Here we are, three TDR news editors sitting around the table (virtually, at least) discussing the new Marie Fredriksson album “The Change.” It’s her first all-new album in eight years and the first one since her severe illness that took her away from the limelight for two years.

Visa Kopu: Without even hearing the songs, you can really see that this album speaks about her recovery. The titles like “2:nd Chance,” “Love 2 Live” and “The Good Life” are just that. After I heard “2:nd Chance” for the first time, I was a little disappointed. It was so unsurprising.

Judith Seuma: When Eva Dahlgren released “Lai Lai” people criticized the album as being nothing but her comeback and coming out with her love for Efva Attling. But well… what else should it have been, in that situation? But what surprises me is that [Marie’s husband] Micke has written five of the twelve songs.

Thomas Evensson: As you probably know, I’m not a typical Marie fan. She’s always been too dull and sad, musically, for my taste. So when I got “The Change” in my hands, I was less than enthused, to say the least. I was also surprised about Micke’s big role, but even more by the fact that this album has been recorded over such a long time, even before her sickness.

Now, let’s continue with song-by-song reviews:

THE CHANGE

Thomas: Uh, must be one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard by Marie. The lyrics are deep and depressing – naturally – but the music is just strange, obviously symbolizing her confusion and agony. The orchestral version of “The Change” symbolizes, to me, that she’s gone through this change and survived. It’s much more airy and happy… but still a bit strange.

Judith: My first thought was: “Wow, what an intro!” and I’ll stick to that. A dramatic song with great guitars and superb vocals. I already know I won’t get ever tired of this one. It’s one more song for the repeat list. I also feel this song is connected to the drawings in the booklet.

Visa: A dark and loud song. Very different from the orchestral version of the song. Not a thing I would usually think about, but “2:nd Chance” seems a little offplaced after this track.

2:ND CHANCE

Judith: I think “2:nd Chance” is a very beautiful song. A beautiful, slow love song with Marie’s touch. It’s a mix between “Tro” and “Waiting For The Rain.”

Visa: This is a song I’ve needed to listen to many times before it has really sounded good. As I already said, I found this a little unsurprising. It sounds too much like the “I en tid som vår” album. Of course one can think it’s just that Marie and Micke have found their own style and are still keeping it after all these years. But now that I’ve heard the song more, it starts to sound like a good choice for a single. But it definitely isn’t a catchy radio song.

Thomas: I have a little bit of the same feeling for this. The words are strong, but the music is too much, too “Marie,” too obvious, and yet somehow it leaves me indifferent.

ALL YOU’VE GOTTA DO IS FEEL

Judith: A powerful song written by Micke. You can’t really call this a “B-side”, even though it was track #2 on the “2:nd Chance” single, can you? The lyrics invite you to live your life at the maximum. “… you can get a piece of the cake so much bigger and better.”

Visa: Well, I thought this was a rather good B-side and I was surprised to see it on the album track list. The arrangement is little bit too noisy or something. But I like to notice that Marie tries to break out of the Marie & Micke style I just criticized.

Thomas: I agree that M&M try to break out of their “format”, but I don’t think they succeed. I don’t like the song much, and I’m usually allergic to trumpets. And the words don’t really mean anything to me either.

APRIL SNOW

Visa: Yet another “this could be from ’I en tid som vår’ or ’Äntligen’” song. However, the gospel choir is a good spice.

Judith: A jazzy-soul sound in the beginning with gospel at the end. The guitar intro strikes me. Me, a guitar solo lover, and Staffan Astner, a most impressive guitar player. Makes me dream of a club tour or similar. I’ll just close my eyes and enjoy.

Thomas: Hmmm, the best song, so far, but why does it take over a minute and a half before the song really takes off? The guitar is nice, but the gospel choir is terrible. I’ve been in a gospel choir myself and I loathe myself over it. White people can’t sing gospel. This song is about a friend’s breakup by the way.

LOVE 2 LIVE

Judith: A happy funny song written by Micke. It has a catchy chorus. I am all smiles at the end of this one.

Visa: Now we’re talking! The intro sounds like the music in those inserts in the Austin Powers movies. Don’t know if that’s especially a good thing. However, this is the first song so far that sets good vibes for me.

Thomas: Definitely! I really like this intro. But, the words and the dreadful vocal arrangement killed it a bit for me. A big thumbs up for the intro, though.

Judith: Now that you say that, I thought it sounded like the old Batman series track!

MOTHER

Thomas: This is Marie Fredriksson 101. BUT it’s been written by Micke. I don’t like it nor dislike it. However the lyrics are weird, as it’s Micke who has written them from Marie’s point of view. I don’t think it works. If Marie had sung it from Micke’s point of view it would’ve made more sense maybe.

Judith: Another song by Micke, this time a ballad. The first time I listened to it it didn’t fit with the lyrics sung by Marie. Which doesn’t mean the music and the voice and the song in general is bad. Giving it a second listen made me shiver.

Visa: This song doesn’t really catch. I’m not a lyrics person and this song doesn’t have anything really catching in the music. And Marie’s voice sounds a little tight.

MANY TIMES

Judith: Another poppy song to my ears that feels like the sad version of “Love 2 Live”.

Visa: Hmm, “Many Times” doesn’t catch either. To compare “Love 2 Life” and “Many Times,” I must say that this one is much weaker.

Thomas: The intro sounds stolen from “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”. This is a standard Marie song… sounds like it’s lifted off “Den ständiga resan”, which is her worst album ever. Nope, don’t like it at all.

ALL ABOUT YOU

Visa: This one I like a lot. The song is nice and it has a good arrangement. It has again that M&M touch, but this time it’s a positive touch.

Thomas: Oh yes! Finally a great track! This is of course also a standard Marie song, but the good kind. It makes me at least smile. I wish more tracks were like this.

Judith: This one’s also written by Micke. Nice love song which reminds me of the new songs on the “Äntligen” album, including the trumpets.

THE GOOD LIFE

Judith: Marie has already sung covers of various songs in the past and this is the first time she includes one on an album. She makes an excellent work with “The Good Life”, originally made famous by Tony Bennett and later performed by Frank Sinatra.

Thomas: “The Good Life” is a song Marie enjoys performing live when she’s doing informal concerts, a cover obviously, sounds like it’s been recorded before Marie became ill. She does it nicely. However, the song itself is boring since I don’t like jazz. I guess it’s more or less the same as the original, covered many many times.

Visa: I don’t remember hearing the original “The Good Life,” but especially the intro sounds very much stolen from the original. Or I don’t know if you can talk about “stealing” in cover songs? Anyway, the arrangement sounds much stronger than in Marie & Micke’s own tracks.

BAD MOON

Thomas: This one many of us have already heard. The song was “released” a few years ago as a stolen demo. This version of the song sounds a lot like the demo, some parts may even be from the demo. And this song is definitely recorded before the cancer struck. Not bad, probably a Roxette reject.

Judith: “Bad Moon” was everyone’s favorite of the few demos that surfaced. For me it is a like a wish come true that she has included this masterpiece on this album. Thanks, I say.

Visa: A nice song, what can I say. And if Thomas says that it’s “not bad”, this can really be a masterpiece.

A TABLE IN THE SUN

Visa: A soft and jazzy song to the end. Even though it’s not the last song, it feels like it’s written to be one.

Judith: Marie has said she has dreamt of making a jazz album and she wasn’t wrong. This song brings tears to my eyes. No wonder the Nissan Jazz Band in Halmstad regretted letting her go.

Thomas: This song just makes me yawn. And if I ever hear an electric piano again it’s too soon.

THE CHANGE (The Orchestral Version)

Visa: As I said, this is very different from the loud #1 track version. Sounds like the arrangement was made at the same time with “The Good Life.” If the first version is autumn, this is spring when the flowers are blooming again.

Judith: I must admit I was surprised with this last track. I expected it to be an instrumental version only, without vocals, so a wide smile showed up on my face when Marie’s voice began to flow in the room. I have always liked it to have different versions of one song. That’s why I also enjoy demos and live versions. This song could have been in a Broadway musical.

Thomas: I’ve already said what I wanted about this track, but I also think it sounds like a “happy-ending-in-a-musical-song” - which it sort of is!



* * *

Judith: All in all, I think this might be one of Marie’s best albums together with “Den ständiga resan” and “I en tid som vår”. Full of feelings, deep lyrics, touching music and impressive vocals. All what I like about Marie in one, together, again. What strikes me is the fact that Micke wrote five of the songs included on this album, but what leaves me amazed is that I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish which ones belong to who if I wouldn’t have read it anywhere.



Thomas: This album is not what I would buy, and I don’t think that the “average Joe” will either. What this album’s biggest problem is, is that there are 12 tracks and more or less 12 different music styles. We have pop, we have rock, we have gospel, we have jazz, you name it. It sounds like a total mess to my ears. Swedes love Marie in Swedish, while they always were a bit reluctant toward Roxette. Same with Per Gessle and Gyllene Tider. This album will confuse the public and that’s not good. Marie has never been great at writing lyrics in English, but I think she’s done a decent job on these five tracks she wrote. In conclusion I would like to welcome our Marie back, even if I don’t like the album.



Visa: I don’t have a strong opinion to either direction. I used to like Marie’s music a lot, but it has sounded too same for too long. There are many good songs with good arrangements, but then there are songs that are too much of a filler. And I have to agree with Thomas with the different musical styles. It’s almost like Marie and Micke are experimenting all kinds of styles without knowing which ones to choose. However, what I’m very happy about is that Marie’s health is better now and she has finally released new music for us.