ABBA: The Name of the Game

Even if you're not much of an Abba fan, this book is definitely worth your time. It provides much more insight into Abba than you would expect. Each chapter offers insight into the music, into the members' lives and feelings, into the world's reaction to the music and the members...expect a lot. The writing style is chatty and witty, à la Joan Rivers but not excessively so. There are a number of pages of photos which supplement the text; some include Abba members in private moments, such as the one of Agnetha "scraping through saucepans." All in all a fine collection.

Just as the "Melody Maker" puts it, this book is "outrageously entertaining". I've had my good laughs with it. There is no question about it, these people know what they are talking about and they are not just talking. They might be a little exagerating at times, but they definitely know the music business and I do believe they also know what went on in ABBA throghout the group's life. It has to be true, simply because it fits. When this book first came out in 1995 it was rejected by many ABBA fans as a complete misinterpretation of the actual situations within the group's circle. I can tell you this right now: this book is not written by ABBA fans and is not for ABBA fans. It is written objectively (sometimes a bit sarcastically) by three people who did their research and are also connosseurs of the music business. In the book there are separate chapters for each of the four members, and even one for their manager Stig Anderson (now recently passed away), a character it studies extensively. On each biography there is not only the description of their lives, but also their mentality and (very important), the historical context. Chapter 2 does an excellent comparison between ABBA's music and most other legends and comes up to the conclusion that Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson are the greatest songwriters in history. The book is polemical, but nevertheless a very interesting read and very well structured. If you want to have one book about ABBA, which also allows you the possibility of insights into many other artists, then get this volume which becomes even more mouthwatering every time you read it.

I am an avid Abba fan, and I found this book to be a very worthwhile read indeed. This humorous rock-bio gives a rare behind- the-scenes look at the Swedish Quartet Supreme's days before the formation of the group, during the rocky times post-Eurovision 1974, at the height of their frenzied world success, and the events and tensions that led up to their disbandment in the early- to mid-eighties. The matter-of-factness of this work will deepen the die-hard fan's connection to the group, its excellent prose will convince the would-be or novice of Abba's true pop supremacy, and its satirical edge will keep the non-fan or even the headstrong Abba- hater in stitches. I liked it because of its compassionate frankness and also because it increased my knowledge of the Scandinavian phenomenon with mini- biography chapters for each member, including a bit on their illustrious manager, Stig Anderson. I now refer to the group lovingly as the "Fabba Four," for reasons which should become obvious after reading this magnificent piece of prose. Photos and discography included!