The Beautiful Ones by Prince
Prince
“If there’s something out there that u want—Go for it! Nothing comes to sleepers but dreams.”
I recently read The Beautiful Ones, Prince’s autobiography. It’s a pretty amazing book in that it is his story told on his terms, but it was only started a few months before he passed away. It seemed that Prince had ideas about what this book would be like, considering how he was comprised of both his parents—kind of like the lines from When Doves Cry. While some people may not appreciate the co-author’s introduction, I found it really helpful to understand how this book came about and what exactly Dan Piepenbring had to do to make Prince’s wishes come to fruition. When you consider the fact that Prince died so suddenly, it makes the book all the more compelling to read.
I can also understand how people may not like the book because it is not really what would be considered a traditional autobiography. However, when did Prince ever consider standards or traditions? Prince has always pushed the boundaries and sought to create art on his own terms, and this book fits nicely with that. In one part, Prince talks about one of his first girlfriends who left him for the star quarterback in his high school. He consoles himself by noting that he is a quarterback of music, blessed with a vision to see how things unfold. When you consider the amazing scope and influence of Prince’s music and career, this quote reflects reality. Prince changed the ways in which we considered music, art, films, fashion, gender, sexuality, privacy, and many other aspects of our lives. I always think about how Purple Rain was like a forbidden movie and soundtrack in my house growing up, but for whatever reason, I felt like the videos and the songs from that movie were always on. They were some of my first and strongest memories of liking music that my parents did not. Prince doesn’t talk too much about other songs he wrote that became popular (Manic Monday, Nothing Compares 2 U), but he does spend some time discussing songwriting and how his experiences with his parents’ music and the music of the late 60s shaped his art. Beyond just hearing Prince talk about music and his vision for songs, some of the most fascinating aspects of this book are the handwritten notes, lyrics, and pictures from Prince’s personal archive. It was so interesting to see how he developed songs, some of them that were an important part of my musical life. I also really enjoyed learning about Prince’s early life, and how his experiences with girls, music, and parents were highly relatable.
I’m not sure that there is anyone in my generation who doesn’t appreciate Prince and his music. If they do, they probably are not really fans of music. There were so many interesting quotes and ideas to take from this book, but one of my favorites was from Prince’s father. “If there’s something out there that u want—Go for it! Nothing comes to sleepers but dreams.” Prince talks a lot about always working hard, playing instruments or a show like it is your only opportunity to do so. I really appreciated this level of motivation from him, especially when he could have just sat back and made money from his greatest hits. Prince was about more than money and success. He was an artist who cared deeply about creating and sustaining his art. This book, although too brief, provides some amazing insight into Prince’s creativity, his early life, and did a great job collecting his memories and interviews that focused on different parts of his life.
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