Prince & Purple Rain 40 Years Book Review – Immortalizes The Iconic Musical Genius, A Must Have

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Category: Books

Published on Friday, 27 December 2024 12:01

Written by Janet Walker

Prince & Purple Rain 40 Years, authored by Andrea Swensson, opens the vault into the life of the musical genius, Prince, and provides an all-access pass into his early life, when fame hit, and his legacy.

Distributed by Quarto Publishing, Maya Rudolph, a self-described Prince superfan, provides the book's "Forward," and explains the many moments of her childhood etched in indelible memories. "It was the summer of '84, when my dad took me to see Purple Rain." Like a soundtrack dropping, she explains those unforgettable moments when she heard "1999" and "Raspberry Beret" for the first time. She finishes the "Forward" stating, "Even though he's gone, his voice is always right there. Clear and pitch perfect. Like the music existed before him and he had to embody it for it to live. It's hard to put into words, but I have always believed Prince to be music itself.  A physical manifestation of sound. If anyone is that, it's him."

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Prince & Purple Rain 40 years is divided into eight star filled chapters beginning with "Before the Rain," subtitled with "The Sky was All Purple," which gives readers a peek into Prince's background, home life, and upbringing in Minneapolis. Born Prince Roger Nelson, he was the son of a jazz player and a social worker. In a home filled with violence, Prince explained he was thankful when his parents divorced. And as soon as his dad left, the young Prince began to create. Prince gravitated to the funky sound of the day, a mix of Motown, Ohio Players, the brass and percussion sounds that got people moving. Signed by Warner Bros., in 1978, it would be sometime before his fire, and magic would ignite a revolution.

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Swensson introduces readers to Prince and "The Revolution," in Chapter 2, explaining how Prince, had a vision of the band he wanted to create in his mind, and worked to build that sound. For a revolutionist and a disruptor gender didn't matter, and his band took shape. "Once they all experienced the spike of success that came following Prince's 1982 double album, 1999. Prince was on a mission, and he sought a group of musicians who could align fully behind his creative vision." This type of micro-management was unheard of and moved the band in a new direction, which began as Dez Dickerson left and Prince jumped at the chance to freak the world out, by replacing him with a female, and bringing in her partner, to push the boundaries of acceptability in the music industry, even further.

In Chapter 3 "Side A" and Chapter 4 "Side B," we are introduced to the songs. "Let's go Crazy," "Take Me With You" "The Beautiful Ones" "Computer Blue," and "Darling Nikki," and then "Side B," "The Doves Cry," "I Would Die 4 U," "Baby I'm A Star," and "Purple Rain," which outside of "Let's Go Crazy," are the ones that have stood the test of time.  By this time, Prince, who jolted audiences with his effeminate appearance mixed with lace, ruffles, and velvet, and then hit them with the sound: the wail of the guitar, the slide of electronic synthesizer, and the anticipation, of the next cord. He was setting the world on fire.

During an interview with Ebony Magazine in 1986, Prince said, "I think Purple Rain is the most Avant-garde purple thing I've ever done. Just look at "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy" most Black Artists won't try a groove like that."

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Prince & Purple Rain 40 Years is more than an anthology of an artist's life, an addition to soundtracks, and memories. It is a testament to a determined soul, who refused to allow race, discrimination or circumstance to dictate his life, and if he couldn't find a way around the problem, he blew a hole right through it, influencing other artists, opening doors for the disenfranchised, and using the tools at his disposal to do it.

I lost friends over my beliefs that Prince was a musical genius. I remember the look when I mentioned this fact to a group who could only see one dimensionally. The hard work and dedication lost in the shocking appearance and sexually suggestive and blush inducing lyrics. I appreciate, and appreciated talent, understanding the dedication that is necessary to succeed in an industry that seems to have pre-populated roadblocks to stop the faint at heart. Especially someone like Prince, a rule breaker, a disruptor, who interlaced sexuality in both lyrics and persona. He knew he could change the world and did.

As Maya Rudolph said, in the Forward, "It was such a magical time to be a fan." Reminisce, when it was such a magical time thumbing through the pages of Prince & Purple Rain 40 Years, along with insight into his genius, the book is filled with a collection of images, concert posters, ticket stubs, a collage of moments lost.  

"Introduced as a gorgeous celebration of the masterpiece and its creator," Prince & Purple Rain 40 Years is available at fine books stores, and through online retailers. It is a must have for any rock and roll library, enthusiast, fan, and collector.

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Title: Prince & Purple Rain 40 Years.

Author: Andrea Swensson.

Language: English.

Release Date: April 2024.

Publisher: Quarto.

Design: Cindy Samargia Laun.

Front Hardcover: Getty.

Back Hardcover: Shutterstock.

Photography: Lucas Barbieri.

Images: Used with Permission.

Length: 175 pages.

ISBN: 978-0-7603-8649-1.

MSRP: $50.00 (US), £38.00 (UK), $65.00 (CAN).

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation’s top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and the International Federation of Journalists.