MurphDrag777 said:

I would sincerely welcome a Prince biography from Alan Leeds. Not only does Alan possess genuine passion for musical disciplines ( he definitely knows his RnB from his synthesised pop) but he also has a proven track record as a respected raconteur. Also, his style of writing is bound to irritate significantly less than Hahn's droning, unengaging and repetitive tabloid-like approach.

More importantly, Alan has endured a long professional relationship with Prince and is bound to have unparallelled insight into what, to all intents and purposes, has been an incredible career. Look forward to more priceless anecdotes, not to mention a more balanced argument. Indeed Alan's fleeting but illuminating anecdotes are the best thing about "Possessed".

Whatever Alan's views on the matter and, make no mistake, they are bound to resonate with those of Alex Hahn's since I expect they will come from pretty much the same perspective - not necessarily a bad thing in itself - , at least it will be gleaned from first hand knowledge of his subject. Doubtless, Alan's assesment is likely to be executed with much more flair and style and there is more of a possibility that the public will get both the good and the bad articulated with a more balanced, less partisan approach.

So, yes, whether it really happens or not, I too look forward to a possible future biography from the pen of Alan Leeds with immense anticipation. .

.

AlexHahn said:

great
book
Alex!

Off-topic, but Alex Hahn was in a great punk band The Volcano Suns. On-topic, read the book people before you get yourselves wound up. It's definately NOT a hard-cover National Enquirer article, as some would have you think.

Prince can be a big schween-bag.

The first time I saw Prince was the "When Doves Cry' video and I was much younger at the time. I knew he was no saint.

Having seen some of Mr. Hahn's previous posts, I am adult enough to admit that I'm somewhat prejudiced. It has seemed to me that he's out to 'crucify' Prince. That Prince makes it easy to do not withstanding, I feel like I'd need a shower after reading the book.

Also like Ian, I have a life, so it's not on the TOP of my list of things to do, but maybe one day...


Storm

squirrelgrease said:

I agree.I just finished the book and contrary to popular belief,it's not some bitter,tabloid-style,negative assault on Prince.And truthfully,much of the negative stuff in the book has already been reported elsewhere,many times throughout the years.

Let's not beat around the bush. Prince has indeed been a "scuzzbag" throughout most of his career and we're a pretty tolerant bunch here at the org.

Just for the record, I truly believe Prince was guilty of abusing the legal system when he sued UPTOWN magazine. The outcome of said legal action and the resulting backlash against him was nothing less than what Prince richly deserved for being such a prima-donna.

But here lies the problem. Hahn has made Prince's already well documented control-freakery and emotional terrorism such a salient feature of his book that it ultimately overpowers everything else.

For such an expensive package, not only is the book decidedly low-brow and a lousy read, it also seems to have been written in an almighty rush whilst the proofreaders were on vacation. Its pages are littered with typos and spelling errors, not even people's surnames are immune to the ever-present sloppiness. Even the picture credits are suspect.

Hahn's limitations as a writer have not escaped the notice of commentators, such as the reviewer of 'Q' magazine who observed that "Hahn is a lawyer and he writes like one". Far from being a compliment, it alludes to the fact that "Possessed" is such a humour-free zone.
Hahn seems incapable of making a single valid point without falling prey to cacophony, which is a shame given that he has been given access to a goldmine of sources and existing reliable research has been handed to him on a plate.

Ultimately, he's far too reliant on the crumbs and leftovers from other far superior biographies.

As a lawyer, Hahn is not averse to a spot of manipulation, which probably explains why he found it too irresistible to indulge in a spot of literary wank. Unfortunately for most consumers, it is a wank with a hefty price tag.

Hahn's tragedy is that, even when he hits the nail on the head (which isn't very often) the book fails to ignite even as an expose.

The book's last few paragraphs are a blatant echo of the conclusion of Albert Goldman's notorious biography of Elvis(the book "Possessed" most resembles in intent), even though Hahn has gone to great pains in interviews to peddle the hilarious notion that his book should somehow be perceived as "a labour of love".

Far from being a worthy follow-up to "D.M.S.R.", "Possessed" is a wasted opportunity.

Hahn would be well advised to have his cliches surgically removed before attempting to write another biography.

It's early days, but the meagre financial benefits of the book may already have outweighed its dubious merits.

Here's hoping Hahn enjoys them while they last.


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[This message was edited Sat Jul 5 8:26:56 PDT 2003 by giotto]

Damn !
I agree 100% to your post giotto.

Well 99% .Prince was in legal boundries to sue Uptown.He should have tried another avenue to settle his dispute however.
[This message was edited Sun Jul 6 3:12:46 PDT 2003 by muleFunk]