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cara_cee's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. As a huge GNR fan, it met all of my expectations. I did find it a little long, but other than that, I have no complaints. I've read other rock memoirs, like Scar Tissue, when all I could think was 'stop taking drugs!' I didn't get that from this book, although f&ck me, I'm surprised he's still alive after everything he's taken. This book really focuses on the music, the LA 80s & 90s music scene, and what it's like to be in what some have dubbed 'the most dangerous rock band in the world'.
It's gritty, raw, meandering and honest. It gives a really good look inside the original GNR, how they wrote music, recorded & toured, as well as into their demise. Slash states, more than once, that it is his point of view and other band members have different perceptions of what happened. He says that all of them are valid and he can only tell it as he knows it. I appreciate his open-mindedness and it's a good reminder to the reader that there is always more than one side to the story.
The writing isn't slick, but why would it be? It's told in Slash's voice, using his slang and from his POV. Well worth a read if you're a GNR fan.
It's gritty, raw, meandering and honest. It gives a really good look inside the original GNR, how they wrote music, recorded & toured, as well as into their demise. Slash states, more than once, that it is his point of view and other band members have different perceptions of what happened. He says that all of them are valid and he can only tell it as he knows it. I appreciate his open-mindedness and it's a good reminder to the reader that there is always more than one side to the story.
The writing isn't slick, but why would it be? It's told in Slash's voice, using his slang and from his POV. Well worth a read if you're a GNR fan.
laciejackson's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
5.0
hantolly79's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! I was never a GnR fan, but having seen Slash in interviews I thought him to be a very interesting person. I loved the conversational tone used in this book - he is sometimes so brutally honest that it makes you wince - and ended up reading it in a day. This isn't just a list of facts, like a lot of rock biogs, but really tries to describe the emotion and passion involved in that business. Brilliant - read it even if you don't like music!
sandycruzlab's review
1.0
Disappointed. Felt like I was reading a rough draft. Stumbling through all the typos was distracting. And would someone please tell this man that comparisons to God and the likes of Led Zeppelin are easier to swallow if they aren't self-described. The jacket should read: "I'm Slash. I like smack, snakes, and snatch. Oh and myself. A whole lot." Read Duff's book instead.
mlshannon's review
4.0
I didn't have high expectations, I pretty much thought it would be: Chapter 1: Grew hair long. Chapter 2: Bought top hat. It was definitely more entertaining than that!
straaawbs's review
5.0
Of course, I'm automatically biased when it comes to Slash. He's my favorite guitarist and I've got a lot of respect for the man.
I found his autobiography to be a genuinely good read. When Slash speaks, he always comes across as an intelligent, articulate person, and nothing has changed in the book. You can tell he was expecting some backlash over parts of this book, as he stresses several times that he wishes Axl no harm and has the utmost respect for him. You can't blame him for needing to reiterate these points, because people will always find a way to misinterpret everything.
Perhaps the problem with this book is that it seems to follow the basic formula for the rock and roll biography, so you may feel as if you've read it before. Though that in itself is interesting - you can see the trends in rock music. Drink and drugs from an early age, trouble with the law and at school and a broken family. Yet Slash never sounds bitter or boastful. He simply tells things as they were, for the best part.
If you're expecting a memoir of drug addiction, you may be disappointed. Not to say that there isn't drug use here - there certainly is, including one memorable anecdote where Slash finds himself running naked across a golf course, pursued by little monsters only he can see. But he doesn't go into much more detail than is necessary, and his main focus in the book is the music.
I would recommend this book to any Guns N' Roses fan who maybe wants a clearer picture of why the band split up and what the dynamics were between Slash and Axl at the time. Mostly it's just an enjoyable read, because if there's one thing you can say for Slash it's that he hasn't led a boring life.
Oh, I counted 'all things considered' 28 times in this book.
I found his autobiography to be a genuinely good read. When Slash speaks, he always comes across as an intelligent, articulate person, and nothing has changed in the book. You can tell he was expecting some backlash over parts of this book, as he stresses several times that he wishes Axl no harm and has the utmost respect for him. You can't blame him for needing to reiterate these points, because people will always find a way to misinterpret everything.
Perhaps the problem with this book is that it seems to follow the basic formula for the rock and roll biography, so you may feel as if you've read it before. Though that in itself is interesting - you can see the trends in rock music. Drink and drugs from an early age, trouble with the law and at school and a broken family. Yet Slash never sounds bitter or boastful. He simply tells things as they were, for the best part.
If you're expecting a memoir of drug addiction, you may be disappointed. Not to say that there isn't drug use here - there certainly is, including one memorable anecdote where Slash finds himself running naked across a golf course, pursued by little monsters only he can see. But he doesn't go into much more detail than is necessary, and his main focus in the book is the music.
I would recommend this book to any Guns N' Roses fan who maybe wants a clearer picture of why the band split up and what the dynamics were between Slash and Axl at the time. Mostly it's just an enjoyable read, because if there's one thing you can say for Slash it's that he hasn't led a boring life.
Oh, I counted 'all things considered' 28 times in this book.