Abba's 'disco' album from 1979 has been released on CD many times but this is definitely the best one yet. Unlike the previous reviewer, I followed them from 'Waterloo' onwards. None of that nasty punk stuff for me!

Following 'Abba-The Album' and 'Arrival' was never going to be easy. The group were trying to move with the times and 'Voulez-Vous' was the danciest album they were to put out. After the aforementioned previous LPs, it was considered something of a disappointment and was the first of their UK released albums not to spawn a #1 single. Of course many acts would kill to have anything nearing the quality of this set of songs but by Abba's standards, it wasn't their best.

The excellent booklet makes mention of the group's struggle to put the record together. There was a general lack of inspiration around the project and initial lead single, 'Summer Night City' was left off the LP after it performed poorly (by Abba standards) on the charts. 'If It Wasn't For The Nights' was set to be the new first single but this never came to pass. Like much of the LP, it has a shrill, trying-too-hard feel to it and I'm not convinced, unlike other fans, that this track would have been the album's salvation.

'Chiquitita' became the lead single with the proceeds going to Unicef at the start of 1979. I've always seen it as a poor man's 'Fernando' and like several tracks on 'Voulez-Vous', it's far too long. The second single, the rocky 'Does Your Mother Know', was better but 'only' made #4 in the UK charts. Indeed, the biggest hit came at the end of the year, 'I Have A Dream' got to #2.

31 years on, the album still isn't one of my favourites. This edition is actually far stronger than the original release adding 5 bonus tracks, including 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme', 'Lovelight' and the wondrous 'Dream World', a song Benny and Bjorn hated and which remained unreleased for years.

I say this album is disappointing only as an Abba one, mind. The production, harmonies and often the song construction are mind-blowing to say the least, but I have to say the subsequent 'Super Trouper' album was far better to my ears.

The DVD is hit and miss, I suppose. The 'Abba In Switzerland' TV special is OK (but omits guest appearances by Kate Bush and Roxy Music) and guest slots on 'The Mike Yarwood Show, the Unicef concert and 'Multi Coloured Swap Shop' are fun to see again though the group steadfastly mime through all these shows for some reason. A few ads and a sleeve gallery are also included but these weren't of enormous interest to me.

Although it's not my favourite Abba release, this Deluxe Edition of 'Voulez-Vous' is is absolutely worth getting and is beautifully packaged. Also, in light of how little more was to come from the band, it's more important than ever.

I am a contemporary of ABBA. However, when ABBA were performing and touring, I was too cool for their purely "Pop" music. If you asked me in the late 70's - early 80's, to name an ABBA song, I would have been hard pressed to come up with anything other than "Dancing Queen" or "Fernando". It's not all my fault though - Top 40 radio played very little of their music.

Now 30 years later, thanks to the play and movie of Mamma Mia, I have become thoroughly aware of ABBA - finally. But I still feel cheated that I wasn't aware at the time. In 1979 I was living in St. Louis, MO, and although ABBA did not play there, they did play in Chicago, which was close enough to drive.

After seeing both the play and the movie, I first bought the ABBA Gold CD. That was a good start as it contains all of their really big hits - many more than I was aware of. But it wasn't enough - I wanted more.

This remastered version of their Voulez-Vous album is well worth the price. Not only is the sound great, it has brought me new ABBA music that I never heard before. My new favorite is "The King Has Lost His Crown". I guess there are advantages to being late to the party - what is "old hat" to original fans is all new to me.

The DVD includes a television special that ABBA filmed in Switzerland in 1979 that is great. Even though they are lip syncing to a playback of the recording, it is great to see them up close - since I missed the real concert (Darn it).

Too much filth has come from the Pop spectre of music as of lately.Repeated formulas, looks, songs and even "singers" that sound very much alike from one another(!)abound in radio stations for our discomfort.Yet, we have albums like this to remember us of how Pop should be.But i'm afraid that there's nowhere in the scene to be found who can do it at this high level of songcraft.

In the context of time, when this album whas released Abba embraced the Disco Music of that era and made it their own, making a masterpiece that can very well be used to dance but should always be viewed as a perfect combination of soaring melodies, choruses and awe inspiring, catchy, memorable music for years to come.Otherwise it can not be explained how we delight ourselves nowadays with it.

I will take the opportunity to talk about some jerks who say that Chiquitita is ridiculous and sugary-sweet crap..WHO on earth

could say that? A stylish folk-like ballad, high spirited and with several instances of conterpoints and classical played piano a piece of crap? Don't be ignorants, dudes!

Buy it for state-of-the-art melodic music entertainment.

Ridign high on the wave of disco in 79, this release form ABBA saw the group unleash to the world a multitude of hit singles (5 UK Top 5) all of which show the group at their most audibly accessible and brilliant. Production-wise the sounds are uplifting without being cheesy, and the songs brilliantly formulaic - and they work - most of which are now regarded as ABBA classix. Top marks go to the infuratingly catchy title track (still gets people going in a disco 20 odd years later!) and to the first single featuring a male vocal (Does Your Mother Know). Summer NIght City is another song with male lead vocals and you feel the heat and mystery of the song through the deeper registers of the vocals. Klassik. Add to that the wonderful If ItWasn't For The Nights, fantastic uptemp sing which shows the power of the girls' voices when they sing in Unison. The now timeless ballads Chiquitita and I Have A Dream will forever be ABBA faves (altho not personal faves). Of the bonus trax in this cd edition Gimme Gimme is still a timeless campy pop song (originally featured on ABBA's GH Vol.2) and Lovelight, a pure pop sing which still uplifts. Seriously, not one bad tack here (altho King Has Lost His Crown sounds dated now), vocally astounding, musically consistent, and indicative of ABBA's brilliance as pop performers and timeless contribution to the library of popular music.

I own all the Abba albums, and this one, recorded at the very peak of their popularity in the late 70's, shows all the reasons why they were the kings and queens of pop.

Abba is often considered by those who don't know them as a "disco" group. The truth is that this is the only album where Abba tried out disco, with stunning results. "Voulez-vous" is quite simply one of the greatest disco singles ever recorded. It masterfully tells the story of a pick-up in a disco, and lyrically it blows most other disco songs out of the water. And the bonus track "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie," released as a single in support of the now unavailable "Greatest Hits Vol 2" is equally good. Madonna knows a good hook when she hears one, and borrowed one of the all-time great ones from "Gimmie" for "Hung Up."

The rest of the album moves deftly through the European music styles that form the backbone of most Abba music. Folk ballads (Chiquitita and I have a dream), country meets a motown backbeat in "Angeleys," the sultry pop sophistication of "The King Has Lost His Crown," the hooked-on-classics opening of "As Good As New." This is Abba songwriting and studio craft at its finest.