ABBA Album: “Super Trouper”

"Super Trouper", released by ABBA in 1980, is regarded by many ABBA fans - including myself - as simply one of ABBA's best original albums. "Super Trouper" showed a more mature and personal ABBA, who at the time were at an emotional crossroad in their intertwined lives and careers; the songs "The Winner Takes It All" and "Super Trouper", beautifully written, are evident of this. Other noteworthy songs in this album are "Our Last Summer", "Me And I", "Andante, Andante" and "The Way Old Friends Do". For any first-time buyer of an ABBA album, while "ABBA Gold" or the 4 cd-box set "Thank You For The Music" is definitely a worthwhile investment of their greatest hits, the album "Super Trouper" provides a more intimate look and sound into one of the world's most successful music acts.

"Super Trouper" is as solid a pop album as you'll find. Although some of the recordings have dated in the 20+ years since its release, this was the first ABBA album from which ANY of the (original 10) tracks could have been credible single releases. This album marked the first of two giant steps in the 'the maturing of ABBA' (their next and final album 'The Visitors' took it to the limit). The perkiness of previous albums was replaced on "Super Trouper" by a satisfying maturity and depth. The emotional and lyrical "The Winner Takes It All" is a prime example of this advance: the heart was torn out and worn on the sleeve. The production, the singing (oh boy, the singing!) and the playing all knitted marvellously together and there is a very definite cohesiveness about the whole album. Many of ABBA's earlier success featured the women singing together. On this album, both Frida and Agnetha get a real chance to shine as solo vocalists - and shine they do! From Agnetha's career-high of "The Winner Takes It All" to Frida's sensuous "Andante Andante" and beyond, each performance is a gem.

The absolute standout tracks are "The Winner Takes It All", "Our Last Summer", "Andante Andante" and "Lay All Your Love On Me". The less well known but beautiful "The Way Old Friends Do" and the sentimental "Happy New Year" still receive heavy airplay in Europe at Christmas/New Year despite not having been A-sides. And "Super Trouper" (ABBA's ninth and last UK#1) is still affectionately remembered. The Beach Boys' Mike Love chose to cover "On And On And On" for his "Look Back With Love"(?) album.

Perhaps what frustrated many critics at the time was that there were no real lows against which to judge the many highs. Was "Super Trouper" almost TOO perfect?

This remastered version includes three bonus tracks: "Put On Your White Sombrero" which was left off the original cut in favour of the title track. Both Frida's lead vocal and the melody are spectacular but the lyric really overdoes the Mexican imagery. This is a great bonus for those who weren't prepared to shell out big bucks for the box set. "Elaine", which previously appeared only as the B-side of "The Winner Takes It All" is much loved by fans but, despite the fact it was recorded during sessions for this album, it jars with the other tracks. Bizarrely, PolyGram chose to put "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" as a bonus track on this album when it really ought to have be tagged on to the "Voulez-Vous" album. The unreleased/extended version of "On An On And On" would have been a better choice.

Still, these are minor gripes. At this price, "Super Trouper" is a must-have, a testament to a truly great band at the height of their abilities.

Abba to me have always produced good music even if the rest of the world doesn't agree but this album to me is the best ever. The must listen tracks on this cd are: SUPER TROUPER , LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME , THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL , ANDANTE ANDANTE and THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO. These songs show how a group who at the time was going through rough passages can make such masterpeices. Agnetha faltskog stated that when she heard THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL she knew that abba had made a masterpeice. Personally all the songs on this album are terrific and is definately a must buy for dedicated fans or people who are quietly fond of abba.

From the title track with PERFECT keyboard melody and compilation favourite "The Winner Takes It All" to the best modern Christmas song ever (well, at least on par with "White Christmas" and "Jingle Bell Rock"), "Happy New Year" and chillingly majestic anthem "The Way Old Friends Do", this album is as powerful as ABBA gets.

It is equal in its completeness to "The Visitors", and I would be hard pressed to say which one is better. Buy it. There are not too many non-compilation ABBA albums, after all.

I was given this album as a present for my eleventh birthday. Nowadays, almost 21 years later, it is still one of my personal favorites; considered to be one of the jewels of pop and the best work the group ever produced. It was just as well, since a year later they split up, leaving us with a legacy difficult to match, and with as much worldwide fame as that of the Beatles. The album comprises ten songs, each very different, but all carefully put together to make a unique gift of music:

1 - "Super Trouper", I would say is the dullest of the songs (without being really anything but bad). It speaks of an artist who is getting tired of the daily spotlight and dreams about an encounter with her lover... tonight. The rhythm is somewhat repetitive, but Agnetha's and Frida's voices come crystalline and powerful in the choruses.

2 - "The winner takes it all" has passed to history as a masterpiece, being played by almost anyone from world orchestras to modern singers and groups. Agnetha sings alone throughout the song, and shows everyone why SHE was the "voice of ABBA". She gives it all, singing with unique candor and pain, lyrics that show her as a loser in the game of love.

3 - "On and on and on" is smartly placed following "The winner...", in order to prevent listeners from bursting into tears after Agnetha's ballad. This is a dancing tune, catchy enough to make one dance all night.

4 - "Andante, andante" is the only song in the album that features a title in Spanish. The song was released in Spanish in Spanish speaking countries. I cannot but purr with delight while listening to its lyrics: "I'm your music, I'm your song, take me time, and time again, and take me slow. Make me see, make me sound. Andante, andante tread lightly on my ground. Andante, andante, oh, please don't let me down." So romantic!

5 - "Me and I" is an interesting study of double personality disorder. Once again, a dancing tune dedicated to the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that lives in each of us.

6 - "Happy New Year" wishes everyone the best, with the hope that "may we all have a vision now and then, of a world where every neighboor is a friend." The album was launched for the Christmas season in 1980, and the group dedicated its fans a song with sincere best wishes of happiness. This is another song which was released in Spanish under the title "Felicidad" in Spanish speaking countries.

7 - "Our last summer" brings Frida once more as a lead singer in this romantic tune, describing the city of Paris and a romance that is no longer a reality. The guitar solo by Lasse Wellander is the spotlight of the song.

8 - "The piper" is a metaphorical, enthralling song, where flutes and ritual dances seem to float into our ears. It took some time to me to come to terms with it, but once I did, I couldn't let go. Here is the story of a domineering leader who manipulates the mases as he wishes, and is in time venerated by them. The eternal parody of good and evil.

9 - "Lay all your love on me" gives us Agnetha once more with her wonderful, wailing voice. She is now a frustrated woman consumed by jealousy. The most up-tempo song of the whole album, with everyone's voices picking up masterfully in the chorus.

10 - "The way old friends do" provides a live closure to this fantastic and varied album. Recorded live at the Wembley Arena in London, during the group's tour of 1979. The public goes wild with this hymn, bursting into monumental applause, as they always did at the end of an ABBA concert.

Once we listen to music like this, we know talent when we hear it. ABBA had a style all its own, which made them define pop music as we know it and, as the icons they became, their music will stand the test of time just like the Beatles' and Elvis Presley's did.