Customer Reviews

As I Am Abba: Before and Beyond

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Agnetha is well known for being a recluse, so to see her emerge again through words is fantastic. I respect her right to choose this lifestyle especially since the media hounded her for years. I love this book for several reasons: it's the first time I have read issues from Agnetha's side, and to see photo's that she chose, which are photos I have never seen before. Agnetha possesses one of the most amazing voices of our time, and people should remember her for that rather than any dirt they can find on her. She was part of a pop group which had a big impact on my childhood and they are memories that I will cherish forever. I bought this book as a compliment to my vinyl and CD collection. While its translation to English isn't the best at times, the layout makes up for it. The next step is for you to buy her greatest hits which focuses on her solo career, titled 'That's Me'. From there, if you want to find a great ABBA album may I suggest 'The Visitors' - it showcases her vocals.

This book traces the Agnetha line of the Abba story, from her musical childhood in Jönköping, to her first band, through her first singles into the Abba days and into today. If your interest in Abba lies mostly in the music and the shows, the fluid narration and the huge, colorful photos on almost every page make the book worth the money. If you love Agnetha, though, the book holds more. You'll learn a lot about her personality, her feelings toward her musical life, and her conservative home-centered values. Though it may take a second read to catch everything about Agnetha's persona, IT IS ALL THERE. Read carefully and you will feel a sort of personal connection with Agnetha, almost as if you knew her well sometime. The emotionally reserved, yet expressive writing style has that special Agnetha quality; this experience cannot be reproduced by reading the liner notes to Abba Gold or any other Abba book. Definitely a must-read for all Abba fans, not just the devotees.

Agnetha is a wonderful singer and interesting person. It is a pity that sometimes her talent is not portrayed that well in books on ABBA. Some authors are just not
capable to handle such a task. I do not like most ABBA books for this reason. Carl Magnus Palm e.g. pops out one book after the other without ever talking to
Agnetha herself. And without being fair to eighter her talent or successful long time career. His ABBA stories are merely a simple reprint of the ABBA interviews
that were printed in magazines during the years, illustrated with pictures we have seen before. Boring.

Brita Ahman's book 'As I Am' on the otherhand is a new book with a real new (1997) interview with Agnetha. Okay, Agnetha could have been more open and
talk more about her frustrations during the ABBA years, her fights with manager Stig and her currentlife. But she does shine a light on the kind of person she is. She
reveals how she got into the showbizz. To me 'the early years chapters' are the most interesting. It is nice to learn that she had music in her at a very young age,
how she felt when she turned into Swedens biggest popstar and how ABBA was created (it is the detail in these stories that interest me.)

Being an ABBA fan for years I read the book 'The complete recording sessions' (the only decent book by C.M. Palm) and was intrigued then by Agnetha's
involvement in ABBA's records. Her voice is a golden thread in ABBA's music author Brita Ahman writes in As I Am, and she is right. Even today Agnetha alone
is more ABBA then Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid will ever be.

As much as I like 'As I Am', I have to say that there is so much more to Agnetha's life and music then this books reveals. In Holland and Belgium a fantastic book
called 'ABBA - On Speaking Terms' is released. I've been told it will be released worldwide too. Look out for this book, fellow fans! Together with 'As I am',
'ABBA On Speaking Terms' gives you the most complete and revealing insight in Agnetha's life with and without ABBA! And the pictures, both old and new, are
rare and stunning. Buy 'As I am' and especially 'ABBA - On Speaking Terms' and get to know Agnetha (and ABBA) the way she really is!

I saw this book on the internet when I was about 10, and have longed for it ever since. I tried 100's of ways of getting it but no matter what, it was Unavaliable. Then, yesterday, my best friend had it for me, after almost 4 years of wanting it really badly! I sat down and read it cover to cover - twice! It is the best book you could ever hope to read, and has a family photo of Ingvar, Birgit, Agnetha and Mona in it, the only photos of her sister, Mother and Father you can find. I really recomend this book.

I didn't know much gossip about ABBA before I read this book, and having read it, I certainly know more than I did, mainly about the career and inside world of Agnetha as a performer. But as an average reader and former fan of ABBA I would have liked to know more about her personal life, and about her as a person, not as a performer. Although some people have commented in these reviews that there are wonderful photos, what I was really hoping to see was pictures of her with her family, her children, her parents, and her sister, and what they really thought about her as a daughter, a mother, and a sister. All the pictures show her as a part of ABBA onstage or in her professional life, except for one very blurry and old picture of her as a little girl with her parents and her baby sister. I expected more interesting pictures, especially of her children.

This book gives an incredible view at Agnetha as she is. I think that she is one of the greatest singers of all time and that it is terrible how she was corrupted by the media in such a vile way. Even though the translations are occasionally a little bit shaky you still get an amazing insight into Agnethas career. This is a very moving book and is one of my prized posessions. Anybody who loves Abba would really enjoy this book from start to end. Reading about how she survived two divorces and the death of both parents and still emerging strong at the end is really quite incredible. This is a terrible cliche I know, but,Agnetha, THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC!

I have read parts of different books about ABBA, but I have never liked to read the books about my favorite group.. for different reasons - and the main one is because in all these books it was not ABBA members' points of view, but the different person's. This is why I decided to try "As I Am" - not only because Agnetha Faltskog has been my favorite star for 10 years. I started the book the very day I took it in my hands and I was not able to put it aside and go to sleep until the next morning, when I finished it. I just could not go to sleep until I finished!
The book is interesting, it is really very interesting. The style is nice and easy to read, although never plain. The authors shared their opinion on many points and revealed many questions one, who is interested in ABBA or Agnetha, can feel the need to ask. There are some funny and witty momnets that can easy make you smile. And which was the main point, for me at least, you can see the author's thoughts, her opinion on many things, her attitude to many problems. Agnetha really shares a lot with this book. It is not thrue that this book is empty - it is just fuul of deep thoughts of the wonderful woman, she shared with readers.
Oh, yes, and pictures - the pictures are great! This book alone is enpgh to feel in love with the author. Thank you, Agnetha.

Sincerely,
Tatiana

Agnetha Faltskog's book is truly for the ultimate ABBA fan. It gives you the chance to hear her side of the story of her life with ABBA. Beautiful pictures, great text. It is one of my most valued possessions of this great woman of music.

There's a fascinating story in the saga of Abba, but the beautiful, warm, seductive and gloriously voiced Agnetha isn't telling it, for some reason. Though some of the photos are very enjoyable (Agnetha, you've aged more than gracefully), the book itself is aggravatingly superficial. I felt cheated, frankly. Perhaps Frida can step to the plate and tell the real story - not about the love affairs (as I agree with Agnetha that it's none of our business), but about the music and the business behind the scenes. Brilliant music - astonishing success - truly great live act - how did it all happen? What was it like? C'mon Frida, give it a go.....

This is a great book, if you can read between the lines. Agnetha will never speak badly about other people. If that is what you would like to hear, then read a tabloit. Agnetha has matured in a decent and honourable way. She knows her faults and isn't ashamed about it. In this book she tells in detail about her pre-ABBA life. This is very interesiting to read. One gets to know the reason why she wanted to be on stage and sing; not to portay herself, but to let her talent shine! Ofcourse she was always the more interesting singer of ABBA. Her voice was a golden tread through the music of the group. Without her there is no ABBA. One can agrue if the same can be said about Frida. Agnetha is modest about her contribution. This makes her all the more worthy. If you are interested in Agnetha as a person and a singer, this is your book. If you are only interested in Agnetha as a part of ABBA, then maybe you'll end up a little dissapionted, cause Agnetha's carreer is far more than just ABBA.