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The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band

The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band

List Price: $27.95
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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Is Sex Dead? Just Ask Motley Crue
Review: In 1982, a priest whose moniker has long since escaped my memory published a treatise on human sexuality. I don't remember much about this delightful tome, except for the fact that it had a cherry-red cover and its opening chapter presented this provocative question, "Is Sex Dead?" Outlining a cogent theory for the demise of meaningful and transcendent sexuality in an era of over-familiarity, promiscuity and rampant irresponsibility, the courtly cleric nevertheless managed to disgrace himself by condemning birth control, pain relief during childbirth, sexual equality, etc. ad nauseam. Father Rusty P. Nuss, as I shall call him, squandered his moral capital with my then-23-year-old self with his subtly disguised misogyny and overweening arrogance. Thus, I nearly forgot about this crimson-covered claptrap.

Until I read "The Dirt."

If you think you know how decadent and depraved rock superstars can be, think again. If you're a groupie and harbor any delusions that you're a muse for your hard-rocking demigod, climb off that pudendal block and join the real world. If you think you know the real meaning of the term "booty call," click those ruby-red slippers and remind yourself that you're not in Kansas any more.

What's not to loathe about "The Dirt?" As it turns out, very few and far between indeed. Self-indulgence to the point of psychosis! Telephones used for gynecological tools! Vomitus as a pheromonal inducement! Managers, producers, girlfriends, ex-wives and colleagues driven half-mad by the juvenilia of the gents in Motley Crue! Yes, yes, it's all here - and less.

The authors of this depressing book don't mince words - so I won't beat around the, uh, bush either. "The Dirt" is appalling. It's disillusioning. It's perplexing. But most of all, it's icky. Of the four band members, Mick Mars and Vince Neil emerge as the most sympathetic. In fact, Mars asks one of the book's most insightful questions: "What's wrong with women?" Believe me, you'll ask yourself the same thing after reading this excremental excursion.

However, there are passages in the book that are deeply meaningful. They involve a beautiful blonde cherub who tragically died of cancer in 1995. Neil's poignant and heartfelt tribute to his daughter, Skylar, pierces the soul and evokes profound empathy. As for Mars, his fight with terminal illness and chronic pain hasn't afforded him the luxury to sink to the depths of Sixx and Lee (two immature, impulsive, selfish brats who don't need any more pampering - they need Pamprin).

This reviewer remains profoundly perplexed by a lead singer who can concurrently outline a surfeit of sleazy sexual escapades while offering a lovely epistle to his adorable daughter. "Skylar really showed me what love was," the singer declared on VH1's "Behind the Music."

But I'm also annoyed with this band for leading my thoughts back to Father Nuss. I don't like the idea of placing my trust in the tepid theories of someone who wouldn't know a clitoris from a clavicle, but "The Dirt" is warping my thinking. At length, I had to take action. I tore out and reserved all the pages related to Skylar Neil and walked outside in the evening dusk. Soon I saw a quaint, horse-drawn carriage bearing a newly-engaged couple. How nice, I thought. How romantic. This gave me ideas. I waited for the animal (the horse, not the humans) to pass, and then I placed the book atop a pile of something around which even flies don't congregate.

Call me an extremist, but if you'd read more than a few pages of this priapic freak-fest, you'd do the same.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wow...just wow.
Review: I always knew that a rock stars life was crazy, but this is just insane. Talk about Sex, Drugs and Rock-n-Roll! I love Motley Crue, still do, but what a story! Some chapters made me want to put the book down with disgust, others made me laugh, others made me cry and most made me think, "How are these guys still alive?". So many feeling shot through me. It's a good book when you, the reader can feel the emotional rollercoaster of its subjects. I read it so fast and hope that there is a part two someday, maybe titled "Clean but Dirtier".

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A great book, but...........
Review: Ok, Motley is not the greatest rock and roll band--they had a few good songs, but most will agree that the catalog is a bit thin, if not weak. The book is very good--yes Nikki is arrogant and Tommy is the quintessential dude, but overall, a very entertaining, explicit, raunchy fun fest. I don't think the editor did a damn thing really--everyone seems to say whatever the hell they want, and I even saw at least one mispelling. Not a great book---but a good one--not a great band, but a good one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A must read for Crueheads
Review: Read this book, and understand why Tommy Lee is no longer a part of the band. The book takes you from the earliest days of the Crue, and gives valuable insight into the personal lives of all four original members. All four have amazing life stories to offer, and we see the people behind the rock stars. But once they hit superstardom, the book is simply impossible to put down, as the reader learns a new definition of the word "decadence". The Crue has done it all, including a lot of hot female porn stars, the sexiest celebreties, and the hottest Playmates. Read about the indescribable "gross out" contest with madman Ozzy Osborne. Read about Nikki flat lining twice, and his escapades with Prince protegee Vanity. Read about Tommy's "dream life" with Playmate Pam Anderson, and the hell he had to endure while incarcerated for beating her. Read about the concerts, the parties, the orgies, the incredible women, and one of the most notorious, obnoxious, and greatest rock&roll bands of all time...Highly recommended.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "It's against the laws of the universe man"
Review: These guys are shackled to each other, for better or for worse. Opportunities in life don't come by the dozen, they certainly caught the train when it came calling, and then spent a large part of their career fighting against their fate: its one for all and all for one; or not at all (sic). Have toured with a punkband many years ago myself, I know the exhilaration, the booze, the dope, the [girls], you name it. Motley Crue certainly do all that to excess enabled by apparently limitless supply of dollars that comes with success in the US. But there are bigger forces than they themselves at work; ruthless record companies, crooked managers, the fans . The book evokes all this very well. As one reads on, a sense of melancholy creeps in culminating in the horrifying and truly sensitive account of Vince's 4 year old daugther Skylar's death. What is it all worth then? As Vince says:"It's against the laws of the universe man" Particularly that episode give the book unexpected depth. But there are plenty of laughs too, self depreciating humour (rare for rockstars), hilarious bitching, and an endless stream of big titted parasitic Daisy Dukes. Go read it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The CRUE's testimony to ROCK!
Review: This is one amazing book that not only fans of the band should read, but all people interested in music and sleazy Hollywood tales that comes with the territory. It is hard to top the cast of the Crue compromising the the wild characters Lee, Sixx, Mars & Neil. This book gives you all the wild stories of rock, sex and drugs you'd like and also some revealing insights on the personalities behind it. Motley Crue's debauchery is right up there with Led Zeppelin, Ozzy and Aerosmith---good company ahh?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Riveting, honest portrayal of the Biz...
Review: When I reluctantly purchased "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Band", I assumed it would be a guilty pleasure, akin to Cyrinda Foxe-Tyler's "Dream On" or similar celebrity tell-alls. How wrong I was!

From the first pages, "The Dirt" hooked me. For the three days I spent reading it, I had trouble making myself put it down. The early part of the book, dealing with the days of the Motley House & hanging out on the Strip were times I witnessed & I can verify that the Crue members don't sugar coat a thing!

Altho the personalities of the band members don't seem much different than the guys I knew nearly 20 years ago, there are depths to each that were entirely unsuspected by me. Section on the death of Vince's daughter Skylar brought me to tears. Tommy turns out to have spiritual aspirations, & Nikki discusses family issues & insecurities that have plagued him thruout his life. The major revelation tho, belongs to Mick Mars. The secret he reveals made me do a complete 180 in my opinion of him.

The strength of "The Dirt" is the compelling honesty in it's confessions. Each band member lets it all hang out, warts & all. We also get overviews from managers, producers & the guy who was responsible for getting the Crue onto a major label, Tom Zutaut. It makes for riveting reading of a transitional period in rock.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: AWESOME!!
Review: This book was absolutely fantastic!! I read it in 2 days because i could not put it down. Talk about being honest and truthful, these guys dont hold anything back. If you listened to the Crue, or just want to know the kind of life celebrities lead, it is a must read. Lots of name dropping, too!!! I cant believe they got away with it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Lewd, Crude, Rude, and -(what?)- Sensitive!
Review: This autobiography strongly resembles the Aerosmith book "Walk This Way" from a few years ago. You start out with the band's early days of non-stop partying, drugs, and chicks, and it's like the fun never stops. Then the story gets darker as the drugs take their toll and everyone loses their friends, money, and careers (at least temporarily). This pattern is clearly evident in the Motley Crue book, and to an even more extreme level than Aerosmith. The debauchery of the early years is truly excessive and explosive. If you love to act that way yourself, or do it vicariously by reading about the exploits of others, then you'll love those portions of this book. The only drawback is lurid descriptions of degrading things being done to women.

When the darkness sets in, I was surprised by the senstive and emotional writing of the guys in the band. Mick Mars (an extremly funny guy) discusses his painful bone disease that will probably lead to his early demise, Nikki Sixx (who's more intelligent than I imagined) talks about his traumatic childhood and family life, and Tommy Lee (a real sweetheart) includes his letters to Pamela from prison and shows a deep love for his sons. The most moving part of the book is when Vince Neil (who I don't think is a very cool person otherwise) discusses the death of his four-year old daughter from cancer, and how it changed his entire outlook on life.

This book also avoids the pitfalls of many biographies (and history books) by covering all time periods equally, instead of ignoring recent history at the expense of the glorified good old days. There's good coverage of the band's years with temporary singer John Corabi, and their recent not-so-glamorous struggles with the changing musical landscape. The only problem in this regard is the lack of dates and specific historical information, if you're the type that wants to know exactly when things happened. Otherwise, this was an extremely entertaining book, covering the expected rock star excesses with a surprising amount of realism and sensitivity. Good for both Crue fans and general rock fans alike.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: How are these guys still alive?!
Review: Well, I'm pretty sure it's not gonna win any literary awards, but this book certainly was entertaining. It's a dark story at times, but after reading this all my problems seemed petty. Excellent, entertaining, (quick) read.


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