Slash

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 never quite of the Guns'N'Roses era - I was a tiny bit too late for that. However, "Welcome to the Jungle" is constantly on the playlist on my iPod along with other tracks. There is no doubt that Guns'N'Roses were an incredibly successful rock band, due to the excellent vocals of frontman Axl Rose and amazing sounds of guitarist Slash.

Slash was the lead guitarist from nearly the start of the Guns'N'Roses story and is an immediately recognisable figure due to his trademark top hat and show more big hair. He is acclaimed as one of the modern guitar heroes and even featured on the cover of the game Guitar Heroes III.

His autobiography (assisted byAnthony Bozza) is Slash's own attempt to tell his story. He tells it in a manner that is open and honest. He rarely apologies or attempts to conceal his actions. He simply tells it as he saw it. He begins with his childhood and family life and descibes his initial encounter with a guitar. However from there on in, there is very little mention of music in the book (in a technical sense that is). The book is more about Slash than about his music. His alcohol and drug-related excesses are presented as is his struggle to eventually become clean and be a father to his two sons.

Fans of Guns'N'Roses will love the descriptions of the band's rise to success and manic tour adventures. The tension between Axl and Slash is described, with long-reaching roots to early days. Slash often refuses to say anything truly bad about his former band member and this is to his credit.

Slash is famous for his open character and honesty, and that shines through in this book. His love for the music and respect for the fans is evident. This is the real story of how it all went down. show less

Well, Slash, holy fuck man! I sort of want to take you under my wing and give you a hug dude. But first, I want you to have a shower because you are dirty. And I don't mean that in a "dirty-sexy" way. I mean it in a "remember Pig-Pen from Charlie Brown, how filthy he was?" way. I would like to introduce you to soap and laundry detergent and, what the hell, underwear. I get that living on the road, touring, has its challenges. And I get that junkies are, well, junkies. But seriously. You show more grossed me out a little bit, and that is really, really hard to do. I am fairly certain we did not need to know about your treatment-resistant penis-warts. But, gosh, I am sure glad you had them cleared up before reuniting with Sally. Phew! That was a close one, eh?

You definitely seem to be a wise old soul so, for the love of humanity, man, stop sticking needles in your veins. That is not cool and you are way smarter than that, dumb-ass. I am glad things are calmer in your life and that, by the end of the story you are clean and sober (this book is from 2007). It seems you and your wife, Perla, have had more ups and downs in the past year but your two little boys are super-cute so I hope you are making life easy for them and not stressing them out with your bad-boy antics and Perla's party-mama ways; though reading about it all was very cool. I have to ask you a favour though, Slash. Stop using the word "literally". Please? Now!

One niggling annoyance: your co-author sort of sucks. A lot. And your editor sucks too. If you ever do another memoir, a part two to this book, choose someone else to co-write with. Apply the same logic and gut instinct you use in feeling the groove with other musicians to seeking out writers and editors. It wouldn't take much to turn your okay story into a totally kick-ass book!

So, from your book I came away still thinking you are underrated as an axe-man. Your vibe (as a human being) is totally excellent and I am sure a lot of people could learn from your ways. And I don't mean your not-so-smart-junkie ways. I mean your sit back, take it all in, accept people as they are for who they are ways. I am pulling for you to have a happy and calm life filled with a lot of music-making.

I felt the need for a visual, here. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!

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Wicked read. Interesting, oddly moral fellow who tells a great story and takes the high road in terms of not spilling ugly stories of bandmates. Maybe there IS more than one Keith Richards?