Rating: 
Summary: "Dream" is a nightmare
Review: It's said that one should not speak ill of the dead. But readers may be tempted to make an exception for Cyrinda Foxe-Tyler, the late ex-wife of Steven Tyler and, by her own testimony, an immense pain in the backside. Those looking for a balanced view of Tyler (and Cyrinda) won't find what they're looking for here.Cyrinda takes readers from her miserable childhood to her life in New York. She was born to a moody, religious, abusive mother who married several men in succession, and lived as a military brat until she left for the bright lights and big city. There she met her second husband (the first is virtually a faceless footnote), Steven Tyler, a volatile and immensely popular singer for the band Aerosmith. An acrimonious marriage and divorce followed. It's undeniable that Steven Tyler was a druggie mess for many years, and he was hardly a saint when he wasn't on drugs. But while giving him a minimum of kindness and credit, Cyrinda herself is extremely annoying. She didn't want to embarrass herself by admitting a mistake, then blamed Steven for "making her do everything." She identifies herself as "high-maintenence and high-strung," by way of blaming Steven for wanting her to do housework, and not getting her a full-time nurse for baby Mia. She laments the size of her alimony payments and the lack of money, but evidently it never occurs to her to get a job. She tells in great detail of how Steven abused her physically, only a page after stating proudly that she gouged fingernail marks down his face (which she also admits is not her only act of physical violence toward him). A few pages are even devoted to describing how she provoked him by deliberately doing things (like talking when the water was running) that she knew upset him, while criticizing him for brushing his teeth as he walked (something she claims makes HER crazy). She also seems somewhat reluctant to acknowledge the importance of any other members of Steven's family. His daughter Liv is mentioned with barbed reluctance, simply because she is famous; Cyrinda claims that Steven only is with his actress daughter at photo shoots (a claim that is easily refuted with Liv's own testimony). Cyrinda also gets a few digs in at Liv's mother Bebe Buell, while grudgingly admitting that Bebe is an excellent businesswoman. Current wife Teresa is barely mentioned, certainly not by name, and her two offspring Chelsea and Taj are never acknowledged at all. Cyrinda's life also seems quite unbalanced. Literally pages will be spent on her sexual exploits, ranging from unofficial prostitution to a threesome with David and Angela Bowie to voyeuristic peeking at others having sex. Her aversion to getting a job (to the point of sleeping with people for room and board) may repel many readers, as will her pages-long rants about topics ranging from religion to gays. This woman barely presents a logical or unbiased viewpoint in the entire book. I just about snorted a glass of milk when I read Cyrinda's claim that Steven once claimed, "You're too intellectual!" "Dream On" is a sad memoir of a sad woman, whose bitterness was never exorcised. For a more balanced view of Steven Tyler, his ex-wife and his children, read Bebe Buell's memoir "Rebel Heart," the story of a flawed but hard-working and kindly "rock girl."
Rating:
Summary: A Memoir of Bitterness & Resentment
Review: Out of sheer curiosity I regretfully read this book. Cyrinda's memoirs are tainted with bitterness & revenge towards her ex-husband Steven Tyler. While some of her stories are interesting, she goes off track in the middle of most of them to trash Steven which leaves the reader to think "what was that all about?" She goes on in grave detail to talk about Tyler's behaviors during his well-known past addiction, but barely mentions her own and I'm quite sure she was no angel either! Throughout the book she also mentions how unjust she feels and that Steven has never apologized to her either verbally or (mainly) financially. I agree with the reader from New York that Cyrinda should get a job, but I'd also advise her to get off the pity-pot as well, unless she plans to live the rest of her life as a perpetual victim. In short, this book was nothing more than a waste of my time!
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