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Scar Tissue
Now in paperback, the New York Times bestseller by one of rock's most provocative figures
Scar Tissue is Anthony Kiedis's searingly honest memoir of a life spent in the fast lane. In 1983, four self-described knuckleheads burst out of the mosh-pitted mosaic of the neo-punk rock scene in L.A. with their own unique brand of cosmic hardcore mayhem funk. Over twenty years lat
...moreCompact Disc, 0 pages
Published
March 1st 2006
by Phoenix Audio
(first published October 6th 2004)
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Whew... had to put it down for a bit because I was having nightmares where Anthony Kiedis was chasing me because he thought I had his drugs.
Bkilpatrick
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Red Hot Chili Peppers fans, fan's of memoirs, people who are intersted in rock and roll lifestyles
Shelves:
readbooks
First and foremost, this book is very easy to read. Whereas some books I have read I needed to be in a certain mood to enjoy them, I read this book at a variety of different times. The writing isn't very difficult to follow, as this book reads like someone telling you their life story.
At 500 pages, it really does not leave much of Anthony Kiedis' life out. At times it is slow and drags just a bit and others the the plot kind of gets redundant (like when it describes him kicking her...more
At 500 pages, it really does not leave much of Anthony Kiedis' life out. At times it is slow and drags just a bit and others the the plot kind of gets redundant (like when it describes him kicking her...more
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this is a good book, i guess. it was a very easy read, in fact i finished it very quickly (a couple reads) despite its size. the subject matter.. has me a little disturbed. it kinda made me wanna go out and score some dope, and shoot up between two cars.. he (anthony kiedis) makes drug abuse seem almost glorified. having never stuck a needle into my arm, i can only imagine the rush of "china white" into my system. i dont imagine that most drug abuser's experience are similar to tony's....more
So sue me...I'm a sucker for a celebrity biography, especially one packed with lurid details of drug use and ill-advised sexual escapades. And, I love the Chili Peppers, so this book was irresistible to me. I learned a little about Anthony Kiedis' song-writing process, which was nice. Unfortunately, I also learned that he is a selfish prick with a stunning lack of self-awareness. But, hey, it's only rock-n-roll, right?
Let's say right now that I loved this book and I can't understand why so many people dogged on it so badly. If you can't stand the drugs-rehab-drugs-rehab seemingly endless cycle that exists in most of these memoirs, don't read them because that's how it generally works before something finally sticks. However, everyone has a different take on their own recovery and this one is the one that resonated the most with me.
After I read Dave Navarro's book a few years back, the whole 'recov...more
After I read Dave Navarro's book a few years back, the whole 'recov...more
I’ve made a decision to read other people’s reviews of biographies and autobiographies in future, even all non-fiction really. It is grating to hear someone get opinionated about something they know nothing about and autobiographies can often be gratuitous attempts to resurrect dying careers.
Yes, yes, I’m still smarting from James “Britney’s Biographer” Blandfords attempts to chronicle a goddess and pretend he even knew what Doc Martens and Chelsea boots were.
Moving on.
...more
Yes, yes, I’m still smarting from James “Britney’s Biographer” Blandfords attempts to chronicle a goddess and pretend he even knew what Doc Martens and Chelsea boots were.
Moving on.
...more
I grew up too late for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. My college age son raves about them, calling them the new Doors (making their lead singer Anthony Kiedis the equivalent of a modern Jim Morrison). Having read at least 50 rock bios over the course of my life (the lifestyle, decadence and stories from the road are alwasy captivating... Long Time Gone by David Crosby, Somebody to Love by Grace Slick, I'm With the Band by Pamela Des Barres), I thought why not read about my son's favorite band and ...more
favorite.
Some of the most self-absorbed pretentious new-age hippie crap I've ever read. No kidding. I wasn't expecting classic lit here, but give me a fucking break. Page after page of drugs, rehabs, sex relationships, drugs, auras, drugs, bad drug vibes, soul-brother bonding, drugs, more expensive rehabs, more drugs, sex relationships, bad auras, drugs...
On and on and on. I thought this might be mildly interesting because I actually liked 3 of the Chili Peppers' albums. I was wrong. De...more
On and on and on. I thought this might be mildly interesting because I actually liked 3 of the Chili Peppers' albums. I was wrong. De...more
Even though I can only relate to a fraction of what is in this book, seeing how my own life is so radically different from that of the author, I loved every minute of reading this book. This book has everything you could possibly ask for; it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me sad and it made me profoundly happy. If this book does not melt your heart, then you have a heart of stone. Someone shares his life with you in a very candid and open way, how can you not love that?
And of...more
And of...more
I really think Anthony Kiedis is a sweetheart. Every single girl he sleeps with & writes about in this book is called some variation of a magical-pixie-angel-sex goddess-special unicorn-rainbow-fairie, and it gets to be a bit endearing. He's like this big loaf, a dumb jock, who just happens to write catchy, stupid (stupid catchy?) songs. It's amazing he's still alive & looks so great, all things considered. The more interesting story in this autobio is that of John Frusciante - when is HE gonna ...more
This is the most self indulgent, poorly written pap I have ever had the misfortune to purchase at an airport bookshop. Despite the millions of copies sold, as proclaimed on the cover, it failed to impress.
Anthony Keidis happily retells how he wasted his life on drugs, screwed and screwed over countless women, friends and collegaues and ended up alone - not even his closest friend Flea talks to him any more.
I am annoyed by the fact that any percentage of the money I paid ...more
Anthony Keidis happily retells how he wasted his life on drugs, screwed and screwed over countless women, friends and collegaues and ended up alone - not even his closest friend Flea talks to him any more.
I am annoyed by the fact that any percentage of the money I paid ...more
The only problem I found while reading this book was the fact that Kiedis is such a lucky pretentious fuck. The Red Hots are definitely not known for his voice, try the funky band, and by that I mean Flea. It's Flea. So basically Kiedis' memoirs are pretty much by the books for a 90's Rock Star--plenty of drugs, and plenty of women. These sections never cease to be at least somewhat entertaining. The main complaint with the book overall is Kiedis' constant, almost boastful, commentary. It's as i...more
basically, anthony kiedis has been one of my celeb crushes through the years. this book pretty much ended that. i felt a little dirty after some of the sections. THAT kind of dirty... like i needed to go scrub the images from my mind each time i put the book down!
the stories were intriguing, i had no idea of some of the horrible things this guy has done. (or if i did have an idea, i was always able to brush it off!) i'm really surprised at how far he's been able to go in life with a...more
the stories were intriguing, i had no idea of some of the horrible things this guy has done. (or if i did have an idea, i was always able to brush it off!) i'm really surprised at how far he's been able to go in life with a...more
So we have here Mr.Kedis's Biography,featuring his
most famous exploits with the peppers told
in an almost exaggerated way, I found it was'nt that
bad..but I must state I'm being bias here,as a huge
R.H.C.P fan I must say Anthony embodies the soul of
the band and so what if he comes off as an arrogant,
full of himself rock"n"roll star, his biography
seems sincere enough though at some parts you'll go
"nah,for real?"It is beyond a doubt ...more
most famous exploits with the peppers told
in an almost exaggerated way, I found it was'nt that
bad..but I must state I'm being bias here,as a huge
R.H.C.P fan I must say Anthony embodies the soul of
the band and so what if he comes off as an arrogant,
full of himself rock"n"roll star, his biography
seems sincere enough though at some parts you'll go
"nah,for real?"It is beyond a doubt ...more
Before picking up this book, my knowledge of Red Hot Chili Peppers was pretty minimal. I remember my sister playing Blood Sugar Sex Magik constantly when I was about 9, but since then, I completely lost track of the band. Regardless, Scar Tissue is a damn good read, if you’re interested in rock bands of any kind. I’ve found that fiction doesn’t lend itself too well to tales of rock star excess. That kind of hedonism can easily seem like pantomime – or simply dumb and contrived.
But, b...more
But, b...more
I'm shocked that Anthony isn't dead, based on the number of times he has been off and on different combinations of drugs. After a while, that portion of his story seemed a blur -- too many relapses and recoveries to try and keep them all straight. For me, given how screwed up he was during this period, it makes me question the accuracy of what he has written. Is it really possible to remember all of those details when you are high all the time?
That being said, I loved the insights...more
That being said, I loved the insights...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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If you were/are a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, novels about drug addiction and recovery, or rock-and-roll memoirs, this is your kind of book. This comes from the perspective of RHCP's lead singer, Anthony Kiedis, who has had one heck of an interesting life. The way he writes is very stream-of-conscius, like the entire book is his life story being told to you exactly in his words. In the future of my writing, I will attempt to parallel his storytelling style; the way he speaks so openly abou...more
A fascinating story about a guy that I didn't know anything about until I read this book. He had the most interesting childhood I've ever heard of. He was hanging out with Keith Moon when he went to his dad's bar, and he was baby sat by Sonny and Cher. Talk about the odds of having that happen to you. It shows you how less conservative everything was back in the 70s where a kid could hang out in a bar at night. He was neglected by his dad but it allowed him to have lots of experiences and d...more
Kiedis, the dynamic lead singer and lyricist for the infamous Red Hot Chili Peppers invites us into a whirlwind of chaos of which has been the life that brought him here today. Growing up in Michigan, Kiedis lived a fairly normal life as a young kid, getting into trouble only on occasion. It wasn’t until he began to visit and live with his father from time to time in Hollywood, CA that he began to harness his curiosity and experiment with drugs.
Between sleepless nights clubbing in Ho...more
Between sleepless nights clubbing in Ho...more
This was a decent book overall but achingly LONG and, while not repetitive in the true sense of the word, it was such in the stories of his life and drug taking. For instance, we probably could have gotten by with 25 stories of relapse and the associated details instead of 125 of them. If so, the book would have been half the length and much more bearable while the overall point would have been the same: fucked up guy makes good, FINALLY. What REALLY bothers me about memoirs these days, includ...more
The autobiography, Scar Tissue, gives a detailed personal account of the life of Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The reader learns of the wild upbringing of the young Anthony in Hollywood’s party scene. Born in Michigan in 1962, he lived there with his mother after his parents divorced. When he moved to Las Angeles to live with his father he began to live his life. His father, a popular drug dealer with the Hollywood celebrities, never seriously took on his role of a fa...more
Scar Tissue is a very detailed look at Anthony Kiedis' crazy life. He had more weird experiences by the time he was 20 than I will probably have my entire life (maybe I am just boring). He discusses the time of his life where he was living the low of lows, and high of highs, all while getting high with famous people and talented musicians. He has lots of stories, that I wonder how the author managed to get everything down without excluding too much. Sometimes the text seemed fake, and random...more
My brother introduced me to a lot of great music when I was about nine years old, like Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Seven Mary Three, and ... the Chili Peppers! They're a band I've always loved, but have never been obsessive about. (Only a select few reach that level of psychosis devotion.) I can't tell you their former band members, their middle names, or their birthdays, but I know a huge chunk of their catalog and history. I wanted to know what went on behind the songwriting, since Kiedi...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I'll be honest, I'm not a huge Chili Peppers fan, my kid is. My son has read this book several times and he encouraged me to read it. After all, momma loves her some Rock God grit. Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, Anthony Keidis is far from Rock God status. Don't get me wrong, he's not a bad front man, he can carry a tune and some women would consider him eye candy. However, he would never look at a woman twice because according to him, he prefers 16 year old jail bate. “That’s what I...more
Anthony Kiedis is, apparently, a pretty talented writer. As a lifelong (I'm using that term preeeetty loosely) Chili Peppers fan, I had always thought the majority of his lyrics were, for lack of a better word, nonsensical. I thought it was all about flow, dropping tight and original rhymes, and singing about partying, unless of course he was singing about something more obviously heavy-handed. It's almost embarrassing to write that, having now read this autobiography. He doesn't use this space ...more
Destruction leads to a very rough road but it also breeds creation
I picked this up because it was always a book that I would read a page or two out of while in a bookstore, so I finally decided to read “Scar Tissue” by Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was stunned by the depth in this book. It’s an easy read, but it talks about drug addiction, music, love and spirituality on a profound level. It made me really appreciate the Chili Peppers and even make sense of...more
I picked this up because it was always a book that I would read a page or two out of while in a bookstore, so I finally decided to read “Scar Tissue” by Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was stunned by the depth in this book. It’s an easy read, but it talks about drug addiction, music, love and spirituality on a profound level. It made me really appreciate the Chili Peppers and even make sense of...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scar Tissue- McKittrick | 1 | 15 | Dec 19, 2011 06:00am | |
| Viskanta Readers: Scar Tissue | 1 | 2 | Oct 28, 2011 05:17pm |
Readers Also Enjoyed
Anthony Kiedis is a musician and the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Raised in Michigan, Kiedis went on to study at UCLA, but dropped out after losing interest, partially due to his abuse of hard drugs. After dropping out, Kiedis had an offer to open for a friend's band, so he got together with friends Flea, Hillel Slovak, and Jack Irons and eventually formed the Red Hot Chili Peppers, f...more
More about Anthony Kiedis...
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“I've wanted to feel pleasure to the point of insanity. They call it getting high, because it's wanting to know that higher level, that godlike level. You want to touch the heavens, you want to feel glory and euphoria, but the trick is it takes work. You can't buy it, you can't get it on a street corner, you can't steal it or inject it or shove it up your ass, you have to earn it.”
—
16 people liked it
“It started when we were little kids.
Free spirits, but already
tormented by our own hands
given to us by our parents.
We got together and wrote on desks
and slept in laundry rooms near snowy mountains
and slipped through whatever
cracks we could find,
minds altered, we didn't falter
in portraving hysterical and
tragic characters in a smog
filled universe.
we loved the dirty city
and the journeys away from it.
We had not yet been or seen our friends, selves,
chase tails round and round in downward spirals,
leaving trail of irretrievable,
vital life juice behind.
Still, the
brothersbloodcomradespartnerfamilycuzz
was impenetrable
and we lived inside it
laughing with no clothes, and
everything experimental 'till
death was upon us.
In our face, mortality.”
—
12 people liked it
More quotes…
Free spirits, but already
tormented by our own hands
given to us by our parents.
We got together and wrote on desks
and slept in laundry rooms near snowy mountains
and slipped through whatever
cracks we could find,
minds altered, we didn't falter
in portraving hysterical and
tragic characters in a smog
filled universe.
we loved the dirty city
and the journeys away from it.
We had not yet been or seen our friends, selves,
chase tails round and round in downward spirals,
leaving trail of irretrievable,
vital life juice behind.
Still, the
brothersbloodcomradespartnerfamilycuzz
was impenetrable
and we lived inside it
laughing with no clothes, and
everything experimental 'till
death was upon us.
In our face, mortality.”
