Usually, any one of the following statements is enough to put fear into the hearts of even the stoutest of music buyers: "charity album", "a tribute to" and "as seen on TV". Putting these three statements together, therefore, should be a recipe for disaster. It's a testament to the enduring quality of Abba's music, and the talents of the artists represented here, that Abbamania works. Of course, only a lobotomised chimp could make a hash of an Abba song--although Denise Van Outen comes close--and as such there are very few duds on this collection. Culture Club, who know thing or two about classic pop themselves, perform a storming version of "Voulez Vous". Steps, meanwhile, have contributed two songs: the fantastically aerobic "Lay All Your Love On Me" and the ballad "I Know Him So Well" from the tenuously-relevant musical Chess. The medley "Thank Abba For The Music", which was originally performed at the 1999 BRIT Awards by Steps, Cleopatra, B*Witched, Billie and Tina Cousins is also included, but the album's highlight is B*Witched's cover of "Does Your Mother Know"--a combination of electric guitars, techno beats and sugar-coated harmonies with a slight country twang. -- Robert Burrow
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