Scar Tissue – October 19, 2005 Author: Visit Amazon's Anthony Kiedis Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1401307450 | Format: PDF
Scar Tissue – October 19, 2005 Description
From Publishers Weekly
For a musician who has spent the better half of his life either intoxicated or on a drug high, Kiedis, the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, has produced a surprisingly detailed account of his life. Raised in the 1960s and '70s by a drug dealer father who first introduced his preteen son to drugs by mashing them into bananas, the high school delinquent and UCLA dropout seemed destined for a life of rabble-rousing until his high school band—cofounded by close friends Michael "Flea" Balzary and Hillel Slovak—took off and became one of the most popular groups of the 1990s. Though he peppers his book with little known facts (for instance, the author narrowly missed being named Clark Gable Kiedis), the punk-funk rocker dedicates too few pages to his introspective music-writing process and too many to his incessant drug use and revolving door of girlfriends (which included actress Ione Skye, singer Sinéad O'Connor and director Sofia Coppola). But while Kiedis fails to scratch beneath the surface of his fast-lane life, his frankness is moving, especially toward the end of the book, when his mea culpa turns into a full-blown account of recovery and redemption. (Kiedis has been sober for almost four years.) Though not generally as articulate as Marilyn Manson's similar autobiography, Kiedis's story of childhood drug use, adolescent fame and hard-won maturity will strike a chord with fans of Drew Barrymore's
Little Girl Lost.
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Review
"Kiedis’s narrative of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ dues-paying years is vivid and inspiring." --
Newsweek"Thoughtful, candid, and entertaining." --
GQ See all Editorial Reviews
- Paperback: 465 pages
- Publisher: Hyperion; Reprint edition (October 19, 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1401307450
- ISBN-13: 978-1401307455
- Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches
- Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
I have never been the worlds biggest Red Hot Chilli Peppers fan. Sure I think they are a good band with some really good records, but I've never felt the need to drive far distances to see them live, collect all their albums or any of the other stuff usually assosated with fandom. But Anthony Keidis' autobiography "Scar Tissue" interested me for a few different reasons. One, I do enjoy they're later period softer rock music, which for my money is some of the best alterna-pop you're likely to find. Two, I thought he would have some good stories since he was around in both the early eighties hardcore punk scene and the mid-ninties alternative rock boom. And three, in interviews he comes across as a pretty cool guy.
So on those fronts I was not dissapointed by "Scar Tissue". It was a pleasant and good book, full of surprising honesty and compassion even if at times it fails to go too deep below the surface. You learn a lot about his life, but not as much about him as you might like.
Now if you're not into what I call "junkie" books then you should probably stay away from this book. A large portion of the book is devoted to Kiedis' herion addiction which I have to admit was handled about as well as I have ever read. It is a cautionary tale with the typical body count of friends and loss loves, but rather then shaking his finger at himself and those around him, he tells it honestly and doesn't try to make apoligies about his behavior any more so then he needs to. This is refreshing and good. He's saying not to use drugs mind you; he's just going to tell you how it really is.
At times the book is written with a somewhat pedestrian writting style, but for the most part I sensed it came from Kiedis and not his co-author.
I've read a lot of rock star bios and this one sticks. Why? Kiedis's unflinching honesty, graphic depiction of a life lived without structure and the fact that he has lived to tell the tale. It's all here. The drugs, the booze, the sex, the debauchery. So what, you might ask, is so unusual about that? Don't all rock star bios share these elements? Yeah, most of them do. But the difference here is Anthony Kiedis's story is a bloodletting without being preachy and full of predictable fluff. He never judges, he never steps up to the pulpit and warns the world. He never shoves 12 step sensibilities down anyones' throat. He tells his tale with charm, kid bravado and, surprisingly, humility. He admits his faults. He admits his immaturity. Through every chapter we watch him grow. He takes two steps forward, then ten steps back. Then he takes five steps forward and two steps back.
What I particularly found refreshing was the stories Kiedis tells about his inspirations for many Chili Pepper songs. Here is a man who cared (s) about the finished product. (If you doubt that, check out their latest effort, Stadium Arcadium. It's a masterpiece.)
You want to cry with Kiedis and you want to laugh with him during the entire bumpy ride. And I personally was wondering how his father was able to take a series of pictures of his eight year old son smoking pot without the folks over at the Fotomat running interference when he took them to be developed. Unless, of course, they were Polaroids. Then that point is moot I guess. Nevertheless, I hated his dad for the things he exposed Anthony to at such an early age. We're lucky Kiedis turned out as good as he did in the end.
Nevertheless, this is a rock star bio worth the effort. It's long, it's detailed, yes.
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