Abba's Abba Gold (Thirty Three and a Third series) [Paperback]

Elisabeth Vincentelli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2004 | Series: 33 1/3 (Book 7)

33 1/3 is a new series of short books about critically acclaimed and much-loved albums of the last 40 years. Focusing on one album rather than an artist's entire output, the books dispense with the standard biographical background that fans know already, and cut to the heart of the music on each album. The authors provide fresh, original perspectives - often through their access to and relationships with the key figures involved in the recording of these albums. By turns obsessive, passionate, creative, and informed, the books in this series demonstrate many different ways of writing about music. (A task which can be, as Elvis Costello famously observed, as tricky as dancing about architecture.) What binds this series together, and what brings it to life, is that all of the authors - musicians, scholars, and writers - are deeply in love with the album they have chosen.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

An entry in a series about famous LPs. Vincentelli says that Abba is appropriately represented by a greatest-hits compilation because it was basically a singles band ("few people can name more than two of their albums, let alone tell them apart"). Freed from chronicling the process of putting together a set of songs, she concentrates on Abba's highly successful journey through the top-40 charts. Among other pithy nuggets about the thoroughly enjoyable, if slightly saccharine, ear candy Abba extruded, readers learn that the shimmering "'Dancing Queen' is the song that ensured" the group's long-term international success. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Throughout her meticulously researched, song-by-song exploration of Abba's most famous moments, Vincentelli examines with insight, wit and unabashed fanaticism everything from "Knowing Me, Knowing You"'s domestic drama to, well, the shoulder pads, tights, and foil shirts worn in the "Voulez-Vous" video. In the process, she not only makes a compelling, sincere case for all things Abba but also for pop music itself." - San Francisco Bay Guardian, 5/19/04

“This sensitive, smart, tiny book is amazingly comprehensive, dealing with everything from recording history to the gay following the band developed. Vincentelli, an astute critic and a rabid fan, is just the writer to grasp the many-layered experience that is ABBA.” –Newsday, 4/11/04 (Claire Dederer )

“Vincentelli is an intriguing sociologist (calling Abba one of the few band to link ‘European drag queens and Midwestern housewives, New York hipsters and Japanese students’) and a funny critic (‘Lay All Your Love on Me,’ she says, ‘may well be the gayest song ever recorded by two clean-cut heterosexual couples’).” -–The Boston Phoenix, 7/8/04 (Mike Miliard )

“With Elisabeth’s personal anecdotes thrown into the mix of ABBA’s history, quotes from contemporary critics and musicians, and analyses of the songs that make up ABBA Gold, it’s hard not to read the entire book in one sitting. And for me personally, Elisabeth Vincentelli is the kind of writer I aspire to be- full of musical knowledge, yet passionate and personal about the subject she takes on.” –Cha Cha Charming, June 2004

“Vincentelli’s study of Abba Gold is a valiant effort.” –Jason Dropor, Record Collector, October 2004 (Jason Dropor )

"The author doesn't mind telling you that her favorite song EVER is Abba's "SOS," which is admirably candid (although wrong--"Knowing Me, Knowing You" is the peak of Abba-ness), and she totally gets the blissful unhipness that makes the band beloved by everyone from "European drag queens to Midwestern housewives." --Austin American-Statesman, 10/17/04

'The idea was simple: to ask a group of authors to each write a book about a classic album. What emerged became Continuum's 33 1/3 series. Without guidelines or rules, each author embraced their own favourite album and chose exactly how they wanted to write about it.As a result, each book is by turn anecdotal, obsessive, technical and personal, but always passionate.' (Swell Music, December 2006 )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (March 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826415466
• ISBN-13: 978-0826415462
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Music > History & Criticism
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Rock
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Popular Culture

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling look at ABBA's biggest selling album, June 12, 2004

By 

Ian Cole (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abba's Abba Gold (Thirty Three and a Third series) (Paperback)

ABBA GOLD by Elisabeth Vincentelli is a fascinating in-depth look at the phenomenally successful compilation CD ABBA GOLD, first released in 1992 and which to date has reportedly sold over 25 million copies worldwide. The author delves into the songs themselves, the original context of the songs and where they fit into the history of the group, the albums the songs originally appeared on, the creation of the ABBA GOLD CD and the ABBA revival that coincided with and was fed by its release. She also goes into great detail on why this compilation, rather than any of ABBA's eight studio albums, should qualify as a "classic" album. It's obvious from the text that Elisabeth is a fan of pop music in general and ABBA in particular - she declares `SOS' to be her favourite song, ever. But it's not all blind praise - if negative critical comment is warranted, it's made, but in a constructive manner. The author justifies her arguments in a persuasive manner that the reader may not necessarily agree with, but can find little to argue about.

As a long-term ABBA fan, and contributor to the book, I found it an interesting and compelling read. ABBA GOLD played a huge part in the ABBA revival and the rehabilitation of ABBA in the eyes of the general public, and this book covers that in more detail than anything that's come before. All in all, something different in the ABBA bibliography. Highly recommended for ABBA fans or just fans of great music.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Am I reading the same book as other reviewers??, May 10, 2004

By 

Johnny D. Goode (Athens, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abba's Abba Gold (Thirty Three and a Third series) (Paperback)

I've read 5 other books in this series (Thirty Three and a Third) so far, and this book about Abba shares similar qualities with those: it's smart, well-written, interesting, likeable, and it made me think about what it is that makes music great, and what it means for something to be a 'classic' - oh how I hate that word! - album. Is it possible that some Abba fans are upset because Ms. Vincentelli chose to write about a 'Greatest Hits' record, as opposed to a 'real' Abba album? If so, I can understand that, but the sheer negativity of the two reviews on here so far astounds me. Her choice of album is an interesting one within the context of this series, and I'm amazed that ANY Abba album is being considered alongside such obvious 'album bands' as Pink Floyd, Joy Division, Hendrix, and others.

It looks to me as though the author has done a good deal of research for this short book, and her enthusiasm for the songs shines through. She even goes so far as to say that "SOS" is her favorite song of all time, encapsulating "everything that makes life worth living"! I'm not an Abba expert, so it's possible there are one or two factual errors in here, but I would definitely feel comfortable recommending this book to people.

I'm giving it 4 stars because I can see that if you are an obsessive fan of this band, there might not be much that's new in here for you. But for everybody else who's into Abba, this seems like a great little book to start with.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an ABBA panorama, May 11, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Abba's Abba Gold (Thirty Three and a Third series) (Paperback)

This charming little book is packed with a rich array of facts and opinions, including a brief account of the historical context of the band's original work and (importantly) the way in which the release of ABBA GOLD revitalized the band's career while simultaneously changing the meaning of its work. (You hadn't stopped to think about that, now had you. That's one of the main topics of the book.)

Even better are Vincentelli's close readings of the songs, which increased my pleasure in them (no mean feat!). Best of all, perhaps, are her thoughts on the relationship between rock and pop, and the roles women tend to take, or are assigned, in each.

A real achievement. So! Is this book for everyone? Maybe not, as the sharp mix of negative and positive reviews here demonstrates. So here's the important question: Is it for you? I suggest you scroll up and read "From the inside flap," which is actually an excerpt from the book. The author is discussing the startling fact that "Dancing Queen" begins by launching straight into the chorus, the best part of the song, rather than building up to it. I've heard that song thousands of times, but I'd never even thought about that before. The effect is magical, and now I both understand it better and appreciate it more. If you enjoy that excerpt, grab the book. Otherwise, click elsewhere, and find something that pleases you more.