ABBA / Waterloo deluxe edition

Gracias Por La Musica deluxe is still believed to be happening, but next year not this year. Work starts on these quite a way in advance, and is in fav already underway. It’s presumably been put back to next year because of the live album release later this year, and to leave something for next year after so many issues this year. A boxed set of the deluxe editions is also being released this year.

I got this the other week. The 30th Anniversary deluxe is not redundant as it includes a couple of TV appearances on the DVD that are not repeated here.

Overall this set is really good, it’s not an album I’ve ever given much time to but I’ve reconsidered it now, there are some forgotten gems here (for me, anyway) like “My Mama Said” which is quite ahead of its time (for ABBA) and wouldn’t sound out of place on the next couple of albums. I’m surprised it was never a single. The DVD is very well produced and each version of “Waterloo” is quite different, with the group re-recording the track for the Top of The Pops appearances, revealing interesting alternate arrangements with Benny in particular having fun playing live (?) keyboards. The group really seem to be enjoying all of the performances, the looks between them often showing a sense of humour. The picture quality is mostly excellent, and the notes between the tracks very informative. The interview with Frida and Stig is fascinating because the Swedish TV host is clearly challenging them, almost nasty. Frida remains composed (such an amazing woman) but you can see Stig bristling with annoyance, I can only imagine what he says to Frida after the clip ends! Frida and Stig give each other a couple of looks that demonstrate their strong working relationship, confidence and trust in each other. It’s a very interesting and rare clip. Be aware that there are English subtitles but these were “off” by default on my machine so remember to switch them on before this clip starts. The international sleeve gallery is, as always, a welcome addition and a reminder that before the group started to request consistent artwork from “Dancing Queen” onwards, that local labels in different countries would present the group in various ways.

The original album started with the Swedish versio of Waterloo and ended with the English one. So those versions are essential to this issue. I not sure of the rest of them, but don’t see any reason either why they sould not have included them.

There will be 2 Editions of ‘Gold’ released in April. One will be a 40th Anniversary 3 CD version – containing ‘Gold’, ‘More Gold’, & the 3rd Disk will be a mixture of B-Sides & ‘Rarities’. The 2nd Edition will just be the usual 1 Disk ‘Gold’. There is NOT going to be a Deluxe Edition of ‘Gracias Por La Musica’ this Year – the plan has been shelved. It looks like there will be a ‘Live’ Album, & it will probably be the 5th & final Wembley Concert from 1979. There is unlikely to be a DVD Disk released. It will be on CD only. There is also going to be a ‘very special’ ABBA release, but there are no further details, at present. There will also be a Singles Box Set in May. From what I understand, there will be Zero ‘New’, (unreleased), ABBA Music released in 2014. We will see.

It looks like 2014 will be a great year for ABBA deluxe releases. I understand ABBA Gold will be re(re) issued as a 3-disc package (Gold, More Gold and Bonus Cuts). The “live album” is due for release in November and provisionally called “On Stage”. There is also a ltd edition album picture disc slated towards Christmas (which was rumoured to be GPLM – but this may be getting confused with a CD reissue)

I’m so pleased to see this release. I am looking forward to adding this to my special edition collection….

Paul, an official ABBA instragram page was recently set up with a Christmas card in the form of a 2014 timeline of releases and celebrations. A Gracias Por La Musica Deluxe Edition is slated for November release.

It’s much more an ‘Original Album’ than any other compilation

Yes I forgot about the live album. I’d love to hear a full 1977 show with ‘I Am An A” (which became “I Know Him So Well” I believe) and the full mini-musical including “Get On The Carousel”.

“Gracias Por La Musica” could also get a reissue but I don’t think it’ll happen because the tracks have been spread across other releases now.

I still think if they released a full “Just Like That” they could have another No1.

Thanks, Paul! Which are the ones that are harder to find now? I will try to track them down first.

The most interesting thing about this new deluxe edition of Waterloo is that it surely has the new improved masteting. I really do hope that we will also get 40th anniversary reissues of Arrival and The Album, because those deluxe editions have the ‘inferior’ mastering. The new mastering is has a more gentle compression and is less EQ’d, staying closer to the original master tapes with a warmer sound.
So the new mastering alone should be worth re-buying this release.

It would be nice to see the compilations receive the Deluxe Edition-treatment as well: Greatest Hits, Greatest Hits II, Gracias Por La Musica and The Singles – The First Ten Years are waiting in line. But of course they need to throw in some more unreleased songs, tv- and live-perfomances and interviews as well to make the really interesting.

And not to correct you, Paul, but the ill-fated Live album from 1986 also lacks the Deluxe Edition-treatment. The original cd-version of the album and a few extra rare or unreleased like the live recordings from the “Live 77”-flexidisc, The single B-side “I Wonder (Departure)”, the single edit of “Take A Chance On Me (Live)”, “Summer Night City” and “Hole In Your soul” are up for the grabs. The last two were only relased on compilation-albums in Sweden and …. Argentina, I believe it was. There are a few (more or less) live tv-performances and the perfomances used in “Abba The Movie” and “In Concert” to fill it all up.

And yes – nine versions of Waterloo are way too many.

Thank you Paul Rymer. That’s very informative. I think I’ll pick some of these up. Do you know if Abba The Movie two disc DVD version is worth getting?

All of the ABBA albums are out now as special editions, but it is harder to find a couple of them:

Ring Ring (2013) – this includes the least clips on the DVD but one of them is with the “fake Agnetha”, Frida’s mate Inga who stood in for a few TV appearances when Agnetha was on maternity leave.

Waterloo (2004 30th Anniversary with DVD – the new version for 2014 expands on this particularly on the DVD)

ABBA (2004 Deluxe with DVD, just 3 videos, and 2012 version with a much expanded DVD including the TV special “ABBA in Australia” – this really is incredible)

Arrival (2004 Deluxe with DVD, just music videos, and better 2010 Deluxe with a superb DVD including many TV performances relevant to the album)

ABBA The Album (2010 CD & DVD including 11 TV performances from 1977 and 1978)

Voulez Vous (2010 CD & DVD including the “ABBA in Switzerland” TV show and the group on the Mike Yarwood show – both notable because they perform early versions of Voulez Vous tracks that are very different to the final mixes)

Super Trouper (2011 CD & DVD including unseen footage, TV performances and a documentary about the making of the title track’s music video)

The Visitors (2012 CD & DVD – includes the work in progress medley “From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel” and a good number of TV appearances from ABBA’s last year together).

That’s it, unless you start looking at deluxe versions of compilations.

Can someone list all the previous ABBA special deluxe editions?

Only 14 versions of Waterloo ? Hardly seems worthwhile

Yeah, the sleeve gallery bit is a tad dull for my liking. I would also have liked them to have used an instrumental track in the menus, and the gallery section, like some other acts do.

This looks very similar to the 30th Anniversary release which is when these ABBA SE’s started – but the rare alternate mix of “Waterloo” is brilliant and those extra TV clips make it tempting. I’ll be honest it’s mainly been the DVD content that’s made these worthwhile – even “Ring Ring” with the “fake Agnetha” TV clip.