PositiveVarietyNot only a welcome surprise, it’s written in a voice that will be so familiar to fans that its first few chapters are like a visit from a long-absent friend. Sly writes like his lyrics ... As exciting and life-affirming as the book’s early chapters are, the second half is tough — first watching him lose everything, then reading his dry accounts of addiction, multiple stints in jail and peripatetic existence ... It seems that after so many years in the wilderness, Sly is finishing on an thankful and thoughtful note.
Prince
PositiveThe Chicago Tribune... it\'s both a pleasure and a surprise to say that although The Beautiful Ones may not satisfy fans\' wildest dreams, it delivers much, much more than we had any reason to expect ... Prince took the project very seriously, and it shows in the work he delivered. Although the actual autobiography segment of this book ends at the end of Prince\'s teens, it shines an intimate and revealing light on the least-known period of his life -- his childhood -- which is embellished with family photos, notes and other ephemera ... The book does not scrimp on detail ... While the photos, quotes and ephemera do a mostly satisfying job of concluding the book, the closing chapters are inevitably a bringdown after the revelations in the autobiographical section. But unless there are more pages lurking somewhere in Prince’s voluminous archives, this is all we’re going to get, and it’s a lot: The Beautiful Ones brings so much new information to light that it’s hard to imagine anyone being disappointed.
Jim DeRogatis
RaveVariety... not an easy read: It recounts, in excruciating detail, his alleged sexual misconduct toward multiple women, the alleged corruption involving Chicago police and city officials, and reports of the payoffs and favors that allegedly enabled Kelly to continue his behavior. It’s a near-definitive, if opinionated, account, and a must-read for anyone seeking answers to the many questions the situation provokes.
