Aftonbladet 110722
By: JENS PETERSON
The sound of summer – an explosion of joy
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ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK. They are just getting better. Benny Andersson and his musicians have had a two-year break. Now they kick off the summer tour, eager as debutants. Loaded with strong new songs. And an unexpected old ABBA song.
This is the best concert I’ve seen with Benny Andersson Band. For relapse listeners it´s a familiar unique mixture. From the new album, they add “Kära Syster,” “Midsommarpolka”, “Månstrålar klara,” “Allt syns när man är naken” and the crazy dance-friendly “En dag i sänder.” The wonderful statement “De ljuva drömmarnas orkester” opens after the break.
Plus the great and strong “O Klang och Jubeltid” and “Jag hör…”. The latter is magnificent, here Tommy Körberg has a new “Anthem”. He sings about the end of life with a passion as if it was his last chance.
Helen Sjöholm is not only Sweden’s top singer with an amazing voice. She is interesting to look at and makes every lyric a drama. Sometimes comedy.
She dances weird swing when the band plays jazz in a New Orleans way. The impressions come from many directions. Bach on the banjo. Shostakovich as a dance floor waltz.
Impressive sound
Effective and fun small talk. Nice. Costume changes.
And what a sound to the audience! An impressive sound, both in leg breaking folk dances as ” Bälter Svens paradpolkett” and in rock.
“Cadillac” drives like a Formula 1 car with this brass accompaniment. 45 years ago Benny Andersson played this song with Hep Stars in Örnsköldsvik and similar folk parks.
BAO may sound like a greeting from the past. Besides their own songs they do golden oldies, dashing lyrics where two hearts beat the same beats, where everything is said with a smile and it´s getting better and better day by day.
The colored lights are blinking seductively around the dance floor. A kissing couple hug each other after a whirling snoa. Some people bug possessed to “Bonde söker fru”. The dance floor filled to songs like “Du är min man” and “Drömmen om Elin”, and it gets crowded during ABBA songs like “Hasta mañana,” “I do I do I do” and Why did it have to be me”.
“Great to be here”
The first section ends with ABBA’s “Kisses of Fire,” a surprising choice that works perfectly with the band.
– It’s great to be here, says Benny Andersson.
It shows and it can be heard. The audience seem as happy as the happy gang on stage. The night is bright and warm. This is the sound of summer.
Benny Andersson Band
Örnsköldsvik.
Audience: 4000
Duration: 4 hours, including 20 minutes break
Songs: 52.
Best: “Jag hör”
Worst: The dance floor was leaning.
The tour continues in
Järvsö 22/7
Leksand 23/7
Karlstad 24/7
Helsingborg 27/7
Gothenburg 28/7
Mariefred 29/7
Stockholm Skansen 30/7