Let's Go Crazy

November 10, 2014
On Halloween in 1983, Prince and director Albert Magnoli began filming Purple Rain, building upon the strength of Prince’s 1983 album of the same title. As music journalist Light (The Holy and the Broken) points out in sometimes repetitious, sometimes page-turning, adulatory set of fan’s notes, the album continues—even 30 years after its release—to garner accolades as one of the best albums of all time; when the movie opened, it made back its cost of $7 million in the first weekend and went on to make nearly $70 million. Drawing on interviews with musicians and filmmakers involved in the making of the title song, the album, and the movie, Light provides not only a portrait of a musician compelled to share his musical vision, no matter the cost, but also a cultural history of the times in which the film and music debuted. As guitarist Wendy Malvoin tells Light about Prince’s motivations, “I realized he’s not in the business just strictly for the music, not matter what he tells you; he’s also in it to entertain.” Matt Fink reveals Prince’s desire for control: “If you voiced your opinion, it usually didn’t matter to Prince... he would just say, ‘Somebody’s got to be the boss, and I’m him, that’s it.’ ” Through conversations with contemporary musicians, Light traces the indelible influence of Prince’s Purple Rain. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 says, “It’s Hendrix, it’s James Brown, it’s outer space, it’s church, it’s sex, it’s heavy metal... it’s such a fearless record. The music is just completely limitless and unselfconscious about what it is.” Light’s admiring book follows closely on the release by Warner Brothers—Prince’s original label—of two new Prince albums: Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum.

December 1, 2014

James Brown and Stevie Nicks, new wave synthesizers and Bob Seger, Cold War and postapocalyptic art, Fellini movies and Renaissance-inspired stage clothes, and, in the end, country music, all played some role--large or small--in the creation of Prince's legendary movie and album Purple Rain, says music journalist Light. A former editor at Rolling Stone, the author begins this relatively breezy narrative the same way the song starts--that unmistakable B-flat chord. It's like an aural madeleine for Prince fans and throws them right into the last scene of the movie that draws cigarette lighters out of back pockets everywhere. In a year overflowing with digital "oral histories" and long reads about the making of specific albums, Light's book is perfectly timed to dovetail with the 30th anniversary of Purple Rain and is filled with bons mots about production, including Prince's favorite meal (spaghetti and orange juice), and what really happened in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. VERDICT Keep this enjoyable read on hand for hard-core fans and casual listeners alike. [See Prepub Alert, 6/14/14.]--Stacie Williams, Lexington P.L., KY

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2014
No one in popular music history is quite like Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson), the diminutive, artistic powerhouse of Italian and African American heritage from Minneapolis, who leaped onto the music scene in the 1980s. Prince, writes Light (The Holy or the Broken, 2012), shook the culture, musically and racially, sexually and spiritually, transforming possibilities and ignoring rules. This book celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of Prince's most popular album, Purple Rain, which was also made into a film. Purple Rain began, rather incongruously, at a benefit for the Minnesota Dance Theater. Prince and his band had already started taking dance lessons and rehearsing in preparation for the film version of the song. This was an audacious project, since most of the cast, including Prince, had never acted before, and the director, Albert Magnoli, was a rookie. Nonetheless, a year later, in July 1984, the film opened, and both album and movie became huge hits, launching Prince's singular career into the stratosphere. Light's behind-the-scenes look at a rock classic also offers an enticing glimpse into its charming yet enigmatic creator.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)