ABBA & Me
ABBA & Me is a fascinating journey through the life and ABBA fandom of Dutch fan Robert Verbeek.
In ABBA & Me Robert talks about first becoming an ABBA fan in 1976, which inevitably led to becoming a collector, scouring shops, fairs and Record Collector magazine for ABBA rarities.
Robert discusses the cloak and dagger world of creating the first ABBA bootleg album and later the first two ABBA CDs. He talks candidly of his time as one of the moderators of the official ABBA site forum. He relates several meetings with ABBA members and the changes he's noticed in ABBA collecting over the years through attending ABBA conventions. He also relates the enjoyment that he gets from creating and maintaining his popular website ABBA Plaza.
The book includes photographs of many of Robert's rare ABBA records, encounters with ABBA members, autographs he's collected, and a look through the evolution of his website.
I had to laugh when, in a section on other ABBA websites, I was described as "ABBA Know All".
ABBA & Me is an enjoyable read, and another worthy addition to the ABBA bookshelf.
ABBA & Me is available directly from ABBA Plaza in both English and Dutch editions.
4 May 2008
