Voulez-Vous

The cover shows the band looking impeccable. On top of the world would not be heavy exaggeration. Sadly the two divorces were to follow shortly afterwards but as songwriters and performers this is something like their peak. Even NME or was it Melody Maker gave this one Five Stars.

Greatest Hits albums have their place of course. But my advice would be to buy this album, because it shows us the consistency that band continually showed themselves capable of from 1976 onwards. More than a Singles Band. Just one listen to ’Kisses Of Fire’ will demonstrate that.

First up, "As Good As New" starts with a classical intro followed by the more typical disco sound. The structure of the song is excellent and Agnetha and Frida's vocals are, as ever, amazing. Definitely one of the missed single opportunities. 5/5

Voulez-vous, while being among my least favourite tracks, does feature a pounding disco beat, perhaps making this the most "danceable" song on the album. 3/5

Oh dear. I Have A Dream doesn't exactly sound right with disco. The lyrics are sweet, maybe a little too sweet, and the children's choir doesn't help much. I know it was a big single release at Christmas '79, but I just don't like it. 2/5

Angeleyes is my favourite on the entire album and among my favourite ABBA songs. The long processions of "Ahhhhas Ahh Ahh Ahas" throughout, plus the "flowing" sound of the song, add on some soaring vocals and you've got a great song. 5/5

The King Has Lost His Crown ended up as the B-side to Gimme Gimme Gimme. It's not the best, but it's not terrible either. Frida sings it well and it's one of the more sedate of the album's disco tracks. 3/5

Does Your Mother Know is full of energy. It reminds me more of a 50s rock'n'roll tune than a disco song. Yes, the lyrics are about flirting, just like Take A Chance On Me, but they work the opposite way - a young girl flirting with a man, which is why Bjorn takes the lead, the first and last time he sings lead vocals on a single release. 4/5

This one is almost certainly a missed single. If It Wasn't For The Nights has more soaring vocals and a very catchy tune. 5/5

Chiquitita is much more bearable than I Have A Dream, in my opinion at least. Just like I Have A Dream, this ballad doesn't really sound right on the album, but it grew on me over time. Benny's piano sounds good on this one. 4/5

Lovers (Live A Little Longer) slips a little for me. I don't know whether it's the slightly flat sounding tune or the lyrics (about some physician discovering that love makes you live longer), but it doesn't work for me. 3/5

Oh boy, how Kisses Of Fire ended up as a B-side is incredible. Agnetha kicks it off with a sexy intro (Lay your head on my chest, so you hear, every beat of my heart), sung in a quiet and soothing tone. Soon, that quiet intro disappears to be replaced with a pounding chorus with both girls singing in unison. 5/5

The first of the bonus tracks, Summer Night City, is one amazing song. From the first note, it thumps along with some very sexy vocals and lyrics. You can imagine a hot summer night in a club when youlisten to this one. Benny and Bjorn were reluctant to release it as a single. Admittedly, it does keep building up to a non-existant chorus, but it's still one of their strongest songs. 5/5

Lovelight is another good one. It's a typical ABBA song with a catchy tune. 4/5

Finally, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, a trademark ABBA tune, is not one of my absolute favourites. I find it a bit limp, with the slightly campy and cheesy chorus, but the longing lyircs and disco beat brighten it up. 4/5

So there you have it, another great ABBA album. I gave it 5 stars, because even though there are some letdowns, the best tracks are absolute ABBA classics. This album probably holds the most lost single opportunities and it holds the record for best album tracks. Voulez-vous isn't among my three favourite albums (The Visitors, The Album and Super Trouper), but the fact that I still gave it 5 stars is a testimony to ABBA's everlasting music.