To stay in the top 10 singles chart for more than the briefest of times, you need a ton of airplay which the new Abba songs just aren't getting, although it's great news that Europe's biggest station (Radio 2) has A-listed them.ĭon't Shut Me Down has risen to #13 in the airplay chart (from 20) with Faith in You down at 24. It's hard to exaggerate the importance of airplay. An 11th track in some form would definitely be welcome. B-sides don’t really exist anymore, having morphed into additional tracks on simultaneously-released deluxe editions (though these similarly appear to have died a death) so Voyage does lack something. PopJustice claims to have a second or third hand report of someone hearing the whole album (and not mentioning an 11th track) so it’s difficult to really take it too seriously.ĪBBA’s last three albums each had an additional track courtesy of the first single’s b-side. This makes a hidden track unlikely unless it starts straight after “Ode to Freedom” (and that the tracks are quite short apart from ISHFIY). However, some German website revealed that the album is only 37 minutes long. I remember Robbie Williams’s second album (I’ve Been Expecting You) having two decent hidden tracks, but in the days of CD you had to sit through 10 to 15 minutes of nothing before it came back to life. Unless there’s a hidden track on it? I thought they’d died a death years ago though. Please add further reviews, positive or negative. The sound of these voices together has always been one of the greatest things in pop, creating a sound that’s almost impossibly bright but also tender and delicate.' 'Then Agnetha appears, singing alone, before harmonising with Anni-Frid – to hear these two women singing together again after 40 years is incredibly moving. Guardian 4/5 (Still have faith), 5/5 (Don't shut me down) - 'a perky, moving return to pop’s highest peaks' Independent - 4/5 'New songs are the band’s gold standard NME - 4/5 'a classy and heart-warming comeback from the pop greats' I've only seen two negative reviews so far (The Telegraph 2/5, and an Irish paper). Reviews have generally been very positive to date, most giving around 4 stars (out of 5) and slightly favouring Don't Shut Me Down where they've expressed a preference. There was always going to be a lot of excitement for these initial songs. However, whether the album sells well in the long term, beyond the first month, will depend on airplay from the commercial stations and particularly for future singles. The good news is that Europe's biggest radio station, Radio 2, has added both the new songs to its A list straightaway. Fans will be able to see Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid’s avatars come to life accompanied by a ten-piece live band, in a custom-built arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.Although hype and expectation will generate album sales initially, radio airplay remains the fuel for long-term success. The new album comes as the group are set to unveil their ABBA Voyage digital concert series in 2022. The LP will include ten new ABBA songs, including “Just A Notion” as well as previous singles “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down”. Voyage is set to be released on 5 November. So it’s a mystery and will remain a mystery.” I know that we played it to a publisher in France and a couple of other people we trusted, and as far as I can remember they liked it very much. “Why did we decide against it? In hindsight, I don’t have a clue. That puts it in between ABBA the Album and Voulez-Vous, and it would have been included in the latter had we not decided against it.”Īnd if you’re wondering why ABBA never released “Just A Notion” in the 1970s, well Björn doesn’t know either: “Wikipedia says this track was recorded in September 1978, which sounds about right. “‘Just a Notion’ is a ridiculously happy song and hopefully it will cheer you up in these dark times!” A post shared by ABBA the release of “Just A Notion”, Björn spoke about the song and its original recording:
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