Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack
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Free Music Notes for Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack
Free Music Review: MAMMA MIA! IS SO MUCH FUN; AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE ABBA SONGS!
Hit: 5 Stars
The best thing about the Mamma Mia! movie (aside from the wonderful cast, lush setting, heartwarming scenes on family and friendship) are the wonderful songs of ABBA which have been recorded anew by Benny & Bjorn for the movie and is a marked improvement from the original ABBA versions. This is not to undermine the versions of ABBA which are classics in their own right but tracks like "Money, Money, Money" "Mamma Mia" "Super Trouper" "Gimme Gimme Gimme" sound even better than the originals because the new recordings have been improved instrumentally while still maintaining the original arrangements. Of course, Meryl Streep's interpretation of "The Winner Takes it All" is a masterpeice in
vocal interpretation and is the movie's highlight. People can not imagine Meryl singing and some people even want to believe that someone dubbed her singing voice. But in my book, there isn't anything this great actress can not do. My favorite ABBA song, however, will always be "Dancing Queen" and the version in this soundtrack is even better than the original. I bought a 2-cd copy today of ABBA's No. 1s and was kinda disappointed that the tracks were not remastered to give better sound. I sure hope that the "Thank You For the Music" boxed set which I recently ordered at Amazon will sound better...
My only complaint about this CD is that some songs in the movie were not included like "Chiquitita" and the encore "Waterloo" plus "Thank You For the Music" is a hidden track and comes after "I Have a Dream" on Track 17.
There is also a track in this cd by Amanda Seyfried "Name of the Game" which was probably a deleted scene because it was not in the movie. Amanda Seyfried sounds really good and is truly a discovery. She was in "Mean Girls" and I think her career has been given a huge boost with this film and puts her ahead of co-stars Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. Other ABBA songs which I discovered in this CD to be gems are "One Last Summer" and "When All is Said and Done." This will surely be one of my favorite musicals of all time."Mamma Mia" is already no. 1 in Amazon's Top CDs and is ranked at No. 3 in Billboard's Top 200 albums this week and is the greatest gainer. No ABBA album ever reached this high on the Billboard chart before. The movie has also been doing well (inspite of mixed reviews) and had the biggest opening weekend ever for a musical (compared to Chicago, Dreamgirls, Sweeney)so it is on track to hit the $100 MM mark - not bad for a musical...Bravo to the cast!
Free Music Review: SEX******No, SIX, not SEX ****** Yes, 6-STARS for Mamma Mia!
Hit: 5 Stars
One star because it's a sexy comedy, it's a romantic story, it's a musical bonanza, and it's one of the best films for 2008, mark that down. Awards will come.
Star two, for the ABBA music. It is amazing how the writers have used the words of the famous ABBA songs and turned them into the plot and almost the complete story of "Mamma Mia!" Or did they change some of the words to fit the story? If you love ABBA music, this movie is a must. If you don't know about ABBA music, you'll want the DVD and the CD soundtrack by the time you leave the theater.
Star three, for...okay, it's a bit of a chick-flick. Lots of ladies doing a sterling performance. Meryl Streep will have you laughing off the theater seat at times. And Julie Walters and Christine Baranski, conspirators of the older trio of goofy gals are close behind the anticipated award lineup. Streep sings, dances, bounces on a bed, and even caulks with a caulking gun--does it all, and well. A second trio of young girls led by Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), try to out-shine the older trio in performing ABBA songs written likely prior to their birth. They leave the male viewers drooling in their popcorn. Yes, the male stars get their own chance with dancing and music. Regardless of who is the star performer for any given number, you listen and have to sing along, dance, laugh, or at least chuckle while toe tapping.
Star four represents the line dancing, chorus-line, or long pier choreography done first by a large ladies group and later another tune by men pier-dancing in flippers. Both ABBA numbers done over the inviting blue water's edge is worth the price of the movie. If "Mamma Mia!" DVDs were available at the exit door, everyone would be buying a copy on the way out.
Star five is for Greece and the setting for this dream of a wedding, as well as a perfect set for such a fantastic rendezvous with ABBA songs.
Star six is because "Mamma Mia!" has done with ABBA music, what "Yellow Submarine" did with Beatles music. Or because it is the first movie in recent years worth a theater return/rewatch while waiting for the DVD release. Can't wait? Try the soundtrack for appetizers.
Free Music Review: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS, YOU DON'T LIKE ICE-CREAM!
Hit: 5 Stars
The title - a favorite expression of Sinatra's - says it all.
I've been writing a lot of chamber music reviews recently, and I just had to get this off my chest: I LOVE THIS SOUNDTRACK! My wife dragged me - not quite kicking and screaming, but with definite reluctance on my part - to see Mamma Mia! when it was released last year. (Just to give you an idea, I'm a Stephen Sondheim guy). Bottom line: I loved it. I sang along. I listened as my wife explained why every woman in the theater applauded when Pierce Brosnan got down on one knee to proposed to Meryl Streep, I marvelled at Streep's lung power singing Winner Takes It All, and I came away newly re-convinced that Dancing Queen is the second greatest pop song ever written. (Sorry - #1 has to be Hey Jude)
(NOTE: Lovers of Dancing Queen simply have to see Muriel's Wedding - a great Australian film featuring a young Toni Colette in her breakout role. The plot revolves around her love of, and living for, ABBA and the song Dancing Queen is put to great use - Muriel's Wedding)
But I digress. I love this soundtrack. I love the recreations of the songs. I love the energy. I even love, well, no. I kind of like Pierce Brosnan's warbling. It sounds real. The way that Broadway actors used to sound before they all started to use microphones and sing like Justin Timberlake and Beyonce.
My kids - in their early/mid 20s - are home from college and other parts for the summer. They just raised their eyebrows in their own kind of shock and awe when I put this soundtrack on. ("You're listening to a lot of chamber music these days, aren't you Pops?") By Day 2, I noticed them humming the songs. By Day 3 they were singing along. By Day 4 they were angry - "I can't get that song (choose your pick) OUT OF MY HEAD!"
This is joyful, timeless, perfectly crafted pop music. As Lola sang in Damn Yankees: "There's no exception to the rule, (it's) irresistable you fool - give in".
Indeed - Give in!
Free Music Review: Welcome to the show
Hit: 5 Stars
This is what happens when a good balanced breakfast meets good songwriting meets great singer meets keyboard rifts approved by Burns meets visual bliss meets my third girlfriend meets a cold night in Gretna. Mamma Mia is just brilliant. I've seen it 32 times and most times will now run up to the front of the theater to perform the musical in it's entirety. Our band, Asschowder, has been doing parts of Mamma Mia in our show for the last 15 years. Burns is blessed with an ability to take what ABBA came up with, insult it and turn it into something with a point. Burns + Keyboards= Point and I'm talking in a "point, winner" kind of way in Karate Kid. J Abs flat runs circles around what ABBA did on guitar both literally and figuratively. We have a cardboard cutout of ABBA that we place on stage during the ABBA portion of our set. J abs literally runs circles around it while playing leadbass guitar. I sing both the male and female parts in my David Hasselhoff voice, ensuring that the ladies in the audience will be happy. One look at us would ensure that, but we are all about quality communication.
If you get a chance to see Mamma Mia at a theater with me, you are in for a treat. If you just see the movie, you might be happy. If you just simply see me, I'll probably cause you to break off your current relationship with your boyfriend. He's just not right for you. I heard he's into Sarah anyway. He isn't going anywhere with his job and is just staying with you until Sarah breaks up with Chet. So just save yourself the heartache later and break it off now. You're welcome.
Free Music Review: MERYL THE DANCING QUEEN
Hit: 5 Stars
Meryl Streep is a great American actor and now she has leaped feet-first into musical comedy and she is abba-solutely wonderful. Just by listening to her on this soundtrack it's obvious she is having the time of her life.
The London and Broadway show performed some of the songs as close as possible to ABBA(Dancing Queen-Super Trouper-Voulez-Vous and Mamma Mia)and happily the movie,with a few tweaks,has done the same.
"The Winner Takes It All" one of the few downbeat songs from ABBA does NOT belong in this tissue-thin,somewhat silly story, but Ms Streeps' plaintive and touching rendition MAKES it belong. I am sure Meryl Streep will not be over-looked at Oscar nomination time.
Just when you are about to throw your arms up in exasperation at vocally challenged Pierce Brosnan, he sneaks in with "When All Is Said And Done" and it's not bad at all.
The rest of the cast including Christine Baranski and Julie Walters all join in the fun and here's hoping the movie fleshes out the story-line somewhat.
I kinda missed "Thank You For The Music" but it it a hidden track following "I Have A Dream" but it is performed by Sophie accompanied by a single piano and i can bet the piano player was Benny Andersson.
This CD is hugely satisfying and exuberent and I can't wait to see the movie.
Just a small footnote; Anyone familiar with Meryl Streeps' films may notice the coincidence that the name of her daughter in the story is Sophie.