Purple Page, Purple Page.
Bringing to life a vision in the purple one's mind. The late, great Prince's curated memoir 'The Beautiful Ones' shows that sometimes the greatest stories remain unfinished, but still told regardless. Painting a perfect picture, Dan Piepenbring (the former editor of 'The Paris Review' who co-wrote, 'Chaos: Charles Mansen, the CIA and the Secret History of the Sixties' with Tom O'Neill for all you 'Mindhunter' fans) brings the book he was writing with Prince-before the rock, funk, jazz, R&B and every other genre God passed-back to life. Breathing new vision into it after only having 20 pages of an actual autobiography to work with. For this Penguin production, Prince picked Piepenbring as his paperback writer (say that six times) after working his way through the "rhapsodic" raw review writing of blogs (giving this writer further evidence(?) that Prince may have read my gig review back in 2014 when I received an email from "the offices of Prince"...oh and the fact that it's a mystery, makes this one even more beautiful) to write this 'Beautiful' book with him, blackout back and forth between the chapters. And now on some bittersweet way it's all ended up exactly like that. As Piepenbring's prologue penmanship of almost 50 nostalgic pages of a frozen moment in three months with the real king of pop, Prince precursors the even more moving memoir of beauty, and eye icons (not emojis people) 2 U. Wrote in his way that nothing compares to. All before a Paisley Park photo album vault looted comes into play like a perfect memory along with a transcription of the treatment he wrote for the original movie that became a classic album, that became a hit song and forever in hue colour scheme. Something about indigo precipitation?! Let his royal funkness reign.
Hitting and running through all the epic work of his estate almost seems like graveyard robbery on a 'Moonbeam Level'. But from the bare essentials of the stripped down 'Piano and Microphone' show turned soundtrack, to the absolute off the charts 'Hollyrock' and its straight outta Hollywood animated music video, there's just so much work here. The work of genius. And from the Sam Cooke like napkin lyrics of gospel, to the legal pad prose of his first book it all seems meant to be, or at least (we hope) like he wanted it to be shared. Unlike the legend of the duet album with Lenny Kravitz, which on completion he if rumour has it told the guitar hero he references in these pages, "this is just for us". Certainly though with these chapters that sadly will never see an epilogue, but deserve an acclaimed acknowledgement. In 2016 we lost Prince, the King, Ali and Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie. And what did we gain? Brexit and Donald f###### Trump. So yeah...we've had better years. That one sounded like something out of the apocalypse although this writer fell for the love of his life...but I lost that too. In the same year the only man to come close The Boss (no not Mr. McGee), Bruce Springsteen released his Kerouac beat like acclaimed autobiography before he hit Broadway and these cinematic 'Western Stars' named after one of his signature songs and sets, 'Born To Run', Prince was writing the same after one of his super singles like a Mariah Carey and Dru Hill classic cover before the picture was smashed. But now 'The Beautiful Ones' is here to stay always. Falling under our Christmas tree in a purple package (excuse me?) underneath the dove decorations (but not the two turtle ones Macaulay Culkin 'Home Alone' found 'Lost In New York' for this guy who even locker room references John Hughes movies) this Christmas like a New Year celebration alongside the legendary likes of icons like Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea's 'Acid For The Children' bass line and the 'Rocketman' farewell tour movie of Elton John's magnificence as he, 'Me'. But still chapter and verse, this Prince project is just as prolific even if his life story is sadly cut short. But only in writing. The real tragedy is the loss of his life. But yet Prince's still lives in his body of work, like the soul of this story.
Mama. It all begins with his mother. Like life itself. All in her eyes. The kind Tupac talked about on 'Thugz Mansion' when he grabbed that nine, contemplating suicide until he saw. And it ends...well it doesn't end now. Life goes on even when it doesn't. In spirit. For icons like the love symbol in sound. And now with this for the record in words. That will love and live on in infamy like King or Rowling. J.K. Or J.R.R. Tolkien for this epic fantasy. Except it's reality. Prince's Paisley one. After Piepenbring's inspired introduction, mapping out the intended gameplan script for this story, Prince begins the beauty of his life and family tree. How the young Rogers Nelson was nicknamed Skipper by his mother, taking that one to school as the teachers couldn't believe this kid was called Prince when they took roll. Well now we couldn't imagine anyone else with this man's decreed name by royal appointment. Not even Harry or Wills (with all bowing due respect). All the way through a childhood that shaped his story and the 'Purple Rain' screenplay. All the way to the first album he made, cutting a record deal with Warner and producing, playing every instrument and even designing the artwork 'For You'. And as his last autobiography words focus fittingly on that look between two lovers as one ("one what") that without a voice appropriately speaks louder than a thousand words, the man that handed in a couple of them wrote down perfectly couldn't say it better. If only he could have memoir said more. But he already did and did so much in his other work. Annotated personal Polaroids, scrawled down lyric sheets bordered by doodles and famous quotes from magazines tell the rest of the story like read all about it. And do even if it seems a little intrusive. Because the more original drafts of classics like 'Purple Rain' you see like you've never heard, the more you feel The Artist you thought you had taken as read. Now making your way through this curated collection like the 'Living In A Material World' George Harrison coffee table one, you may think the story of the man who owned everyone (Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and all of them) freestyling a solo of that Beatles gently weeping guitar, before throwing his axe back into what seemingly felt like the heavens isn't complete (one that was originally meant to touchdown in his indelible Superbowl show). But who's ever is when they inspire enough generations for decades upon decades of a couple of lifetimes over? Like seven hours and fourteen days nothing could take this love away. Baby, baby, baby. In the end it turns out Prince and Piepenbring got to write Skipper's book the way they always intended to...together. Now that's a beautiful one. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Bruce Springsteen-Born To Run', 'Elton John-Me', 'Flea-Acid For The Children'.
