Super Trouper

by

ABBA

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If Voulez Vous was their disco album, the followup, Super Trouper, a slang term for the giant spotlights used in their live shows and stadia, maintained a sound consistent with winning albums like their self-titled effort and Arrival, but with the energy of Voulez Vous. The result is one of their best albums.

And it did give them two more UK #1 singles, making a total nine. One is the title track, sung by Frida, about a singer who's going to be blinded by the giant spotlights on the stage of her concert, but won't mind, because somewhere out there, among the thousands of people, is her loved one. "Feeling like a number one?" Chartwise, definitely. Its B-side is the galloping "Elaine." This was a B-side? Should've been an A-side, as its frantic energy recalls other barnburners like "So Long" and "Tiger."

The other #1 is the bittersweet "The Winner Takes it All," a song inspired by Bjorn and Agnetha's divorce, but more about the pain of such a split-up. The song veers from the couple's split to an analogy to the judges decision in some competition. There's a biting sense of predestination, of one not being in control of one's destiny: "The gods may throw a dice/their minds as cold as ice/and someone way down there/loses someone dear."

The Top Ten single "On And On And On" with a mighty insistent stomping drums and synth rhythm, blaring synths, and an energy rivalling their previous albums.

"Andante Andante" is indeed an andante song. In music, it means moderate tempo, faster than adagio, but slower than allegretto. It makes a leisure slow-dance song, highlighted by the usual harmonies by the ladies.

With a fanfare like keyboard synth opening that continues throughout the song, "Me and I" explores the dual nature many people have, Jekyll/Hyde, and how normal it can be is encapsulated in the snappy chorus, "We're like sun and rainy weather, sometimes we're a hit together/me and I/gloomy moods and inspiration, we're a funny combination/me and I." And not to worry: "I don't think I'm different or in any way unique/think about yourself for a minute/and you'll find the answer to it/everyone's a freak." One of the best songs here, and it's definitely allegretto allegretto.

Another andante andante song is "Happy New Year" and the group is definitely one for New Year's Resolutions and new starts, where the vision of "a world where every neighbour is a friend." The fact that it had just turned 1980, and how ABBA was a group of the 70's, makes Agnetha wonder "what lies waiting down the line, in the end of 89." Oh, if only they knew!

Frida sings in the wistful "Our Last Summer," a personal song by Bjorn, the fond remembrance of a teenage summer in Paris during the Summer of Love, and how the feelings haven't changed years later.

I first heard "Lay All Your Love On Me" when the Information Society covered it on their first album. After hearing the original, I detect a hint towards 80's techno in this song of how an initial meeting with someone yields possessiveness and jealousy on the part of the affected party. The choir-like harmonies in the chorus give this song a kind of hallowed atmosphere. One of my favourites here. Definitely allegretto allegretto.

And now for an adagio adagio song, the Auld-Lang Syne atmosphere of "The Way Old Friends Do," recorded live at Wembley Stadium, with the harmonies, orchestra, and synths reaching a heavenly pitch. The farewell-type aura of this song seems to herald their imminent dissolution.

"Put On Your White Sombrero," sung by Frida, was only put on the Thank You For The Music box set and finally here when Bjorn finally decided that it was actually a good song. There are cowboy motifs in this goodbye song of someone who thinks life is a movie and rides off into the sunset for some meeker senorita.

However, ABBA's penultimate album shows them still in top form, with stronger sounds, well-constructed songs and melodies, with little indication that their next album would be their last. And it's official: instead of Arrival, I deem this my favourite album by them. It's super, troupers!