The Visitors by Swedish power group ABBA was not an album I expected to see on this list. I actually owned it, but I do not remember listening to the whole album. ABBA in a similar fashion to Fleetwood Mac had two couples in the band, and both couples were experiencing difficulties during the recording of the album. Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog had divorced and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, announced their divorce prior to recording The Visitors. Unlike Fleetwood Mac, this was the end of ABBA. Musically, the group matured their sound beyond the usual pop dance beats and themes of previous albums.
The only reason I bought this album was the song “The Visitors”. It was a bizarre sounding song and I loved it. It is still a favourite for me.
I wish I had spent more time on the rest of the album now. It is amazing. I think I was too young to appreciate the messages and the musical growth at the time. My other favourite songs are “Head over Heels”, “When All Is Said and Done“, “Soldiers“, and and the B-side song “Should I Laugh or Cry“.
It is worth it to listen to this album if you are a fan of ABBA and skipped it when it was released. They two men were extremely creative songwriters. 9.7/10.
