Scar Tissue

I've read several rock memoirs, but this is far and away my favorite. Kiedis doesn't just tell us what happened, but he speaks from the heart and relives it. There is a humility in his story, from someone who has been at the top of the world but knows it could come crashing down at any minute, and often did.

Kiedis does not tell us his story so that we'll feel sorry for him. It isn't out of arrogance or egotism that he shares his experiences with the Hollywood scene, the music business, and drug addiction. No, this is a way that he can pay it forward, embracing all of his experiences (good and bad) and live as an example. He's not preachy in his dislike of addiction. He's not judgmental of those that haven't beaten it. Rather, he lives show more by example, embracing life and everything it has to offer. What better inspiration could someone have to get clean and make the most of what they have in life?

I was personally touched by this book. Not due to drug addiction - I've never had to experience that. I was a smoker, so I do understand some of the ways that an addiction can mind-fuck a person, but that's not even close to the levels of Hell that Kiedis and others have had to go through. No, I felt connected because of the way Kiedis is always looking forward. He learned (and learns) from experiences, and doesn't spend a lot of time beating himself up about it. Learn and build on the experiences, sharing what you can with those around you. That's the outlook he takes on life and the issues it presents. show less

Anyone coming for an autobiography of the Red Hot Chili Peppers might be a little disappointed in this book. Kiedis focuses more on his personal journey through life, and especially on his formative adolescent years. The Chili Peppers are a part of his life, to be sure, but this story is truly Anthony's personal struggles to be a sober, straight-living man.

Anthony spends a significant amount of the book on his teenaged years. He was essentially his father's roommate (not his son, not his "charge) in Los Angeles from the age of 12. He experienced more drugs and debauchery before the age of 18 than most people could live through in their entire life. In describing his experiences, however, Kiedis used an inviting tone; he never bragged show more about his exploits or tried to paint himself in an excessively rosy light. He simply invited the reader along to explore his personal experiences and emotions.

Scar Tissue is truly a book about drug addiction, about the lifelong slippery slope of trying to obtain (and maintain) sobriety. It is amazing that Kiedis can keep his dozens of periods of abuse and relapse straight in his mind, much less transform them into a compelling narrative journey for the reader. Life on drugs was in no way glamorous--Kiedis spent many years at rock bottom, barely surviving, and scrounging for his existence. He also fooled many people about his drug use, and managed to escape any arrest or scrutiny for possession. Reading about how Kiedis has to consider and seize his sobriety each and every day (he's been clean since 24 December 2000) will surely inspire anyone who is struggling with their own personal demons. show less

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis really hit home with me, despite my lack of being an addict. It was raw and truthful, and full of amazing stories that I couldn't even believe. I've always loved the Red Hot Chili Peppers but after reading this, I undoubtedly love them even more.

For those living under a rock, Kiedis is the frontman and lyricist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. You know, the hot one with the formerly waist-length hair and pretty tattoos and who doesn't like to wear a shirt (which is just fine with me). Can you believe guy is ~47 now? Well, anyway, you just can't make this stuff up. Kiedis is extremely forthcoming about his struggle with heroin addiction, strange parenting (the story about his dad getting into Method acting is worth the price of the book), the band’s creative process and his role in it, brushes with the law, etc. Maybe he’s too forthcoming about his romantic entanglements (is it a fricking beautiful spiritual experience every time he shtups some waif?), but that just seems to show more be the kind of guy he is: naked, you know? The story is compelling and easy to get into. I don’t know who wrote what, but the narrative just flows and it feels like Anthony Kiedis is talking to you. After reading this I’m interested in more autobiographies of artists who should reasonably be dead. I mean, if I did the stuff Kiedis did, sober or lit (e.g., diving into swimming pools from five stories up), I would be dead. show less

A very honest autobiography from a guy who seems to finally have learned his lesson. I love the Chili Peppers' music, but never knew much about the guys. Learning about their extensive history has drawn me even more to their early recordings. It was easy to get pulled into this book because Kiedis is telling you everything without expecting pats on the back or cool points, so when he relapses I felt very involved. One of the best rock autobiographies I've read, I would recommend it to at least other RHCP fans, or rock fans in general.

I love the Chili Peppers, but this was a hard read. For fans of the band, the only reason you want to slog through this is to learn the story of all the personnel changes and get an intimate look at the RHCP songwriting process. At its worst, though (and this is probably two-thirds of the book), "Scar Tissue" is a (forgive me) blow-by-blow account of Kiedis' drug use and sex life. His trip out of addiction is interesting, no doubt, but the book reads more like a chronological diary of hedonism at times instead of the narrative of redemption it so wants to be.

When this book was originally released, I tried to read it. I had been a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Kiedis seemed like a reasonably interesting guy. I didn't get very far. He started talking about living with his dad, starting to do drugs at 11, and having sex with his father's girlfriend when he was 12. With his father's permission. And with the girlfriend's enthusiasm. It was all told with such a self-satisfied air, and I didn't think I could stand a whole book like that, so I put it down. I decided to try again now with the audio version, which is read by Rider Strong of "Boy Meets World" fame.

What I found out is that the insufferableness comes down by small measures as Kiedis gets older. There are still far too many show more interludes that have no point except to tell the story of some girl he met and had amazing sex with (often in a hallway or stairwell or doorway or something). Women and drugs (not necessarily in that order) have clearly been the driving forces in his life. Music came later, and interestingly enough, touring was the only time he would reliably remain sober. Many cycles of rehab, relapse, trying to kick the habit on his own, relapse, etc., go on once the band has achieved some success.

The good: Once he really becomes an addict, he doesn't romanticize the experience. Using dirty needles, committing desperate acts, and manipulating people were all too common, and he doesn't shy away from telling those stories. It's interesting to hear one member's take on a lot of the big events in the band's history.

The bad: The production quality of the audio book is pretty abysmal; you can hear pages being shuffled and other background noise like that. Also, Rider Strong does the world's worst accents (Irish was particularly bad), and he doesn't consistently know how to pronounce words. The book is over-long in general; like a lot of people, Kiedis thinks more is more when it comes to stories from his life. show less