Under the Top Hat

header.pngAs regular Slushpile.net readers know, I’m a bit obsessive when it comes to music, particularly the kind that heavily features guitars. So I devour music biographies the minute they hit the shelves. I recently enjoyed Nikki Sixx’s The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star and Eric Clapton’s Clapton: The Autobiography. Both were fun reads and provided a good introduction to the performers.  

However, for me, the guitar geek that I am, those books fell short in one area: They didn’t reveal anything I didn’t already know. For people who don’t consider knowing Clapton’s amp setup or Sixx’s shooting gallery locations required knowledge, these books would be great. But for me, I just didn’t learn anything new.

Some people memorize baseball statistics, some people can recall every film that ever won an Oscar. Me? I can tell you the address of where Motley Crue lived when they first got together and who played slide guitar on some rare Clapton single. In that sense, Clapton and Sixx’s books weren’t homeruns for me.

However, Slash by Slash and Anthony Bozza provided tons of revelations about the rise and fall of Guns ‘n Roses and life under the top hat. You can read more about my thoughts on Slash over at Beatrice

And if you’re in Los Angeles, you can celebrate the release of the book tonight at a metal landmark. Book Soup is participating in a book release party at the famous Whisky A Go-Go on Sunset Boulevard. Check out their event calendar for more details.

And keep your eyes peeled for a Slushpile.net interview with Bozza in the next few days.

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