I’m a huge fan of Guns N’ Roses, so I’ve read my fair share of biographies about them. After reading the band’s ex-guitarist, Slash’s autobiography, I was more than a bit dubious about picking up ex-drummer Steven Adler’s book. After all, he is the one that has the severest drug problems, and probably has the worst memory of all the band members. However, although I was far from blown away by this autobiography, I did end up enjoying it more than I thought I was going to.

Alder starts the story at his childhood, and quickly sets the tone for the rest of the book - whining, moaning, and a whole heap of blaming others for his own mistakes. He is someone that seems to have an excuse for every bad choice he makes, and is convinced that everyone but himself is to blame for his life has turning out the way it has. Although this sort of attitude is okay for a teenager, on a 40+ year-old man, it just seems pathetic.

I also wasn’t a huge fan of a lot of the anecdotes Adler chose to share with his readers. They seemed random and many of them were pointless to the progression of his life, so I couldn’t understand why he felt the need to keep them in the book. Adler is a recovered drug addict, but you couldn’t tell from reading this book - the many ways he glorifies drug-use is mind-boggling. Instead of facing up to his problems, Adler seems to have deluded himself into a false sense of security, and reading this book, I feel that it is only a matter of time before he falls off the wagon.

For all these flaws though, I did find myself enjoying this book. It was a quick read and, I will admit, some of the stories Adler shared were very entertaining. Overall though, unless you’re a die-hard Guns N’ Roses fan, stay away from this book. There are many more rock biographies on shelfs that don’t smack of desperation, whining and pathetic attempts to relive the ‘glory days’.