This Thing Called Life
Prince's Odyssey, On and Off the Record
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Narrated by:
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Neal Karlen
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By:
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Neal Karlen
About this listen
This program is read by the author, and includes archival recordings of conversations between the author and Prince. A warm and surprisingly real-life biography of one of rock’s greatest talents: Prince.
Neal Karlen was the only journalist Prince granted in-depth press interviews to for over a dozen years, from before Purple Rain to when the artist changed his name to an unpronounceable glyph. Karlen interviewed Prince for three Rolling Stone cover stories, wrote “3 Chains o’ Gold", Prince’s “rock video opera”, as well as the star’s last testament, which may be buried with Prince’s will underneath Prince’s vast and private compound, Paisley Park.
According to Prince's former fiancée Susannah Melvoin, Karlen was “the only reporter who made Prince sound like what he really sounded like”. Karlen quit writing about Prince a quarter-century before the mega-star died, but he never quit Prince, and the two remained friends for the last 31 years of the superstar’s life.
Well before they met as writer and subject, Prince and Karlen knew each other as two of the gang of kids who biked around Minneapolis’s mostly-segregated Northside. (They played basketball at the Dairy Queen next door to Karlen’s grandparents, two blocks from the budding musician.) He asserts that Prince can’t be understood without first understanding ‘70s Minneapolis, and that even Prince’s best friends knew only 15 percent of him: That was all he was willing and able to give, no matter how much he cared for them.
Going back to Prince Rogers Nelson's roots, especially his contradictory, often tortured, and sometimes violent relationship with his father, This Thing Called Life profoundly changes what we know about Prince, and explains him as no biography has: a superstar who calls in the middle of the night to talk, who loved The Wire and could quote from every episode of The Office, who frequented libraries and jammed spontaneously for local crowds (and fed everyone pancakes afterward), who was lonely but craved being alone. Listeners will drive around Minneapolis with Prince in a convertible, talk about movies and music and life, and watch as he tries not to curse, instead dishing a healthy dose of “mamma jammas”.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press
©2020 Neal Karlen (P)2020 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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- By michael mckone on 08-04-22
By: David Buckley
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Tammy Wynette
- Tragic Country Queen
- By: Jimmy McDonough
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling biographer Jimmy McDonough tells the story of the small-town girl who grew up to be the woman behind the microphone, whose meteoric rise led to a decades-long career full of tragedy and triumph. Through a high-profile marriage and divorce, her dreadful battle with addiction and illness, and the struggle to compete in a rapidly evolving Nashville, Tammy Wynette turned a brave smile toward the world and churned out masterful hit songs though her life resembled the most heartbreaking among them.
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Loved It!
- By Eileen on 03-19-10
By: Jimmy McDonough
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Black Is the New White
- By: Paul Mooney, Dave Chappelle - foreword
- Narrated by: Tony Isabella
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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For more than 40 years—whether writing for Richard Pryor and Saturday Night Live or performing stand-up to sold-out crowds around the country—Paul Mooney has been provocative, incisive...and absolutely hilarious. His comedy has always been indisputably real and raw, reflecting race issues in America, and this fascinating, fearless new memoir continues that unapologetically candid tradition.
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Master Piece!! I loved every moment.
- By Amazon Customer on 04-27-21
By: Paul Mooney, and others
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The Ballad of Bob Dylan
- A Portrait
- By: Daniel Mark Epstein
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The Ballad of Bob Dylan is a vivid, full-bodied portrait of one of the most influential artists of the 20th-century - a man widely regarded as the most important lyricist America has ever produced. Acclaimed poet and biographer Daniel Mark Epstein frames Dylan against the backdrop of four seminal concerts - all of which he attended. Beautifully written, The Ballad of Bob Dylan is a unique, eye-opening portrait of an artist who has transformed generations and continues to inspire and surprise today.
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Excellent book, excellent narration
- By L chandler on 12-22-11
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Walk This Way
- Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song That Changed American Music Forever
- By: Geoff Edgers
- Narrated by: Geoff Edgers
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Washington Post staff writer Geoff Edgers takes a deep dive into the story behind "Walk This Way", Aerosmith and Run-DMC's legendary, groundbreaking mashup that forever changed music.
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A MUST LISTEN/READ
- By Aron Teo Lee on 05-17-19
By: Geoff Edgers
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The Never-Ending Present
- The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip
- By: Michael Barclay
- Narrated by: George Stroumboulopoulos
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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From our talent-rich neighbor to the north comes this biography of one of the most successful Canadian rock bands, The Tragically Hip, which announced a year-long tour after sharing the news of lead singer Gord Downie’s inoperable cancer. Now available to US listeners, The Never-Ending Present details what led up to the memorable night when music fans all over the world watched Downie’s heroic final performance.
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Hometown Heroes
- By Tommy Garou on 12-13-18
By: Michael Barclay
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Broken Horses
- A Memoir
- By: Brandi Carlile
- Narrated by: Brandi Carlile
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Brandi Carlile was born into a musically gifted, impoverished family on the outskirts of Seattle and grew up in a constant state of change, moving from house to house, trailer to trailer, 14 times in as many years. Though imperfect in every way, her dysfunctional childhood was as beautiful as it was strange, and as nurturing as it was difficult. At the age of five, Brandi contracted bacterial meningitis, which almost took her life, leaving an indelible mark on her formative years and altering her journey into young adulthood.
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I have almost 2000 audible books and ...
- By M. Lynn on 04-22-21
By: Brandi Carlile
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We Had a Little Real Estate Problem
- The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedy
- By: Kliph Nesteroff
- Narrated by: Kliph Nesteroff
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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It was one of the most reliable jokes in Charlie Hill’s stand-up routine: “My people are from Wisconsin. We used to be from New York. We had a little real estate problem.” In We Had a Little Real Estate Problem, acclaimed comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff focuses on one of comedy’s most significant and little-known stories: how, despite having been denied representation in the entertainment industry, Native Americans have influenced and advanced the art form.
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Amazing book!
- By Gregg Anderson on 03-22-21
By: Kliph Nesteroff
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The Gospel According to Luke
- By: Steve Lukather
- Narrated by: Steve Lukather
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In this incisive memoir, Steve Lukather tells the complete Toto story. He also lifts the lid on what went on behind the closed studio doors, shedding light on the unique creative processes of some of the most legendary names in music: from Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, and Elton John to Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, and Aretha Franklin. Lukather’s extraordinary tale also encompasses the dark side of stardom and the American Dream. Frank, engaging, and often hilarious, The Gospel According to Luke is no ordinary rock memoir.
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Wow Best Rock Biography Ever
- By Hercules on 09-29-18
By: Steve Lukather
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Johnny Cash
- The Redemption of an American Icon
- By: Greg Laurie, Marshall Terrill
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon dives deep into the singer’s inner demons, triumphs, and gradual return to faith. Laurie interviews Cash’s family, friends, and business associates to reveal how the singer’s true success came through finding the only Person whose star was bigger than his own.
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Best Cash biography by far
- By C. W. Walker on 08-27-19
By: Greg Laurie, and others
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All These Things That I've Done
- My Insane, Improbable Rock Life
- By: Matt Pinfield, Mitchell Cohen
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Matt Pinfield is the ultimate music fan. He's the guy who knows every song, artist, and musical riff ever recorded, down to the most obscure band's B-side single on its vinyl-only EP import. As a child, music helped Pinfield make sense of the world. Later he would approach his music idols after concerts and explain why he loved their music. As an adult, rock music inspired his career, fueled relationships, and, at times, became a life raft.
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great listen
- By nilda v. on 08-28-20
By: Matt Pinfield, and others
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Relentless
- The Memoir
- By: Yngwie J. Malmsteen
- Narrated by: Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Fred Berman
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Yngwie Malmsteen's revolutionary guitar style - combining elements of classical music with the speed and volume of heavy metal - made him a staple of the 80s rock scene. Decades later, he's still a legend among guitarists, having sold 11 million albums and influenced generations of rockers since. In Relentless, Malmsteen shares his personal story, from the moment he burst onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere in the early 80s to become a household name in the annals of heavy metal.
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Bloviations
- By David A. Kaplowitz on 12-29-19
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Keith Richards
- The Unauthorised Biography
- By: Victor Bockris
- Narrated by: Adrian Mulraney
- Length: 20 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
In 1992, Victor Bockris' celebrated biography was the first to recognize Richards' pivotal role in the legend of the Rolling Stones. Now that book on rock's most incredible survivor has been expanded. Here are the true facts behind Richards' battles with his demons: the women, the drugs and the love-hate relationship with Jagger. His struggle with heroin and his status as the rock star most likely to die in the 1970s. His scarcely believable rebirth as a family man in the 1980s. Illuminated with revealing quotes and thoughtful insights into the man behind the band that goes on forever.
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doesn't comapre to LIFE
- By A. Garofalo on 02-20-14
By: Victor Bockris
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Catch a Wave
- The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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In Catch a Wave, Peter Ames Carlin pulls back the curtain on Brian Wilson, one of popular music's most revered luminaries, as well as its biggest mystery. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and never-before heard studio recordings, Carlin follows the Beach Boys from their earliest days through Brian's deepening emotional problems to his triumphant re-emergence with the release of Smile, the legendarily unreleased album he had originally shelved.
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Not great
- By J. Barker on 08-08-16
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In his three decades of recording, Prince has had nearly thirty albums hit the Billboard Top 100. He is the only artist since the Beatles to have a number one Album movie, and single at the same time. Prince’s trajectory - from a teenage unknown in Minneapolis to an idol and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer - has won him millions of adoring fans. Prince is the first book to give full treatment to this thirty-year career of epic proportions. Acclaimed music journalist Ronin Ro traces Prince’s rise from anonymity in the late 70s, to his leap to stardom in the 80s, to his 21st-century reemergence....
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The word is ALBUM not alblum
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Prince and the Parade and Sign O' the Times Era Studio Sessions
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From Prince's superstardom to studio seclusion, this second book in the award-winning Prince Studio Sessions series spotlights how Prince, the biggest rock star on the planet at the time, risked everything to create some of the most introspective music of his four-decade career. Duane Tudahl takes us on an emotional and intimate journey of love, loss, rivalry, and renewal revealed through unprecedented access to dozens of musicians, singers, studio engineers, and others who worked with him and knew him best.
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My favorite era broken down perfectly
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The Most Beautiful
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At the one-year anniversary of his death, legendary musician Prince's first wife shares a uniquely intimate, candid, and revelatory look inside the personal and professional life of one of the world's most beloved icons. In The Most Beautiful, a title inspired by the hit song Prince wrote about their legendary love story, Mayte Garcia for the first time shares the deeply personal story of their relationship and offers a singular perspective on the music icon and their world together.
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BOTH HEART WRENCHING AND WARMING! LOVED IT!!!!!
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The Death of Prince Rogers Nelson: An Investigation
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Follow law enforcement's two-year inquest into Prince's death, from the first 911 call through present day. Authored by an independent observer with extensive journalism experience, the book includes interviews with family, friends, current and former staffers, doctors, and fellow musicians. The research involved browsing through thousands of official documents, images, videos, audio recordings and lab reports.
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A very telling story.
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The Beautiful Ones
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Reminiscing
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By: Prince
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In his three decades of recording, Prince has had nearly thirty albums hit the Billboard Top 100. He is the only artist since the Beatles to have a number one Album movie, and single at the same time. Prince’s trajectory - from a teenage unknown in Minneapolis to an idol and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer - has won him millions of adoring fans. Prince is the first book to give full treatment to this thirty-year career of epic proportions. Acclaimed music journalist Ronin Ro traces Prince’s rise from anonymity in the late 70s, to his leap to stardom in the 80s, to his 21st-century reemergence....
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The word is ALBUM not alblum
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- Narrated by: Ron Butler
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From Prince's superstardom to studio seclusion, this second book in the award-winning Prince Studio Sessions series spotlights how Prince, the biggest rock star on the planet at the time, risked everything to create some of the most introspective music of his four-decade career. Duane Tudahl takes us on an emotional and intimate journey of love, loss, rivalry, and renewal revealed through unprecedented access to dozens of musicians, singers, studio engineers, and others who worked with him and knew him best.
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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Nothing Compares 2 U is an oral history built from years of interviews with dozens of people who were in Prince's inner circle - from childhood friends to band members to girlfriends to managers to engineers to photographers, and more - all providing unique insights into the man and the musician. This revelatory book is a deeply personal and candid discussion of who Prince really was emotionally, professionally, and romantically.
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I learned SO MUCH
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Let’s Go Crazy
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Purple Rain is a song, an album, and a film - each one a commercial success and cultural milestone. How did this semiautobiographical musical masterpiece that blurred R&B, pop, dance, and rock sounds come to alter the recording landscape and become an enduring touchstone for successive generations of fans?
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A Must-Read For Any PRINCE Fan
- By Bryan K. Chavez on 05-06-16
By: Alan Light
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Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions
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His journey is meticulously documented through detailed accounts of his time secluded behind the doors of the recording studio as well as his days on tour. With unprecedented access to the musicians, singers, and studio engineers who knew Prince best, including members of the Revolution and the Time, Duane Tudahl weaves an intimate saga of an eccentric genius and the people and events who helped shape the groundbreaking music he created. From Sunset Sound Studios' daily recording logs and the Warner Bros. vault of information, Tudahl uncovers hidden truths and reveals details about Prince's unreleased outtakes.
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Incredible oral history
- By Francis on 05-06-18
By: Duane Tudahl, and others
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Luther
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Take a journey inside the private world of Luther Vandross, one of the world greatest R&B vocalists of all time and a notoriously secretive star, and listen to this audiobook as it chronicles his journey from the projects of New York City's Lower East Side to the top of the charts.
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Perfect title..Life and Longing
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Divided Soul
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In this intimate biography of the Prince of Soul, David Ritz provides a candid look at a star and a friend. Ritz had been collaborating with Marvin Gaye on his story for several years before the singer's tragic death and had conducted a series of extraordinary interviews in which Gaye discussed his deepest secrets. What emerges is a full-scale portrait of a charming but tortured artist, a brilliant singer with a divided soul.
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Wow made for the big screen
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The Rise of Prince: 1958-1988
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- Unabridged
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The Rise of Prince: 1958-1988 is the definitive account of the formative years of this iconic artist. More so than any previous book, this volume provides a dramatic, compelling narrative of Prince's rise to fame. The prologue provides a gripping, day-to-day account of the events that unfolded between November 2015 and April 21, 2016, when Prince tragically died at Paisley Park. The Rise of Prince provides a complete reordering of what is known about Prince's formative years based on previously unavailable documents and persons never before interviewed.
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Strange and expected.
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By: Alex Hahn, and others
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On Time
- A Princely Life in Funk
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Brilliant composer, smooth soul singer, killer drummer, and charismatic band leader Morris Day has been a force in American music for the past four decades. In On Time, the renowned funkster looks back on a life of turbulence and triumph, chronicling his creative process with an explosive prose that mirrors his intoxicating music. A major theme throughout the book is Morris' enduring friendship and musical partnership with Prince.
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Right on time
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By: Morris Day, and others
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Past Imperfect
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- By: Joan Collins
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Her role as Alexis Carrington Colby in Dynasty brought her to peak stardom, a role which might have been created for the tempestuous, strong-willed, and passionate woman that she is. As might be expected, in this memoir, she tells the truth; from her romantic adventures - sometimes desirable, sometimes disastrous - with some of the most famous and interesting men in the world, to the inside story of her fascinating and erratic acting career. Joan Collins candidly divulges her past imperfect in a book that is, like herself, outspoken, witty, daring, and full of life.
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Stops mid-Dynasty, just so you know
- By C. A. Cameron on 07-13-21
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Miles
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- By: Miles Davis
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- Unabridged
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Universally acclaimed as a musical genius, Miles Davis was one of the most important and influential musicians in the world. Here, Miles speaks out about his extraordinary life. Miles: The Autobiography, like Miles himself, holds nothing back. For the first time Miles talks about his five-year silence. He speaks frankly and openly about his drug problem and how he overcame it. He condemns the racism he encountered in the music business and in American society generally. And he discusses the women in his life.
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A man untroubled by his own contradictions
- By Barry on 12-07-12
By: Miles Davis
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Love, Lucy
- By: Lucille Ball
- Narrated by: Lucie Arnaz
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Love, Lucy is the valentine Lucille Ball left for her fans—a warm, wise, and witty memoir written by Lucy herself. The legendary star of the classic sitcom I Love Lucy was at the pinnacle of her success when she sat down to record the story of her life. No comedienne had made America laugh so hard, no television actress had made the leap from radio and B movies to become one of the world’s best-loved performers. This is her story—in her own words.
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What a great book
- By SCOTT on 07-11-18
By: Lucille Ball
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Led Zeppelin
- The Biography
- By: Bob Spitz
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 21 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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From the author of the definitive New York Times best-selling history of the Beatles comes the authoritative account of the group many call the greatest rock band of all time, arguably the most successful, and certainly one of the most notorious.
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Sex & Drugs & Rock-n-Roll.... in that order.
- By Joe on 01-03-22
By: Bob Spitz
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The Feminine Mystique
- By: Betty Friedan
- Narrated by: Parker Posey
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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The book that changed the consciousness of a country - and the world. Landmark, groundbreaking, classic - these adjectives barely describe the earthshaking and long-lasting effects of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. This is the book that defined "the problem that has no name", that launched the Second Wave of the feminist movement, and has been awakening women and men with its insights into social relations, which still remain fresh, ever since.
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A landmark book of its time and relevant now
- By Anthony on 01-23-15
By: Betty Friedan
What listeners say about This Thing Called Life
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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- Hebern
- 05-18-21
An interesting story
Everyone thinks the music of their high school years is the best. In my case, I’m right. Or at least a strong argument can be made that I am. While I was in high school Thriller by Michael Jackson, Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen, Like A Virgin by Madonna and Purple Rain by Prince all came out. Talk about iconic albums by iconic performers.
This book is about Prince. The older I get, the more nostalgic I get. I hadn’t heard much about this particular book, but I was interested in learning more about Prince so I got it on the recent Audible sale.
I did learn a lot of things about Prince that I didn’t know. The author was a one time writer for Rolling Stone, who had become close to Prince. Or at least as close as Prince would allow someone in that position to become. They were in contact regularly for the last 30 years of Prince’s life. Prince even had the author to write something for his time capsule. A time capsule the author is convinced also contains Prince’s missing will. The book does give a behind the scenes look at Prince and includes the tape from an interview that the author conducted with Prince. In many of the reviews of the book I saw two complaints. First, that he showed too many bad things about Prince. I discount this. Any biography about anyone that only discusses the positives of the person is a work of fiction. All humans have flaws. The second main complaint is the author publishes “off the record” interviews. Prince has been gone 5 years now. I’m ok with him releasing it now to give an accurate picture of the man for history.
I do have some complaints with the book, however. First, the author interjects himself into the story way too much. In telling about Prince’s basketball ability for example, the author goes into detail about his own failed high school basketball career. There was a lot of that. I hate to tell him but the readers are here for Prince stories, not Neal stories. Second, the book is a non-linear one that is basically just a lot of Prince stories from the author’s perspective and experience. Since this was my first Prince book, a traditional biography would have been better for me. Finally, the author repeats himself. A lot. Some quotes make 3 or more appearances.
Overall, the picture of Prince that emerges is one of huge musical talent. A guy who played all the instruments and wrote all the songs on most of the albums. A guy, who like wrestlers adopted a persona as an entertainer and never dropped the act in public. The author discussed Prince’s kayfabe a lot. A guy who was depressed and lonely while living a life that so many of us would think is ideal. A guy who like many I’ve read about as having reached the absolute pinnacle of their field is better to watch from afar than to be in a personal relationship with.
With all the faults of the book, it did make me want to get another Prince book at some time in the future to get another perspective. Prince was obviously hugely talented and also a very interesting person.
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- amber
- 08-08-21
Learned ALOT...
I thought a different perspective on Princes life by a long time friend was super interesting. I believe its a truthful honest read on what the writer went through while knowing Prince. I enjoyed it so much. Only thing that personally bothered me was the tone of the writers voice but after I got over that I did enjoy it comming from his look on their life knowing one another. Thank you for writing this BOOK!
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- Pro Female Bodybuilder
- 06-11-22
Heartfelt Reminiscence
I found Neal Karlen’s book to be the most honest telling of a “friendship” as backed by his evidence of tapes from years covering Prince for Rolling Stone.
He gives the most eye opening revelations into one of the most secretive personalities that had ever been a part of pop culture, and he does it from a place of genuine respect for Prince and admiration for his talent.
Ultimately, he allows the reader to see Prince as HUMAN & not just some untouchable, perfect, unfathomable musical genius. This book should be listened to simply because the author wrote about the subject as he really was, not as this mythological character.
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- luv2shop62
- 11-07-23
Very Insightful
I learned so much about Prince. I loved hearing the recordings of his voice. I loved hearing all the stories. Some sad & some funny. Every minute was interesting. Highly recommend.
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- C. Bournea
- 02-20-21
A Must Read for Prince Fans
Fascinating insights into the genius who can never be fully understood. Neal Karlen explains why so many who knew and worked with Prince have widely varying perceptions of him: socially awkward loner or a social butterfly who hosted star-studded parties and late night jam sessions for fans? Perfectionist or a virtuoso who was more concerned with getting his music on tape than making it sound pristine? Tyrant or philanthropist? Yes.
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- Torrance W.
- 10-29-20
This thing called life
Like many Prince fans I have read or listened to many of the fascinating stories about Prince. What has become very clear is the people who knew Prince from his younger days in Minneapolis or worked with Prince have a much more intimate story of him as a person than someone on the outside. This is very good audiobook but not for typical Prince fans who may get offended by some of the personal stories or audio recordings of Prince talking.
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- Danielle L. Lewis
- 01-04-23
Intriguing
I enjoyed listening to the interviews. Hearing Prince’s voice is moving. Karlen’s relaying of his experiences with Prince- who he was and wasn’t really smacks of truth. It made me question who really knew the man. Who did he trust? It made me listen to everything Prince was saying, searching for truth. At times depressing , because at the end of the day, a big portion of Prince’s life is depressing. His loneliness really resonates. But as relates by Karlen, he lived a full filled life, a life of purpose as an artist. But his human side remains a mystery and it seems that’s is how Prince wanted it…
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- Hello123
- 02-07-21
Loved !
I loved this book it was very insightful and real, for me it painted a picture of a man who led an extraordinary life doing what he loves best Music.
Life happens to all of us and how we respond is the most important.
I love you prince ❤️
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-06-23
wow!
Great view into the genuine world of an American Icon! Prince was a true genius, the world is a better place because of his music!
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- Denise Young
- 01-04-24
To hear P’s voice again! Thank u Neal💜
I like how Prince is described in many layers. Partying with P from 2013-2016 was heartfelt and heartbreaking at the same time for me and my crew (true blues) and Pfunky soldiers from all over the world who’ve seen him in person 💜
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