Customer Reviews

Abba - Super Troupers

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I saw this documentary on tv a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. The dvd is really a nice mixture of videos,concert performances,interviews new and old of the band, and the Mamma Mia performance. If you have ABBA'S other dvds you may find some of Super Troupers content found in their other dvds,but I found this Dvd more enjoyable than their other ones. Its nice how they group talks about their start,success,divorce and their current situation. All the interviews are new, and the finale has 3 of the members getting together to recieve a reward for 30 years of success. To me,one of the best parts is when Bjorn,
Benny and Frida are backstage waiting for the Mamma Mia performance to end,seeing Frida singing along to Dancing Queen backstage I thought was COOL. If you enjoy Abba you will really like this DVD. You get to see all different phases including 60's footage, Waterloo era, the touring(how did Agnetha fit into those pants) and like I said before The Mama Mia finale ends the DVD and makes you want to see more history of the band. When was the last time more than 2 members of the group have been together on stage so that alone is a treat.

I found this 90 minute documentary to be very well done, very well edited and well produced. There aren't really too many revelations from the interviews, but the collection of clips from yesterday spliced together with current footage of the band members was a really nice, nostalgic touch. Especially the moments from the 1974 Eurovision song contest that rocketed their careers put back to back with the footage of them getting ready to go out on stage for Mamma Mia in 2004.

One thing I did enjoy about the interviews were the comments by Agnetha taken from various sources and timed with various events. Some of her quotes are translated from Swedish, some in English. These segments prove to be very useful. They tease her appearance at the Mamma Mia opening, but even without prior knowledge most fans know she wasn't going to show. It's sad because it's so rare you see the members of ABBA together like that. Someday hopefully she will appear with them at least one more time (don't hold your breath).

Other goodies are footage of Benny and Bjorn in their early careers with the Hep Stars and the Hootenany Singers, Frida's solo career before meeting them, ABBA concert footage of "He Is Your Brother" and video clips for "People Need Love" and "So Long". Michael Tretow talks about how they applied Phil Spector's sound methods to their recordings and provides good insight to various topics. The narrator is a little over enthusiastic in his appraisal and tells us how much he wanted to see Frida without her clothes on. I didn't need that much information.

Note on the bonus features: the interviews with Frida and Benny are listed as full, however they just pasted together the clips shown throughout the documentary with a few extra questions. The interviewer is not even heard asking the questions or even seen.

If you didn't believe ABBA was on a par with the Beatles before, you may change your mind after watching this.

The star rating may seem a little high given some of my criticisms of this British made documentary, but the wealth of vintage footage and in-depth interviews with Bjorn and Frida more than make up for it.

Framed by events surrounding the fifth anniversary performance of the British edition of "Mamma Mia," it traces the careers of Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida before and during ABBA in a more scattershot way than 1999's "The Winner Takes It All," often using ABBA's songs and video to set up certain points about the member's lives. Footage from Agnetha's 2004 Swedish documentary promoting "My Coloring Book" is also included as well as more of her voiceover readings from "As I Am." In fact, the docu replicates some "Winner Takes It All" footage, but also includes different or extended pieces of interview and musical footage.

The biggest problem with the docu is Pete Waterman, who provides commentary/narration and comes off like an overbearing, perhaps inebriated, relative who's far too loud and won't shut up.

Fans in search of straightforward ABBA history would be better off with "The Winner Takes It All," but this has a lot to recommend it as well.

As a new fan of ABBA's music I bought this DVD after getting "ABBA-The Definitive Collection" on both a CD and a DVD. The "Super Trouper" DVD shows ABBA during their Australian concert and during their 2004 reunion, minus Agnetha, in London during the opening of "Mamma Mia." At first I didn't think I needed this DVD since I had the other one listed above, but I took a chance and bought it here on Amazon and am thrilled with the contents. If you enjoy ABBA's music, or if you are not yet familiar with their songs, you will enjoy the past and present of ABBA's career come together in this DVD. I can't imagine you being disappointed.

Very enjoyable documentary with a number of new music renditions of familiar songs. I was especially pleased to see interviews with Agnetha in English and Swedish. As I said, it includes new material not seen on any of their other DVD's. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because it left me wanting more. If you are an ABBA fanatic like me, you will love this DVD.

Okay, I admit it; Linda is an ABBA schmuck. After 30 years, they are still getting massive airplay all over the world, and a lot of people who would never have admitted they were into this group years ago are now acknowledging what we collectively always knew: Most everyone loves ABBA, except some of us will never admit it. That's okay, though, because I went through that in my later teens up until my late 30's. For all you closet fans out there, this DVD is a great purchase, because you will finally realize that it's not these four incredibly talented people's fault that they had a chemistry that the public reacted to. Even their manager Stig Andersson, who propelled them to fame, doesn't know why they took off in the way they did. Let me ask all you naysayers the all-important question: if this group was so disposable, how is it that their music is still so popular after 3 decades, and they have not only enjoyed a revival, but the music has made a great stage production? It's true: Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulveus are very good songwriters with their sesibilities about them at all times. Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-frid Lyngstad, their former wives and partners, were beautiful vocalists together, and what they had between them was something very special while it lasted. Also, they have never had a reunion since their breakup in 1982, and they don't intend to. The heartless hit machine rep they've suffered from is not only a joke, but this DVD will show you just how human and talented they really were and are.

One thing I have been struck by from this particular DVD is how warm, intelligent, and humble Bjorn Ulveus is, and how much more likable and full of life Frida, rather than pretty blond pinup girl Agnetha, actually is. This DVD is full of lots of surprises for the naysayers and lots of treats for those of us who knew these Swedes were talented, personable beings who simply disliked touring for all the reasons anyone who never toured could understand. The interviews are fun, the footage priceless, and the music rich and melodious. Most of all, you will pull this DVD out of your player with a smile on your face and realize you never have to dress like you did at any time the group was together again! This is 90 minutes of pure, poppy fun.

This was my third ABBA DVD and I have absolutly no complaints about anything. They are one of the most terrific groups in modern music history. This DVD takes you from their beginning to "Momma Mia" tribute 30 years later. Love every minute of it.

Not much new here for the ABBA fanatic, but a very good weaving together of some great archival footage and a interesting narrative that puts it all in perspective. I don't think you have to be an ABBA fan to enjoy it. Like VH1's Behind the Music specials on other artists, this special about ABBA will just suck you in.

If anyone doubts the influence ABBA had on the music scene of the 70's, this should get rid of them. Since their win at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo", this Swedish supergroup has become a true household name. When the music of a group who had disbanded as long ago as they did endures to the point of a musical being created, based on the songs we all grew to love, there can be no greater testimonial. This video documentary covers the 5th anniversary of the opening of "MammaMia", the musical that was "Bjorn" of Abba's songs. Benny, Bjorn, and Frida were all there; Agnetha's fear of travel got the better of her and she declined to attend. But this documentary didn't stop there. It dug much deeper, into the band, its members, and both good and bad times. It seems all of the members aged well; Frida still looks amazing, Agnetha also looks great, although we only saw her in filmed clips. While it was mentioned that Agnetha is not comfortable with interviews in English, she did some in English and some in Swedish with subtitles. There's the impression that she now lives as a recluse; she dispelled that myth and said that her life has taken a different turn. She also has a new studio album that was mentioned in the video. But the real star of this program is the music. It shines here, and makes you want to dig out the CD's and listen to them nonstop. This is definitely a video your collection needs. Now, if the folks at UMG would just give us these hits again, this time in full 5.1, I'd be ecstatic.

If you love, or even like ABBA, you should invest in this DVD. Excellent!