The album"The visitors" was released on my birthday, November 30,.... best gift ever. I remember going to the recordstore to buy the lp the same day, rushed to home to my bedroom and start to play the album... wow what a album . First the a-side, ofcourse, and than I started to play the b-side with "I let the music speak". I still can remember what I felled hearing that song for the first time. Without listening to the other tracks I played that songs I'm sure at least 10 times in a row. How beautiful it was and still is. I always refer that song as my top favorite Abbasong.
I often think of the Visitors album as a Frida-focused album. This album does the best job at showcasing the versatility of Frida's voice. In my opinion, she also was given majority of the more memorable songs of the album. The Visitors is also the best at showcasing Benny and Björn's versatility at producing. I think this album also does a great job at showing us how ABBA might have evolved with the 80s. Overall, I think that this album is honestly perfect and their best one to date!
I think the first three or four albums were more focused on Agnetha and the men, oddly, then things evened out a bit and Frida got better songs and more parity. It took a while for the men to realize the full gift they had with Frida, who could sing almost anything with power, clarity, pitch, sultriness, even edginess.
@@graphiquejack Not quite Jack. Both of the first two albums only had one lead vocal each from Agnetha and Frida. This was when ABBA were trying to 'find their sound'. Björn was doing more of the lead singing on those albums while a lot of the other songs featured all four singing together. Looking back now, it seems mad that two successful solo singers were not dominating on the albums right from the start, although they sung the title tracks. I think ABBA was still quite an 'experiment' at that stage, Yes, even after winning Eurovision. This is borne out by both women recording solo albums through 1974 to 1975, clearly keeping their options open. On the third ABBA album, Agnetha did get two songs, including the influential 'SOS' to Frida's one but what was noticeable was that most of the songs shifted to both singing lead vocals together (Mamma Mia, So Long, I Do x 5, etc). Around the fourth album, the hugely successful 'Arrival', Frida had the hits 'Fernando', 'Knowing Me Knowing You' and 'Money Money Money'. The women were the de-facto lead singers of the group, either solo or together by then.
Not quite sure how you could say that when Agnetha soars on slipping through my fingers - matches fridas best. This is clearly the best songs for each lead singer. One of Us and Head over Heels were some of the most memorable because they were chosen as singles
The title track is one of the best ABBA songs of all time. Gloomy, experiemental, futuristic. The original album only had nine tracks finishing with 'Like an Angel...". A great and different album, I think. My favorite. Thanks for reacting to it.
‘Like an Angel Passing Through my Room’ is a contemplation on Death and the meaning of Life - not unusually deep for ABBA - famous for mature songs about relationships - and in this album, touching the deepest thoughts about politics and society, the hollowness of single life, looking for love and sex, the challenges of dating, relationships, marriage, family life and children, divorce, and what it means to be a musician and communicate through music… and even a reference the Ancient Greek tragedy. This album has everything!
The original album finished at Like an Angel... the others are B-Sides (Should I Laugh & Cassandra) and the last two singles (TDBYC & Under Attack). Still my favourite ABBA album after 42yrs !
@@troyconnolly9053It‘s insane how Under Attack was scratched from the album. It was part of a 6 song package lined up for their next album (which never came). The Visitors is my favorite ABBA album and one of my Top 5 Pop albums ever.
@@frizzyrascal1493Realy ? didn’t know they were intended for the next Album . That would make sense Although I knew the Working Title was Opus 10 everything about The visitors is great Even that ominous moody album cover .
Apparently Frida practised her vocal delivery of the song The Visitors for weeks to sound like a sitar. The Day Before You Came is surely ABBA's masterpiece.
This is a great album... The ABBA sound was evolving, again, proyecting towards electronics and new wave, maybe... Thanks for this revision👌 Love ❤ ABBA Greetings ❤ from Chile 🇨🇱👍
Like An Angel Passing To My Room is a creepy song and I like it. To me it’s a lullaby to dying and death! There are clues and one is: seeing long forgoten scenes, so the present runs into the past. Originally sang by Bjorn as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
Love is one prolongued goodbye....reflecting on life. It really is about the moment just before dying, about letting go, but I feel it as a tender, gentlegoodbye to life and love. Not creepy at all. Frida"s soft voice gives me the impression that at last pain is something of the past and that she only takes the beautiful memories, the angel, with her. One of my favourite songs on my favourite album.
As an Irish person like you I know how much we take our music seriously. Always nice to hear your reviews. One Of Us was No.1 in Ireland in 1981. I have my mothers copy. Songs from The Visitors Album was popular in Ireland on release because of the dark undertones. Ireland was pretty repressed around this time.
'Two For The Price Of One' was definitely assigned as a Björn lead vocal. I guess it was meant as a little humour on what is quite a dark and moody album. It also gets panned by many fans as their least favourite on it too. Fantastic backing vocals on it though. It's about a single guy thinking he's going to be involved in a ménage à trois, only to find out the other woman is the mother of the other. That's when the circus music kicks in, like an extended 'badoom-tish' after the punch line of a gag.
The Visitors is my number 1 favorite album by ABBA. I love all the songs! There were only 9 songs originally. The rest are bonus tracks that were intended for the next album but unfortunately did not happen.
The Visitors is my fave Abba album, I saw the Abba Voyage show recently and they open with the title track and it was amazing, fantastic build up before it all kicks in.
The original album had 9 tracks! The Day Before You Came was recorded many months later, in 82. Their last recording. The Visitors is a beautiful album. Serious and poetic. Cassandra and Should I Laugh Or Cry were not included in the original either.
I have this record, signed by all four members. One of my most prized possessions ❤ Great to finally hear your review of it! I am too a fan of the darker tone. The instrumentals are really strong overall and all tracks are very enjoyable. My absolute favorites are probably The Visitors, When All Is Said And Done, One Of Us and Slipping Through My Fingers.
To quote ABBA: I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU to do this reaction (pun intended) - and I'm happy you liked it. Some of the songs need more listening and they start to grow on you! This album is a masterpiece. It has been with me since it came out and I return to it very often! ❤
Alright, hot take...you are absolutely right that by the time this LP hit the shelves in 1981 after the resounding success of "Super Trouper," it did hit completely different to ABBA fans, if it wasn't evident from the cover sleeve alone. To this day, "The Visitors" is still is an album that is often overlooked and misunderstood by casual ABBA listeners because it doesn't capture the "fun" and "campy" essence of their early years. Having said that, it's an extremely beautiful record, all due thanks to the advancements of technology at the time (it's one of the first digitally-recorded albums), Björn's masterful lyrical evolution, and he and Benny's desire to push the boundaries beyond the confines of the 3-minute single. No wonder their next move was the Chess and Kristina musicals. Let's not forget the ladies-Agnetha and Frida gave some of their best and most moving vocal performances on this album, some that reflected their own real-life experiences with motherhood ("Slipping Through My Fingers"), their relationship with their artform ("I Let The Music Speak") and the resolution of moving on ("One Of Us," and "When All Is Said and Done"). Yes, not every song is perfect (for many years, I'd skip "Two For The Price of One" because I thought it was weird. I still think it's weird but I've grown to like it more with time) but it rightfully earned a spot on the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" book. It grows on you especially as you mature with it.
Hi👍 This Album was a turning point for ABBA, you say that it wasn't a favourite of abba fans..... I'm a 62yr old original abba fan and believe me when I say that this album was/is a big favourite of abba fans, it was the music press of the time that slated this album but over time it is now considered as one of their finest albums. Unfortunately this was the last album that ABBA released and then they took a 40yr hiatus 🤬 and then they came back stronger with "Voyage" in 2021....us ABBA fans from the 70's wept buckets of tears, no other band, group....will ever have that kind of dedicated fans, oh I'll stop now. Thanks for this reaction video, it's nice to see a younger generation listening to ABBA. 👍🤪 Ps.... "Two for the Price of One" a BIG turkey in the eyes of ABBA fans🤬🤮..... "Slipping Through My Fingers", When you have children of your own then you will get what this song is about 🥰
Welcome here, Blizz!!! I missed your videos, and your ABBA rections, so, I'm very happy 2 see u again!!! "ABBA-The Album" and "The Visitors" are always fighting my Top 1 ABBA albums... When Visitors came, I went crazy, it was incredible to listen it the first time... And I tell u, THE SOUND of this album was AHEAD of this world, it was the best audio sound I have heard in my life, until Prince's "Around The World In A Day", just an amazing mastering and sound engineering, apart from the already known high quality of composition of Benny and Bjorn... Just a masterpiece... Glad you enjoy that... Saludos desde Argentina!!!
When this album appeared in 1981, the last 4 songs were not on it. They were intended for another album. But it never came out, as the band members went on a long vacation and pursued solo careers. The last 4 songs were added 10-15 years later, so people know them less well. And before that, these 4 songs and several more were collected in the pirated album "OPUS 10".
Back in the early 80s, the Cold War was reaching a scary period, as Eastern Europe and the USSR were becoming unstable. By the end of the decade, the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe fell like dominoes. ‘The Visitors’ is about life in Eastern Europe… and the ‘visitors’ are the secret police. ‘Soldiers’ is also a commentary on the political situation in Europe at the time. These are two of ABBA’s very rare political songs. ‘The Piper’ on the “Super Trouper’ album is also one of their best political satires.
For Head Over Heels, were you trying to say Vaudeville, maybe? I actually think that’s quite perceptive. It does have a very tinny piano sound that was typical of the era but of course it’s more modern because it’s a synth.
I feel like FINALLY the guys gave Frida some lead songs outside of her lower register, which is velvety smooth and sultry, but in her upper register she gets this piercing sharp clarity that’s absolutely thrilling and almost edgy. Of course, she’s always had high parts in the backing parts of songs on the earlier ABBA records that showcases her range, but to hear her defiantly singing so boldly on some of the Visitors tracks must have been a bit of a shock to ABBA fans who were used to her singing more seductive ballads and mid tempo tracks. I feel like the guys didn’t always know how to utilize all of her gifts, vocally. She had such versatility as an artist.
@@graphiquejack I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels the same about Frida's vocal potential. Compared to Agnetha, Frida has rarely had the opportunity to show the full range of her vocal abilities. Especially when it comes to releasing singles. No songs like The Winner Takes It All. Ultimately, Agnetha was the lead singer on the last four singles. Many people mistakenly believe that Agnetha was the band's lead singer. Don't get me wrong, even though Frida is "my girl," I love Agnetha too. Maybe I'm biased, but I've never quite shaken that feeling out of me.
Visitors was ABBA’s last studio album, released in 1981 (until recently). It does sound electronic - and ABBA were leading the world in cutting edge electronic pop. (ABBA was using synthesisers since the ‘Arrival’ album in 1976. The band didn’t actually break up, even though both couples were divorced (yes, ‘When All is Said and Done’ is considered Benny and Frida’s breakup song). Agnetha wanted to spend more time with her children (‘Slipping Through My Fingers’) and Frida was set to explore a solo career (‘Head Over Heels’ an ‘I Let the Music Speak’ are hints of her ambitions.) This song also shows how Benny and Bjorn were exploring musical theatre, and went on to write the stage musical, ‘Chess’, after this album. ‘The Day Before You Came’ is a strangely fitting final single released by the band as it went on what was to become a 40-year hiatus…. until ‘Voyager’ proved that this amazing group still had more to say.
Thank you for a good review on this album, but I was a bit disappointed that you didn’t appreciate the sheer beauty of Frida’s voice on “I let the Music Speak”. I get that everyone has their own preferences, but to me, that song and Frida’s vocals are outstanding.
Slipping Through My Fingers is my second favourite ABBA song and despite the negative comments that Head Over Heels gets its one of ABBA's best songs same with Soldiers, When All Is Said And Done and Under Attack
Just to let you know: There is a later "Deluxe Edition" which also includes "I am the City" and "Put on your white sombrero". Spotify has them as "The Visitors" tracks but ONLY shows them as such when searched by name. A quirk of Spotify! Correction. Confusing my albums. Spotify hides ST tracks. "City" is on the 16 track Spotify deluxe "Visitors".
I loved your reaction to the title track. It probably resembled mine aged 16 in 1981 - initially puzzlement, then a growing smile as you realise just how good it is. I remember playing it to a very anti-ABBA friend the following year and he actually admitted it was a great track. I never understood why they didn't try it as a single, especially in markets such as here in Australia where some more rocking tracks were top 10 hits - Rock Me and On and On and On. It was about repression in an unspecified Eastern Bloc country. I have an ex-East German colleague at work who had never heard of this album even though it was number one in West Germany. It was probably banned on the basis of this track. It's the opener for the Voyage concerts, so finally getting the recognition it deserved long ago.
As has been mentioned, the last four songs were not on the original vinyl album. Out of those four, only "Should I Laugh Or Cry" was recorded during sessions for The Visitors but released only as the B-side to the "One Of Us" single. Benny and Bjorn felt that the verses and the chorus didn't fit together. Today, many fans feel it should have been included on the album instead of "Two For The Price Of One". "The Day Before You Came", "Cassandra" and "Under Attack" were all recorded in August 1982 in an attempt to find two suitable A-sides for single release. The idea for a ninth studio album had been abandoned at that point. Instead a double singles compilation album would be released with two new tracks. "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack" turned out to be those two new A-sides, while "Cassandra" became the B-side of "The Day Before You Came".
Did you miss the punch line? A dateline liaison of "2 for the price of 1" turns out to be with the girl and her MOTHER! The only ABBA song know based on a joke. It only works with a male lead.
I've always loved "Cassandra". It's only just occurred to me that given it's a story from Greek myth, that the whole song is a Greek Chorus - especially the *actual* chorus.
The original Visitors album had 9 tracks, closing with Like An Angel…. Back in 1981, it was vinyl or cassette and there was only so much that could fit on vinyl without reducing sound quality. (Although as another has pointed out, this was the first pop album released on CD in 1983). Tracks 1-4 side A and 5-9 side B. Should I Laugh Or Cry was not on the album but part of the same sessions and was the B side to the leading single One Of Us. (You’ve heard that because it was a top 3 hit in the UK and so probably a hit in Ireland , and it’s also in the Mamma Mia 2 movie). The last 3 songs were from the aborted 1982 album. The Day Before You Came was released as a single in October 1982 with Cassandra on the B side. It didn’t perform well at the time but is now much revered. Under Attack was released late 1982 with You Owe Me One on the B side, which is one the “deluxe” edition of this album. They tried several versions of Like An Angel, from ballad to upbeat, and with various lyrics, they are also on the “deluxe” edition. You’ve certainly nailed it - this was an underrated album, but overall outstanding. IMO their second best, after Super Trouper. They just had become less popular, in fact totally uncool by 1982. When I bought this album and Super Trouper on CD in 1985, the teenager who sold them to me handled them as if they were radioactive!! And if You Tube had existed, someone such as yourself would NEVER have actually gained followers by reviewing an ABBA album in the mid 80s! Everything changed in the early 90s with Eurasia, ABBA Gold and Muriel’s Wedding.
So happy to see again with your review to all ABBA albums, now in the #8 "The Visitors" (1981) is an album in difficult context due to the separation of Benny & Frida with no biggest hits like the others (only "One of Us") and more deep lyrics it's called the 'dark side of ABBA' my favorite song is the most emotional: "Slipping through my fingers" with a fantastic lyrics and a beautiful voice of Agnetha in leads (live at Dick Cavett is more beautiful too) followed by the heartbroken song "One of us" (the last Top10 to ABBA in UK, until "Don't shut me down" in 2021) and the tittle track "The Visitors (crackin' up) and another good songs: "When all is said and done" (great herartbroken too) "Head over heels" (funny and underrated, with a crazy official video) "Soldiers" I don't like "Two for the price of one" and in my personal opinion "Like an angel passing through my room" isn't like an ABBA song without the two ladies and I think that could be included in the original: "should I laugh or cry" For many fans here is their best album In my opinion is 7pts, good and mature, but not in my Top5 of all ABBA albums not included in my opinion all the bonus tracks, that are singles in 1982, and could be part of an unreleased new album in 1982 or 1983 I hope to see you soon with the first three ABBA albums reviews specialy the self tittle album "ABBA" one of my favourites I sent you my best regards from Buenos Aires, Argentina South America
OMG YOU'RE BACK! This is as big a comeback as ABBA Voyage (yeah, I know, 2022-2023 isn't quite the same gap as 1982-2021 haha). Glad you've returned though, and can't wait to get into The Visitors with you --- still ABBA's most experimental album of all time.
I loved this album when it was first released (yeah I’m old 😂😂). Originally Day before you came, Under Attack and Casandra were not included on the album but I love them all.
I appreciate that! I think you are the 1st person to comment on one of my video thumbnails. 😂I am trying to get a bit more creative with thumbnails going forward.
"Head Over Heels" is based on the rhythm of the tango which was a dance craze around the time of World War I & beyond is tango the word you were looking for my friend
I know and love the album since 1981, but only now I noticed that "I let the misic speak" would have found just as good a place in "Chess". Many parts are there again findable.
Nice job with the reaction ! .. This is a fantastic album,and I think most of the songs on it are great .. But the ones I like least are pretty much the same ones as what you thought ..Glad you enjoyed this !
You're right! The other couple divorced 1979 and the other incl. singing solo in this during 1981, kind of their breakup song. Even it's good production, you can hear they a bit tired even according themselves and they decided to quit..so far.
Bjorn and Agnetha were a couple as were Benny and Anni-Frid and yes, both couples had broken up and were either divorced or in the process at the time of recording.
Benny and Bjorn were always looking towards new technology for their music and i know benny always liked playing around with synths and other electronic keyboard 🎹
I think this album wasn't a big success because several factors went against it. Firstly the group had split up and so subliminally fans may have felt they weren't really "ABBA" anymore but rather A. B. B. A and perhaps that manifests itself in the tone of the music which was generally downbeat when compared to other ABBA albums. And then there was the timing of it being the early 80's where music itself was transitioning from rock pop to new-wave and punk and this combined with ABBA's own transition from their upbeat Disco and pop/soft rock was probably too much of a step for casual ABBA fans. Personally I much prefer earlier albums myself and would consider from "ABBA" (1975) through to Super Trouper (1980) to be their pinnacle. For this album I would say The Visitors and The day before you came, which was actually a bonus track, to be the best songs with worthy mentions for Slipping through my fingers, when all is said and done, one of us and head over heels. Perhaps Cassandra is there as well which was another bonus track. Like an Angel passing through my room is an incredibly poignant song about loss and perfectly executed for what it is. Under attack, yet another bonus track, is decent and probably more of what I would have expect a stereotypical early 80's ABBA song to sound like, but it gets nowhere near the heights of some of their earlier Album songs. The rest I found pretty average at best. I actually think Voyage is probably a better album. All that said (and done) ABBA have produced more than enough timeless bangers to keep me and several million others happy. Nice reaction and review.
Blizzards, that was just Bjorn singing in ‘Two for the Price of One’. The song is a joke - working on more than one level. (That’s why it ends with circus music.) Two for the price of one refers to the woman in the newspaper Personals column ad (a 20th century version of Tinder) - and her mother! Listen again to the lyrics - very carefully.
Great hopes in finding a new channel, expectations heightened with slick delivery and bonus Irish lilt. Song cuts out and skips. Managed 06:31. Such a pity.
Yeah apologies, I done the cuts for copyright blockage purposes. I uploaded a album reaction before without cuts and it got blocked worldwide... so I had to incorporate cuts and somehow it works fine like that. I could try upload without cuts in the next album reaction and see how it goes. 👍
That's an extended album, so to speak. The original album of course isn't that long. It's strange the bonus tracks are not mentioned as such on Spotify. I mean "Like An Angel" is a perfect ending for an album, isn't it!
It's great that you're back and hopefully your attitudes will come true. For me then and now this was a skip album like Voyage, didn't worked as a whole album. Some songs are not mature enough as a composition, too short; e.g. What All Is Said: catchy, but msically too short; apparently the first verse was repeated in one version and the current Voyage concerts. For me, too many songs have a musical impact, so the thoughts and ideas were already with Chess and the announced ABBA break. Brilliant is the title track as a trilogy with the "at first inconspicuous" Soldiers and the gloomy, but final track Like An Angel: these three songs stand for the Cold War and the controversial macho rearmament (Reagan-Brezhnev); unexpected fr ABBA. I like all the bonus tracks: The Day .. is awesome. Cassandra (typical 70's sound) and first singe One Of Us are not masterpieces, but catchy pop songs that bring a other musical color. Some hardcore fans always bring up the argument that the album is "adult" and don't mention that some fruits are "unripe" or even politely "overripe"; fr me with the tendency to boredom. However, I give respect to any super group that vaguely vaguely explores something new and unexpected. PS I would appreciate it if you choose Live Wembley 1979 as it shows a different side of ABBA, full of energy, commitment and passion with a great musical variety and a fantastic live band. All the best to YOU👍
I Let The Music Speak is a masterpiece! It starts with a waltz, then a love song, a march and then a bit of classical.
A wonderfully evocative song.
The album"The visitors" was released on my birthday, November 30,.... best gift ever. I remember going to the recordstore to buy the lp the same day, rushed to home to my bedroom and start to play the album... wow what a album . First the a-side, ofcourse, and than I started to play the b-side with "I let the music speak". I still can remember what I felled hearing that song for the first time. Without listening to the other tracks I played that songs I'm sure at least 10 times in a row. How beautiful it was and still is. I always refer that song as my top favorite Abbasong.
This is one of Frida’s favourite songs, too.
I often think of the Visitors album as a Frida-focused album. This album does the best job at showcasing the versatility of Frida's voice. In my opinion, she also was given majority of the more memorable songs of the album. The Visitors is also the best at showcasing Benny and Björn's versatility at producing. I think this album also does a great job at showing us how ABBA might have evolved with the 80s. Overall, I think that this album is honestly perfect and their best one to date!
No, their BEST was The album, the visistors was the second best
@@mariotato8345 Voulez Vous is ABBA's best album
I think the first three or four albums were more focused on Agnetha and the men, oddly, then things evened out a bit and Frida got better songs and more parity. It took a while for the men to realize the full gift they had with Frida, who could sing almost anything with power, clarity, pitch, sultriness, even edginess.
@@graphiquejack Not quite Jack. Both of the first two albums only had one lead vocal each from Agnetha and Frida. This was when ABBA were trying to 'find their sound'. Björn was doing more of the lead singing on those albums while a lot of the other songs featured all four singing together. Looking back now, it seems mad that two successful solo singers were not dominating on the albums right from the start, although they sung the title tracks. I think ABBA was still quite an 'experiment' at that stage, Yes, even after winning Eurovision. This is borne out by both women recording solo albums through 1974 to 1975, clearly keeping their options open. On the third ABBA album, Agnetha did get two songs, including the influential 'SOS' to Frida's one but what was noticeable was that most of the songs shifted to both singing lead vocals together (Mamma Mia, So Long, I Do x 5, etc). Around the fourth album, the hugely successful 'Arrival', Frida had the hits 'Fernando', 'Knowing Me Knowing You' and 'Money Money Money'. The women were the de-facto lead singers of the group, either solo or together by then.
Not quite sure how you could say that when Agnetha soars on slipping through my fingers - matches fridas best. This is clearly the best songs for each lead singer. One of Us and Head over Heels were some of the most memorable because they were chosen as singles
The title track is one of the best ABBA songs of all time. Gloomy, experiemental, futuristic. The original album only had nine tracks finishing with 'Like an Angel...". A great and different album, I think. My favorite. Thanks for reacting to it.
‘Like an Angel Passing Through my Room’ is a contemplation on Death and the meaning of Life - not unusually deep for ABBA - famous for mature songs about relationships - and in this album, touching the deepest thoughts about politics and society, the hollowness of single life, looking for love and sex, the challenges of dating, relationships, marriage, family life and children, divorce, and what it means to be a musician and communicate through music… and even a reference the Ancient Greek tragedy. This album has everything!
Have been looking forward to seeing your reaction to this. Great job !
The original album finished at Like an Angel... the others are B-Sides (Should I Laugh & Cassandra) and the last two singles (TDBYC & Under Attack). Still my favourite ABBA album after 42yrs !
The B sides are so strong as well .
@@troyconnolly9053It‘s insane how Under Attack was scratched from the album. It was part of a 6 song package lined up for their next album (which never came).
The Visitors is my favorite ABBA album and one of my Top 5 Pop albums ever.
@@frizzyrascal1493Realy ? didn’t know they were intended for the next Album . That would make sense Although I knew the Working Title was Opus 10 everything about The visitors is great
Even that ominous moody album cover .
Apparently Frida practised her vocal delivery of the song The Visitors for weeks to sound like a sitar. The Day Before You Came is surely ABBA's masterpiece.
They have more than one.
Frida needed to sound robotic or alien to match the theme of this song and I don’t think she used a vocoder. Agnetha uses a vocoder.
This song opens voyage and to hear it live is amazing
The ground goes wild when this starts up
@@francismedina4547 Agnetha - on what songs, please?
There is definitely some sort of vocal processing on The Visitors but still a stellar performance.
Thx .Today, my favorite is the Day before you came, tomorrow slipping tr.. or when all is said and done ...
This is a great album... The ABBA sound was evolving, again, proyecting towards electronics and new wave, maybe...
Thanks for this revision👌
Love ❤ ABBA
Greetings ❤ from Chile 🇨🇱👍
Like An Angel Passing To My Room is a creepy song and I like it. To me it’s a lullaby to dying and death! There are clues and one is: seeing long forgoten scenes, so the present runs into the past. Originally sang by Bjorn as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
Love is one prolongued goodbye....reflecting on life.
It really is about the moment just before dying, about letting go, but I feel it as a tender, gentlegoodbye to life and love. Not creepy at all. Frida"s soft voice gives me the impression that at last pain is something of the past and that she only takes the beautiful memories, the angel, with her.
One of my favourite songs on my favourite album.
As an Irish person like you I know how much we take our music seriously. Always nice to hear your reviews. One Of Us was No.1 in Ireland in 1981. I have my mothers copy. Songs from The Visitors Album was popular in Ireland on release because of the dark undertones. Ireland was pretty repressed around this time.
'Two For The Price Of One' was definitely assigned as a Björn lead vocal. I guess it was meant as a little humour on what is quite a dark and moody album. It also gets panned by many fans as their least favourite on it too. Fantastic backing vocals on it though. It's about a single guy thinking he's going to be involved in a ménage à trois, only to find out the other woman is the mother of the other. That's when the circus music kicks in, like an extended 'badoom-tish' after the punch line of a gag.
Where “The Winner Takes It All” is the Agnetha / Bjorn beak up song “When All Is Said And Done” is the Frida / Benny beak up song.
"like an angel' was also covered by Madonna and German punk diva Nina Hagen amongst others.
Madonna massacred the song
@@supastah68i actually really liked her verison of the song but to each their own
The Visitors is my number 1 favorite album by ABBA. I love all the songs! There were only 9 songs originally. The rest are bonus tracks that were intended for the next album but unfortunately did not happen.
Welcome back! We missed you!
The Visitors is my fave Abba album, I saw the Abba Voyage show recently and they open with the title track and it was amazing, fantastic build up before it all kicks in.
The singer answered a personal ad... The girl was offering herself AND her mother. Three way fun.
The original album had 9 tracks! The Day Before You Came was recorded many months later, in 82. Their last recording. The Visitors is a beautiful album. Serious and poetic. Cassandra and Should I Laugh Or Cry were not included in the original either.
I have this record, signed by all four members. One of my most prized possessions ❤ Great to finally hear your review of it! I am too a fan of the darker tone. The instrumentals are really strong overall and all tracks are very enjoyable. My absolute favorites are probably The Visitors, When All Is Said And Done, One Of Us and Slipping Through My Fingers.
That would be worth a Fortune!!!
"Like an Angel..." is a LULLABY.
To quote ABBA: I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU to do this reaction (pun intended) - and I'm happy you liked it. Some of the songs need more listening and they start to grow on you! This album is a masterpiece. It has been with me since it came out and I return to it very often! ❤
Alright, hot take...you are absolutely right that by the time this LP hit the shelves in 1981 after the resounding success of "Super Trouper," it did hit completely different to ABBA fans, if it wasn't evident from the cover sleeve alone. To this day, "The Visitors" is still is an album that is often overlooked and misunderstood by casual ABBA listeners because it doesn't capture the "fun" and "campy" essence of their early years. Having said that, it's an extremely beautiful record, all due thanks to the advancements of technology at the time (it's one of the first digitally-recorded albums), Björn's masterful lyrical evolution, and he and Benny's desire to push the boundaries beyond the confines of the 3-minute single. No wonder their next move was the Chess and Kristina musicals. Let's not forget the ladies-Agnetha and Frida gave some of their best and most moving vocal performances on this album, some that reflected their own real-life experiences with motherhood ("Slipping Through My Fingers"), their relationship with their artform ("I Let The Music Speak") and the resolution of moving on ("One Of Us," and "When All Is Said and Done").
Yes, not every song is perfect (for many years, I'd skip "Two For The Price of One" because I thought it was weird. I still think it's weird but I've grown to like it more with time) but it rightfully earned a spot on the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" book. It grows on you especially as you mature with it.
Hi👍
This Album was a turning point for ABBA, you say that it wasn't a favourite of abba fans.....
I'm a 62yr old original abba fan and believe me when I say that this album was/is a big favourite of abba fans, it was the music press of the time that slated this album but over time it is now considered as one of their finest albums. Unfortunately this was the last album that ABBA released and then they took a 40yr hiatus 🤬 and then they came back stronger with "Voyage" in 2021....us ABBA fans from the 70's wept buckets of tears, no other band, group....will ever have that kind of dedicated fans, oh I'll stop now.
Thanks for this reaction video, it's nice to see a younger generation listening to ABBA.
👍🤪
Ps.... "Two for the Price of One" a BIG turkey in the eyes of ABBA fans🤬🤮..... "Slipping Through My Fingers", When you have children of your own then you will get what this song is about 🥰
The day before you came... my all time favorite song
same!
Hey Blizzardz I really enjoyed your reaction nice to see you back well done 👏🏻👏🏻👍
Welcome here, Blizz!!! I missed your videos, and your ABBA rections, so, I'm very happy 2 see u again!!! "ABBA-The Album" and "The Visitors" are always fighting my Top 1 ABBA albums... When Visitors came, I went crazy, it was incredible to listen it the first time... And I tell u, THE SOUND of this album was AHEAD of this world, it was the best audio sound I have heard in my life, until Prince's "Around The World In A Day", just an amazing mastering and sound engineering, apart from the already known high quality of composition of Benny and Bjorn... Just a masterpiece... Glad you enjoy that... Saludos desde Argentina!!!
Cassandra, Under Attack & The Day Before You Came were 3 of 6 songs recorded in 1982 for a 9th album
When this album appeared in 1981, the last 4 songs were not on it. They were intended for another album. But it never came out, as the band members went on a long vacation and pursued solo careers. The last 4 songs were added 10-15 years later, so people know them less well. And before that, these 4 songs and several more were collected in the pirated album "OPUS 10".
Back in the early 80s, the Cold War was reaching a scary period, as Eastern Europe and the USSR were becoming unstable. By the end of the decade, the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe fell like dominoes. ‘The Visitors’ is about life in Eastern Europe… and the ‘visitors’ are the secret police. ‘Soldiers’ is also a commentary on the political situation in Europe at the time. These are two of ABBA’s very rare political songs. ‘The Piper’ on the “Super Trouper’ album is also one of their best political satires.
For Head Over Heels, were you trying to say Vaudeville, maybe? I actually think that’s quite perceptive. It does have a very tinny piano sound that was typical of the era but of course it’s more modern because it’s a synth.
Frida's vocal on Cassandra is 👌
I feel like FINALLY the guys gave Frida some lead songs outside of her lower register, which is velvety smooth and sultry, but in her upper register she gets this piercing sharp clarity that’s absolutely thrilling and almost edgy. Of course, she’s always had high parts in the backing parts of songs on the earlier ABBA records that showcases her range, but to hear her defiantly singing so boldly on some of the Visitors tracks must have been a bit of a shock to ABBA fans who were used to her singing more seductive ballads and mid tempo tracks. I feel like the guys didn’t always know how to utilize all of her gifts, vocally. She had such versatility as an artist.
@@graphiquejack I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels the same about Frida's vocal potential. Compared to Agnetha, Frida has rarely had the opportunity to show the full range of her vocal abilities. Especially when it comes to releasing singles. No songs like The Winner Takes It All. Ultimately, Agnetha was the lead singer on the last four singles. Many people mistakenly believe that Agnetha was the band's lead singer. Don't get me wrong, even though Frida is "my girl," I love Agnetha too. Maybe I'm biased, but I've never quite shaken that feeling out of me.
Visitors was ABBA’s last studio album, released in 1981 (until recently). It does sound electronic - and ABBA were leading the world in cutting edge electronic pop. (ABBA was using synthesisers since the ‘Arrival’ album in 1976. The band didn’t actually break up, even though both couples were divorced (yes, ‘When All is Said and Done’ is considered Benny and Frida’s breakup song). Agnetha wanted to spend more time with her children (‘Slipping Through My Fingers’) and Frida was set to explore a solo career (‘Head Over Heels’ an ‘I Let the Music Speak’ are hints of her ambitions.) This song also shows how Benny and Bjorn were exploring musical theatre, and went on to write the stage musical, ‘Chess’, after this album. ‘The Day Before You Came’ is a strangely fitting final single released by the band as it went on what was to become a 40-year hiatus…. until ‘Voyager’ proved that this amazing group still had more to say.
Thank you for a good review on this album, but I was a bit disappointed that you didn’t appreciate the sheer beauty of Frida’s voice on “I let the Music Speak”. I get that everyone has their own preferences, but to me, that song and Frida’s vocals are outstanding.
Slipping Through My Fingers is my second favourite ABBA song and despite the negative comments that Head Over Heels gets its one of ABBA's best songs same with Soldiers, When All Is Said And Done and Under Attack
Just to let you know:
There is a later "Deluxe Edition" which also includes "I am the City" and "Put on your white sombrero". Spotify has them as "The Visitors" tracks but ONLY shows them as such when searched by name. A quirk of Spotify!
Correction. Confusing my albums. Spotify hides ST tracks. "City" is on the 16 track Spotify deluxe "Visitors".
14:31 not burlesque, but Cabaret! I thought of the word.
I loved your reaction to the title track. It probably resembled mine aged 16 in 1981 - initially puzzlement, then a growing smile as you realise just how good it is. I remember playing it to a very anti-ABBA friend the following year and he actually admitted it was a great track. I never understood why they didn't try it as a single, especially in markets such as here in Australia where some more rocking tracks were top 10 hits - Rock Me and On and On and On. It was about repression in an unspecified Eastern Bloc country. I have an ex-East German colleague at work who had never heard of this album even though it was number one in West Germany. It was probably banned on the basis of this track. It's the opener for the Voyage concerts, so finally getting the recognition it deserved long ago.
my favourite ABBA album! 'The Day Before You Came' my favourite ABBA song!
Opening the ABBA Voyage concert with avitars in London was a brilliant choice. Like you walk into another world.
'like you walk into another world"...!!!!
As has been mentioned, the last four songs were not on the original vinyl album. Out of those four, only "Should I Laugh Or Cry" was recorded during sessions for The Visitors but released only as the B-side to the "One Of Us" single. Benny and Bjorn felt that the verses and the chorus didn't fit together. Today, many fans feel it should have been included on the album instead of "Two For The Price Of One".
"The Day Before You Came", "Cassandra" and "Under Attack" were all recorded in August 1982 in an attempt to find two suitable A-sides for single release. The idea for a ninth studio album had been abandoned at that point. Instead a double singles compilation album would be released with two new tracks. "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack" turned out to be those two new A-sides, while "Cassandra" became the B-side of "The Day Before You Came".
Did you miss the punch line? A dateline liaison of "2 for the price of 1" turns out to be with the girl and her MOTHER! The only ABBA song know based on a joke. It only works with a male lead.
Correct! That is why the song ends in a wedding march kind of tune
When the punchline came, the reviewer’s facial expression didn’t change. He didn’t catch it. I was waiting for him to laugh! Lol
I've always loved "Cassandra". It's only just occurred to me that given it's a story from Greek myth, that the whole song is a Greek Chorus - especially the *actual* chorus.
The original Visitors album had 9 tracks, closing with Like An Angel…. Back in 1981, it was vinyl or cassette and there was only so much that could fit on vinyl without reducing sound quality. (Although as another has pointed out, this was the first pop album released on CD in 1983). Tracks 1-4 side A and 5-9 side B. Should I Laugh Or Cry was not on the album but part of the same sessions and was the B side to the leading single One Of Us. (You’ve heard that because it was a top 3 hit in the UK and so probably a hit in Ireland , and it’s also in the Mamma Mia 2 movie). The last 3 songs were from the aborted 1982 album. The Day Before You Came was released as a single in October 1982 with Cassandra on the B side. It didn’t perform well at the time but is now much revered. Under Attack was released late 1982 with You Owe Me One on the B side, which is one the “deluxe” edition of this album. They tried several versions of Like An Angel, from ballad to upbeat, and with various lyrics, they are also on the “deluxe” edition.
You’ve certainly nailed it - this was an underrated album, but overall outstanding. IMO their second best, after Super Trouper. They just had become less popular, in fact totally uncool by 1982. When I bought this album and Super Trouper on CD in 1985, the teenager who sold them to me handled them as if they were radioactive!! And if You Tube had existed, someone such as yourself would NEVER have actually gained followers by reviewing an ABBA album in the mid 80s! Everything changed in the early 90s with Eurasia, ABBA Gold and Muriel’s Wedding.
So happy to see again with your review to all ABBA albums, now in the #8
"The Visitors" (1981)
is an album in difficult context due to the separation of Benny & Frida
with no biggest hits like the others
(only "One of Us")
and more deep lyrics
it's called the 'dark side of ABBA'
my favorite song is the most emotional:
"Slipping through my fingers"
with a fantastic lyrics and a beautiful voice of Agnetha in leads
(live at Dick Cavett is more beautiful too)
followed by the heartbroken song
"One of us" (the last Top10 to ABBA in UK, until "Don't shut me down" in 2021)
and the tittle track "The Visitors (crackin' up)
and another good songs:
"When all is said and done" (great herartbroken too)
"Head over heels" (funny and underrated, with a crazy official video)
"Soldiers"
I don't like
"Two for the price of one"
and in my personal opinion
"Like an angel passing through my room"
isn't like an ABBA song without the two ladies
and I think that could be included in the original:
"should I laugh or cry"
For many fans here is their best album
In my opinion is 7pts, good and mature,
but not in my Top5 of all ABBA albums
not included in my opinion all the bonus tracks,
that are singles in 1982, and could be part of
an unreleased new album in 1982 or 1983
I hope to see you soon with the first three ABBA albums reviews
specialy the self tittle album "ABBA"
one of my favourites
I sent you my best regards from
Buenos Aires, Argentina
South America
ABBA created awesome music.
I still keep that record!!! (Who cares? 😂I just needed to express it)
Still thanks for sharing!! ❤
you did da right thang!
OMG YOU'RE BACK! This is as big a comeback as ABBA Voyage (yeah, I know, 2022-2023 isn't quite the same gap as 1982-2021 haha). Glad you've returned though, and can't wait to get into The Visitors with you --- still ABBA's most experimental album of all time.
Hey @slashdisco! It is good to see you back here as well. I know right.. this is like the biggest comeback of the century lol.
I loved this album when it was first released (yeah I’m old 😂😂). Originally Day before you came, Under Attack and Casandra were not included on the album but I love them all.
BTW i love your video's thumbnail .Darker,kinda twisted, slightly artistic and as hauntingly attractive as this album is.
I appreciate that! I think you are the 1st person to comment on one of my video thumbnails. 😂I am trying to get a bit more creative with thumbnails going forward.
"Head Over Heels" is based on the rhythm of the tango
which was a dance craze around the time of World War I & beyond
is tango the word you were looking for my friend
Brilliant mature album their best work!
I know and love the album since 1981, but only now I noticed that "I let the misic speak" would have found just as good a place in "Chess". Many parts are there again findable.
Interesting reaction.
😃👍love from 🇸🇪
Nice job with the reaction ! .. This is a fantastic album,and I think most of the songs on it are great .. But the ones I like least are pretty much the same ones as what you thought ..Glad you enjoyed this !
You're right! The other couple divorced 1979 and the other incl. singing solo in this during 1981, kind of their breakup song. Even it's good production, you can hear they a bit tired even according themselves and they decided to quit..so far.
Bjorn and Agnetha were a couple as were Benny and Anni-Frid and yes, both couples had broken up and were either divorced or in the process at the time of recording.
LOVE THIS!! ABBA 4EVER!!💖💖💖💖
When all is done is Frida answer to the winner takes it all and she was going through a divorce so it must have been very painful to sing
The ABBA boys are genius but never have there or ever will there be a group who can match the girls vocals and beauty.
❤❤❤❤
Benny and Bjorn were always looking towards new technology for their music and i know benny always liked playing around with synths and other electronic keyboard 🎹
I think this album wasn't a big success because several factors went against it.
Firstly the group had split up and so subliminally fans may have felt they weren't really "ABBA" anymore but rather A. B. B. A and perhaps that manifests itself in the tone of the music which was generally downbeat when compared to other ABBA albums.
And then there was the timing of it being the early 80's where music itself was transitioning from rock pop to new-wave and punk and this combined with ABBA's own transition from their upbeat Disco and pop/soft rock was probably too much of a step for casual ABBA fans.
Personally I much prefer earlier albums myself and would consider from "ABBA" (1975) through to Super Trouper (1980) to be their pinnacle.
For this album I would say The Visitors and The day before you came, which was actually a bonus track, to be the best songs with worthy mentions for Slipping through my fingers, when all is said and done, one of us and head over heels. Perhaps Cassandra is there as well which was another bonus track.
Like an Angel passing through my room is an incredibly poignant song about loss and perfectly executed for what it is.
Under attack, yet another bonus track, is decent and probably more of what I would have expect a stereotypical early 80's ABBA song to sound like, but it gets nowhere near the heights of some of their earlier Album songs.
The rest I found pretty average at best.
I actually think Voyage is probably a better album.
All that said (and done) ABBA have produced more than enough timeless bangers to keep me and several million others happy.
Nice reaction and review.
Blizzards, that was just Bjorn singing in ‘Two for the Price of One’. The song is a joke - working on more than one level. (That’s why it ends with circus music.) Two for the price of one refers to the woman in the newspaper Personals column ad (a 20th century version of Tinder) - and her mother! Listen again to the lyrics - very carefully.
Great hopes in finding a new channel, expectations heightened with slick delivery and bonus Irish lilt. Song cuts out and skips. Managed 06:31. Such a pity.
Yeah apologies, I done the cuts for copyright blockage purposes. I uploaded a album reaction before without cuts and it got blocked worldwide... so I had to incorporate cuts and somehow it works fine like that. I could try upload without cuts in the next album reaction and see how it goes. 👍
Head Over Heels sounds like a Broadway show tune.
That's an extended album, so to speak. The original album of course isn't that long. It's strange the bonus tracks are not mentioned as such on Spotify. I mean "Like An Angel" is a perfect ending for an album, isn't it!
It should be pointed out to those who have not heard this album that you have edited the tracks and they are NOT as short on the album.
It already mentions that in the description. It's due to copyright blockage 👍
It's great that you're back and hopefully your attitudes will come true.
For me then and now this was a skip album like Voyage, didn't worked as a whole album. Some songs are not mature enough as a composition, too short; e.g. What All Is Said: catchy, but msically too short; apparently the first verse was repeated in one version and the current Voyage concerts.
For me, too many songs have a musical impact, so the thoughts and ideas were already with Chess and the announced ABBA break.
Brilliant is the title track as a trilogy with the "at first inconspicuous" Soldiers and the gloomy, but final track Like An Angel: these three songs stand for the Cold War and the controversial macho rearmament (Reagan-Brezhnev); unexpected fr ABBA.
I like all the bonus tracks: The Day .. is awesome. Cassandra (typical 70's sound) and first singe One Of Us are not masterpieces, but catchy pop songs that bring a other musical color.
Some hardcore fans always bring up the argument that the album is "adult" and don't mention that some fruits are "unripe" or even politely "overripe"; fr me with the tendency to boredom. However, I give respect to any super group that vaguely vaguely explores something new and unexpected.
PS I would appreciate it if you choose Live Wembley 1979 as it shows a different side of ABBA, full of energy, commitment and passion with a great musical variety and a fantastic live band. All the best to YOU👍
Har alla ABBAs album + alla singlar. Även på spanska.
Benny and Frida, and Agnetha and Björn.
Frida and benny. 1981. Bjorn and Agnetha 1979
The Day Before You Came, Under Attack and Cassandra were not part of the original album.
How much work was involved in you adding subtitles, please?
Happy to support you for a video like this!! So, if you add something so I can pay you I will!!
Found your petreon..
😊
😀 Promo-SM
Head Over Heels sounds like a Broadway show tune.