ABBA: VOYAGE
Returning with their first new album in 40 years, the Swedish pop titans attempt the seemingly impossible: balancing the lure of nostalgia with the pull of the present day. Amazingly, they pull it off. Voyage is a mixture of songs, old and (mostly) new, that have all the glam boogie, scandi-disco bounce, and epic pop construction of the band's revered catalog, with some tentative nods to the passing of time. Nearly 40 years ago, Abba were in the studio for one last time, to cut a tragic ballad called "The Day Before You Came." They knew this was goodbye; both couples in the group had finalized their divorces. Agnetha Fältskog recited a bleak tale of total emotional isolation, words scripted by her ex-husband, doing her vocals in a darkened studio with all the lights out. It was the last thing they ever recorded. A splendidly melodramatic finale for this most melodramatic of pop groups. And that-as far as the world knew-was that for ABBA. Until now. The Swedish super troupers ride again with Voyage, and there's never been a comeback story like this one: all four original members of a great pop band, reuniting after 40 years apart, with all their powers intact. This album would be a one-of-a-kind historic event even if the songs blew-but it's vintage ABBA, on par with their classic 1970s run. It evokes the days when the Norse gods ruled the radio, combining two of the Seventies' hottest trends: heartbreak and sequin-studded pantsuits.
Tracklist:
1.I Still Have Faith In You 2.When You Danced With Me 3.Little Things 4.Don't Shut Me Down 5.Just A Notion 6.I Can Be That Woman 7.Keep An Eye On Dan 8.Bumblebee 9.No Doubt About It 10.Ode To Freedom
Lineup:
Agnetha Fältskog - vocals, Anni-Frid Lyngstad - vocals, Björn Ulvaeus - vocals, co-producer, Benny Andersson - vocals, piano, synthesizer, arrangements, mixing, producer. Additional musicians: Jan Bengtson - baritone saxophone, flute, Mats Englund - bass (6), Pär Grebacken - clarinet, recorder, tenor saxophone, Per Lindvall - drums, percussion, Lasse Jonsson - guitar, Lasse Wellander - guitar, Margareta Bengtson - harp, The Children's Choir of Stockholm International School, Kimberley Akester - music director, Anneli Thompson - musical assistance, Stockholm Concert Orchestra, Göran Arnberg - orchestrator/conductor
