Abba The Visitors

Abba 'The Visitors' (Epic 1981)

May 1983, sitting at the dining table in the west end of Dundee unwrapping presents in anticipation. There it was, a six inch by four inch blue rectangle with play, stop, fast forward, rewind, eject, volume control and orange foam covered headphones - my first personal stereo! What to listen to? Surely it had to be that album I had been hearing repeatedly in the car; 'The Visitors' by Abba.

Bliss! Perfect stereo in crystal clarity, the production absolutely shone despite my slightly low grade equipment. The opening track was, and still is, a classic pop tune. Great keyboards and production which simultaneously remind of Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd and War of the Worlds, crazy, paranoid almost gothic lyrics which read like a Poe protagonist caught in 1984 and a haunting vocal by Frida.

I listened once then rewound, then again and again. I knew all the other Abba songs which my Mum always sang, but this one, particularly on my own personal stereo, sang to me. Listening back now, this song still has an effect on me and it reflects the sombre cover and perhaps the darker feel the group had due to personal issues (I think they'd all just split up romantically). This was their swansong and they were obviously in a more serious mood than before which is reflected throughout but particularly during 'When all is Said and Done', 'One of Us' and 'Slipping through my Fingers'.

Like all Abba records, the production is perfect and beautifully shows off all the vocal melodies and harmonies whilst letting every instrument breathe. There is even ridiculous bombast at the end of 'Two for the Price of One' and choral arrangements in 'I Let the Music Speak', it's all strangely progressive. I wonder what Benny and Bjorn could have done collaborating with Genesis or Trevor Horn; I bet it would have been brilliant.

I picked this up in Groucho's records, aptly enough in Dundee, about two years ago. It is one of the best pounds I have ever spent. A great record, which I thoroughly enjoyed listening to again.

Peace