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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Like Frida? Gotta get this, even if it is in Swedish, July 31, 2002
Add me to the list of people who love this album, although I didn't think I was going to. This is what I usually refer to as a "producer's album"; the entire thing was written was written and produced by long time ABBA "associate", Anders Glenmark, so I figured it would probably be just an Anders Glenmark album with Frida's vocals plugged into it. It was a nice surprise to find that Frida has taken every song on the album and made it her own. (And to her credit, she did co-write one of the songs.) I agree with the other reviewers who say that it doesn't matter in the least that the entire CD is in Swedish. Everything is so catchy and well-done, I didn't even care that I have no idea what she's singing about. "Alla Mina Basta Ar" is definitely one of the highlights, and yes, you can hear overtones of ABBA in this one, since it's a duet with the lead singer of Roxette, Marie Fredriksson. (almost sounds a little like Agnetha, at times....) And I must be in the minority on this, judging by the other comments on here, but one of my favorite tracks is the final one, "Kvinnor Som Springer", which has a crunchy (crunchy???) guitar riff repeating throughout, and almost feels like a dance track.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A classy, dignified come-back by ABBA's First Lady, June 22, 2000
In a decade when every tired old has-been has tried their hand at a return to pop stardom, it is refreshing to hear something like Frida's album 'Djupa Andetag' (or 'Deeper Breathing' for you non-Swedes!), her first album since 1984's 'Shine'. Rather than try to conquer the world, Frida (ex-ABBA) has opted to sing in Swedish and the album's release was confined to Scandanavia, where it went to No.1. Strangely, the language barrier is not an issue here: the performances and the tunes engage throughout. Arranged and produced by Anders Glenmark (he also wrote most of the material), this album is a perfect match of voice and song. In the UK magazine "Q", the reviewer classed the album as high-quality MOR, which, to my mind, is damning the work with faint praise. At 50, Frida could easily have released a granny-ish collection of watery ballads. From the opening notes of the beautiful 'Alska Mig Alltid' (with light shades of Massive Attack) and through the rest of the album's guitar-based arrangements, it's clear that this is was not an option. The influences are current, the sound is of the moment. The interactive elements on the CD underline the modernity. Even though it's been some time since her last album, Frida's voice is still in great shape. It has a slightly huskier edge to it but you can still hear how she contributed to the mighty ABBA recordings. In fact, 'Alla Mina Basta Ar', a duet with Roxette's Marie Fredricksson, could easily be mistaken for ABBA. Highlights of the album are the single 'Aven En Blomma', the reggae-tinged 'Vem kommer sara vem ikvell', the lush opening track 'Alska Mig Alltid' and the fantastic 'Sista valsa med dig'. If this album had been recorded in English, it would surely have been an international hit. It says a lot for the dignity of the former ABBA star that she didn't opt to cash in on the current revival of interest in all things ABBA. Something a few other old-timers might like to note... Fingers crossed for a new English-language album before too long.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Frida's Finest, March 30, 2000
If you're one of those people who think of Frida as the second-string voice of Abba, your prejudices are about to be blown apart. This album features Frida at the height of her talent, using her mature, smoky and evocative voice with astonishing versatility. The result of matching this voice with superior songwriting and exquisite production values is a superb album which, although recorded with Swedish vocals, will have you returning to it time and time again. At least four tracks are absolute standouts. The first,"Alska Mig Alltid", opens the album with lush, hypnotically dark harmonics. The second (but third on the track list), "Aven En Blomma", is an infectiously catchy piece and the obvious choice for the first single from the album. Then there's "Vem Kommer Sara Vem Ikvail", a driving, slightly edgy work, and the exquisite "Sista Valsen Mid Dig", one of the most perfectly produced rock ballads that you'll ever hear, and easily the best song on the album. Even though the rest of the tracks (with the possible exception of the last) are also very good, it is well worth your while to purchase "Djupa Andetag" simply for these four songs. It seems a pity that the last track, "Kvinnor Som Springer", seems stylistically out of place, although it is not an especially bad song; it simply suffers from having to follow on from the high standard set by the preceding nine. But overall, this is an album well worth adding to your collection. Forget Abba, forget the Frida albums of the Eighties. This may be turn out to be Frida's swansong, but what a note to go out on. Encore!
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by Anni-Frid Lyngstad 
