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There back! After forty one years ABBA has returned with a new album entitled Voyage. A very appropriate title it seems. It’s hard to believe that this band that was one of the most successful pop music acts in music history have returned with new music after forty one years. That’s a long time. There have been people born and gone to college and have almost retired from teacher jobs in that span. Just think of that. Forty one years in between albums. But why not. We are assuming many old ABBA fans would rather have them back then not. And of course with the return of the group and this whole resurgence among young teens discovering the beauty of holding a record in the hand, it’s possible ABBA is looking to fuel an entire new audience that will pay for their grandkids and great great grandkids education. Well maybe we are getting ahead of ourselves now. We must remember that no one really buys music anymore, they just pay Apple or Spotify $9.99 a month to download as much new music as they want. Nonetheless let’s take a listen to the the new ABBA album.
ABBA’s new album Voyage was just released this week on November 5th 2021. We first announced news about the album two months ago when we wrote a story about their upcoming virtual tour. Yes that’s right, you can go see ABBA in concert in a grand stage show with spectacular lighting and ABBA on stage in beautiful Holograms. At least it’s better than the Wax figures in the feature photo. Just don’t ask them any questions. I don’t think Holograms are able to take requests. Of course the hologram ABBA will most definitely be doing some news songs as the tour is also part of the promotion behind the new album.
We had heard the hologram ABBA will be images of the young ABBA , but I guess it’s possible that the Holgarm ABBA could sing the new songs. They brought back Princess Leia in Star Wars with new dialogue, so why not ABBA?
All four original members of ABBA are back for their new album, They include Agnetha Fältskog on vocals, Anni-Frid Lyngstad on vocals Björn Ulvaeus on vocals and Benny Andersson on vocals and keys. Both Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson composed all the songs on the album as well as co-producing the record. Other musicians that perform on the record include Jan Bengtson on baritone saxophone and flute, Mats Englund on bass, Pär Grebacken on clarinet, Per Lindvall on drums, Margareta Bengtson on harp and Lasse Jonsson and Lasse Wellander in guitars
The Voyage album contains ten pretty short songs as the album clocks in at around thirty seven minutes. A pretty typical album length for most albums that were released in the 1970s. This one should sound pretty good on vinyl as they don’t have to crush all those grooves too tight together while also being able to release it as a single LP. Hopefully it will be priced fair as new vinyl prices can be ridiculously overpriced.
Voyage opens up with the track “I Still Have Faith In You.” This great album opener was actually released two months ago on September 2nd 2021 as a preview of the new album. Instead of opening with a big time dance track like a “Dancing Queen,” or a “S.O.S.” the band opened the record with a power ballad that starts out slow and builds to a powerful crescendo, The video looks back at the group over the years in a sentimental way. ABBA fans will eat this one up. It’s as song that pretty much says “yup it’s not over yet.
On the album’s second track the group speeds the temp0 up a little with the very gaelic sounding “When You Danced with Me.” It’s a fun one that is very nationalistic sounding. The band delivers another ballad on the next track titled “Little Things,” with a holiday spirit attached as they sing about a lovely Christmas Morning and all the children’s toys and the joy that Santa brings. There is even a children’s choir that sings on the track. The albums fourth track “Don’t Shut Me Down was also released as a single back in September. This is a joyous mid tempo pop nugget that recalls the glorious sound of ABBA that all fans of the band loved. This is the best track so far on the record at this point.
The fifth track on the album entitled Just a Notion” is another up-beat ABBA tune with a swinging 50s style groove that is fueled by those vocals that ABBA fans just couldn’t get enough of. Their voices still sound just as good as they did in the 1970s. If you were to hear this one on the radio you would think it was from one of their 1970s albums. It’s at this point where you start thinking that this is an album that is going to get a lot of spins in the car cd player. Come on, most of us in our 60s who are buying this album still have cd players.
Just like a coming attraction that shows just too much of the movie we don’t want to give the rest of the album away. We will just say that the album has gone way beyond expectations and that ABBA fans are going to be insanely happy when they hear this one. If only the group was actually touring in the flesh then that would have completed the return to the 1970s that this album brings to all of old fans.
ABBA Voyage Album Review: Just Released New ABBA Music article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
