AGNETHA FALTSKOG
My Colouring Book
It was back in 1987 when Agnetha (“the blonde one from ABBA”) Fältskog released her last solo album, simply titled 'I Stand Alone'. More disturbingly the lead single was ironically called 'The Last Time', and indeed it mostly was, apart from an autobiography and a couple of compilations, until the release of her new album, 'My Colouring Book' recently. This is an album which is said to contain many songs that have inspired Agnetha throughout her life, and contains tracks as diverse as Frank Sinatra’s 'Fly Me to the Moon', The Shangri-La’s 'Past, Present and Future' and Cilla Black’s 'A Fool Am I'.
The album cover is slightly daring in the way Agnetha is shown, for many record buyers, the opportunity may be missed, but keeps to the theme of the album – retro, but with a few shades of 2004. The album is made up of luscious arrangements, beautifully produced by Agnetha, Anders Neglin (who transcribed the original ABBA tracks for the hit West-end musical ‘Mamma Mia’) and Dan Stromkvist. As a complete package it holds together well. The lead single 'If I Thought You’d Ever Change Your Mind' has become a surprise hit and just missed the Top 10 single charts in the UK, and has become Agnetha’s biggest UK hit to date.
The album, which contains 13 tracks, perhaps contains some of the saddest songs ever penned, but is that necessarily a bad thing? There seems to be a theme running through the album – setting the scene with 'My Colouring Book', finding love with 'When You Walk in the Room' and 'Love Me With All Your Heart', considering the next step and reassessing things; 'Past, Present and Future', the eventually leading to the end of the relationship with 'A Fool Am I', 'The End of the World' and 'What Now My Love'. The album seems to flow very naturally, and the nearest thing it can be compared with is Agnetha’s first English solo album, 'Wrap Your Arms Around Me'.
Many of the tracks are beautifully orchestrated and crisply produced and arranged, notably the lead single, 'A Fool Am I' and 'Love Me With All Your Heart' – and even Agnetha’s daughter appears on a few tracks as a backing vocalist. Agnetha sounds as fresh as she did back in 1968 when she recorded her first album and she hasn’t lost any of that magic, but certainly has a more prominent Swedish accent. Agnetha sings with real passion on most of the tracks, and seems to believe in the lyrics – just listen to her 1985 album, 'Eyes of a Woman' for a comparison. As many reviewers have noted, and this writer is no exception, 'Sometimes When I’m Dreaming' is Agnetha’s solo masterpiece – she sings with a minimal backing track and it is truly stunning. 'What Now My Love' seems to be the most cutting-edge track and has an effective rift at the beginning, and strangely ends in the same way as the first track on the album starts – perhaps to indicate that life has gone full-circle?
One of the few criticisms is that the running time of the album is just 42 minutes, and this is really too short for modern albums, and no doubt Agnetha could have recorded a few more tracks with relative ease.
The album certainly is Agnetha’s paint palate. It is a bold attempt to have an impact once again, and allowing the album to stand on it’s own merits, as Agnetha herself seems to be doing little publicity, and she may well pull it off successfully, but will do little to retract her from her ‘Greta Garbo’ label which the press has held against her. With another 12 or so tracks already reported to be recorded, including some written by Agnetha herself, hopefully we won’t have another 17 years of silence, until we can welcome her back again!
The album cover is slightly daring in the way Agnetha is shown, for many record buyers, the opportunity may be missed, but keeps to the theme of the album – retro, but with a few shades of 2004. The album is made up of luscious arrangements, beautifully produced by Agnetha, Anders Neglin (who transcribed the original ABBA tracks for the hit West-end musical ‘Mamma Mia’) and Dan Stromkvist. As a complete package it holds together well. The lead single 'If I Thought You’d Ever Change Your Mind' has become a surprise hit and just missed the Top 10 single charts in the UK, and has become Agnetha’s biggest UK hit to date.
The album, which contains 13 tracks, perhaps contains some of the saddest songs ever penned, but is that necessarily a bad thing? There seems to be a theme running through the album – setting the scene with 'My Colouring Book', finding love with 'When You Walk in the Room' and 'Love Me With All Your Heart', considering the next step and reassessing things; 'Past, Present and Future', the eventually leading to the end of the relationship with 'A Fool Am I', 'The End of the World' and 'What Now My Love'. The album seems to flow very naturally, and the nearest thing it can be compared with is Agnetha’s first English solo album, 'Wrap Your Arms Around Me'.
Many of the tracks are beautifully orchestrated and crisply produced and arranged, notably the lead single, 'A Fool Am I' and 'Love Me With All Your Heart' – and even Agnetha’s daughter appears on a few tracks as a backing vocalist. Agnetha sounds as fresh as she did back in 1968 when she recorded her first album and she hasn’t lost any of that magic, but certainly has a more prominent Swedish accent. Agnetha sings with real passion on most of the tracks, and seems to believe in the lyrics – just listen to her 1985 album, 'Eyes of a Woman' for a comparison. As many reviewers have noted, and this writer is no exception, 'Sometimes When I’m Dreaming' is Agnetha’s solo masterpiece – she sings with a minimal backing track and it is truly stunning. 'What Now My Love' seems to be the most cutting-edge track and has an effective rift at the beginning, and strangely ends in the same way as the first track on the album starts – perhaps to indicate that life has gone full-circle?
One of the few criticisms is that the running time of the album is just 42 minutes, and this is really too short for modern albums, and no doubt Agnetha could have recorded a few more tracks with relative ease.
The album certainly is Agnetha’s paint palate. It is a bold attempt to have an impact once again, and allowing the album to stand on it’s own merits, as Agnetha herself seems to be doing little publicity, and she may well pull it off successfully, but will do little to retract her from her ‘Greta Garbo’ label which the press has held against her. With another 12 or so tracks already reported to be recorded, including some written by Agnetha herself, hopefully we won’t have another 17 years of silence, until we can welcome her back again!
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