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.


I have a dream - Frida singing 'I have a dream' to me!!!   January 29, 2005
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

There is nothing I can say that can praise ABBA enough for their gift of music to planet earth (and probably beyond!). I just want to add that this is probably the best-produced and best-performed of the lot. Benny's keyboards and synthesizer work is flawless (even Nick Rhodes will probably testify that!), and the singing by the girls is on such high notes on most of the album that even Barry Gibb will probably envy Agnetha and Frida more than he would wish to admit! So come on angel Agnetha, forgive the world for being so cruel to you, cause we do not know what we do, and give us another chance of experience the magic all over again, so that we can show our children and grandchildren of how proud we were and still are of you!


Many excellent songs, but a couple of weak ones   March 11, 2003
Peter Durward Harris (Leicester England)
17 out of 25 found this review helpful

Some people associate Abba with disco music, but this album is as close as they got to recording a disco album (only some tracks fit that classification). It has several excellent songs but in its original form would only get four stars from me. The addition of two bonus tracks, Summer night city and Lovelight, brings it up to five stars.

The British public, who normally bought Abba singles in quantities big enough to ensure number one in the charts, might appear to be (like me) less impressed with this album, as none of the singles reached number one although they were all top five. However, the album itself sold in huge quantities, so perhaps some people bought the album instead of the singles. In America, this album was less successful than its predecessor, but they visited America to promote that one (The album, featuring Take a chance on me).

Summer night city was the earliest hit here. Released some months before the album, it appeared on several compilations but not on an original album until it was included on the re-mastered version of this album. The first single from the original album was Chiquitita, a song I didn't like at all originally, but I've grown to accept it because it's by Abba - it shows even they're not perfect. Only Blondie's Heart of glass prevented it being number one in Britain

Much better is Does your mother know, in which one of the men (Bjorn) feature on lead vocals. The men started out as folk singers themselves. Their voices are nothing exceptional, but it is nice to hear them occasionally. This was followed by the double-A side Angel eyes / Voulez-vous. I prefer Angel eyes, but it seems that I am in a minority. In any case, the single reached number three, but Roxy Music also had a hit with a completely different song called Angel eyes and this may have caused confusion.

For me, the outstanding song here is I have a dream - it even inspired American country-gospel singer to record a cover. This song, the last to be released from this album, was unlucky not to be a British number one - it was stuck at number two for ages behind Pink Floyd's Another brick in the wall.

Apart from the singles, there were great album tracks, including The king has lost his crown, If it wasn't for the nights, Kisses of fire and the second bonus track, Lovelight, which was the B side of Chiquitita.

I note that the track listing here includes Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie - on the CD's I've got, this was a bonus track on Super trouper instead. It was recorded midway between the two albums and was a British number three hit. Like Chiquitita, it is song I've come to accept but not one I regard as an Abba classic.

While this is not one of my favorite Abba albums, there are a lot of brilliant songs here that are well up to the quality I expect of Abba (hence the five stars). Because of those songs, no self-respecting Abba fan should ignore it. You might even enjoy the songs that I think are merely OK.


ABBA Goes Disco   January 24, 2006
B. Evans (South Wales, United Kingdom)
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

While ABBA's 6th studio album is widely regarded as a piece of disco, it doesn't contain the qualities of the disco music of the time, music such as The Bee Gees and Donna Summer. Instead, it's more of a collection of flowing, catchy tunes that only ABBA could have created, but with a pounding and more exotic sound. Despite being a Number 1 album, it contained no UK number 1 singles, although it did spawn 6 top tens (including the bonus tracks).

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.


Excellent.   September 24, 2005
IAN LATTIMER (UK)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

Abba-solute thrill factor. Bought for 'As Good As New' and 'The King Has Lost His Crown' in particular. The Polar label..the sound quality. The extra tracks. Fab album. Best version yet. Don't bother withnthe 2004/2005 releases with DVD as you'vre all gto the DVD anyhow...One let down. Where is 'Dreamworld'?