Customer Reviews

I Stand Alone

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Whatever convinced Agnetha to break her no-travelling rule and fly to Malibu, California to record this, her third English solo record, was nothing short of a miracle. With the help of Chicago frontman Peter Cetera, self-confessed recluse and media shy Agnetha produced the strongest record of her career.

From the slightly dark lead single `The Last Time' to the bubbly `Let It Shine', Agnetha gives her all in some stellar performances. The ballad `Maybe It Was Magic' is perhaps the best solo recording of her career, `We Got A Way' is `Beach-Boys-in-the-eighties' surf and sun, whilst `I Stand Alone' is a Roxette-eque mid-tempo about feminism (!) Add in a couple of Diane Warren ballads and gorgeous pop tunes like `Little White Secrets' and you have a rather well-rounded record.

My favourite song has to be the criminally underrated `I Wasn't The One (Who Said Goodbye)', a duet with Cetera which went largely unnoticed when released as a single. A shame, because it's pop power ballad brilliance, on par with Cetera's duet with Cher `After All' at around the same time. Perhaps the success of the latter overshadowed the Agnetha collaboration? In any case, `I Stand Alone' remains Agnetha's strongest and most engaging solo release to date. It has a very Californian pop feel to it which works wonders with Faltskog's sweet, unaffected vocal style. Add to that, the gorgeous album photos which see Agnetha with lengthy spiked hair and black leather pants! I can give or take her debut release, and `Eyes Of A Woman' is quite a strong set, but if you feel the desire to purchase one of Agnetha's three English studio albums this is definitely the wisest purchase.

Agnetha released 3 English language CD's in her post-ABBA singing career. All three releases are decent and have their
highs and lows, but 'I Stand Alone' stands alone (pun intended) as Agnetha's best. Peter Cetera does a great job of producing the album, and in finding a sound that fits Agnetha quite well. Most of the songs are solid, and a few are outstanding.
'I Wasn't the One' should have been a US top ten hit, and wasn't. The title track and 'Let It Shine' are among the best
things Agnetha has done post-ABBA.

Everyone has their own opinion about the post-ABBA work of Agnetha and Frida, but I have felt for quite a while that 'I Stand Alone' is the best of the girl's solo albums. This album
captured a very nice slice of the voice and persona of Agnetha, something that was sadly lacking in both of her previous solo CD's.

After the lackluster Eyes Of A Woman album, I Stand Alone was a much better album and more homogenous, and Agnetha's new looks were stunning! Agnetha recorded this with Chicago's Peter Cetera, and this could have been huge - really huge - had Agnetha not been so reluctant to promote it. It was heralded by a bomb of a single, The Last Time, that should have been a hit, and there were several other songs with great hooks: Let It Shine for one, but also Little White Secrets and the title track I Stand Alone. The sound is warm, the production slick and laid-back but perhaps also a bit bland, although Agnetha tried to add some edge with the rocky We Got A Way. It's nowhere as awful as Save Me (from the Eyes Of A Woman LP) but it's one of those 80s rock tracks that haven't aged very well. The other tracks are mostly ballads, including a duet with Peter Cetera, I Wasn't The One Who Said Goodbye (also recorded in Spanish as Yo No Fui Quien Dijo Adiós), that are pleasant enough but not particularly interesting. I don't think the album is as strong today as I thought back then but it is enjoyable, and I award I Stand Alone 3½ stars in total for some nice 80s nostalgia.

I am a fan of ABBA. When the group split, I bought "I Stand Alone" cassette (cud not afford CD then) in 1988 to continue to enjoy Agnetha's fabulous voice. Without a doubt, the cassette sounded really really good. I was playing that cassette till 1999, when it finally packed up. A cassette lasting 11 years? Unbelievable, but true.

It was such a great album, song after song. The recording quality was immaculately clean, the instruments sounding crystal clear. Most importantly, Agnetha's voice shone like a jewel with great control, articulate and with lots of emotion...it became my fav. album. The differing tempo on this album was refreshing. Peter Cetera's magic on this album was incredible and his duet/backgroud vocals was beautiful! BRAVO, Peter.

In mid-2000, I invested in CD and I have to have "I Stand Alone" in CD format. After painstaking search, I obtained a brandnew album (Made in Germany). The definition and dynamic range of the CD was beyond words. The cassette I had was superb, the CD is 10 times as superb. I am again, after 13 years from first release (1987), enjoying "I Stand Alone" with a new (digital) prespective. It was 10X more enjoyable than the cassette (also German-made). Every track was my favorite, but I liked "Maybe It was Magic", "Little white Secrets" and "I wasn't the One who said Goodbye" the most.

Agnetha, you're the Girl with the Golden Hair (and Voice).Salute!

I've always been a fan of Abba and when the band disbanded, although sorry, I was interested to see what happened next. Agnetha Faltskog is brilliant in I stand Alone there isn't a song on the album that I don't like and I never get bored of listening to it. its just a great addition to anyone's music collection.

Alone at THE TOP! She is the BEST!

Today's so called Divas have a lot they could learn from her. I've always admired her ability to make every word come across so clearly. From what I've read, she doesn't speak English particularly well - but I'll tell you, she can sing it superbly! Her voice is so beautiful, and I thought it had been lost to us after ABBA.

I learned about this album by pure luck. I had burned some CDs of my favorite ABBA songs for use when I'm out camping (I never take my originals), and I was looking to see if I could find any ABBA photos on the Internet to use for my CD label artwork. What I found amazed me! There are so many sites dedicated to ABBA (even now, 20 years after they last performed together), and they are very informative about the group and it's individual members.

It was there that I found out Agnetha had a very successful solo career after ABBA - but mostly in Europe. Three of her after- ABBA albums were released with English language versions (and one Greatest Hits album also). I immediately set about getting them for my collection, and I now own all of them. But this one is special. To me, this one is flawless. Every song is beautifully done. Please understand - there are songs on her other albums that I would rate above some of the songs on this album - but I think this is the most completely likeable album. I've read someplace that she considers "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" to be her favorite. But, I like every single track on this album - and there are very few albums by any artist that I've ever said that about. There are fast songs, slow songs, happy songs and sad songs. Every song is a gem. Of course I do have favorites - "Maybe It Was Magic" and "Little White Secrets". These two by themselves would have been worth the cost of the album.

Don't expect the sound of ABBA - it isn't here, but what is here is pure Agnetha, and it's wonderful. If you liked her with ABBA, I think you will be very happy to have this CD included in your collection. I rate this album as a MUST HAVE. By the way, I rate her other albums the same way - but each one of them has one track that I don't like.

I've heard that she is working on a new album - if that's true, rest assured I'll have it also!

This is an excellent CD. Agnetha seems to be at her best after a break of a few years. Her vocal quality has not deteriorated at all since her Abba years, in fact her voice seems to have become richer, but is still every bit as recognisable as it ever was. You can really hear Peter Cetera's production influence in most of the tracks, especially Let it Shine and of course the duet "I Wasn't the One Who Said Goodbye". My personal favourite is "If you Need Somebody Tonight"; a classic love song if I ever heard one. Even though this CD was recorded 21 years ago, it still stands up today as a fine piece of work.
If you like Agnetha and you like Peter Cetera, this CD is a must for you!

But it is a shame that it has been her most recent album since this although this is a decent atempt. Agnetha has recorded a new album which will be out next year in Europe, and maybe America. I love 'I Stand Alone' and 'The Last Time'. Agnetha will reign for ever!

She has such an amazing voice! I had the cassette tape of this years ago and lost it. I plan on buying the CD soon! Every song is fantastic! Well worth buying! I'm surprised it didn't do well nationwide.

"I Stand Alone," recorded by Swedish-born Agnetha Faltskog, formerly of ABBA, and produced by American artist Peter Cetera, has to be THE best post-ABBA solo release in my opinion. All the cuts are beautiful. Agnetha really poors her heart and soul into each one. My only complaint might be that in places, it is rather over-produced, or a little too "slick" for lack of a better word. On songs like "Love In A World Gone Mad," which is ok, Agnetha nearly gets drowned out on the chorus by the background singers. "We Got A Way," the token hard rocker, which is pure California (the album was recorded in Malibu) all the way, is rather guitar-laden. And I mean heavily! However, all that aside, "The Last Time," "Little White Secrets," "I Wasn't the One," which is a duet with Peter Cetera, "Love In A World Gone Mad," "We Got A Way," "I Stand Alone," and "Are You Gonna Throw It All Away," sound very heartfelt. I could do without "Maybe It Was Magic," "Let It Shine," and "If You Need Somebody Tonight," but I don't like ballads all that well. If you like soft stuff you'll love these three tracks. Overall, you should buy this album, because it's probably any of the best of the post-ABBA releases any of the artists of the group have released in about 17 years. A true must-buy!