COULD the cast of Abba musical Mamma Mia: The Movie have inadvertently delivered the feel-good soundtrack of the year?

Maybe so… try listening to Pierce Brosnan’s rendition of SOS if you’re in a sad mood. It’s certain to put a smile on your face. The former 007 star really cannot sing, but you can’t help but cheer his efforts on. On-screen, you can see the terror in his eyes; in soundtrack form, you can sense the hard work that was required in realising the subtle complexities of Abba’s songs.

We shouldn’t mock, though. It really can’t have been easy. And there is a karaoke-style, feel-good quality to listening to some of the recordings, especially when set against the memory of scenes from the film (once you’ve seen it).

The Mamma Mia movie soundtrack is sure to be an essential companion for the majority of people who see it. Just as the various stage recordings have become best-sellers, the key to their success lies in the timeless brilliance of Abba’s songwriting.

We’ve all danced at weddings, sung karaoke or got drunk to the sound of songs like Money, Money, Money, Voulez-Vous and Super Trouper – and it’s this engaging familiarity that helps to ensure they always sound welcome no matter who’s singing them.

Factor in the possibility that you’ll probably be singing along anyway, and it really doesn’t matter whose singing them.

This soundtrack recording may lack genuine quality (and boast a celebrity X-Factor quality in places) but it’s still a fun romp. And the songs speak for themselves, even though show favourite Knowing Me, Knowing You will probably be notable for its absence.

Of the singers, Meryl Streep emerges with most credit, especially on solo number The Winner Takes It All – but then she has since revealed that her acting roots lay on the stage and in musicals. So, it was much like coming home for her.

Dominic Cooper (of The History Boys fame) is also quite assured, as is American actress Amanda Seyfried. But the men will have you laughing all the way, especially Brosnan and Colin Firth, whose sense of awkwardness comes through.

The polished beats and melodies are also a little grating at times, playing up the disco vibe… and there are times when you’ll pine for the originals. But if you’ve enjoyed the movie, you’ll cherish the memories this soundtrack brings and that really is the point.

Download picks: Lay All Your Love On Me, One Last Summer, SOS, The Winner Takes It All, Does Your Mother Know, Take A Chance On Me, I Have A Dream

Track listing:

1. Honey Honey (sung by Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley & Rachel McDowall)
2. Money Money Money (Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski)
3. Mamma Mia (Meryl Streep)
4. Dancing Queen (Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski)
5. Last Summer (Colin Firth, Piers Brosnan, Stellen Skarsgard, Amanda Seyfried & Meryl Streep)
6. Lay all Your Love On Me (Dominic Cooper & Amanda Seyfried)
7. Super Trouper (Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski)
8. Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) (Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley & Rachel McDowall)
9. The Name Of The Game (sung by Amanda Seyfried)
10. Voulez Vous (Full cast, Philip Michael, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters & Stellen Skarsgard)
11. S.O.S (Piers Brosnan & Meryl Streep)
12. Does Your Mother Know (Christine Baranski & Philip Michael)
13. Slipping Through My Fingers (Meryl Streep & Amanda Seyfried)
14. The Winner Takes It All (Meryl Streep)
15. When All Is Said And Done (Piers Brosnan & Meryl Streep)
16. Take A Chance On Me (Julie Walters, Stellen Skarsgard, Colin Firth, Philip Michael & Christine Baranski)
17. I Have A Dream (Amanda Seyfried)

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