Abba - The Visitors [Remastered] (CD 1997)

This for me is fro ABBA what Rumours is for Fleetwood Mac. An album largely made up of songs with some real emotion rather than just Euro pop songs.

Not that I ever had a problem with ABBA's general stuff; they provided a soundtrack to the second half of the Seveties that will instantly transport me back to various discos and parties as soon as I hear a particular song of theirs.

The Vistors retains the catchy hooks, good melodies and strong vocal work you expect from ABBA, but brings in some real raw emotions. Of the 9 tracks on the original LP only Two For The Price of One is on the frivolous side, all the other 8 tracks have very sharply observed lyrics that largely reflect the state of the quartet's personal relationships at the time (as with Rumours for the Mac).

The remastered edition gives you a quality version of the 1981 album plus another 4 tracks from 1982, including The Day Before You Came.

I wore out my first vinyl copy, and have the remastered edition on the CD player pretty often. One of my favourites, and I hope that you enjoy it too.