Music Review

03 December 2008 04:51 BST

Various Artists: Mamma Mia! OST

Polydor, out now.

In a nutshell...

Shamelessly chirpy versions of Abba hits

What's it all about?

For those caught up in a post-Mamma Mia! cinema outing high, the producers have issued a soundtrack for people to relive the shameless highs of the music. The album includes 17 Abba tracks recorded by the cast of the movie.

Each song was chosen for the film - originally a stage musical - so that they in some way fit in with the plot of a wedding in Greece confused by the presence of the bride's potential three fathers.

This results in a mix of Abba's biggest hits - including Dancing Queen (for the mother and her friends reliving their youth), Money, Money, Money (for the scene to show the less-than-wealthy life the mother and daughter have in Greece) and Lay All Your Love on Me (for the engaged couple while they frolic on a beach).

But the soundtrack also includes some of the lesser-known hits, including Our Last Summer and When All Is Said and Done.

Who's it by?

Music and lyrics are by Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus from Abba while the singing is looked after by the stars of the film.

Hardly known for their vocal talents, the singers behind this soundtrack are more likely to see their names on a movie poster than an album's credits.

But Meryl Streep - who plays the mother of the bride in Mamma Mia! - shows that she can sing as well as act and features on the majority of the tracks. Amanda Seyfried (the bride-to-be) is the other star of the soundtrack, with a genuinely impressive singing voice.

All the other leads feature, namely Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters and Chrisine Baranski.

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

With Abba already having taken the glory for their music, this album is well clear of award territory and is strictly for major fans of the film.

What the others say

"When it was first announced that Meryl Streep had been cast as Donna in the film version of the corny feel-good stage musical, seen by 30 million people, who knew that she could cut it better than the rest of the cast?

"But a few listens in and it is Streep who brings the emotion that you associate with her Oscar-winning acting career. So much so, that you are left thanking Abba and the producers for taking a chance on her." - Manchester Evening News

So is it any good?

The Mamma Mia! soundtrack is packed full of high-energy, upbeat songs that can't fail to lift your mood. But there are other tracks, including Our Last Summer and The Winner Takes It All, that provide a more relaxed break from the sugary pop highs of tracks such as Honey Honey and Lay All Your Love On Me.

While some of the singing talents of some of the cast may be questionable, Streep and Seyfried more than prove their worth.

With all the songs already on albums probably sitting in the CD collections of most homes, the main problem is why buy another version of the classic Abba hits? The answer will probably lie in post-film enthusiasm, with the soundtrack being the perfect treat for serious fans of the film.

7/10

Carolyn Robertson