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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
This book was interesting at first, when talking about his early life, his horrorshow of a father, and formation of the band, but then just veers off into the same thing over and over again: Kiedis 'falls in love' with an underage girl, breaks sobriety, gets sober, repeat over and over ad nauseam. The amount of 14-16 year olds this grown man readily admits to having sex with is pretty gross. And there's never any accountability or reflection or deep thoughts, mainly because I don't think Anthony Kiedis has ever had an actual deep thought in his life. Also he talks a lot about in the early years having this matted 'elephant ear' of hair that he could stick syringes into, but all the early photos of the band have him with this long shiny gleaming hair, which really bothered me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Before reading Scar Tissue, in regards to RHCP, I was really only into Flea. I just knew of everyone else on the surface, and was most familiar with him being in movies and shows I've watched throughout my lifetime. After reading this book, I have a new-found respect for each member, past and present. I respect them more as individual artists, and collectively as a band.
It's almost unfathomable that RHCP still exist after everything they've gone through together, especially what Anthony has put himself through through, and the deaths/near-deaths of band-mates throughout their careers. It was also very refreshing to read a story about someone who overcame addiction after many years of relapsing, and being in denial of completing the process of recovery, who could finally find a way to be at peace without it. Growing up around addicts, this is a hopeful outlook, opposite to what I have experienced watching the struggles of family members, and friends, have gone through (or are going through, still). Knowing that someone who grew up doing drugs with their parents, and spiraling out of control for over half of their life time, to have been sober for nearly 12 years at the time of writing this review, is almost relieving.
Now each of their songs and lyrics have a whole new meaning from backgrounds that didn't exist before. Each song has a very real moment behind it for each Era it was created, or the reason behind it's formation within my mind when I listen. I am in awe that RHCP not only still exist, but also lived to see themselves inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
This book took quite awhile to read because I only read it on my breaks at work, and I had to set it down a few times while reading to catch my breath. A very intense read, full of roller coaster ups-and-downs that make you want to scream at A.K. for many of his choices, but it is well worth it in the end.
It's almost unfathomable that RHCP still exist after everything they've gone through together, especially what Anthony has put himself through through, and the deaths/near-deaths of band-mates throughout their careers. It was also very refreshing to read a story about someone who overcame addiction after many years of relapsing, and being in denial of completing the process of recovery, who could finally find a way to be at peace without it. Growing up around addicts, this is a hopeful outlook, opposite to what I have experienced watching the struggles of family members, and friends, have gone through (or are going through, still). Knowing that someone who grew up doing drugs with their parents, and spiraling out of control for over half of their life time, to have been sober for nearly 12 years at the time of writing this review, is almost relieving.
Now each of their songs and lyrics have a whole new meaning from backgrounds that didn't exist before. Each song has a very real moment behind it for each Era it was created, or the reason behind it's formation within my mind when I listen. I am in awe that RHCP not only still exist, but also lived to see themselves inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
This book took quite awhile to read because I only read it on my breaks at work, and I had to set it down a few times while reading to catch my breath. A very intense read, full of roller coaster ups-and-downs that make you want to scream at A.K. for many of his choices, but it is well worth it in the end.
informative
medium-paced
A very self indulgent book that tells stories with little to no explanation. It's like reading a long string of facebook statuses where the only context is the fact that it's Anthony Kiedis. If it were written by anyone else it wouldn't have ever been noticed. The only reason I gave this book two stars instead of one is because of its broad vocabulary. It's a shame so many statements were made with no explanation or it could have been good.
If you want an easy read that requires absolutely no thought, and you are entertained by basic explanations of sex and drugs... Then this might work for you.
If you want an easy read that requires absolutely no thought, and you are entertained by basic explanations of sex and drugs... Then this might work for you.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
all of that pussy and drugs must've been exhausting. probably why i never wanted to be a world famous singer songwriter sex symbol
My brother introduced me to a lot of great music when I was about nine years old, like Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Seven Mary Three, and ... the Chili Peppers! They're a band I've always loved, but have never been obsessive about. (Only a select few reach that level of psychosis devotion.) I can't tell you their former band members, their middle names, or their birthdays, but I know a huge chunk of their catalog and history. I wanted to know what went on behind the songwriting, since Kiedis has a very unique style and also, admit it, he's a total dish so of course I wanted to nose into his life.
I got more than I bargained for. I became so entranced with his story that each time he relapsed (oops, spoilers for those who lived under a rock!) I fell right into that hole with him, getting frustrated because he had been doing so well, hating the girls who pushed him over the edge.
It was a really interesting read that I couldn't put down. I read long after the sun set (this was the weekend without power) and past my lunch hour at work. Kiedis led an interesting life, and he's a complex, compelling man. I never felt like he was trying to name-drop or bad mouth anyone. I never felt like he was making up a good story for the money or trying to sound cool for a pat on the back. I honestly still don't care that much about the line-up changes (but oh how I fell for Hillel, even though I already knew his fate) and birthdays (though Kiedis is big on his, so I'll probably always remember 11/1/62), but I did learn a lot about the songs and the man behind the lyrics, which is exactly what I set out to do.
I got more than I bargained for. I became so entranced with his story that each time he relapsed (oops, spoilers for those who lived under a rock!) I fell right into that hole with him, getting frustrated because he had been doing so well, hating the girls who pushed him over the edge.
It was a really interesting read that I couldn't put down. I read long after the sun set (this was the weekend without power) and past my lunch hour at work. Kiedis led an interesting life, and he's a complex, compelling man. I never felt like he was trying to name-drop or bad mouth anyone. I never felt like he was making up a good story for the money or trying to sound cool for a pat on the back. I honestly still don't care that much about the line-up changes (but oh how I fell for Hillel, even though I already knew his fate) and birthdays (though Kiedis is big on his, so I'll probably always remember 11/1/62), but I did learn a lot about the songs and the man behind the lyrics, which is exactly what I set out to do.