ABBA

The thing about ABBA is that there is no more music left to thank them for. Just three years ago, Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid took care of that with a definitive collection called The Complete Studio Recordings, a nine-CD/two-DVD set that included, well, the entirety of their studio material, plus one DVD of all their videos and another with a historical doc and some footage from their farewell concert. So, how does The Albums top that? It doesn't, and it doesn't try. Instead, what this nine-disc box does is collect all of their albums in their original versions and record sleeves (mini-replicas for the vinyl junkies). What this allows is for fans to enjoy the group's eight albums, from Ring Ring to The Visitors, the way they were first released (read: minus tacked on B-sides, rarities, etc). If you're wondering, the frills are in a ninth disc loaded with B-sides, non-album singles (i.e., "Fernando") and Swedish versions, as well as an attractive booklet containing a photo-heavy timeline covering the band's activity from 1972 to 1983. Of course, the timing has everything to do with the runaway box office success of Mamma Mia! and its upcoming DVD release, which is most likely what this box is meant to coincide with. But considering The Complete Studio Recordings is now out of print, and 1994's four-disc Thank You For the Music is not absolute enough, you can't go wrong with The Albums' breadth, not to mention its sleek and compact package. And yes, there is a whole lot more to ABBA than Gold.