Abba Unplugged by Karl French

Abba Unplugged Reviews

• 
  Amanda

  “This is a good read and not the sycophantic drivel one usually gets in pop biographies. It's really a review of the music (which, after all, is what's important) and quite informative for someone like myself who knows nothing about ABBA. Karl French writes well and with dry humour. One research flaw is found on page 17. French writes that Benny's song "Sunny Girl" has "strong echoes of the Searchers, especially "I'll Never Find Another You..." WRONG! "I'll Never Find Another You" is by The Seekers.
  
  The book outlines the history of each member of the band and how they came together. Their background does affect their personalities, marriages, and family relationships within the group.
  
  [Whilst Agnetha was Swedish born and bred, (and a pop star in her own right before joining Abba), Frida was born in Narvik, Norway, November 15, 1945. Her mother was Norwegian. Her father was a German soldier. Relatives brought Frida to Sweden when she was two. ]
  
  [I found the book interesting but a few too many dissections of the music, for my liking. However, for someone interested in the music theory and history, it is more than just tabloid tales. Some things were surprising such as Abba had a large number of closet fans, including members of the Sex Pistols. Mamma Mia the movie and musical has introduced Abba songs to a whole new generation and for this reason alone, from others, will endure for years to come.]
  
  
  
• 
  Rob Gast

  I found myself skimming sections of this book. It did give me a better understanding of the background of each of the members of ABBA and what brought them together as well as what led them to pack it in. I have lots of respect and admiration for ABBA and many of their songs are works of genius. It was telling to see the price each was willing to pay for success, something many who reach superstardom have to pay.
• 
  James Crawford

  This is like the other ABBA books in that it contains a lot of information. It also has some photos in it, as do many other ABBA- related books.
  
  What sets it apart from the other books about ABBA that I have read is that the author really seems to dislike, if not actively hate, ABBA. He refers to their 'fashion disasters.' He criticizes their teeth, their hairstyles, and Frieda’s fur coat, among other things.
  
  He also must seem to be fixated on Agnetha's ass as often as he refers to that part of her anatomy. He also talks about how well ABBA behaved in hotel rooms, etc, and lists lots of things that show how considerate they were and in the midst of all this is says: 'is this getting monotonous?'
  He's putting them down for being nice?
  
  He is so condescending to them it's almost absurd. I'm not saying he has to be a rah! rah! type of writer, but this is a book that puzzles me as its approach is so far outside any other similar work I have read.
  
  Very disappointing.