So, for the most part we were relatively right regarding our
expectations surrounding the big ABBA announcement yesterday …
There WILL be a brand new album featuring all four original
members of the band … Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn
Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. It’ll be titled “Voyage” (just like this
whole big announcement campaign) and be available November 5th.
(The first two tracks from the new LP are available NOW for streaming and
download … and I’ve gotta say, these guys sound JUST like ABBA!!!)
When one considers that their last release of new material
was exactly forty years ago … and the bulk of those forty years were spent
insisting that a reunion like this would NEVER happen … it really IS quite
amazing.
(Check out the two new tracks for yourself below):
I Still Have Faith In You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAzEY1MfXrQ
Don’t Shut Me Down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWGWFa3jznI
The hologram / avatar (or would that be ABBAtar?) concert
performance was also officially announced … but it won’t be a tour … at least
not just yet.
It will first open in May of 2022 as an exclusive residency
at a brand new, custom-built London arena with a show put together by a team of
850 people from George Lucas’ company, Industrial Light And Magic, utilizing
state-of-the-art motion capture technology. The new show will in effect
(via SPECIAL effects) create the illusion of a live ABBA concert performance,
featuring music from the new LP performed along with most of their best-known
hits. (They are currently envisioning a 90 minute set of 22 songs.)
Images of a youthful ABBA will perform their music along with a live ten-piece
band. It is all said to be quite extraordinary (and I’m sure several
“touring companies” will be out performing this music live again all over the
world before the year is over. I would expect a live concert video to be
part of the long-term plan as well.) Which means that the music of ABBA
will live on forever … it’s conceivable that within the same week in the same
city one might be able to attend not only the new ABBAtar concert but also a
live stage production of their ENORMOUSLY successful “Mamma Mia” musical!
The entire concept is nothing short of revolutionary. (Betcha The Beatles
are wishing they would have come up with it first! Lol)
While I wasn’t able to watch the live presentation and
announcement (it happened here at 11:45 am Chicago time yesterday and I was
shoulder-deep in work crisis at the time!) the band spoke collectively and
individually about the new project, already 2-3 years in the making …
“It’s
been a while since we made music together. Almost 40 years, actually. We took a
break in the spring of 1982 and now we’ve decided it’s time to end it. They say
it’s foolhardy to wait more than 40 years between albums, so we’ve recorded a
follow-up to The Visitors. To tell the truth, the main inspiration to
record again comes from our involvement in creating the strangest and most
spectacular concert you could ever dream of. We’re going to be able to sit back
in an audience and watch our digital selves perform our songs on a stage in a
custom-built arena in London next spring. Weird and wonderful! To all of
you who patiently have followed us in some way or another these past decades:
Thank you for waiting — it’s time for a new journey to begin. We simply
call it Voyage and we’re truly sailing in uncharted waters. With the
help of our younger selves, we travel into the future. It’s not easy to explain
but then it hasn’t been done before.”
Benny
Andersson: “It’s hard to say what’s been the most joyful thing for me
with this project, if it’s the involvement in creating the concert together
with everyone or being back in the studio together again after 40 years. I
think hearing Frida and Agnetha singing again is hard to beat. When you come to
the arena you will have the four of us together with an absolutely glorious
10-piece band. And even if not in the flesh, we will be right there, thanks to
the work of the creative team and ILM.”
Anni-Frid
Lyngstad: “Those first sessions back in 2018 were such fun and when Benny
called and asked if I’d consider singing some more, I jumped at it! And what
songs!!! My respect and love go out to these exceptionally talented, truly
genius songwriters! Such joy it was to work with the group again. I am so happy
with what we have made, and I dearly hope our fans feel the same.”
Agnetha
Fältskog: “When we got back together in the studio I had no idea what to
expect … but Benny’s recording studio is such a friendly and safe
environment, and before I knew it I was really enjoying myself! I can hardly
believe that finally, the moment has come to share this with the world!”
Finally,
Björn Ulvaeus shared, “They’re such amazing
singers, those two, I was completely floored by the way they delivered those
songs. They’re true musicians; totally unimpressed by pop star glamour but
still having a great time being creative in a recording studio. The Voyage
project has injected new life into us in more ways than one.”
Jointly,
they concluded, “So, again, thanks for waiting! We
hope to see you in the ‘ABBA Arena’ and yes — see — because we have infused a
good deal of our souls into those avatars. It’s not an exaggeration to say that
we’re back.”
And
they’re pulling out all the stops with this new album release as well.
You’ll be
able to buy it with four unique album covers (because, of course, you’ll WANT
four copies of this same CD), one with each ABBA member pictured on the cover …
or as just a standard “group” CD … or as a CD box set (with an exclusive
poster, art cards and a sticker sheet) … or as a CASSETTE (that’s right folks,
cassettes are back … Ringo Starr’s new release will also be available in this
format!) ... and those cassettes will also be available with four unique
covers, a standard cover AND an alternate cover … an orange vinyl LP version
(available EXCLUSIVELY thru Amazon.com) as well as green and white vinyl
editions through the ABBA-Store (where all of this material is available now!),
a vinyl single of “I Still Have Faith In You” or a CD-single of BOTH new
tracks, “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down.” (Meanwhile,
you can download and/or stream both sides of the new single now thru all the
usual sources.) In addition, two picture discs of the new LP sold out
within minutes of their broadcast announcements!
The
complete ABBA “Voyage” CD track list is as follows: I Still Have Faith In
You; When You Danced With Me; Little Things; Dont Shut Me Down; Just A Notion;
I Can Be That Woman; Keep An Eye On Dan; Bumble Bee; No Doubt About It; Ode To
Freedom
ALL (other
than the Amazon exclusive LP) are available for pre-order purchase now thru the
Official ABBA Store: https://shopmusicus.abbavoyage.com/
(You’ll also
be able to purchase your concert tickets here as well … in fact, they’re
already taking pre-orders now and the concert hall isn’t even totally built
yet! That being said, you'll still be on
your own when it comes to airfare and hotel accommodations!!! Of course, perhaps
that, too, will soon be part of ABBA taking over the universe!!!)
Explaining
why now, after all this time, the group decided to reunite, perhaps it was
Benny who put it best: “We wanted to do it
before we were dead.”
Bjorn
added: “There is an old saying in the music
business. Never leave more than 40 years between albums.”
I
agree. (kk)
