Abba - Voulez-Vous. Is it an underrated album?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Bobby Morrow, Mar 8, 2018.

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  1. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    It’s rare to find an album with bonus tracks that actually add to it instead of you playing them once and ignoring them forever afterwards.:) Voulez-Vous’s extra tracks are essential. The Visitors ones are the same. I’ve always said an ABBA B-side is another group’s career peak.:)
     
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  2. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    Don't understand the dislike for Chiquitita. Great arrangement; great performance. Top 10 ABBA song IMO.
     
  3. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    "Chiquitita" is great.
     
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  4. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    Sure, they are out there (I've found both Greatest Hits CDs in addition to The Album), but I don't see the originals even in record stores. Charity shops are one thing, but record stores...
     
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  5. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    TBH, there aren't any bad tracks on the Greatest Hits comps. I prefer Vol. 2 over the first volume. "Chiquitita" is on the second volume.
     
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  6. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    Yeah, I think ABBA is the epitome of a "greatest hits" band.
     
  7. kiefer2

    kiefer2 Eastern European knockoff Mr. Potato Head

    Location:
    Brookhaven, Pa.
    Um, no. Several Abba albums are rewarding listening experiences-you do a great disservice to yourself to only stick to their hits.
     
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  8. Yost

    Yost “It’s only impossible until it’s not”

    Sorry, somehow I mistook you for someone in The Netherlands. The situation in the U.K. might be different, of course. I think I found most in thrift stores. Only the Super Trouper Red Face was from a record store. And the owner apparently didn’t have a clue, because he placed it in the “1 CD for 3 Euro / 4 for 10 Euro” bin. I wasn’t complaining. :D
     
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  9. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    Um, your opinion.

    I have each and every album (plus Faltskog's solo albums) AT LEAST 3 times each. Got all the DVDs, etc. I know ABBA well.
     
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  10. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    It’s just one of those songs that as soon as I hear the intro my heart sinks a little. You know that there’s 5 more minutes of it to come.:) I will say that this is highly unusual for an ABBA single for me... As well put together as Chiquitta is, I find it plodding and rather dull.
     
  11. John Adam

    John Adam An Introvert In Paradise

    Location:
    Hawaii
    Bobby it's kind-of how some people react to "The Day before You Came." But I love that one too! :)
    We all hear and see things differently, and the things we do experience similarly is what bonds us all together.
     
  12. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    I find it one of their most exciting tracks. Great guitar sound, strong piano, great harmonies and arrangements. But what do I know? Despite thinking of them as being primarily a singles band, I think The Piper is also one of their great songs. To each their own, as the saying goes.
     
  13. Colocally

    Colocally One Of The New Wave Boys

    Location:
    Surrey BC.
    I can still rememeber them performing Chiquitta on the show which was celebrating the UNICEF internation year of the child. I have seen that album around a few times now and always manage to forget to get it.
     
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  14. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    I’ve got it. You’re not missing much.:)
     
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  15. Colocally

    Colocally One Of The New Wave Boys

    Location:
    Surrey BC.
    Must be worth it for the David Frost intros? :D
     
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  16. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    I love The Piper too. Our Last Summer is the one I don’t care for on Super Trouper.
     
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  17. Chris_Sydney

    Chris_Sydney Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    I completely agree - the experience of 'The Visitors' isn't complete without all the B-sides and 1982 tracks.


    x
     
  18. Colocally

    Colocally One Of The New Wave Boys

    Location:
    Surrey BC.
    I tell you what always chokes me up on Super Trouper and that is Happy New Year, notably the line
    "It's the end of a decade
    In another ten years time
    Who can say what we'll find
    What lies waiting down the line
    In the end of eighty-nine"

    Just makes me feel so old that they were celebrating the end of the 70s and looking forward to the end of the 80s, and here we are now getting close to the roaring 20s....
     
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  19. Marble Index

    Marble Index Forum Resident

    Location:
    Norway
    'Voulez Vous' is one of ABBA's best albums! :cheers:

    'The Album' is the most overrated ABBA album. :shh:
     
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  20. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    I think side one of The Album is the best ‘side’ of their career.

    However, the last 3 tracks on side two let the album down in my opinion. It’s a rare day when I’m possessed by the urge to listen to I’m A Marionette.:D
     
  21. Marble Index

    Marble Index Forum Resident

    Location:
    Norway
    Oh my God, that song! :biglaugh:I think @Jarleboy is a fan.
     
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  22. Colocally

    Colocally One Of The New Wave Boys

    Location:
    Surrey BC.
    The Album holds a lot of weight for me, because it was the first album I bought with my own money, I even remember going down town after school to buy it and having to trawl my town for a copy until I found it. I was a bit underwhelmed by it at first compared to GH and Arrival, but it holds a special place for me.
     
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  23. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    I was still at school when I bought The Album. We were on holiday in Paignton in Devon. It was an out of season break so the weather wasn’t especially good. Even then all I thought about was records.. I also bought the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack while we were there. I was flush with holiday money.:D
     
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  24. rocker2000

    rocker2000 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    gold coast
    great album

    big “kisses of fire” fan off voulez vouz here

    coincidentally i saw bjorn again here last weekend

    was good show

    introed with the instrumental “arrival” off album of same name. an instrumental i always loved too

    however some of my favourite abba moments are their little more rockier numbers like “watch out” and the saucey “does your mother know”

    their cover of “honey honey” is superb too

    two highlights from my youth in australia was abba mania and kiss mania, both bands were huge at the time
     
  25. mBen989

    mBen989 Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, PA
    It's interesting that all the singles from this period all went Top 5 but never cracked #1. I wonder what was top of the pops at the time?

    Yes, I did my homework; here's what I found.

    FORMAT: Song, peak, #1 song during peak week(s)

    "Summer Night City" #5 ("Summer Nights")
    "Chiquitita" #2 for 2 weeks ("Heart of Glass")
    "Does Your Mother Know" #4 for 3 weeks ("Bright Eyes" for 2 weeks, "Sunday Girl")
    "Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous" #3 ("I Don't Like Mondays")
    "Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)" #3 ("One Day at a Time")
    "I Have a Dream" #2 for 4 weeks ("Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)")
     
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