Mamma mia!

Description

Mamma Mia! - The Movie Soundtrack Featuring The Songs Of ABBA / Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski / Polydor Audio CD 2008 / 1774184 UPC 602517741843 /// Product Details: Label: Polydor – 1774184 Format: CD, Album Country: Europe Released: 2008 Genre: Pop, Stage & Screen /// Description: After more than nine years (and counting) of continuous stage performances, the musical Mamma Mia!, featuring songs from the ABBA catalog awkwardly stitched into a romantic comedy plot, was adapted for the big screen by the same producer/director/writer team that had taken it to the theater. (That would be Judy Craymer, Phyllida Lloyd, and Catherine Johnson, respectively.) Like its counterpart, it pleased moviegoers but not critics, and thankfully the film itself is not the primary subject of this consideration. The soundtrack album simply consists of 18 ABBA songs sung by the stars of the movie, most of whom are not professional singers. The instrumental portions of the music are remarkably similar to the original ABBA recordings, which is not surprising given that ABBA member Benny Andersson, who produced this album, reunited the original studio musicians to re-create their parts. Their playing (his, in particular) is a bit less precise here and there three decades on, but for the most part it's hard to tell the difference. On the original recordings, the Swedish singing group revealed its ESL (English as a Second Language) limitations, just as the songwriters (Andersson, fellow member Björn Ulvaeus, and sometimes Stig Anderson) revealed their ESL lyric-writing limitations. Here, the first of those problems is alleviated, while the second is somewhat elided by performers who are actors used to finding ways to say (or sing) even the silliest lines with some conviction. That's all to the good. But the generally low to mediocre quality of the singing is such as to suggest an all-ABBA night in a karaoke bar. The singers may be divided into those who embarrass themselves and those who manage to avoid doing so. In the latter category, the most prominent is Meryl Streep, in the starring role of Donna, an innkeeper living on a Greek isle with her daughter Sophie, who is about to be married and, never having been told who her real father is, sets the plot in motion by writing to three of her mother's ex-boyfriends and inviting them to the wedding. Streep, who has some stage singing experience, is actually better when she's belting than when she has to be more intimate and expressive, as she is called on to do for most of the ballad "The Winner Takes It All." Amanda Seyfried, as Sophie, also does well (and she even gets an extra solo, singing "Thank You for the Music" with only piano accompaniment as the album's hidden track). Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Julie Walters are not heard from much, and therefore also fit into the non-embarrassing category. The real problem is Pierce Brosnan, who simply can't sing at all, but who tries hard during such leads as "SOS" and particularly "When All Is Said and Done," to often painful effect. (It's too bad that Christine Baranski, a ringer who has real musical theater chops, only gets to sing "Does Your Mother Know," not only because the album would be improved vastly with more of her, but also because she is so much better than the others that she makes them sound even worse than they are.) Onscreen, just as on-stage, Mamma Mia! is at best a guilty pleasure. On disc, it is no more than a souvenir of the film experience (which didn't keep this album from topping charts all over the world upon its release). // Tracklist: 1 –Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley & Rachel McDowall Honey, Honey Written-By – Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson 3:07 2 –Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski Money, Money, Money Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 3:06 3 –Meryl Streep Mamma Mia Written-By – Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson 3:34 4 –Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski Dancing Queen Written-By – Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson 4:04 5 –Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, Amanda Seyfried & Meryl Streep Our Last Summer Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 2:57 6 –Dominic Cooper (2) & Amanda Seyfried Lay All Your Love On Me Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 4:29 7 –Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski Super Trouper Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 3:53 8 –Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley & Rachel McDowall Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 3:51 9 –Amanda Seyfried The Name Of The Game Written-By – Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson 4:55 10 –Full Cast*, Philip Michael, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters & Stellan Skarsgård Voulez-Vous Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 4:35 11 –Pierce Brosnan & Meryl Streep SOS Written-By – Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson 3:19 12 –Christine Baranski & Philip Michael Does Your Mother Know Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 3:01 13 –Meryl Streep & Amanda Seyfried Slipping Through My Fingers Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 3:50 14 –Meryl Streep The Winner Takes It All Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 4:57 15 –Pierce Brosnan & Meryl Streep When All Is Said And Done Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 3:17 16 –Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, Philip Michael & Christine Baranski Take A Chance On Me Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 4:01 17a –Amanda Seyfried I Have A Dream Written-By – Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus 4:23 // More Details: Acoustic Guitar – Lasse Jonsson Alto Saxophone – Perra Moraeus Arranged By [Orchestral] – Göran Arnberg Bass, Bouzouki – Rutger Gunnarsson Bouzouki, Guitar, Violin – Kalle Moraeus Choir – Anki Albertsson, Anna Afzelius, Anna Andersson (4), Anna Rydgren, Cecilia Skarby, Hans Johansson (2), Henrik Orwander, Children Of The Italia Conti School, Jenny Miina, Jesper Sjölander, Johanna Eriksson (2), Magnus Borén, Markus Lönneborg, Martin Redhe Nord, Mats Nilsson (9), Michael Blomqvist, Robert Carlson (2), Robert Skowronski, Robin Olsson (2), Sara Dahlgren, Stefan Rundqvist, Thérèse Löf, Tobias Ahlsell Contractor [Orchestra] – Isobel Griffiths Coordinator [Marketing & Communications] – Liz McGinity Coordinator [Music, Assistant] – Lotta Lillieström Stenberg Coordinator [Music] – Görel Hanser Design [CD Packaging] – Dewynters Drums – Per Lindvall Editor [Music] – Robert Houston Editor [Supervisor Music Editor] – Tony Lewis (2) Executive-Producer – Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Judy Craymer Flute, Piccolo Flute, Baritone Saxophone – Jan Bengtson Guitar, Bouzouki – Lasse Wellander Leader [Orchestra] – Thomas Bowes Management [Business & Finance Director] – Ashley Grisdale Management [Marketing & Communications Manager] – Claire Teare Mastered By – George Marino Mixed By – Benny Andersson, Bernard Löhr Music By, Lyrics By – Benny Andersson And Björn Ulvaeus Music By, Lyrics By [Some With] – Stig Anderson Music Director, Conductor – Martin Lowe (2) Percussion – Jörgen Stenberg Performer [Cast, Ali] – Ashley Lilley Performer [Cast, Bill] – Stellan Skarsgård Performer [Cast, Donna] – Meryl Streep Performer [Cast, Harry] – Colin Firth Performer [Cast, Lisa] – Rachel McDowall Performer [Cast, Pepper] – Philip Michael Performer [Cast, Rosie] – Julie Walters Performer [Cast, Sam] – Pierce Brosnan Performer [Cast, Sky] – Dominic Cooper (2) Performer [Cast, Sophie] – Amanda Seyfried Performer [Cast, Tanya] – Christine Baranski Photography By – Peter Mountain Photography By [Benny Andersson] – Mona Nörklit Photography By [Cover] – Lorenzo Agius Piano, Keyboards – Benny Andersson Producer – Benny Andersson Producer, Arranged By – Benny Andersson Programmed By [Score], Orchestrated By [Additional] – Rupert Christie Recorded By – Bernard Löhr Recorded By [Additional] – Andy Dudman, Chris Barrett, Steve Price (6) Recorder, Clarinet, Saxophone – Pär Grebacken Supervised By [Music, Assistant] – Abbie Lister Supervised By [Music] – Becky Bentham Trumpet – Leif Lindvall Tuba – Calle Jakobsson Review: Original cast sunging - Loved the movie! Love the original music Review: Love this movie! - This is my go to movie when I am down. It makes me laugh and I cannot sit still with all the great music. I have watched it approximately six time so far and know I will watch many more!