Agnetha's swedish output consists mainly of her own compositions mixed with covers of european and anglosaxon minor hits (which was a clever stikkan idea, making big hits in Sweden from minor foreign hits) .
anyway , the best songs are her own , there are lot of romantic heart breaking anthems but sang with such authenticity by a young charming lady that they look like masterpieces .
the covers are average songs but interpreted with such enthusiastic actor-like singing that you can only be charmed !
as I said in my other blog , only agnetha and Karen (Carpenter) are able to make a 'bad' song sound like an evergreen !
what she shared was also the same perfect sound of the carpenters , though her own sound is more perfect (it's timeless like ABBA's evergreens 'I wonder' and 'Our last summer' ...)
note that when the Carpenters covered ABBA , it was an Agnetha lead vocal (Thank you for the music)
Burt Bacharach is not so far !
what she shared was also the same perfect sound of the carpenters , though her own sound is more perfect (it's timeless like ABBA's evergreens 'I wonder' and 'Our last summer' ...)
note that when the Carpenters covered ABBA , it was an Agnetha lead vocal (Thank you for the music)
Burt Bacharach is not so far !
her talent blossomed from the start on her first composition , she reached perfection with her elva kvonnor album , the same can be said about Ted Gardestad
for the entire lyrics translated go here
for the entire lyrics translated go here
Agnetha Fältskog vol.1
the whole album is highlighted by her own pieces and Karl Gerhard's , the style for a foreigner would be compared to and between Aznavour and Burt Bacharach
and Astrid Gilberto-Francoise hardy "bossa nova" way of singing very gently
but as once Hardy said , it's more defiicult to stay in tune singing low than loud !
1."Jag Var Så Kär" (Agnetha Faltskog) +++++
First song to be recorded , this song had a story that could empty an entire chapter on a book (see 'As I am','Bright lights dark shadows' and 'Dick cavett meets ABBA')
the song is full of the beautifull bittersweetness and candour of the 60's , delivered by a young teen Agnetha , it remains a big favorite along her swedish repertoire , no matter what she made better in the future albums .
those marvellous strings alone courtesy of the genuis Sven Olof Waldoff are worthing the listening !
2."Jag Har Förlorat Dej" (Agnetha Faltskog/D. Zimmerman) - 3:25 ++++
maybe one of the few good songs of Zimmerman , German fiancé of Agnetha who had a high inclinations for schmaltz and inventiveness (his own songs were the strong reason for the failure in the German market )
3."Utan Dej, Mitt Liv Går Vidare" (Agnetha Faltskog) - 2:47 ++++
her second heart breaking song , full with bitterness and sad feelings .
4."Allting har förändrat Sig" (Karl Gerhard Lundkvist,arr: Sven Olof Waldoff) - 3:10 +++++
one of the highlights along with the following , it's kind of Burt Bacharach melody , cleverly wrapped with beautiful lyrics .
5."Försonade" (Agnetha Faltskog) - 2:57 ++++++
one of her finest songs , an entry for melodifestival ,( for singer Gunnar Wiklund , the recording remain unfound but we would have been curious to hear it .)
this is is sounding (for non Scandinavian listeners) more like an Aznavour composition mixed with some Francoise Hardy (for most of her own songs on this album she sounds like Hardy except that she's of course more melodious and talented musically)
6."Slutet Gott Allting Gott" (Ben Wilson/Judy Lynn/S. Anderson) - 1:43 +++
an american cover , compared with "hello love" ,it's more energetic and fresh and stil sounds fresh nowadays like most of her recordings .
7."Tack Sverige" (Agnetha Faltskog/D. Zimmerman) - 3:00 +
thanks Sweden for your marvelous landscape and finest everything !
8."En Sommar Med Dej" (Ingvar Faltskog) - 3:20 ++
father Faltskog offered his own song and Agnetha as a loving daughter couldn't refuse , she even sang it as a duet some years after in 1985 on the Gäst hos Hagge show !
9."Snövit Och De Sju Dvärgarna" (Agnetha Faltskog/D. Zimmerman) - 3:07 +
the story of white snow , the dwarfs impersonate by children !
10."Min Farbror Jonathan" (Agnetha Faltskog/D. Zimmerman) - 2:31
worst ever song of hers .
11."Följ Med Mig" (Agnetha Faltskog/Mark Anthony,arr: Sven Olof Waldoff) - 1:35 +++
another american cover , also very energetic and enthusiastic , the girl is really a bottle of champagne !
12."Den Jag Väntat På" (Tony Hatch/Jackie Trent/Agnetha Faltskog) - 2:24 +++
this is the perfect cover , even if you take it in english or french , take away the texture of the voices , the interpretations remain the same probably because of the strong melody !
Bonus tracks on Royal records edition :
1."Sjung Denna Sång" (Sonny Bono/ Charles greene/ Brian stone / Agnetha Faltskog) with Jörgen Edman (duet single) ++
better than the bony and cher big hit because of the strong pure swedish voice , the male singer has the typical swedish male voive with lot of energy and masculinity .
2."Nägonting Händer Med Mig" (Alan Moorehouse /Bo-goran Edling ) with Jörgen Edman (duet single) +++
very strong musical background , featuring at one moment Agnetha sounding like never , harsh and strong like a young boy !!
of course she's got the perfect soprano of a young boy before mutating , that's why her voive is perfect .
3."Borsta Tandtrollen Bort" (Agnetha Faltskog)(brush your teeth, so the "tooth troll" stays out) (with Arvid Sundins Kvartett)(single for swedish dental health campaign)
a bootleg with Sten and Stanley "Upp, upp och iväg" +++++
she's doing the backing voice with Marianne Kock . the singer has a very good voice and the song is the evergreen hit 'up up and away' of the wonderful vocal group the "5th dimension" , the cover is as good as the english !
Agnetha Fältskog Vol. 2
Good album in all but perverted by those bad Zimmerman songs ,especially "Señor Gonzales" which is one of the worst songs ever in the world ! I wonder how much she was in love with him to agree to record it !
despite the fact that only two melodies are of hers , K arl Gerhard saved the day !
1."Framför Svenska Sommaren" (J. E. Lit, L. Herscher, R. Grahm / K. G. Lundkvist) ++++
although she said once that it was not memorable , i think the song is very good and had that great shows atmosphere , the backing vocals are excellent (noting that sixties backing in general are very bad) though not BBF !
it features a good healthy atmosphere when you hear it !
2."Lek Med Dina Dockor" (D. Zimmerman / Agnetha Fältskog) +++
this is a wonderful pastiche of one of her heroes Tom Jones with very unusual lyrics dealing with a mother saying to her daughter 'go play with your doll' you have time to grow up and get busy with adult matters ,the rhythmic section is terribly energetic and infectious ! reminiscence of hits like 'what's new pussycat' !
3."Ge Dej Till Tåls" (A .Hawshaw /Ray Cameron / Bo Goran Edling) ++
a good song , nothing more .
4."Skål Kära Vän" (D. Zimmerman / Agnetha Fältskog) ++
another song from dumb and numb Zimmerman . of course Agnetha delivers immaculate interpretation as if it was a lieder from Schumann !
5."Glöm Honom" (D. Zimmerman / Agnetha Fältskog) +++++
this is the exception , excellent song of our Zimmerman , a tasty Burt Bacharch pastiche with a middle section featuring jazz guitar in the same way that is on the ABBA song 'my mama said' a few years after . the lyrics deal with consolation 'forget him' just like chiquitita a few years later !
6."En Gång Fanns Bara Vi Två" (Karl Gerhard Lundkvist) +++++
excellent lundkvist song , like the first song on the album , features the same perfect backing voices and Agnetha's voice highlighted by the melody .
'one day there was you and me'
7."Hjärtats Kronprins" (H. Meyer/ F. Weyrich / Stig Anderson) +++
a german classic i still hadn't found on the internet , the "menuet sequences" are the major interest in the song .
8."Det Handlar Om Kärlek" (H. Blum / Bengt Haslum) ++
this is a good song but unusually i do prefer the german version 'concerto d'amore' wich sounds more beautiful .
9."Som En Vind Kom Du Till Mej" (D. Zimmerman / Agnetha Fältskog) +
a blues pastiche without any kind of interest (sounds like the big 60s classic hit 'sympathy" )
10."Señor Gonzales" (D. Zimmerman /Bengt Olov Sundström) the worst ever !
11."Zigenarvän" (Agnetha Fältskog / Bengt Haslum) +++++
a classic from her catalogue , in the vein of european shlagers which could never be a hit in the post 70s USA charts .
Agnetha gives a high performance , her classical 'actor-like' interpretations .
the violins are worthily the tzigane genius , very inventive just listen in Ops way !
12."Tag Min Hand, Låt Oss Bli Vänner" (Agnetha Fältskog) +++
all the candor and innocence of young agnetha is summarized here 'take my hand and letus become friends !
bootlegs
thanks to Royal Records edition in excellent quality :
1."Nu Ska Vi Opp, Opp, Opp (Jules Sylvain/Gösta stevens) +++++
an evergreen with a shining Agnetha , what more to say !
2."A Medley Of Songs: 1:44 ( 'Värkänslor (Ja Da' Ä' Vären)' (Jules Sylvain/ Sten hage) Björn Ulvaeus , 'Det Kommer En Vär' (Jules sylvain /Jokern) and 'Nu Ska Vi Vara Snälla' (jules Sylvain/Karl Gerhard) with Björn Ulvaeus )
Bjorn part is the best .
3."En Stilla Flirt (Jules Sylvain/Gösta stevens) +++++
a big classic covered by many swedish artists among them Monica Zetterlund .
Agnetha is here more romantic than ever !
these three taken from the famous tribute show where Agnetha met her prince Bjorn .
Som jag är
during these sessions she was recording german songs , so learning those foreign language lyrics would probably stop agnetha from writing new songs , even Zimmerman seemed to have bad influence on her taste .
so this album though featuring covers (only one self-penned ) is excellent , more italian songs and great anglo-saxon hits , in all very good album and of course the best is yet to come !
1."Som ett eko" (Alberto Morina/Giulio D'Ercola/Stig Anderson) +++++
sounding as good as the original fellow , she's incredible , the song is very good so the interpretation by agnetha is not surprisingly excellent !
2."När jag var fem" (Alan Bernstein/Victor Millrose/Peter Himmelstrand) +++
here she tries the lowest keys and they suit her .
the songs is about a lonely child who learn to cope with life .
3."En sång och en saga" (Paul Mauriat/Andre Pascal/Stikkan Anderson) +++++
excellent french song originally performed by Mireille Mathieu , Agnetha's version is incredibly different as if it wasn't the same composition !
4."Tänk va' skönt" (Val Avon/A. Fältskog) +++++
the song in swedish is full with images , imagine yourself in a white bad on a beach residence waking the morning beside Agnetha ! or if you're a girl imagine yourself Agnetha !
5."Ta det bara med ro" (Noami Martin/S. Anderson) ++
average but better than the english version .
6."Om tårar vore guld" (Agnetha Fältskog) +++++
a self penned song with lot of tears and waltz , a good song , big hit , nothing more .
7."Hjärtats saga" (Wilhem Åström / Arr. and bearb.: A.Fältskog/B.Ulvaeus/Sven-Olof Walldoff) +++++
excellent classic from swedish patrimony , there's a hootenanny singers version but of course this one is best ! and sven Olof is of course responsible partially !
8."Spela vår sång" (Tony Cole/ A. Fältskog) +++
anglosaxon hit with lot of covers ,agnetha's is without any doubt the best .
9."Så här börjar kärlek" (Peter Himmelstrand) +
not my favorite very schmaltzy and dumb lyrics . only strings save the day !
10."Du ska minnas mig" (A. Hamilton/S. Worth/A.Fältskog) +++
unusual song , excellent interpretation , good choice as it changes from the usual songs !
11."Jag skall göra allt" (Agnetha Fältskog) ++++++
one of the best songs ever , some parts of the lyrics made "the winner takes it all" reminiscence of it , did Bjorn was inspired unconsciously ?
12."Sov gott min lilla vän" (Emil Stern/Edmond Bacri/A. Fältskog) +++
cover of the french eurovision hit 'un jour un enfant' , of course in the hands of agnetha , it becomes something more consistent !
Litet solskenbarn ; a B side (bonus on the Cd Boxset)
a cover of the 'little altar boy' , of course , here it doesn't sound at all like the original ,more seventies sound and more innocent lyrics . it becomes Little sunshine child .
När en vacker tanke blir en sång
here the album is her entire compositions except for one italian classic , it's a superb album like the precedent , with an incredible modern sound .
there's a certain homogeneity in the in the album as a whole but the concept is album is the next one .
1."Många gånger än" (A.Fältskog/P.Himmelstrand) +++
a good song , one of her favorite (?)
2."Jag vill att du skall bli lycklig" (A.Fältskog) +++
here she's back to her heart breaking songs ,'I wish you luck in your life' (even if it's with someone else !
of course only Agnetha can think of such words !
3."Kungens vaktparad" (A.Fältskog /B.Ulvaeus)
the worst song on the album , especially the voice of bjorn and Agnetha seems to not blend together well (as opposite , bjorn and frida's voices do it very well)
4."Mitt sommarland" (A.Fältskog /B.Ulvaeus) +++
old summer flames are unforgettable , not ?
when you hear this classic , you'll feel it .
5."Nya ord" (A.Fältskog/Bosse Carlgren) +++++
a highlight , a litle reminiscence of the beatles but not too much , who could think of such clever lyrics : i search every where for new kind of lyrics but finally understood that songs can only deal with love !
6."Jag skall inte fälla några tårar" (A. Fältskog) +++++
a very soft-rock atmosphere , another persona , more mature and unworldly .
7."Då finns du hos mig" (A.Fältskog/Bosse Carlgren) +++++
this is melancholia at its summit , she's really brilliant , she even makes me think a little of feiruz !
8."Han lämnar mig för att komma till dig" (A.Fältskog /B.Ulvaeus) +
another song that i prefer in german (don't know really why but it sounds for me better )
9."Kanske var min kind lite het" (A.Fältskog) ++++++
another proof of agnetha's talent melodically , brilliant melody with flirting lyrics cleverly put .
10."Sången föder dig tillbaka" (A.Fältskog/bjorn carlsson) +++++
i could call this 'thank you for the music part I'
it sounds like the ABBA hit and even the lyrics deal with the love for music as an entity !
"the music can give you birth again "
11."Tågen kan gå igen" (A.Fältskog/Bosse Carlgren) ++++
not a highlight but excellent track , her talent for melody is incredible . her partnership with Boss is very beneficial , he writes as if he come into her mind ! (maybe she's able to traduce her feelings cleverly ?)
12."Dröm är dröm, och saga saga" (pier paolo Preti / Gianluigi Guarnieri, /Stikkan Anderson) +++++
a classic from italian repertoire , the original , of course excellent , is completely different .
she tries to perform it with skills and she succeeds !
Jesus Christ Superstar
the two songs are from the show but were rerecorded for the best of during the yaers
" Vart ska min kärlek föra" +++++
" Nu ska du bli stilla" +++++
the idea to share the cast for this musical was brilliantly proposed by the clever Mr Ulvaeus , she did it succefully .
one of the best covers of these songs
Singles
"Tio mil kvar till Korpilombolo"/"Så glad som dina ögon"
- Tio mil kvar till Korpilombolo (A.Fältskog) : +++
very early seventies shlager , it remains an excellent track .
- Så glad som dina ögon (A.Fältskog/ Kenneth Gärdestad ) +++++
an excellent melody with lyrics from the brother Gärdestad , very Latin flavor and dreamy .
"Vi har hunnit fram till refrängen"/"En sång om sorg och glädje"
- Vi har hunnit fram till refrängen (Stig Anderson / Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield) +++++
the way she sings a part of it differently from the Sedaka interpretation is enough to appreciate it , one of her best covers , her voice is shining once again !
- En sång om sorg och glädje (Mario Capuano, Giosy Capuna / Stig Anderson) +++++
the song is very beautiful , add the beautiful voice of our beloved Agnetha , what more to say !
Elva kvinnor i ett hus ++++++++
music by Agnetha Fältskog, lyrics by Bosse Carlgren
the entire album is a masterpiece ,even the albums of ABBA , before the eponymous 'ABBA' lp are not as good .
the compositions are ambitious , imaginative , original , fresh , supplemented by the excellent orchestration of Sven Olof Waldoff.
1."SOS" (Andersson/Anderson/Ulvaeus)
swedish version of the ABBA masterpiece .
2."En egen trädgård"
the first lady to enter , it's a nutty woman cultivating a grden 'of her own' in her flat , of course , if it's what makes her happy why not ?
3."Tack för en underbar, vanlig dag"
the second lady , a religious candid person , who believes in goodness and thank the god for every little opportunity and his large goodness . misinterpreted as an atheist song mocking the religious people but that was not the fact ,Bosse and Agnetha were simply not that kind of people !
4."Gulleplutt"
the only weak number but a good song .
this lady loves "an ugly" man or simply the kind that mothers don't like for her daughters !
but as we know children like to opposite their parents when it's matter of choice !
5."Är du som han?"
a suspicious lady who had probably misfortune with men , so she doesn't want a new experience or maybe she's still in love with the old flame even if he's been mean to her .
6."Och han väntar på mej"
another lady who is amused by a young pretender who wait for her outside .
of course she doesn't take it seriously but she has to be cautious not to break his young heart !
7."Doktorn!"
the most humorous number , it's the story of a nymphomaniac who want to give up with men just like we can give up with cigarettes !!!
8."Mina ögon"
swedish version disillusion , of course better backing track , the Bjorn-Benny backing track on the Rong Ring album is cheap sounding like an average CSNY or CCR song , here the song has the backing track it deserves , full of beautiful strings courtesy of Mr Waldoff .
9."Dom har glömt"
an old singer (not in age but in carrier) , she's full of bitterness knowing that there are new young comers but she tries to fool herself thinking that she's still in the lime light , so she's telling herself 'they forgot to bring me flowers at the end of the show as usual , they didn't rush for autographs ...'
but as we know life is cruel !
10."Var det med dej?"
this is a dumb lady who find herself "doing things" after being drunk (Madera) !
11."Visa i åttonde månaden"
a young future mother who wonder if it's a wise thing to bring a baby in this cruel world full of war and hunger !
this makes me think of her meaning when she says 'lucky children' in the "ABBA in switzerland' show !
Agnetha has always been aware of the suffering of others and she meant it in a numerous interviews , even in her latest for the woman magazine M-magasin
single
När du tar mej i din famn (A. Fältskog /Ingela "pling" Forsman) 4:07 ++++++
a brillant compostion
english singles
11." Here For Your Love (A.Fältskog/Bosse Carlgren)
english version of 'korpilombolo'
12." Golliwog (A.Fältskog/Bosse Carlgren)
english version of 'gulleplut'
of course the Swedish versions are better
the backing track remains the same .
Special recordings
Geh' Mit Gott (german compilation)
Royal Records (vinyl recordings not the original tapes except for a few)
1) Robinson Crusoe (2:33)+++
2) Sonny Boy (2:36)
3) Señor Gonzales (2:28)
4) Mein schönster Tag (2:59)++
5) Concerto D'Amore (2:23)++++
6) Wie der Wind (2:58)++
7) Wer schreibt heut' noch Liebesbriefe (2:26)+++
8) Das Fest der Pompadour (2:36)++++
9) Fragezeichen mag ich nicht (2:34)++
10) Wie der nächste Autobus (2:23)++
11) Ein kleiner Mann in einer Flasche (2:41)+++
12) Ich suchte Liebe bei dir (2:47)++
13) Geh' mit Gott (3:04)+++++
14) Tausend Wunder (3:22)+++ ( Jag skall göra allt )
15) Komm doch zu mir (3:22) ++
16) Ich denk' an dich (3:00)++++ (Han lämnar mig för att komma till dig)
1979:
- Ljuva sextital
benny and bjorn composition originally interpreted in the late sixties by Britta Borg , their first real success , here Agnetha covers it for Stikkan birthday in the early eighties , more conventionally but better than the original even if her voice is prominent in the Britta recording as a backing vocal (so she knew it already !) .
- for Kicki Moberg
single (Men Natten Är Vår / Här Är Mitt Liv)
*Men Natten Är Vår : +++++ (the lyrics are full of passion and so deep )
* Här Är Mitt Liv +++++ (this is my life)
the two songs are masterpieces no matter what have been said and kicki who hasn't a beautiful voice has an emotional potential equal to Agnetha's so it compensates and the recordings benefits from it .
* I'm Still Alive ( Här Är Mitt Liv) is the live recording of Agnetha (the only recording known until now and never released )
BOOTLEGS
- Jönköping celebration 1985
"Folj Mej I Min Ballong"
excellent song that might be released with her long awaited DVD special box (like Frida's)
CHRISTMAS ALBUMS
** the two julen albums with her children :
- Nu tändas tusen juleljus' with Linda .good album but only for die hard fans like me !Linda as a child is not a good singer so only the songs where she doesn't appear are listenable !
- Kom följ med i vår karusell' with christian :excellent album but only for die hard fans once again ,christian is a very good singer as a child and the songs are good distraction for children in parties .
The jules sylvain tribute
(released on the first album royal records issue see above)
DEMOS
13." The Queen Of Hearts (A. Fältskog /Ingela "pling" Forsman) english version of 'När du tar mej i din famn ' ++++++
as good as the original swedish track if not better !
an exceptional demo released officially , though it doesn't sound at all like a demo !
Mr Tretow has an explanation ; Agnetha had often succeeded to record her finest at the first take so that's why , being a producer herself this become easier !
list of demos from agnetha :
to be completed
