Helpful Score: 3
Alright, just not what I expected. It dealt a lot with sex and drugs (yes I know that's part of the rock and roll life..just didn't expect so much to be in a book) and also featured several nude photographs of women (so please note, do not read this around prying children eyes). I was hoping more for something less racy.
Helpful Score: 3
Very good book. I just can't believe the things he revealed and I also am stunned his has lived through his drug use.
Has some background history of his life before Red Hot Chili Peppers with his Parents. Found this to be very interesting and sheds a lot of light on why he is the way he is.
Has some background history of his life before Red Hot Chili Peppers with his Parents. Found this to be very interesting and sheds a lot of light on why he is the way he is.
Helpful Score: 3
I read this on the heels of "Tommyland" and anthony Kiedis is about a thousand times brighter and more soulful than Tommy Lee (which may or may not be saying a lot.) This book affects you on an almost visceral level. It's hard to put down, but so dense and packed with emotion that you have to put it down periodically in order to absorb it. It helps to be a Chili Peppers fan, but one certainly wouldn't have to be in order to find Kiedis relatable and inspiring. It made me feel spiritually connected to him; like he was a kindred spirit. Sounds hokey, I know, but it was the first book I'd read about drug addiction that was written as such - it was such a juxtaposition between reading the innermost thoughts of a Kiedis that you love and want to be around, and reading about all of the selfish, terrible things that his addiction was responsible for. Makes it hard to completely hate junkies. Make no mistake though - don't read this expecting for a tell-all of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is strictly about Anthony Kiedis being a fiend and finding a way to overcome that. The band stuff is incidental to his addiction story. A great read.
Helpful Score: 2
Very descriptive in his drug abuse and crazy lifestyle. Keidis also describes his work with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and his relationship with bassist/co-founder Flea. Fans of the band will love this book.
Helpful Score: 2
I picked this book up on the way to my father's funeral a full years ago. I was stuck in an airport waiting for my connection and although I NEVER pay full price for a book I'm happy I did with this one. It is an amazing book! This one went in my KEEP pile it was so good! Anthony Kiedis' experiences are wonderful and the ghost writer is incredible! If the ghost writer's other works are as good as this one I'd gladly read all of the biographies he's written! I was a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan before reading this book, but after reading it I was so inspired I went out and bought their latest greatest hits cd! Awesome book that I am happy I paid full price for!!! Very racy, very sexy, full of drugs and NO I would not read this book in front of my kids, but that's what makes the book so good!
Helpful Score: 2
How is he not dead? Seriously. I've always loved the Chili Peppers' music, but not I'm even more amazed by it. It's a miracle they lived long enough to make it, nevermind actually pulling themselves together enough to make it so *good*!
I thought this was a very unflinching, honest account of a life hard lived. The writing style was engaging and relatable. I appreciated how he managed to quite clearly explain his thought processes at various points in his life, without glamorizing the drug use and chaos and without making excuses or blaming anyone other than himself. I've lost a cousin to drug, so I feel like I can kind of understand his mindset better now than I could back when he was alive (he never had the way with words that Anthony does). Hopefully looking back over his life in the process of writing this book will have given Anthony some perspective and further motivation to stay clean.
I thought this was a very unflinching, honest account of a life hard lived. The writing style was engaging and relatable. I appreciated how he managed to quite clearly explain his thought processes at various points in his life, without glamorizing the drug use and chaos and without making excuses or blaming anyone other than himself. I've lost a cousin to drug, so I feel like I can kind of understand his mindset better now than I could back when he was alive (he never had the way with words that Anthony does). Hopefully looking back over his life in the process of writing this book will have given Anthony some perspective and further motivation to stay clean.
Helpful Score: 1
This was super good! Anthony Kiedis is very inteligent and the book just has a wonderful flow to it. You get the full story of the Chili Peppers...just a great book!!
Helpful Score: 1
I read a ton of biographies and autobiographies, and I particularly love ones about rockstars. This one, not so much. While I'm sure that Anthony Kiedis is an amazing individual, his story telling ability sucks. The book had no flow at all. I only made it half way through and gave up, as all I was reading was "...and I did some drugs, and I played some music, and I had sex with this girl, then I did some drugs, and I played some music, and I had sex with this other girl..." blah, blah, blah...over and over and over. I'm sure his life was a hell of alot more exciting, crazy and tragic than I can ever imagine, but his book was just plain boring.
Helpful Score: 1
At it's best an uninhibited porthole view of brotherly love that only made one of my favorite bands more endearing. at its worst a depressingly predictable cycle; drug addiction is a repetitive thing, and this is a 465 page book.
I really enjoyed this book, warts and all. I am a casual fan of Anthony Kiedis and Red Hot Chili Peppers and mostly listened to them in the late 80's and early 90's, so I wasn't sure how interesting this would be for me. The answer? Very. I've picked up a lot of rock & roll biographies and autobiographies that just didn't catch my interest but this one hooked me from the start and kept my interest all of the way through. It does talk about songs, lyrics, band lineup changes, etc, but because Kiedis is primarily a singer and front man there is not a lot of technical music talk...to me that's a huge plus, as I am not a musician! I liked that very few of the people mentioned were veiled or referred to by different names. It felt very authentic. There was a lot of content some might find disturbing but based on anecdotes I'd heard about Kiedis previously none of it surprised me too much. I finished the book feeling like I "know" a little more about Kiedis and the band, and somehow liking their music more even though the story here is not always appealing. It shed some light on a few songs and lyrics I'd been curious about for years. Definitely worth a read.
Under all who Anthony Keidis is, there's still just a man under it all. Scar Tissue runs through most of his life, from some early memories until about 2004. It's amazing to see the transformation he has gone through and the effects of life outside of himself has had on him.
From the seemingly non-chalant run ins with other stars throughout his life, to the run ins with drug dealers and other dark spiritual entities, Anthony's heart and soul shines through in this book. The good times, the fascinating upbringing and band life was an amazing read. The hard times of shooting smack and smoking crack were really tough to read. I guess that's just showing his soul through his work... That's how he was feeling as it was going on as well.
This is definately worth picking up. It's pretty expansive, but if you're really interested in knowing Anthony Keidis more personally, you will accomplish that by the end of the book.
From the seemingly non-chalant run ins with other stars throughout his life, to the run ins with drug dealers and other dark spiritual entities, Anthony's heart and soul shines through in this book. The good times, the fascinating upbringing and band life was an amazing read. The hard times of shooting smack and smoking crack were really tough to read. I guess that's just showing his soul through his work... That's how he was feeling as it was going on as well.
This is definately worth picking up. It's pretty expansive, but if you're really interested in knowing Anthony Keidis more personally, you will accomplish that by the end of the book.
First off, this audio is unabridged and is 13 cd's! I didn't care for the narrator at first because he sounded too wimpy to be reading Anthony's words, but he did grow on me after a while. Could be 13 cd's does that to a person. Anyways, the story itself was just OK. It was too drawn out and the umpteenth time he tells of a heroin binge gets old. The f-bomb is a major part of his writing, so be careful if you have kids around. He sounded so immature & seemed to cover his butt a few times -- which could have been real or perhaps just his version of reality. I'm glad I listened to it, but not sure if I would recommend it to a friend.
Biography of Anthony Kiedis. No holds barred, really good , easy read.
Interesting peek into the personal life of a rock star...I really enjoyed the photo sections scattered throughout the book.
I may be bias, being a fan of the group, but I thought this book was very well written. Kiedis has a lot, and I mean, A LOT to tell. It is funny in some areas, tragic in others and peppered with adventure throughout. Great read!
