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Post by maxisaxi on Oct 23, 2016 21:59:30 GMT
I seem to be lucky I managed to get number 50/500 off the ABBA SINGLE HAPPY NEW YEAR as well also a low number of the Frida Box set as well
Maxisaxi
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Post by chron on Oct 24, 2016 1:17:16 GMT
I'm happy I RECIEVED MINE A FEW DAYS AGO. Box set 000006 Only eight away from 000014 :-( Numerical commiserations. |
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Post by wombat on Oct 24, 2016 13:45:31 GMT
But again, you're suggesting Abba do what other bands do, and it doesnt work like that. In the first place, Pink Floyd has Dave Gilmour doing hi profile tours where he plays a bunch of Pink Floyd; Paul McCartney does the same thing with the Beatles songs, and Fleetwood Mac is a current recording and touring band. These artists have good reason to mine their back catalogue, as they are currently performing it[...] I don't basically disagree with you. I'm keeping the debate going partly to help try and prevent this forum becoming the Agnetha Faltskog Internet Photo Archive, and also to go out to bat a bit for those who repeatedly shell out their hard-earned on every ABBA release, even though I'm not one of them (my collection of ABBA stuff is paltry by any standard - I only own a few of the studio albums, and don't care about collecting picture discs or coloured vinyl. There's too little time and too much good contemporary music being put out to keep up with all the re-releases by oldie bands as well). You do wonder how many more tours McCartney and Gilmour and Fleetwood Mac have left in them. They'll all be hanging up their stage-boots before long, but when they have I bet they still continue to put out more generous reissue packages than ABBA have up to now. I'm not suggesting that B&B should feel obliged to do what these other artists have done and are doing; just that it would reflect on them favourably, help mitigate the hard-nosed ABBA-as-brand stuff and offset their reputation for being proscriptive old perfectionists, if they did do something similar. Haha to the Agnetha Internet Photo Archive. For some reason, every Abba web forum I've ever visited, ends up having at least part of it turned into a big photo shrine to her. What we're seeing with this demand to hear all the old warty and unloved cast-offs in the Abba vault, is the sort of outrage from a small part of the worldwide abba fan base. The outrage from the collectivists who demand to be able to hear and obtain every single thing they ever recorded, to complete their own personal shrine. There are collectivists in every rock band cult. The Beatles for one, an almost manic obsession to "GET IT ALL and then I can be happy." IT doesnt matter WHY Bjorn and Benny wont release it. Its THEIR music, it does not belong to the fans, much as they clamor that it does. Its irrelevant that other bands open their vaults. Bjorn or maybe just Benny, own it all and they dont want to, they have no need to, Abba is long over for both of them, they have other interests, and thats the end of it. Of course thats just my speculation. But it does seem that way. I dont need to hear every little thing. In the first place, I go weeks, even months, without hearing Abba. You're right, there's so much other great music to listen to. So all these cries of I MUST HAVE THE FINAL VERSION OF JUST LIKE THAT, fall on deaf ears. Its just a song. It doesnt bother me. And really, when you get down to the truth, its more than likely not ever going to see the light of day, and so, its just a lot easier to not get upset and gnash teeth that theres a lot of unfinished abba music the collectivists arent ever going to hear because they are not Magnus Palmer. Keep calm and just listen to all the great music they gave you already. |
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Post by discover250sm on Oct 24, 2016 18:39:13 GMT
I've now received the coloured vinyl, picture discs and Arrival 2 disc vinyl. The label has really looked after the fans this year.
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Post by Zeebee on Oct 24, 2016 20:53:14 GMT
We have survived the horror of Put On Your White Sombrero "the horror of Put On Your White Sombrero"?! |
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Post by Mr Love on Oct 24, 2016 21:54:14 GMT
Has anyone actually listened to any of the 7" singles? If yes - are they remastered? Seeing as the 40x7" The Singles box set was, I guess these may use the same masters, even though nothing is mentioned about it? Or could they actually use the original masters?
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Post by Alan on Oct 25, 2016 11:52:13 GMT
I haven't, but I did use the download code that came with it. Like Wombat, I can go months or longer without hearing ABBA, so I haven't actually listened to them yet. All of ABBA's output was remastered for iTunes in 2014, wasn't it? I imagine it's those masters that are used (which are probably the same as the 2014 singles box masters).
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Post by wombat on Oct 25, 2016 13:05:45 GMT
We have survived the horror of Put On Your White Sombrero "the horror of Put On Your White Sombrero"?! that awful warbling in Frida's vocal on that, is really out of control. I cant listen to it either. |
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Post by josef on Oct 25, 2016 14:58:19 GMT
I actually don't mind the warbling.
Incidentally, this song has one of the most amazing examples of the quintessential ABBA sound, when Agnetha joins in with Frida at 2:45.
I've forgotten what the thread is about? Ok, for the record, I haven't bought any of this latest stuff. I'm still a fan of the group and their music, and always will be, but I no longer feel the urge to buy everything. But then I never did. As for fans wanting everything released from the vaults... Just Like That, demos of this n that, etc...well, of course I'd be thrilled to hear anything but I don't believe its our right. Even so, I can understand fans who desire this. There's nothing wrong with wishful thinking. If anything happens, great, if not I won't be losing any sleep over it. It'd be cool if Bjorn and Benny relented, it wouldn't kill them, but it's their prerogative- it's their work, their right to ultimately do with it what they will.
What DOES irk me (just a little, its their life) is the fact they're all not really that old and I wish Benny would appear on Jools Holland and things like that. Hell, if Petula Clark can be on tour RIGHT NOW at 83 then it saddens me that we haven't seen Frida and/or Agnetha on Jools Holland, sat on a stool singing stripped down versions of some of their music. Still, they enjoy the quiet life now, who can blame them if they don't want to enter the rigmarole of show business to any extent any more? Not me. Put your feet up!
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Post by Mr Love on Oct 25, 2016 15:04:54 GMT
All of ABBA's output was remastered for iTunes in 2014, wasn't it? I imagine it's those masters that are used (which are probably the same as the 2014 singles box masters). I can't believe they are using the same masters for vinyl as iTunes, should be different. Digital releases are in general much louder. |
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Post by HOMETIME on Oct 25, 2016 20:09:45 GMT
Sorry that I dragged this off-topic but seeing as my comment has drawn replies, I'll explain and leave it there.
I really dislike POYWS. I hate almost everything about it: the oppressive synth line that apes the vocal melody; the overcooked Tex Mex imagery in the lyrics; the way Frida leans so heavily on the vibrato that I presume was meant to convey Latin fierceness. The sum total is a track so preposterously overblown that it sounds like the soundtrack for a cartoon. Nobody could accuse Frida of giving less than 237% here. It feels like one of those rare occasions where she was very deliberately acting a role, rather than making a natural emotional connection with the song. And with those lyrics as a script, what could she do but eat the scenery. I can imagine it in some OTT camp musical set in the Wild West, all cartoon cacti, stinky mules and silly saloon scenes. The big redeeming moment is when she and Agnetha join forces with those immense harmonies.
I think this is a song that needs to be heard in context. Under no circumstances should people ever be led to believe that it is some kind of hidden classic or undiscovered hit. Can you imagine the parodies and piss-takes we'd have endured had this emerged as a single back in 1980/81. Horrific! They would never have lived it down.
I don't really buy the notion that the arrangement was somehow transferred to Cassandra. That song that has class in spades, and includes light and shade and a lovely lead vocal by the same woman.
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Post by shoshin on Oct 25, 2016 21:59:58 GMT
My favourite band The Jam once tried to apply a calypso treatment to one of their songs (The Planner's Dream Went Wrong) and, while the basic elements were there, they couldn't quite get the rhythm right. I think that B&B similarly over-extended themselves with POYWS. It sounds like a lazy pastiche of something like this mariachi arrangement, retaining a basic 3/4 beat but with none of the rhythmic subtleties.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2016 3:49:03 GMT
I hope that we ABBA Fans can continue to express differing views about ABBA releases, without
us seeming to turn against each other. There is no need for us to either quarrel, or to fall out
with each other. Like everyone else, I would far rather get along with my fellow ABBA fans, than
to be at loggerheads with them.
Regarding 'Just Like That'. I think that it has reached a status that is far above how 'good'
it actually is. Just because Benny & Bjorn won't let us have the 'full' Song, (in whatever form),
a lot of Fans have built it into some kind of 'Long Lost Classic'. Yet, when I listen to it, it is not
really deserving of that status.
Had 'Just Like That' been a Single in, (say) 1983, we would not say that it was nearly as strong
as a lot of ABBA's biggest Hit Singles. It is only the fact that we can't have it, that causes some
Fans to give it a rating that it does not really deserve. I was very embarrassed, many Years ago,
when ABBA 'Expert' John Tobler referred to 'Just Like That' as 'Legendary'. It really is not good
enough for such over the top praise.....(In my opinion).
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Post by Michal on Oct 30, 2016 16:50:30 GMT
@onlyabba4me,
I do agree, that Just Like That is a bit overrated, on the other hand it is not such a bad song as Benny tries to convince us all those years. They have certainly released worse ones during their career and even as late as in 1982 - to this day I really can't comprehend what they were thinking when they gave us You Owe Me One. I guess that back in 1982 they felt that Just Like That (and I Am The City too) is too good to be just a B-side, so they chose You Owe Me One and left the two other tracks for later inclusion of the next studio album. It's a pity that Just Like That wasn't released on the Thank You For The Music box set in 1994. It's certainly not worse than POYWS and Dream World...
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Post by Zeebee on Oct 31, 2016 20:52:01 GMT
Had 'Just Like That' been a Single in, (say) 1983, we would not say that it was nearly as strong as a lot of ABBA's biggest Hit Singles. It is only the fact that we can't have it, that causes some Fans to give it a rating that it does not really deserve. That could very well be. As the saying goes, forbidden fruit is the sweetest. |
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Post by WATERLOO on Nov 2, 2016 5:53:50 GMT
Had 'Just Like That' been a Single in, (say) 1983, we would not say that it was nearly as strong as a lot of ABBA's biggest Hit Singles. It is only the fact that we can't have it, that causes some Fans to give it a rating that it does not really deserve. I was very embarrassed, many Years ago, when ABBA 'Expert' John Tobler referred to 'Just Like That' as 'Legendary'. It really is not good enough for such over the top praise.....(In my opinion). Yes and no. It certainly would not have turned into being the holy grail for ABBA-fans. But I guess on a somehow objective level we can all agree on the fact that Just Like That is one of the catchiest songs they had written and recorded in the 1980s. Not necessarily the best but after all the dark and gloomy stuff on The Visitors (which I adore), Just Like That was a tiny throwback to a bit more light-hearted ABBA, at least when it comes to the arrangement. |
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Post by foreverfan on Nov 2, 2016 19:29:27 GMT
In the U.K. Vinyl singles chart...top 40
DQ at 11 down 5
KMKY at 13 down 8
Fernando at 15 down 8
MMM at 18 down 10
All spending 3 weeks on the charts
Gold is currently at 76 in the U.K. Mid week album charts after falling out of the top 100 over the past 3 weeks.
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Post by chelseacharger on Nov 2, 2016 20:17:33 GMT
The coloured vinyl singles sets appear to be selling well on eBay. I've just counted around 14 sold at the £60 mark so far, including a couple at £70. Number 1 of the 2000 was sold for just over £300 including postage. Significant as the number might be, is it really worth that? My £34 one (including postage) is starting to look like a real bargain! Disappointing how so many just see these as a money making exercise. £300 ?!!! Box No. 1976 seemed to be the one everyone was also keen on getting. |
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dougw
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Post by dougw on Nov 8, 2016 17:27:13 GMT
Universal has done it to me again!
Universal UK canceled my order of the Arrival items AFTER they had already sold out, so there was no way for me to re-order them. Okay, so I turned to Universal USA instead, which was also offering the same items (and lower shipping for me!). Expecting to receive my order in early November, I checked their website and the ABBA items have been delayed AGAIN -- this time to 24 February 2017 -- with no notice or explanation whatsoever. While all you wonderful people in Europe and elsewhere have your goodies, I'm now afraid I'll never get mine at all. Or maybe they are manufacturing more and I'll get some second-rate duplicate or something.
Sorry, but I had to vent somewhere. I've sent an email inquiry to Universal but I don't expect them to tell me much.
Edit: I don't want to jinx myself, but I forgot I ordered a few of these items from Amazon as a backup and it sounds like that order may still be fulfilled. I hope! |
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Post by The Rubber Ball Man on Nov 8, 2016 20:44:48 GMT
Oh No, That's a big shame  Can you be able to sue them for the delay? |
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dougw
Junior Member
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Post by dougw on Nov 9, 2016 17:50:54 GMT
Haha! No, I don't think I'll sue.
Apparently Universal USA uses a third-party to run its sales department, and they emailed me that they haven't received any shipments of the product from the label (presumably Universal, right?). So basically they said, "Sorry, not our fault." I have no idea why they would set a new date all the way into February though. I may just give up.
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dougw
Junior Member
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Post by dougw on Nov 16, 2016 18:48:33 GMT
Amazon came through for me and I finally have the boxed set of colored singles. I don't know what Universal's problem continues to be. Hooray for a small victory though!
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"the horror of Put On Your White Sombrero"?!
