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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice little album, July 31, 2000
When ABBA split (v. quietly in 1982/3), the two amazing singers who gave the band its identity and vocal magic, took very different career paths. Frida bravely opted for a harder-edged rock sound while Agnetha kept to the Bright'n'Shiny Pop side of the fence. This, her first international solo album stands out as her best. Everything was working: the bright pop songs, the look and, of course, Mike Chapman's glossy production (previous credits include Blondie's biggest hits). Agnetha was in great voice - in fact, she would not shine as brightly on her subsequent solo albums. But I digress....The stand-out tracks include the rock-lite 'Can't Shake Loose'. Penned by Russ Ballard, (who also wrote Frida's terrific hit 'I Know There's Something Going On') it became Agnetha's biggest US hit, reaching #29 on the Billboard chart. The title track, written by Mike Chapman & Holly Knight is another little gem. Agnetha wrote one song for the album, a gentle ballad called 'Man'. While it's not a masterpiece, it has real charm and the acoustic guitar & hammond arrangement compliment Agnetha's beautiful voice very well. As with most solo outings by singers with famous bands, there is a fair amount of genre hopping, albeit the most lightweight in each category. There's rock ('Can't Shake Loose'); blues ('Take Good Care Of Your Children'); calypso (the rather tedious 'The Heat Is On'); 60s pop (the throwaway 'Mr.Persuasion'); and Manilow-esque balladry ('To Love' - a tad cloying, maybe). But here's the surprising thing.... Agnetha always shunned overt sexuality in her image, preferring to cast a more romantic light on things. Yet this album almost casts her as a career strumpet. Take the the tousled Bananarama-in-a-brothel cover shot (where our Aggie seems to give us the 'come-hither') for example. And what about the sub-'Je T'aime' panting on the awful 'Stay'... Plus, the middle section of 'Wrap Your Arms Around Me', where Agnetha breathlessly exhorts her man as follows: 'circle your hips... that's the way... that's the way'. Given the importance she places on integrity, I'm just surprised that Agnetha indulged a style that is so much at odds with her persona. Still, 'Wrap Your Arms Around Me' is, to my mind, Agnetha's best solo album. If you like your pop light, frothy and middle-of-the-road, give this one a whirl.
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~ Agnetha Faltskog
~ Agnetha Faltskog
~ Agnetha Faltskog
~ Agnetha Faltskog
~ Frida
by Agnetha Fältskog 
