wryanmelson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
lincolnperdue's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
graceewalkerrrr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
tonybosco's review against another edition
4.0
I was never much of a G'NR fan, but Duff McKagen is an excellent writer and his ability to tell the tale of his path to stardom, ruin, and recovery (both personally and professionally) made for a compelling book. Possibly the first time I've closely identified with a "rock star's" autobiography.
nataroni3's review against another edition
4.0
Good read, Duff seems like a really genuine good guy. He's story wasn't as gritty as Adler's but definitely a page turner. 2 GNR autobiographies down, 1 to go!!! Slash I'm coming for you next!!!
linehdk's review against another edition
4.0
Honest, humble and often times, well... pretty damn funny.
Meeting Slash and Steven Adler for the first time: "I walked in, looked at the first booth on the left, and saw all this fucking hair." ππ€π€
Meeting Slash and Steven Adler for the first time: "I walked in, looked at the first booth on the left, and saw all this fucking hair." ππ€π€
ksbookjunky's review against another edition
3.0
Great musician, dull book
While I like Duff as a musician and he seems like a cool guy, the story isnβt told very well. I wanted this to be different than every other rock star biography but unfortunately it was a cookie cutter style that left me yawning by the fifth chapter. His redemption arc is worth it but it drags until 2/3 of the way through. I think his story deserved a better telling but Iβm glad I read it. He and his family seem happy.
While I like Duff as a musician and he seems like a cool guy, the story isnβt told very well. I wanted this to be different than every other rock star biography but unfortunately it was a cookie cutter style that left me yawning by the fifth chapter. His redemption arc is worth it but it drags until 2/3 of the way through. I think his story deserved a better telling but Iβm glad I read it. He and his family seem happy.
nabisteph's review against another edition
3.0
Duff McKagan was able to make it out of the fame machine alive, despite himself; so many of his friends and colleagues didn't. It was cool to get a behind-the-scenes, warts-and-all glimpse of the rise and fall of GnR, but it seemed like a pretty typical tale on that front. What's truly remarkable was how Duff got himself out with a combination of luck, determination and grit. I'm glad he's found peace and happiness at the end of it all.
pascalthehoff's review against another edition
5.0
Did I even know this guy? It's so easy (pun intended) to write Duff McKagan off as "just the bassist" of Guns N' Roses. Nothing against bassists β quite the contrary in general. But with bands like Guns N' Roses or similar folks from the same time and genre, the bass parts usually aren't anything to write home about, as great as they may be.
I've read Slash's autobiography before, but Duff's was way more interesting and MUCH more pleasant to read, in its style and structure alone. Because Duff is note quite the big "rock star" persona as Slash or Axl, I didn't know a lot about him, despite being into Guns N' Roses for over ten years by now.
I was really surprised by how wise and educated this man seems to be and how astonishingly he turned around his life after leaving Guns N' Roses. This memoir is quite a read and a true pageturner from front to back. It's so well-paced that it probably isn't only for Guns N' Roses fans.
This book might also be really effective for teaching young people about the danger of drug abuse in a non-preachy way. They should make books like this one a mandatory read in schools β it really teaches the reader something about life, not on every single page but on more than I could have counted.
If you read one Guns N' Roses memoir, read this one, not Slash's.
I've read Slash's autobiography before, but Duff's was way more interesting and MUCH more pleasant to read, in its style and structure alone. Because Duff is note quite the big "rock star" persona as Slash or Axl, I didn't know a lot about him, despite being into Guns N' Roses for over ten years by now.
I was really surprised by how wise and educated this man seems to be and how astonishingly he turned around his life after leaving Guns N' Roses. This memoir is quite a read and a true pageturner from front to back. It's so well-paced that it probably isn't only for Guns N' Roses fans.
This book might also be really effective for teaching young people about the danger of drug abuse in a non-preachy way. They should make books like this one a mandatory read in schools β it really teaches the reader something about life, not on every single page but on more than I could have counted.
If you read one Guns N' Roses memoir, read this one, not Slash's.