Voyage [Softpack Edition]

Mało popularny album, jednak muzyka choć inna niż popularne utwory a nadal bardzo dobre.

O cd é recente e tem excelente qualidade. O cd-text também é ótimo.

Non potevo non avere questo vinile, per cui per il mio compleanno a inizio 2022 l'ho preso a scatola chiusa! Mai ascoltata una canzone. Appena metto la puntina sul disco e parte la prima canzone "I still I have Faith in You", dico: "si sono loro!" La melodia in chiave moderna, quella dei nostri tempi, ma sempre inconfondibilmente ABBA. Tutte le canzoni sono nel loro iconico stile, certo non le sentiremo nelle radio nazionali di grido, musica non per i giovanissimi ma per quelli di mezza età come me (classe 1968) o quelli che ricordano i loro grandi successi ascoltati in discoteca o alla radio e se ne sono innamorati. Mi piace molto "Don't Shut me Down". Comunque troverete le canzoni e le musiche familiari e piacevoli soprattutto perchè ricordano le melodie dei tempi dei loro migliori successi. Ultima cosa importante, malgrado gli anni, le voci non sono invecchiate! La copertina è di tipo FOC, una volta aperta a sinistra ci sono 16 foto dei loro visi (da giovani) in vari profili, a destra al centro della pagina ci sono i nomi dei musicisti e collaboratori. La busta è in cartoncino spesso e riprende il design della copertina, da ogni lato ci sono i testi delle canzoni... un poster e una cartolina completano il tutto. Qualità del vinile buona, nessun rumore o tic, direi perfetto per essere un vinile standard non 180 grammi. Per me è un bell'album, penso che lo sia anche per i nostalgici di un tempo che non torna più, è la sintesi della loro carriera e per me si sente molto. Avendo comprato su Amazon la loro raccolta con tutti i loro dischi, di cui ho fatto anche una recensione, lo affiancherò al cofanetto della raccolta. Da avere!

By picking out the new album, scretches were made by sand or something like that.

I never expected ABBA to make another album in my lifetime. Heck, I couldn't believe that of the four members, Agnetha would be the one to release another solo album (2013's "A"). So, imagine my surprise to read about the release of "Voyage," in 2021. I was excited. Those who have read up on the group know that ABBA never officially disbanded in 1982/83. Their last album, "The Visitors," didn't fare well when it was released in 1981. Frida & Agnetha pursued solo careers, while Benny & Bjorn went to work on the musical "Chess" and other projects. They never officially said ABBA was over. The liner notes for "The Visitors" deluxe edition says the energy was running out and Frida is quoted as saying, "We haven't packed it in as a group - we've only taken a long break." No one expected that "break" to last 40 years, but they came back, and I must say, it's a worthy comeback. The classic ABBA sound is here, updated for the 21st Century, but it is unmistakably ABBA. Frida & Agnetha still sing lead vocals with Benny & Bjorn providing back - up vocals, instrumentations, as well as being producers on the album. Here is a track-by-track breakdown. Frida sings lead on the majority of tracks, beginning with "I Still Have Faith In You," while Agnetha sings lead on only two, and the entire group sings together on two tracks. The title track speaks to the fact that ABBA is still alive and well and can still churn out great songs. Frida sings: "There was a union, of heart and mind, the likes of which are rare and oh so hard to find." She constantly asks, "Do I have it in me?" to which the group answers, "We do have it in us, new spirit has arrived, the joy and the sorrow, we have a story, and it survived." Yes, indeed it has. "When You Danced With Me" is a fun tune that has that classic ABBA sound and is just all-around fun. Frida sings lead vocals here. "Little Things," also sung by Frida, is a Christmas song that features the Children's Choir of Stockholm International School. "Don't Shut Me Down" is classic and is one of the singles from the album. Agnetha sings lead here and she hasn't lost her touch. I was happy to hear her hit those moderately high notes, something she never did on her album "A," (which I still love by the way). The part I really like is the chorus when all four sing together: "And now you see another me I've been reloaded yeah, I'm fired up don't shut me down." That really screamed ABBA to me. It reminded me of songs like "Me and I" and "If It Wasn't for the Nights." "Just A Notion" is an interesting inclusion as it's an unreleased track from 1978, recorded during the "Voulez - Vous" sessions, but left off the album. They were able to go back and remaster this track, with all four members singing vocals. It works, at least for me it does. You can listen to this and even though you know it was recorded in the late '70s, it still manages to sound contemporary and doesn't sound out of place on the album. It does make one wonder though, 'Well, if they're going to do that, then why didn't they bother to re - record "Just Like That?"' With today's technology, they could have re-recorded it and it would still sound great. I personally think there's no excuse for its absence. I know Benny and Bjorn are perfectionists & they've never been satisfied with it, but still. If you're going to release a song you recorded from the '70s, why not do the same for one in the 80s? We'll probably never find out, sadly. "I Can Be That Woman," is a lovely slow ballad sung by Agnetha about a relationship gone wrong and the woman's desire to repair it. "You're not the man you should've been, I let you down somehow, I'm not the woman I could've been, but I can be that woman now." Great song. It reminds me of songs like "One Man, One Woman," "Slipping Through My Fingers," and even "One of Us." I like the background vocals from the other members as well. It totally makes this song sound like a classic ABBA ballad. One of my favorites from this album. "Keep an Eye On Dan" is an interesting song that speaks about child custody after a divorce. Frida sings lead vocals here and the song has a bit of a disco urgency about it, if that makes sense, that I love. This song totally sounds like an ABBA song for the 21st century. I love the drums throughout this song, and I like Frida and Agnetha's voices blending here. They sound so strong and haven't lost their touch. There's even a little easter egg at the end of the song as it ends with some of the same few notes that begin "S.O.S." Listen closely, and you'll hear it. There are actually a lot of little easter eggs in the form of snippets from their classics interspersed throughout the album. You just have to listen, and you'll pick them up. "Bumblebee" is nice little song that almost sounds like a hymn. Frida sings lead vocals here. At one point, Benny and Bjorn wrote and sang lead vocals on a song titled "Free as a Bumblebee," which has never been released, but can be found online. That one was more of a pop song, while this is, as I stated, more like a hymn. I'm thinking that "Bumblebee" is the offspring of that in a way, although they are two very different songs. "No Doubt About It" is a rocker that sounds a lot like early ABBA songs such as "Waterloo," "Ring Ring," and even "The King Kong Song." This is one of my favorites on the album. Frida sings lead vocals here, but I really love it when the chorus kicks in and Agnetha joins in. Just hearing the girls' voices in harmony on the chorus is incredible. They've still got it in them. "Ode To Freedom" ends the album with all four ABBA members on vocals. A nice little song that, like "Bumblebee," has a hymn-like quality to it. All in all, "Voyage" is a great final album for ABBA. I'm sure this is the last studio album we will ever hear from them. Their legacy is secure as it has been for decades, but I'm glad I got to hear a new album from them in my lifetime as I believed it wouldn't happen, but here we are 40 years later, and the Super Troupers of pop/rock are back at it again. If you love ABBA, you'll love this album.