Visitors, The [Remastered] - Abba > Reviews > Have These Visitors Outstayed Their Welcome?

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	It's Abba !  Some great tracks & no bad ones, bonus tracks on this version .
Disadvantages:	Not their best, probably not for the casual fan .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have been a fan of Abba since the 1970s. I remember taping the charts when Super Trouper was at number one. I had to hold a microphone in front of the radio and tell my parents to keep quiet. My Mum rarely managed it and many songs were ruined by her talking at the wrong time!

Around 1980, I used to go round my friends' houses and have them over mine for Abba and Blondie nights, where we'd play our LPs, singing and dancing along to them. I had the Blondie albums and my friend Joanne had the Abba ones. I didn't start buying Abba albums until I was an adult and the remastered version of The Visitors is one I bought a few months ago.

This album was released in 1981, when I was 11 going on 12. In the history of the Swedish supergroup, The Visitors is an album that is often overlooked. While everyone knows songs like Waterloo, Fernando and Dancing Queen - from toddlers to great-grandmothers - the most famous track on here is One Of Us and the first time I recall hearing this was when Gareth Gates sang it on Pop Idol!

This was Abba's seventh studio album and was written during their marital turmoil. The picture-perfect couples had divorced and the group was winding down in many ways. But that does not mean their music had become tainted. Listening to this album, it still sounds polished and well-written with the catchy melodies and impressive musical talents of the second Fab Four.

The music itself is darker here, with thoughtful lyrics about relationships breaking up, sadness and depression. The whole tone of the album is about the end of one part of life and having to move on to the next. The happy cheesy pop music that most of us associate with Abba isn't so evident here and even those critics who feel Abba are a weak throwaway group might appreciate this more sombre side of their repertoire.

As for me, I loved the album from the first time I heard it, although - like most things - it isn't faultless. It contains catchy tunes that you find yourself singing along to and humming later. One Of Us is the stand-out track for me, but there are many highlights.

The advantage of buying the remastered version - besides the obvious one! - is that you get thirteen tracks. As well as the nine that were on the original album, you also get Should I Laugh Or Cry (the B-side to One Of Us), The Day Before You Came (released as a single), Under Attack (another single) and You Owe Me One (the B-side to Under Attack).

The album begins with the title track, which sounds rather dark and moody at the start - almost sinister - but lightens up towards the end and has the foot-tapping factor. Generally a good strong track and one that is indicative of the style and mood of The Visitors in general.

Head Over Heels begins with a beautiful instrumental section which really makes you sit up and take notice. By the time Agnetha and Frida begin singing, you are hooked. This is more reminiscent of the 'old' Abba and is another of my favourite tracks. I love the clarity and purity of their singing voices and if the occasional word isn't quite stressed in a wholly English way, it just adds to the charm.

When All Is Said And Done is the shortest song on the album at just over three minutes. (The longest is nearly six minutes.) I love these lyrics from this one and thought some of you might get a giggle out of them.

In our lives
We have walked
Some strange
And lonely treks
Slightly worn
But dignified
And not too
Old for sex

Track four, Soldiers, is pleasant enough and worth listening to, but does have a tendency to slip into the background without you noticing it much. Not a bad track, but a bit of a filler and quite forgettable.

I Let The Music Speak sounds like something from a musical - perhaps not surprisingly, considering Benny and Bjorn's subsequent writing of Chess. It is an interesting track and quite different to most Abba songs, with many changes of pace and style from ballad to staccato. Good, but not outstanding.

The next track is my favourite and was a hit single in the top three - One Of Us. It has all the elements of a perfect Abba song - a catchy tune, memorable lyrics and overall, a real classic. I would have happily paid the cost of the album for just this track, but happily the rest of the songs are pretty good too.

Two For The Price Of One sees the men taking over lead vocals for a while, which makes this track stand out initially. Although the music has a good beat to it, Bjorn and Benny's voices really aren't as strong as the women and this is glaringly obvious here. An average track, but not bad enough to skip over.

Another gem to follow though with Slipping Through My Fingers as track eight. An ultimately swayable ballad, this is nothing short of beautiful, the gorgeous music enhancing the sadness and loss in the lyrics. The song is somewhat open to interpretation, but for me it seems to be about a daughter growing up and moving away from her mother. With a daughter turning fifteen in four months, I can certainly understand this, which makes the song especially poignant.

Track nine was originally the last one of the album released in 1981. It is called - rather poetically - Like An Angel Passing Through My Room and is a pretty song, though forgettable. Rather a let-down after the brilliant track before this.

Onto the bonus tracks, we begin with Should I Laugh Or Cry. It has a bit more life to it than the one immediately preceding it, but it's little more than a nice gentle ballad. It fits in well with the album tracks though and you can tell it's from the same era.

The Day Before You Came is another of the more familiar songs here and is another of my favourites. Another one that is quite slow, it does have a unique little bit of music giving it an individual quality and it stands up well to repeat listening.

Under Attack is another song I already knew and is quite a happy track in its rhythm and sound, even if the lyrics are less than positive. While the final track - You Owe Me One - continues its lyrical themes, the style of this one is quite a contrast, being almost cheeky and cute with its bouncy rhythm. A good upbeat way to finish The Visitors - Remastered.

Overall, the album has no bad tracks on it. There are a few absolutely brilliant songs on it and plenty of good - but not great - ones. It isn't up-tempo enough to get a party going, but is ideal for background music or listening to if you are in a more contemplative mood. It is suitable for all ages, there is nothing to find offensive in it and plenty to enjoy.

If you only want to buy one Abba album, I would suggest one of the Abba Gold compilations rather than The Visitors, but if you like the singles on here, you will enjoy the rest of the album.

I bought The Visitors (Remastered) from Ebay, where it is currently available for around £6. Just be careful to check which version you are buying by reading the track listings.