“DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE….YOU’RE IN THE JUNGLE
BABY…YOU’RE GONNA DIE”…………..Lines from the famous song Welcome to the Jungle echo through my ears every time someone even mentions the band Guns N Roses or any one connected to this stellar band of 80’s and early 90’s. Growing up in the Heavy Metal era…from Hair Metal to Thrash Metal to Grunge/Alternative Metal/ and Progressive Metal…I became a fan of not only the different styles of Metal….but I also grew to hold certain bands deep in my heart…I guess u could say that I had a “Metal Crush.”. But no band that I can remember in the 80’s made more of a huge impact on the music world as Guns N Roses. This band changed the face of metal in a way only a few iconic bands have been able to do throughout the past few decades. I mean…they were like the Beatles of the 60’s, Black Sabbath of the 70’s, AC/DC and METALLICA in the early 80’s. They came on strong at a fast and furious pace. I’m not sure where experts rank it…but I would rank Appetite for Destruction in the TOP 3 METAL ALBUMS of all time! Yes….they were that good. Guns N Roses came to fruition right around the transition of Hair/Glamour metal and Thrash Metal which continued to evolve. Guns N Roses was neither of these. They had their own distinct sound and that album still will send chills down your spine. At the time…Axl Rose was one of the craziest frontman with an awesome voice. Slash…well we all know Slash (Guitar Legend). And we had Steven Adler…THE DRUMMER. He may be the least remembered member of the band but he was one of the all time greats at his instrument. Well…on August 28th Deanna Adler’s much anticipated book was released and titled “Sweet Child of Mine: How I Lost My Son to Guns N Roses.”. In her book she reveals what it was like to raise a child who became a star of one of the most notorious bands in history and his constant battles with Heroin and Crack/Cocaine Addiction. The book details her undying loyalty to her son who rises to the top and then crashes and burns…all in front of an audience. His fall from fame takes him on a journey of addiction, legal battles, financial ruin, 2 Heart Attacks, multiple suicide attempts, a debilitating stroke, and numerous stints and rehab. Through it all Deanna remained by her son’s side and the book cites her courage and dedication to family and belief in a higher power and the ability to find peace through it all. Another former member of Guns N Roses, Duff McKagan released a book over a year ago that details his own battles with addiction and alcoholism…his almost near death experience, and his battle to beat his disease in a non conventional way…not like the more traditional system of AA. He details how his number one important thing in life now is his family. He went through some harrowing experiences as a child and he explains in the book how childhood tramaua can directly influence an addictive personality and thus almost lead one’s self to their own demise. I rate this book a 10! It is a very powerful intense story that not only tells Duff’s tale but also shares how great recovery can be. One of the most influential books out right now is “The Dirt” by Motley Crüe. The incredible and interesting thing about this book is that it is a collection of stories told by each band member on their own account and it really takes you behind the scenes of the most notorious glam metal band in history. I mean this book is written so well you would think you were there. It’s amazing that any of them are still alive after some of the crazy things they got into during their rise to fame. Nikki Sixx, the Bassist for Motley Crüe has his own book called the Heroin Diaries which are his own account of his terrible struggles with addiction…his death and revival…and his path that he went down in his darkest hour. I give this book another thumbs up. Last but not least we have Dave Mustaine’s book “A Heavy Metal Memoir” which basically tells his story of addiction…his 17 trips to Rehab and his subsequent finding of God. I would recommend all of these books strongly to anyone that is a true metal fan because they all really take you into the minds of an addict and you see the pain that each of them suffered. But then you see the joy in their recovery and how it changes their lives forever. There are many other metal books that make for good reading but these are ones I have read from top to bottom and they are all great quality. On an off note…it came out today that Nikki Sixx recently used a Gay slur at a Motley Crüe/KISS concert referring to Justin Beiber. So far the rock star has no comment. To be continued!
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