on Prince i have ever read it is also one of THE best books i have read.

It is beautifully written and written from such a refreshing and spiritual angle i was left feeling quite awe inspired once finishing it.

bravo sir!

a worthy,worthy collection to the prince literature canon

http://www.youtube.com/wa...9hT9LaOx4M

I'm guessing accuracy and facts are not important to you?

The thesis and approach were great, but, his inability to fact check is inexcusable and embarrassing. He's also overly verbose and says things with pages that could easily be communicated with paragraphs.

In my not-so-humble opinion, of course...

djThunderfunk said:

I'm guessing accuracy and facts are not important to you?

The thesis and approach were great, but, his inability to fact check is inexcusable and embarrassing. He's also overly verbose and says things with pages that could easily be communicated with paragraphs.

In my not-so-humble opinion, of course...

Plus it doesn't even talk about Prince's half brother: Alfred.

Trickology said:

djThunderfunk said:

I'm guessing accuracy and facts are not important to you?

The thesis and approach were great, but, his inability to fact check is inexcusable and embarrassing. He's also overly verbose and says things with pages that could easily be communicated with paragraphs.

In my not-so-humble opinion, of course...

Plus it doesn't even talk about Prince's half brother: Alfred.

but isnt Al in a mental hospital?

jonylawson said:

on Prince i have ever read it is also one of THE best books i have read.

It is beautifully written and written from such a refreshing and spiritual angle i was left feeling quite awe inspired once finishing it.

bravo sir!

a worthy,worthy collection to the prince literature canon

http://www.youtube.com/wa...9hT9LaOx4M

I sincerely cannot tell whether or not you are posting this purely to troll. Not that I feel strongly one way about the issue of this book or not, but I just have no idea if you're being serious.

djThunderfunk said:

I'm guessing accuracy and facts are not important to you?

The thesis and approach were great, but, his inability to fact check is inexcusable and embarrassing. He's also overly verbose and says things with pages that could easily be communicated with paragraphs.

In my not-so-humble opinion, of course...

Have you read the book?

its an incredible three thesis's brought together through his spirituality in his work.

No im not 'trolling" as a well read person i just couldnt believe how well written this book was..if your after "facts" you have the wrong book.

how many "Prince roger nelson was born in mount sinai hospital in 1958...........etc etc etc"

reading the global reviews its almost as if the subject matter has been transcended by the writers talent and the refreshing slant the author took.

do you lot even get bitter over a book ?

djThunderfunk said:

I'm guessing accuracy and facts are not important to you?

The thesis and approach were great, but, his inability to fact check is inexcusable and embarrassing. He's also overly verbose and says things with pages that could easily be communicated with paragraphs.

In my not-so-humble opinion, of course...

"fact check"

I didnt notice any glaring errors..one slight one and that was it.

in no way did it detract from my enjoyment.And shit that book made me think which no other book on this subject matter has done before

jonylawson said:

on Prince i have ever read it is also one of THE best books i have read.

It is beautifully written and written from such a refreshing and spiritual angle i was left feeling quite awe inspired once finishing it.

bravo sir!

a worthy,worthy collection to the prince literature canon

http://www.youtube.com/wa...9hT9LaOx4M

I'd have to agree that it might be the best book on Prince that I've read. Of course, most of it derives from the opinions of the author (and ?uestlove), but it's a really well done piece. There were a few factual errors, but not enough to mar the book's impact.

Factual errors in ANY published book is WACK!

How can fans know more than someone who thinks that they are deserving to write and SELL a book to the public?

EMPEROR101 said:

Factual errors in ANY published book is WACK!

How can fans know more than someone who thinks that they are deserving to write and SELL a book to the public?

you obviously havent read the book have you?

this is not a "factual"book per se

You just bumped it up my wants/shopping list jony. I did listen to the lectures a while back - interesting stuff.

jonylawson said:

EMPEROR101 said:

Factual errors in ANY published book is WACK!

How can fans know more than someone who thinks that they are deserving to write and SELL a book to the public?

you obviously havent read the book have you?

this is not a "factual"book per se

My point is, It's pretty sad when you have someone like Questlove, a self-proclaimed "Prince scholar"

Saying its the best Prince book and there are errors in it that a true "Prince scholar" wouldn't praise.

EMPEROR101 said:

jonylawson said:

you obviously havent read the book have you?

this is not a "factual"book per se

My point is, It's pretty sad when you have someone like Questlove, a self-proclaimed "Prince scholar"

Saying its the best Prince book and there are errors in it that a true "Prince scholar" wouldn't praise.

again PLEASE enlighten me...

what errors?

NouveauDance said:

You just bumped it up my wants/shopping list jony. I did listen to the lectures a while back - interesting stuff.

yes its one of the most interseting i have had in a long time..well worth it

jonylawson said:

EMPEROR101 said:

My point is, It's pretty sad when you have someone like Questlove, a self-proclaimed "Prince scholar"

Saying its the best Prince book and there are errors in it that a true "Prince scholar" wouldn't praise.

again PLEASE enlighten me...

what errors?

To be honest with you-

I haven't read the book myself, (Although i plan to) I watched the thing on Okayplayer with Alan leeds, Questlove, and Tour'e and i didnt hear anything that i didnt already know, I also have read several accounts of people on Amazon that said it wasn't that great for someone that's already read some of the other major books (i own All of them).

I still plan to check it out though. Its nice to hear that some people enjoyed it.

jonylawson said:

Have you read the book?

its an incredible three thesis's brought together through his spirituality in his work.

No im not 'trolling" as a well read person i just couldnt believe how well written this book was..if your after "facts" you have the wrong book.

how many "Prince roger nelson was born in mount sinai hospital in 1958...........etc etc etc"

reading the global reviews its almost as if the subject matter has been transcended by the writers talent and the refreshing slant the author took.

do you lot even get bitter over a book ?

Yes, I read the book the week it came out. Here's the review I wrote immediately after I finished:

djThunderfunk said:

Alright, just finished it.

Thesis & Originality: This is not another bio with the same old info regurgitated for the umpteenth time. Toure breaks things down in three chapters: one to explain Prince's relationship to the zeitgiest of Generation X, one to delve into sexuality in Prince and his music, and the last to illustrate spirituality & religion in Prince's music and posit that this is the ultimate message of his music. A unique approach. I give it an A.

Prose: Toure's writing is engaging and interesting. He keeps things interesting and enjoyable, but not fascinating. I give it a B.

Focus & Editing: The writing is VERY verbose. Toure often uses pages to say what could be said in a paragraph. He belabours the point and is unnecessarily repetitive. This is especially annoying in the opening chapter on Gen X. Maybe it's because I am generation x, I kept thinking "I get it, stop defining what it means to be Gen X". I give this a C.

Journalism / fact-checking & proofreading: On page 25, he says the song Papa is from 1996, when it is actually from 1994. On page 65 and again on page 140, he misquotes the lyrics to "1999". On page 124 he states that the song "A Place In Heaven" is from the Black Album. If I was having a conversation about Prince with Toure and he made these mistakes, I would correct him, he could call me a geek, and we could move on with the conversation. This is a book that he's selling for $19.99, a book that will be in libraries for years. I'm unforgiving of this sloppiness. I give it an F.

Overall: I've read about a dozen Prince books, some great & some awful. This one was pretty good and worth the read. There's alot in here for fans to discuss and argue about. It should spark a few discussions right here on the org. It's too bad some effort couldn't be put into being accurate in respect to the details. It seems to me this would be the easiest part of writing a book. All of the mistakes I mentioned could be corrected consulting album covers. He also thanks Prince Vault & Questlove in the book. He could have corrected these mistakes by spending a few minutes using Prince Vault as a resource. Or, perhaps Questlove, the self proclaimed "Prince scholar" could have proof read the book for him. Surely a Prince scholar would catch these mistakes. I give the book a C+. I would give a 2nd edition with corrections a solid B.

In my not-so-humble opinion, of course...

A little bit later I added this:

djThunderfunk said:

I wrote the above review minutes after finishing and closing the book. I've thought about it a little at work and have a few things to add...

Although Toure's thesis is interesting, it's not enough for a whole book. At 150 pages this is the perhaps the shortest book on Prince I have read. Considering in my opinion the 150 pages could easily be condensed to 100 pages if a good editor removed a lot of the unnecessarily verbose repetition, it's REALLY not enough for a book. Maybe it's enough for about 1/3 of a book. I think he should have done this:

- approx 100 page of bio, not an in depth retread of what can be found in a dozen other books, but a brief recap of Prince's life & career for those that haven't read other bios, and up to date for those that have read others, to at least get a little something new.

- approx 100 pages of this book edited down to be less verbose & repetitive.

- approx 100 pages analyzing the vastness of Prince's discography.

This would have made for a more well-rounded book.

And as I harped on in the other post, for funk's sake, hire someone at Prince Vault to proof read and fact check for you. I just can't get over the factual inaccuracies. It's unforgivable and easily avoidable. For me it knocks all the good qualities down several pegs, because, why should I take a writer seriously who can't be arsed to get his facts right. If your facts are wrong, I have trouble giving a shit about your opinions...

I stick by the opinions I had at the time.

I agree that the three thesis' are interesting and thought provoking. They are the best thing about the book.

I never said you were trolling.

I don't "get bitter over a book". I simply have a different opinion than you do.

jonylawson said:

"fact check"

I didnt notice any glaring errors..one slight one and that was it.

in no way did it detract from my enjoyment.And shit that book made me think which no other book on this subject matter has done before

You may have only noticed one error, I noticed quite a few. I noted most of them in the above review.

It did detract from my enjoyment. As I said before: "For me it knocks all the good qualities down several pegs, because, why should I take a writer seriously who can't be arsed to get his facts right. If your facts are wrong, I have trouble giving a shit about your opinions."

As always... In my not-so-humble opinion.

EMPEROR101 said:

Factual errors in ANY published book is WACK!

How can fans know more than someone who thinks that they are deserving to write and SELL a book to the public?

Especially such a short book at such a high price.... $19.99 for a small, 150 page paperback?!?

The book will be in libraries and used as a reference for people that are into Prince and his music. It should be accurate.

And would it be difficult or expensive to hire the right person(people) to proof-read and correct it? Wouldn't that be the easiest part of the work that goes into writing a book like this?

All you have to do in this case is check album liner notes and/or Prince Vault. It's that simple. I assume Toure has access to the albums and I know he is aware of Prince Vault because he mentions them in the book.

If he were writing a paper for a class the factual errors would have hurt his grade, would it not?

whoooo

alot of words my friend..i dont have time unfortunately to read your review....

im sure its great

look im sorry i loved the book,the jorno could have said purple rain came out in 98 and it wouldnt have detracted what i got from it.

this is so indicitive of the org in recent years

somebody says they like/love/enjoy something..and then these odd people come out and start ranting that you DARE enjoy something they didnt and heres why YOU SHOULDNT ENJOY IT...

i find it highly odd

jonylawson said:

this is so indicitive of the org in recent years

somebody says they like/love/enjoy something..and then these odd people come out and start ranting that you DARE enjoy something they didnt and heres why YOU SHOULDNT ENJOY IT...

i find it highly odd

I'm not telling you why you shouldn't enjoy the book. IF you had read my review, you'd know that, overall, I enjoyed it, too.

Sorry if it takes alot of words to explain the entirety of what I did and didn't like about the book and why, but, I was still less verbose than Toure.

I find it highly odd that you find any of my responses to be "ranting that you DARE enjoy something they didnt". I thought we were discussing what we liked and didn't like about it. I thought that was the purpose of your posting in the forum, to have such discussions. I didn't know you were taking the discussion as a personal attack.

mine will be delivered Friday...looking forward to a good read.

Jony, how did you get it, is it on sale somewhere in Auckland? Its the only one I haven't got, as I managed to get Behind the masks at Real Groovy and Matt Thornes book from Whitcoulls Sylvia Park. But I haven't seen Toure anywhere yet.

I could get it off Amazon, but their huge postage charges to NZ (At least $13) eliminate any possible discounts.

jonylawson said:

on Prince i have ever read it is also one of THE best books i have read.

It is beautifully written and written from such a refreshing and spiritual angle i was left feeling quite awe inspired once finishing it.

bravo sir!

a worthy,worthy collection to the prince literature canon

http://www.youtube.com/wa...9hT9LaOx4M

really?...the best? i hated it lol but at least i only paid 13 not 19.99 wow

Adorecream said:

Jony, how did you get it, is it on sale somewhere in Auckland? Its the only one I haven't got, as I managed to get Behind the masks at Real Groovy and Matt Thornes book from Whitcoulls Sylvia Park. But I haven't seen Toure anywhere yet.

I could get it off Amazon, but their huge postage charges to NZ (At least $13) eliminate any possible discounts.

amazon..pre ordered via the american site..only 12 bucks

I feel the book is much too "wordy", I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if Toure didn't seem to frequently use uncommon words seemingly just for the sake of appearing to be a wordsmith. Maybe I could use a brush up on my vocabulary, but that issue became a bit annoying and unnecessary to me.

Overall, though, I did enjoy the book, though I agree it seemed much longer than necessary at times.

rdhull said:

Trickology said:

Plus it doesn't even talk about Prince's half brother: Alfred.

but isnt Al in a mental hospital?

Is Charles Smith on the org? He should be questioned for this story's legitimacy. Was he ever on a podcast? Will any of y'all help us solve the mystery of Alfred? What if Prince told Charles to say that to the Prince journalists to make them look crazy?

jonylawson said:

Adorecream said:

Jony, how did you get it, is it on sale somewhere in Auckland? Its the only one I haven't got, as I managed to get Behind the masks at Real Groovy and Matt Thornes book from Whitcoulls Sylvia Park. But I haven't seen Toure anywhere yet.

I could get it off Amazon, but their huge postage charges to NZ (At least $13) eliminate any possible discounts.

amazon..pre ordered via the american site..only 12 bucks

This book sounds like a hash job of the previous books, I want a book on the investigation of Alfred. We have to get him out of Mental Hospital & we need a book from Alfred. Prince doesn't want to talk? Alfred will talk.

Trickology said:

jonylawson said:

amazon..pre ordered via the american site..only 12 bucks

This book sounds like a hash job of the previous books, I want a book on the investigation of Alfred. We have to get him out of Mental Hospital & we need a book from Alfred. Prince doesn't want to talk? Alfred will talk.