Thank You For the Music

This is another of those books that are written looking at a lot of the songs that ABBA has done and then criticizing them.

Any such book should first establish what is the purpose of the music? Not just to make money, but to entertain. In my opinion most of ABBA's music is entertaining. Some are a lot of fun to listen to. Some are very sad but still good songs. As with any group there are, of course, some songs that are not done so well.

To me, this book is too critical. Numerous groups are mentioned which are supposed to have influenced parts of certain songs (and, frankly, most of the groups named I've never heard of.)

Another thing. For someone to criticize in detail these ABBA songs, my first question is what makes then qualified to put out a book such as this? No biographical information is given for the author. He is a music critic, but what qualifies him to be that? Without that type of information, his writing is nothing more than his opinion, no better and no worse than any one else's. (Also, has he ever actually written music? Performed in front of an audience? Sung as part of a group?)

He comes across as not really caring much for ABBA, and is the second book about the group that I have read which seems to have been written by writers who don't actually care for the subject of their work.

There are other, much better and more balanced books out their on ABBA that you can read.



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