Review: 'Possessed: The Rise and Fall of Prince'
Jon Bream, Star Tribune

http://www.startribune.co...09887.html

Published April 9, 2003

From Prince's legal adversary to his biographer. That's the leap that Alex Hahn is trying to make.

The Boston lawyer's claim to fame is that he successfully defended Uptown, the respected Prince fanzine, in a 1999 lawsuit brought by the Purple One. He handled that case pro bono for the Sweden-based magazine, which is still publishing. Now he's looking for his payday with "Possessed: The Rise and Fall of Prince."

The book reads like an in-depth fanzine written by a voracious researcher/fan: Lots of facts (most of them previously reported, some new, including Prince being hospitalized at Fairview Southdale in April 1996 for heart palpitations and vomiting); lots of gossip (including women Prince bedded, according to "a knowledgable source," Hahn writes) and tabloid-like coverage of the death of Prince's deformed baby in October 1996.

Hahn interviewed several key figures in Prince's life and career, including former managers Bob Cavallo and Arnold Stiefel; former band members Dez Dickerson, Matt Fink and Rosie Gaines; publicists Howard Bloom and Bob Merlis, and road manager and Paisley Park executive Alan Leeds.

Hahn also relied heavily on interviews conducted by others, chiefly Per Nilsen, Uptown contributor and author of the 1999 book "DanceMusicSexRomance: Prince, the First Decade." (Nilsen is credited with interviewing 30 sources, Hahn with 19.) In his introduction, Hahn cited Nilsen's book and my 1984 biography, "Prince: Inside the Purple Reign," as sources. Hahn never contacted me.

In the first noteworthy Prince book by a U.S. author in two decades, the Boston lawyer/writer also lists people who turned down his interview requests, including Vanity, Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Sheila E., Morris Day and Madonna. Apparently, he did not seek an interview with Prince.

"Possessed" does not offer a serious analysis of Prince's art. Rather, this book chronicles the ups and downs of his career, with plenty of pseudo-psychoanalysis of the shortcomings that eventually toppled him from the top of the pops. Hahn portrays Prince as a self-indulgent, obsessive, demanding, capricious, promiscuous, uncaring, petulant, spoiled brat/genius/workaholic.

This is not a Kirby Puckett-type situation where the public and private images don't jibe. Prince-ophiles have known of these dubious qualities. It's just that no book author has gone where lawyer Hahn has: printing the rumors and whispers.

With all his digging, Hahn tells us that a trip on the drug Ecstasy is what prompted Prince's short-notice cancellation of the release of "The Black Album" in 1987.

The author's unnamed sources suggest that Prince's use of the prescription painkiller Percodan contributed to his erratic behavior circa 2000.

"Possessed" too often seems secondhand and gossipy. Reading it, you wonder if Hahn has ever seen Prince in concert. Could he see the purple through the pain?

smells like another purple reign, folks...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Well this quote tells me it's nothing like Purple reign.

The book reads like an in-depth fanzine written by a voracious researcher/fan

I knew it, this book is gonna be shit

Sounds like a good read. Just have to take it with a grain of salt.

http://pr1nc3.com/news/bo...sessed.asp

For more reviews

Tha is a VERY negatively slanted "review" - I am suprised.

lovemachine said:

Phuc... bart's site lol! Just wait and read it yourself... or not! lol! smile... 8)

I got an email from amazon.com the other day... The book should arrive this week or next week... Hope it is fair and complete. Actually i just bought it for the pictures... lol! I hope to read it at some point. lol! smile... 8)

fjdkfjdkfjdkfjdkfjdkfjdkfjdkfjdkfjkfj

july said:

Interesting that Jon Bream is distancing himself from this book.

Got it today. And it definitely starts out on a sensationalist tone. No major revelations yet either. Nothing that we haven't already read or heard. I'll post a full review when I'm done.

Sounds like Jon Bream doesn't want any other journalist to talk any shit about Prince except him. Does he have more of a right because Prince gave him an invitation to a couple of parties?

lovemachine said:

believe me, i can smell yella journalism...and the guy didn't even ask mr. bream 4 permission 2 use his book as a guide/4 excerpts and such...

mr. hahn's a man of the law, ya think he'd know that's a bit of a no-no?

chickengrease said:

that, and he's been in the man's ass from the git-go...

naturegirl said:

Oh Christ - Do shut the fuck up with that shite.

You haven't read the book, and according to the authors interviews, he holds Prince in high esteem.

Saying everything is good, and anything that explores or questions a topic is negative is not a valid argument, it is over-fauning adulation.

MiaBocca said:

From the sounds of the review, it seems like it is flooding with exploitation. I'm happy to see there are those who choose not to comment, or be interviewed. Peace out!

[This message was edited Tue Apr 8 19:40:11 PDT 2003 by naturegirl]

july said:

OK, this book really holds NO credibility at ALL for me now...

Prince doesn't indulge in such revolting, undignified activities as VOMITING.

AmethystAngelMN said:

Plus the fact that isn't this story based on what the Mojica sisters sold to the tabloid shortly after they were fired? If Hahn is the journalist he says he is, one would think that such an incident would not be easy to hide, considering what a small town atmosphere pervades Minnesota.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

You don't have to contact or pay someone to use their material as a source you only have to credit it which he did.

lovemachine said:

awright, that clears that up, then...thanx, lovemachine!

I'm sure Prince will be sending thank you notes for this
review below, explaining how the book portrays him.


"Possessed" does not offer a serious analysis of Prince's art. Rather, this book chronicles the ups and downs of his career, with plenty of pseudo-psychoanalysis of the shortcomings that eventually toppled him from the top of the pops. Hahn portrays Prince as a self-indulgent, obsessive, demanding, capricious, promiscuous, uncaring, petulant, spoiled brat/genius/workaholic.



The name of the book, hmmm, now if Prince ever did fall,
I'm just sure he got up right away.


Like I said, he is a living legend.

I don't care what anyone says; even without this review Hahn comes across as fishy in his own interviews.

NuPwrSoul said:

Right, he actually says in the interview I posted earlier that all he had was a News Of The World (trashy sensationalist UK tabloid) article to go on as regards the baby rumours.

NuPwrSoul said:

Yes, I believe that it is. I believe I read that the Mojica sisters claimed that Mayte found Prince on a couch one night, unconscious and with a bottle of pills or booze nearby, and they all rushed him to the hospital. But those sisters said A LOT of things so I basically put no stock into the stories they tell of their time of employment w/him and Mayte.



Exactly. He's sure relying on a lot of gossip and heresay from not so reliable sources for his book. I'll be interested to hear your take on it as you read it further, NuPwrSoul.
[This message was edited Tue Apr 8 20:02:43 PDT 2003 by AmethystAngelMN]

NuPwrSoul said:

Oh goody! lol! smile... 8)

I think everyone should read it and judge for themselves... It's obvious that it was written by the lawyer who was representing the fanzine Uptown Magazine after Prince sued them. So it was written under those conditons and after the fact... It's a book take it or leave it. smile... 8)

Essence said:

What I read with regards to the NOTW is that he wanted to dispell alot of of the stuff that was written in that.

july said:

typical



typical

squirrelgrease said:

Damn right,squirrel grease! Got mine today BTW

sounds like this book is a bunch of gossip and hearsay to me.