200 MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS. This update: #24. Continues tomorrow.

THE CAFFE` LATTE`

200

MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS

Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.

#24

SUPER TROUPER: ABBA  

 [1980] 

ABBA had dominated the charts during the mid - late 1970s, reaching #1 all over the globe. As that decade gave way to the Eighties, the Swedish group re-positioned itself with the album 'Super Trouper'. This was most evident in the lyrics of "Happy New Year" and "The Way Old Friends Do". The heady success ecperienced by the 4 members during the Seventies was taking its toll and this was reflected in the songs "Super Trouper"  (hidden within its bouncy pop sound) and "The Winner Takes It All". The latter raised the lyrical bar for ABBA. Agnetha Faltskog's delivery is her most dramatic and credible. Musically too, the group's songs displayed a good deal of progression. ABBA were attuned to pop trends. They embraced disco at its peak for the preceding album 'Voulez-Vous'. By 1980, the mainstream had moved on and ABBA explored new musical trends for its successor. Most notably, the album embraced the synth-pop trend that would expand over the next few years on most tracks, particularly "Me And I". The group updated its dance sound to reflect the new era on "Lay All Your Love On Me". ABBA adapted new styles to its trademark sound. The rich variety of music that is a feature of all the group's albums offers an engaging range again on 'Super Trouper'. There is a medieval throwback on "The Piper". Simplicity is key for "Andante, Andante". Later re-issues of the album included the bonus tracks  "Elaine"(the B-side for the single "The Winner Takes It All") and (the previously unreleased) "Put On Your White Sombrero".

Highlight tracks:

* The Winner Takes It All

* Lay All Your Love On Me

* The Piper

* Super Trouper