Rating: Summary: And They're Still Alive!? Review: Hammer of the Gods, the rock bio that chronicles the good times and the bad times of Led Zeppelin (pun intended), is usually regarded as the ultimate guide for debauchery and bad behavior in the music world. Although they've never reached quite the same legendary status critically, Motley Crue outdoes them in the excess department...by a landslide. Love them or hate them, the Crue always remained unapologetic for their ganglike lifestyles. Drugs, deaths, domestic violence, prison, depression, groupies, and - sometimes - a heck of a lot of fun. This surprisingly thick and detailed bio jumps back and forth between the main players (the band plus various managers and so forth) and reveals more than any fan could hope for. As the various versions of the same story unfold it's clear that the guys still don't entirely understand the extent to which the other band members are capable of helping to ruin their very existences. As if doing drugs and bedding the other band members' wives in public weren't bad enough, they were also usually doing worse drugs and bedding other wives and girlfriends that never got found out. Until now. Neil Strauss, who helped pen Marilyn Manson's subpar book a while back, has arranged these pages perfectly. Aside from the "dude"-littered ramblings of Tommy Lee (which are unintentionally hilarious in spots) the band seems to have a pretty good grasp of the terror that they've inflicted on almost everyone they've met in the last two decades. Mick Mars, who always struck me as being the quietly insane member of the band, keeps his words brief and to the point and comes across as the most down-to-earth (despite his ruminations on spirit worlds and dinosaur extinction theories). All of the "dirt" is here. Every drug shot up, every car wrecked, every drink drank, and every act of adultery intact. It's an amazing journey into a world that only a few unlucky souls get to live in, a pure hell that revolves around the adulation of the fans and the medication required to keep that image from fading. While many bands have gone down this road I doubt that any have gone as far as Motley Crue. They are truly lucky to be alive and able to brag about it and it makes a trashy good time to read.
Rating: Summary: Choking on Broken Glass Review: Back in his alcoholic heyday, Vince Neil was ejected from a Benihana restaurant for biting mouthfuls of cocktail glasses and then reprimanding his waitress for bringing them to him broken. Nikki Sixx once shattered a Jack Daniel's bottle on a train passenger's head in Japan. These are the sort of manic, intoxicating anecdotes that comprise the best of "The Dirt." The book also addresses more serious subjects like Nikki's troubled upbringing, Mick Mars' rare bone disease, Vince's turmoil over the death of his young daughter and (most tragically) Tommy Lee's relationship with Pamela Anderson. Indeed, if there is one lesson to be learned from the Crue's autobiography, it is this: a drunken weekend of bliss in Cancun won't serve as a strong foundation for marriage, even a celebrity one. Only rock stars can spin tales of blowing millions on booze, blow, ...women with the singular luxury of having standing reservations at assorted rehab clinics. I have little doubt that the decade-plus of decadence described is actually understated. And much of the book reads like a therapeutic retelling of the highs and lows of substance abuse at a 12-step meeting. While music is central to the mission of Motley Crue, it seems to play only a peripheral part in the lives of the band behind the scenes; Nikki admits as much by calling "Theater of Pain" and "Girls, Girls, Girls" slipshod efforts. Motley Crue's genuine craft is celebrity. Oscar Wilde once noted that the lives of artistic geniuses are rather dull because their lives are consumed by their work. Those less talented are far more interesting because their lives are their principal work of art. Motley Crue resembles a Jackson Pollock painting - a chaotic, torrid mess on the surface but also totally bedazzling, bold, virile and gargantuan in its totality. The book's layout and chapter titles are exceptional, which befits a group who mastered the visual aspects of rock music and lasting celebrity. This is well worth the hardcover price, and is must reading for anyone even remotely interested in 80's pop culture (and who isn't?).
Rating: Summary: A must read for fans and non-fans alike Review: I read this book in one day! I could not put it down. These four guys prove that deep down inside, no matter how much money or fame, we are all simple human beings looking for the same things in life. They have all come full circle. This book will make you cringe, make you cry and make you realize that all the stuff you heard about this band is TRUE! The section where Vince talks about Skylar is a tear jerker. Nikki's childhood explains alot about why he was the way he was. Mick finally makes some sense and Tommy, well, he's self-explanatory. This was a really great book and I would recommend it for everyone who remembers what it was like to be a Crue fan in the early 80s.
Rating: Summary: The Dirt Motley Crue Review: I was waiting to get this book and as soon as I got it, I read thru the whole thing, It was well worth it, Tommy Lee doesnt always show his intelligence, His book shows he is more than capable
Rating: Summary: What wild history Review: The men I thought of as gods when I was a teenagers were such PIGS, and I never knew it. But they have all grown into amazing men, fathers, husbands and best of all musicans. Through this book you realize the evolution of not only the Crue as men, but the evolution of thier music and the music of the 80's and now. I thought the book was a great history of the bad boys of rock and roll. I really liked that they each had various chances to tell their version of the same story, thier way. At times I did feel as though I was ready porn, it is true Motley Crue. I do wish that Mick Mars had more to say, I finished the book and really wanted to know more about the quiet gutiar player who could really kick some... I recommend this boook to those that are true fans and those who just might be a fan, you will be at the end.
Rating: Summary: Filthy Rock Pigs Review: I was never a fan of Motley Crue, what with their foo-foo hair, cheesy makeup and inane songs, but you just knew that they were the biggest rock pigs on the planet. This book proves it. Drugs, groupies, sex, more drugs, Ossie Osbourne, more drugs. Man, if the upcoming Gene Simmons autobiography is half as good it'll be great. But somehow I think Gene's will be more of the same old bloated ramblings he's been indulging in for years. Time will tell. In the meantime, get this book, it's a real page-turner. Even if you do feel like taking a shower after every few pages.
Rating: Summary: Awesome Review: GREAT book. Tells all the cool behind the scenes stories about motley crue and all their friends like ozzy and van halen. Crazy stuff. That's all i could say to explain it.
Rating: Summary: YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!... Review: I ploughed my way through this in two days. It's been a long long time since a book has kept me awake until after 2am, but THE DIRT broke that cycle. This is THE best rock autobio I have ever read. It's even surpasses Stauss's Marilyn Manson collaboaration. I won't spoil the content for readers as the other reviews probably cover that pretty well, but this book is a must read. THE BOOK OF THE...YEAR DUDE as Tommy would put it. This book has reconverted me as a fan. Tommy, Nikki, Vince and Mick by laying bare all your excesses, hopes, fears and insecurites you are TRUE ROCK GODS in the Vidiot's book. When your next album is released you can guarantee I'll be first in the queue to buy it.
Rating: Summary: I'm converted! Review: I wasn't a huge fan of Motley Crue (with the exception of looking at Nikki Sixx), but reading this book has turned me into a total hardcore Crue fan. Not only is it extremely well laid out and written...it shows each person's personality and lets it all hang out....good and bad. Trust me, you'll love this book! I couldn't put it down.
Rating: Summary: Wow...what a ride. Review: I followed the Crue as a loyal headbanger in the 80's and even saw there first tour with Ozzy. I remember skipping school and going to the record store with my friend to buy the Shout at the Devil tape. We felt very subversive owning it, because the Crue were quite dangerous and controversial to us at the time. The did rock in their live show, though. This book was almost too descriptive, almost too much sleaze to read, but strangely this book was one that was hard to put down. It had depth to it in it's description of the band members childhoods and give a good indication of why they turned out the way they did. Its amazing that they are still alive. The book is a very decadent portrait of very shallow, immoral, selfish yet creative people who got together to make some great music. The end of the book shows the changes in attitude and beliefs of the members and how they view each other and Motley Crue, but the book seems like an honest, no hold barred portrayal of 4 guys against the world. A very interesting read.
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