Anthony Bozza

I was really dubious about reading Slash's self-titled autobiography when it first hit the shelves. Guns N' Roses remain one of my favourite bands of all time, and I really didn't want to learn anything that would damage the high esteem in which I hold their music. I've intentionally ignored and blocked out any knowledge of bad behaviour, and I was reluctant to burst my happy bubble by delving into Slash's autobiography. Alas, it's been several years since publication, and curiosity finally show more got the better of me, and I wanted to find out how the band fell apart.

Well, I think it's fair to say that my bubble was completely and utterly decimated within the first 50 pages. The biggest shock of the book was learning that Slash has a pacemaker! His drug abuse took such a toll on his heart that eventually he had a heart attack and was dead for eight minutes before being brought back to life. Unimaginable!

I've now resigned myself to the fact that one of my music heroes was either on drugs or drunk when he recorded the solos and songs I've grown to love and which formed a significant part of the soundtrack of my youth.

Having said that, I really enjoyed discovering how each of the songs were written and which band members came up with the riff, chorus, lyrics, melody and how the albums came together. These details about the music and recordings had me listening to the songs with new ears. The most surprising snippet for me was that there weren't any strings in the original recording of November Rain. After the band members had recorded their parts to November Rain, Axl used his synthesizer to add all of the melodies and 'strings' which are so moving in the song. Amazing!

I learned more about Axl through the book and Slash is both complimentary and critical throughout the book. Hundreds of people in the music business were named in Slash, and he also chronicles his relationships in the lead up to his second marriage to Perla and the birth of his two kids.

I was relieved to finally get some closure by reading Slash's reasons for leaving the band, and an understanding of why a reunion of the original lineup of Guns N' Roses is completely out of the question.

I would recommend this autobiography to readers who enjoy reading about successful rock bands and their outrageous behaviour, or fans of Guns N' Roses and Slash. show less

I was totally blindsided by Tracy Morgan's I Am the New Black. I took a look at his goofy face and exposed belly on the cover, dressed in an expensive suit jacket and tie with bunny ears, with the ridiculous title and the name written enormous in golden lights above, and thought: This is going to be hilarious. Maybe he'd even write it in character as Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock!

I feel bad for saying that I was disappointed to see that this was not the case. Why not have a serious autobiography show more of a funny man? I'm sure there are plenty of folks that would want to read about the trials and tribulations of a young kid growing up in Brooklyn and what shaped his life into what we see on television today. Unfortunately for me, this is not what I thought I was signing up for when I downloaded the audiobook.

Tracy Morgan's life has been tragic, in a way that many lives are under the white supremacist capitalist patriarchal state. His father died of AIDS from a heroin addiction picked up in Vietnam. His mother gave him away to his grandmother, who also died when he was young. He experienced early childhood sexual abuse from a babysitter. He sold crack, but since his heart wasn't really in it, he turned to comedy. With some help from some very understanding women in his life, he has succeeded greatly in this venture.

This book is for you if you are sincerely interested in Tracy Morgan's life, not if you enjoy his comedy. show less

I didn't know what to expect when I decided to listen to this audio. I know I wasn't expecting the honest, heart-breaking, straight talk that was found here. The reader is left feeling like Tracey is talking to his best friend rather than narrating an audio book. There are parts that are funny, raw, heart-felt. Morgan lays his soul bare in a way only he can.

That being said, I didn't think this well-written at all. I don't know if the physical book would be better, but if it's written how show more the audio is spoken, leave it alone and stick to the audio. I'm not sure I can necessarily recommend it like I normally would. I really felt connected to the man after listening to this, but if you are wanting a high quality memoir, this isn't it. I'm giving it 4 stars because I walked away feeling as though the comedian let me in on his inner most secrets.

If you like audios where the author sounds like he is talking to YOU, where you are left feeling intimately connected, if you like Tracey Morgan enough to listen to him narrate his life for 4 hours, then give this a try. If not, skip it. show less

I heard "This Is Not Happening" clip with Artie Lange became curious about him. (Obviously, I am not a fan of the Howard Stern show.) My research led me to "Crash and Burn."

I am an addict as well but fortunately didn't go down Artie's route. I remember falling asleep during conversations at work, driving, but not being able to sleep at night. I still can't sleep at night.

At the very end of the book, he says an addict craves chaos. That smacked me upside the head. Chaos described my twenties show more and thirties, even though I was Oxys for less than two years, maybe even one. One of my daughters who has had addiction problems leads a chaotic life. I am aware of how addiction plays a role in my life and my life is calm now.

I thank Artie for opening up and writing "Crash and Burn." I hope he and his family are doing well. One day at a time, Artie. Sometimes, one minute at a time. show less