Appetite for Destruction: The Days of Guns N' Roses [Hardcover]

Danny Sugerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1991

An updated version of the classic rock study that Publishers Weekly calls "a well-researched, deftly reasoned portrait". In this unconventional chronicle of the band, Sugerman uses precedents in literature and philosophy to draw parallels between Axl Rose and Rimbaud and traces the roots of rebellion all the way to Shelley, Nietzsche, and Byron. Photographs and illustrations.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sugerman ( No One Here Gets Out Alive ) analyzes the phenomenal success of rock band Guns n' Roses and the larger meaning of rock 'n' roll in this thought-provoking work. Here, the same artistic impulse which drove Byron, Poe and Rimbaud is attributed to vocalist W. Axl Rose and guitarist Slash: "the Romantic hero challenged death with excess and the rock artist is entitled to do the same." In Sugerman's view, seeking freedom even through excess is a noble pursuit, and Guns n' Roses is the best present-day embodiment of the Dionysian spirit; he also maintains that drug use, which is seen as both the creator and destroyer of the drive to break with dogma and imposed morality, is the core of Guns n' Roses' appeal. Axl and Slash's controversial behavior is enthusiastically catalogued but not necessarily condoned--Sugerman is vague and somewhat apologetic about Axl's well-publicized sexism, racism and homophobia. Occasional overwriting does not seriously damage this well-researched, deftly reasoned portrait. Photos.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (July 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312058144
• ISBN-13: 978-0312058142
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,380,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars G N' R for the Intellectual, November 25, 2001

By 

Karl T. Velde (Allston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Appetite for Destruction: The Days of Guns N' Roses (Paperback)

What makes this book interesting is that its not just about the band, their music and off stage exploits, which is what most rock biographies are all about. Rather, this book is about defining the sociological and psychological impact of Rock N' Roll on modern American culture and the role that Guns N' Roses have played in shaping and defining such cultural perceptions. In this book, Sugarman compares the music and exploits of Guns N' Roses to everything from mythology to philosophy to psychology to modern historical events to convey this thesis. The truth is, what I really liked about this book, is that after finishing it, I felt that I not only learned about Guns N' Roses, but more so about the cultural importance of rock n' roll and the impact that it's had in shaping the modern American cultural landscape of the late 20th century.

Therefore, if you're interested in really learning about why G N' R is such an important band and your interest in music extends beyond what you hear on a CD, than I strongly recommend this book.

A word of caution...I have to say that this is not your typical sex, drugs and rock n' roll biography. If you're looking for a book that's just about the drunken exploits of Axl and the band,you'd best look else where. Not that this book does not cover off on these subjects, its just that there is much more to this book than that.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Guns N'Roses biography that's weak on real details, November 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Appetite for Destruction: The Days of Guns N' Roses (Hardcover)

If you're looking for an insightful, revealing Guns N'Roses biography, then don't read this book.

The author spends too much time on embarrassing pseudo-intellectualisms by talking about Rimbaud, Percy Shelley, and Edgar Allen Poe (not to mention the author's unnecessary analysis of ancient gods of decadence) instead of getting down to the nitty-gritty and writing a real biography on Guns N'Roses.

Danny Sugerman, the author, is known as a leech in the music business. His main claim to fame is that he used to be the president of the Doors fan club and he wrote the first best-selling book on the Doors, "No One Here Gets Out Alive." Sugerman is still clearly obsessed with Jim Morrison because he repeatedly compares Axl Rose to Jim Morrison, and Guns N'Roses to the Doors. The only things these two bands have in common are that they were both formed in L.A., they sold millions of records, and the lead singer got arrested several times at the height of their fame.

After all the pointless comparisons to a dead rock group and dead poets, what we're left with is a book that tells very little about Guns N'Roses that isn't recycled from articles that were written before this book was published.

This book was published in 1991 and time has shown that the Axl Rose/Jim Morrison comparisons are even more laughable now.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not very interesting, April 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Appetite for Destruction: The Days of Guns N' Roses (Paperback)

This book provided only a handful of facts about GN'R that all GN'R fans dont already know. IF you are looking to learn certain things about the band, you will not find them in this book. This book does nothing more than give a very drawn out detail of how cool Danny Sugerman thinks Jim Morrison is. All of the comparsion between Axl and hindu gods s very boring, honestly. If you are a true GN'R fan, you should not buy this book.