ABBA Voyage

[Villavic]

It will be nice to see again this band, but I really don't expect that much. Agnetha is 71, Frida is 75, and pretty sure their voices won't be the same. I really hope they will do at least a fine performance, though I'm afraid the risk of a shame is there. They wait too long to reunite.

And the magic is not there anymore. It was a pop group and pop groups have a specific moment in time. But if the new work is a piece of adult contemporary music, it will be welcome.

Abba Voyage will be released in November, before a "revolutionary" set of concerts where virtual avatars will play hits like Mamma Mia and Waterloo.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-58423452

[Jondalar]

I’ll buy it.

[sue]

This evening BBC Radio 2 played two songs from the album.

“Don’t shut me down” and “I still have faith in you”.
I thought the first was okay…but the second I really liked. Very much like an anthem.
the two female singers sounded really good.
Now on YouTube…

[TheWILDheart]

This is the news I've been waiting for for a *long* time!

ABBA were and are my first musical love. I've been a fan since I was 2 years old and they have soundtracked my life.

The video for "I Still Have Faith In You" makes me weep! Though it very much sounds like it could be taken from the "Chess" soundtrack. It has an element of musical theatre about it.

The second new song, "Don't Shut Me Down", is a more traditional sounding ABBA track. It sits nicely with songs like "If It Wasn't For The Nights" and "Dancing Queen", with a bit of "One of Us" and "Under Attack" thrown in for good measure. For the die-hards, I think it may be a sequel to "Just Like That".

The new album is out November 5th and the Voyage digital concert opens in May.

The video for "I Still Have Faith In You" can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAzEY1MfXrQ

Here is the second new song, "Don't Shut Me Down"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWGWFa3jznI

And here is some information about the Avatar concert and it's development. Very interesting technology, if this works well, it could really be the way forward, especially for legacy acts. This way, ABBA concerts can continue for many many years, long after Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn & Frida have departed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE8aSnhzTfQ

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by TheWILDheart

The video for "I Still Have Faith In You" makes me weep! Though it very much sounds like it could be taken from the "Chess" soundtrack. It has an element of musical theatre about it.

The second new song, "Don't Shut Me Down", is a more traditional sounding ABBA track. It sits nicely with songs like "If It Wasn't For The Nights" and "Dancing Queen", with a bit of "One of Us" and "Under Attack" thrown in for good measure. For the die-hards, I think it may be a sequel to "Just Like That".

Both songs were recorded in 2018, or so I read. And they sound great!

[Villavic]

On both songs, Benny and Bjorn avoid the pitfall of trying to recapture their youth. These are songs from their autumnal years - reminiscing about their lives, loves, triumphs and mistakes. The canvas is the same, but the colours are muted.

So will I be standing on a chair, singing these new songs when Abba launch their "virtual concerts" in London next year?

Well, why not? We'll find comfort together, the way old friends do.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-58423458