Customer Reviews

My Appetite for Destruction: Sex, and Drugs, and Guns N' Roses

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The story of Steven Adler's life as a member of Guns N Roses, one of rock and roll's most volatile, decadent and out of control bands, is both terrifying and awe-inspiring. His new book, My Appetite For Destruction: Sex and Drugs and Guns N' Roses, due for release July 27th, really hits home--but not for being a thrill-inducing rock and roll story. Actually it's just the opposite. Adler's candor and self-reflection make this book a different kind of rock star memoir entirely.

Steven Adler absolutely does not try to pretty up his story; there's no attempt to make himself look heroic or, as so often happens in rock star biographies, victimized. Adler puts aside his own ego to tell a story that is bitingly poignant in its brutal honesty.

Adler also proves that sometimes coming clean is the harder part of getting clean. Something he does well in My Appetite For Destruction. At times you feel distinctly, painfully, the breakdown, the regrets, the realization of all that was lost.

Steven opens up with an admission that he had locked himself away in his trailer to do drugs directly after opening for the Rolling Stones in 1989; his dreams had finally come true, but he was in no shape to enjoy it. He couldn't walk around backstage, meeting, greeting, basking in the amazing, historic moment--the drugs were calling, and he had to answer. It was just one of those moments that he can't take back; he'll never get a chance to do it over. It's the kind of regret that will haunt him forever after.

In the band Guns N Roses you had five men whose dreams all came true, but the joy in their rise to fame was finished before it had begun, lost in the pursuit of the next fix.

They were living in a fog of heroin, cocaine, alcohol and women that never allowed them to really feel what was happening to them, the highs and lows muted by drugs--except Axl Rose, of course, who had an affliction of his own which, rather than forcing him to get control of his manic abusiveness, acted as a license to further brutalize his bandmates, and Steven in particular.

Being the youngest and most insecure of the group, Steven seemed to generate a specific attention from Rose, much as the schoolyard bully will hone in on the kid he believes is the weakest on the playground, and particularly if he knows that no one will come to that kid's defense.

The glowering burn of Axl's hatred, although it eventually extended to every member of the band, began with Steven and finally culminated in Adler's humiliating eviction from the band.

The rest of the band just shuffled on in true rock and roll style, stepping over the body of yet another fallen comrade. Guns N Roses had to make a choice and they could not be Guns N Roses without Axl's distinct vocals. They all seemed to realize that Axl's was a war of attrition--and he was determined to outlast them all. And he did. He claimed ownership of the band's name and began touring with Guns N Roses, as the only original member.

And yet...

In telling the story of his life, sharing his years in the world's most glamorized and volatile rock band, Steven Adler never seems to lose that part of himself that seemed to make him a target for Axl's wrath, his boyish enthusiasm, his pure joy in traveling and meeting people who he admired. He was, and is, first and foremost, a rock music fan.

Steven comes clean on everything--from emotional, physical and sexual abuse to sharing groupies. He shares his hurt, confusion and anger over seeing his dreams devastated, but he holds himself as responsible for that as anyone else. Only after reading can you truly understand that holding a grudge just wouldn't be a part Steven Adler's nature.

In many cases I wouldn't blame him for harboring resentments, but he seems to be able to step back from the situation and look at it with maturity and a positive attitude. Even in the face of Axl's abuse and Slash's betrayal, he regards his former bandmates in a brotherly fashion, five men who shared an amazing experience, an unbreakable bond that Steven feels should never be let go lightly.

My Appetite For Destruction: Sex and Drugs and Guns N' Roses is a book that should be read by fans of the band and anyone planning to go into the music business. Adler talks about the people who supported the band, who helped them along the road to success, who were thrown by the way-side as the band climbed the ladder to fame. Those who took advantage of their enthusiasm and naivete. He shares the stories of his friendships with other rock stars and growing up with Slash; two neighborhood kids raised by their grandmothers who had two things in common, they couldn't stay out trouble, and they wanted to be rock stars.

He also discusses Axl and others whose need to control the band finally destroyed them. And those rock stars that he had admired who betrayed his youthful adoration. He talks about the bands he met along the way, Motley Crue, Poison, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith and others.

Steven suffered a stroke and many relapses before wrestling his demons into submission. He talks about his rehab attempts and failures, and finally, meeting his wife and finding a support network of people who love him just as he is, and just as it should be.

Steven Adler finally puts pen to paper and records his sordid tale of Rock n' Roll debauchery for posterity. This Hell raising drummer's autobiography is the latest in a line of Rock n' Roll retrospectives that document the excesses of the L.A. glam rock/metal scene circa 1985. Here we find Steven Adler in his drug-fueled and sex-crazed prime.

While "Hammer of the Gods" remains the standard of Rock n' Roll memoirs, Steven Adler's book holds up nicely alongside others recounting the hazy Rock scene of the 80's such as "Walk This Way" "Slash" and "The Dirt." Yes, Steven's book is ghostwritten but so are the others written by his peers. No, Steven's book isn't Shakespeare but neither are the others written by his peers. It is in that context which this book should be judged.

In his own book, Vince Neil writes how tales of drugs, raging parties and sexual debauchery are the things that people really want to read about. That's especially true when talking about a band like Motley Crue or GN'R. While nothing in Adler's book tops Zeppelin's shark fish incident or Motley's sexual escapade with those two girls in Dallas, they come close.

In this book read how Steven:

* Met Slash at age 13
* Tried to join the Navy
* Had orgies orchestrated by Nikki Sixx and Steven Tyler
* Had a three-way with Izzy and some groupie
* Saved Nikki Sixx's life after the Crueman's O.D.
* Bangs Tommy Lee's sister
* Is thrown out of GN'R

It's great that Steven Adler has persevered through all the challenges, trials and tribulations that have come his way. I hope that this book and his guest drumming on Slash's solo album pave the way for future gigs, money and success.

GN'R fans express regret that the band broke up and fantasize about how cool it would have been if they just held it together and continued to rock. But even cooler is how the band imploded in a downward spiral of sex and drugs while somehow managing not to die while still leaving a musical legacy...very Rock N' Roll

This is a harrowing and often hilarious account of the highs and lows of rock 'n roll at its most extreme. For G & R fans, this is a must-read; for rock 'n roll lovers, a fun glimpse into an insane world. Steven Adler is listed as the author and the tale is definitely his, but it is clear from the fast-paced, well-written, and often humorous writing that award-winning author Larry Spagnola, whose own gonzo life may end up in a similar book someday, is the narrative voice here. Well done... long live G & R!

Having read Slash's autobio on GNR and found it to be a pompous, albeit reasonably candid, account of an undeniably milestone band, thought I would give Adler's book a shot after seeing him as the train-wreck he was on Celebrity Rehab. Adler certainly comes across as more likable than Slash (and let's not even start with Axl!), but as another reviewer noted, his vacillation between taking responsibility for his addiction and other issues and blaming his parents/peers/bandmates gets a bit old. As a youth counselor, reading books like these are illuminating for me about just how dysfunctional some children's homes are, but if you are looking to read as a GNR fan, I wouldn't bother with either narrative. Adler delights in telling of his multiple sexual conquests (sometimes in disturbing detail for me) and about getting high, but there isn't any real payoff or anything resembling a conclusion to the book. Hoping for a bit more of an epiphany, but I don't think Adler's capable, at least at this moment in his life. Wish him all the best, though with his 'new' band, and hoping he can get/stay clean!

We purchased this based on healthy reviews. I have to say that I was a little disappointed. On the plus side--it's very readable--I knocked it off in one sitting. There is not a lot of filler here. The reader gets some good insights into Adler's early life which shed quite a bit of light on how he ended up in such a destructive place. I also appreciated the almost complete absence of ego. If Adler ever had any rock star moxy--it doesn't show in this reading--he seems perfectly AVERAGE. I appreciated that he mostly refrained from painting himself as a victim, at least with regard the drugs--he actually 'owned' most of that. But there are, I feel, a number of inadequacy's here. The first is that it's just not that interesting. Adler doesn't get very specific here. There's not that much revealed about Guns and I was left with the impression that he was more peripheral than perhaps he wants to admit (whether that is a mark of his talent, consistency behind the kit and/or the drugs). I also felt that the book was weighted much too heavily towards the 'glory years' of Guns--with relatively little shared about his life since. This comes across as rather sad--Adler is that guy perpetually living in the past--the HS star QB who peaked early and burned out, a real 'Uncle Rico' type character. I also felt that Adler is much too casual about his violences--especially those concerning women. Here, he comes across as entirely affable--and I'm struck by the contrast with his character on TV. I suspect very much that Adler is seldom likable in real life--and not just when he's on drugs--but because of the permanent damage they have done to his perception of other people's behavior--esp that of strong women. I think he is abusive--much more so than he is willing to admit or explore here.

Finally, I think Adler had A LOT of help here. The 'voice' permeating this work just does not gel in my head with the Steven Adler I've seen. The choice of words and the coherence of the narrative don't mesh with what I think I know about this person. Frankly, this is more ghost writer than it is Adler. It just doesn't really sound like him.

This book is not very long I read it in less then a day. If you are thinking as I was this book would shed light on what happened to GNR it won't. Steven just recounts things he has said in interviews. And repeats things that we as fans have already read before.
Some of his stories seem scrambled like he left things out or just couldn't remember the details. I couldn't believe that he just didn't bother to find out why he was being pushed out of the band. This was a very depressing read he goes into way to much detail about sex with women. And no matter how often he has been to rehab he cannot seem to stay off drugs. I do like the fact that he takes responsibly for his own actions. So unless your an adler fan or simply must have anything Gnr related don't bother buying this book borrow it from a friend or library instead

I really felt that I was reading right into someone's soul. I felt Adler's heartbreak, despair, and addiction in full force. I felt his pain and his spiral down when he was dismissed from GNR. His feelings of betrayal when his childhood friend,Slash, treated him like he didn't exist and was no longer important. Throughout the book, it is clear that the pinnacle in his life and the one thing that he can hold onto is the immense pride he feels in being part of one of the world's greatest bands, GNR, and his involvement in the making of Appetite for Destruction. This book is a story of a human being who achieves great success only for it to be destroyed by drug addiction. This story is sad, true and told in a very real way. It shows how fragile the whole human experience can be.

This book is great read. Great story. Not just for GNR fans.

A cursory look at the outrageous highs and troublesome lows that have made up Steven Adler's life thus far. He does an adequate job of rehashing the childhood misadventures which set the stage for his rock star/fallen star future and his later (current?) life as a junkie is depicted in horrifying detail. However, what should have made up the bulk of this book, his days in Guns & Roses, seemed to be lacking needed substance. He covers a few important events and shares some sordid stories, but speeds through this pivotal period, leaving much unsaid. Additionally, the few insights provided about his time in GNR seem to be missing something; as if he's left out an important fact or occurrence (perhaps, forgotten the full story). A fascinating story left far too incomplete.

As a long time GNR fan, I was really excited to stumble across this book. I just finished reading it last night. While I loved it, it was a bit hard to read at times. I was expecting sex, drugs & rock & roll. I just wasn't expecting quite so much sex & drugs! A must read for all GNR fans!!

That's the best thing about this memoir as far as I'm concerned. While Steven launches into the typical rock n roll trysts and tirades involving an endless string of girls, drugs, chaos and addiction and a typically frustrating inability to get with the program, he comes out being the most sympathetic of all the members of Guns N Roses. I'm an enormous fan of the bands music which is at odds with my personal disdain for varying aspects of virtually every members general ineptitude to handle their good fortune whether it be due to addiction, selfishness, ignorance or rampant narcissism. I find Steve to be the least of all of these for a couple reasons- he is the only band member who, despite his grievances with people, recognizes kindnesses shown to him and has an attitude of gratitude in general however poorly he may have handled himself. He's certainly as childish as the the others but looks beyond their slights, and at many points in the book takes care to point out good times he had, moments shared, and to thank Axl, Slash, and a number of others for kindnesses shown him in spite of all the betrayals which shows a benevolence and a maturity I just don't see from the other members. He seems to be a genuinely sweet natured guy who was naive to the pitfalls of success, the greed of humans in general and you sort of see the glimmer of a sweet child behind the damaged narrative of a permanently emotionally scarred addict. His enthusiasm remains buried beneath all that and I came away somewhat liking him, unlike Axl or Slash whose lack of integrity overall I found difficult to dismiss. Steven is the only band member who seems to have learned the most important lesson in this tragic downfall of one of the greatest bands of all time and that is simply that they are better together than they are apart. Separately they have talent but together they achieve greatness- that inexplicable magic that every band wants and so few have. Selfishness, greed, and a host of other problems prevent all the other members from understanding this simple principle. Even though his contributions were dismissed by the other band members causing great pain and psychic damage to this already fragile person, he comes out of it more humble than the rest; secure in the value of his contributions. He doesn't walk away immediately, he still in spite of this just wants to play and is summarily dismissed and abandoned by everyone in the band by a kind of awful mob mentality in which the pack turns on the one member who simply doesn't have what it takes to be out for himself and himself only. Tragically, I don't think Steve realizes the value of these qualities he possesses and I'm not sure the people around him do either, which to their credit is probably overshadowed by the chaos and pain of his self destructive behavior and endless repetition of the same mistakes. Despite this, I dig Steve, and I wish him well.