Prince: Before the Rain

As a huge Prince fan, I have all the coffee table books: the good, the bad, and the dreadful cash-grab ones. All of them show Prince at various eras of his career, and even bad Prince photography is good because it’s, well...it’s PRINCE!Allen Beaulieu’s “Prince: Before the Rain” is up there with Afshin Shahidi’s “Prince: A Private View” as being truly great photography. With Shahidi’s photography we see a polished Prince, a well-established musical icon. With Beaulieu’s we see a Prince that’s on the cusp of superstar dome: he’s raw. He’s hungry. And he knows it.Prince is at his most natural in “Before the rain,” and the photography reveal Prince’s sexy moments, and moments he spent a lifetime trying to forget, like him getting pelted every which way at the Stone’s concert. Prince was at his most low, with a looking of wanting to run from the stage, yet defiant enough to stay. That defiance’s lets us know that in a few years, those macho, redneck fans will be HIS fans, and he’s sure of it.The most intimate portraits are the ones with his mirror-image protege, Vanity. He’s playfully coy, yet he’s deadly serious in his passion for her. She’s the most beautiful girl in his world, and probably always was. A few months after Vanity’s passed, death would befall our Prince, which made the early 80s aesthetic photography all the more sad. My favorite portrait is of Prince, circa Dirty Mond era. He’s behind a beige tile wall, dressed in black bikini briefs, his signature trench coat, and a red bandana on his chest. Oh...and he’s wearing sunglasses. The presence of Prince. Was awe-inspiring.Diehard, hardcore fans will love “Before the Rain.” Impress your friends with this coffee table book, and let them see how bold he was in his early career.

I just came home to find my book had arrived and I could not be more excited! I haven't bought most of the books that have come out since Prince's passing but when I saw some of the photos in this one leaked online, I had to get it. First, let me give thank you to whoever came up with the very affordable price for this book-- under 20 bucks and worth way more!! For the photos inside and also, the quality of the book. The book is hardcover, heavy, a nice coffee table book that looks like it would cost much much more. Unlike some of the books that have come out since Prince's passing, this does not feel like a cash grab but seems more like a book made from love and respect and made available at an amazing affordable price! I will be ordering 2 more as Christmas presents. So far I have only flipped through it but can already see how special this book is and how cool these photos are! I can't wait until this weekend when I can sit down and spend a good bit of time going over it. 5 STARS above and beyond-----

GREAT job Allen Beaulieu...Amazing hardback book on so many levels. This tribute to Prince is loaded with stunning photos and I love reading about the various sessions which led to the Prince's album covers etc. The never before seen pictures are priceless and the photographer had a serious connection with Prince to achieve such masterpieces. I am extremely happy with this book. It is the BEST $20 I spent in a very LONG time. It exceeded my expectations and is an amazing precursor to the upcoming Super Deluxe Edition of '1999', which will also have contributions from Photographer Allen Beaulieu.....Get ready!!

For all of Prince's "FAMS" this is a Must Have.Great quality and price and a substantial ",coffee-table" book to sigh over....I highly recommend his own memoir " The Beautiful Ones", in which his thinking and feelings during his last years are described.For those of us still mourning his passing in 2016, there could be no better gift than this book.

There are several different “Prince” eras, so much so that there is one for everyone. This is my favorite. Unbelievable talent, raw sexual energy, real boundary pushing, youthful angst. This is a visually stunning book that perfectly captures, in words and pictures, the special alchemy that made him impossible to ignore. You’ll love it!!

What's not to like? The author, Allen Beaulieu, has created a masterpiece within Prince: Before the Rain! It is full of never before seen pictures of our Purple Yoda from Minnesota! These pictures were captured during what has become known as the most prolific era in Prince's career. The author has also added his heartfelt commentary with the pictures, which makes this book very hard to put down! If you're interested in Prince's early career you will definitely want to get this book! And of course it's a must-have for any Prince fam!!

Love the photography and quality! Must Have!

It's unbelievable to me how many never-before-seen photos there are of Prince and his bandmembers in this book! I've been a fan for 35 years, and honestly thought I'd seen them all! But there are so many great candid shots in the book, and great stories to go along with them. One of my favorites was the shot of Prince and BrownMark at the infamous Rolling Stones show where the fans booed Prince. Great insight into this amazing artist!