Author:  Slash, with Anthony Bozza

ISBN:  978-0-06-135142-6

What's behind the untamed hair and top hat? We’ve all wondered.  The erratic curls part just enough to reveal sexy full lips.  Is he purposely teasing us?  Is he hiding something?  Slash (lead guitarist of Velvet Revolver and the former Guns n Roses) is one of the most enigmatic musicians of our time, and if you've ever been enthralled by the opening notes of Sweet Child O' Mine or wanted to know more about the creator of the classic guitar solos from legendary albums Appetite for Destruction and Lose your Illusion I and II, you will enjoy this new memoir by Slash (with Anthony Bozza, Rolling Stones magazine writer). 

In a laid-back, conversational style, Slash recounts his fascinating life from his L.A. childhood (he used to shoplift snakes) to the present, including a lot about Guns N’ Roses in their formative years—like at one point he and Axl lived in a storage unit (which was their rehearsal space) with one hibachi grill that they never cooked on.  (Izzy and Stephen did).  It was interesting to learn about the geneses of some of their songs and the behind-the-scenes situations, and Slash’s perspective on the band’s demise.  Various girlfriends are mentioned briefly, without much detail until he talks about his wife.  We see the way his lifestyle overshadows his relationships and just how driven and obsessive Slash is about playing rock n’ roll.  There is a generous amount of glamorous photos; the book is worth buying even if just for the pictures of Slash shirtless, in a guitarist’s back-lean stance, playing on his instrument. 

But this book is as much an addiction memoir as it is a rock-n’-roll memoir.  He takes us through the darkest times of his love affair with heroin, and Vodka; and although a good chunk of the book seems disappointingly vague because he was too wasted to remember much detail, (“My memory of the events is hazy…”) there is one crazy hallucination story that just tops it all.  It’s astounding how much abuse his body took.  But that aside, his integrity as a musician comes through on every page.  Even if he had an appetite for destruction (he tells of purposely destroying hotel rooms, apartments and rental vans) he was creating, at the same time, what would become classic rock/metal music.  So destructive in one setting, yet so creative in another.  That’s just one of the things to think about after you read.

Wild, irresponsible, dangerous—that is Slash, and yet on the first page he gives a disclaimer of sorts when he reveals that he has a pacemaker in his heart, due to years of abusing his body.  In other words, emulate at your own risk.

 

The above review was contributed by: Sonia Reppe: Sonia holds a B.A. in vocal performance, gives voice lessons in the Chicago area and spends most of her time reading and taking care of her daughter, husband and cats.

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