I received my copy a couple days ago, and I can't wait to read it.
Lester for president!
Thread
Posts in chronological order
Well my copy of the book arrived yesterday and while I'm not ready to give a "final say" until I'm finished with it, I will say that it's been a good read overall to this point (I'm currently on the songs section) but the rehashed quotes and snippets of interviews could be boring at times and prompted me to skip forward through them. The albums section all felt like I had read them before somewhere else and at times I felt the writing was more appropriate for a fan web site than a published work. I do like the song section so far though, very breezy.
There are a lot of previously cited quotes from older sources, to be sure, Michael, especially for psycho fans who have everything already. What I like about Lester/Purvis's book is that it's not DoRo/Jim Jenkins-ized; that is to say, he offers context for the quotes, and actually frames some of the whole workhorse quotes and factoids as such, and he also comments on them in a critical, dispassionate way.
This book will help the newbie Queen fan move from book to book and song to song, and be able to navigate the small world of Queen literature.
The book is also perfectly edited -- very few typos -- which warms the cockles of this English prof!
This book will help the newbie Queen fan move from book to book and song to song, and be able to navigate the small world of Queen literature.
The book is also perfectly edited -- very few typos -- which warms the cockles of this English prof!
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Daniel Nester wrote: [/QUOTENAME]There are a lot of previously cited quotes from older sources, to be sure, Michael, especially for psycho fans who have everything already. What I like about Lester/Purvis's book is that it's not DoRo/Jim Jenkins-ized; that is to say, he offers context for the quotes, and actually frames some of the whole workhorse quotes and factoids as such, and he also comments on them in a critical, dispassionate way.
This book will help the newbie Queen fan move from book to book and song to song, and be able to navigate the small world of Queen literature.
The book is also perfectly edited -- very few typos -- which warms the cockles of this English prof![/QUOTE]
Yes, perhaps this book IS more suitable for someone who knows very little of Queen but I think I set my expectations a bit too high considering the praise it's received to date. I think perhaps I had expected a little more depth to his comments but often times when I read "such and such song was better that such and such song and should have been on such and such album instead" I kept thinking "Ok, why do you think that? What's the reasoning?"
This book will help the newbie Queen fan move from book to book and song to song, and be able to navigate the small world of Queen literature.
The book is also perfectly edited -- very few typos -- which warms the cockles of this English prof![/QUOTE]
Yes, perhaps this book IS more suitable for someone who knows very little of Queen but I think I set my expectations a bit too high considering the praise it's received to date. I think perhaps I had expected a little more depth to his comments but often times when I read "such and such song was better that such and such song and should have been on such and such album instead" I kept thinking "Ok, why do you think that? What's the reasoning?"
You were never gonna be happy with the book were you?
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]PieterMC wrote: [/QUOTENAME]You were never gonna be happy with the book were you?[/QUOTE]
That's right Pieter, I must hate EVERYTHING, you didn't realize that?
You should really go and fuck yourself now. I'm not a damn Care Bear spreading rainbows and flowers just for you. If I have a critical thought, I'm damn well going to express it but just for shits and giggles, I'll say that I believe my comments to have validity and I'm 100% sure Georg will survive after reading them.
That's right Pieter, I must hate EVERYTHING, you didn't realize that?
You should really go and fuck yourself now. I'm not a damn Care Bear spreading rainbows and flowers just for you. If I have a critical thought, I'm damn well going to express it but just for shits and giggles, I'll say that I believe my comments to have validity and I'm 100% sure Georg will survive after reading them.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Michael Allred wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
You should really go and fuck yourself now.[/QUOTE]
Charming.
You should really go and fuck yourself now.[/QUOTE]
Charming.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]PieterMC wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Michael Allred wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
You should really go and fuck yourself now.[/QUOTE]
Charming.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, quite. Now I'll stop interrupting and let you go back to fucking yourself.
You should really go and fuck yourself now.[/QUOTE]
Charming.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, quite. Now I'll stop interrupting and let you go back to fucking yourself.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Michael Allred wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Yes, quite. Now I'll stop interrupting and let you go back to fucking yourself.[/QUOTE]
Awww... shucks.... Thanks Michael "Tenderheart" Allred.....
Awww... shucks.... Thanks Michael "Tenderheart" Allred.....
Good grief Lester... Your at Wal-Mart
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997&product_id=5468827&sourceid=0100000030660805302498
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997&product_id=5468827&sourceid=0100000030660805302498
I myself invite criticism of things, but I prefer specific examples. I think there's a difference between disagreeing with reasoning and saying there's no reasoning at all.
Let me practice what I preach and give you an example. I would say I disagree with Georg over his take on Hot Space. If I were writing that section, I think I would focus more on the "ahead of its time" angle, as opposed to the "huge misstep" angle that's in the Complete Works. I love, for example, "Cool Cat" with all my heart and soul -- it's frightening to hear me try to sing along with Freddie's falsetto in my car. I don't have the book here with me, but I think it gets a bad rap in the book.
Fair enough. What I like about the book, however, is just that: It has freaking opinions, a voice, a point of view! Most of the Queen books are just clip-job dreck, like the Laura Jackson quickies that are glorified movies of the week. This book is far different from that.
But while I think Michael has every right to offer his take, I would have preferred examples. Just one -- doesn't need to be a laundry list -- might give us a better idea of where he's coming from than a sort of veiled ad hominem.
I speak as someone who has had a lot of homophobic emails--hate mail, really--after I released my two books. It's apples and organges, really, comparing my books with Georg/Lester's. But it got pretty hurtful there for awhile when I would get the odd email from Queen fans who complained about the "gay imagery" I used in my poems in the first book. That sucked big time.
All I am saying is that there has to be some what to have a decent exhange of ideas here, at least among the "smart fans," about Queen-related matters, without personal insults.
Let me practice what I preach and give you an example. I would say I disagree with Georg over his take on Hot Space. If I were writing that section, I think I would focus more on the "ahead of its time" angle, as opposed to the "huge misstep" angle that's in the Complete Works. I love, for example, "Cool Cat" with all my heart and soul -- it's frightening to hear me try to sing along with Freddie's falsetto in my car. I don't have the book here with me, but I think it gets a bad rap in the book.
Fair enough. What I like about the book, however, is just that: It has freaking opinions, a voice, a point of view! Most of the Queen books are just clip-job dreck, like the Laura Jackson quickies that are glorified movies of the week. This book is far different from that.
But while I think Michael has every right to offer his take, I would have preferred examples. Just one -- doesn't need to be a laundry list -- might give us a better idea of where he's coming from than a sort of veiled ad hominem.
I speak as someone who has had a lot of homophobic emails--hate mail, really--after I released my two books. It's apples and organges, really, comparing my books with Georg/Lester's. But it got pretty hurtful there for awhile when I would get the odd email from Queen fans who complained about the "gay imagery" I used in my poems in the first book. That sucked big time.
All I am saying is that there has to be some what to have a decent exhange of ideas here, at least among the "smart fans," about Queen-related matters, without personal insults.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Daniel Nester wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
I speak as someone who has had a lot of homophobic emails--hate mail, really--after I released my two books. [/QUOTE]
That's crazy.
I speak as someone who has had a lot of homophobic emails--hate mail, really--after I released my two books. [/QUOTE]
That's crazy.
Yeah, I was called everything from a gay-lover to a gay-basher.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]PieterMC wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Michael Allred wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Yes, quite. Now I'll stop interrupting and let you go back to fucking yourself.[/QUOTE]
Awww... shucks.... Thanks Michael "Tenderheart" Allred.....[/QUOTE]
Tenderheart?? More like this one:
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/9/96/Grumpy_Bear.jpg
Awww... shucks.... Thanks Michael "Tenderheart" Allred.....[/QUOTE]
Tenderheart?? More like this one:
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/9/96/Grumpy_Bear.jpg
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]PieterMC wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Michael Allred wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Yes, quite. Now I'll stop interrupting and let you go back to fucking yourself.[/QUOTE]
Awww... shucks.... Thanks Michael "Tenderheart" Allred.....[/QUOTE]
Shouldn't you be...oh nevermind.
Awww... shucks.... Thanks Michael "Tenderheart" Allred.....[/QUOTE]
Shouldn't you be...oh nevermind.