Poor Steven. He seems to be the band member that is always forgotten. He was an amazing drummer, and I definitely think that without him in the original GN'R lineup, GN'R wouldn't have been what it became. However, I was a little disappointed in this book. There's no doubt it was a good book in the sense of "smut," but I got the feeling that Steven Adler is just trying to cash in on what Slash and soon to be Duff McKagan will cash in on---an autobiography. The other band members of GN'R have gone on to become sober and continue writing and making great music. You've got Duff and Slash with Velvet Revolver, Duff's own band (can't remember name), Izzy's band in the early 90's (Ju Ju Hounds), and recently, Izzy assisting both Slash and Duff with founding VR, also doing some touring with Axl, as well as everyone's general fame. I mean, who doesn't know the name "Slash?" Someone says "Slash" and you know who they're talking about, and usually, his name alone is enough to strike up a conversation. Duff and Izzy are the same way. And then there's Steven---the drummer that time forgot. Of course, Steven's ongoing severe drug abuse didn't help him because it basically forced him out of the rock and therefore, fame stage. However, he's now supposedly sober, and has [re]formed his band "Adler's Appetite." So maybe, if he can remain sober, he can go on to achieve, in the second half of his life, what the other GN'R members have achieved----ongoing fame, success, and money outside of GN'R. His band, from what I've read, has gotten excellent reviews.
This book, to me, seemed like a desperate cry for help from Steven, asking for everyone to remember him. I think this book will bring him back to the forefront (as much as it can). He's got a great story to tell, although it is sad that he ruined his life over such a severe addiction, and didn't seem to want to admit this ever. Then to read that he's had 2 CVA's (strokes) that have affected his speech and caused him to have a facial droop---all from his drug habits. But before you get to that point in the book, you get to read about how Steven came to be so interested in music, starting off on guitar, but learning the drums when someone gave him a drum kit. It's clear he was always the happy-go-lucky band member; the one that always tried to see the positive and good in everything. It's also clear he so desperately wanted fame, and would do anything to get it. And when he got it, he lost himself in all the things that fame brings---drugs and alcohol being one of them. He didn't know how to save his money, and spent it all on drugs. So, here's this guy who has his whole life ahead of him as a talented drummer, a millionaire by the time he's in his late 20's, and it's all gone. However, Steven continues to hope and honestly, is convinced that there WILL be a GN'R reunion one day; that Axl will come around. He's hasn't lost that optimism and again, seems to desperately want to have a GN'R reunion so that he can be "famous" again. When I was reading the book, I got the distinct sense that Steven is a little kid in a man's body, and I kept getting this visual of him over and over again, running around with that head of big, blonde hair, telling everyone everything is going to be okay, that the original members of GN'R will reunite, and they will be the biggest rock band in the world once again. I got the feeling that he wants time to pick up where he left off back in the late 80's/early 90's.
I feel sorry for Steven, yet at the same time, I hope his dream comes true, as I'm sure many, many GN'R fans do too. But reality dictates-at least now-that Axl is not agreeing to any reunion, and wants nothing to do with Slash. Maybe Steven can convince Axl to move forward with a reunion, but I just feel sad that Steven is so fixated on this like a little kid, and when it doesn't happen, I can picture him crying and being severely affected by it. To me, Steven is just a man that got lost in all the drugs and alcohol and fame and money, and simply didn't know what to do with it all---so he just engaged in as much excess as he coud, not realizing the consequences.
I do recommend the book, because Steven's book is a little different than Slash's. Steven doesn't expand on the drug use to the degree that Slash does in his book, or the Crue does in their book "The Dirt." Steven's first person narrative is very upbeat, positive, and confident, and he leads you through that debauched lifestyle, mostly talking about having sex with multiple women. However, Steven tends to write off or explain his drug use as "no big deal" and he can handle it. It didn't have as many gruesome details about his drug use, but instead, he seemed to gloss over it more than Slash's book, and again, I got the feeling he was trying very hard to convince the reader he's just fine and there are no problems. To be fair, it's a little bit of a different glimpse into a rock star's life, especially when he was kicked out of the band and the band went on with Matt Sorum on drums who did a great job and essentially began a new era of GN'R without Steven Adler. But in general, the detailed information on his perspective of how the band struggled and finally achieved super stardom and the work that they did making records isn't conveyed in much detail, which to me, is the crux of the story.
Again, I think the book is worth buying, and provides a decent overview of life with GN'R, it just lacks a lot of detail, and just when Steven starts talking about something, he stops and moves on to another topic, and I felt like I was left hanging a few times, wanting more on the story he had just started telling. I get the sense his mind is very scattered. It would be tremendous if all the original members of GN'R reunited and toured, and in that respect, maybe Steven's wish/dream will come true some day.
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Top reviews from other countries
Franko
Unglaublich dass Steven Adler noch lebt...
Reviewed in Germany on October 1, 2012Kristin
Does Adler ever learn from his mistakes?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2016
