Customer Reviews

Super Trouper

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In a way, after the divorce of Agnetha and Bjorn in 1979, things for the group were a bit shaky. Did ABBA still manage to work together? Apparently, as "Super Trouper" is their best album after just a bit of a slip with "Voulez-Vous." Bjorn and Benny frighteningly capture loss, pain, and loneliness in tracks such as "The Winner Takes It All" (Agnetha, I commend you for the wonderful vocals), "Happy New Year," "Our Last Summer," and "The Way Old Friends Do." In a way, even the tracks that should be rather light and happy still have a rather lonely feeling, or at least lonely lyrics. One can really tell that Benny and Bjorn laid some personal demons to rest in the making of this superb pop masterpiece. If you want ABBA at their post-"Voulez Vous" conventional pop best, then buy this album! Next to "The Album" and "The Visitors," this is ABBA's best. All of their records have wonderful qualities, but this one really stands out.

Highlights: "Super Trouper," "The Winner Takes It All," "Andante, Andante," "Happy New Year," "Our Last Summer," "The Piper," "Lay All Your Love On Me," "The Way Old Friends Do."

"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.

I bought Super Trouper on vinyl when it orginaly came out in late 1980.It is been one of my favorite albums/and or CDS of all time!Of course I am very huge ABBA fan and have been for over 22 years.If you are newly discovered ABBA's music(aside from the nauseating A* Teens who have raped their songs)I suggest you make this CD your first purchase (that is if you already own one of their Best Of/Greatest Hits compilations. The carnival sounding title track "Super Trouper" has Frida on lead vocals,and thunmping bass of the chorus are candy for our ear. The song only peaked at No.45 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1981,but was No.1 hit over in the UK in November 1980. "The Winner Takes It All" was a US Top 10,and AC chart no.1 in early 1981.It hit no.1 on the UK just like the title track had done and rightfully so. The song has been"loosely" based on the divorce of ABBA members Agnetha and Bjorn who divorced in 1979. Agenetha pours herself out into this song,like no other ABBA ballad she has sung before. In a recent interview Bjorn even said their were tears in her eyes during the making of the song. There is nothing better than when an artist bleeds themselves out into their work and this is a prime example of it. Andante,Andante Frida's vocals are velvet and the meldoy bittersweet. Me and I has a catchy chorus with Frida singing the lead as a woman who has a spilit personality,and setting the tone of the song.Happy New Year is bittersweet, On and On and On is has a well balance mixture of new wave and rock. The Piper is folkish and reminds me of a dark night in the woods of Europe.The Way Old Friends Do is the perfect ending track. Lay All Your Love On me is Euro-Pop Dance. basically this piece of music from ABBA displays another growth in the groups style and direction. Compare this to one of their early bodys of work like "Waterloo" and you would'nt believe this is the same group.

"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.

This has always been my favorite ABBA project and I know I'm not alone when I state this. This one was literally # 1 all over the world when it was released and it is easy to see why. This is one of the few CD's I own where all 10 tracks stand on their own. My personal favorites are "Super Trouper", "The Winner Takes It All", "On And On And On", "Me And I", "Lay All Your Love On Me". This one put to rest that notion that ABBA songs had simplistic lyrics. Their best ever!!

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.

Perfect pop music. No one else has ever been close! Not the Beatles, not the Beach Boys! The melodies are anthems form another universe! The voices are immaculate! The melancholy and feeling, mixed with happiness, drama, sensuality, and simplicity. How does one get it all there? ONLY 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.

In Australia were I live, Abba unfortunately have been tagged as "disposable 70's pop" or "the group fashion thankfully forgot". This public opinion changed quickly in the winter of 1992 when Polygram re-issued the single "Dancing queen" on CD. Wow! I felt great. I was no longer the only Abba fan in Australia. (well I thought I was) Popularity of the group exploded onto the music seen again and by the mid nineties, Abba-fever was BACK!.

I liked all their albums - however Super Trouper stands out from the rest. From the opening title cut "super Trouper" the album kicks in immediately with it's polished early 80's harmonic pop. The great songs keep coming with "The winner take it all" "On and on and on" "Andante Andante" "Me and I" "Our last summer" "The piper" "Lay all your love on me" (best track) and "the way old friends do". Out of all my CD's, this one would be played the most. Listen carefully through the album, there is a certain synth they use that give's the album a special kind of feel... .... ....

On a finishing note-this album will never fade with time. Thank God For CD!!!

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.