Slash Paperback – Illustrated, October 21, 2008

I’m a big Fan of Guns N Roses and of Slash he’s my favorite guitar player. I love this book I can’t stop reading it. I feel like Slash is in my house telling me stories of his life.

I gave the book five stars for the simple fact of no holding back in the TRUTH department. You pretty much get it all from the highs to the lows. Looking back on the news stories, I felt myself believing excatly what Slash put forward in this book. I found the book to be sad in many ways and down right frightening! The common sadistic goal of the music industry comes through as his accounts match perfectly other artists who made it, in this greed filled industry. His life in many ways mimics exactly other elite guitarists, such a Van Halen for example. On the one hand you have an extremely talented individual who can create some electrifying/gorgeous sounds and feels with a guitar!!!! On the other hand you have a lack of self care that is destructive and wasteful of a human body and talent! So, the book tears you apart as you go back and forth with your emotions. Well done by all involved in the project capturing a lifetime of events that shock and move you in many different ways!

They say never meet your heroes. But I still want to meet Slash. I realize this book is now 16 years old, and a lot has changed in that time. I’m sure Slash has changed, and very publicly, I know that things in his life has changed. But he still seems like a cool dude and I definitely respect his talent. I read his book mainly for the music — he’s my favorite guitarist, and has been since I really got into guitar playing around 1990-91. I was taken aback by some of his recollections (Some of which I’d heard of in the news), and honestly I have to wonder how much is accurate given his self-admittance that he was high or passed out a lot. But he definitely has lived a life of excess and debauchery (his own words that are in there, somewhere). It’s your typical sex, drugs, and rock n roll that seems to be common to musicians. Idk that Slash was any “worse” than any of the countless other musicians who’ve fallen into the same vices, but unlike some, he lived to tell about it. It was an interesting book, and I’d love for him to publish an update. I’d love to hear his thoughts on the breakup of Velvet Revolver, Scott’s death, the end of his second marriage and his relationship with Meegan, and also hear him tell how he got back in with Axl and Duff for what is the current iteration of GNR.I think this book is worth a read, especially if you’re a fan of GNR, guitarists, or 80’s/90’s hard rock music.

I have always been a fan of Guns & Roses,particularly for their unique guitar styles and amazing solos(Estranged,Nighttrain,November Rain) so when i saw this book i grabbed it,and i'm glad i did. I have always been a die-hard fan of heavy metal & have always enjoyed reading band or individual band members biographies as to say...a fiction story.This book has alot of great information,starting from the very beginning of his upbringing,and explaining how he was so musically inclined through his families work in the music business. The book is very informational in the sense it talks about how he grew up & his interests as a boy such as BMX & artwork. As he grew up it talks about some of Slash's famous stunts such as how he would boost cassette tapes in his pants,snakes wrapped around his arms and all other kinds of reptiles. His love for snakes & reptiles explains why he named his solo project after his departure in G&R Slash's Snakepit.This book gets into how he made the decision to pick up the axe and start wailing away on the 6string,how he came to form a bond with Duff and Steven as well as how he met up with Axl and Izzy. The band progressed themselves almost too fast as they were added on to open up for the equally as hedonistic band Motley Crue. The book goes into great detail about their individual tastes and such but this book is from Slash's perspective and talks about him and his endevours but also,obviously has to go into detail about Guns & Roses. The book is very insightful about the inner workings of G&R and how and why the tension slowly built after years on the road & info about the lineup changes as well as Axl constantly being late to gigs or just deciding to bail before the set was scheduled to end. Personally,being born in 1990 i can't say i knew all of this about the band,but now i do. There is alot of detail about the throes of addiction & substance abuse in this book but trust me it isn't nearly as bad as Nikki Sixx's Heroin Diaries,or even Steven Adlers book about substance abuse. Regardless this book goes through the different events in his life,pertaining to groupies and debauchery. Alot of great detail about how he tried to kick the dope and did it successfully(but replaced it with booze) and all the cocaine and crack that he would consume,almost killing him in 1 story. He took some time out to explain about his houses and buying a new one,then moving into a new place with his wife Perla. This book really goes through alot and covers alot of ground,from Guns to Snakepit to Velvet Revolver as well as his collaborations with Ray Charles,Michael Jackson and many others. Alot more stories about how he & the band had to hitchhike around the country to get to gigs when they first started. There is stories about how much excessive spending went on & how the band got sued by outside sources as well as Axl. There is info about his children and how he raised them with his wife,they both went to rehab for their own substance issues. Slash had a defibrulator installed in his heart because he OD'd and his heart got weak from all the years of excess parties and gallon of vodka a day drinking habits. There is just so much in here that i can't really say on this review but there are some great pictures in here as well as his personal views on subjects such as life,love,addiction,family,etc. If you are a fan of Slash,Guns,Velvet Revolver or the Snakepit or just a straight up fan of the band and want to learn a bit from their perspective then go and grab a copy. I have gotta say i have books from Ozzy,Lemmy,the Crue,Zakk Wylde,Metallica,Rex from Pantera,Korn,Manson and many other rock stars including Duff & Steven Adler and i have gotta say this book is top-notch. For fans of the band this book is a must own.