Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Weird. Sucks. 80's pop is trash, this is like a shitty 80's pop musical.
I never gave abba a chance. Great synth pop. Darker album. I might go back to it
I preferred Arrival to this one. This one tries to be a little more serious. It still has highlights. My favorite songs were The Visitors, Soldiers, Two For The Price Of One, and Slipping Through My Fingers.
cum
abbadabbadoo
really having a loser of a week aren't we. this may be the most annoying album I've ever heard. sing-songy children's choir faux adult pop music. do people actually listen to this shit? FUCKING AWFUL. if the next few albums are anywhere near this level, i'm done with this project. I wish I could give negative stars.
Banger
I like ABBA. I'll never admit it openly, but I do. This was a curious album of theirs to pick though. I enjoyed it, but this is not what I think of when I think of them. Still pretty good, but I don't know that I would suggest this one to someone else looking for that definitive ABBA sound.
I generally think of ABBA as a singles band: when I listen to an ABBA album, this single(s) are the standout tracks. I get that these were great songs and excellently executed to high production standards, but I generally don't care for the albums. The Visitors is the post-breakup(s) album, and has a bit more bite to the lyrics, has a glossy production sheen, but it's not an album I'd come back to.
2.5
Cet un album étrange (comme son titre le laisse présumer): alors que tous les ingrédients de la pop efficace et irrésistible d'ABBA sont présents, il règne une sorte de froideur, de retenue, quelque chose de sombre. Je pense que c'est un album qui demande à être apprivoisé
Superior crafted pop. Ear candy.
It’s like the entirety of the history of Swedish musical theatre was condensed into one poppy little ball of insufferable sunshine. I have to admit that there’s a few abba songs I don’t entirely despise, but this album doesn’t feature any of them, thus, no redeeming qualities are anywhere to be found. 1*
From our first ABBA album on this list, I got the impression that they are good for a couple flashes of pop music brilliance per album, and they are not an album band. On this album the flashes of brilliance are more like... twinkles of pretty good. "One of Us" is clearly the best song on the album, and "Slipping Through my Fingers" has a pretty nice hook. There are some minor chords and it's maybe a little more varied than classic ABBA fare, but it's also just.... not as good.
Fine ABBA disco stuff. Didn’t jump out at me but wasn’t unpleasant.
I don’t get why this is important.
Day459 - i was skeptical since it has none of the hits i know. i wouldn’t say i loved it but i made it thru
never listened to anymore than the greatest hits. this was a surprise, a revelation really. Surprised how good it its and what a nice growth in sound
I didn't know Abba existed into the 80s but I guess this was the swan song until 2021 but damn. It's stuck between two worlds for me. Sometimes it sounds classic 70s Abba and sometimes it gets this weird 80s seeping in and it feels out of place. They still have good songs and alot of it here is good. It's just strange and off. Good writing and for them to gracefully just fade away rather than clawing for every second in the spotlight they can like alot of people. Class act that Abba. I'll have to check out their new album too
+1 because Irene liked it
3/4
el revòlver d'abba
It’s not my jam - but it’s honestly not bad.
The first 4 songs are very good, but the rest is on the boring side. I don't know why they switched the style on the B-side, but if they continued doing the same they had been doing on the A-side, the album would've been much better. It's still fine, through, just disappointing.
ABBA doing ABBA things. Just wonderful.
Thank you for the music, and giving it to me.
Шикарно
Really enjoyed this. More emotionally laid bare on this album. Very well strung together lyrics along with the usual brilliant harmonies. Good production and arrangements throughout. Excellent. Then again, it is Abba.
Vocals and harmonies are great. Not quite as fun as some of their more famous songs. Still a pretty good album. 3/5 Might listen again
ABBA! I have sung to them, and danced to them, many times, but always when their music has "happened" to me, like when it was played in a bar or club or something. But would I ever choose to cue up an ABBA album and play it? Only for this project, and this album has done nothing to change that sentiment. I always think of theirs as music for everyone, but with no special appeal for anyone. Of course I know that's a deeply flawed assumption, but it works for me. I really enjoyed two tracks on this album... I Let the Music Speak, and The Day Before You Came (which is, in any case, a bonus track on the album version that I listened to). The rest just kind of washed over me in the way that ABBA's music typically does. I'm giving it three stars in recognition of the talent that made this group a household name for many years, to give it less would be conceited, but equally, I cannot give it more than that. After all, I have given most of the Beatles albums from this project four stars, and I don't like the Beatles very much, but I would still rather listen to a Beatles album than an ABBA one.
A little nuance and a touch of pathos while still solidly poppy. If I was a fan I would probably love it. But I'm not and this album didn't change that fact.
This was fine for walking around. Nothing overly exciting.
Love abba
Weird fun album. It sounds paranoid and it actually has lots of synth pop and new wave sounds underneath. I'd come back to this
The Visitors // Head Over Heels // One Of Us // Two For The Price Of One // 3.5/5
I've always vocally hated ABBA but this actually kind of rules. The title track is fun and experimental, and on every song they're firing on all cylinders vocally and instrumentally, though that sort of slips into tacky phil collins territory after a while! i will say I can't see any track by this band having any significant replay value for me, as all of the tracks I've heard before struck me as sort of annoying - its strength is in its novelty i suppose! good album but really just not my thing... and i loathe the movie mamma mia so bad and i just needed to get that off my chest before concluding
I could not rate ABBA anything other than a 5.
Not as bad as I expected. And interesting the songs Spotify streamed after this album…
Good pop album but didn’t love it as much as I thought I would, no massive ABBA hits to bump it up either.
Not my favorite ABBA album, but it is still great, just with slightly less bangers.
Finally. Some good fucking music.
4-
Not my thing but I’m sure they were a big deal in their time. I can respect that.
Fabulous
Already listened to, and by far my favourite ABBA album, while voulez vous has some of my all time favourite songs on them, this is their most cohesive album imo.
Not bad. Fun pop album Standout songs: The Visitors I Let the Music Speak Two for the Price of one
Typical ABBA album, what else can I say?
Hmmmm I think these guys, are disco ish? All I know from them is Fernando. lol I guess these guys are Swedish. I can hear the swedish influences in some of these songs. I'm really liking 'I let the music speak' Overall I think the album was good. Very unique sound and several of the songs piqued my interest. I'll give it 4 stars.
5/10
I have never been particularly fond of this band. In the past I’ve only heard their singles, which I found to be catchy, but nothing that I really loved, or on the other hand hated. I had similar feelings about this album. I really disliked the opening track, but found myself liking the album better as it went on. However It’s nothing that I want to listen to again. Another three star album for me.
i mean cmon it’s abba mama mia
Omg I need more abba in my life, I felt like I was in a silly movie for the whole hour I listened to this. Two for the price of one was ridiculous and hilarious
ABBA is not my absolute favorite, but they are always a fun listen
This was edging onto a 4/5 for me, but I just started getting bored towards the end. Seems like the album could have lost 10-15 minutes and been a more complete piece. I did still enjoy it quite a bit
inoffensive and bland. 2/5 stars.
ABBA ABBA ABBA! ABBA are great! You can never get too much ABBA. That being said, this is not my favorite record of theirs but I get the context around it with the band members divorcing each other and eventually the band itself also separating. As such, this is probably their saddest crop of songs, although that doesn't mean there aren't some upbeat bangers on here. And as always, these melodies and just incredible. Key tracks: The Visitors Head Over Heels One of Us Slipping Through My Fingers
I love me some ABBA. We had the Gold: Greatest Hits album at home. But this wasn't good It was like a reject album. With like 2 good songs thrown in Giving it an extra star purely because the only good songs were so good 3 ⭐️
'70s Abba > '80s Abba
Звуки дитинства
Muy buen álbum, el último de ABBA antes de su hiato de 40 años (!), que da buena cuenta de su madurez como grupo. El contexto del mismo me recuerda al de Rumours de Fleetwood Mac: los miembros, dos parejas, recién separadas o en proceso de separación, lo cual se refleja en la tónica general del álbum, un poco melancólica pero con la sensatez que da la experiencia. Y aunque ABBA no sea un grupo que me guste especialmente, hay que reconocer lo bien hechos que están sus álbumes y lo divertidos de escuchar que son, y The Visitors no es una excepción. Temas pegadizos, bien producidos, con sintetizadores y armonías muy ochenteras. Me ha gustado.
ABBA can't help but get groovy on even their more melodramatic approaches.
If you're not too cool to welcome these visiting Swedes, I believe you'll find this to be a collection of technically immaculate pop tunes with enough emotional undertones to keep things interesting.
I wasn’t aware of this ABBA era and boy, have I been missing out. What an album! Perfect pop, no notes.
Loved it!
I would not want them as visitors. 2/5
First time listening to a full ABBA album and I’m happy that most songs have a consistently high quality. Overall a pretty nice listen
Inte deras bästa album men det är fortfarande ABBA, välskrivna pop-låtar och väl framförda. Jag diggar. Någonstans mellan en 3a och en 4a för mig. Det får bli en 3a tror jag.
Det här albumet får mig att känna att listan är lite pretto. Långt ifrån Abbas bästa album.
I don't know why I don't like ABBA. I'm not opposed to 70's pop as a whole, not even disco, which they have taken a lot of influence from. Maybe I'm just not into Europop? I haven't really heard much from the continent (meaning the mainland, the islands are a different story) from that era, to be honest. I think it's because a lot of their songs have this uncanny musical theater feel. I can't put my finger on what it is. I asked a friend, who is a multi-instrumentalist and theater nerd, about what it might be, but he couldn't place it, either. He noted that Chess is one of the major musicals from the late 20th century that doesn't sound like "that," which makes this even more confusing. I would like to know what about this album, especially the middle of it, gives the feeling of filler songs in a forgettable-but-profitable musical. That aside, it has the traits of a forgettable-but-profitable musical album. The music is serviceable but forgettable, the lyrics are about deep emotions and also some random stuff, and despite it all, the instruments are bright and fun and ignoring what the actual song is trying to sell. As an addition from a quick Wikipedia read-through, maybe part of this is a "Rumours" thing? But I don't actually feel any of the emotion, creativity, and tension that makes that album great. Unrelated, but this is the second time in a week I've ended up on the Wikipedia page for "atelier." Does that matter? No. Not at all.
ABBA songs are a guilty pleasure of mine, especially Dancing Queen. I didn't know any of the tracks on this album, though. It was pretty solid, all in all, though nothing really stood out in particular. It was good enough that I listened to the bonus tracks. I'll give it another listen when I'm done with the 1,001+ if I live that long.
Definitely falls into the category of I'd be happy to never hear this again. Just grating and moist of the time sounds like a musical soundtrack.
Goodbye poppy Swedish bops. Hello melancholy
started really strong, but then tapered off in quality, first three songs ripped 5/5, then the rest were okay.
Good but not great in my opinion,
Very different to pop abba, couple of typical abba tracks but pretty good
Didn't know Abba like this
Favorite Track: The Visitors
Couldn't finish it
Dated and not for me
Good.
A very different, stripped down version of the ABBA that I know. Lower energy, but still maintaining those beautiful harmonies. Interesting listen today to hear a departure from the norm. Favourite songs: One of Us, The Visitors, Cassandra, Two For the Price of One, Head Over Heels, Soldiers, Slipping Through My Fingers Least favourite songs: Like an Angel Passing Through My Room 4/5
I loved the way this album opened. That first track blew me away. The album started to peter out for me by the back end but still a really enjoyable listen. Not what I expected from ABBA. Will definitely come back to this for some re listens.
4.5
pretty good- I think I like happy, poppier ABBA more though. Highlights include: "Head Over Heels" "One of Us" "Two For The Price Of One" "Slipping Through My Fingers"
Great albm
I was initially worried by this because, while I’m not a massive ABBA fan, everyone knows at lease a few of their hits, so it seemed ominous that none of these were on this album. However, this turned out to be a good thing. I much prefer this darker, more political iteration. Two For The Price Of One, Soldiers were my personal favourites, but the whole album was good.
ABBA are probably ostensibly a singles band and unfortunately this didn’t really have any standouts. One Of Us is not bad and maybe the only one I’d heard before, well it’s the only one in Mama Mia (2) anyway. Simpsons: Yes
Not an ABBA fan. Didn't know any of these songs already, which might have been a good thing. The album was alright.
when I looked at this, I didn't think I knew any of these tracks by ABBA but I recognised 'Slipping Through My Fingers' and 'One of Us' both of which are good songs but the rest are only ok.
I've worked on a few ABBA tributes in my time and I always enjoy it but it always feels a bit ironic. Like ABBA are a bit shit so if the tributes are shit it's fine, it's inkeeping. But ABBA were descent, I really enjoyed the whole of this album. Everything up to One of Us I really enjoyed, Two For The Price of One was a bit dull but Slipping Through My Fingers was honestly such a beautiful song that I've never properly listened to, I teared up a bit TBH. Fuck it, ABBA are actually good and I like them. Maybe I'm beaing generous but I miss Rozza driving me to work and us listening to ABBA Gold. Now that's a 5 star album.
My younger self cringed every time I heard Abba on the radio, dismissive of their pop magic and preferred darker, less joyful music. Fast forward decades later and Abba is still with us, enjoying an elongated resurgence where they have become the "go-to" music for parties, socials and movie/TV soundtracks that bring nostalgia, and the memory of happy times that never occurred. Like a lot of people, I'm familiar with the hits and the occasional deep track, but never really listened to their full albums. The Visitors was Abba's second last studio album with the group members (couples) dealing with personal relationship issues and a change in sound, from their lighter pop songs to synths and a more "mature" sound. It's funny, listening to The Visitors was so unexciting and bland, it had me yearning Dancing Queen or Waterloo to remind me this band was a popular iconic group. Overall, it was okay, but okay shouldn't be good enough to be mentioned here. Stick to the greatest hits collections.
A fun listen, ultimately just not my jam.
5, increíble
Kind of unhinged. Love it.
This album was so much fun. It's not my favorite ABBA album, but even an ABBA album that isn't my favorite is still a delight. Slipping through my fingers will never not choke me up, and the visitors was a fun listen. Really enjoyed this one.
I dont really like how the lyrics dont match the beat and vibe of the song. Second song I recognize from tiktok but I'm not a big fan of whatever this genre is. i would recommend this album to old people.
I rate one of us a 5 star because the beat is awsome and the instuments are good the lyrics are butle but still good. I rate slipping through my fingers a 3 star because the setting is not the and I dont really like this song. I rate head over heels a 5 star because the beat is awsome and the instuments are good the lyrics are butle but still good.
Song:one of us i like the beat and her voice is great but the lyrics is sad song: slipping through my fingers the lyrics is really sad but the beat once again is good and her voice is good again song: head over heals i like this song but it is kind of Halloween Ish
I love this album because the singer's voice is very beautiful. Slipping Through My Fingers is genuinely such a literary piece of art.
I don't like this song because it's too sad and the start is not good I don't like this song because it is my type of song
I like this album because their voices fit well with the becground music. I don't like how the lyrics are sad but then the background music is loud and their voices are cheery. I like the sad music and the lyrics are nice. I definetly like the second song more but iv heard these before and I like them. I would def reccomend to people.
Do you know who "ABBA" is? I do, I have listened to many of their songs and I have liked them all. So, I also like this song. The beat is catchy and I like how they use their vocals.
Do you want to listen to some music that has a nice beat? Well in One Of Us you can! I rate this ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of guitar? Well in Slipping Through My Fingers you can! I rate it ⭐⭐⭐. I kind of recommend it. Do you want to listen to some music that has a synthesizer? Well in Head Over Heels you can! I rate it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I recommend this song.
Have you ever wanted to listen to an upbeat yet sad song? Well then this song is perfect for you. I like this album because it is sad which I like but it's not too sad to make you cry on the stop. Another reason why I like this song is because I like the way that there voices sound when it's tied with the instruments that are being used and the lyrics that are being said. I would recommend this album to someone else because I feel like someone else would like this and it's actually pretty good compared to the other albums that are on here and the other albums that you get when you listen to sad music. If I had to rate this album out of five stars I would definitely give it a solid 4 stars out of 5 stars. I gave it this rating because it's good but not that good.
3 i kinda like it because it's upbeat and it seems like good lyrics. It gives a summer vibe. 4 its sad but its a good song and good lyrics and i like how the backround music is quieter
i liked the start it sounded cool i liked the sad kinda feel and pop but the vocie i liked a lot it sounded like the lryics were sad but overall i liked it
the first song started off uhm idk its js weird already the lyrics remind me of sum so i don like it her voice is alr but like the lyrics is like the thing tha is throwing me off but da background music and the music is lowk good but like i said the lyrics r throwing me off. the second one is sad i can alr tell by her voice its kinda good bc her voice and da background music like i said in da first song and like i said again the lyrics is throwing me off so bad to like bru why yall do this to me but idk. the last song started off lowk good i like the beat and thing but i gtg to ma group
What are they doing on the cover? "One of us" sounds nice. The instrumentation is great but the lyrics are sad. I thought "Slipping through my fingers" sounded very pretty. The music was gentle and not overpowering. I feel like this song may be about feeling like she is losing herself or her personality. Or maybe it's about losing a friend or family member as time goes, being afraid to grow apart. I liked "Head over heels" because it was more upbeat. The lyrics seem like their about someone who is inspiring but also kind of bossy and pushy. This person makes the singer feel like she isn't in charge. I wouldn't recommend this album.
This song one of us: is good I really the choir and the song had lyrics good beats and the echo on the voices are amazing. The lyrics are very dark like "One of us lonely one of us is only waiting for a call"The song called slipping through my fingers: I feel like this song is good becuase it has sad lyrics and choir on this is amazing too but its a very sad song if you pay attention to the lyrics.Head over heets song: its choir it super good multiple voices at once and other types of voices to the sides these songs are so good for people
Abba!
At times thought I heard 'new wave' and a potential influence for Yazoo. Merely OK (3)
Hadn't heard any of these songs before. Very pleasantly surprised.
yeah abba is awesome. not as good as arrival though
Really liked it, some songs i recognised and they obviously have a very distinct sound
def not for me
Delightfully silly. Hard not to have a soft spot for ABBA, even if it is not music that I go out of my way to listen to. 3.5/5.
pretty good. too many ballads
Stunningly great album
ABBA never disappoints. I haven’t listened to a full album in a long time bc Blair has a playlist she keeps on repeat and of course Mamma Mia is watched like 4 times a year in our house so I don’t get outside of the core tracklist a lot. This album delivered and I’ve got another 3/4 songs to add to our ongoing playlist. There's passion, storytelling, talent, fun, and variety and it’s just sounds and feels good. I couldn’t really ask for more.
I really really enjoyed this. In reading the description of the album before jumping in, the article was described as a "mature" Abba sound. And honestly, I agree with that sentiment. I'll admit I am not the largest Abba fan, but this definitely had a different sound than everything else I know/have heard. This album was still poppy, maybe not dance-floor-esque, but it still stuck to those core elements while heightening the lyrics, themes, and emotions. I really enjoyed this album, even throwing it on again as it finished.
Unfortunately no certified abba bangers on here but I still had a good time. Abbas songwriting abilities need to be studied by every upcoming musician. There’s a reason why so many abba songs have become popular again on TikTok and stuff. Their ability to make such catchy and inventive new sounds and melodies is unmatched by most of their contemporaries.
Fine. Wasn’t my favorite but definitely wasn’t bad.
Exactly what I expected from the first full-length Abba album I've ever listened to. Was a little disappointed that none of their massive hits were on this one, but overall it was a pleasant listening experience.
I was super excited for an ABBA album, but I don't think there's a single "fun" song on here. I guess it makes sense when you learn about all of the drama happening behind the scenes, but I go to Fleetwood Mac for that, not ABBA. The music is good, but the entire time I was wishing I was listening to another one of their albums. I feel almost bad leaving a review like this. It's like talking to your friend who is going through depression and telling them "You know, you're more fun to be around when you're not so sad all the time."
ABBA were great. I'm more of a casual fan, and never owned any albums (apart from ABBA Gold), and no others have popped up, so far, in this challenge. I was predisposed to take this seriously, because my husband has always loved ABBA completely, and with no sense of irony. To be honest, he's already pretty much persuaded me over the last 30+ years that they absolutely deserve to be taken seriously. So. Barring a few moments that were just *too* happy-sounding and/or stompy-sounding to appeal to my taste, I loved this. Wonderful arrangements and some lovely melodies. Some really moving moments which by far outweigh a couple of sillier ones. They're not afraid to tackle some heavy topics, too. They're also one band where I can forgive a bit of earnestness, because they just make you love them.
I love ABBA, but there wasn't a song on here that really got me or that I had heard before and liked. Probably my least favorite ABBA album that I've listened to, and it's between a 3 and a 4, but I'm feeling down right now, so I'll take it out on my favorite 70's Swedish EuroPop Band.
I have always considered myself an ABBA fan, but I have really only been exposed to greatest hits. I had never heard a single track from this album and all I can say is…amazing. Everybody loves ABBA. Full marks.
‘The Visitors’ is the Abba album for people who don’t like Abba. Underneath that shiny veneer, that pristine pop sheen, there’s a claustrophobia and a paranoia, a weariness and sadness to proceedings. It feels like the end of times, and it sounds like the end of an era. They saved their best for last though. Then there are the bonus tracks, which elevate this to God tier status. If I was rating based on the bonus tracks being included, this would be a 5/5. Rated based on the original album release though, it falls just short of perfection, but it’s still a very strong 4/5.
You can tell the group is winding down on his album. Interesting reading the wiki on the album, and following the rabbit trail, reading about the members and what they're doing now. I've always loved ABBA and enjoyed the different sound of this album.
ABBA goes dark, moody synths are the order of the day here. Breaking free of the hyper pop 70s era, they're firmly in the 80s gloom here, and it would be their last album for a while.
When it comes to pop, ABBA is the gold standard for me. My girlfriend at the time tormented me with it at first, but later she completely won me over. I still listen to ABBA regularly. Today's pop artists leave me completely cold. Maybe I'm too old for it, but it could also be that today's pop music is much too bad. If I had to bet, it would definitely be on the bad music.
Zdziwiłem się (choć nie wiem dlaczego, bo ich obecność jest oczywista), widząc Abbę na liście, ale jeszcze bardziej zdziwiłem się przeglądając listę utworów z tego albumu. Żadnego z największych hitów zespołu, nic powszechnie znanego. Jedyny kawałek, który jako tako kojarzyłem to "One Of Us", bo był na płycie coverowego zespołu "A-Teens", którego słuchałem we wczesnej podstawówce, ale był gdzieś na końcu albumu i zasadniczo średnio go lubiłem wtedy. I na dzień dobry dostaję "The Visitors", który mimo tego, że po wydłużonym intro przechodzi do dosyć lekkiej aranżacji, w swojej istocie jest mroczny i paranoiczny. Po tym, jak poleciało "When All Is Said And Done" nabrałem podejrzeń, że to musiał być późny album zespołu, być może nawet ostatni. I miałem rację. Ten album ma w sobie energię bardzo świadomego końca pewnej epoki. Nie wiem, czy od początku był planowany jako pożegnanie zespołu, ale to na pewno bardzo pasuje, że zaraz potem się rozpadli. Można kręcić nosem (i ja kręcę) na to euro-popowe brzmienie i instrumenty, które brzmią jak ze starych programów do zapisywania notacji muzycznych, jak Guitar Pro czy coś, ale jednak trudno odmówić Abbie zaszczytnego miejsca w historii muzyki. I wiele z tych utworów przebija się do mojej świadomości i zostaje w nich. Nawet "Slipping Through My Fingers", choć mam tyle wspólnego z rodzicielstwem i jego trudnościami, co z K-popem. Przeczytałem, że autorzy tekstów (Andersson i Ulvaeus, czyli ci faceci z zespołu) już wtedy coraz bardziej skłaniali się do tworzenia musicali i to w tę stronę poszli po rozpadzie zespołu. I zdecydowanie słyszę dosyć musicalowe aranżacje na tym albumie. Sporo z tych utworów brzmi jakby opowiadało fragment historii w teatrze. ABBA to nie jest do końca mój styl muzyczny (choć oczywiście lubię różne hity, które wypuszczali), ale z przyjemnością przesłuchałem całego tego albumu, nawet jeśli czasem warstwa muzyczna sprawiała, że cringe'owałem. Parę rzeczy mnie szczerze zainteresowało i zaskoczyło. Leciutko naciągane, ale 4.
ABBA is such a fun ride. Even more dark songs sound like eurovision finale and i love it. I have a feeling they wluld make a song about taking out trash entertaining. I guess there will be 1 or 2 more of their albums because all of the songs are less-known. Waiting for peak ABBA.
No notes
2,5
Better than I expected
I was never really into disco....even though I lived through it.
Favorite Track: Under Attack
ABBA-solutely amazing!
Slipping through my fingers is a top tier song and makes me cry
So, I don't know many songs from this album at all. It will be an initial listen on every track besides "Slipping Through My Fingers." I read the wikipedia page about this album and it says that it's often considered a more mature take on their work, and I already notice that in the first track. It's less poppy/dance track, and more synth. "Head Over Heels" offers some excellent harmonizing between the two female singers and reminds me a lot of Queen. "When All Is Said and Done" I dig it big time. When the rest of the beat kicks in....great! "Soldiers" is moodier and obviously is a reflection of that current moment, where the Cold War had been going wild for years by that point. I actually really like the wordplay in the chorus. Wild that the first six tracks don't contain any male vocals. I mean, I get why they put the women up front for this (their voices are heavenly). "You Owe Me One" might be an album highlight for me because of the two separate melodies in the chorus. That was beautiful. I don't know that I'll listen to this again, although it gave me a new appreciation for the ladies of ABBA and how good their voices are, the harmonies kill it. Considering they aren't family who sang together all of their lives, like the Everly Brothers or the Beegees, it's impressive. I didn't add any songs to my playlist from this one.
Theatrical, dramatic Pop vibe Like Olivia Rodrigo of their time
ABBA präsentierte in Ihrem letzten Album der goldenen Zeit einen großen Entwicklungsschritt und nutzen das damals neue digitale Potential mit Synthesizer und Computern aus. Erst trennten Sie sich von alten Zöpfen um sich einige Zeit komplett zu trennen. Großartige Songs sind „Head over Heels“ sowie die Hymne die Album “One of Us” und als Finale der Deluxe Fassung „The Day before you came“. Es ist nicht das einfachste aber sicherlich das spannendste Album einer großen Band 😊.
This is ABBAs best album and i am tired pretending that it's not. The day before you came is a masterpiece.
I really enjoy ABBA and this record is exactly what I expected them to do. But I somehow missed the happy melodies. I thought this is a very dark album.
Vind Arrival toch beter
I hate Dancing Queen so much its colored my entire perception of ABBA. This album was pretty good, I still dont like ABBA much, but there is a lot to love here. Its weirdly serious in much of its runtime, so hearing the band come together in a more serious effort comes across as unsettling, I guess? Overall its a solid 80's album, but I cant point to a particular song I like.
What happens when a pop band breaks each others hearts and implodes? You get this! ABBA’s “Rumours”. I love this album. Mature song writing (except Two for the Price of One which is fun but kind of off putting), beautiful vocals, so much emotion. “Slipping through my fingers” is the best song about parenthood… I say as a dink. Just a great album top to bottom
I just couldn’t connect with this album at all. I don’t know if it’s the dated soon or what but I did not enjoy this one.
I thought I would recognize more abba songs
Wow, an Abba album my mom didn't listen to death. It's fine, didn't blow me away. Very similar to their other work, light Disco for people who don't listen to Disco.
I love ABBA, but this was dull.
Well, it's ABBA! They were part of the soundtrack of my childhood. Their voices, the harmonies, and the typical arrangements prevailed over time, even on this much more mature album, with all the changes in the production equipment. It's still the easy listening one is used to (and if you ignore the lyrics). But this is so much more.
I'm not sure why this sounded soooo much like I was listening to the soundtrack to a musical, but then by the end i was regretting how much it sounded like the soundtrack to a musical. I kind of hate-loved this, I thought it was great but I also probably will never want to listen to it again.
easily the most unpleasant abba full album experience, but there are a couple standout moments to help you survive the ordeal
Where is my Fernando? Where is Waterloo? This was nice and it probably has some incredible significance that I'm too foolish to know, but it's not my favorite ABBA record.
Not for me. 1/5
Do I like ABBA? This is a fair question since I enjoyed "Arrival" and I liked this album too. I thought the keyboards were nice and I enjoyed the more darker version of the band, especially on "One of Us" and "The Visitors." I listened to the deluxe edition and even the added songs were worthy of a place on this album. Standout tracks for me were: The Visitors Head over Heels When All is Said and Done One of Us Slipping Through my Fingers The Day Before You Came Cassandra I enjoy ABBA albums and never would have expected that.
Not for me.
this had some great songs, can’t go wrong with abba
Idk if I ever listened to an ABBA album front to back despite liking them. Love their sound but some songs I would pass over on a relisten
Sounded like a musical soundtrack, like it was telling a story.
- fuck you -
sounds like an Andrew Lloyd Webber cast recording.
I rated arrival *only a 3* thinking it missed slower more emotionally deep songs besides Fernando which was my fav Turned out I was wrong , abbas synyhpop melancholy album just missed the mark with me
It's Abba along with Ikea, and the Chef make up some of our favorite friends from Sweden. So to them I So I say thank you for the music, for giving it to me!
It's Abba. You know what you're getting going in. And I'm not really an Abba fan. It's maybe not as cheesy and bubblegummy as some of their more well know records but it's still not my kind of thing. 2/5
First I thought to give it a try and though it started promising I was underwhelmed
Was it this album that inspired the karaoke sound?
Not a fan of ABBA. Can hear the influence on current music, but didn't enjoy this. 2/5
Listened
I was born in the late 90s, so the way I was first exposed to the ABBA catalog was through the excruciating musical Mamma Mia! and its even worse film adaptation. thankfully, ABBA's actual studio output is nowhere near as dismal of an experience. although I'm now more familiar with their music via radio play and that one compilation that sold a bajillion copies, The Visitors was my first proper ABBA studio album experience, and one which pleasantly surprised me! I typically don't care much for ABBA's disco sound, which dominates most of their biggest songs. thankfully, this, the final album of the band's initial run, leans more into the future, with its synth-laden digital sound feeling a bit less dated and tacky than I'm used to. not only that, but these songs also deal with far more serious themes than most ABBA fare! political protest songs, songs about falling out of love, songs about watching your kids get older. something about bands made up of ex-married couples just gets the creative juices going, I guess: first Rumours and now The Visitors! strong 7/10.
Aside from the ABBA hits, I'm not familiar, though it seems like The Visitors is a step away from the disco pop they were so well-known for. To be frank, this was boring. The vocal performances were great, but everything about this album seemed too clean, too polished... too manufactured. "Cassandra" and "Under Attack", on the other hand, brought me back in. These two songs singlehandedly brought this album up from a 1 star
Hoger gewaardeerd dan verwacht. Al vind ik ABBA doorgaans sowieso wel leuk. Vind de titeltrack vooral erg goed. Side B is wat minder indrukwekkend dus geef hem een 7.
3.5
Meh
Fine. 3.5
Enjoyable enough but kind of disappointing compared to their other album. 3.5
no pop bangers here, quite a subdued set of songs
Love ABBA
Fun start. I liked it less as it progressed
Not necessarily my thing, but still enjoyable.
B+ The Visitors 3 Head Over Heels 5 When All Is Said And Done 3 Soldiers 3 I Let The Music Speak 5 One Of Us 4 Two For The Price Of One 3 Slipping Through My Fingers 4 Like An Angel Passing Through My Room 3 Head Over Heels and I Let The Music Speak immediately going into the rotation. All time favorite ABBA songs for sure. Great album. The kind of deep cut ABBA I was looking for in the last one.
You know, it is Abba.
Mamma Mia! 4/5 Highlights: The Visitors Head Over Heels Slipping Through My Fingers
Not my sort of thing but done well.
I'm surprised how much I liked this.
Fun and different from the other ABBA albums over the years
Pure Abba. Respect. Happiness.
Not the first group of songs that one might think of when they hear ABBA but this was surprisingly good! Different vibe than the poppy jangly Mamma Mia songs
My mum is a fan of ABBA's earlier music. Feels good to have an extra topic of conversation that I can kinda sorta talk about with her now. The first half didn't really do much for me, though I'm interested in seeing how this album aligns with the rest of ABBA's music. I wasn't expecting my first exposure to this band to be as dour and ominous as this album wound up being.
Abba is always a good time. I don think I'd heard anything on this one before either
i’m not opposed to the idea of abba but i’m surprised this particular abba record is on this list because it doesn’t have any of the good abba songs on it
Aga is a massive ABBA fan so I'm exposed to alot of ABBA at the moment. Not my bag - although surprised that this album was picked as does not contain the goto ABBA bangers. Sugar overload.
5/5. An interesting release from Abba, known disco experts. There is a more serious and darker tone throughout while still maintaining catchy and accessible songs. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, with something new to hear on different listens. The instrumentation and vocals are more complex with a steady beat. It's honestly hard to find a bad track on here, not that I should be looking. This was awesome. Best Song: Head Over Heels, Let The Music Speak, When All Is Said And Done
I can't believe there is an ABBA album I had never heard a song off of before. So many times while listening to this, I heard echoes, saw ghosts, or otherwise experienced glimpses of other songs--ABBA songs but also so many songs to come after. The influence this band had.
I’m guessing Madonna got her sound from this album
Abba, but boring
I just can't with all the ABBA. This was the best ABBA, but it was still too much ABBA.
Все пак съм слушал the greatest hits, А тук имаше само един
Pretty much what I expected it to sound like. The songs after Slipping Through My Fingers were not as good. Low 4.
I like ABBA. I guess like who doesn’t. Mamma Mia is the first song I remember having as like my current fav song tho. My neighbor growing up had a little Barbie boombox and an abba cd and that was my shit. Slipping through my fingers all the time and a few others were good but other than that I feel like this had good musical qualities but the songs themselves weren’t super catchy.
7/10 - There were some absolute bangers, some songs that sound like generic ABBA and some songs that were really strange. I liked slipping through my fingers and head over heels. I let the music speak was interesting and extremely strange. Overall some pretty cool sounds.
Had pretty high expectations but this ended up being pretty mediocre. Nothing was really bad, but not much stuck out besides slipping through my fingers
Wonderful! I'm familiar with ABBA, but had not gone back to listen to whole albums. This son was definitely a treat.
I saw one reviewer divided the world into those who love ABBA and those who pretend not to love them. Well, I don't fit into either category. Yes, they've released some all time pop favourites and yes, they're iconic but that doesn't mean I want to listen to them. I took in a few soundbites of three songs and they all sounded like any other ABbA song. Pass.
A peculiar & unexpected ABBA album to be on this list. I don't recall hearing any of these songs before. All things considered, I liked it, it has a darkness that I didn't expect from such a poppy band.
Really solid album! Love me some Abba
This album started of real strong for me. But slowly tapered off.
81/100. With excellent songwriting and consistently good vocals, it stands as a worthy farewell to their original era.
Perjantaina pre- ja hutikassa kuunneltuna sopi tunnelmaan. Nuuskan jälkeen parasta mitä Ruotsi on tuottanut.
Perusabbaa, ei juuri säväyttänyt
ABBA is great, it's just easy poppy fun.
++: Head Over Heels, I Let the Music Speak +: The Visitors, When All Is Said and Done, Soldiers, Two for the Price of One +-: One Of Us, Slipping Through My Fingers -: Like an Angel Passing Through My Room 6,7/10
4.0
There's something about this melancholic nostalgic pop from before you was born. Or maybe it just caught me in the right state of mind
Thank god I was born in le wrong generation so I didn't have to listen to this dreg growing up
Not really my thing. Not as Disco-y as other ABBA projects, but still.
This was the first ABBA album I've listened to. Very ethereal, not my style.
Gawd! This album is awful! I just got to "Two For The Price of One" and it has to be the absolute worst Abba song I've ever heard! (4.6) ★★ And that's my final offer
An ABBA album lacking really memorable hits. Quite a few okay deep cuts, but it needs some hits, and also ABBA is not really my thing, even though it is impossible to escape them when you are Scandinavian. 3 stars
This is supposedly ABBA's turn toward a darker sound, but if you're expecting they suddenly turned into Joy Division, prepare to be disappointed. It's the same vapid Europop they always did with some synths and no tunes. The title track is okay and the last couple songs are okay, but the rest is as insufferable as ever. 2 stars.
The last ABBA album before their first dissolution and it’s actually pretty solid. It’s not exactly loaded with fire and doesn’t have any iconic hits but there is still a lot of general yummy synthpoppy goodness and a super cool classy standout ballad towards the end with Slipping Through My Fingers. The title track opener is a great whirring bit of electrodisco about the secret police. Soldiers has a real bouncing infectious, almost prowling safari like groove. Head Over Heels is a kinda cheesy 80s game show theme however. One Of Us is the most poppiest normal thing on here and is technically on ABBA Gold which I forgot about. Favourite ones are possibly the B-sides/extra tracks not on here like Should I Laugh Or Cry and The Day Before You Came which are both brilliant productions. Light 4 stars.
They should have kept going. The maturity of this album is obvious.
classic abba
Oh my god noooooooo
It's a much chiller ABBA album, I really liked it. Not as many hits as the last ABBA album, I got, but pretty good.
Man, I tried. I really tried.
This was good- sounded contemporary. Alot of fun.
9/11/24 I found this album rather boring and it surprised me.
Such a spirit-infusing album. It's goofy and fun but also deeply honest and heartfelt. A real achievement, especially considering barely any of their hits are on this. Best Track: Slipping Through My Fingers Worst Track: The Day Before You Came
Best Song: Head Over Heels Worst Song: Should I Laugh or Cry
I forgot about Head Over Heels. I like it. Shout out to Soldiers and Slipping Through My Fingers. ABBA's melodies sometimes give this nostalgic feeling, while some song are a little cheesy.
Listen, I really enjoyed this album and honestly the darker themes are fine for me on this Nov 2, 2024 in the US. I'm not sure why it's on here unless EVERY album gets on here--if this was a 2000 albums list sure. There are brilliant albums by obscure artists not on here and ABBA probably has a few ... is this one really necessary for the list? I can't deny the songwriting is lovely, it always is with ABBA, but there is no spark on first listen. I will return to it, but I think it's a 2 on this list. Maybe it caught me at the wrong time.
3.5
WOW this album starts off incredibly! 3 killer songs. Doesn't keep that same type of quality all the way through sadly but it was still a very enjoyable listen. Love the production on this as well
I love ABBA way more than I feel like I should. It’s distilled beautiful pop. They somehow always do the right thing to the point that you feel like you can guess where they’re going. It’s so simple you feel like you should have come up with it. But you didn’t. ABBA did.
Abba is like Cheese. You can put it on the pizza at the family dinner, you can put in the sandwich on a hike or you can put it on Nachos at a party. Or you eat it being alone at home.
If Rumours is for children of divorce, then The Visitors is for the disowned queer children of the most god-fearing Boomer couple you know, who have been “happily” married for 30+ years, mainly because they sleep in separate beds and rarely talk to each other, a habit they picked up as soon as they realized that neither of them actually wanted to have kids somewhere around one of said kid’s 3rd birthday, which ironically only got worse after they kicked their gay daughter out of the house, probably because they still need to support their intensely straight son who lives in “his own apartment” in their basement. And while that description is only ~75% accurate to my personal experience, it’s accurate enough for me to find The Visitors flawless. And it’s still not my favorite ABBA record!!
I had only heard the charting singles from this when I was a youngster. Listening to it now, I don't feel I missed out on anything. Not their best work.
Good album
It's ABBA. You can get over their angelic lilting voices and disco infused mid-tempo pop arrangements or you can't. It's not my favorite record of theirs, but it's better than their worst. I won't reach for The Visitors independent of this moment ever, but my soul is mostly unscathed from the encounter.
No es un mal álbum pero creo que es más una rareza que un álbum que merezca está dentro de los seleccionados. No conocía ninguna canción así que fue una viaje interesante, el problema es que siento que abba tiene una forma muy estructurada y repetitiva de usar la voz dentro de sus canciones que hace que la fórmula se acabe demasiado rápido, me gustaría que hubieran jugado más con eso. Incluso en canciones más "oscuras" suena demasiado meloso. El uso de los instrumentos está muy bien.
To preface the review, I listened to the original album sequence without bonus tracks. First time I’ve listened to a full ABBA record. It contains all the trademarks they became synonymous with; catchy hooks, great musicianship and catchy pop-rock hooks that was the standard of this time. The vibes around this record do feel bittersweet, almost fitting and prophetic that it would be their last record for 40 years and before they disbanded. “When All is Said and Done” encapsulates the feeling of bittersweet nostalgia in the best way and is my favorite track. “Like an Angel Passing Through My Room” is an interesting way to close the record and is overall a pretty melancholic track by ABBA standards and is maybe one of the few weak spots of the album
i like it but it doesn’t spark anything particular in me. it’s good but it’s just abba u know?
As performance art, it’s pretty good…as music it’s not good.
this is dope, a fun listen that kept my head bopping.
Ethereal singing and crisp, earworm-y 80s electronics? Hell yeah, must be ABBA.
Brilliant!
Apparently this was one of the first Digitally recorded and mixed albums and also one of the first to be issued on CD in 1982. Incredibly Both facts that are more interesting than the music of ABBA
Sadly, this pathos-soaked album doesn’t reach the highs of Rumours, the other contemporary album from a band where all the lead musicians were sleeping with each other. I did note that Ace of Bass stole a melody line from One of Us for All That She Wants - Swedes gotta stay together, eh?
The title track is a bop. Lets off the gas a little at the end, but all the songs are good.
ha,ha,ha poppy music from the old days; young kids liked it very much, dad staring at the legs of the Agnetha and Anni-Frid and mom, hm mom, hm ok then, not bad. But nevertheless good music.
I should not like this. Nearly cheesy. A bit showbiz musical. But damn it's good. First song is so cool. Aged like a fine wine. One Of Us is undeniable. Everything is so well crafted and performed. Brilliant. Nice cover art as well.
Meh, boring pop. Not ABBA's best, and ABBA aren't the best.
Okey to listen to. Prefer they're dancier hits.
Call me basic if you must but I love ABBA. I guess the production of their music can be seen as cheesy, but their vocals are killer. Plus, something that isn’t valued in pop music but that I respect is that they usually use perfect rhymes. As a stickler for that sort of thing I appreciate it. Anyway, fun album! 4.5/5
ABBA is great here once again, despite none of their massive hits being on this album. Vocals/harmonies are incredible, production is stellar. Nice easy listening. 4.25/5
Shite. Not classic Abba, more touching onto 80's crap. Don't like this.
Maybe ABBA doesn't suck as much as I thought.
For me, when it comes to the UK charts and famous pop/rock singles, you can't get much better than Queen, Robbie Williams (yeah I said it, don't come for me) and ABBA. Quality AND quantity. There's a reason 'ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits' is the second best selling album in the UK (behind Queen Greatest Hits). So how would full album fare? Particularly one with no recognisable tunes or big hits on. It turns out I needn't have worried, it's very good. The two B's of the group, Benny and Björn know how to write a catchy pop song that's for sure. It's slightly darker and moodier in tone than you'd perhaps expect of ABBA at times, but still has its lighter moments too. I feel like they could have released any track from this album as a single in their heyday and it would've been successful. A joy to listen to, an easy 5 stars and I hope there's more ABBA to come.
nice to hear stuff that isn't the normal classics. Surprising amount of 'storytelling' tracks which was interesting.
Seated
Enjoyed the album
The Swedish Pop powerhouse ABBA already had a couple of really big songs including 'Dancing Queen', 'Mama Mia' and 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!' but with their album 'The Visitors' they not only got another big song in the form of 'Slipping Through My Fingers' but they also made their possible biggest artistic statement by going into a more progressive and art focused direction away from trying to stay as popular as possible. I personally like ABBA for a few songs but albums like this pretty much prove that the are good at making a couple of really good songs but pretty much fail to make a full artistic project. The album starts with the spacey and New Wave inspired title track 'The Visitors' which does show their aspirations of making a more Progressive Europop sound while still keeping it easily enjoyable. And I am sure that many people enjoy this song a lot but I think that it's pretty average. Not in terms of ideas but in terms of songwriting and performance. It sounds stale, boring and like they don't really know what they try to do. It often feels like it goes nowhere at all and changes sounds just for the sake of it. To be fair, some moments are really enjoyable but others simply aren't. Some parts of the mixing and the production also definitely needed more attention. With the length that isn't really used to its full potential and repeats itself way too often, the final result is a below average Pop song where you could easily find more interesting songs in the charts today. Luckily, 'Head Over Heels' is much more interesting. The vocal style is very theatrical nearly like a Cabaret and the chorus is incredibly catchy without feeling like it comes too fast or goes too early. It's a perfect mix of styles and ideas and the result is an incredible song. Simply phenomenal. This is what ABBA is about, not full on albums. The synths are used well, the songwriting and the structuring is great and if the bridge was done a little more interesting this would've been a perfect song. 'When All Is Said and Done' follows with something that at first sounds like an 80's version of a christmas charol but sadly this isn't really added to. And the song that actually emerges is much less of a cool idea. The song as a whole definitely isn't bad but it lacks the interesting moments or a catchy chorus. The song is pretty okay but nothing special at any point after the intro. I'm just happy that they didn't strech it much longer than the average 3+ minutes. The guitar on 'Soldiers' is definitely my favourite part of the song, sadly they don't appear a lot. The song has a somewhat okay chorus and the production definitely tries to, again, go a more Progressive Pop way. I do think that they executed it here much better than on the title track but it's still a little bit bland at a couple of points. Other moments like the vocals and lyrics after the actual chorus, have enough power to elevate it into a pretty okay song though. The albums second half starts with 'I Let the Music Speak' which returns to the theatrical vocal style and this time it pushes that even further by pretty much just being a more modern version of early to mid 20th century Contemporary Show Tunes with influences from something like movie Sountracks (like Disney) and even Theatre songs (like maybe a Bertold Brecht piece). While I do appreciate the ideas and the result, it isn't really all that interesting. It feels unfocused and like it doesn't really know where it wants to go or even where it is going right now. There are way too many ideas and influences packed together that don't really know how to harmonize together. The result feels odd and not good. 'One of Us' comes along with slight influences of Raggae together with the still very Europop sound. Pop from Europe mixed with influences from a Jamaican style of music. If done properly, this would sound great but sadly it doesn't. It feels not just odd but simply bad. The chorus is quite okay but the production ruins a lot of what might be good about this. This is pretty much what cultural appropriation is. Again, if it's done properly and with enough respect towards the original culture, something like this "might" work, this just doesn't. The slight Pop Rock influences on 'Two for the Price of One' are quite interesting and the switch of the lead vocals are not a bad idea to mix things up but I can't help but feel like this is nothing more than an Ad song. Not just from the title but the chorus feels like the catchy finale for an ad except the ad is played for three minutes and is finished off with a marching band. It's not totally bad but I don't like the idea or the execution much. The soft Adult Contemporary Pop song 'Slipping Through My Fingers' might be the albums most recognizable track. It has a beautiful and wonderful chorus that is easily my favourite one on the album but... the verses and the songwriting as a whole is not that great. Not bad, the song is still good but it's pretty boring and harms the overall enjoyment a lot. The result is okay, even good but not much more, sadly. The album closes with 'Like an Angel Passing Through My Room', a song that is much more relaxed, nearly Ambient and brings in strong similarities to a Lullaby. That does make it sonically a fitting closing track but I personally am not a fan of hearing them do a three minute Lullaby instead of just doing their average Pop song maybe a little more relaxed. The song is just boring, even a little bit corny and sounds straight up bad with the repeating clock rhythm pattern. favourites: Head Over Heels, Slipping Through My Fingers least favourites: Like an Angel Passing Through My Room, One of Us Rating: decent 5 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes
I've been waiting for some ABBA, it's an interesting place to start though. This is ABBA's 8th album, and their final album before a 40-year hiatus (they released a 9th album in 2021). I didn't know much about ABBA, but it's two married couples, and this album came at a point where one of them was already broken up, and the other was in the process of it. Not particularly shocking, but this is a bit more dark and moody than the hits that I know of theirs, and definitely more synth-heavy of a sound (but still very much lighter '70s-'80s in the grand scheme of things). I really enjoyed this a lot. It wasn't quite what I was expecting given what I know about ABBA, but it managed to be both serious and fun at the same time. Like "Slipping Through My Fingers" is this emotional song about a mother feeling her daughter is growing up too fast, and "Two For The Price Of One" is this ridiculous but catchy song about a guy responding to an ad for two women. Completely goofy, but a fun beat and somewhat-needed comedic relief on this album. It also has some Cold War themes on here (definitely relevant for '80s Sweden). The album lacked a real standout song to me and there were a couple of meh tracks on a relatively short album (38 minute original release), but overall an enjoyable listen with a bit more depth than I expected for ABBA. Favorite song: One Of Us Other: The Visitors, Head Over Heels, When All Is Said And Done, Soldiers, Two For The Price Of One, Slipping Through My Fingers 9/28/24
Things I appreciate from Sweden: - IKEA - The chef - Fish Things I don’t appreciate from Sweden: - ABBA In fairness, better than I expected, but that’s probably because I didn’t hear any of the hits on here, all of which I really, really don’t like.
not their greatest hits
There are some good songs, but too psicodelic for me
Enjoyed love abba cannot go wrong with them
I enjoy ABBA’s hits so I was willing to have them pay a visit. It wasn’t long, however, before I just wanted some peace and quiet again.
Not a super big fan of ABBA but they do have some catchy songs and are decent songwriters. Great voices. Just not really my bag.
Flowery, light, airy music that sounds more like something from a stage production than an actual album of music. Without any hooks and hits, this is Abba stripped down to their basics. I hated it.
Enjoyed this so much more than I expected, a lot of abba sings I’d never heard of. Really good album deserves to be on the list, would I add it to my frequent rotation probably not only due to personal taste.
I always pretended I didn't like ABBA but let's face it everyone likes ABBA it's almost impossible not to. I hadn't heard this one before but had heard some of the songs of it and it may not have as many well known songs as other albums it's still pretty good all the songs are solid sometimes the lyrics are cheesy but the music is always good but I do prefer the other album on the list (Arrival) more.
I think I understand why people love ABBA... but it doesn't pull me. Don't mind the listen, but just doesn't hit like some of their others. Guess this one was a departure from the earlier norm, and it shows for me
I never really knew much ABBA beyond the hits but this list turned me onto The Album and then this album. I've enjoyed both albums a lot more than I anticipated and am coming around to being a fan.
Ok, it's maybe not the best of ABBA but it has its charm. 'The Visitors' sees the group becoming more mature, both musically and lyrically. You don't really expect Cold War lyrics in ABBA songs, but maybe we should have. The band was also undergoing two divorces among its members so it's kind of amazing that this album exists and it's as good as it is. But hey, it worked for Fleetwood Mac, right? There's more depth and emotion on this album than their previous works, though it's lacking the obvious singles. This was the final ABBA album before they finally made a new one 4 decades later. It's one of the first digitally recorded albums and one of the first issues on CD, which seems fitting.
Meh
80% Best: The Visitors; I Let the Music Speak; One Of Us; Slipping Through My Fingers Must-Hear? Sure
Found it pedestrian.
Not the ABBA I was expecting. More mature and slightly darker than the usual hits. I wasn’t looking forward to it but ended up enjoying it. One Of Us is superb.
This was definitely not my thing but it wasn't as terrible as it could have been haha. I don't have much to say about this really - it's a kind of bland pop record that has some emotional lyrics (good!) that delve into super sappy/mopey (not as good!). The record sounds like it was recorded and produced by pros (good!) but they lean a bit too hard on what worked in the 70's and now feels a bit dated (prob did in the 80's also)
Sonorous Melodic varied exquisite pop perfection.
This is #day27 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's only my second album of theirs if we don't count Voyage, which was the very first ABBA album I fully listened to, aside from individual hits, of course. What always drew me in was the album cover. Dark and ominous, it starkly contrasts ABBA's upbeat pop music. This shift is reflected in the album itself; The Visitors marks a departure in both sound and emotional depth. The music is pensive and progressive, with poignant lyrics, though not always. There are many gems, such as the title track, "Head Over Heels," "When All Is Said And Done," and "I Let The Music Speak," each one a beautiful yet bittersweet example of the band's evolution. I'm giving it a solid 4 out of 5. This is truly an album you must hear before you die. Looking forward to #day28.
The Visitors I’ve been wanting to listen to some ABBA albums for a while, but I knew there were 2 on the list, so I was waiting for one to come up. I’m glad it did. The title track, what a post-disco pop banger - absolutely fantastic, not sure why I’ve never heard it before. Went to No 1 in Costa Rica, and who am I to argue with that. I’ve been a bit obsessed with this song today. I’m not always that keen on some of the Spanish elements of ABBA’s music, and Head over Heels, combined with some non-specific central euro sounds, has some of that Spanish feel, but it actually is great with that killer chorus, great track. When All is Said and Done is one of those ABBA songs I’m only vaguely familiar with, but again it’s a great track, I love the synth in particular. Soldiers is a great tune, fantastic harmonies. I Let the Music Speak veers too close to musical theatre to me. I know that is a big part of their music, but this is one of the occasions when its too much and is probably the only real misstep on the album. One Of Us, again some of that Spanish sound, but it’s an undeniably great bit of pop music. It’s a bit nuts how many great choruses they can write that use Anni-Frid and Agnetha’s voices so well. Two For the Price of One - basically the bit in the middle of a Venn diagram of Video Killed the Radio Star, Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac, Escape (The Pina Colada Song) and an Oompa Loompa band. I didn’t think I needed that but I love it. I’ve never been that keen on the verses of Slipping Through My Fingers, but it is rescued by an absolutely superb chorus; those minor chords in the middle are great. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room is a nice oddity, perhaps not their strongest melody but I love the spare arrangement and sad sentiments. This was great, and got better with each listen. It may not have many of their top tier well known pop classics, but there is some absolutely fantastic music on here and cranking it up on my headphones it sounded fantastic, the warmth of the sound is remarkable considering how synth based it is, and there are some brilliant little music hooks and motifs in pretty much every song, speaking to their skill as melodicists and their sense of craftsmanship. Thematically it’s pretty interesting too, with the cold war allusions, as well as references to their interpersonal dynamics, and an overall slightly downcast feel. There’s always an underlying sadness to ABBA’s music, it's one of the things that makes them great, but on here it feels like a more mature reserved sadness, rather than the more immediate melancholy of say Knowing Me, Knowing You. It’s a 5 from me - I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t really want to stop 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪 Playlist submission: The Visitors
I guess I knew only the hits until now. This was unexpected and not too shabby!
I just can't
Grrr I have never liked this band. I still don't like this band, even though this album is not as bad as Arrival
Who doesn't like these classics?
I was vibing on the title track but the album lost me after that - nothing else really captured my interest.
Gracias a su extraordinario éxito en los años 70 los ABBA influyeron en el sonido de la música pop durante décadas y se convirtieron también en todo un icono de la cultura pop. Editado en el 81, aquí estamos ante el último álbum de ABBA antes de su separación casi definitiva (en 2021 se reunieron para grabar un, hasta ahora, último disco). Me gusta mucho la canción que da título al álbum y en la que su pop pegadizo sirve para hablarnos de los disidentes de la extinta Unión Soviética. También destaca "When All Is Said and Done", una balada en la que el grupo vuelca su situación emocional, con Benny y Frida al borde del divorcio y, de alguna forma, la separación del grupo que está a punto de llegar: "Brindemos una vez más/y luego pagaremos la cuenta". Me gusta la broma lírica envuelta en ganchos pegadizos y bellos coros de "Two for the Price of One" cantada por Björn Ulvaeus. En ella un hombre responde a un anuncio pensando en que consigue una relación a tres (y así parece durante toda la canción) hasta que estalla la carcajada con el verso final: "Ella dijo: «Estoy segura de que debemos ser perfectos el uno para el otro/Y si lo dudas estarás seguro cuando conozcas a mi madre»". Y también merece una mención la nostálgica "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room", último tema del álbum original, en la que ABBA daba carpetazo al cuarteto aun cuando su intención era seguir juntos: "El amor fue un adiós prolongado/Y todo vuelve a mí esta noche/En la penumbra/Como un ángel que pasa por mi habitación".
peak music 10/10
Well that was fun. Just made my 27 year-old punker of a son sit thru this ABBA album on a drive across the city. Groaning like a 2nd grader. “Make it stop!” The price you pay when you come home to freeload. More tortures to come.
There are some good elements to this album. But I'll be honest. I don't 'get' Abba. It's not for me.
3 theater kids
Nobody does it like Abba. This is darker and ads more hurt, stepping away from the eurovision style.
Vocals were pleasing. Songs were alright.
While this proves they’re more than just a pop disco band I prefer the pop disco. Sometimes I like to listen to European radio stations online. This is exactly what they all sound like.
Eeeehhhh