Is he not going to respond?

Alex . . do you have plans to republish Possessed?

Don't do a digital version . . put it in print. Even if it's a cheaper type of print I want to be able to hold a book. A digital file isn't cool for a book, I don't wanna swipe. I wanna turn pages

McD said:

The book was a horrendously written, insightless, inaccurate mess. I actually showed a worker in Waterstones a few choice sentences before she apologised and refunded me. It's obvious we are going to see a whole host of new books, and updated old ones. But when the original was so woeful, the author admits no interest or knowledge of his subject subsequent to publishing, and now suddenly wants to update, retitle and cash in, I don't think we should be getting remotely excited. Sorry, but the book was awful. This is the dictionary definition of a shameless cash-in. Complete with telling us he has no new knowledge to even update with, and the bizarre defence of giving money to charity. Why do so if you weren't properly paid for your efforts the first time? And why broadcast it? Don't waste your money.

well said..the funniest thing was that shortly afterwards in 2004 he came back in a huge way & never really looked back. The book was awful IMHO & given the many charitable deeds he did behind the scenes without fanfare you can comfortably argue that it is hugely unbalanced. We loved Prince deeply & accepted him as a human who like us all had his faults BUT at the herat was a highly driven genius.

First impressions of you being on here is that it is nothing mkore than a shameless cash-in..so enjoy jumping on the bandwaggon. Given the global love & huge respect shown from real musicians & those in the arts field your book holds frankly zero credibility IMHO. Sorry but I dont think I am alone in feeling this way.

First of all, my deepest condolences regarding the death of your mother.

.

It´s good to see you back on the org.

Maybe it´s just me but you sound a bit too apologetic as far as your book and a possible update are concerned but you don´t have to. I really enjoyed reading Possessed despite some of the inaccuracies in it, and I think you should definitely work on an update. Whether it´s an ebook or a printed book, it would be great to have an update and I don´t think that it would look like you are trying to profit from his death because let´s face it , there are going to be so many books and other products out there real soon who will want to cash in, and I´d much rather see another book (or rather, updated book) by you , by someone who supported the UPTOWN Magazine staff and who had access to Per Nilsen´s material, than a book by some music journalist who does not really know that much about his subject matter .

I also think it´s a smart and respectful idea to change the title from Possessed-The Rise and Fall of Prince to just "Possessed" because even in his last two decades there were still phases of greatness, whether in commercial or artistic terms.

Personally, I´d much prefer a printed, real book intstead of an ebook.

I think you should update Possessed as soon as possible and release it as fast as you can because in these times of gossip and rumors and with people mourning, it would be the best time to release a book that´s based on interviews with ex-bandmembers, staff, etc. , and I would much rather see another book by you than from some random music journalist.

My only concern is that you´ve been away for so long from the Prince universe, and I am not so sure whehter you can catch up on all the things that have happened since 2002 (the time where your book ends).

If you can re-ignite your passion, this could be a great project and people would not regard it as a way to cash-in. But whether that passion and interest are in you is something that only you can know.

AlexHahn said:

Eileen said:

I bought the hardcover 10 years ago for $5 in new condition. I'm holding it in my hand right now. The price on the cover says $24.95. Amazon wants $400 for it. Who would pay that much? The book is mostly negative about Prince so its not worth buying. The pictures in the book kept me from throwing it in the trash

[Edited 5/6/16 2:41am]

I note the full title is : Possessed: The Rise and Fall of Prince.

I read it and while it has some interesting portions, the full title indicates the main issue and as a result the book got old fast. Not too long after it was published, "fallen" Prince had the no 1 grossing tour in the country and went around charming the masses and further iconizing himself as a timeless artist.

I would read it again out of curiosity but that's it.

McD said:

The book was a horrendously written, insightless, inaccurate mess. I actually showed a worker in Waterstones a few choice sentences before she apologised and refunded me. It's obvious we are going to see a whole host of new books, and updated old ones. But when the original was so woeful, the author admits no interest or knowledge of his subject subsequent to publishing, and now suddenly wants to update, retitle and cash in, I don't think we should be getting remotely excited. Sorry, but the book was awful. This is the dictionary definition of a shameless cash-in. Complete with telling us he has no new knowledge to even update with, and the bizarre defence of giving money to charity. Why do so if you weren't properly paid for your efforts the first time? And why broadcast it? Don't waste your money.

The bolded parts are the parts I am worried about, too.

But...to his credit, he had access to Per Nilsen´s unused material, his book contained interviews with bandmembers and he was enough of a fan to write a book that was, despite its flaws, better than most of the Prince books that are out there. Controversial, yes, but better than, say, Liz Jones´s book.

But I do agree with you about the bolded parts, especially his own admission that he hasn´t really followed Prince´s career since 2002/03 . Per Nilsen once said a similar thing when asked whether he would write a follow-up to DMSR.....that he wasn´t considering it because he wasn´t really following Prince´s career anymore.

I liked Per´s and Alex´s books because of all the details and how much passion they´d put into them but if a new book can´t provide more info than what´s already been out on the org and the articles and interviews that came out after 2003 then there is no point in writing a new book.

But if it is a good update, with interesting new insights, interesting interviews and in paper format, I´m all for it.

As far as the horrendous writing is concerned.....I don´t really remember...I guess I´ll have to give it another read. I remember inaccuracies here and there but don´t really remember how well or badly it was written.

A lot of you are saying that the book is rife with inaccuracies . . would you be willing to sign a release to consult with him so the facts can be corrected for subsequent versions?

Thizz said:

A lot of you are saying that the book is rife with inaccuracies . . would you be willing to sign a release to consult with him so the facts can be corrected for subsequent versions?

That´s a pretty good idea.

Then again, we´ve had so many discussions about that book that I think the author has already taken notes for an updated re-release.

So...do you like the book?

I enjoyed the book, and an update would be welcome by me.

KoolEaze said:

Looking at my shelf, I have about 15 biographies on Prince. Sure, Possessed was hard on him, but it was well researched and included some info unique to that book. Some of them are too easy on Prince. Some (many) are poorly researched. Some have nothing new to offer...

It's not the best book on Prince, but, it's probably in the Top 5.

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

BanishedBrian said:

AlexHahn said:

I'm trying to figure out how to do an electronic release.

I missed it the first time around, so I'd love to see an electronic release.

.

Me too.

Hi Alex, thanks 4 sharing your thoughts

I've quoted from you book many times here in my threads.

Thanks to everyone for their responses to my post. The kind words and enthusiasm are much appreciated. Concerning the criticisms, certainly my effort would always be to try to learn from such feedback.

It's immediately heartwarming, as it always was, to speak to people like you guys that have a such an abiding and deep interest in art, music, and Prince in particular.

Concerning the interest in a hardcover, I am kind of old school myself and even resentful at having lost the experience of holding a physical book. It is certainly something I could look at in terms of a "print on demand" edition or something like that. I have no intention in working through an American publishing house, which was a very frustrating experience.

Thank you for the words of condolence concerning my mother. She played a huge role in "Possessed," as she and my father both edited much of the book.

She had just released her tenth book, which was about genocide. The last time I saw her, the first advance copy of the book had arrived. It has an incredibly stirring cover, as you can see below. I am so very proud of Nicky.

http://www.amazon.com/Cri...all+crimes

djThunderfunk said:

Looking at my shelf, I have about 15 biographies on Prince. Sure, Possessed was hard on him, but it was well researched and included some info unique to that book. Some of them are too easy on Prince. Some (many) are poorly researched. Some have nothing new to offer...

It's not the best book on Prince, but, it's probably in the Top 5.

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

What I liked about it is that it is one of the few books that focuses a bit more on the post WB years, and it had some new info in it whereas most other books were just copying from interviews or they repeated the same old stories again and again. Of course it wasn´t a very flattering book but, given the circumstances (the Uptown lawsuit etc. etc), it was refreshing to see a book that was a bit more critical of him.

However, I´d appreciate a toned down version considering our tragic loss, and considering that we now know things that we didn´t know before. So, for me, it should either be a very updated, partly edited new version of the old book, much like Per Nilsen did with his documentary book(s), or maybe a sequel that picks up the story from where the book Possessed ended.

I wouldn´t want to accuse the author of wanting to cash in because that is a very tough and maybe even mean accusation but his admission that he hasn´t been following Prince´s career in the past decade is more worrying to me than wanting to get paid for his efforts.

-

And I think he is (or was?) qualified enough to write such a book, or should I say enough of a fan to write it, because otherwise Per Nilsen and the Uptown staff would not have supported him, and he would not have been their lawyer when Prince sued them. So the credibility definitely was there but getting into the subject matter again after such a long hiatus is a bit difficult in my opinion, especially when the subject matter was such a mercurial artist that it was not always easy to keep up with what he was doing...and to write a biography without having been there right when things were happening is not easy.

Alex Hahn is scum. every picture in the book has a negative caption about Prince. It's just toilet journalism like the National Enquirer

SanDiegoFunkDaddy said:

Alex Hahn is scum. every picture in the book has a negative caption about Prince. It's just toilet journalism like the National Enquirer

I honestly don´t remember the alleged negativity. This thread definitely makes me want to take a closer look later on. Haven´t read it in a long time.

SanDiegoFunkDaddy said:

Alex Hahn is scum. every picture in the book has a negative caption about Prince. It's just toilet journalism like the National Enquirer

Some Prince fans can't take a critique of ol' boy. But the best and most honest fans embrace a criticism, as much as they scower at the feet of praise.

Good to hear from you Alex. Your book has remained on my coffee table since its release. Prince's last concert was performed on my birthday April 14, so I feel you in respect to the oddness of timing of his passing. Thanks for reconnecting.

AlexHahn said:

Thanks to everyone for their responses to my post. The kind words and enthusiasm are much appreciated. Concerning the criticisms, certainly my effort would always be to try to learn from such feedback.

It's immediately heartwarming, as it always was, to speak to people like you guys that have a such an abiding and deep interest in art, music, and Prince in particular.

Concerning the interest in a hardcover, I am kind of old school myself and even resentful at having lost the experience of holding a physical book. It is certainly something I could look at in terms of a "print on demand" edition or something like that. I have no intention in working through an American publishing house, which was a very frustrating experience.

Thank you for the words of condolence concerning my mother. She played a huge role in "Possessed," as she and my father both edited much of the book.

She had just released her tenth book, which was about genocide. The last time I saw her, the first advance copy of the book had arrived. It has an incredibly stirring cover, as you can see below. I am so very proud of Nicky.

http://www.amazon.com/Cri...all+crimes

Wow you must be very proud of your mother Alex. She accomplished so much. Those books look amazing and on such serious topics. It's great that she got to see the cover before she ascended.

Great to hear from you Alex, loved the book. Nevermind what some say. Hope you can do an updated version & Perhaps you could approach the team that does Princevault to contribute?

Peace, Dean M.

SanDiegoFunkDaddy said:

Alex Hahn is scum. every picture in the book has a negative caption about Prince. It's just toilet journalism like the National Enquirer

Really? Scum? Just like the Natioinal Enquirer? Did the book claim Prince had AIDS? No. Every picture in the book has a negative caption about Prince? How are these negitive captions about Prince?

"Prince recording his first album"? How dare Alex write that? That's so negitive?

"Prince's majestic solos showed the masses that he was not just a pop star but also a brillant musician"? Why so negitive, Alex Hahn?

"Prince arriving at the Acadamy Awards, where he picked up an Oscar"?!? Gasp, how dare he bring that up? That's going too far with the negitivity?

"With Mayte Garcia. In 1996, Mayte would become Prince's first wife"? That's so negitive to bring up the fact that Prince's first wife was Mayte and that they got marred in 1996?

Seriously, every picture in the book does not have a negitive caption about Prince, I could scan more examples but this is enough to debunk that claim.

[Edited 5/7/16 13:20pm]

Sorry, Alex, some of these people are fantatics. A purple cult in fact. the book was good reading.

Just like Alex Hahn was crtical of Prince's career and life choices, fans have the right to be critical of Alex Hahn's writing style and content of the book itself. No one is immune from criticism. With that said, hopefully if Alex Hahn write another book about Prince, he will learn from any mistakes he recognizes and do better next time.

rudeboynpg said:

SanDiegoFunkDaddy said:

Alex Hahn is scum. every picture in the book has a negative caption about Prince. It's just toilet journalism like the National Enquirer

Really? Scum? Just like the Natioinal Enquirer? Did the book claim Prince had AIDS? No. Every picture in the book has a negative caption about Prince? How are these negitive captions about Prince?

"Prince recording his first album"? How dare Alex write that? That's so negitive?

"Prince's majestic solos showed the mases that he was not just a pop star but also a brillant musician"? Why so negitive, Alex Hahn?

"Prince arriving at the Acadamy Awards, where he picked up an Oscar"?!? Gasp, how dare he bring that up? That's going too far with the negitivity?

"With Mayte Garcia. In 1996, Mayte would become Prince's first wife"? That's so negitive to bring up the fact that Prince's first wife was Mayte and that they got marred in 1996?

Seriously, every picture in the book does not have a negitive caption about Prince, I could scan more examples but this is enough to debunk that claim.

[Edited 5/7/16 12:44pm]

Good one!