Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Kind of always in the ether their songs The music does interesting things melodically, time signatures, key changes etc … great pop writing undoubtedly…Just the relentless strutting rhythms get on my bits …
Not as cringe worthy as I first feared when I saw ana ABBA album come up. A bit too poppy for my musical tastes, but also not bad. 3/5 though as I will not go out of my way to ever listen to this again.
I tried to get into it. I like the title track and Soliders. Beyond that it just wasn’t my taste. It struck me that they had a lot of big ideas and they worked hard to get them all in there. I’m sure if I enjoyed the band in general it would work for me, but I just couldn’t connect with the music enough to find my place in it.
That's some ABBA, huh?
Never listened to ABBA before but this was a little darker than I expected. Pretty good!
Disco pop. Melódico. Un poco aburrido.
Valeu pela experiência de não reconhecer nenhuma música. Não teve nenhum dos grandes hits, e serviu para querer escutar as versões do foo fighters
Nothing particularly wrong with this album. No hits from this one, and it might be interesting to revisit if you are interested in early 80s electronicia. It’s a pass from me, there are far better songs in ABBAs catalogue.
more complex and experimental than their other albums
Not the greatest ABBA album by any stretch of the imagination but it has it's moments. Strays a little too far from their signature disco/pop sound and never quite hits the same heights of those earlier records.
Solid Swedish pop.
I really enjoy tracks with dark lyrics that sound happy, and there are two great ones on this album. Unfortunately, when you have a 9 track album, you can't afford to put 3 or 4 stinkers on there. Too up and down. Best track: One of Us
It's nice.
I mean, it's good, not their best
Of course only familiar with the singles so this was something of surprise. Strong songwriting and production as expected but little that stood out. At times it teetered on musical theatre.
I'm not a huge ABBA listener but I respect their well crafted pop music. Great pop is like candyfloss - sweet, bright, satisfying, and capable of transporting you back to a carefree time. Now this particular album is their mature one, which contains none of the big hits and has a sombre, brooding feel. The music is good, the songwriting pretty consistent. It sounds good. But does anyone want grownup candyfloss? This isn't what most people are looking for when they listen to ABBA. I'm glad they made this album, but I'd still much rather turn to the catchier, poppier albums earlier in their career. 3.5
Unmistakably ABBA, but with added melancholy and more Chess-style orchestration.
3.5/5 it was interesting, relisten
meh
I like Abba, but this album felt a little flat.
Bien, pero sin más
ABBA oli luokalla se, kuka oli aina positiivinen, kaikkien ystävä ja kävi koulun jälkeen auttamassa mummoja ostosten kanssa. Tykkäsin erityisesti levyn nimikkobiisistä. Hyvä levy, vaikka tuskin ikinä tämän pariin palaankaan.
ABBAkin pääsi yllättämään positiivissävytteisesti: ei ollutkaan pelkkää mamma mia -musikaalia, euroviisujytää tai mammojen voimabailubiisejä. Perusvarmalla suorituksella kolmosta kehiin!
Abba innit. Can't give less than 3
It was ok. I was concerned with the first track because it was good music but the singing was ghastly. I don't know why they led off with that song. If the rest was sung the same way I'd have not made it through the album. Overall it was ok. It seemed to go on forever though and I did get tired of it. There any great songs that made me want to listen again but nothing too bad.
I enjoyed this more than Arrival. Glad I checked it out.
Some songs are very catchy (particulary Heads over Heels), but overall the album is average. Not worth listening it all
they let the music speak allright but for to much loooong...
Un rato ameno
This album is…strange? It’s almost got a feel like a musical.
After listening to this album my feelings about ABBA remain neutral.
Great! I mean I had hesitation even though I know their hits. Will listen again!
It was all right. One of Us is a true banger
The ABBA concept album? This one makes me want to get all meta about this listening project in general but I'm resisting. And maybe that's the most meta response of all?
I really don't know Abba, but this album was actually pretty happy and sounded OK??? I wouldn't listen to it on my own, but I can see why people would like it. I was doing cheesy dance moves/swaying cause it just pushed me to. It's so earnest and so 80s. It also sounds very theatrical. I am kind of surprised by some of the songs like "I Let The Music Speak", it sounds like it's made for a play. Fun fact: The Visitors was one of the first records ever to be recorded and mixed digitally, and also one of the earliest in history to be pressed on the CD format in 1982. They sure do like their harmonies.
unknown songs, familiar sound. harmony
Not one I’d normally listen to, but it was listenable
Wtf I like boys now
There are like 4 songs I know from ABBA and they were not in this album which I found very surprising. The album is OK, not my cup of tea but I enjoyed it.
Not a fan of the “ensemble” types
Decent enough. Missing the real bangers though.
Good old reliable ABBA. Disco/dance from yesteryear.
Pretty decent to be fair. Don't think I'll go back to it.
So even the 8th and last ABBA album is on this list? Does that mean I have to listen to 8 ABBA albums? So this is their divorce and breakup album, their “Rumours” just not as good. I kind of liked the Synth track The Visitor, the rest I found hard to stomach. Reminded me a lot of a Madonna album. Also t sounds like ABBA in goth. Sorry not my thing at all.
It's Abba. It's fine but I'd never listen to it voluntarily. Fleetwood Mac did the break-up album about 100x better with Rumours.
Somewhere in the transition from the ‘70s to the ‘80s, ABBA got boring.
The Visitors is like an album of mediocre show tunes. It’s unfortunate that ABBA was dissolving and nearly over at the time this was recorded. They put out a truly missable record. (1.8*s) When All Is Said And Done, that’s the end of ABBA.
I mean, sad euro-synth pop? ABBA as "serious"? When one picks up some ABBA, it's for the high energy hooks, escapist fantastic dance floor fun, and this is not that. I liked a few things--the weird spooky bits on The Visitors, the ubi sunt longing on Slipping Through My Fingers, the pivot to poppy hand claps in Under Attack--but this is not great, and way too long (CD era damage).
2.5
2.5 and honestly way better than the other ABBA album (a group I don’t particularly enjoy). The vocals are hit and miss but honestly the music is interesting enough with some tracks that couldn’t a light 3. This album could get better with time or simply be just a 2 or 2.5. Time will tell when I revisit it
2.4 2x decent enough
My “I never cared for The Godfather” moment is that I hate “Dancing Queen.” I don’t think it’s all that catchy or fun. It’s weird that she’s “only seventeen.” It sounds like a dance song made by somebody who’s never had any fun dancing. I’ve never even had it stuck in my head before. That said, I don’t think “Dancing Queen” is a bad song, because it’s a pop song known by 99% of the population. If the whole world sings along, and it brings people together to have fun, then it has achieved The Ultimate Goal. Nothing else matters. The Visitors answers the question of: what would ABBA be without that fun? I can excuse war crimes if they come with a good synth hook, which is why I initially thought I’d like this. The opening two tracks have amazing synth hooks. “The Visitors” has one of the best drops I’ve ever heard. And “Head Over Heels” is even better, with the anxious choir vocals and dark cabaret feel. And then everything starts to…blur. It slows down a lot. “Soldier” was an attempt at a serious political song, I think. At least it’s catchy. Then the vocal harmonies start to grate. Sure, they’re complex and objectively interesting, but like I said before: nothing else matters. A song can throw in crazy time signatures or godlike guitar shredding or a singer hitting notes in the super-whistle range and still be boring. It also doesn’t help that I’ve always found both Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s voices rather stale (for some reason my computer isn't letting me type the accent mark onto the former's name.) So when ABBA aren’t catchy and fun and iconic, the cracks start to show. The lyrics are weak—much too weak for these dramatic ballads they’re attempting. While the production does have its excellent moments, such as in the bass lines of “Soldier” and “One of Us,” or the ticking clock and light arpeggios of “Like An Angel Passing Through My Room,” it can also be dated and generic. What’s with the random guitar noodling, with that awful tin-can tone that’s trying so hard to be dramatic rock n’ roll? (Somewhat unrelated, but the first three notes of “Two For the Price of One” sound almost exactly like the “Sweet Child O’ Mine” riff, and I jumped when I heard it.) The arrangements feel empty. I wish they had leaned farther into the aggressive synth and Broadway-esque aspects. If ABBA wants to be serious, they need to be serious in the way a musical is serious. The first two songs and the rest of the album feel like completely different entities. It’s like going to a restaurant and eating the best appetizer you’ve ever had, only to have your main course be a bland nothingburger. I’d say the three really good songs on this album are “The Visitors,” “Head Over Heels,” and “Like An Angel Passing Through My Room.” Then “Soldier” is memorable and pretty okay. The rest is…I don’t even remember. I listened to this record three times—including twice in the past hour and a half—and I don’t remember a thing except those god-awful vocal harmonies.
ABBA ont une grande versatilité, ils sont capable du meilleur comme du pire.
Started off super strong and I just lost interest after the first songs. The pop just wasn’t there enough
Not nearly as good as classic ABBA
This kind of felt like I got trapped in the recording booth while they were laying vocal tracks for the next Disney princess movie. They are good at what they do, no doubt, but this blend of disco beats, pop synth and dramatic singing just really isn't my style. I think the choral, layered effect they use on the vocals specifically is the thing that wears me down the most, one hour of this was as much of this as I could handle. No disrespect to ABBA or their hoards of fans but this one just isn't for me.
Didn't do much for me. I guess I prefer the bubbly, bouncy, fun ABBA to the mature, politically conscious, romantically fractured ABBA. It wasn't quite a slog, but it really never grabbed me, either.
I really don't understand why this ABBA record in particular was on the list.
Ok...i think the one with the hits is probably better
Meh...
Not for me but a few of them are pretty catchy
not rlly my shi
Couldn't get on with this.
This was okay. I'm realizing ABBA in general doesn't vibe with me the way it does for a lot of people.
Maybe good but not my music style ...
This is a good album but I’m not sure why it’s here. ABBA helped define a generation of disco lovers with dance hall favorites and radio darlings. This album feels like the last hurrah at the end of the genre. Many of the songs sound like they were attempting to go New Wave Pop rather than sticking to what they knew, which they did on Under Attack. There are song good songs on here, such as the very New Wave Should I Laugh or Cry and I Let The Music Speak . I don’t know, maybe it’s just my long bias for a different ABBA….
I can handle ABBA when they bring the bangers, I can't really take it serious when it's the sappy over-dramatic Eurovision-esque stuff. This album is full of the latter.
They have a unique sound all their own. That being said their voices lack clarity as if they are singing thru something. Wondering if other LPs are similar. Gives an overall effect of similarity to their music.
uppity. happy. vocals. abba.
Passed me by a bit Being married to a swede means I’m more than familiar with ABBA, but haven’t heard any of these songs before. Makes sense because they’re not that memorable. It’s fine, just not great. Favourite track: soldiers
It's just not for me hey.
Hmm, grown-up ABBA aren't as much fun as the younger version.
I simply do not get the appeal of ABBA. I can only think that most people that listen are only interested in "nice songs". The lyrics are in the style of the old crooners and the music is super simple, completely uninteresting saccharine pop-music. Music for people who go to gigs to sit down and clap along. It's like drinking over diluted Ribena.
Mama Mia that was a bit much 🤌🏼
It's not Mamma Mia, but it's definitely a vibe
drunken theater nerd circus music. i guess they needed to get “serious” but this isn’t the ABBA for me
Review - An ABBA album from the '80s, their eighth album? Surely this isn't the ABBA album that needs to be heard? Never been a fan of them but scrolled through the tracklist looking for the hits before listening and was disappointed. It's got that "One of is loooooonely" song that I remember thinking was good in one of the Mama Mias. Otherwise a mid album. Score - 4/10 Need to listen? NO
Not up to their v high standard
Sounds like a musical score rather than a simple album.
I read that “There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love ABBA and those who pretend they don’t love ABBA.” Yeah, probably... I’m not pretending, sorry! Although I can understand their importance and why they’re on this list, this is the kind of music that should have stayed in the ’70s or ’80s and never seen the light of day again :-(
ABBA doesn’t do it for me. I find their sound too bubble gum, too simple, too lacking in sexiness or knowing awareness. Just shiny ‘70s pop disco that does nothing much to grab me by the extra large lapels.
Sounds like 80s soundtrack music..
Judging on the music alone - this was a snooze fest. It sounded like a soundtrack to a movie or a play - to the point that I looked it up. Upon looking it up I learned that the album has much deeper undertones off commentary. Which is cool. But I still didn’t like the music.
Greatest hits band
Ambitious and empty.
I just can't with these guys.
Despite the rave reviews I was unable to find anything in this album that stood out. Frida has a great voice and something about classified ads being cleverly worded, but otherwise this could be played again for me tomorrow and I would not recognize it.
This was most certainly an ABBA record. But it didn’t have any of the classic ABBA sing alongs.
awh hell no. It just ain't for me man, 80's synth euro pop.
Not the abba I was expecting. One song early on kind of had something similar to what I expected but that went away. I think at one point it even started to sound like a circus. Perhaps my expectations were set in the wrong direction and I was just severely let down
There are many devoted Rush fans in Canada about my age. Then there’s me.
Musically uninteresting synth pop
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: None I really couldn't care less about this. It's about 15 minutes too long. It didn't leave a lasting impression. None of the songs stood out. I didn't connect with any of the supposed themes of isolation, the Cold War or splitting up of the band (since the List doesn't respect any sort of chronological ordering of how you hear a band's different albums). Consequently, and because I have listened to virtually no ABBA, I have no frame of reference for why this album is supposedly more mature and less "pop"-y. The most interesting bits of the album came from the facts on the Wikipedia article - one of the first albums to be recorded and mixed digitally, and one of the earliest to be manufactured commercially for "Compact Disc" aka CD. Those are cool bits of information. Edit: I've changed my mind. I dislike this a lot less than Elvis Costello and the Attractions.
Es muy buen grupo, pero a mi parecer hay mejores discos, me pareció no muy diverrido el disco, Abba lo conozco por dancing queen, gimme gimme y mamma mia, este disco parece que son otro grupo, jo me gustó.
80s slop
The visitors was Len Houmous’ nickname for his testicles 2.2 2/13 Head Over Heels
Avoids being a 1 purely because of slipping through my fingers
Best Track - "One Of Us"
Ще менше сподобалось ніж попередній альбом Абби в цьому списку. 2.5
The Visitors finds ABBA in an introspective, melancholic mood that downplays the exuberance that propelled their best work. In place of that missing energy though, the band doesn't really introduce anything new into the mix, resulting in a halfhearted record that sounds like a collection of tracks that were too dour to make it onto the previous albums.
2,3/5
The last ABBA album had more of the hits and this is more of the show-tuney ABBA ness which isn't really my style. 4/10
Abba but they listened to Unknown Pleasures
sounds like musical theatre which is not a genre i typically enjoy
There’s a song on here called “Let the Music Speak,” and they should have, because ABBA’s vocals are like absolute nails on a chalkboard to me, utterly intolerable. The title track and “Soldiers” are very good songs, however, and in fact it’s entirely possible some of the others are too, but I just can’t tell because of the horrendous vocals. Best track: “Soldiers”
This is not a good album. There are some interesting songs here and there but overall, I think it’s a joke this is an album humanity needs to listen to.
The Good: Finally, a SciFi related album! The Bad: The planet ABBA is a little monotonous… The Ugly: Realizing that ABBA stands for Anus Boob Boob Anus, and now I can’t get that out of my head… I’ve given the album a second chance after I was reading the reviews of several fellow pilgrims on this 1001 journey… they all swear that this is, probably, the best ABBA album, like everrrrr… My opinion, for what it's worth, is that you come to realize that certain harmony vocals should only be listened to once, and then the album can be shelved… I find that this album, aside from making one wonder if the drum machines were being used on this album, proves that the ladies had reached the end of their trick… It’s like an opera singer trying to do grunge music. I don’t believe that I will want to listen to this album ever again, so, after giving their other outing on this list a 4* for the massive hits it included, I will sadly have to give this album a 2* as it is better than listening to rap music… but only by a margin… My apologies to all those ABBA fans out there!
A fun title track And then nothing and nothing And some more nothing
The album was ok. It felt dull and a little bit boring from time to time. Can't say I hated it but I wouldn't specifically choose this album as something to listen to. Would rate this 2,5/5 but as that's not an option I go with 2.
soa como abba
This was an odd choice. Post-prime ABBA, without any real hook? Anyways, it was nice enough, and at times sounded to me like a musical. Someone should make an ABBA musical.
Hm, Wikipedia Artikel gelesen und kann dem nur zustimmen. Wirklich ein Album vom absteigenden Ast der Band
Not all bad but not the ABBA album i was expecting, or hoping for....
Not bad by any means but it makes sense this the last album as a lot of the sparks clearly gone at this point
I don’t care much for ABBA but the women’s voices are pretty impressive.
I gave this a chance, I really did. It wasn't as bad as I feared, but I was bored within 5 tracks. I gave it two more tracks to recover and it never did. It's just a snoozer.
What I'm learning from these is that ABBA is completely mid outside of their banger hits
I was previously familiar with ABBA but not any songs from this album. This album sounds very much like the other ABBA songs I do know. It is very pop-focused and upbeat. While there's nothing particularly wrong here, it's not really the sort of music I would typically choose to listen to. I would have to be in the mood to hear this again.
One of Us
I like ABBA, this album doesn’t do it for me tho.
Didn’t know any of these songs - I’ve never been an ABBA fan and these more obscure songs didn’t make me change my mind.
The album summary notes “the album is often regarded as a more complex and mature effort.” With all due respect to ABBA, I do not come to them for mature and complex, I come to them for bops, and this album is sorely lacking in bops.
If this was a list of 1001 great artists of all time ABBA would be near the top. But that doesn't mean their albums need to be included on this
..
Sounds like a very mature version of ABBA. I was not familiar with any of these songs. Good music. Great harmony. Overall an enjoyable album.
Not bad, Don't know what I expected, but I kinda enjoyed it. I read that it was different from earlier 'poppy' music of theirs. Glad to hear, cause it was still pretty 'poppy'.
2+ Stars (6/15)
ABBA bores me.
That was pretty boring. I thought there would be a Dancing Queen or something.
Appreciated it more than I expected, but still not a fan.
Swedish Pop, man, goddamned ear worms. Not a memorable or great record but you can listen to it.
Not the abba I’m looking for
Started off strong but then got so boring
Exactly what I thought it would be
Ok…….meh
Later career and very weak for them.
Ugh. Who actually likes this?
I’d never heard this album or any of the tracks before. It was surprisingly mature songwriting and structure. Still it’s ABBA so not my cup of tea.
I like a bit of Abba, they have a huge catalogue of great songs. Unfortunately this album only contains one of them (One Of Us) and one other good track (Head Over Heels), the rest of the album is instantly forgettable. I don;t feel like one track can elevate an album significantly, so it's only 2 stars for me.
The title track took me by a complete surprise. Sounds absolutely like something off a late-70s krautrock album. Easily the best Abba song I’ve heard. Shame that the rest of the album is more of their usual material, which doesn’t really do all that much for me.
It wasn’t actively bad, but never pulled me in.
I listened to like 6 hours of ABBA when I was going through the 500 Rolling Stones albums list…I’m forever done with ABBA.
One day I’ll come around on ABBA, too many musicians I admire specifically for their way around pop melodies swear by them, but all I hear are overly sentimental, saccharine melodies/production, the Swedish version of Schlager.
I don't get it. Some good songs overridden by so much synthy crap. The guitar tone is distractingly terrible.
2/3. First half of the album aside from The Visitors was a drag, but the second half really picked up. They just really know how to write a chorus, and there's such a sense of fun and music to what they do. The 80s instrumentation of it all is really great to hear too, some really iconic synth, guitar, and bass sounds. I'd buy a vinyl and only ever listen to side 2. P.S. Guess I was listening to a deluxe edition with bonus tracks on Spotify, which kinda puts a damper on what I wrote above. Seems like most of my favorite tracks were the bonus tracks, but I'll leave what I wrote above all the same.
I thought I was going to dislike more as ABBA without the most well known hits. But it surprised me. That said I think it felt too long. High 2 low 3
So I am not a fan of the ABBA sound it turns out, when they’re not giving me undeniable hits I’m just not particularly interested and actually find their signature moves a little irritating, I appreciate the production values and some of the instrumental choices had me interested but overall this one was a solid 2 for me
This was a bland listen for me. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot going on and the sounds are far from bland. Every track sounded like a movie soundtrack and felt a bit over the top. For this listener the album felt almost as if it was “too much”. Two For The Price Of One was the only track I found myself enjoying.
Synth pop abba 👍 Ballad abba 👎 The opposite problem that I have with queen albums. They need more songs where they’re taking themselves less seriously.
Thoughts before listening: Abba were really good at crafting catchy as hell pop songs. Sometimes the production of the songs tips over into cheesiness that makes them unlistenable for me, but it's hard to deny that the songs are great. I don't recognize this album cover, but chances are I'll know some of the songs. Review: So I notice this album was released in 1981 which feels late for Abba who I consider more of a 70s band. Turns out this was their final album for 40 years and was released as the group was breaking up both personally and professionally. This makes it a pretty questionable inclusion for this list, especially considering the fact that I'm not hearing any recognizable hits. That's not to say it's bad, these are still very catchy songs, it's just not an Abba album I'd expect to be celebrated. I was going to give this 3-stars, but at an hour long I'm growing tired of it quickly. I'll go with 2-stars...I just don't think I'm wired for Abba.
Not a fan
When they say it’s Abba’s “more mature” album but what they mean is it’s the one without any tunes
Not bad, better than other ABBA works
Light poppy fluff kind of catchy
Slow pop. Nah
not really an abba fan
Oh no. Not bad, but not for me. 2/5
Well executed from a technical point of view, but lacking in soul. Reminds me of German Schlager.
Yeah.
„The Visitors“ markiert den Schlusspunkt in ABBAs Studiokarriere und entstand 1981 in den Polar Studios in Stockholm. Die vier Musiker:innen aus Schweden klangen hier so ernst und erwachsen wie nie zuvor – eine deutliche Abkehr vom früheren Glamour-Pop der Siebziger. Synthesizer und elektronische Texturen bestimmen das Klangbild, die Harmonien sind kühler, die Arrangements komplexer. Songs wie „The Visitors“, „When All Is Said and Done“ und „One of Us“ spiegeln die persönlichen Spannungen innerhalb der Band wider, zugleich aber auch die politische und gesellschaftliche Unsicherheit jener Zeit. Auffällig ist der neue, fast melancholische Tonfall, der sich durch das gesamte Album zieht. „The Visitors“ ist kein fröhlicher Abschied, sondern eine reife, nachdenkliche Platte, die zeigt, wie sehr ABBA sich musikalisch weiterentwickelt hatten – von Pop-Idolen zu reflektierten Künstler:innen.
Singles ok, rest is filler.
Abba absolutely deserve their place in music history, and therefore the list. But sorry, it's just not for me.
This is not the ABBA that I’m familiar with. Weird, but I mean that in both good and bad ways. There were a couple songs near the beginning that I really dug, the album held me for at least 4 maybe 5 songs, then, there was a series of stripped down singer/songwriter ish songs that seemed to deviate from the then modern synth driven beat. It sort of fell apart, tried to redeem itself at the end but didn’t quite make it.
No, this is not ABBA as everybody knows them. So it is maybe not so bad that they were in the process of splitting when making this album.
ABBA really isn't my thing. It's not off-putting, just boring to me. This sounds like every other ABBA song I've ever heard.
Not as poppy as i feared.
Album started with a good first song. You told me I was listening to St. Vincent. I would’ve said cool. This is great. After that, it rapidly declined into a very disappointing array of pop nonsense.
I hate ABBA but I hated this album a bit less than the rest. It seems they went full "serious band" here and the result is not that bad. Of course is still cheesy but at least is not embarrassing and there are actual songs. De cabeza a "Discos para conducir" to listen to it again in the future.
Did I like this? No I did not. But did I appreciate it? Also no. Ah, but did I respect it for what it is? Still no, but a little less effusively. It is not what I thought Abba sounds like, so I will give them respect for that. I didn't like it, but I also didn't hate it, but I did think it went on too long. Do I ever want to hear it again? Not particularly.
For most of my life I had no use for ABBA whatsoever. Then my daughter appeared in her high school's production of Mamma Mia! and how ironic that a Swedish band would give me such an acute case of Stockholm Syndrome. Still not something I love, but it's not horrible. An album with more of the songs I recognize from the play would get 3 stars.
This started off fairly interesting, the first couple of tracks sounded like a cool indie band but each had a weird really over the top poppy twang bit at the end of a line, or a poppy turnaround or similar. It felt interestingly promising, but after that this felt like musical theatre, fairly empty sounding verses with complex story telling lyrics and then an over the top poppy chorus which didn't necessarily seem to fit with the rest of the track. Some of us I know, obviously, but I remembered the tune and lyrics which are alright. I didn't remember the faux reggae feel of the rhythm. Ick. Not for me I'm afraid. I'd like to hear the earlier abba al ums to see if they were more to my tastes in their heady full on pop days.
When I introduce my lovely wife to people, I quite often follow it with 'and she likes ABBA' much to her annoyance. She caught me playing this when she got in from work and I had similar guilty feelings like when ones Mum catches you doing something indecent (she never did!). Did i actually enjoyed the album? Yes, in places, it was excellent, great synths and vocals, but its ABBA.
I'm not an ABBA guy, but I respect their game. Fun as hell disco bops. This album is them trying to get all serious like they're Fleetwood Mac. But they're not. Is this on the list as a curiosity?
Got the feeling ABBA were mailing this one in. Formulaic simple Muzak melodies. Lacked of the magic of other albums.
Ja, het is moderner dan de gedateerde discohits die we kennen. Maar een band die zichzelf opnieuw uitvindt, wordt niet ineens opnieuw relevant. Het blijven zoetsappige liedjes verder, al zullen de teksten en de thema's vast wel anders zijn nu ze hier een stuk ouder zijn geworden. Ik vind dus dat dit soort albums niet in deze lijst thuis horen. Als ze nu met een verandering van geluid, weer jaren mee waren gegaan, dan zou je nog een uitzondering kunnen maken. Maar niet als laatste kunstje, want dat is dit album. Het zit tussen de 2 en 3 in en deze keer rond ik het naar beneden af.
Light weight bouncy pap pop! But sometimes it is very good light weight bouncy pap pop!
2 stars I’ve never listened to a full ABBA album before. I love their big hits, but this didn’t have enough of them. The first song, the title track, was great, but I lost interest after that except… Slipping Through My Fingers is a song I might have thought was cheesy before having a child. But now, this makes me cry.
Not my style
Not my favorite- i lole ABBAs hits but this album was a little too sappy for me. A lot of ballads, not enough disco vibes. Overall- fine
It feels like ABBA went a more somber route on this one and it just didn't really do it for me.
I can't stand this. It is cheesy. They are great musicians but the music is not for me.
There's some good songs on this but I just couldn't get into it. I think a second listen one day might change my mind
It's Abba trying to be more artful and less poppy, but to me it mostly ends up being quite drab and boring
Não é algo muito Abba esse álbum, mas amei os sintetizadores, é o intermediário entre Pop dançante e alternativo melancólico. Achei que é álbum que não tem espírito do Abba, mas ao mesmo tempo tem ali certa essência.
It sounds a bit isolated and cold which makes sense considering they were on the verge of breaking up. I admire they tried something different but the execution isn't there. The songs aren't catchy and the vibe is a bit off which leads to disappointing results. Not terrible but it misses the mark.
First time listening to an ABBA album in full. This is a great album cover for a final record. Very stately, like Avalon or something. Some of these lyrics are a little ominous (title track, "Soldiers") or just wistful. "Slipping Through My Fingers" is by far the most popular song on here and it's... a ballad about how parenthood goes by fast, so make the most of every moment? Maybe this is their "maturity" record. I suppose they were over disco by this point. I mean it's not as annoyingly sugar-coated as some of their hits, and the production and the harmonies are hitting, but there's nothing immediately grabbing me hook-wise, and the more baroque dramatic moments do nothing for me. Safe to say I will never listen to this again. Feels like a record that I'd need to hear and appreciate a few earlier ABBA albums to get into this as a contrast. LOL "One of Us" has a melody that sounds a HELL of a lot like the "life is demanding without understanding" Ace of Base melody. That is probably the number one thing I will remember from this.
This was bad, even for ABBA. Normally a fun catchy band, this was more "Lets try and get into the 80's" Meh.
Very ABBA but also very 1980’s, production tipped from sparking into over production 80’s synth heavy and drum machines, it ain’t Kraftwerk and it doesn’t sound like peak ABBA
ABBA is one of those bands where I'm completely happy just owning their Greatest Hits release. They're talented songwriters, singers and producers. But I just don't need this much ABBA.
The inclusion of this album really drives home how the creator of this list really lost the thread. There is no reasonable argument for *needing* to hear this album.
While I can acknowledge these are more than competent musicians and skilled singers, the disco vibes ultimately leave me cold.
Estamos en 1981, hay discos realmente buenos como Juju, Dare, el de OMD, Tatto you... Abba publican un álbum de pop maduro, eso que suele ser un disco que ha perdido la magia de anteriores logros se confirma plenamente. No es su mejor disco, tiene buenos momentos, porque son unos compositores excepcionales, y una magnífica producción pero no hay rastro de lo que hizo grandes a ABBA: los hits instantáneos. Tal vez One of us o Head over heels (nada que ver con la de Tears for fears) pero ni eso. Ahora bien, es un excelente disco de pop maduro. Muy influyente en la música posterior desde coetáneos como Euryhtmics o Erasure, hasta Pulp o The Killers sin ir más lejos. Discos de 1981: SIUOXSIE AND THE BANSHEES- Juju, ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN - Heaven up here, THE SOUND - From the lions mouth, MINK DEVILLE - Coup de grace, THE CRAMPS - Psychedelic jungle, JOY DIVISION - Still, THE CURE - Faith, THE ROLLING STONES - Tattoo you, THE HUMAN LEAGUE- Dare, ORCHESTRAL MANIOEUVRES IN THE DARK-Architecture & Morality, ENO & BYRNE-My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía- Friday Night in San Francisco, PRINCE- Controversy, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts- I Love Rock 'n' Roll, Franco Battiato- La voce del padrone... incluso: Face Value de Phil Collins o ABACAB de Genesis. Debuts de Stary Cats, Fleshtones, Barracudas, The Church, The Gun Club, Soft Cell, New Order, Duran Duran, Heaven 17, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Tom Tom Club...
I haven't experienced anything that goes downhill this fast since I put a bowling ball on a helter skelter. The first track is great, the rest just sucks more and more.
Boring.
I don’t say this because of the musical that’s been constructed around their songs, but this album sounds like the soundtrack album from the musical. It sounds like Andrew. Lloyd Webber. I neither hate nor love it, it’s just Music for another purpose. It sounds like Benny Sitting in his piano smashing out tunes on the plus side. I have a new appreciation for how good the singers in ABBA were.
I survived listening to the entire album. No idea how ABBA was so successful. Seems rather generic and bland.
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
+1 because Irene liked it
Not my thing but I’m sure they were a big deal in their time. I can respect that.
inoffensive and bland. 2/5 stars.
I would not want them as visitors. 2/5
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.
Very different to pop abba, couple of typical abba tracks but pretty good
Dated and not for me
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.
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.
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 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
Fine. Wasn’t my favorite but definitely wasn’t bad.
2,5
Better than I expected
I was never really into disco....even though I lived through it.
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.
Vind Arrival toch beter
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 love ABBA, but this was dull.
easily the most unpleasant abba full album experience, but there are a couple standout moments to help you survive the ordeal
sounds like an Andrew Lloyd Webber cast recording.
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
Not a fan of ABBA. Can hear the influence on current music, but didn't enjoy this. 2/5
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
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.
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.
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
Perusabbaa, ei juuri säväyttänyt
Thank god I was born in le wrong generation so I didn't have to listen to this dreg growing up
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
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.
9/11/24 I found this album rather boring and it surprised me.
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.
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.
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?
Shite. Not classic Abba, more touching onto 80's crap. Don't like this.
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.
There are some good songs, but too psicodelic for me
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.
Meh
Found it pedestrian.
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)
I was vibing on the title track but the album lost me after that - nothing else really captured my interest.
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.
Eeeehhhh
Groupe connu, que je n’apprécie pas trop. Cet album ne m'a pas fait changer d'avis. Pas désagréable mais pas très intéressant. =>2/5
Whoa! For a moment there I thought zI was ushering at a Broadway musical again. I read reviews that said this was a departure from earlier, "lighter" albums. They must have been helium-filled.
Not an ABBA fan
Too ballady for me
Didn't hate it
Yawn
It's not for me.
Never listened to an ABBA record, can confirm they are a singles band
Not a fan of ABBA and this one didn't change my mind.
Do you like ABBA? Do you like 80s pop? Here's your album
This is by no means a bad album, the music is good and the production is great - there are some interesting and fun turns within the songs and album. But I fail to see why this was included in the list of essential albums to hear before you die. The album lacks any of ABBA’s big hits, and in that context it’s just a collection of fine songs, but nothing exceptional. Apparently it was one of the first albums to be digitally recorded and mixed, while that is an interesting historical anecdote, it doesn’t really help to elevate the material here. Nothing against ABBA, I just question the inclusion.
Ist mir zu sehr Weichspüler-Musik. Nicht meins.
Not as good as I'd expected. Really only the hits are any good. The album tracks are surprisingly weak, especially the opener and "Happy Hawaii," which sounds like crappy mid-'70s Beach Boys ("Kona Coast").
That was a lot of ABBA
abba is mid
i guess i thought i liked abba more than i did. their bangers do bang but this did little for me could i write poetry to this? n
Out of principle I should rate this a 1, but I’m feeling generous.
Any of these songs would be fine pop songs taken on their own, but listening to them one of another and Abba's schtick gets old quick
Got bored, turned it off.
All of their music feels like it should be in a musical and not in a good way to me.
Mama mia, was this thing a drag.
Not ABBA’s best work
Eh
ABBA goes Schopenhauer. Or alternatively, ABBA goes political and/or deeply disillusioned. I can appreciate the artistic effort, as well as the generally well-crafted songs. But can I take this record seriously? After all, *The Visitors* still harbors one song (sung by Bjorn) about a threesome possibly involving a mother and her grown daughter (!). Of course, this tune drastically contrasts with the quaint poetry, topical allusons, and deep introspective moods found elsewhere on this album. Who said that ABBA couldn't sound grim, in their very own wide-eyed and elated fashion? All of this is admittedly interesting, yet this record can't possibly beat a proper ABBA hits-filled album such as *Arrival*. And by "hits", I mean legendary singles. You know what their names are... Everyone does. So let's be serious for one second, and agree we actually *don't need* to be so serious. Especially when talking about ABBA. 2/5 for the purposes of this list. Which translates to a 7/10 grade for more general purposes (5+2). Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 231 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 332 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 195 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 249 (including this one)
In their final album, ABBA grows darker and more mature in their lyrics, toning down the energy, and incorporating atmospheric synths and experimentation as a fitting prog pop piece of the period that still sounds like them and yet gives us a preview into what they'd sound like had they remained a power in the 80s. I thought it was fine as pop pieces but nothing to write home about. We start off with "The Visitors" which has some New Wave touches on it, the song unlike anything they've done before. It's pretty good. That's followed up by "Head Over Heels" which is also highly experimental and utilizes ethereal synths, which I also quite liked. The next 4 tracks have a bit of that ABBA style and energy, only tamer. Experimental, but less so than the first 2 songs. It's nice but I wasn't impressed by any of it, although I did appreciate the unusual touches that made it feel fresher than what you'd normally expect from ABBA. The remaining 3 tracks were weak and boring. There are 3 bonus tracks on Spotify from their non-album singles that sound pretty generic and lamer as if they lost inspiration. A fine pop record that I can respect their attempt, but it's not something I'll return to, and I'm not even sure I'll re-listen to the ones I sorta liked.
I am not a fan of Abba, but it's better than Mama Mia.
I thought that I liked Abba as a kid...don't know what I was thinking.
This one didn’t ABBADABBADO-IT for me.
It’s unclear to me why this ABBA album made the cut. It doesn’t include any of their super hits, nor is it much of a departure from their formula. I dislike the tinny synth sound throughout the album, but enjoy the layered vocal tracks that give every chorus a boost. They know how to write catchy songs, but I don’t think this album is the best example of that. 2.7
I don't know much ABBA outside of the radio hits. I don't know Chess either, but I suspect this sounds closer to Chess than ABBA -- I get a soundtrack/cabaret feel to some of the songs. The production is very slick and polished. It's not bad, but doesn't land for me. 2.9
Begon best goed, maar werd echt tergend slecht. Te zoet, te nep
Ça commence pas fort! Ce n’est pas un band que j’ai déjà aimé et ce,à aucun moment de leur carrière. Suis très conscient de la grande popularité de ce groupe mais franchement j’suis juste pas capable. De la musique pour adolescentes style VMR!
Tinny and overly synthesized.
Sounds like abba, just a bit more boring
Some good songs but overall not as enjoyable as some of their earlier songs.
I dunno, I see why ABBA is so iconic, but even on this album it can come off a little saccharine. Everything's good here, I just doing know if I'm about a full ABBA album at this point.
Hard for me to view objectively. If I had never heard of abba I would probably really like this, but I feel like I don’t need any more abba songs in my life Ok I was hating there are some good songs on this. This is kinda cool that abba made less poppy music, I don’t know if that’s their best arena tho. Respect tho, and per my rating system anything above a 1 is respect, so this gets a 2
It's all perfectly fine maximalist pop, but it's also boring. The longer it goes the more boring it is. Turns out the hit song on this album is the one that tried my patience the most.
at long last a chance to seriously listen to ABBA and see whether I find anything to enjoy in this beloved pop band I do not music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Not really in my wheelhouse. Can definitely appreciate the album.
I love the lead singers voice and the harmonies but hit the wall hard and couldn't listen to another second before the end of the album. So . . . . a 2? a 3?
This was more complex than I was expecting and it had some tracks that I did enjoy. However, it overstayed it's welcome and I really didn't enjoy the back half as much as the front.
A pretty pleasant album, and not much more to be said aside from that
Tiresome. That is my one word to describe the music of ABBA. It makes me mentally, and by proxy physically exhausted. While this album is a small improvement on the pop dirge I've come to expect from this group, it still left me somewhat drained towards the end of it's short run time. I will however award this a second star, as one reviewer pointed out the political and social themes within the music, which I can't help but respect. Two sighs of relief out of five. 😫😫
starts hot, gets boring
yawn
ABBA with no hits