Customer Reviews

Story of a Heart

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A fabulous CD. Benny Andersson has proven himself to be one of the most eclectic and inventive composers of the modern age. He has combined sounds of classical, Swedish folk and modern romance to make a memorable collage of musical sound. This is not an album for those seeking to listen to a single style or sound of music, but rather for those wishing to be swept up by variation and invention and pure enjoyment.

Here's how Story of a Heart breaks down. There are five vocal songs, one very ABBA-like (the title track), the other four more like showtunes. The rest of the album is nine instrumental numbers, which range from light Celtic-sounding tunes, to oom-pah-pah teutonic waltzes, to Rota-esque romps. The four showtunes didn't do much for me, but the song "Story of a Heart" is a gem, with Helen Sjoholm singing very much in the Frida & Agnetha mode, with harmonies that are strikingly similar to ABBA's. I think the song would have been a radio hit for sure if it had come out in the '70s. As for the instrumentals, they are all gentle and pleasant to hear, but a couple of them are keepers for me. "Bed of Roses" is a sweet (Scott) Joplin-meets-Newman (Randy) piano and violin theme, and "Song from the Second Floor" is a beautifully melancholy piano piece. I generally enjoyed the entire album, but I would probably have gone with only three stars if not for two things: (1) the great title cut all by itself is almost worth hearing the album, and (2) Frids and Agnetha have had steady solo careers since leaving ABBA, but we haven't heard from Benny as often. So this is a welcome return from him.

It's funny when I read some reviews and people talk about Benny Andersson's return to the music arena. It's true that after Abba Benny and Bjorn wrote the cult musical CHESS which was a best-selling album all around the world (and one of my favourite musicals too!) But after that Benny just vanished from the music business. Not true! benny decided to focus on Swedish folk music and created his own studio and label, Mono Music. Of course most of the tracks were instrumental with a few sung in Swedish. His first 2 albums are very good in my opinion but completely opposite to Abba style. After that he joined some friends to create a new concept named BAO (Benny Andersson Orkestra). he has always said that it was a combination of dance and music and that's the way the group performs it in Sweden. It sounds like music from the 40's and 50's to me, mixing different styles that work very well. Jazz, Polka, Waltz, etc....so as you can see nothing to do with Abba.
This new album, Story of a heart uses old tracks from previous albums and a few songs by Helen and Tommy. As some users have written before it's not a perfect album. I would have chosen different instrumental tracks from other albums and included other vocal songs. So for that reason I highly recommend Benny's first 2 albums.
The song "Story of a heart" sounds a little bit like Abba, that's true. But it's only that....a vague memory of a past time. And it's a pity because Abba is dead and they will never be together again. So, why do Bjorn and Benny try to repeat the same style again? After Chess and Kristina from Duvemala I was hoping something different. Don't get me wrong but I think it's time to forget Abba and go one step beyond.
For me Fait Accompli is the highlight of the album. Beatifully sung by Tommy Korberg is a English version from a previous song in Swedish. As I said before it's the typical song to be sing with an orchestra and people dancing all around. It's powerful and with beatiful lyrics.
So the question is: Should you buy this CD? Well, give it a try! But remember that Benny Andersson has many albums recorded before so this is just a example

I think it's some of the best music ever made. I bought most of Andersson's CD, I would recommend to listen also BAO 2001, BAO 3 and BAO! (2004) CDs. If you are not sure where to begin try at least this one or BAO! (2004), they are excellent.

Whenever I try to imagine what Mozart's career path might have taken had he been born in 1946 rather than 1756, I see Benny Andersson. I believe that he would have enjoyed creating and performing pop and popular music - and perhaps something like ABBA might have resulted. At some point his genius would create a yearning for something more - perhaps a musical. The result might have been something like Chess - a blending of beautiful music with a sophisticated plot. A further desire to create even more serious music might lead to works such as November 1989 and finally Kristina. Following a performance in Carnegie Hall, Time Magazine described the music in Kristina as "Some of the most rapturous melodies ever heard in Carnegie Hall." I think Mozart would have followed a similar path of that of Andersson.

Andersson's musical evolution appears to have evolved into the Benny Andersson Band. That is, now that he has accomplished at every level, he seems to be turning inward to define success. Money, record sales, and even public approval appear to have taken a back seat to creating music that is personally satisfying. Hence, the music on Story of a Heart follows no set genre, but includes that which he enjoyed creating.

Include "Story of a Heart" on "The Visitors" and you would have seen another #1 hit for ABBA. "You are My Man" and "Fait Accompli" each could have been the signature song in a Broadway Show. And any of the old-time crooners, such as Sinatra or Crosby, would have felt privileged to have had "Our Last Dance" and "The Stars" in their repertoire.

The instrumentals are even more diverse. From songs that you might expect on a children's record (Cirkus Finemang) to those with a more classical feel (Trolska) Andersson appears to be more interested in satisfying a personal creative need than in creating a commercially successful album.

If you listen to the CD with preconceived expectations (especially that of homogenous pop or classical), you may find yourself disappointed. If, however, you trust in Andersson's genius and allow yourself to simply enjoy his method of manifesting that genius, you will not be disappointed. And by the 100th listening, it will seem newer and fresher and better than ever.

I like this cd,Mr. B Andersson is a great musician.Here he combines folk,jazz,sweet voices.Very creative light work.All ABBA members do good things.I'm a big fan.This is a must for collectors.

This is a wonderfully eclectic (think 'Intermezzo No.1') album very much reflecting Benny Andersson's love of folk and pop. Quite a varied compilation of thoroughly enjoyable tunes, some instrumental, some with vocals. The big surprise and treasure for an old ABBA fan is the title song. It is every bit what fans would expect ABBA to be up to these days were they still together. Even the female vocal is stunningly similar to the clear voice of Agnetha as well as the sultry sound of Frida. The lyrics are by Bjorn and are very clever and descriptive. Consider it a nod to the good old days without being in any way dated. (Do we hear reunion album in the background...? All four still have every bit of talent they ever had and have been seen with each other in various combinations.)

Track 3, the title song, will set your biological clock back at least 30 years. The song, the mixing, and the overdubbing, is ABBA resurrected. If this made you tingle in the 70's, you'll get tingly all over again.

The remainder of the CD has some good moments, but the English lyrics for these songs are stilted and decidedly un-poetic. Go for the instrumentals.

Listening to the various cuts on "Story of a Heart" was a flashback to the good old days of ABBA but with a twist. The songs and various melodies were wonderful, rich, and memorable. Benny has an ability to translate joy with music notes. I loved listening to "Fait Accompli". The richness of the voices was such a pleasure. I heartily recommend this CD to anyone who wants to spend some quality time with a musical genius.

This is the first English language album to be released by the Benny Anderssons Orkester who are retitled the Benny Andersson Band for the purposes of international release. This CD is mostly a compilation of previously recorded songs ranging back as far as 1987. Nine of the fourteen songs are instrumentals. Four of the songs- "Fait Accompli", "Our Last Dance", "You Are My Man", " The Stars" feature never before released English language vocal tracks.


The album features one totally new song "Story of a Heart", which is a Andersson- Ulvaeus song that is more ABBAesque than the usual BAO stuff. I think "Story of a Heart" is good recording if not a great song , though Helen Sjoholm really has voice better suited for musicals than pop recordings.

The English lyrics to "Our Last Dance" and "You Are My man" come off as kind of cliche. It is often hard to do literal translations of songs to another language.
So often the second language version tells a totally different story, but Bjorn went ahead with fairly literal translations.

However, The lyrics to "The Stars" work well, and is this track is my favorite of the new recordings on this CD.
The album was released a couple of days after the band's first appearance in Hampstead, Britain on July 4, 2009.