The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band

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The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band

by Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Neil Strauss (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Mick Mars, Tommy Lee

4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 · rating details · 10,714 ratings · 1,013 reviews

Whiskey and porn stars, hot reds and car crashes, black leather and high heels, overdoses and death. This is the life of Mötley Crüe, the heaviest drinking, hardest fighting, most oversexed and arrogant band in the world. Their unbelievable exploits are the stuff of rock 'n' roll legend. They nailed the hottest chicks, started the bloodiest fights, partied with the biggest drug dealers, and got to know the inside of every jail cell from California to Japan. They have dedicated an entire career to living life to its extreme, from the greatest fantasies to the darkest tragedies. Tommy married two international sex symbols; Vince killed a man and lost a daughter to cancer; Nikki overdosed, rose from the dead, and then OD'd again the next day; and Mick shot a woman and tried to hang his own brother. But that's just the beginning. Fueled by every drug they could get their hands on and obscene amounts of alcohol, driven by fury and headed straight for hell, Mötley Crüe raged through two decades, leaving behind a trail of debauched women, trashed hotel rooms, crashed cars, psychotic managers, and broken bones that has left the music industry cringing to this day. All these unspeakable acts, not to mention their dire consequences, are laid bare in The Dirt.

Here -- directly from Nikki, Vince, Tommy, and Mick -- is the unexpurgated version of the whole glorious, gut-wrenching story. In these pages, published for the first time anywhere, are Tommy Lee's letters to Pamela Anderson from prison: Mick's confession to having an incurable disease that is slowly killing him; Vince's experience burying his own daughter -- and the train wreck that his life became afterward; and Nikki's anguished struggle to deal with an entire life fueled by anger over his childhood abandonment, his discovery of the family he never knew he had -- and his subsequent loss of them. And all of it accompanied by scores of rare, never-before-published photographs, mug shots, and handwritten lyrics. No one is spared. Not David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Vanity, Aerosmith, Heather Locklear, AC/DC, Lita Ford, Iron Maiden, Pamela Anderson, Guns N' Roses, Donna D'Errico, RATT, or those two girls from Dallas, Texas.

Make no mistake about it: these guys are geniuses. They invented glam metal and then left it in the dust; sold more than forty million albums from Shout at the Devil to Dr. Feelgood; toured the world dozen times and have the scars to prove it it; and maintained a rabid following in an era of throwaway pop stars. Mötley Crüe has done nothing less than tattoo the psyche of the entire MTV generation. They are the ultimate rock 'n' roll band. And if you don't believe it, read The Dirt. You don't know what decadence is...

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Paperback, 431 pages

Published July 9th 2002 by It Books (first published May 22nd 2001)

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Sep 26, 2007 J rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Crue fans and people who like the dirt

Shelves: music-bios

I’m not a huge Crue fan. Their first two LPs spent a fair amount of time on my teenage turntable but, by the time Theater Of Pain pranced and prissed its way into release, I had lost interest. I do like some Crue songs enough to get stoked when I hear them, even later compositions like “All In The Name Of…”, “Kickstart My Heart” or “Wild Side”. Their ballads stand out of the 80’s hair metal miasma as being of a certain quality. “Nona” and “Without You” are just the right mix of sincerity and sap...more

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Jun 09, 2008 evelyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: readin2008

i remember when i was 13 or so and i finally realized that all of the r.l. stine books i'd been reading were pretty trashy and devoid of any literary merit. i felt a little silly for devouring something like 100 fear street books. i didn't feel too bad about it, though. i mean, i was reading, and it wasn't like i ONLY read fear street books. i read good stuff too.

this book is like that, only now i'm 25, and this book is friggin DIRTY. i kind of feel like i'm writing a review for soft porn right...more

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Feb 15, 2008 Paul Hathaway rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who thinks their lives are fast paced and interesting.

Recommended to Paul by: Steve

11am. Woke up. Vomited. Started reading this book.
4pm. Neck started hurting. Took huge amounts of cocaine, bottle of Alleve, 5th of Jack, decided reading in bed wasn't the best thing for my posture.
4:15pm. Went crazy, destroyed hotel room, terrified groupies in varying stages of dress, played rock show.
6pm. Was woken up, informed previous rock show was in head by manager, told had to go to real rock show later. Read more book.
8pm. Arrived @ show. Drank 2 more bottles of Jack, took huge amounts o...more

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Feb 03, 2008 Tripp rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Voyeurs, rock fans

I used to think that I could not be shocked by tales of celebrity shenanigans. Well, I was wrong. After a few recommendations I read The Dirt, the story of Motley Crue. For most of their career, the behavior of these people (Mick Mars excepted) is flat out appalling. As Nikki Sixx notes, if they were not famous they would have been in jail. I'm pretty sure that if you saw any of these people in their heyday, you would hate them immediately.

If it was written in the 80s, it would probably have bee...more

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Jan 31, 2008 Kayla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: rough-chuckles

I ripped through "The Dirt" while suffering from a nasty bout of the flu. Because of its accessibility, its fast pace and its sporadic-yet-easy-to-track narrative (which simply switches between points of view), I finished it in about a day and a half.
I will admit to never having been a huge fan of Motley Crue, or hair metal in general. I could take or leave Warrant, Poison, Ratt, et cetera. I originally picked this book up because I had heard that its storytelling was both disgusting and delig...more

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Dec 02, 2008 Heather Sadler rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people interested in rock history, Crue fans

As a Crue fan, I of course loved this book...but anyone with an interest in rock history would get a kick out of it. There are quite a few disturbing and hilarious stories, an way the way the book is written...each chapter changes to be from each band member's perspective...paints a wonderful picture of each of them as individuals, not just their band persona. The chapters by Mick were my favorites and Vince's chapter about losing his daughter was absolutely heart-breaking.

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Mar 23, 2009 Lilly G rated it 5 of 5 stars

There's a scene in Gilmore Girls where Lorelei stays home one night because she can't put this book down. I can fully understand why now.

I loved this book. We read books to escape, and this book had me leave my world and be a cliche rock star in the hair metal 80s. It's not about liking hair metal, and it's not about liking rock, and it's not even about Motley Crue (who I knew nothing about at the start of this adventure). It's about what drives people, how lives intersect, and about page-turnin...more

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Jan 15, 2008 Cort rated it 4 of 5 stars

How on earth are these dudes STILL ALIVE!? Sweet baby jeebus! Let's face it - we've all fantasized about being in Motley Crue. Money, crazy debauchery, booze, women...more money, more crazy debauchery, more booze, more women...*sigh* a girl can dream, can't she? Vince Neil killing someone in a drunk driving accident, Nikki Sixx dying two or three times and coming back to life, and Tommy Lee writing awful poetry are really just a sliver of what this book has to offer. You may have to sacrifice a...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Beem Weeks rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Nobody did it bigger or better than the guys from Motley Crue. They certainly didn't invent debauchery--even the Romans can't lay claim to that notion--but the Crue did their part in taking it to levels not seen since the early days of the Mighty Led Zeppelin. Each chapter of The Dirt is a narrative from one band member or another, in their own words, sharing their own recollections. Bassist Nikki Sixx gives us all an inside look at the life of a functioning junkie....more Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Nobody did it bigger or better than the guys from Motley Crue. They certainly didn't invent debauchery--even the Romans can't lay claim to that notion--but the Crue did their part in taking it to levels not seen since the early days of the Mighty Led Zeppelin. Each chapter of The Dirt is a narrative from one band member or another, in their own words, sharing their own recollections. Bassist Nikki Sixx gives us all an inside look at the life of a functioning junkie. Drummer Tommy Lee tells all about being married to Hollywood stars. Guitarist Mick Mars, well, let's just say he's filled with his own complex theories as to how things work. And then there's lead singer Vince Neil, sharing his pain over the death of his five-year-old daughter Skylar, a victim of cancer. Even managers, past and present, get a few words in. But it's the back stage exploits that really gives this book teeth. Groupies, drugs, groupies, booze-fueled-excess, groupies, fights, fired personel, and, lest we forget, groupies. Those of us who remember reading Circus Magazine, Hit Parader Magazine, or Rolling Stone Magazine back in the 80's know all too well the crazy world that was Motley Crue. Most of the lurid tales in this book are simply rehashed stories from the aforementioned magazines. But to bring them all together, between two paperback covers, is system overload. It's surprising that all four original members are still alive to tell what they know.(Temporary drummer Randy Castillo died of cancer.) The Dirt dishes on the excess of the 80's, the firing of lead singer Vince Neil--or maybe he quit, depending on which side you take--and the slow transition into the elder statesmen of rock n' roll they've become. This may not be your cup of filth--I don't recommend it for any reader under the age of eighteen--but it is entertaining, to say the least. I saw them in concert twice back in the day. You always got your money's worth at a Crue show. Same goes for this book. Long live Motley Crue.(less)

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Jan 23, 2012 Schuyler rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a non-fan of Motley Crue (I mean a complete and total non-fan; I didn't care for them during they're heyday), I came to this book for the well-advertised decadence and debauchery. While the bandmembers' nefarious escapades (as well as Strauss's clever, 18th-c. picaresque chapter frames) sustained me for a while, I eventually grew tired of spending time with the Crue. However, the book did have the interesting effect of simultaneously raising and lowering the band in my esteem. Musically, I st...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Satyrblade rated it 4 of 5 stars

Possibly the most entertaining book I've read in my research for a current project, The Dirt follows the most infamous example of '80s hair-metal excess on their long journey through Hell's Hall of Fame.

Told through chapters by the five band members (Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, classic vocalist Vince Neil, and his temporary replacement John Corabi), plus a handful of interviews with producers, ex-managers, and the head of the band's former label, the book careens from the bandmates' dysfu...more Possibly the most entertaining book I've read in my research for a current project, The Dirt follows the most infamous example of '80s hair-metal excess on their long journey through Hell's Hall of Fame.

Told through chapters by the five band members (Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, classic vocalist Vince Neil, and his temporary replacement John Corabi), plus a handful of interviews with producers, ex-managers, and the head of the band's former label, the book careens from the bandmates' dysfunctional childhoods to the rolling atrocity of the band's heyday. Wryly perceptive of their own terrible behavior, the guys range from oddly metaphysical conspiracy rambles (Mars) to Yo-Dude! platitudes (Lee), capturing five distinctive personalities running a demolition derby with success. To their credit, most of them (Sixx especially) take some measure of responsibility for their obnoxiously shitty behavior; Lee slings a fair amount of pity-me bullshit, but the other guys square their shoulders and deck themselves with sledgehammers even while admitting they had the time of their lives.

With the possible exception of Corabi, these are not nice people. By the most generous assessment, they're bitter, reckless, selfish, drug-bent and grotesquely misogynistic assholes who started off bad and just got worse until their fame, luck and cash ran low... at which point, they were forced to wonder how they might put the pieces of themselves back together again. Admittedly, their antics are kinda fun to read about... until you realize (and they admit) just how much human wreckage they left in their wake. Despite their genuinely entertaining voices, these aren't guys I'd ever want to meet (except, again, possibly for Corabi... and maybe Sixx). That said, The Dirt helps you understand how the Crue became the fucked-up individuals they were and, on some levels, still are today. The book is vicarious (if often vicious) fun for guys... and if it leaves female readers wondering, "Why the hell would any women put UP with this shit?", so much the better.

So yeah - I give this one four stars, raised high and burning from self-inflicted fire. Great shit, especially if you like reading real-life adventures fueled by too many drugs, too much emotional damage, and far too little common sense. (less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Aaron Marvel rated it 4 of 5 stars

This has to be THE quintessential rock n roll book. If there is one out there crazier than this, I would love to read it. There is some absolutely wild stuff on here.....the licking of urination with Ozzy and the phone call with the receiver up someone's vagina are just a couple that immediately come to mind....that is sure to cement Motley Crue's image as one of the most decadent bands of all time without much argument. The amount of drug use alone mentioned in this book is absolutely staggerin...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Misty rated it 4 of 5 stars

The rock bio by which all other rock bios should be judged.

This book was terrific. I enjoyed it so much, I've read it three times, and each time, I've caught something I didn't really "get" the first few times around.

The four members of Motley Crue, along with others who worked with/for them through the years, write this book together. Each person gets their own chapters, which works wonderfully. We get to hear their stories in their own voices - and it really gets amusing when they're telling t...more The rock bio by which all other rock bios should be judged.

This book was terrific. I enjoyed it so much, I've read it three times, and each time, I've caught something I didn't really "get" the first few times around.

The four members of Motley Crue, along with others who worked with/for them through the years, write this book together. Each person gets their own chapters, which works wonderfully. We get to hear their stories in their own voices - and it really gets amusing when they're telling the same story but from different points of view. For example, Mick Mars (who comes across as extremely intelligent and quite witty, in a dry, deadpan way) talks about how he used to drink vodka before the shows but the band always thought it was water. Later, in their chapters, the other band members talk about how Mick used to drink vodka before the shows, but thought he had everyone believing it was water, when they knew better the entire time.

They cover everything: their childhoods, the beginning of the band, the shot to stardom, the groupies, the girlfriends, the booze, the drugs, and each other. They bare it all (even the absolutely digusting stuff - Ozzy Osbourne is, or was, quite obviously insane) and tell the truth - even when it comes to each other, and how they've felt about each other over the years. You can understand why they've all hated each other at some point, after learning more about them.

Vince Neil comes across, at times, as a very self-serving, egotistical jackass...but the chapters in which he talks about his daughter's cancer are extremely touching.
Nikki Sixx is actually quite smart and charming, when he's not all whacked out on heroin.
Mick Mars, I mentioned above - very intelligent and quite funny, in his own way.
Tommy Lee is Tommy Lee - sort of an airhead, the goofy "Yeah, dude!" guy you totally expect him to be.

How these guys are still alive, I have no idea - but they're still rocking. They just played a show in my town a week ago.

If you like Motley Crue at all - hell, even if you don't - pick this up. It's an incredible autobiography.
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Oct 15, 2010 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars

An interesting case study in what happens to young men from small-city America once you remove all the consequences from their actions.

The results aren't pretty, but they are entertaining and appalling at the same time. Like a horrific traffic accident, you will not be able to look away.

However, at the heart of these cautionary tales, there is the element of struggle at every level. Struggle with poverty and irrelevance as youths, struggle with personal demons of insecurity, abuse as a result of...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

You've just awakened with the worst hangover of your life. A handful of aspirins and a little hair-of-the-dog later, you begin to piece together the events of the previous night... the bottles of Jack, the fat lines of coke, the rock concert fistfight, the car crash, and, oh god, that scabby prostitute in the back room of LA's sleaziest strip club... Jesus, what have you done? Your agenda for the day: A) get an AIDS test, B) get a liver transplant, C) find a good lawyer, and D) adopt a religion...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading this book was like watching a car wreck, you know it's awful to look at, yet you can't look away, somehow you are fascinated by it.

Motley Crue is an American hard rock band that formed in 1982. In Motley Crue: The Dirt - Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band, each of the four band members tells his story beginning from thier childhood through thier time with the band. It was about sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, but you also get to see another side to these guys.

When Nikki S...more

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Feb 03, 2010 Pattie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to say first that I never got into Motley Crue, and didn't know much about them outside Tommy Lee's shenanigans. But EW gave this such a high rating that I thought I'd expand my horizons a bit and check out a memoir all about sex, drugs and rock-and-roll. I enjoy travel books, as well as fiction set in other cultures: Iceland, Japan, Stalinist Russia, wherever. This felt like one of those books, providing the reader a peek into a place she would never actually go.

Written by all the membe...more

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Aug 29, 2009 jim rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Dirt: Confessions of the Worlds Most Notorious Rock Band
Motley Crue
Pages: 448
ISBN:0060989157

There aren't any bands in the world that compare to the hard-core nature of Motley Crue. An autobiography of the band with the ups and downs of the band, encounters with the law, and many other events that occurred off stage.

Finally, an autobiography of a band. Recently I've been listening to bass solos, and I happened to come across the name, Nikki Six, Motley Crue's bassist, and founder. When I wa...more

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May 27, 2009 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Mich Mars make up Motley Crue. One of the most seemingly decadent hair metal bands from the 80's. “The Dirt” is basically the story of their debauchery from the very beginnings through their epic success during the Dr. Feelgood era to their flame-out. The book is written in almost a diary form. It moves chronologically and takes turns giving each person's point of view of certain situations. Everyone gets their voice heard including their various managers a...more

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May 19, 2012 Barrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Flew through this big book of mayhem during my trip to Greece. Couldn't have asked for a better fly by the seat of my pants autobiography on one of the craziest bands there might've ever been. I couldn't even tell you a single song of there's that I know/like, but man, they sure knew how to have a time. Complete with disgusting stories that totally degraded women (and honestly, I was more ashamed of the women then the bandmates in most of the circumstances--I mean what kind of human puts a phone...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like the way this book is written, with each member of the band telling their story, along with contributions from the management and others close to the band. Also, I like the clash between the archaic introductions of each chapter and the contemporary content.

There are so many women in this book, but none of them really has a voice. The only exception is a short interview with record company big shot Sylvia Rhone, a woman who, according to Nikki Sixx, "did not necessarily comprehend the deep...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars

To begin with, I want to make it clear I am not nor have I ever been what I would describe as a Motley Crue “fan.” Sure, I have a couple song on my iPod, have heard Girls, Girls, Girls blared loudly at a strip club, and like their liberal application of the umlaut, but while I was a teen of the 80s, my tastes have always catered more to the new Wave bands of the time and later to alternative rock (read: Grunge, and punk.) I recommended this to my guys book club based on the recommendation of ano...more To begin with, I want to make it clear I am not nor have I ever been what I would describe as a Motley Crue “fan.” Sure, I have a couple song on my iPod, have heard Girls, Girls, Girls blared loudly at a strip club, and like their liberal application of the umlaut, but while I was a teen of the 80s, my tastes have always catered more to the new Wave bands of the time and later to alternative rock (read: Grunge, and punk.) I recommended this to my guys book club based on the recommendation of another friend.
So, what was it like to be in the world’s most notorious rock band during this period? Well, it seemed to consist mostly of: Sex (lots of it, lots of it with Bay Watch Starlets, lots of it anonymous females), inconceivable levels of drug use, alcoholism and the acquisition of long rap sheets which are all documented here. Oh, and occasionally they would write and perform songs… often while on drugs, or completely drunk.
This is not the usual biography. Neil Strauss essentially collected narrative from all four members of the band, some of their management, and some other people close to the band which outline the rise, fall and current state of the quintessential 80s metal band. These stories are told as a series of individual stories or vignettes if you like. So often the same event will be outlined in a couple different chapters by a couple band members. The level of honesty achieved here is fairly astonishing and in some cases horrifying.
One thing I found is I actually liked the band members less and less the more I read. They reveal themselves largely to be petty, addicted, sociopaths, devoid of most of most admirable human qualities. Even the guys who seem a bit more caring (i.e. Tommy and Mick) have huge issues themselves. I found myself mostly loathing Vince, and Nikki just seemed vary between sniveling idiot, and callous ass. However, this loathing didn’t really impact my wish to keep reading. In fact, I just wanted to keep going to see the next level of depravity they would achieve. (I believe the Ozzy Osborne story is the nadir here btw… but won’t say more as to not spoil it for any of you who will read the book.)
As an Angelian (denizen of the city of angels) one of the things I most liked about this book are all the references to my city, and the various landmarks of the 80s: Gazarris, the Rainbow Room, The Whisky, Bar One, Moonshadows, the Roxy etc. (Many of these are still around today.) Maybe you can even find one of the former or current Crue scumbags in one of these former haunts.
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Jun 08, 2011 Chip'sBookBinge rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are books and then there are BOOKS and then there is The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band. This is the Granddaddy of all Rock and Roll Biographies. It's the benchmark for which all future Rock Bio's will be judged. Everything that you have heard about The Dirt is all that and more. This is Book Report #20. That's how long I had to wait in line with the waiting list for this one at the Library. I've been on a major book reading binge and the first book that I put a...more There are books and then there are BOOKS and then there is The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band. This is the Granddaddy of all Rock and Roll Biographies. It's the benchmark for which all future Rock Bio's will be judged. Everything that you have heard about The Dirt is all that and more. This is Book Report #20. That's how long I had to wait in line with the waiting list for this one at the Library. I've been on a major book reading binge and the first book that I put a hold on was for this one.

So, was the wait worth it? Hell fucking yeah it was. I really don't know why I never got around to reading this one before. It's been out since 2001. That's 10 fucking years. I always had an excuse or I was too busy and kept putting it off for whatever reason. So, I sit here now able to finally cross this off my to-read list.

As for The Dirt, it's all here. All the decadence, debauchery, chaos and fights you've heard about over the years are front and center here. When I originally heard about the book being written by Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars I had no idea how it would work. In my mind I originally thought that the 4 of them got together and hashed it out like a regular novel. Not even close. Each member writes their own chapter starting from the beginning and at the end of the chapter it usually ends in a "cliffhanger". Then the next member picks up that thread and takes it from there. Shampoo, lather, rinse, repeat. You get the idea.

I'm glad this is how they chose to put the book together because everyone gets their say and we get to hear their point of view. It all works seamlessly, which makes it even harder to put the book down. Even if you already know the stories (which I did), you still can't put it down.

I knew this book was good when I caught myself carrying the book from room to room, even if I wasn't in the process of reading. The lions share of the book is handled by Nikki. He is the anchor to which all the others expand on. Nikki's stories I think are the best as he does a great job of painting the picture for the reader. Tommy and Vince follow suit and Mick pops up now and then. Even though Mick has the least amount to say in the book, he really comes off pretty good here. He may be the quietest member of the band, but he has a lot to say when does open up. Some of the things he says will have you agreeing with him and leaving you with a little smirk on your face.

Mick, you fucking rock dude! There are additional authors that also contribute to the book when in need of some serious explanation from the likes of Doc McGhee, John Corabi etc....

Amid all the chaos and insanity of the book, there is a very heartbreaking story when Vince recounts his time regarding his Daughter Skylar and her battle with cancer. If you are not touched by what you are reading, you are dead inside. I've heard the story countless times before. But to actually read Vince's words takes on a whole 'nother level.

It's not all doom and gloom here though. There are so many stories here that will leave you spellbound at the absurdity of what went down on tours, recording studios, etc....

And there are some pretty funny moments that will definitely leave you laughing. For me I would say cockeyed "Geena Davis" is the best and funniest pertaining to a blind date that Nikki had the misfortune of getting stuck on. I will say nothing more. Go read the fucking book to find out more about it. Haha.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone. You don't have to be a fan of Motley Crue. Hell, you can hate all the members and you will still come away completely entertained from the first page to the very last page. Of the 20 books I have read so far the past couple of months, I Am Ozzy and The Dirt are the only ones I plan on buying and adding to my personal library collection.

On related topic, the proposed film for The Dirt is being held up in limbo as they search for another Director. I really hope to see the book done justice and that it makes it's way to a theater soon.

Rating: 10 Stars out of 10 (Yes, I usually give out 5 Stars as the highest possible rating. So, 10 should tell you how fucking nuts, crazy and awesome this book is) :)(less)

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Jan 11, 2013 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mötley Crüe is without a doubt one of the definitive bands of the 80s hair metal craze, and although their music career has had its ups and downs, they, for better or for worse, completely embodied the sex, drugs and rock n roll philosophy of their genre.
"For better or for worse" might be the keyword for their notorious autobiography, "The Dirt," which gets up-close-and-personal with Vince, Nikki, Tommy and Mick in their highest highs and lowest lows.
Co-authored and edited by Neil Strauss, th...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Ksena rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: biographical, dramatic, music, lovely

There's just one band like Mötley Crüe. They put the D in Decadence, and have done so since they first started out. The things they have done is just... insane. And the things they've had to deal with, personally... is just as insane. Here they pretty much bare their souls, and I love every single word. It is like a long story told by four very different people, that together... creates the creative insanity that is Mötley Crüe. Tommy, Nikki, Vince and Mick are four very different people, and it...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Paul Griebel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good Lord. I could not put this book down. It was one of the most engaging, vile, disturbing, hilarious, and, quite honestly, enjoyable books (on the lighter side, anyway) that I've picked up recently, and I don't consider myself much of a Motley Crue fan. More of an intrigued observer/FM classic rock enthusiast. I got everything out of it that I was expecting to: deranged tales of women, constant drug/alcohol abuse and ensuing trips to rehab, and discussion of and meditations on their own music...more Good Lord. I could not put this book down. It was one of the most engaging, vile, disturbing, hilarious, and, quite honestly, enjoyable books (on the lighter side, anyway) that I've picked up recently, and I don't consider myself much of a Motley Crue fan. More of an intrigued observer/FM classic rock enthusiast. I got everything out of it that I was expecting to: deranged tales of women, constant drug/alcohol abuse and ensuing trips to rehab, and discussion of and meditations on their own music and that of others (I particularly enjoy their derogatory remarks regarding "faux-metal" bands like Poison and Warrant, as if Motley Cure themselves aren't pushing faux-metal). This makes it an odd blend of elements found in American Psycho, Scar Tissue, and PJ20. Of course, by the end of it, I found myself wondering if these guys were playing a joke on everyone.

The easiest way of looking at this group is that they've consumed too much of their own Kool-Aid. A lot of the book takes on attitudes of "the whole world is against us" and "yeah, it sounds insane but hear me out, I'm right on this." The reader gets the sense that they're being a tad overdramatic in many of these situations and that there is another obvious side to the story, most notably when they, or I assume co-author Neil Strauss, work in bits of external viewpoints such as magazine bits, interviews, management/record label opinions, and my personal favorite, the writing of John Corabi. As a quick aside, I think this dude's greatest contribution, not to the band but to society and the zeitgeist as a whole, was influencing Mark Wahlberg's title character in Rock Star.

But ANYWAY, it's easy to look at the narrative like that. But I got the feeling that, while the Kool-Aid overconsumption is clear, maybe they're a group of geniuses playing a trick on everyone who picked up a copy of their book. Essentially, this book is written by each member of the band, who alternate chapters (and, as I mentioned, other bits and pieces are interspersed). Possibly the most enjoyable and outright funny segments occur when one guy tells a story, then the other guy tells it the other way. This is clearly intentional, because, again, it's funny and they know how crazy it seems when Tommy says Vince started the fight, then Vince immediately and independently says it was Tommy's fault, then Nikki claims they were both acting like d-bags.

But it's entirely possible that it was intentional in another way: maybe they're just telling stories and nobody ever gets the clear truth. It's a lot of opinions, yes, and every story has two sides to it so it's valid to format it this way. But really, do we come away with an understanding of what really unfolded in any given situation? Maybe Motley Crue got together and decided they would write an autobiography, rehash the fun stuff, but really brush over the real meat of their careers. It's possible that this was intentional on a third level, in that rock stars have big egos and, as one of the era's biggest acts, there's humor in the fact that the reader should not open the book expecting to get a straight answer. I think it's more fun to think that Mick Mars (who by the way is one of the coolest dudes on the planet) repeatedly mentions that people shouldn't believe everything they read as a clue that he's masterminded one of the great literary dupes in recent memory. Maybe that's what he was doing with all that time he spent supposedly on his own: he was actually lurking in the corner, taking thorough mental notes on events, and making sure that, one day, all of these facts would be muddled. To make sure he was the only one with clear answers, he probably introduced Nikki to heroin, Vince to booze, and Tommy to Pamela. Twenty years later, he gets them to do the bulk of the writing and the reader is left with a few funny stories and an overall sense of confusion.

And yes, looking at this page stare me in the face makes me realize how lame I am for such an excessive and ludicrous analysis of a book about Motley Crue. Whatever.(less)

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Nov 09, 2011 Tom Gase rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really good autobiography of Motley Crue, that is guided well by Neil Strauss. I haven't listened to this band for years, but it brought me back to sixth grade when Dr. Feelgood was a big album, and back to junior college, when Generation Swine wasn't. I had almost forgot that in one of my favorite years of music (1994) they released a self-titled album with John Corabi as the lead singer. I never bought it and heard it wasn't that great, but it was nice to hear about that album in this book alo...more

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Mar 30, 2009 Sarah Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction-adult, humor

Holy crap, what an unexpectedly awesome book. This book is disgusting and wonderful, which is confusing because it also made me openly weep. Really? Really.

*

Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx, notoriously known as Motley Crue, tell all in this wild ride through the band's history. Replete with drugs, sex, alcohol, addiction, ratted hair, playmates, hookers, incarceration, death, and plenty of Jack Daniels, no topic is sacred. Decadence at its finest.

Appeals: getting the gossip from...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Bfg1971 rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band was recommended to me by several people. It chronicles the rise and fall of Mötley Crüe from the band's humble beginnings to the LA club circuit to arena rock headliners. It gets to be a repetitive rock and roll cliche' after a while. We did drugs, had sex, got in fights, od'd, wash rinse and repeat. Mick, Nikki, Tommy, and Vince are quite the dysfunctional family and it gets a little tiresome after a while.

The thing that I really lik...more

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Jun 03, 2009 Candace Corner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before reading "The Dirt," my knowledge of the Crue didn't really expand beyond knowing Tommy Lee was the drummer and vaguely remembering the words to "Shout at the Devil" and "Girls, Girls, Girls."

While it's not difficult to guess what you're getting into before you even open this book, there's a serious part to it that took me by surprise. Long after the drug-addled days of booze and babes, the four Crue kids hit hard times in their adulthood, taking on personal battles including struggling wi...more

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About Tommy Lee

Tommy Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass) is an American Heavy Metal musician. He is known as the drummer for hard rock/heavy metal band Mötley Crüe and ex-husband of actresses Pamela Anderson and Heather Locklear.

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“Looking down on it from the helicopter, with a bottle of Jack in my left hand, a bag of pills in my right hand, and a blond head bobbing up and doen in my lap, I felt like the king of the world.” — 3 people liked it

“There was one dude in a jeans jacket who I swear to God shit in his pants when all of a sudden I was inches away from his face playing drums in the air.” — 3 people liked it

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