Customer Reviews

Layne Staley: Get Born Again

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

There's nothing I can say about this book that hasn't already been said in the other reviews. It's really sad to know that this is the best the author could do. It makes me want to write my own book on Layne and do his memory and fans justice. God knows I'd do a better job!! It looks as though no one involved with the book cared. I mean, couldn't someone use spell check?! Not only that, but the author keeps repeating quotes throughout the book as if we wouldn't be able to comprehend them if they were said once. She wants to make the words feel intense, but by repeating them she just ruins it!

I have to admit that if she had tried harder to get some of his friends to participate in the book it would have been better. Sure, his mother and sister can give us insight on who he was before the fame, but that doesn't give us the whole story. There's a HUGE gap in this book. She starts out when he's a baby, skips through to his teens for a second, and then straight to his final years. What about all that time we knew him? You can't honestly tell me that NONE of his countless friends wanted to talk about him. I guess she thought the guy only had 4 friends, who happen to be the other members of AIC. Guess again Adriana!

Another thing that ruins this book is the fact that the author keeps comparing her bulimia to Layne's drug addiction. I don't know about everyone else, but I DON'T CARE!! I bought this book because I wanted to read about Layne Staley, not some unknown author. When Layne said "you should write a book about yourself" he meant "leave me alone and write a book about yourself INSTEAD". At least that's my interpretation. And the goat stories and talk of the Renaissance don't help. I know he enjoyed Chinese philosophy, but how do you link that to comparing him to a goat?

After reading his final interview, I found it odd that she glorified his mother so much. Don't get me wrong, Nancy seems like a great lady and everyone who's met her says so (even Layne), but it seems as though he feels betrayed by her. She could've tried getting more of Layne's side of the story.

At the end of the day, I still have to say that I enjoyed looking at pictures of Layne and the things he made (although I do wish the pictures were in color. I know, I'm asking for way too much). I thought some of the stories his mother shared were really cute and his final interview was an interesting read even though I was expecting it to be longer. I also hope that if they actually make a movie about Layne it is better than this garbage and does not involve this "writer". So in conclusion, buy this book for the pictures and the final interview. And you might as well buy it now when it's $20 instead of waiting for it to be "rare" and selling for $135. But if you really want to know Layne, listen to his voice. Buy the CD's and read his lyrics. Then you'll really know his pain, his troubles and his heart.

R.I.P. Layne. We love you

I received this book in the mail less than two days ago and have finished it already. Not because it was insightful or the least bit enjoyable but because I kept hoping the author would redeem herself. Basically, I got through the book as quickly as possible the way a child gets through a plate of forced spinach. The writing is choppy and disjointed. There is no cohesion, only interviews and statements by family members that seem out of context. Layne himself is depicted merely as a pathetic soul. I'm certain that there were happy and fulfilling moments in his life but the author chose to concentrate almost exclusively on his suffering. Layne's mother comes off as a total nut job who didn't have a clue how to handle her son's addiction. It's no wonder that she rescinded her support for this book. The author portrays the other members of Alice in Chains in an extremely negative light, solely because they did not choose to support her project. In reality, they made a very smart decision. I understand there are plans to make this book into a film. God help us. In the end, it seems that what Layne Staley feared about journalists came to fruition. He should have told his own story or trusted it to someone who really knew him.

if you want to spend money getting to know layne staley, buy his cd's and listen to what he has to say. don't waste it on this book.

Being a huge Alice In Chains fan and just seeing them in concert with a new singer, I was very eager to read a book about Layne to try to understand what his life was like not so much pre-fame but during fame. I was so looking forward to reading this book and what a HUGE disappointment it was. I felt that there was absolutely no storyline. Alot of the quotes were repeated over and over in the book, almost as a filler. There is nothing from the other members of Alice or any of his friends or label people, which I think is strange. I would think that they would have a huge amount of material to supply to this book. The only people that really contributed to the book were his mother and sister. The author seemed to go off on tangents about goats and midevil times when really I just wanted to read facts about Layne and not some interpretation of how the author perceived him too be. I too can do that. I actually was bored reading the book and was skipping over chapters because they had nothing to do with anything. What a disappointment. I suggest listening to the music instead, although it would be fascinating to read a story about his life. This definitely is not that.

This book is pure garbage. The author is apparently an anti-drug zealot who really knows very little of what she's talking about and is using Layne to spread her misinformation. She allegedly interviewed Layne talking about his addiction at the end of his life and published the most private statements (not respecting his privacy at all if the statements were indeed made) to sell books and generate sympathy for her cause, and of course to make a fast buck. Her thesis is that Layne's downfall was caused by heroin. One could also make the case that his "downfall" was caused by coming from a broken family or any of a number of other factors. She presents the same lies and myths surrounding heroin that make treatment and actually helping those with a problem impossible. She propagates the myth that heroin is some kind of devil drug and that once you try it you're immediately hooked when, in reality, statistics actually show that most people who try the drug don't become addicts or even regular users. The returning Vietnam veterans who left the habit upon returning to the U.S. is just one of many studies made upon the subject. As long as the myths continue true addicts will not get proper treatment because they will be afraid to come forward in a society that punishes them through harsh laws and treats them as outcasts.

She is more worried about pushing her drug war propaganda than really trying to portray the positive, artistic aspects of Layne's life. I've been an AIC for many years and I can assure true fans that this book has very little to offer. I understand that someone is interested in making it into a movie -- another drug war piece designed to influence people to use emotion rather than reason in evaluating our nation's policies toward drug users. That way, when people think about Layne, they'll only think about heroin and not about the truly talented and amazing artist that he was. Save your money and go see AIC in concert since they are currently touring with Will Duvall. The best way to remember Layne is to enjoy the music he made.

This woman's eating disorder is not illegal and she is not hounded and prosecuted for having gorged herself as a bulemic by authorities or labeled as an outcast as drug users are whether they develop a problem with drugs or not. I have another theory to offer about Layne's downfall. Layne was a victim of the media and of people like this who mystify celebrities so that they are no longer individuals but become symbols of whatever cause is fashionable at the time.

Layne was hounded by the media about his drug use and labeled a "junkie" early in the band's career. Layne the individual was lost and he became a symbol of the evil of drugs -- heroin in particular. His privacy was violated and it was forgotten that he was actually a living, breathing person. If you want to read a more balanced view of life as a "junkie" read The Naked Lunch by William Burroughs, who lived to a ripe old age and who was a junkie for a longer time than Layne but before the drug war had become fashionable. He doesn't glamorize the lifestyle but neither did he die from it and managed to quit on his own. In my opinion, if anyone is to blame for Layne's untimely demise, it is the corporate media and the system of which it is a part. Save your money. This book stinks. No decent person would publish the statements made in The Angry Chair which she attributes to Layne, at least no person that respects other people as individuals. It is an image of a sick Layne which she leaves us with and not Layne, the amazing artist with the beautiful voice.

I like books about interesting rock stars like kurt cobain or layne staley and this book is more about the author than it is about layne which is a let down. This book is very unorganized and hard to follow. I skipped most the book and just read the parts about layne which only took me like an hour to do. Dont buy this book if you wanna read about layne.

I won't lie the only reason I brought this book because it was the only book on Layne Staley( I mean really why isn't there any more books on Layne or Alice in chains?)If there was another more professional read availiable I would have avoided this one like the plague. And as you can tell by my ratings it wasn't a partcualrly enlightning read.

The book isnt really a biography more of a chapters of interviews with Laynes mother and sister, there are some interesting things in there, you get to hear about his childhood which is fine but theres hardly anything about his musical talents. I mean you dont hear how and where he met Jerry Cantrell his musical partner, Where the name Alice in chains came from, what caused them to stop playing in 94 and make Layne go form Mad Season? All we get in alot of the interviews is stories about his drug use and how bad he looks.

The author herself I found iratating I know her heart was in the right place but jeez does she like to go on about herself and her own problems really I'm NOT interested in the authors past problems.

The best part of the book is the final interview with Layne although all he does is talk about how drugs destroyed his life nothing at all about his music which was a shame.

The book does have some sweet childhood photos of Layne and some of his artwork which I Surpose is something. Get born again altogether tho is a big dissapointment a wasted oppotunity to celebrate the talent of one of Rocks greatest ever frontmen.

I kinda hope someone else will write a proper biography that will give us an insight to what Layne was really like and where the musical talent came from,otherwise best avoid this book and stick to Laynes records.

Love Layne. Being a big fan, I wanted to read this book to understand him a bit more.

I thought this book was a huge disappointment. It really did not give me any more insight into the man than I could have found on the internet. The final interview with Layne is written in a way that I wonder if it is even legit. I hardly think that he would have quoted his own lyrics to describe himself during the tearful final interview in which he admits that he is dying. "Yes, I know that my 'pain is self chosen'". Come on.

Not only is it FULL of typographical and grammatical errors, it is choppy, hard to read and full of holes. A lot of information on his mother's choices in life which may shed some light on part of Layne's depression but I really wanted more background on Layne.

At least we still have his songs and videos to remember him by.

IF YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT LAYNE, DON'T BUY THIS! THIS IS ABOUT THE AUTHOR NOT LAYNE.

When I got this book I was hoping to gain some new insight about Layne Staley however after the first chapter I could tell this book was going to be a shocker of a read. The book is junk. Badly edited and written, it contains almost no new information a die hard Alice in Chains fan wouldn't already know.... The chapters are very brief almost rushing through certain parts of Laynes life. In particular the chapters about his Teen life, Band Years with Alice in Chains and Demri. The author seems write an awful lot about them self and their own life expriences which have almost nothing to do with Layne Staley. Many parts in the book are repeated in other chapters. All up this is the worst biography on a musician ive ever read. It's no suprise Layne's mother and sister didnt want this book to be published as well as the remaining AIC members not wanting to take part in it. This book is rubbish, Thank you...