Product Description

It seems excessive!but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Saul "Slash" Hudson was born in Hampstead to a Jewish father, an album cover artist, and a black American mother of Nigerian descent, who created David Bowie's look in The Man Who Fell to Earth. He was raised in Stoke until he was 11, when he and his mother moved to LA. Frequent visitors to the house were David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Ron Wood and Iggy Pop, . At this time Slash got into BMX bikes, and would eventually turn professional, winning won major awards and money, but at 15 his grandmother gave him his first guitar. Even though it had just one string he began teaching himself to play, and soon school was forgotten as he devoted up to 12 hours a day to honing his skills. Sessions with numerous local LA rock bands followed until a fateful meeting with singer W Axl Rose! and the rest was rock history. Guns and Roses spent two years building their reputation before Appetite for Destruction, their debut album, was unleashed on an unsuspecting Eighties audience. Chart success and global domination followed but with it came the inevitable fall: heavily addicted to heroin, booze and cigarettes, the strain of this and 18 months touring the Use your Illusion albums finally caused the world's greatest rock band to implode, and Slash had a major falling out with Axl Rose, a rift that to this day is as deep as ever. But a new wife, kids and a new band, Velvet Revolver, have put Slash back on track -- the heroin is gone, but the cigarettes and alcohol will be there forever. The iconic lead guitarist tells in his own words the amazing tale of how a boy from Stoke ended up in Hollywood as part of Guns and Roses. Finally, all the lurid tales of sex, drugs and rock and roll are revealed as he describes the incredible rollercoaster journey as part of the biggest rock band in the world, living life to the full during the Eighties.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1826 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Review
'Brilliant stuff' **** News of the World 'The most insane rock n' roll autobiography you'll ever read.' Observer 'A raucous rock yarn' Independent

From the Publisher
Slash has survived it all: lawsuits, rehab, riots, notoriety, debauchery and destruction, and ultimately found his creative evolution. In his own words, the iconic guitarist tells his own story, taking readers on a wild rollercoaster trip through the drink, drugs, sex and fights that were everyday life for Guns N' Roses.

Includes exclusive never-before-seen photos from Slash's personal collection.

From the Author
I've always had to do things my way; I play guitar my way; I've gotten clean my way; and I'm still here. Whether or not I deserve to be is another story.

Customer Reviews

This book blew me away!!!!
I've been waiting for this book for ages, and the moment it was delivered, i ripped the book out of its packaging and started to read it straight away. I have been a huge fan of Slash & Guns N Roses since they burst on an unsuspecting world and grabbed us all by the balls!!! The well documented tales of sex drugs and rock & roll were obviously well noted by us all. But this book, is truthful, telling it how it was/is, but most of all, it's Slash just speaking from his heart. (that's how I've taken it, anyway). Slash recalls his earliest memories, both good & not-so-good. The thing i loved about this book, is that Slash always takes full responsibility for his actions, always has. He has come through a lot and frankly, is extremly lucky to be here to tell the tale.
And what a tale it is. It is shocking, interesting, and damn right hilarious in places. I read this book in two days!!! I simply couldn't put it down. I just HAD to finish it. Compulsive reading, definately.
WHETHER YOU LIKE GUNS N ROSES OR NOT.....THIS IS A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!

Slash The Truth
I am a huge fan of Slash and have been now for the best part of half my life. I have follwed him through his G n' R days to Snakepit and finally Velvet Revolver.

Unlike so called other 'Rock Stars' who have only a fraction of his talent, I have always liked Slash due to his easy going nature and down to earth personality which doesn't appear to have changed one bit despite the fame. He is also very respectful of the fans and never forgets who put him where he is.

Slash leaves nothing out and includes all the things that any self respecting Rock God would enjoy including sex, drugs, booze and of course the great music. He also goes into explicit detail on his self destructive streak that appears regularly throughout the book.

Slash is at times brutally honest in this book to the point where you keep saying to yourself 'did that really happen' but I guess he wants to set the record straight. He certainly wants people to stop asking him when GnR will get back together again. After reading this you will think not a chance in hell...

All in all a very enjoyable read which I got through in a few days.

Where to start!?
I'm not normally one to read the biographies of the modern day rich and famous ( e.g. I believe that anyone who is inclined to buy a book detailing the existencies of Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard should almost certainly not be allowed out in public ), but I took a chance and guessed that if anyone was going to have an interesting contemporary tale to tell then surely the greatest guitar player ever (my opinion), from one of the greatest and most famously debauched bands ever was going to have a life story actually worth reading about.

I wasn't wrong! I devoured this superbly written book in three days.

Sadly my literary skills do not allow me to write an in-depth review that could possibly do Slash's autobiograpy justice...so I won't even attempt one. However, be in no doubt that should you have even the most passing of passing interests in rock and roll, GnR or simply of reading about those whose lives have truly been lived 'outside of the box' then this is essential reading.