| YourValentine 14.02.2007 15:29 |
I finally received the long awaited book by our fellow Queenzoner Georg Purvis and here are my thoughts. Although I am online all the time and although I am used to research on the internet I am still very much a book person. From all the Queen related books I have seen "Queen - Complete Works" is the one that combines extensive research with excellent writing and makes it a thoroughly enjoyable reading for everyone who is interested in the music of Queen. The book has 424 pages, small print (no pictures) full of all the facts a fan can wish for collected in one book for reading pleasure or quick reference. The book is divided into eight parts which cover all aspects of the work by Queen, solo work, special events, QPR and the musical. The "album" section describes the production of each album from recording to release using all possibly available comments by band members and producers to give us a full picture of the studio work for each album including reviews by the media at the time. Details like catalogue number, release dates, song lists, chart position are included. Reading this album section we get a complete survey of the Queen and solo studio work full of information that was probably never available in such completeness before. Another important part is the song-by-song section including all Queen and solo songs as well as all songs ever performed live by pre-Queen bands, Queen, Queen members, and QPR. Also all unreleased demos and songs we ever heard about. For each listed released song there is information about the album(s) it was released on, the single release(s) and chart position(s). For each song we find all information the author could provide including trivia like for example explaining who Khashoggi is. The song entries vary from 1-3 sentences (for example "Kalinka") to over a page of information (for example "Barcelona"). This song section can be used like an encyclopaedia and is sorted alphabetically. More chapters of the book contain compilation albums, collaborations, post-Queen activities, a complete live/tour section, Video, Interactive, the musical and a single discography. Yes, I found some smaller omissions and mistakes and I do not agree with everything Lester says. However, this book was written by an author who was motivated by his genuine love of Queen music and I can relate to his words on each and every page. He never lectures, he never judges, he is never blind in his love for the music but keeps an open mind and is not afraid to voice his criticism. He is also a very good writer who manages to keep the reader interested although there are no "stories" to make it an easier read. This book is highly recommended for everybody who is interested in Queen, knows a lot or almost nothing or who cannot get enough:) You make us proud, Lester, you really do:) |
| Crezchi 14.02.2007 15:34 |
Sounds very interesting, where can i pick up a copy? Glad to see a real Queen fan write something useful, unlike another certain book. :P |
| AC 14.02.2007 15:41 |
Thank you for you review, YourValentine. I will soon buy your book! |
| Lester Burnham 14.02.2007 16:34 |
Barb, thank you so much for your review. I know you're an honest person and you always speak your mind, so your review has made my day! As soon as it became obvious that the book was really going to happen and not just languish on my hard drive for many years, I became increasingly worried that I wouldn't be doing Queen's music justice and that the book would be horribly received, but the overwhelming enthusiasm and support of my fellow QZers and QOLers has helped put my fears to rest. To anyone who does pick up the book, I would be very appreciative - if you feel so inclined - if you would also put your reviews up on Amazon, because they may help sales of the book. It doesn't matter if they're positive, negative, or somewhere in the middle - every little bit helps :) |
| YourValentine 14.02.2007 17:09 |
I submitted my review to amazon.co.uk, Lester - I removed the name "Lester" in the last minute from the review :) They have only 3 copies left while amazon.com still does not have it. Have you received your author copy yet? I am looking forward to the opinion of other Queenzoners. |
| write your letters in the sand 14.02.2007 18:16 |
I just looked on barnesandnoble.com and it's available there for preorder and should be in stock April 1. No foolin! ; ) When I did a search for the author's name "Queen: Complete Works" came up as the number 1 match. The second match was "George Foreman's Big George Rotisserie Cookbook." I guess George F has his bases covered, but it's Georg P's book I'm after. Georg, Lester, Perry . . . congratulations. I know you worked long and hard on this project. I'm ordering two--one for a friend--and am looking forward to receiving them. Cheers! --Cindy (the QZer formerly known as Crazy Little Thing) |
| Nathan 14.02.2007 18:59 |
Terrific review Barbara. Georg (or Lester), that sounds like a truly fantastic book. I think I might order a copy. |
| JoxerTheDeityPirate 14.02.2007 19:21 |
great review and good luck with the sales Georg.I wonder if 'you know who' will buy a copy? |
| Mr Faron Hyte 14.02.2007 19:47 |
I just bought one of two remaining copies on amazon.co.uk I can't wait to read it. |
| Adam Unger (QueenVault.com) 14.02.2007 21:14 |
I'm very much looking forward to reading this... and Lester, I didn't know you lived so close to me. PSU resident here. |
| Back2TheLight 14.02.2007 21:16 |
I totally want one!! When I get out of my little financial slump, I'm all over it!! I usually don't even read books either, but this I can tell will be well worth it. |
| Mr Mercury 15.02.2007 08:05 |
Mr Faron Hyte wrote: I just bought one of two remaining copies on amazon.co.uk I can't wait to read it.I just bought one of them as well. Cant wait to read it as well...... |
| write your letters in the sand 15.02.2007 09:10 |
I bought one from amazon.co.uk last night as well. I think they're going to need to reorder! |
| Lester Burnham 15.02.2007 22:34 |
YourValentine wrote: I submitted my review to amazon.co.uk, Lester - I removed the name "Lester" in the last minute from the review :) They have only 3 copies left while amazon.com still does not have it. Have you received your author copy yet? I am looking forward to the opinion of other Queenzoners.I saw that the review has been posted and that three people out of three have found it helpful :) I also believe there are no more copies on Amazon... which is a good sign! I have yet to receive an author copy, but maybe it got lost in the mail... write your letters in the sand wrote: I just looked on barnesandnoble.com and it's available there for preorder and should be in stock April 1. No foolin! ; ) When I did a search for the author's name "Queen: Complete Works" came up as the number 1 match. The second match was "George Foreman's Big George Rotisserie Cookbook." I guess George F has his bases covered, but it's Georg P's book I'm after. Georg, Lester, Perry . . . congratulations. I know you worked long and hard on this project. I'm ordering two--one for a friend--and am looking forward to receiving them. Cheers! --Cindy (the QZer formerly known as Crazy Little Thing)I hope I don't end up outranking Mr Foreman, because I know who will win if it ever extends to fisticuffs... Let me know when you receive the copies -- and anyone who has ordered from the US Amazon, let me know if it gets sent out around April 1st (but don't let me know ON April 1st, because I won't be able to take you seriously!). norfolk inweigh wrote: great review and good luck with the sales Georg.I wonder if 'you know who' will buy a copy?If you mean a certain archivist who trawls this site... I dunno. He did seem genuinely interested in it when I mentioned it a while ago... but I don't want to open a whole new can of worms regarding that. If he does, then that's great... if not, then that's great too. Adam Unger (QueenVault.com) wrote: I'm very much looking forward to reading this... and Lester, I didn't know you lived so close to me. PSU resident here.Ahh, PSU... I've passed out many times there while visiting friends. Who knew that ZBT was such a party frat? Anyway, thanks so much everyone for all of your encouraging words, and a special thanks to Zeni and Ian R (or is it Ivor Biggun...?) for stirring up a huge amount of interest in the book. |
| Mr. Scully 16.02.2007 04:14 |
Lester, I will do a bit of promotion on my site, perhaps it will increase the sales ;-) |
| Sabazzz 16.02.2007 15:07 |
Where could I buy it from??? (link or smtng like that, except amazon, please) |
| write your letters in the sand 16.02.2007 18:00 |
Lester: The one I ordered from amazon.uk on the 14th was delivered today in the UK. I saw it via web cam. It's a much bigger book than I expected, but not in a "objects you see in the rear view mirror may appear bigger than they actually are" manner. ;) |
| Mustapha_Ibrahim 16.02.2007 20:13 |
Sounds a VERY interesting read. Anyway, having in mind that I haven't read the book yet, I have to congratulate Lester for taking that chance. We all know it's not easy doing some quality work about Queen and that's probably whay so few books like this one exist. |
| Lester Burnham 16.02.2007 20:23 |
Mr. Scully wrote: Lester, I will do a bit of promotion on my site, perhaps it will increase the sales ;-)That would be great, Martin :) (Also, I just ran a quick eye through your autographs site... you know, I know A LOT of successful, legless people...) LT_United wrote: Where could I buy it from??? (link or smtng like that, except amazon, please)Amazon's the only place I can think of, but if you do a quick Google search for the book or my name, you'll get a few results. write your letters in the sand wrote: Lester: The one I ordered from amazon.uk on the 14th was delivered today in the UK. I saw it via web cam. It's a much bigger book than I expected, but not in a "objects you see in the rear view mirror may appear bigger than they actually are" manner. ;)Yeah, writing the thing really made me realize just how damn big it is! I'm using the David Bowie book I have - which runs at 650 pages or so - and just going up to 424 pages, and it really surprises me. Mustapha_Ibrahim wrote: Sounds a VERY interesting read. Anyway, having in mind that I haven't read the book yet, I have to congratulate Lester for taking that chance. We all know it's not easy doing some quality work about Queen and that's probably whay so few books like this one exist.Thanks Mustapha :) I was really surprised at the dearth of books that actually discussed their music -- I mean, Dylan and The Beatles have about 8,000 titles each out there, but not even one about Queen... |
| jcrawford79 17.02.2007 00:26 |
Congrats Lester!! I don't post much on here anymore but still read most of the threads. After seeing this I had to post and congratulate you. I'm can't wait to get a copy. |
| Jjeroen 17.02.2007 06:11 |
Hey Lester! My copy arrived today - congratulations and thanks a lot man! Though I still need to read it all, at first sight it is indeed something that you can be proud of. Looks very accurate, complete, thorough and interesting. And, yes, actually something that indeed ADDS something new to all the tons of books that are already out there. MOST especially in the documentation of all the unreleased/unheard songs. Looks like it is worth all the amount of time you have put in this work. Hope you are satisfied and proud of it yourself, and it was a worthwhile experience ;-) Cheers! Here's to you and your debut as an author! Jeroen |
| Michael Allred 17.02.2007 15:51 |
So this is the book in question then? link |
| Forever88 17.02.2007 16:27 |
would i be able to find said book in barnes and nobles? it's about the only book store in my area. (Can't wait to get my hands on it!) |
| Michael Allred 17.02.2007 22:59 |
Well after reading up on this book, I must say I'm interested enough to purchase though whether I'll wait for the US release or pick up the import remains to be seen. |
| Ale Solan 19.02.2007 08:07 |
Lester, any idea if your book could be available soon here since Amazon don't make shippings to this part of the world? |
| Mr Mercury 26.02.2007 19:21 |
I actually received my copy of this book a few days ago but have only just got round to reading it. I have to say that judging on the few sections (so far just the albums part) I am finding this an extraordinary good read. There have been some facts I'd no idea about, backed up by some really nice quotes from the various band members themselves. So far i'd say 8 out of 10 for a great effort. |
| Mr Faron Hyte 26.02.2007 19:39 |
As I took a few more words to say in another thread, best book of its kind ever done on the subject of Queen. This will become the standard reference on Queen. The research and depth of information is fantastic and the author is very fair and even-handed when offering his opinions - and its very readable, which for a reference book is really saying something. The only complaints I have is that I thought his opinion of The Cross catalogue was too high and he was a little too rough on The Miracle and Jazz albums. Otherwise its just about pitch perfect. It is a herculean work that absolutely lives up to its title and its author deserves every accolade he gets. My congratulations, my compliments, and my thanks, Mr. Lester. The cost of the book was money well spent, and this is coming from someone who knows an awful lot about Queen. |
| Lester Burnham 26.02.2007 20:00 |
jeroen wrote: Hey Lester! My copy arrived today - congratulations and thanks a lot man! Though I still need to read it all, at first sight it is indeed something that you can be proud of. Looks very accurate, complete, thorough and interesting. And, yes, actually something that indeed ADDS something new to all the tons of books that are already out there. MOST especially in the documentation of all the unreleased/unheard songs. Looks like it is worth all the amount of time you have put in this work. Hope you are satisfied and proud of it yourself, and it was a worthwhile experience ;-) Cheers! Here's to you and your debut as an author! JeroenThanks Jeroen -- it was a worthwhile experience indeed, so much so that I've started working on another one (not about Queen)! Forever88<h6>Penis? Most Certainly!</h6> wrote: would i be able to find said book in barnes and nobles? it's about the only book store in my area. (Can't wait to get my hands on it!)Not sure, it's being released in the US in a few months, so when I see it (or if someone else sees it before I do) I'll alert the board. Alex Solan. wrote: Lester, any idea if your book could be available soon here since Amazon don't make shippings to this part of the world?No idea. Michael Allred wrote: Well after reading up on this book, I must say I'm interested enough to purchase though whether I'll wait for the US release or pick up the import remains to be seen.I'm not sure about the US date. I've been told April 1st, but the UK date was pushed back until February, so I don't know if the US date will be affected or not. If you have the patience, I would wait for the US release -- my friend bought it from the UK Amazon and it cost over $40, mostly because of conversion rates, shipping, etc. <font color=red><b>Mr Mercury</b> wrote: So far it say 8 out of 10 for a great effort.Thanks, that's better than I thought people would give it :) Mr Faron Hyte wrote: As I took a few more words to say in another thread, best book of its kind ever done on the subject of Queen. This will become the standard reference on Queen. The research and depth of information is fantastic and the author is very fair and even-handed when offering his opinions - and its very readable, which for a reference book is really saying something. The only complaints I have is that I thought his opinion of The Cross catalogue was too high and he was a little too rough on The Miracle and Jazz albums. Otherwise its just about pitch perfect. It is a herculean work that absolutely lives up to its title and its author deserves every accolade he gets. My congratulations, my compliments, and my thanks, Mr. Lester. The cost of the book was money well spent, and this is coming from someone who knows an awful lot about Queen.Mr Faron Hyte, I read your review in the other thread, and I thank you immensely for your kind words -- they mean a lot to me. Looking back now, yeah, I might've been a bit too kind to The Cross's catalog (though I believe I gave "Shove It" its right due), and I could've been a bit more fair toward Jazz and The Miracle, so who knows what my opinion will be by the time the second edition comes around ;) (Also, I wasn't aware you knew an awful lot about Queen... is there anything in my book that I might've missed?) I am so glad that everyone is generally pleased with the book so far. Of course, you guys were the people I was writing it for, so enjoy it -- you deserve it! |
| Mr Faron Hyte 26.02.2007 20:18 |
Re: The Cross, Jazz and The Miracle - you are more than entitled to your opinion, sir, whatever it was at the time you wrote about them, and whatever it may be when you write about them again. Those were the only issues remotely approaching a criticism I could offer amid a deluge of praise - and those criticisms were also only *my* opinion, and you know that and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee ;-) And I can honestly not suggest a thing I would change or add to what you wrote. There were a few "hmmm ... I'm not sure I knew that" moments, mostly about the pre-Smile era, but the overwhemling reaction I had reading the book was "yes! I remember that anecdote or bit of information" and I think that for me, as someone who has followed the band for a long time and read about as much as there is to read on the subject, the real value of your book is having all those bits of information - whether from TV or radio interviews, print interviews, prior books, web sites, Brian's soapbox, what have you - all collected in one volume, organized in something approaching an encyclopedic manner but never reading like a dry encyclopedia. You straddle that line quite comfortably and its really commendable, as is everything else. I fully appreciate that your book builds and draws upon prior works by different people, as is well noted in your bibliography, but having so much information in one volume instead of scattered in a hundred different places is just terrific. I really think "Queen - Complete Works" is going to be *the* Queen reference for the next ten years and perhaps beyond. Bravo. |
| Saint Jiub 28.02.2007 18:42 |
ttt |
| Daniel Nester 10.03.2007 20:43 |
Great to hear the book is getting buzz! |