Blurbex

Ah, the perks of working at the Loaf: I’m listening to a review copy of Mamma Mia! movie soundtrack that cubicle buddy/Bar Tab-ber/music critic Wade Tatangelo was kind enough to pass on to me, as he knows I’m a big ABBA fan (and, more importantly, had no intention of reviewing himself).

My first impression of the CD is that the arrangements are very faithful to the original versions. No surprise, since Benny Andersson, one of the group’s original members and architects of its sound, also produced this album.

Meryl Streep puts in the most vocal work here, appearing on the majority of the disc’s 17 tracks (actually, 18 — yes, there’s a hidden cut; more on that later). As you might expect, Streep does a fine job, but her standout moment may be her appropriately emotional reading of “The Winner Takes It All.” No, it’s not as good as the original, but if you ever wondered what an ABBA song sung by Shirley Bassey might sound like, listen to the last verse of this cut.

Co-star Christine Baranski, among her contributions, offers a vamp-y performance on the cute “Does Your Mother Know.” But the best voice of all belongs to Amanda Seyfried, who stars as the daughter searching for her real dad. Her strong, clear vocals (with an appealing vibrato) are in evidence on tracks “The Name of the Game,” “Honey, Honey,” “I Have a Dream” and that “hidden” bonus, “Thank You for the Music” (maybe my favorite ABBA song, and one that I was so pleased to hear after I’d thought the album was over).

As for the former 007, Brosnan acquits himself quite well. His voice isn’t the most powerful instrument, but his vocals are throaty and expressive, and he delivers theatrical readings of songs like “S.O.S.” and “When All Is Said and Done” Co-stars Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard aren’t too shabby in their limited roles, though Firth’s exaggerated English accent can take a couple of listens to get used to, and Skarsgard, um, is that an Irish lilt I detect?

While this disc isn’t essential if you already have the original recordings, it’s an agreeable soundtrack to what will hopefully be fun, fluffy entertainment.

Posted in Music | Leave a comment