JOE MATERA – THE MAKING OF ABBA: THE STORY BEHIND THE BAND’S BREAKTHROUGH ALBUM
SONICBOND PUBLISHING
BOOK REVIEW BY AARON BADGLEY
By 1975, ABBA had firmly established themselves in Europe and the U.K. as a substantial singles band with the hits starting in 1974, a year before the album ABBA was released. Although their 1974 album Waterloo made number one in the U.K., it was ABBA that author Joe Matera claims, let the world know that they were also an album band. While Waterloo topped the charts around the world, except in North America, and it did feature many hit singles such as “SOS,” “Mamma Mia,” and “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do,” ABBA was a true album.
Joe Matera, with this book, The Making of ABBA: The Story Behind The Band’s Breakthrough Album takes a very detailed and serious look at the album. As a successful musician/writer himself, he has the inside track with knowledge about pop music. He interviewed people who were involved with the album, and his musical knowledge brings in some very interesting observations. He utilizes a number of interviews to back up his opinions, and this is partly what makes the book so interesting to read. Quite honestly, I never knew Gene Simmons was a fan of the band and how KISS may have borrowed a riff or two from the band. He also takes his time with a brief history of the band and, as such, places the album with the context of their career.
Matera also looks at how the band promoted the album. It is easy to forget that ABBA was a touring band that had several successful tours throughout their career. Matera takes a look at the tour and the efforts it took to get that show on the road. He does a very deep dive into each individual song. He explores the lyrics, the music, the production and the arrangement. One sees how much work Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson put into the songs and the album as a whole, both as principal writers and the producers. Matera’s exploration of each song is not only fascinating, but essential in developing a different understanding of the band and the album.
Matera’s style of writing is very straightforward, not overly flowery and very to the point. It is a very concise book in which one learns a great deal in a few pages. He brings the subject to life and even if one is not a huge ABBA fan, the book is a great read. Yes, it is aimed to ABBA fans, but Matera writes in such an inviting manner that if one reads the book, they may become a fan. It does present a strong argument about the album as an album, not merely a collection of songs.
There are several key photos in the book, and, although it is relatively short, it is long on content. Matera, through research and interviews with key people associated with the album, has written an authoritative book on the band and the album itself. It is an extremely well-written book and ideal to learn about ABBA and pop music circa 1975. The Making of ABBA: The Story Behind the Band’s Breakthrough Album is a great text and highly recommended for not just ABBA fans, but for people who want to understand pop music, the music, and the industry at the time.
ISBN: 978-1-78952-378-2
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