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Post by johnny on May 7, 2024 20:31:05 GMT
I never was a big fan of this album. I felt it was a let down after The Album. But it has grown on me and is now, while not my favourite, the one I play the most.
Ranked in order (bonus tracks in brackets)
( ) Summer Night City
1. As Good as New
2. Kisses of Fire
3. If it Wasn't For the Nights
4. Voulez Vous
5. Chiquitita
( ) Gimme Gimme Gimme
6. Angel Eyes
7. Lovers (Live a Little Longer)
( ) Lovelight
8. The King Has Lost His Crown
9. I Have a Dream
10. Does Your Mother Know
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Post by bjorenny on May 7, 2024 21:27:09 GMT
Perfection for me, either as the original album tracklisting or the bonus track version. IHAD and Lovelight my least favourites, whilst Angeleyes, AGAN, IIWFTN, GGG, Chiquitita & SNC my favourites.
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Post by angela on May 8, 2024 6:02:23 GMT
I bought this album with my work experience money when I was 15 years old.
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Post by gary on May 8, 2024 7:37:58 GMT
I echo Johnny’s comment. I’ve given it four stars, which, as with the Super Trouper album, means I like it a lot but it’s not quite top-notch ABBA. It has certainly stood the test of time though. Frida got the short end of the stick on this one!
1 If It Wasn’t For The Nights
2 Chiquitita
3 Kisses Of Fire
4 As Good As New
5 Angeleyes
6 Does Your Mother Know
7 Lovers (Live A Little Longer)
8 Voulez-Vous
9 I Have A Dream
10 The King Has Lost His Crown
I’d rate Summer Night City more highly than any of those. Gimme Gimme Gimme and Lovelight would be low down.
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Post by foreverfan on May 8, 2024 9:02:35 GMT
Probably my favourite album over all, as we know full of hit and potential hit singles couldn't go wrong really, even the traditional non single tracks fit perfectly ( GGG is a hybrid really, between VV and ST, personally ).
The only small fly in the ointment for me is Lovers, just can't get to like it. I'm ok now with IHAD and C, both have grown on me. TKHLHC, good track but dare I say the MATT pop mix was better, shock horror..( don't think it's on you tube anymore).
AGAN full single potential and as for KOF, it deserved to be at least double A side...
So because of Lovers a very solid 4.5...
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Post by lamont on May 8, 2024 9:06:04 GMT
Not a fan of this album, which is really odd as it seems to be a fan favourite, I would have to struggle to remember how the album runs from track to track!
I like most of the singles (not VV though.) Angeleyes is top drawer, as is the other singles, I really like IHAD too, especially the Spanish version. The other tracks not so: I don’t get the love for IIWFTN or any other album track really. I’ll say 3* unfortunately.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 8, 2024 9:11:35 GMT
Voulez-Vous was a special album to me from the beginning. It was the first ABBA album that I was properly able to anticipate. I'd fallen in love with Arrival and its hits in 1977, and The Album followed soon after. I used my savings to buy both albums on the same day. I discovered the ABBA Magazine by chance in a local newsagents. Charlie Wossname's articles about his visit to Stockholm were fascinating, and the titles mentioned just lodged in my brain. The King Has Lost His Crown. Lovelight. Just A Notion. And... Love Is Live A Little Longer, as Charlie reported it. Summer Night City was the first single I ever bought without first having heard it. Its slightly harder edge even had a few of the boys in school muttering positively. The Mike Yarwood performances. The UNICEF performance. Chiquitita and its brilliant B-side. ABBA In Switzerland. The surprise of DYMK being so different to the track I had learned from the TV special. It was a brilliant build up. The only blip on my 15 year-old radar was the divorce: I didn't dwell too much on what it might mean for the future of ABBA.
So when I handed £4.99 to the cashier in Golden Discs and caught the first bus home, I was as giddy as you could possibly get. I spent the bus journey home poring over the cover and inner sleeve. The photo was fabulous. The wrestler belts aside, ABBA looked amazing. (I hated that they printed what should have been a hype sticker directly on the sleeve, mind you).
The album oozes glamour. From the cover photo right through to the last note on the record. The themes are generally more positive than on any other album. The lyrics are decent. The hooks are numerous and immense. I have my favourite tracks - the number one track has held its position since May 1979. Other tracks have shifted position multiple times. While I have a bunch of tracks I can readily rank, the ones after that are genuinely hard for me to rank. I actually like them all. Adding the bonus tracks into the equation makes it harder. While their addition to the CD turns it into a veritable Greatest Hits, I'm reasonably precious about the album itself.
If you hadn't guessed, Voulez-Vous gets five stars from me (ideally peeled from the girls' awful belts on the sleeve).
An attempted ranking:
1. If It Wasn't For The Nights - as it was, it is, and ever shall be. That string arrangement!
2. Angeleyes - this used to be way down the rankings, but John Grant/The Czars revealed the glory of this song for me. Another brilliant string arrangement.
3. Voulez-Vous. It still sounds fresh and vital, 45 years on.
> Summer Night City. I wasn't expecting such a ballsy track at the time. It wears its age very well. I love the arabesque synth and the Frida/Bjorn vocal pairing in the pre-chorus.
4. Lovers (Live A Little Longer). This also used to be way down the list, but hearing the arrangement pulled apart on various YouTube videos has exposed its cleverness. It's not a million miles from being a Dua Lipa track. Love the slightly sinister string arrangement and Frida's sultry/playful lead vocal.
5. As Good As New. That intro. That joyful chorus, and Agnetha's zesty lead. That ending.
> Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! Iconic intro. The guitar figure and that superb synth riff are sublime. Great lead and powerful third-voice chorus. The interlude - which is pretty elegant, actually - should have been cut for 7" release and kept/extended for 12" release, IMO.
6. The King Has Lost His Crown. That dreamy intro and the soft smokiness of the lead vocal are just gorgeous.
7-10. I Have A Dream; Does Your Mother Know; Chiquitita; Kisses Of Fire, Lovelight. This is where I struggle. I like all of these songs but simply can't call a least favourite. In the early days, Kisses Of Fire was right up there, but it started to sound a bit tinny to me in more recent years. Does Your Mother Know has probably always been in the lower echelons for me, but I've grown to love the intro and the verve of the arrangement. The ballads have yo-yo'd for me. I gather I'm supposed to dismiss IHAD, but that's not happening. I was obsessed with Lovelight from the moment I flipped the single, but it probably settles among this final set by virtue of sounding a little out of kilter with the other uptempo tracks.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 8, 2024 9:14:01 GMT
Not a fan of this album, which is really odd as it seems to be a fan favourite [...] For quite a long time, this album actually took a fair amount of flak on the various forums. It seems to have managed to redeem itself in more recent years. |
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Post by gary on May 8, 2024 10:13:30 GMT
I don’t remember a hype ‘sticker’ being printed on Voulez-Vous. But looking at my vinyl copy, it’s a US copy, so maybe that’s why. I didn’t like the car competition ‘sticker’ being printed on Super Trouper though. That oozed lack of class.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 8, 2024 10:24:58 GMT
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Post by gary on May 8, 2024 13:21:48 GMT
Oh yes. I have seen that, of course. Not good.
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Post by eddie on May 8, 2024 16:02:48 GMT
I can remember buying a copy of " Voulez-Vous " from Asda back in 1979 and I kept playing it. I loved it.
My ranking as fo;;ows,
13. " Does Your Mother Know " My least favourite. I don't particularly like it and always skip this song. Not a classic at all.
12. " I Have A Dream " A rousing ballad alas too " sickly sweet " for my liking. Another I tend to avoid.
11. " Lovers ( Live A Little Longer ) " Unfortunately I never could warm to this track. A little too rowdy.
10. " Summer Night City " I must admit I hold a love/hate relationship with this one. However, I seldom listen to it. The extended version is better. If the song was transformed into a ballad than I would grow to like it a lot more.
9. " The King Has Lost His Crown " Overall not bad at all. Frida's lead is very sultry and I love the way Agnetha joins in for the chorus.
8. " Voulez-Vous " A disco belter. A great tune.
7. " Lovelight " A very catchy song which is overlooked.
6. " Angeleyes " Very Motownesque. I appreciate this energy packed number a lot more these days. Slightly more than " Voulez-Vous.
5. " As Good As New " Love Agnetha's zestful vocals. A classic ABBA earworm !
4. " Chiquitita " This is such a beautiful song. Lush harmonies, a powerful chorus ending in an unforgettable foot stomping piano outro from Benny. An impeccable slice of pop perfection.
3. " Kisses Of Fire " An absolute favourite of mine. A faint lead vocal from Agnetha quickly explodes into a " dynamite " chorus. Love it !
2. " If It Wasn't For The Nights " One of my all-time ABBA favourites. A disco titan. Slick, polished and sophisticated. Great !
1. " Gimme Gimme Gimme ( A Man After Midnight ) ". A disco classic in every sense. Love every part of this superb song. Excellent.
It does bring back memories for me. A wonderful album.
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Post by eddie on May 8, 2024 16:04:36 GMT
Can you spot the deliberate mistake, for the very observant of you the word " follows " has been punctuated. A slip of the finger hitting the keyboard.
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Post by Alan on May 8, 2024 16:52:16 GMT
Oh yes. I have seen har, of course. Not good. It’s never bothered me. The design of the sleeve allows for it, it’s not intruding on anything important. Later copies had an actual sticker on the other side advertising the inclusion of I Have A Dream. I agree about the Super Trouoer one though, that one is tacky. The competition closed at the end of 1980 but the thousands of surviving copies are stuck with it for eternity. |
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Post by eddie on May 8, 2024 17:35:15 GMT
" You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink " ! I must be getting older. I have completely forgotten to award " Voulez-Vous " 5/5 from me.
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Post by clumsylikeaclown on May 8, 2024 19:32:39 GMT
I rounded it up to 5 stars just due to the sheer quantity of amazing songs on it. In reverse order...
10. Lovers (Live A Little Longer) - Experimental, fun in its own right, just not quite as strong as the rest of the album
9. Kisses Of Fire - A great disco track in most respects, but the mixing on the first verse being off brings it down
8. The King Has Lost His Crown - Love the sarcastic lead vocals by Frida here
7. Does Your Mother Know - Bjorn's best lead vocal, great fun
6. Voulez-Vous - Pure infectious disco energy, love it
5. As Good as New - Addictive, could've easily been a single if they'd wanted
4. Chiquitita - Sentimental but gloriously so, tender vocals, pure comfort
3. I Have A Dream - anthem of hope and joy, I recall the lyrics to myself all the time
2. If It Wasn't For The Nights - DEFINITELY should have been a single, fabulous all round
1. Angeleyes - Pop perfection
And if I'm allowed to include the three 'bonus tracks' also, I'd slot Lovelight between Voulez-Vous and Does Your Mother Know, Summer Night City just after Does Your Mother Know, and Gimme Gimme Gimme narrowly (very narrowly...) behind If It Wasn't For The Nights.
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Post by Michal on May 18, 2024 16:39:37 GMT
4 and half stars for me. Probably my second most-favourite ABBA album (but Arrival or The Visitors may take the spot any time). The only weak moment for me is I Have A Dream. It contains one of my all time favourites - Angeleyes. And I absolutely love the two tracks that are usually not fan favourites - Lovers and The King Has Lost His Crown.
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Post by jchanabbafan on May 30, 2024 11:33:51 GMT
Love the album cover and the overall design concept.
1 Angeleyes - pop perfection
2 Kisses Of Fire - still love it but cut off the first verse - that's better !
3 If It Wasn’t For The Nights - various shortened mixes all work well
4 Chiquitita - love it - would love to hear '..Rosalita/ one day
5 As Good As New - but jerky - cut out the 'my, my, my...' and it improves
6 The King Has Lost His Crown - great sultry vocal from Frida
7 Does Your Mother Know - Bjorn at his best
8 I Have A Dream - twee but still a great recording
9 Voulez-Vous - never warmed to it - good vocals though
10 Lovers (Live A Little Longer) - too screechy - in my bottom 5
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Post by eddie on Jun 3, 2024 16:39:24 GMT
" Voulez- Vous " receives five stars.
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Post by rickyrocknroller on Sept 7, 2024 22:11:12 GMT
"Voulez-Vous" for me feels like the rewarding result after striving to play along with the very top of international disco pop. With all of the effort that went in it - the many 1978 outtakes, the Bahamas writing trip, the Miami recording session - it's like they're constantly and eagerly upleveling to get there, and they succeeded. From "Super Trouper" onwards, I feel as if there's an overall more relaxed spirit. Carl Magnus Palm rightly commented on the sexually charged lyrics on the "Voulez-Vous" album. It's known that "If It Wasn't For The Nights" is autobiographically influenced by Björn's divorce with Agnetha, but in fact many of the songs reflect the state of being newly single (AGAN), going looking (VV, DYMK, even JAN) and sexual frustration (TKHLHC) or fulfillment (L(LALL), KOF). There's a new adult and also personal tone to it. I rate it 5/5. 1. Chiquitita - It would take a really extraordinary song to relegate "Dream World" and "If It Wasn't For The Nights" from being the first single off "Voulez-Vous", and "Chiquitita" is. It's also the first long song that didn't get edited for single release like "Eagle" and, yes, "Summer Night City" just before, and they were right about it. The song, from the guitar intro to the outro that became a surprise TikTok trend lately, is round and perfect, with beauty and sparkle in all parts of it. A timeless classic that still keeps moving me. 2. Voulez-Vous - to me, the pinnacle of ABBA's disco efforts, it's so strong 3. The King Has Lost His Crown - really underrated and a hidden gem. Love the calm and down-toned verses to get dramatically contrasted, very cleverly written and arranged. 4. Does Your Mother Know - yay! Björn's standout ABBA vocal. 5. If It Wasn't For The Nights - just excellent. Really like the Japan version as well, it's somewhat groovier. 6. Angeleyes - enchanting 7. I Have A Dream - I actually do like it quite a lot. For me, it's a song about hope and faith, and a lovely tune. I'm not keen on the children's choir either though, which makes the Spanish version a pleasant listen. 8. Kisses Of Fire - perfect disco pop, effective album closer 9. As Good As New - this repeats the success of the "Arrival" album, opening with a light and bright, captivating pop song, but still leaving a little room for the stunner in track 2 to build on 10. Lovers (Live A Little Longer) - still a positive rating at #10, these drums and guitars rock and those vocals slay, very elegant strings also. It's a little challenging a listen with its dissonances though. |
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Post by clumsylikeaclown on Sept 8, 2024 20:35:00 GMT
Gotta be 5 stars. Easily the most danceable ABBA album and a great one to make housework that little bit less boring!
If It Wasn't For The Nights, Chiquitita, I Have A Dream, Angeleyes and As Good As New are all absolutely fantastic.
Does Your Mother Know and Voulez-Vous aren't quite on the same level but are still an immense joy to listen to.
The King Has Lost Its Crown is delicious in its sarcasm, a true hidden gem, hence why I borrowed part of it for my username.
Kisses of Fire could have been great, but that too quiet mixing on the first verse spoils it a little.
Lovers (Live A Little Longer) is a nice experiment but not on the same level as the others.
All in all not a single bad track on it and several absolute gems to enjoy.
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