it was a bit patronising/condescending (and applying several stereotypes in the process). I’m warming to this project a bit. Some versions I like more than others. Her vocals are intact (if processed) but some of the backing tracks seem very generic and doing their own thing at times. I’m seeing it now as simply an alternative way of hearing the songs. The originals are still there and, indeed, very much still part of this project as they’re included in physical releases of both vinyl and CD configurations. I guess it’s a case of, if you like the new versions then great, if you don’t, the old album remains. No harm done. |
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Post by Alan on Oct 13, 2023 11:02:36 GMT
The duet is an absolute mess. Past Forever is the very best song of the set - Carole Bayer Sager is a superb writer - but this version sounds like a cover version by an Erasure tribute band (I hope that makes sense). The duet is definitely the worst. As I said before, there seems to be more of him than her on it. There are fewer pop stars I hate more than I do him, and that colours my thinking, but the original was more sufferable and worked far better. On the subject of Erasure, I always thought the outro of the original When You Really Loved Someone sounded like something Erasure would have done in the 80s. At least that’s gone on the new version. |
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Post by Henry on Oct 13, 2023 11:59:40 GMT
A+ is sold out at my recordstore already
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Post by Alan on Oct 13, 2023 12:18:00 GMT
A+ is sold out at my recordstore already Which store is that? I ordered a bundle from the official store but I got an email the other day to say that supplies won’t be arriving at their facility until today, so my order is delayed. I half-expected this as similar happened with Voyage and seems to almost be the norm now. I went a bit overboard with purchases, with the clear vinyl, picture disc, single CD and the “free” CD single. At times I thought about cancelling but decided to stick with it. |
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Post by joseph on Oct 13, 2023 17:28:02 GMT
I forgot to preorder so I popped into HMV on my way home and bought A+. The sales assistant turned out to be a proper ABBA fan! Really. We had a great chat. She loves Agnetha and was talking about Voyage and the "third voice" and Frida saying how good Agnetha is at story telling. It was lovely. Anyway, I want the crystal clear album, it looks fantastic.
It's too early to give my definitive thoughts on the album (it's still in the cellophane) but I've heard a few tracks on YouTube and it's way too early to say a great deal. Back On Your Radio is an absolute cracker though! Works like a dream. At this time, I prefer the original version of WYRLS. Regarding positive vs negative feedback...it appears to be 50/50 but as usual there are idiots saying it's "garbage" and then freaking out when challenged: "It's my opinion!" Oh, shut up. You're just being a negative troll so sit down. Then there are those who just adore it all. That's fans for ya. I daresay I'll like and even really love a fair few of the reimagined songs but I'm not afraid to say if two or more don't float my boat.
I definitely need time to hear it properly many more times but in the meantime I'd say it was pretty much a success and the Negative Nancys can just get in the bin. And before anyone starts, I'm not talking about someone being sane and reasonable in expressing their criticism, positive or negative, I mean those spouting clear hate. It's transparent as hell.
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 13, 2023 17:47:31 GMT
After a few more listens, I think I might be ready to stitch together a hybrid album/playlist with the best of both versions. I don't think the new versions are so radically different that the old and new will sound especially odd side by side. It's never been a favourite album, but maybe the best of both might elevate it?
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Post by joseph on Oct 13, 2023 18:25:29 GMT
Aww how lovely:  |
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Post by Alan on Oct 13, 2023 18:27:56 GMT
Info shamelessly nicked from a post in the PopJustice topic on this album, but of some interest:
“Some info from the listening party in London, followed by q&a with Jörgen:
- Agnetha had the original idea of “what would this album sound like today?” and approached Jörgen about it.
- Jörgen then went into his studio and with a young engineer who deconstructed all the original tracks, and Jörgen re-worked them. He started “Back On Your Radio” first and sent it to Agnetha. She loved it and gave her go-ahead for the whole project.
- Agnetha approved all the re-workings and made suggestions, such as on “Bubble”, A said you could hear her too much (WHAT!?), so they added the sax.
- Agnetha was only in the studio to record her vocals for “Where Do We Go From Here?”, which she did in 1 very hot day in summer 2022.
- Jörgen described Agnetha as a total pro in the studio, always on time and always professional, with no drama. He said she does get very nervous and always says “I don’t know if I can do this?”, but then she tries and the ideas just come pouring out of her. Jörgen said he felt Agnetha deserved a writing credit on ABBA albums because of the work she does on the tracks.”
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 13, 2023 20:02:20 GMT
Apart from the detail about the recording of the new song, that reads (almost verbatim) like the Elofsson interview in the current Retropop magazine. I think the PR must have made a comprehensive package of soundbite-style info available to all of their targets. Even the album review in Retropop reads like a press release - which puts it slightly at odds with the middling 3-star rating.
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Post by Alan on Oct 13, 2023 20:45:12 GMT
I think the PR must have made a comprehensive package of soundbite-style info available to all of their targets. Even the album review in Retropop reads like a press release - which puts it slightly at odds with the middling 3-star rating. This is why I dislike PR and much of the media these days. It’s difficult to know what’s real and what isn’t. I strongly suspect that much of the over-the-top positives on YouTube and the like are not real people like you or I but put there by the record company and her PR people. However, that would be the case generally and not just with Agnetha or this album so I’m certainly not singling her out. That does, of course, mean I’m assuming the negative stuff comes from genuine, real people as there’s no PR reason for planting such stuff. I don’t know if that’s necessarily the correct assumption either though! |
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Post by johnny on Oct 14, 2023 8:34:02 GMT
I think you are bring a bit cynical, Alan.
There are some fans who are just sychophantic and can see nothing but wonder in anything their favourite artist does.
These are a small section of fans but large section of fans on Social Media. It is like that generally on Social Media,isn't it?
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Post by Alan on Oct 14, 2023 8:54:04 GMT
There are some fans who are just sychophantic Well, yes, you’re definitely right there of course. And afraid to say anything remotely negative as, to them, it would be a betrayal. Anyway, at least Agnetha herself appears to be immune from media manipulation. That interview with The Guardian was incredibly open and honest. Kate Bush said in 1989, “A large part of this [show]business is so false, isn't it?” She wasn’t wrong. And it’s far worse now in that respect than it was then. Anyway, I’ve posted a fair bit on this so I should probably follow Agnetha’s example and stay quiet! |
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Post by BAAB on Oct 14, 2023 11:04:38 GMT
I like the A+ album, I just think it appears in a wrong season of the year, because the production has some Summer breezy, chilly vibes, perfect for being played in a bar on Mykonos Island.
For me, it's a bargain, I bought the clear vinyl version because I wanted to buy the original A vinyl, but it is nowhere to be found at a price lower than 100 Euros now!
So for 35 Euros,I get the original A plus new versions of all songs (some I like more than the original version) plus a new song.
Nothing more, nothing less. Wonderful!
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 14, 2023 11:51:01 GMT
There are some fans who are just sychophantic Well, yes, you’re definitely right there of course. And afraid to say anything remotely negative as, to them, it would be a betrayal. Anyway, at least Agnetha herself appears to be immune from media manipulation. That interview with The Guardian was incredibly open and honest. Kate Bush said in 1989, “A large part of this [show]business is so false, isn't it?” She wasn’t wrong. And it’s far worse now in that respect than it was then.Anyway, I’ve posted a fair bit on this so I should probably follow Agnetha’s example and stay quiet! In some respects, I think it might possibly be slightly better than it was. For all that we live in an era of (social) media misinformation and disinformation, stars seem more willing and able to correct their mentions in the media. Equally, many stars are willing participants in building myths and generating the kind of hype that will get them column inches and viral content. Looking at media like Retropop, I think they probably have few enough writers and end up paraphrasing what PR companies have given them because they're time-poor. Plus, open criticism could cut off access to the bigger names that they need to make them seem important. So Kate is right: showbiz is fake and shallow because it's built on appealing to a fickle and often irrational public. Like Johnny says, the sycophants are everywhere. They're so pitiably obvious that you kind of have to watch their "contributions" through your fingers. They've always been around, they always will be. Some are affectionately harmless. Others act like bad-tempered brats when the object of their devotion faces anything less than adulation and then wonder why nobody plays nicely with them (and the other names they post under, thinking nobody has twigged their genius strategy). Agnetha is lucky in some respects here. Sure, BMG (and/or her own team) have clearly emptied the swear jar for this campaign, but her status is an unbuyable factor. And she seems pretty shrewd in her timing. In this century, she has been clever in coinciding with key anniversaries/events. That's great business acumen. While this campaign will have a paid-for timespan, you can be certain that the project's fortunes will naturally be elevated by next year's anniversary events, with mentions in virtually every article. Brava, Agnetha! |
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