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Bright Lights Dark Shadows: The Real Story of Abba
The definitive portrait of one of the world's all-time great pop groups. Covers all aspects of the ABBA members' lives and the pre-ABBA days, the amazing success story of the 70s and beyond, the marriages and divorces, the business empire and the solo careers after the breakup. A major biography skillfully set in the context of Swedish culture and global fame.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 7, 2021
The very first time I heard an Abba song,Fernando,it captivated me.I still listen to them,and the sound continues to enthrall me.I was,therefore,very interested to read the story of their lives.
They rose to international superstardom from unlikely,obscure beginnings in Sweden.At the height of their success,they were selling more records than any other band in the world.
This book is very exhaustive,but that is the problem with it.It goes into way too much detail,particularly about their early lives and their business dealings.Would have been more interesting if it had been trimmed.
Frida was the daughter of a Nazi soldier who went back after World War II,never to return.His daughter was left to endure a harsh upbringing as an illegitimate child.She would reunite with her father decades later in the glare of the media spotlight.
The pressures of stardom are explored in detail,which took a particularly heavy toll on Agnetha.She turned into a virtual recluse in later life.She hated touring,which was an essential component of their job.
Years ago,I had seen Abba the Movie,which was about their Australian tour.They were particularly popular there.One concert was performed in pouring rain and the huge crowd stayed throughout.There was even a chance of getting electrocuted on stage as Abba performed that night.
Benny and Bjorn,the two males in the group wrote the songs and the music.They ended up marrying Frida and Agnetha.Constantly living and working together would eventually take its toll and lead to their bitter break up.
They had their international breakthrough in the Eurovision song contest of 1974.
Waterloo was the song which won them the Eurovision contest.After that,there was no stopping them as world wide hit after chart topping hit followed in rapid succession.
After many years of unrivalled success,Abba would break up bitterly as a group. As couples,their marriages would fall apart.
The bitterness would grow to such an extent that all four of them would not even want to be seen together on the same stage for a long time. Decades later,Agnetha reluctantly walked on the same stage for a reunion which was brief.
I was also interested to read elsewhere that a man had been obsessed by Agnetha and had spent years stalking her and living near her in later life.Eventually,she had to resort to legal action to get rid of him.
Then came the movie Mama Mia,which butchered Abba's songs but was a commercial success,and had the approval of some band members.
The author is a Swede and clearly an Abba fan.This is a pretty serious book and not a trashy celebrity biography.
But as for the dark shadows referred to in the title,those aren't particularly dark.Abba were a clean group and they still didn't have the type of ruinous scandals and excess,which destroy the lives of many other musicians.
They rose to international superstardom from unlikely,obscure beginnings in Sweden.At the height of their success,they were selling more records than any other band in the world.
This book is very exhaustive,but that is the problem with it.It goes into way too much detail,particularly about their early lives and their business dealings.Would have been more interesting if it had been trimmed.
Frida was the daughter of a Nazi soldier who went back after World War II,never to return.His daughter was left to endure a harsh upbringing as an illegitimate child.She would reunite with her father decades later in the glare of the media spotlight.
The pressures of stardom are explored in detail,which took a particularly heavy toll on Agnetha.She turned into a virtual recluse in later life.She hated touring,which was an essential component of their job.
Years ago,I had seen Abba the Movie,which was about their Australian tour.They were particularly popular there.One concert was performed in pouring rain and the huge crowd stayed throughout.There was even a chance of getting electrocuted on stage as Abba performed that night.
Benny and Bjorn,the two males in the group wrote the songs and the music.They ended up marrying Frida and Agnetha.Constantly living and working together would eventually take its toll and lead to their bitter break up.
They had their international breakthrough in the Eurovision song contest of 1974.
Waterloo was the song which won them the Eurovision contest.After that,there was no stopping them as world wide hit after chart topping hit followed in rapid succession.
After many years of unrivalled success,Abba would break up bitterly as a group. As couples,their marriages would fall apart.
The bitterness would grow to such an extent that all four of them would not even want to be seen together on the same stage for a long time. Decades later,Agnetha reluctantly walked on the same stage for a reunion which was brief.
I was also interested to read elsewhere that a man had been obsessed by Agnetha and had spent years stalking her and living near her in later life.Eventually,she had to resort to legal action to get rid of him.
Then came the movie Mama Mia,which butchered Abba's songs but was a commercial success,and had the approval of some band members.
The author is a Swede and clearly an Abba fan.This is a pretty serious book and not a trashy celebrity biography.
But as for the dark shadows referred to in the title,those aren't particularly dark.Abba were a clean group and they still didn't have the type of ruinous scandals and excess,which destroy the lives of many other musicians.
March 30, 2020
ABBA Sucks!
Throughout the disco-infused, substance-abused, and music-confused 70s, whenever I heard an ABBA song on the radio, I could not turn it off fast enough. They were a cheesy, teenyboppered, bubblegummed, no-talent bunch of Swedes on platform shoes who were only in it for the money. Yeeccchhh! Gag me with a chiquitita!
Then, one night in 1980, I was waiting for a traffic light at the corner of 7th Ave and Camelback in Phoenix, and the radio played 'Fernando'. I will never understand why, but instead of permanently disabling my radio, I actually listened to the lyric. AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY! I wish I know why I can still clearly remember that happening to me. I don't know what it was. There was something in the air that night. The stars were bright. And the drums!
My worst nightmare was happening! These guys are so damned good! I bought my first ABBA album the next day!
I love ABBA!
This 500 page plus biography is probably THE ultimate ABBA biography. Extensively researched and written by someone who musically knows what he is talking about. ABBA does not really appear in this book until about the halfway point. The first half of the book follows each of the four members of ABBA from childhood and through their individual musical beginnings. Each one had approximately a 10-year exposure of varied success as musical artists in Sweden before ABBA formed.
I am so glad that I read this book. I have loved their music since that time in 1980, but understanding how they wrote it, how remarkable musically gifted they were -- individually and collectively -- through blinding success and numbing tragedy, gives me even more appreciation for them.
And, for the very first time, after reading this book, I actually KNOW the names of all four members of ABBA! They are no longer "the two dudes in funny clothes, the brunette chick, and the hot blonde".
And so, if you are listening Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC!
I do now give this book 4 stars.
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do.
Throughout the disco-infused, substance-abused, and music-confused 70s, whenever I heard an ABBA song on the radio, I could not turn it off fast enough. They were a cheesy, teenyboppered, bubblegummed, no-talent bunch of Swedes on platform shoes who were only in it for the money. Yeeccchhh! Gag me with a chiquitita!
Then, one night in 1980, I was waiting for a traffic light at the corner of 7th Ave and Camelback in Phoenix, and the radio played 'Fernando'. I will never understand why, but instead of permanently disabling my radio, I actually listened to the lyric. AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY! I wish I know why I can still clearly remember that happening to me. I don't know what it was. There was something in the air that night. The stars were bright. And the drums!
My worst nightmare was happening! These guys are so damned good! I bought my first ABBA album the next day!
I love ABBA!
This 500 page plus biography is probably THE ultimate ABBA biography. Extensively researched and written by someone who musically knows what he is talking about. ABBA does not really appear in this book until about the halfway point. The first half of the book follows each of the four members of ABBA from childhood and through their individual musical beginnings. Each one had approximately a 10-year exposure of varied success as musical artists in Sweden before ABBA formed.
I am so glad that I read this book. I have loved their music since that time in 1980, but understanding how they wrote it, how remarkable musically gifted they were -- individually and collectively -- through blinding success and numbing tragedy, gives me even more appreciation for them.
And, for the very first time, after reading this book, I actually KNOW the names of all four members of ABBA! They are no longer "the two dudes in funny clothes, the brunette chick, and the hot blonde".
And so, if you are listening Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC!
I do now give this book 4 stars.
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do.
December 24, 2018
I can't exactly recall the first time I heard Abba. Songs like Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia always seem to have been part of my life. But one thing I do know is that my appreciation for their pop genius has grown as I've got older, and I've always wondered about how it all began.
Bright Lights Dark Shadows is an exhaustive investigation into the story of Abba, from their humble Swedish beginnings into world famous superstars. Carl Magnus Palm starts his book by recounting the origins of each individual member. We learn that before Björn developed into the lyrical mastermind he is known as today, he was a part of a successful teenage band called the Hootenanny Singers (who I like to imagine as a Swedish folk One Direction). Benny, the group's musical engine, was a prodigious talent who started off by learning how to play the accordion with his grandfather. Frida, who endured a difficult upbringing, won a national talent competition and was well-known in Sweden. And Agnetha, the band's reluctant sex symbol, was a successful solo singer before she hooked up with the other three.
Palm does a wonderful job of weaving the histories of the four members together. When the quartet finally started making music, there was magic in the air. And once Waterloo won the Eurovision on that fateful night in Brighton, there was no stopping them. The chemistry that ran between the four of them was undeniable. Benny and Björn bounced ideas off each other in the studio and matured into one of the all-time greatest songwriting teams, while Agnetha and Frida's beautiful voices complimented each other in perfect harmony.
The book also looks at a number of people who had a huge influence on Abba's success. Chief among them was Stig Anderson, the band's ambitious manager. By Palm's account he was at times a devious and cantankerous individual, but there is no doubt that Abba would not be where they are today without his drive and acumen. Another important figure was Michael Tretow, the lead engineer on most of their albums. They were lucky enough to cross paths with him in their early days. He shared Benny and Björn's love of experimentation and innovation in the studio and formed a key part of their unique sound.
Palm also examines the relationships in the band and how success affected all of them. The two couples that formed Abba (Björn and Agnetha, Benny and Frida) suffered under the pressures of work and fame, and eventually drifted apart. These break-ups provided inspiration for some of their most famous songs, though it must have been difficult to sing the words of Knowing Me Knowing You and The Winner Takes It All while their marriages were falling apart.
Things I learned:
- Abba were incredibly popular in Australia, moreso than any other country. Over 1% of the nation's population saw them perform live in 1977
- Stig Anderson came up with the name Abba and the band despised it at first
- They were one of the first groups to produce music videos and this was a major factor in their success. Lasse Hallström, the creator of these videos, went on to direct several Hollywood films such as Chocolat and The Cider House Rules
- Phil Collins worked on a solo album for Frida. They were both going through divorces at the time and ended up bonding over their trauma
- Agnetha had a stalker in the 90s and ended up in a relationship with him
Palm is clearly a huge Abba fan, and when he talks about his favourite songs, his passion really shines through. I did think that there was too much about the band's business exploits in the book - I just didn't find that aspect very interesting. But Bright Lights Dark Shadows is a treasure trove of fascinating Abba trivia and insight. For anyone who wants to find out more about this fantastic band, I can't imagine a better place to start.
Bright Lights Dark Shadows is an exhaustive investigation into the story of Abba, from their humble Swedish beginnings into world famous superstars. Carl Magnus Palm starts his book by recounting the origins of each individual member. We learn that before Björn developed into the lyrical mastermind he is known as today, he was a part of a successful teenage band called the Hootenanny Singers (who I like to imagine as a Swedish folk One Direction). Benny, the group's musical engine, was a prodigious talent who started off by learning how to play the accordion with his grandfather. Frida, who endured a difficult upbringing, won a national talent competition and was well-known in Sweden. And Agnetha, the band's reluctant sex symbol, was a successful solo singer before she hooked up with the other three.
Palm does a wonderful job of weaving the histories of the four members together. When the quartet finally started making music, there was magic in the air. And once Waterloo won the Eurovision on that fateful night in Brighton, there was no stopping them. The chemistry that ran between the four of them was undeniable. Benny and Björn bounced ideas off each other in the studio and matured into one of the all-time greatest songwriting teams, while Agnetha and Frida's beautiful voices complimented each other in perfect harmony.
The book also looks at a number of people who had a huge influence on Abba's success. Chief among them was Stig Anderson, the band's ambitious manager. By Palm's account he was at times a devious and cantankerous individual, but there is no doubt that Abba would not be where they are today without his drive and acumen. Another important figure was Michael Tretow, the lead engineer on most of their albums. They were lucky enough to cross paths with him in their early days. He shared Benny and Björn's love of experimentation and innovation in the studio and formed a key part of their unique sound.
Palm also examines the relationships in the band and how success affected all of them. The two couples that formed Abba (Björn and Agnetha, Benny and Frida) suffered under the pressures of work and fame, and eventually drifted apart. These break-ups provided inspiration for some of their most famous songs, though it must have been difficult to sing the words of Knowing Me Knowing You and The Winner Takes It All while their marriages were falling apart.
Things I learned:
- Abba were incredibly popular in Australia, moreso than any other country. Over 1% of the nation's population saw them perform live in 1977
- Stig Anderson came up with the name Abba and the band despised it at first
- They were one of the first groups to produce music videos and this was a major factor in their success. Lasse Hallström, the creator of these videos, went on to direct several Hollywood films such as Chocolat and The Cider House Rules
- Phil Collins worked on a solo album for Frida. They were both going through divorces at the time and ended up bonding over their trauma
- Agnetha had a stalker in the 90s and ended up in a relationship with him
Palm is clearly a huge Abba fan, and when he talks about his favourite songs, his passion really shines through. I did think that there was too much about the band's business exploits in the book - I just didn't find that aspect very interesting. But Bright Lights Dark Shadows is a treasure trove of fascinating Abba trivia and insight. For anyone who wants to find out more about this fantastic band, I can't imagine a better place to start.
November 11, 2019
This nicely written, very comprehensive book is the first one about ABBA that I have read for years and I find it hard to imagine a better one. The author is described as the world's foremost ABBA historian and the detail and sensitivity that is displayed in the writing about the individuals and their history is very impressive indeed.
The complexity of the story of ABBA is a fascinating narration, but this 531 page book may not impress all readers. Rather than a easy read it is in depth, starting with the childhood background of each of the members of the band, detailing their early musical backgrounds and also giving a great deal of space to Stig Anderson, their manager at Polar Music which was responsible for the bands output. The book continues to trace the members for some years after the band dissolved, talking about any further musical careers, other activities and ending quite well with a distantly sensitive statement about where the various members of ABBA were at in the late 90's.
There was a lot in this book that I did not know. ABBA was the first band I ever fell in love with (and don't we all remember that first teenager crush and fascination in a band, that led on somehow to all our latter taste in music?). I personally am still proud of my first choice and still fond of the music, the combination of happy and angst, the nice composition and often funny lyrics combined with the divine vocals. I have no shame and no regrets about that band crush. Despite my fondness for the music, I was never a classic fan girl, I barely bothered remembering the names of the band members, I did not frantically collect memorabilia, I have never owned any item of clothing that references the band ect ect. Basically, I liked, collected and listened to the music. That's it.
However, years later, I still listen to the music on occasion, though it may sit uneasily on the shelf, surrounded as it is with heavy metal, hard rock, classical compositions, opera and misc. So, I really enjoyed reading this, I knew a little but not much that was in it. I found reading about the childhood background of Frida fascinating, I knew some of it but had never read it in a linear narrative. I was delighted and enthralled by Agnetha's early musical background I had heard that in some ways, she had the most solo career to lose through the formation of ABBA and while I am still not sure I agree with that, it was an interesting read.
I was especially interested in the background of Polar Music and the social political background of Sweden at the time ABBA formed. While I have heard some people say that this background was not what they were looking for in the book, I finally feel like I understand how ABBA were in a lot of ways not given a lot of encouragement from their country of origin. It never made sense before and now it does. The untiring efforts of their manager, the Socialist background of Sweden and the international relationships and touring all slowly fell into place as contributes to the unique environment that ABBA sprung from. The slow skillful construction of the story and analysis of the situations surrounding the band meshed together most excellently and were written beautifully and as a consequence I enjoyed every page of this book.
There is a lot of it, no doubt. Five parts spanning the whole of the ABBA history, with 35 chapters. The chapters, I thought were very well placed, providing intelligent punctuation of the different events and helping the reader move between different viewpoints and other factors with contributed to the narrative. I was truly impressed my the writing! This was a very big book, with very detailed narrative of things that were not intuitively relevant to the band, and yet the writing was nice enough that there was never (for me) any temptation to skip bits in order to move ahead faster; it all made sense in context.
So, in conclusion, I don't know if this is the definitive story of ABBA, but for me it might be. While I am not sure I would read another one, this one left me feeling informed, educated, interested and engaged throughout and I am very glad I read it.
The complexity of the story of ABBA is a fascinating narration, but this 531 page book may not impress all readers. Rather than a easy read it is in depth, starting with the childhood background of each of the members of the band, detailing their early musical backgrounds and also giving a great deal of space to Stig Anderson, their manager at Polar Music which was responsible for the bands output. The book continues to trace the members for some years after the band dissolved, talking about any further musical careers, other activities and ending quite well with a distantly sensitive statement about where the various members of ABBA were at in the late 90's.
There was a lot in this book that I did not know. ABBA was the first band I ever fell in love with (and don't we all remember that first teenager crush and fascination in a band, that led on somehow to all our latter taste in music?). I personally am still proud of my first choice and still fond of the music, the combination of happy and angst, the nice composition and often funny lyrics combined with the divine vocals. I have no shame and no regrets about that band crush. Despite my fondness for the music, I was never a classic fan girl, I barely bothered remembering the names of the band members, I did not frantically collect memorabilia, I have never owned any item of clothing that references the band ect ect. Basically, I liked, collected and listened to the music. That's it.
However, years later, I still listen to the music on occasion, though it may sit uneasily on the shelf, surrounded as it is with heavy metal, hard rock, classical compositions, opera and misc. So, I really enjoyed reading this, I knew a little but not much that was in it. I found reading about the childhood background of Frida fascinating, I knew some of it but had never read it in a linear narrative. I was delighted and enthralled by Agnetha's early musical background I had heard that in some ways, she had the most solo career to lose through the formation of ABBA and while I am still not sure I agree with that, it was an interesting read.
I was especially interested in the background of Polar Music and the social political background of Sweden at the time ABBA formed. While I have heard some people say that this background was not what they were looking for in the book, I finally feel like I understand how ABBA were in a lot of ways not given a lot of encouragement from their country of origin. It never made sense before and now it does. The untiring efforts of their manager, the Socialist background of Sweden and the international relationships and touring all slowly fell into place as contributes to the unique environment that ABBA sprung from. The slow skillful construction of the story and analysis of the situations surrounding the band meshed together most excellently and were written beautifully and as a consequence I enjoyed every page of this book.
There is a lot of it, no doubt. Five parts spanning the whole of the ABBA history, with 35 chapters. The chapters, I thought were very well placed, providing intelligent punctuation of the different events and helping the reader move between different viewpoints and other factors with contributed to the narrative. I was truly impressed my the writing! This was a very big book, with very detailed narrative of things that were not intuitively relevant to the band, and yet the writing was nice enough that there was never (for me) any temptation to skip bits in order to move ahead faster; it all made sense in context.
So, in conclusion, I don't know if this is the definitive story of ABBA, but for me it might be. While I am not sure I would read another one, this one left me feeling informed, educated, interested and engaged throughout and I am very glad I read it.
July 27, 2015
I haven't read anything else about ABBA, so I can't say that this is the definitive biography of the band, but I can't imagine any rock bio being more exhaustive than this one. Hundreds of pages pass before ABBA even exists. Hundreds pass after the band ceases to exist. Considering that the band was obsessively professional - turning down opportunities to trash hotel rooms, never having any substance problems whatsoever, and working through two incredibly civil divorces during the height of their powers, this was a very interesting read. I was especially interested in the lengths the band had to go through to work around Sweden's 85% tax rate - buying up sketchy businesses and gambling huge fortunes on risky investments.
I wish that the book had gone into more detail about how they were able to achieve their signature sound - at points the story gets bogged down in explaining how certain singles sell a ton of copies in Belgium, but fewer than the last single in Austria, but a bit more than usual in West Germany, etc. I didn't really care about sales. We know from the opening pages that they sold a ton of records and I was never convinced that one lackluster single was as devastating as the author tried to make it appear, considering we know that they are going to release many more megahits in short order. It would be like the Beatles fretting over the chart performance of "Matchbox" in 1964.
But overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. The main members of the band are nicely fleshed out and even though I'm not even a casual fan of their music, I found myself being a little wistful at the end that they couldn't patch things up. I'd imagine that if you're a fan of the band this biography would be a must-read.
I wish that the book had gone into more detail about how they were able to achieve their signature sound - at points the story gets bogged down in explaining how certain singles sell a ton of copies in Belgium, but fewer than the last single in Austria, but a bit more than usual in West Germany, etc. I didn't really care about sales. We know from the opening pages that they sold a ton of records and I was never convinced that one lackluster single was as devastating as the author tried to make it appear, considering we know that they are going to release many more megahits in short order. It would be like the Beatles fretting over the chart performance of "Matchbox" in 1964.
But overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. The main members of the band are nicely fleshed out and even though I'm not even a casual fan of their music, I found myself being a little wistful at the end that they couldn't patch things up. I'd imagine that if you're a fan of the band this biography would be a must-read.
July 8, 2024
Okay, unless you're a hardcore ABBA fan, you can give Carl Magnus Palm's detailed and extremely thorough biography,
Bright Lights Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA
- a miss. I am a hardcore fan, so I persisted with all 554 pages.
My love affair with ABBA began at age six. My birthday was all planned when, two days before the party, I got the mumps. Socially devastating when you're in prep! My dad repaired the disaster by buying me ABBA's Arrival album and a bottle of Lucozade ("Because that's what the Queen drinks when she's sick."). No party, but my new school friends came over frequently to dance to Arrival.
For the record, I was always Agnetha.
Was there anything in this book that I didn't already know? A few bits and pieces. For example, I didn't realise that Hasta Mañana was almost picked for Eurovision over Waterloo. Equally, I always thought Ring, Ring was their first big hit, but it was actually People Need Love.
Palm's account of ABBA's history highlights that stardom isn't about 'luck' or about the people you know. It's about sheer persistence. The members of ABBA had been musicians for years before forming the band. In those years, they worked night after night in tiny venues, on the summer concert circuit (where the pay hardly covered their costs travelling between concert venues), and being their own support crew.
After reading this book, I considered an ABBA project, much like my Bruce Springsteen project but ABBA songs and albums were not released in an orderly way (singles came out long before albums, some songs were only ever B-sides, and releases were made in different parts of the world at different times). Instead, I'm listing my top 20. This was really hard. Others have done it (here, here, here) but those lists are obviously wrong ;-)
20. Ring Ring
19. So Long
18. Why Did It Have To Be Me?
17. When All Is Said And Done
16. Thank You For The Music
15. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme!
14. Rock Me
13. Voulez-Vous
12. Mamma Mia
11. The Name Of The Game
10. Knowing Me, Knowing You
09. Waterloo
08. Super Trouper
07. One Of Us
06. Lay All Your Love On Me
05. My Love, My Life
04. Take A Chance On Me
03. The Winner Takes It All
02. Dancing Queen
01. SOS
2.5/5
My love affair with ABBA began at age six. My birthday was all planned when, two days before the party, I got the mumps. Socially devastating when you're in prep! My dad repaired the disaster by buying me ABBA's Arrival album and a bottle of Lucozade ("Because that's what the Queen drinks when she's sick."). No party, but my new school friends came over frequently to dance to Arrival.
A whole generation of children were 'playing ABBA' alone in front of their bedroom mirror or together with other friends. Miming to the records with skipping ropes as pretend microphones, they'd be quarrelling about who was to be Frida or Agnetha.
For the record, I was always Agnetha.
Was there anything in this book that I didn't already know? A few bits and pieces. For example, I didn't realise that Hasta Mañana was almost picked for Eurovision over Waterloo. Equally, I always thought Ring, Ring was their first big hit, but it was actually People Need Love.
Palm's account of ABBA's history highlights that stardom isn't about 'luck' or about the people you know. It's about sheer persistence. The members of ABBA had been musicians for years before forming the band. In those years, they worked night after night in tiny venues, on the summer concert circuit (where the pay hardly covered their costs travelling between concert venues), and being their own support crew.
After reading this book, I considered an ABBA project, much like my Bruce Springsteen project but ABBA songs and albums were not released in an orderly way (singles came out long before albums, some songs were only ever B-sides, and releases were made in different parts of the world at different times). Instead, I'm listing my top 20. This was really hard. Others have done it (here, here, here) but those lists are obviously wrong ;-)
20. Ring Ring
19. So Long
18. Why Did It Have To Be Me?
17. When All Is Said And Done
16. Thank You For The Music
15. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme!
14. Rock Me
13. Voulez-Vous
12. Mamma Mia
11. The Name Of The Game
10. Knowing Me, Knowing You
09. Waterloo
08. Super Trouper
07. One Of Us
06. Lay All Your Love On Me
05. My Love, My Life
04. Take A Chance On Me
03. The Winner Takes It All
02. Dancing Queen
01. SOS
2.5/5
July 23, 2017
I fell in love with Abba when I was 11, and give or take a few teenage years of teenage pretensions I'm still enchanted by them 20 years later. The tale of how four highly talented artists from widely different backgrounds came together to create work that is still obsessively pored over all around the world over 40 years later is mapped out in remarkable detail and with genuine enthusiasm. Widely accepted as the definitive biography, Palm's keen understanding of the culture of his native Sweden weaves through the narrative providing valuable socio-political context. Uncovering astonishing life stories and important analysis of life after superstardom, this is a prime example of pop biography at its finest.
July 31, 2017
Incredible source of info about the international superstar group ABBA.
This book was a joy to read, it flows well and held my interest...so much so that I - well, let me put it this way: if you are in love with ABBA'S music, as I am, don't begin reading too late in the day or you will be up all night! (a couple of nights actually) Because this book paints quite a large and mesmerizing portrait of each of the 4 individuals who called themselves ABBA, coming together (thank goodness!) to create gems for us all.
This book was a joy to read, it flows well and held my interest...so much so that I - well, let me put it this way: if you are in love with ABBA'S music, as I am, don't begin reading too late in the day or you will be up all night! (a couple of nights actually) Because this book paints quite a large and mesmerizing portrait of each of the 4 individuals who called themselves ABBA, coming together (thank goodness!) to create gems for us all.
December 31, 2015
Carl Magnus Palm did a lot of work researching Abba, but he lost the story along the way. Instead of getting to know the band members, he relates who, what, when, where, and sometimes why. The facts were there, but they lacked any emotional coloring.
December 25, 2020
This is one of the best books you will ever read on what it is like to rise against all odds to become famous doing what you want. The book has no melodrama attached to it's format and the author has gone in my opinion to extraordinary lengths to tell it exactly how it is without falling into the popular trap of sensationalism and scandal. The book does not need these aspects for filler. All the protagonists are fairly covered from almost conception, through childhood, then to stardom and the eventual demise. This necessary narrative of early years helps the reader understand how the band and their mentors succeeded against the almost constant negativity which greeted any success which was not mainstream and conventional. An accurate and riveting account which should grace any music afficionado's shelf.
August 23, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have given it 4 stars only because I selfishly only was interested in the four ABBA members, so when there were other parts, I did read them but not with the same enthusiasm. I totally recommend this book for ABBA fans such as myself. Their music always brings me back to a simpler time of my youth when I didn't fully appreciate all of their work since mainly I got interested in ABBA once Voulez-Vous was released. But luckily, I have been reintroduced to the group and appreciate their less marketed great songs which I think over most people's lives, all can appreciate the stories that were told.
December 25, 2017
Excellently written. The story of ABBA is not one of drug-fueled excess and inter-band drama, so the increased focus on the songwriting made for a very interesting read, and Palm does not lend much creedence to the many unsubstantiated rumours which otherwise mire writings on ABBA. Recommended.
March 25, 2021
Fascinating story! I love to learn facts about the abba members. A bit too much focus on taxes for my personal taste
December 1, 2025
Man I love ABBA
July 9, 2021
It was a long and slow read, but a wonderful and complete insight in the phenomenon that is ABBA.
November 29, 2017
This book is a very thorough biography, but it gets too detailed sometimes, and does not focus that much on the music. But it's a great research work and a must read for interested fans.
October 29, 2019
Can't give less than 4 stars, as it is a book about ABBA, but the author deserves barely two stars, just for the effort and a work done. His fixation on financial matters of the band is clearly unhealthy, I'd prefer information about their favourite books, movies, music, but he kept droning on about who earned how much and for what. Too many pages dedicated to Stig, with all due respect, but I'd like to know more about Tretow and his thoughts on girls' vocals, but, alas, this theme was barely touched. I also didn't like that the author insulted the song ''Head over Heels'' and called it a frozen grin - really, man? If you are not able to appreciate how good that song is, it's your fault, not the song's. Personally I consider 'Head over Heels'' better than ''The Winner Takes it All'' or ''SOS'', and the video to that song is the best among all ABBA videos, and Lasse Hallstrom did a great job with Frida and Bjorn playing no worse than professional actors. All in all, clearly it's a must-read for any ABBA fan, but I hope, that someone with more feeling and less fiscal calculations will write a new ABBA's biography, which will finally do them justice.
February 28, 2023
Exhaustive and excellent
I have loved Abba since discovering them as a shy, withdrawn teenager but never really knew much about their rise to fame or their personal lives until reading this book. This biography is about as complete as you can get and covers a wealth of information about each member as well as their manager Stig Anderson. The book covers each member of Abba in minute detail, from their pre-Abba careers - all of them enjoyed a variety of success on their own (I found Frida Lynstad’s story one of the most fascinating aspects of the book), the group’s decade-long meteoric rise as one of the most successful pop acts ever, their lives following the break-up of the group and how their music has affected the world. The sections that detail the intricate finances and dealings of Polar Music slow the book down but still make interesting reading even though much of it was beyond my comprehension. Every serious fan of Abba will want to read this book. It is fascinating!
I have loved Abba since discovering them as a shy, withdrawn teenager but never really knew much about their rise to fame or their personal lives until reading this book. This biography is about as complete as you can get and covers a wealth of information about each member as well as their manager Stig Anderson. The book covers each member of Abba in minute detail, from their pre-Abba careers - all of them enjoyed a variety of success on their own (I found Frida Lynstad’s story one of the most fascinating aspects of the book), the group’s decade-long meteoric rise as one of the most successful pop acts ever, their lives following the break-up of the group and how their music has affected the world. The sections that detail the intricate finances and dealings of Polar Music slow the book down but still make interesting reading even though much of it was beyond my comprehension. Every serious fan of Abba will want to read this book. It is fascinating!
March 29, 2014
I'll confess to being an ABBA fan. The first concert I ever attended was during their sole US tour, in 1979. This is an almost exhaustively comprehensive biography of ABBA, covering the lives of the four principles and their manager before, during, and after their recording career. The suthor had the cooperation of ABBA in researching the book, but it isn't marketed as an "authorized" bio so I assume he had some independence. The title is a bit misleading, leading one to believe there are some dark secrets to their story, but the truth is ABBA handled their fame quite responsibly.
August 23, 2024
Some things I learned from this book:
-Frida was born in Norway to a Norwegian teenage mother and a German soldier.
-Frida and Benny both had children really young, and had two children each already before they got together.
-Bjorn's dad was called Andersson till he changed his surname to Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson's surname was originally spelt Andersson. So the songwriting credits on those early ABBA hits could have been Andersson/Andersson/Andersson.
-Agnetha was known as a songwriter till being in Abba and having children distracted her from that side of her art. (She wrote the odd song later on). She's younger than the others.
-A "super trouper" is the name of a stage light, and the 1980 album was already going to be called that even before they thought of using it as a song title.
- Although they were famously HUGE in Australia, their popularity there mysteriously plummeted in 1977.
-Even their biographer thinks the children's choir on "I Have A Dream" is an "abomination", or words to that effect.
-Bjorn and Benny both lived in the UK for ages.
-Engineer Michael Tretow was basically the fifth Abba.
Palm, writing in 2001, states categorically that there will never be another ABBA album. It just goes to show how unwise it is to make such bold predictions.
-Frida was born in Norway to a Norwegian teenage mother and a German soldier.
-Frida and Benny both had children really young, and had two children each already before they got together.
-Bjorn's dad was called Andersson till he changed his surname to Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson's surname was originally spelt Andersson. So the songwriting credits on those early ABBA hits could have been Andersson/Andersson/Andersson.
-Agnetha was known as a songwriter till being in Abba and having children distracted her from that side of her art. (She wrote the odd song later on). She's younger than the others.
-A "super trouper" is the name of a stage light, and the 1980 album was already going to be called that even before they thought of using it as a song title.
- Although they were famously HUGE in Australia, their popularity there mysteriously plummeted in 1977.
-Even their biographer thinks the children's choir on "I Have A Dream" is an "abomination", or words to that effect.
-Bjorn and Benny both lived in the UK for ages.
-Engineer Michael Tretow was basically the fifth Abba.
Palm, writing in 2001, states categorically that there will never be another ABBA album. It just goes to show how unwise it is to make such bold predictions.
August 1, 2019
What can I say? I love ABBA and am a huge fan. However, like most people, other than their music, I did not know much about their background. Other than the fact that they came from Sweden. They were always a bit of mystery to me. And other than the fact that it was two couples, not much about their private lives were known. This book is very thorough. It covers the years before ABBA existed, when each member was solo act, through their peak years and through their hiatus (the band will still tell you they never officially broke up) and everything that came afterwards. This book covers everything and is a must-read for any ABBA fan. The only thing negative I can say is that it delves into the business aspect of Polar Music and all their various investments (and failures) and those parts tend to drag. But other than that, this massive (it's a big book) was very informative and entertaining.
June 6, 2018
Interesting biography of the first band that I ever loved, and still love to this day. The primary thing I take away from this: being rich and famous isn't all that it is panned out to be, I suppose. Also, the boys came across as dicks, especially around the time of the break-ups. But that might just be me.
The biography maybe focused a bit too much on the pre-ABBA success of all four members, which was important, sure, but took up a bit too much time. Also, it's fairly dry but very comprehensive.
I am not sure how I feel now about the re-union this year, formerly a joyous occasion for me that prompted my renewed interest in the band. I suppose the four must feel very strongly the music is worth it, after years of distance from each other.
Fascinating, somber read in any case.
The biography maybe focused a bit too much on the pre-ABBA success of all four members, which was important, sure, but took up a bit too much time. Also, it's fairly dry but very comprehensive.
I am not sure how I feel now about the re-union this year, formerly a joyous occasion for me that prompted my renewed interest in the band. I suppose the four must feel very strongly the music is worth it, after years of distance from each other.
Fascinating, somber read in any case.
January 12, 2022
The section before the formation of ABBA is way more interesting than the rest of the book but it is still incredibly readable and insightful. Humanises the individual members, although it does weirdly barely focus on Benny, and the narratives of their lives are incredibly interesting. Frida's life story could be a movie within itself.
The biggest issues are when the author starts reviewing their music, which obviously quite subjective and uses his insight and reviews to back up the narrative that he is building.
The biggest issues are when the author starts reviewing their music, which obviously quite subjective and uses his insight and reviews to back up the narrative that he is building.
May 18, 2024
Originally published in 2002, so a couple of years after the initial success of Mamma Mia! on stage, and well before the film, this was apparently the first serious book about Abba. It's comprehensive without being trainspotter-y or boring, and really brings out the unique nature of not just their music but their history, and why they sounded like they did and achieved what they did. Really interesting - although I'd love to read a more recent edition to see if it's been updated in the light of Abba Voyage, since Palm confidently predicts in the book that they will never reunite!
April 18, 2020
There is a lot of detail in this book, and to be honest, I thought a little too much in the early part (to be honest it took me over two years to get from page 80 to the end). It's hard enough to do a complete biography on one person, much less five, but Palm does just that. The edition I have was updated through 2008, so it had information on The Mamma Mia movie and more recent activities of the former members of Abba as well as Stig Anderson. If you're an Abba fan, I totally recommend it.
September 15, 2018
Whether one likes ABBA or not, they were one of the most astounding groups of the century.
I read this book a few years ago and rather than a factual historical type book this really got into the character and personality of the persons themselves.
I would recommend this book above other ABBA biographies because it covers not only the smooth but also the rough in a very readable context.
I read this book a few years ago and rather than a factual historical type book this really got into the character and personality of the persons themselves.
I would recommend this book above other ABBA biographies because it covers not only the smooth but also the rough in a very readable context.
January 15, 2021
An in-depth book which explores the background of each of the members of ABBA as well as their manager, Stig Andersson; their rise to fame; their personal lives behind the scenes of ABBA; and what they’ve been doing during the nineties on their second-wave rise. Written in 2001 it pretty much completes the story at the musical Mamma Mia.
July 8, 2020
The Story
I grew up a huge ABBA fan! I always wondered about the voices and faces behind the band. I feel my this chapter is closed in my life but the music will live on. I enjoyed this book.
I grew up a huge ABBA fan! I always wondered about the voices and faces behind the band. I feel my this chapter is closed in my life but the music will live on. I enjoyed this book.
June 7, 2021
3.5 estrelas
Preguiça de avaliar mas é legal!
para o Pedro do futuro: a edição que li tem 600 não 480 páginas
Preguiça de avaliar mas é legal!
para o Pedro do futuro: a edição que li tem 600 não 480 páginas
December 2, 2021
Good read, very thorough, not trashy.
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