For once, ABBA's record label, Universal, actually has managed to surprised us. Universal Music's press release about a "new" ABBA song has drawn a considerable attention on world news Websites, much more attention than other recent reissues have gotten, indeed, probably more attention than it should have gotten.
The deluxe edition of The Visitors will be released in April of 2012 and it will include "From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel (demos)" a recording which has never been released before. The press release originally did not state exactly what these unreleased demos consist of-but a week later Benny Andersson confirmed that it was merely work tapes for the released track, "Like An Angel Passing Through My Room". When, the song was originally recorded it was more complex, and early mixes were made of the more complicated versions of the song. There have already been a few "work in progress tapes" already heard unofficially from The Visitors sessions, due to a theft of tape copies from Bjorn's car. These bootleg tracks have included instrumental versions of songs, and early takes of songs such as "When All is Said and Done, and "Two for the Price of One's these bootlegs are what is included here.
It was Benny Andersson's idea in October and November of 2011 to edit a nine-minute medley of the various working tapes of "Like An Angel Passing Through My Room". Included from various work tapes is the original demo, with vocals by Björn, a disco version, an alternate lyric version called ‘Another Morning Without You’ and a run-through with Benny on electric piano and Frida on lead vocals.
Bjorn and Benny have usually been hesitant to release their unreleased stuff-so the release of "From a Twinkling Star..." is bizarrely inconsistent from that policy. Why not do the same thing for the other ABBA deluxe releases, for example release the work tapes for "Chiquitita" which had been contemplated back when when the box set was issued in 1994. Why not release "Just Like That" the excellent 1982 track that has yet to see full release. JLT is the holy grail of unreleased ABBA tracks. (The various reissues of the Visitors album have always contained some selection of the tracks recorded in 1982 after The Visitor album was released.) Bjorn was once asked by a fan on the group's official website if they would ever release a Beatles Anthology style collection of rare tracks and outtakes, his reaction was total disdain for the very idea. Benny recently said that he hoped this was the last of the unreleased recordings.
The CD/DVD also includes the usual assortment of bonus tracks and TV performances. The other five 1982 recordings are included as well as "Should I Laugh Or Cry" and the nine original songs from The Visitors album. The DVD is notable for not including more from the Dick Cavett Special, which included originally a interview and nine songs. The DVD includes two songs from Dick Cavett Meets ABBA, where ABBA previewed two tracks from their forthcoming album: ‘Two For The Price Of One’ and ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’.The video included for ‘When All Is Said And Done’, features an edit that differs slightly from the version heard on the album – this video is included here with its rare original soundtrack in stereo.
Also featured are two lengthy television appearances,for the promotions for The Singles – The First Ten Years. album.
What's good about this set? Well it is a wonderful album for fans of ABBA's more serious work, and the 1982 songs are certainly wonderful as well. A lot of albums don't get this nice deluxe treatment, so I am happy about that too!
The Visitors - Deluxe Edition track listing...
DISC 01: CD
1. The Visitors
2. Head Over Heels
3. When All Is Said And Done
4. Soldiers
5. I Let The Music Speak
6. One Of Us
7. Two For The Price Of One
8. Slipping Through My Fingers
9. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
Bonus Tracks:
10. Should I Laugh Or Cry
11. I Am The City
12. You Owe Me One
13. Cassandra
14. Under Attack
15. The Day Before You Came
Extra Bonus Track:
16. From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel (demos)
DISC 02: DVD:
1. Two For The Price Of One (Dick Cavett Meets ABBA)
2. Slipping Through My Fingers (Dick Cavett Meets ABBA)
3. When All Is Said And Done (Original Promo Clip)
4. ABBA In London, November 1982 (The Late Late Breakfast Show, BBC)
5. ABBA In Stockholm, November 1982 (Nöjesmaskinen, SVT)
6. The Visitors TV commercial I (UK)
7. The Visitors TV commercial II (Australia)
8. The Singles – The First Ten Years TV commercial I (UK)
9. The Singles – The First Ten Years TV commercial II (Australia)
10. International Sleeve Gallery
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