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Post by bjorenny on Feb 29, 2024 15:21:31 GMT
I'm wondering if anybody else wishes that certain ABBA tracks weren't faded out until a few seconds later due to the melody or production changing slightly in the last few seconds if you really whack up the volume (I'm thinking TDBYC and DQ to name but 2, although some versions fade out earlier than others depending on the master - SNC for example where there's an extra second and a half or so on some versions, although that's not one of the tracks that changes in its last few seconds). Sorry for being an ABBA geek, just wondered if anyone else remotely knows what I'm on about...
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Post by richard on Feb 29, 2024 18:05:37 GMT
Now and then I wish a song didn't have a fade: say what you want to say, musically and lyrically, and be done with it! And I think 'the fade' sometimes functions as a means of extending a track just for the sake of it - or a misplaced fear that it will seem too short otherwise. (I think some great pop songs of the past were barely over two minutes!)
Although it's not a big favourite of mine - I think the melody and arrangement lack the necessary wistfulness to match the overall theme of the song - Frida was adding some great vocal flourishes, imo, as Our Last Summer was fading out.
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Post by truedogz on Mar 1, 2024 8:26:06 GMT
One that gets brought up in places is Lay All Your Love On Me because of Benny's synth work towards the end. On youtube there are several excellent reconstructions that showcase his skills here. There are others with great stuff during the fadeout. As you have indicated Our Last Summer is one but others that come to mind are Tropical Loveland and Me and Bobby's Brother and those flourishes at the end are for me the highlights of those songs.
Apart from the fadeout, in other recordings I would love to hear isolated or more prominantly some instruments. Examples include the synth in Take A Chance and the marimba or xylophone in Knowing Me Knowing You.
These are a few that come to mind.
I am enjoying listening on youtube to some of the improved Dolbi atmos versions of tracks from the Voyage album. I think there is a growing concensus that the mixing has affected its quality. While Voyage is still not my favourite album listening to the ehanced harmonies and instruments in songs like I Still Have Faith In You has certainly improved my opinion.
A signature of ABBA's recordings is you can hear so much in the background that hooks you in, both vocals and instruments. Voyage is the one occaision where they failed in this aspect as far as I am concerned which reduced its impact on me. The people on youtube with their improved mixes I think are enhacing the status of the album and doing the band a favour.
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Post by HOMETIME on Mar 1, 2024 10:25:30 GMT
I think it's surprising that vocal ad libs don't feature on more ABBA tracks. The ones mentioned so far seem to have Frida cutting loose a bit. I wonder if that might be inspired by her interest in soul music? Even so, it happened a bit too rarely. Tracks like Voulez-Vous, LAYLOM, SNC, OAOAO could have been interesting opportunities for that kind of looseness and spontaneity? Maybe?
Fade endings really seem to have gone out of fashion. JAN kind of sticks out on Voyage for being the only one there. I'd love if some of the older tracks had natural endings. In some cases, it might have extended the song rather than shorten it. I could happily listen to an extra section of TDBYC that made the most of that synth/vocalising interplay and led to a proper conclusion. Chiquitita could have had a gorgeously elongated instrumental coda and natural ending too. The acapella ending that they stitched on to TACOM for a German TV performance shows how neatly things can be tied up. In this case, it brings the song full circle, with acapella intro and outro.
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Post by richard on Mar 1, 2024 11:43:23 GMT
I agree with the comments of truedogz and HOMETIME about the Voyage album. For me, the album has a suggestion of incompleteness and an abrupt feel about it - almost a rushed quality, even. Maybe, in this case, it's the lack of fades on the album that gives me this impression? |
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Post by HOMETIME on Mar 1, 2024 17:20:17 GMT
Rather than fade endings, I'd like if some of the Voyage arrangements could be expanded, given room to breathe. The album feels a bit short.
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Post by bjorenny on Mar 1, 2024 17:38:30 GMT
When You Danced With Me is definitely too short, and the video mix of Little Things makes that track longer and (slightly) more festive.
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Post by lamont on Mar 1, 2024 19:26:02 GMT
One that always irks me is I Let The Music Speak, the fader comes in way too early in the final seconds.
I agree that the video version of Little Things should’ve been on the album.
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