Super Trouper

Super Trouper is generally considered Abba's finest album. The overheated disco flourishes of Voulez-Vous were dropped and the sequencing was very nearly perfect. What's more, silly lyrics metamorphose into things of wrenching beauty. The overall tone is rather somber--the unraveling of the band members' relationships underscores every track--but as usual Abba turn melancholy into uplifting pop music. This digipack version of the 1981 album includes two extra songs. "Put on Your White Sombrero" was recorded during the Super Trouper sessions but was replaced on the album by the title track; it's in the band's Spanish vein and comes with a throbbing synthesizer hook. "Elaine," meanwhile, was the B-side of "The Winner Takes It All" single. An uptempo number, "Elaine" is far from being a throwaway. --Elisabeth Vincentelli