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Post by HOMETIME on May 6, 2024 9:18:33 GMT
True.
A conscious decision was made to mix beloved classics with deep cuts and new material. It creates an ebb and flow, some variation. A setlist made entirely of Gold + Summer Night City might have been a bit too obvious, and maybe we'd have seen it as a bit too cynical. The deeper cuts were a nod to the diehard fans, I think. The new songs were probably as much about satisfying ABBA as they were intended to reignite interest beyond mere nostalgia. Speaking personally, it was the deep cuts that did it for me on the night. I liked how they were presented, I liked that they were respected by the live band and a sizeable chunk of the audience. Sure, the pink boa'd hen party types might have been impatient for Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia, but I think the setlist recognizes a broader demographic. In a way, the lesser-known stuff might act as some kind of marketing for the studio albums. I can't help wondering how much the show is responsible for elevating the profiles of songs like The Visitors and Eagle. They seem to be getting a bit more attention in documentaries than before.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 5, 2024 16:52:38 GMT
Somebody else here mentioned it a while back and seemed to give an oddly specific date. Something like 26 September or thereabouts. I imagine the announcement had to be processed and managed through Stig's office and that announcements would have been delayed until after the promo. But when you look at the TV promotion they did for the album, Frida is in ebullient form, and really affectionate with Benny on camera, so I imagine these performances must've been pre-bombshell.
I remember that interview clip with Benny. Cold as a penguin's arse. Hard to be sympathetic about him being bothered by the themes of Something's Going On.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 5, 2024 16:47:44 GMT
[...] * DSMD and ISHFIY didn't think were as well received with audience as before. [...] A big part of the problem may be that the bulk of the songs have been radio staples for 40-odd years. The two newies don't have the advantage of having seeped into the collective consciousness. Neither one seems to appear on radio that often, sadly.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 5, 2024 10:18:09 GMT
Knowing nothing about the technology, I wonder if having a second act makes things a little easier going forward? For instance, if there has to be a purpose-built venue somewhere, will the technology allow (reasonably easy) rotation of acts? Say, ABBA for two months, Kiss for two months... and so on, as other artists decide to join the new movement? I have no idea how big Kiss might be in America: maybe they can fill an arena for years on end like ABBA can in London. But in further flung places like Melbourne - and even smaller cities in other countries around the globe - a range of avatar-ed artists could make it viable.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 3, 2024 17:38:22 GMT
No surprise with your No.1, Eddie!
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Post by HOMETIME on May 3, 2024 17:34:40 GMT
For the avoidance of any confusion, my opinions about the roles Agnetha and Frida occupied as singers have nothing at all to do with their private lives. The characters (or, in some cases, caricatures) built by the media were probably coloured by the kinds of songs they were given and maybe even more by their performances on video and TV. You're right, johnny, they have both defied the lazy pen pictures drawn of them by tabloid hacks and lazy writers. Their private lives are infinitely more multidimensional and human. I'm glad they guard their privacy.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 3, 2024 9:24:58 GMT
Given how often ABBA have appeared on the other yearbooks, I wonder if ABBA/Universal are behind their absence this time? It's very odd, though. I can't imagine that they'd dodge an opportunity to rake in some royalties.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 3, 2024 9:23:11 GMT
Well guessed! Sorry, I really should dial down the use of acronyms.
I'm A Marionette is already just a remix away from a glorious orchestral version. That intro could be played/plucked on double bass, or by/with a combo of cello and violas. The guitar solo could be a transferred to piano - can you imagine how brilliant it could be as a rapid piano piece? The orchestral track as it is is just glorious. Plus, this would give a little necessary bite to an otherwise fairly pretty set. Actually, now that I think of it, the approach could also work for The Visitors. Those synth interludes as dramatic orchestral pieces could be amazing.
I wonder if choirs could be used for acapella bass moments?
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Post by HOMETIME on May 2, 2024 20:49:34 GMT
Hometime, I know what you mean about some Agnetha lead vocals. From.about 1980 there was a self-pitying tone. LAYLOM.was an acception - and yes, a bit of vim as you put it, in the vocals. I don't want to be unfair to Agnetha, because she was assigned the songs. Whether subconsciously or deliberately, Benny & Bjorn seemed to typecast her as the devastated, heartbroken victim, while Frida seemed to be given the role of the survivor, a more pragmatic pull-up-your-socks and carry on type. As even Agnetha acknowledges, this material is right in her wheelhouse and her acting/storytelling pulls the heartbreak to the fore. The clarity of her tone is sublime on Chiquitita and I like how she seems to wobble on a tightrope in IBWFY. But give me the kind of energy she delivers in AGAN, GGG, LAYLOM. I'm not keen on poor-me lyrics, generally, but if they're delivered in a ballsy way, it can be brilliant. I think this is why WYAAM is my favourite Agnetha album: she completely dodged the whining and sobbing.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 2, 2024 20:41:01 GMT
How would hardcore ABBA fans feel about some tracks or even full albums being given a stripped back, 'Let it Be - Naked' reworking, or an 'ABBA with The Royal Philarmonic Orchestra' treatment so that some of the synth work that maybe does date the production on Super Trouper (even though I personally love a synth or 3) can be replaced to show their work in a different light? I'd prefer these options to a remix album - most ABBA songs are so perfectly put together that official remixes may not necessarily work (the extended version of VV goes on a bit for me). I would love that. And I doubt there's been a better time to convince B&B of the wonder of such a project. They lifted original vocals for brand new band settings for Voyage, so why not take a selection of songs - particularly where they might have had some misgivings about the original mixes/arrangements - and breathe a new life into them? Back in the day, I had a fantasy where ABBA reformed for a carefully managed unplugged gig that would be released on audio and video. The moment for that kind of event has long gone - but an album where ABBA (or Benny, if we're being honest) have total control? Why not?! I don't know if the women would be interested in/willing to return to the studio to re-record old songs in new arrangements. But I think there is definite merit in using the original vocal tracks in some beautiful new orchestral or stripped piano and/or guitar settings. Some songs I'd love to see reworked in this way: TDBYC, WAISAD, LAAPTMR, TWTIA, OLS, AA, HNY, IAM, OMOW, MLML, IBWFY.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 2, 2024 16:52:08 GMT
Benny has the power to deliver this kind of reworking. His Piano album shows how beautiful these songs are, melodically. If he really wanted to, he could take the original vocal tracks and set them in gorgeous piano arrangements.
With Dolby Atmos versions of everything on the way, I reckon there could be more successful versions of these lovely re-imaginings. Whoever produced these, did a great job with limited resources.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 2, 2024 16:48:19 GMT
I was obsessed with this album when it first came out. It basically lived on my turntable for months. Nowadays? Not so much. And I don't know why. By any metric, it's populated with great songs. I think it's the only album where any of the ten tracks could have worked as a single at the time. The standout tracks for me on release day were On And On And On and Andante Andante. I went severely off both songs over the years. Songs that I was less fond of back then - Happy New Year, Our Last Summer, Me And I - have really grown on me. It's a really solid album, though. When I do play it, I always enjoy the experience. But I'm far more likely to play The Visitors, Voulez-Vous and, for now, Voyage.
I loved Elaine from the moment I flipped over The Winner Takes It All. It's got a zesty energy that the album really needs. I wish more of the tracks had this kind of feel. But this sounds like too much of an outlier to work on this album track, IMO.
Having thought about it, my ranking for the album tracks these days would look a lot like this:
1. Lay All Your Love On Me - This is my favourite kind of Agnetha vocal. Bit of vim, no self-pity (despite the theme). 2. Me And I - That chorus is massive! Would have needed a bit of pruning for 7", I think, but would have been a hit from any other album. 3. Our last Summer - I think this song is a bit over-produced. I'd love something a bit stripped back. But the vocal is great - and those harmonies! <3 4. Super Trouper - I wish that glockenspiel figure had been played on electric guitar and that the BPM had been ramped up a smidge. 5. The Winner Takes It All - controversial to some, but it's so overplayed that I even find myself skipping it. Great vocal performance. No problems with the drums myself. For me, they keep the song from veering completely in to whiney, poor-me territory. 6. On And On And On - sometimes I find myself craving the electro-rock edge of this track, and nothing else will do. But I'm sated after one play. 7. The Piper - Knowing what Bjorn was doing with the lyrics, the song seems very pertinent today. 8. The Way Old Friends Do - I'm a sucker for the emotional swell of the second turn of the verse. The lyrics are simple, the performance emotional. I can live knowing that it's overdubbed to within an inch of its life. Kinda foreshadows how Ode To Freedom wraps up proceedings on Voyage. 9. Happy New Year. For a long time, I actually hated this. Having avoided it for a long time, I enjoyed it when I heard it over the most recent Christmas. Real strings and an instrumental third verse might possibly elevate this for me. The ELO harmonies are undeniably lovely. 10. Andante, Andante. Despite its position, I don't dislike this song. I don't like the backing vocals in the chorus, though. Another that might benefit from a simpler arrangement.
If Elaine were on the album, I reckon it'd rank quite high. Maybe even #3? If Put On Your White Sombrero were on it, it'd definitely be way down the list. Somewhere around #2,357. Ugh!
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Post by HOMETIME on May 1, 2024 10:49:59 GMT
My first thought when I heard No Doubt About It was Elaine.
I agree that, overall, Voyage probably comes closest to the feel and eclecticism of Super Trouper. Little Things and Bumblebee have the folk/classical hybrid feel that seems to appear on BAO albums. Keep An Eye On Dan feels like a sibling of Nobody's Side from Chess. Don't Shut Me Down feels like it belongs with the 1982 recordings - Just Like That in particular.
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Post by HOMETIME on May 1, 2024 10:36:01 GMT
This video popped up on my YouTube feed this morning. Someone has extracted the lead vocal from When All Is Said And Done and married it to Benny's piano track from the version he recorded with Victoria Tolstoy. Slowing the vocal track slightly has made some of Frida's delivery sound a little like Bette Midler in parts. Maybe it's the slower vibrato? The bit where the harmonies come in at the end is really lovely.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 28, 2024 13:09:16 GMT
There's absolutely no excuse for this lack of imagination when it comes to vinyl colour choices. A cursory look at Amazon shows how vast the available colour palette is. The anal-retentive approach to sleeves has been this set's other undoing. Two company sleeves in a supposedly "deluxe" set is just plain lazy. True, the obvious picture sleeve is hardly earth-shattering, but it was a bad decision to ditch it. The "ABBA"-related singles box probably won't be any more exciting. What's the betting on the colours? Clear for So Long; red for I Dox5; yellow for SOS; white for Mamma Mia? Grr.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 28, 2024 12:55:02 GMT
I liked that it focused so squarely on the music - none of the kitsch, costumes, money or divorce tabloidism. The talking heads were great. There were surprisingly few ABBA songs, though?
Has anyone noticed that The Visitors (song) has crept into the more recent documentaries? It could be the Voyage show, of course, but I'd like to think that there is a growing willingness amongst TV producers to dip into the catalogue beyond the Gold tracklist.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 26, 2024 9:36:42 GMT
I've just heard the new BAO single. A duet between Tommy and Helen. It might just be me, but there are a couple of moments in the verse melody that remind me of Ode To Freedom. It's not the most immediate of songs, but it's pretty.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 26, 2024 9:21:17 GMT
Good point. I've no doubt there was some petty attempt at point-scoring in the voting amongst some die-hards. It's a bit cringey when you think about it. But, where the general public was simply voting for songs that meant something to them, it's interesting to see how much the Mamma Mia! franchise and the Voyage show seem to have had an impact. For all that some of us tend to roll our eyes at the ubiquity of Mamma Mia!, it really has brought some otherwise hidden gems to the surface. Given how far this poll strays from Gold, it'd be nice to think that a new compilation could delve deeper into the catalogue and still be a huge hit.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 21, 2024 9:21:23 GMT
I agree with Alan that we should carefully manage our expectations now. What Team ABBA seem to rate as "fun" is at odds with what fans reasonably expected after a lot of teasing. And Marnix makes great points too. BUT I reckon that Eurovision could actually be useful. So here is my thinking (make sure you're near some cushions in case you fall asleep). So an ABBA moment or theme is highly likely for the interval. An obvious, uninspired but reasonably cost-effective option would be to round up a bunch of previous Swedish winners and get them to sing an ABBA medley. Something like the sing-off in the Eurovision movie. Throw in some platform boots; a feather boa or two. A few face-on/side profile camera angles. Plenty of blue eyeshadow. Job done. Maybe Bjorn could deliver the votes of the Swedish jury in his Waterloo outfit. All nice and tidy. No focus pulled from the contestants or the eventual winner.
BUT! What if.... *whirly harp music and wibbly visual effect*- Everyone recognizes that programming/creating an ABBAtar performance costs a fortune. If Waterloo wasn't one of the original captured performances (and why did we not think of this before), it would need our heroes to at least lip-synch the song for the fancy cameras. For the sake of argument, let's imagine that the body doubles can follow some choreography so that mo-cap suits are not needed this time. If ABBA and the Eurovision team split the costs, they have (a) a terrific one-song interval act, and (b) an improved moment for the Voyage show. And let's assume they spent 8-10 months on this task.
- If the process could be used to debut a new song, it could tie in with Catherine Tate's quickly-scrubbed gaffe.... That would be an amazing launch for a new single. It would also be the de facto video, and might even slot easily into the Voyage show (the costuming would let us know where, roughly).
- Apart from what we've read in interviews, I think it's reasonably fair to say that none of us really knows how difficult it might be to create a one-off performance in another venue. Maybe technology has advanced enough to make something possible. Maybe cost-sharing could help it further?
- While I take Marnix's point, I don't completely subscribe to the who'd-watch-a-video argument. True, it would be a lot less exciting for the people in the venue, but to TV viewers worldwide it would be a seamless part of the show. If the clip was bookended by appearances by ABBA themselves - whether in person or by video link, it could raise the mood further.
- Even if this was all achievable, it still only accounts for about 5 minutes of that section. The ABBAtars could appear before or after that winners' medley for fill the rest of the time.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 20, 2024 18:29:13 GMT
That looks great.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 20, 2024 10:03:47 GMT
I don't have the A+ vinyl: is it colourless/transparent like Under Attack, or glass-clear (the Discogs images are not very helpful on this front)? I can't remember which album it was, but a friend showed me a disc that was like pale blue glass. The run-out area between the last track and the label was clear enough to read through.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 20, 2024 9:45:36 GMT
I love really clear vinyl too! It's great that so many audiophile coloured and clear vinyl is available these days. I'd love to see more of the ABBA and solo catalogue given truly luxurious reissues on clear vinyl that recognises that the Pantone chart includes more than blue, red, yellow and white.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 19, 2024 23:34:26 GMT
Alan, are there any images of the inner sleeve and the vinyl itself? Given the sleeve design - the photo, the typography - I wonder if the label feels that the box set is the CD version of Singlar och andra sidor?
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 19, 2024 18:08:08 GMT
[...] It’s a bit like the “Frida” album. It’s had a vinyl re-release but no CD. I know all the tracks were on that yellow 1967-72 CD but that’s long out of print. We seem to be heading for a time when if you want something physically, it’s vinyl or nothing. I got the RSD release of "Frida" (the sound is incredible - as good as any of the half-speed masters) but I'm not sure how readily available it is now. It did get a digital release (I found it on iTunes/Apple), but a proper CD release is way overdue. Ideally, it should be expanded - but Frida seems to follow Benny's reluctant stance when it comes to unreleased material. Grrr. But great to read your information about a possible release, Michal !
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 19, 2024 18:01:50 GMT
Saturday 27 April on Channel 4, "ABBA: 50 Years of Pop." Looks like it's about half an hour.
The Missing 40 Years is on YouTube for those who can't get Channel 5. It was way better than I expected.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 19, 2024 8:22:24 GMT
What other songs were done in capture motion? I seem to recall some titles being mentioned, but can’t remember what they were. The dismissal of Money Money Money was done without much explanation by Benny, other that it wouldn’t work (no reason given as to why not). Also it was left ambiguous as to whether the 24 songs included the ones already in the show that don’t have ABBATar performances (as we know, only 16 of the current 20 do). We speculated the bejaysus out of this in earlier discussions. I thought Ludvig mentioned/semi-confirmed that Money Money Money, Super Trouper, and Take A Chance On Me were captured? The question is whether the remaining tracks might be the missing representatives from Gold - The Name Of The Game, I Have A Dream, One Of Us? All a bit on the slow side. I wish they had the balls to include The Day Before You Came, Angeleyes, and If It Wasn't For The Nights. But would the great unwashed welcome them?
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 19, 2024 8:14:57 GMT
I have that CD, Alan, and I have to say that it sounds pretty good. I think that whoever is producing these things has access to mastering software, as the sound levels don't take a dip after track 10. Having the 12" of The Last Time and the Bright Remix of Let It Shine made this a worthwhile purchase for me. It never occurred to me that the Wurzel Gummidge bob might be a wig. I'm no coiffeur, but I reckon the styling technique just added a lot of volume to her hair. The styling in the image on the back looks way better to my inexpert eyes (it's just the same pose with a different hairdo). The photo on the back of the sleeve is beautiful and (IMO) would have made a better front cover.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 18, 2024 15:33:54 GMT
Totally agree: this show is so popular that keeping it running makes great business sense. It's highly possible that I could have misread something, but I thought that the lifespan of the Pudding Lane location was at the mercy of the local council; that the land was earmarked for housing? January 2025 is still a year ahead of the 2026 end-date loosely mentioned when the project was unveiled, so maybe they're trying to ensure that all currently available dates are close to being sold out before they release new dates. I wonder if sales have started to slow a bit, now that so many people have seen the show?
If the ABBAtars somehow make an appearance at Eurovision, it should give sales a huge boost.
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 18, 2024 13:21:09 GMT
I think that one cartoon might work well for an overture before the ABBAtars take to the stage. While, thematically, a cartoon could work for a song like Eagle, I didn't feel that the live execution of the track was particularly fantastic. Voulez-Vous needs a zesty performance - the song really got the crowd going the night I was there.
Expanding the setlist would be a great move. If they wanted to inject, say, Hit By A Train into the set, then doing it along with three of their biggest and most iconic hits would greatly boost the overall energy of the show. Creating an ABBAtar video for the new song would help improve the recognition factor. And if (as some people seem to be excitedly theorising) the ABBAtars performed it at Eurovision, the second anniversary would be the ideal moment to unleash the updated show.
On the other hand, the London residency might be approaching its end? No tickets available beyond 5 January. So will they keep all the new bells and whistles as a lure for the new location(s)? As much as I loved the show, I'm not sure I'd have the wherewithal to haul ass to Vegas for a couple of new numbers...
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Post by HOMETIME on Apr 18, 2024 12:55:09 GMT
[...] Warners seem to be happy to collaborate with Universal or Sony on compilations (That’s Me, My Very Best) but don’t seem to be interested in reissuing their two albums. Did I read somewhere that they’d misplaced the I Stand Alone master tapes or is that a myth? Or perhaps it only relates to the different mixes and Spanish versions. I hadn't heard that particular myth. But someone I know in the industry - whose job was re-issue projects - told me (about 3 years ago) that he was hopeful he'd be able to start work on expanding and reissuing ISA. He didn't mention any issues with missing tapes but indicated that there were myriad legal and technical issues to navigate. Surprisingly, it seems these projects take an average of about five years? He has since moved to another record company, so gawd knows what the status of that project is now. Infuriating.
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