BOOK REVIEW: Let’s Go Crazy by Alan Light

BOOK REVIEW: Let’s Go Crazy by Alan Light
Simon & Schuster, rrp$32,99 – 1 December, 2014
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7 ½ /10

 

Written by an obsessive for obsessives, Alan Light’s exploration of Prince’s ‘masterpiece’ album & movie Purple Rain digs deep into the minutae: every facet of the record and movie, and the events surrounding their making.

It’s a subject close to Light’s heart: a teen at school upon the album’s release, it is perhaps his most formative influence and set him on the road to a career writing about music. To Light, there is no wrong in Purple Rain.

To Prince, however, the movie was an “albatross around [his] neck”, and the 30th anniversary of their release went by with nary a whisper from Team Purple.

It’s an interesting read, too, though the barrage of hyperbole and statistics means the casual reader may lose interest sooner than Light and Co would like. It’s worth sticking out for the odd truly interesting revelation – such as the movie sstudio thinking John Travolta would be a better fit for the lead role than Prince himself!

Category: Book Reviews