BOOK REVIEW : “HERE IS A MAJOR REFERENCE…”

ABBA : LET THE MUSIC SPEAK reviewed by Barbara Baker;
published in Brisbane’s The Courier-Mail (ETC section, p62) Saturday 03 January 2009

“GUARANTEED – with this book to guide you – you will never listen to an ABBA recording the same way again. The familiar “simple” sound is in fact composed of layers of imaginative and technical complexity, and Brisbane musician Chris Patrick analyses them right down to the use of the AKG-440 microphone, the “group’s trusted standard”.

“A life-long fan – many of the black and white illustrations are from his own collection – Patrick has broken new ground and won the endorsement of other ABBA experts and of musicians such as Judith Durham.

“He includes the personal histories of the group, but only as they affect the music. Frida’s break with Benny, for example, resulted in her “volatile and pitiless” rendition of verses in Should I Laugh Or Cry. He focuses on the quartet’s musical evolution and the unique skills each brought to it.

“By including excerpts from scores, and explaining them at both laymen’s and trained musicians’ levels, Patrick proves that Benny and Bjorn have always put melody first. But then they find “the right blend of colour to fully express the emotional character of a song.”

“He explains what this means musically. He can’t always avoid jargon, but there is a glossary; there’s also a timeline, selected discography and index.

“The book is in three parts: The Albums, The Sound, The Melodies, allowing individual songs to be approached from different angles. Here is a major reference for fans, musicians and the general public (but have recordings handy), enlivened by Patrick’s enthusiastic prose where past glories “erupt”, and where performances are “quirky”.”