Some songs I relate to special memories or certain seasons, but I tried to not forget about the musical quality being the main criteria. I think in general my opinions haven’t changed much over the years. This ranking for the ‘old’ songs was done years ago for the former ABBA4ever forum. My album ranking (a-c are interchangeable) Kind of superfluous to me though musically quite ok, but again not the kind of music I really want from ABBA. Lyrically this therefore is a song stuck in the 1970s and this makes me pretty angry. It’s not what the world needs now with environmental problems which are way bigger. Even the animal is recognised as being a harmless and rather pretty and needed one! Everyone can just agree with it and nobody gets hurt, but in the end it won’t have not the slightest impact at all. A nice song, a nice message, a sweet melody, but that’s it, all just nice. One big problem I have with this song (and with most of its kind) is the good-will aspect of it. It’s ok and the longer video version adds a little bit more festive sound, but when I want to listen to Christmas songs it won’t become my first choice.Īt some point it musically had grown on me a bit, but meanwhile it would end somewhere in the bottom 10 of my general ABBA ranking. I never missed one by ABBA and could have lived without it. Regarding the music there’s too much musical in it for my taste. The applause sequence inbetween seems out of place then and the lyrics only make sense with the ‘story’ of the so-called ‘comeback’ in mind. When I watch the video this song can bring some tears to my eyes from time to time, but from a more objective view the song doesn’t work in the long run for me when you just listen to it. I miss some more variation in the music here though. With it's mix of joyful music and rather sad lyrics it’s typical ABBA. It’s a bit of fun of the melancolic album start. Here it reminds me of Arrival and The Piper. I do like some folk or Irish/Celtic sounds from time to time as in songs by The Pogues for example. In the verses we have the short segments quoting Under Attack and The Visitors. The synths sort of continue where ABBA ended with You Owe Me One, B&B’s background vocals to the end add another great element and the SOS piano is another of those little quotations referencing to ABBA’s ‘drama songs’.Ī really catchy one with Frida perfectly matching the banjo sound. Yet again Agnetha’s fragile vocals are just spot on. The beginning reminds me of the style of The Visitors, with the drama building up with the inbetween drums and strings as in I’m A Marionette, the melody change before the chorus starts with Frida’s sharper voice adding to the drama. I just wish there was a longer version with more instrumental variations, it’s simply too short. I love that ‘retro sound’ with the almost big orchestral backing, much better than the demo work we knew which sounded just so unfinished and repetitive to me. Also has a bit of the Chiquitita guitars thrown in. Musically there’s a great contrast with the angelic background vocals, pure ABBA again. And after Don’t Shut Me Down the lyrics are pure story-telling and paint images again. Orchestra and choir are added well.Īgnetha did an incredible job here in using her voice in such a fragile way, just nailing the story of the song. The intro actually could have been taken from MCB, but then in the full parts there is the ABBA sound in full bloom again. Agnetha’s voice is as what we are used to since MCB. Finally I also got used to the cold ending which irritated me at first. I like that the use of synths is reduced. It’s a kind of mix of One Of Us with If It Wasn’t For The Nights or As Good As New for me. The strings remind me very much of the songs on Voulez-Vous and I love those arrangements. Musically I especially love the instrumental bridge which sounds almost oriental. The mood the intro transports is just great, I feel like sitting on the park bench myself. It continues the ABBA sound from The Visitors album and lyrically it continues the story of One Of Us and other breakup songs. It’s not as strong as their old top hits, but I think it’s a really good one. I can’t include the songs in my general Top list yet. In general I think Voyage is a good album though for me it doesn’t have the good flow of the known albums. These are my impressions and a ranking of the songs on the new ABBA album.
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