McKagan: a downward spiral after the "Illusion"

[auad]

Throughout the tour of Use Your Illusion I had recorded songs for a solo work, sticking me in the studio here and there. This project had served largely as a way to pass the time, otherwise I would have spent drinking, and I knew for the demos that would, honestly.

One of them - my version of "You Can not Put Your Arms Around a Memory" by Johnny Thunders - just in 'Spaghetti Incident' GN'R, the covers record we released shortly after the Use Your Illusion tour.

I played a little bit of everything to the course of the sessions - drums, guitar, bass. I sang too, and if you listen to the disc, it is clear that I could not breathe through the nose in some of the songs. Then at some point during the tour, an employee of the label that was on the road with us asked where I disappeared on days off. I told him. When Tom Zutaut, who had hired Guns for Geffen Records, heard the demos, he asked if I would like to do a solo contract. Geffen, he said, could lay the tracks on a disc. I knew he was probably being mercenary about it - at that time, Nirvana and Pearl Jam had burst, and Zutaut probably deduced that capitalize on my roots and connections of Seattle punk could help to reposition the seal GN'R.

But I did not care. For me it was a chance to fulfill a dream. I had grown up idolizing Prince, who played more than twenty instruments on his debut album, which had fabulous written in the credits: "Written, composed, played and recorded by Prince. '

Cool, my record's done that Prince did it - almost all played by me - being distributed around the world.

Geffen rushed everything to Believe In Me came out in the northern hemisphere summer in 1993, while the tour was ending the Illusion. Axl talked about this during the last few shows. And I even started to promote the album Guns while still in Europe - in an autograph session in Spain, so many people came on the street that the record shop had to be closed by the police with anti-shock device.

I had booked a solo tour that would begin immediately after the last concert of GN'R - two final presentations in Buenos Aires, Argentina in July 1993. My solo world tour would take me to play the display presentations in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York and then to open a tour of the Scorpions through Europe and the United Kingdom. Returning to Los Angeles from Argentina, I met a group of friends and acquaintances to support me on the tour. They had already begun to rehearse before I get home. Together, we prepare a tour for the thighs.

Axl heard that I was planning to return to touring. He called me.

"You're crazy, damn it? You should not back out on tour now. Are you crazy just thinking about it. "

"That's what I do," I told him. "I play music."

I also knew that if I stayed at home, it would likely lead to more insanity in drugs.

I had no illusions about getting sober, but at least on the road - with a band of old friends from Seattle punk-rock - I thought I had a chance to take their foot off the accelerator. And stay away from cocaine. If I were in Los Angeles, the temptation of cocaine readily available would probably be too much to resist. Entrepreneurs GN'R sent Rick 'Truck' Beaman, who had been my personal safety in the Use Your Illusion tour to accompany me on my solo tour as well. At this point the thing with me his concern seemed to go beyond their professional fees. He had developed a personal interest as a friend, in trying to limit the damage I was causing myself. Now, finally our goals had been achieved - at least when it came to cocaine.

But Axl was right. Before the first show in San Francisco, my then wife, Linda, entered into a fistfight with another girl behind the scenes and lost a tooth. Blood splattered everywhere.

The Hell's Angels packed the show at Webster Hall in New York, and fights would explode.

I yelled to the crowd to calm down, thinking I could somehow make a difference.

After the show, people wanted to come backstage pro, but I wanted to be alone.

I promoted the album as planned by December 1993. Although there was a fervor for everything related to Guns, especially in Europe. Audiences knew my songs and sang along. With the exception of keyboardist Teddy Andreadis, who had been on tour with Guns for Use Your Illusion and had toured with artists the likes of Carole King since he had left in May of adolescence, the band members were very inexperienced with great places for touring . The band had also been riding fast, and had no cohesion, we had some frictions, including an exchange of punches between members in an airport somewhere in Europe.

Most of the time I ran out of cocaine, though by no means was it a clean time. There were relapses. I also changed the vodka for wine .(...)

Edited September 15, 2011 by auad

[Nosaj Thing]

Amazing! Thank you.

[auad]

Amazing! Thank you.

you're welcome man!

[Snowmass]

Great read. Will have to get book. Thx.

[Mr. Dude]

Great read. Will have to get book. Thx.

It' s a pretty good read, but I found Slash's more entertaining. I think Slash is a bit dishonest, sometimes contradictory and usually self-serving but there's a certain romanticism in the excess that I find enjoyable. Duff's book is more linear, but I feel like there's more you can sink your teeth into with Slash's book.

[DangerousCurves]

Great read. Will have to get book. Thx.

It' s a pretty good read, but I found Slash's more entertaining. I think Slash is a bit dishonest, sometimes contradictory and usually self-serving but there's a certain romanticism in the excess that I find enjoyable. Duff's book is more linear, but I feel like there's more you can sink your teeth into with Slash's book.

I liked them both but I enjoyed Duff's book immensely. I thought Slash's book was good and it told a lot of great stories but Duff's seemed more emotional to me. I laughed my ass off in the prologue when he was talking about not being cool enough to be seen at his daughter's birthday party.

Adler's book was a whole lot of name-dropping and a lot more about his sexual exploits than I ever wanted to know. TMI doesn't begin to cover it.

I wish books were Izzy's style because I think he would write a GREAT book.

[Rovim]

Great read. Will have to get book. Thx.

It' s a pretty good read, but I found Slash's more entertaining. I think Slash is a bit dishonest, sometimes contradictory and usually self-serving but there's a certain romanticism in the excess that I find enjoyable. Duff's book is more linear, but I feel like there's more you can sink your teeth into with Slash's book.

I liked them both but I enjoyed Duff's book immensely. I thought Slash's book was good and it told a lot of great stories but Duff's seemed more emotional to me. I laughed my ass off in the prologue when he was talking about not being cool enough to be seen at his daughter's birthday party.

Adler's book was a whole lot of name-dropping and a lot more about his sexual exploits than I ever wanted to know. TMI doesn't begin to cover it.

I wish books were Izzy's style because I think he would write a GREAT book.

Yes. Slash is a great storyteller.

[saber_]

Translation is shit. But we get the gist.

[EvH]

Except that Duff's probably the only one of the three who actually wrote his book.

[DangerousCurves]

I just read Last Living Slut today. I am seeing Matt Sorum in a whole new light. If I ever run into him, I'm giving him a standing ovation.

[Rovim]

Except that Duff's probably the only one of the three who actually wrote his book.

Yeah that's pretty common. Not everyone can write. It's logical. The artist just gets interviewed by the ghost writer and he or she try their best to not get in the way. Sometimes it works well, but obviously it's not as good as books written by the actual artists.

Edited December 26, 2013 by Rovim

[Mr. Dude]

Except that Duff's probably the only one of the three who actually wrote his book.

Yeah that's pretty common. Not everyone can write. It's logical. The artist just gets interviewed by the ghost writer and he or she try their best to not get in the way. Sometimes it works well, but obviously it's not as good as books written by the actual artists.

I don't know that's always the case. I recently read Waging Heavy Peace, Neil Young's autobiography- and it is without a doubt, the worst I've ever read. As much as I think Shakey by Jimmy McDonnough misrepresented him, I felt like I gained tons more insight. WHP is book full of unfocused, whimsical tangents with no regard to chronology that do little to shed light on Neil as a person or as an artist. Its around 600 pages long and I came away feeling like I knew less. I feel like he would have been better served finding a writer to relay his story.

Interesting side note

Neil Young originally commissioned Jimmy McDonnough to write Shakey, but almost immediately after he stopped cooperating with the project as a result it took JM over 10 years to write. Then when it was ready to publish, Neil tried to block the release and sued him to try to prevent it from coming out (an Axl move if there ever was one). While McDonnough does seem to interject a degree of his own opinion into Shakey, its far a better book than Neil's.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Mr. Dude

[Rovim]

Yeah of course it's not always the case man. You need to actually be a good writer, be inspired, and do the work in order for it to be any good. That's a given. No matter who you are.

I meant more like bringing outside writers for a song (as just an example) vs. writing your own shit which is ideal imo.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Rovim

[Mr. Dude]

Great read. Will have to get book. Thx.

It' s a pretty good read, but I found Slash's more entertaining. I think Slash is a bit dishonest, sometimes contradictory and usually self-serving but there's a certain romanticism in the excess that I find enjoyable. Duff's book is more linear, but I feel like there's more you can sink your teeth into with Slash's book.

I liked them both but I enjoyed Duff's book immensely. I thought Slash's book was good and it told a lot of great stories but Duff's seemed more emotional to me. I laughed my ass off in the prologue when he was talking about not being cool enough to be seen at his daughter's birthday party.

Adler's book was a whole lot of name-dropping and a lot more about his sexual exploits than I ever wanted to know. TMI doesn't begin to cover it.

I wish books were Izzy's style because I think he would write a GREAT book.

I agree with that. Duff's certainly is more emotional and you kind of get the impression that there's a moral to the story- but I think that's what I enjoyed about Slash's, the fact that he seems unrepentant. I actually just bought Adler's book, but I haven't started reading it yet. I've also read Watch You Bleed and WAR in the past, but they always seemed like an outsider (with an agenda) perspective.

I just read Last Living Slut today. I am seeing Matt Sorum in a whole new light. If I ever run into him, I'm giving him a standing ovation.

What's that one about? GNR related book?

Sorum has always come across as a good dude to me.

[DangerousCurves]

Great read. Will have to get book. Thx.

It' s a pretty good read, but I found Slash's more entertaining. I think Slash is a bit dishonest, sometimes contradictory and usually self-serving but there's a certain romanticism in the excess that I find enjoyable. Duff's book is more linear, but I feel like there's more you can sink your teeth into with Slash's book.

I liked them both but I enjoyed Duff's book immensely. I thought Slash's book was good and it told a lot of great stories but Duff's seemed more emotional to me. I laughed my ass off in the prologue when he was talking about not being cool enough to be seen at his daughter's birthday party.

Adler's book was a whole lot of name-dropping and a lot more about his sexual exploits than I ever wanted to know. TMI doesn't begin to cover it.

I wish books were Izzy's style because I think he would write a GREAT book.

I agree with that. Duff's certainly is more emotional and you kind of get the impression that there's a moral to the story- but I think that's what I enjoyed about Slash's, the fact that he seems unrepentant. I actually just bought Adler's book, but I haven't started reading it yet. I've also read Watch You Bleed and WAR in the past, but they always seemed like an outsider (with an agenda) perspective.

I just read Last Living Slut today. I am seeing Matt Sorum in a whole new light. If I ever run into him, I'm giving him a standing ovation.

What's that one about? GNR related book?

Sorum has always come across as a good dude to me.

It's that book written by Roxanna Shirazi. Admittedly, I got the link on M's board. Read the whole thing this afternoon. It is essentially the story of a groupie who had sex with...well....everybody. It is very adult oriented and has some really heavy topics in it. I wouldn't call it a great book...but more like a porn inspired gossip rag that you just have to see what happens next.

ebooksbeus.weebly.com/uploads/6/3/0/8/6308108/the_last_living_slut_-_roxana_shirazi.pdf

[DangerousCurves]

There is a print version. There was, anyway. I remember hearing about this book quite a while ago so I don't know if it was ever picked up for re-print or not. I wouldn't spend more than bargain aisle prices for it. It was...interesting. I can sum it up for you if you want the cliff notes version?

[Rovim]

There is a print version. There was, anyway. I remember hearing about this book quite a while ago so I don't know if it was ever picked up for re-print or not. I wouldn't spend more than bargain aisle prices for it. It was...interesting. I can sum it up for you if you want the cliff notes version?

Was that the book where she talked about Dizzy knocking her up? Not sure.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Rovim

[Mr. Dude]

There is a print version. There was, anyway. I remember hearing about this book quite a while ago so I don't know if it was ever picked up for re-print or not. I wouldn't spend more than bargain aisle prices for it. It was...interesting. I can sum it up for you if you want the cliff notes version?

Nah, I guess I've got to see for myself I'll check it out in one form or another after I finish the Adler book. From what you say about his book sounds like it'll be a seamless transition right into hers. Thanks though.

[DangerousCurves]

There is a print version. There was, anyway. I remember hearing about this book quite a while ago so I don't know if it was ever picked up for re-print or not. I wouldn't spend more than bargain aisle prices for it. It was...interesting. I can sum it up for you if you want the cliff notes version?

Was that the book where she talks about Dizzy knocking her up? Not sure.

Yep.

[Iron MikeyJ]

What does Duff say about leaving gnr and CD in his book? I need to get it. But I'm just curious what his "feelings" towards the whole thing are now.

[DangerousCurves]

What does Duff say about leaving gnr and CD in his book? I need to get it. But I'm just curious what his "feelings" towards the whole thing are now.

He doesn't really mention CD. His feelings about leaving GNR were pretty well conveyed. I think his book is the least "finger-pointing" of those written. There are sections that Duff-bashers like to point out that he "lied" or whatever but I thought the book was very good and managed to tell the story of GNR from his perspective very well and with a very limited amount of playing the blame game. I read a lot. It is a very expensive habit. Duff's book is my favorite autobiography. Ever. I recommend it not only to GNR fans, but recently I recommended it to a friend of mine who has been in and out of rehab and is trying to get his shit together. He feels like nobody knows what he's going through and I thought it might be sort of inspiring for him. I am sure some douchecanoe will come on here and call me names for being such a fan of Duff, but I think he's a cool cat, down to earth and mellow. He freely expresses his insecurities in his book and that takes a lot of balls. Mad respect. I need a TEAM DUFF t-shirt.

[RichardNixon]

I really like his Believe in Me album. I hated it at the time, but I have grown very fond of it. He sounds like he was pretty fucked up when he made it, so it's kind of a sloppy yet endearing, ballsy rock album. "Fuck You" in particular is my favorite.

[Mr. Dude]

What does Duff say about leaving gnr and CD in his book? I need to get it. But I'm just curious what his "feelings" towards the whole thing are now.

I don't really recall him discussing CD. About leaving GNR- he doesn't go into as much depth as Slash does. He says something to the effect that he didn't really recognize the band anymore- he and Axl were the only one's left at that point. Once Axl and Duff both rejected the Snakepit material as Guns songs and Slash went on tour , and then later quit he tried to make a go of it for a while. I guess the breaking point was the difficulty in the sessions during that time. He said they'd jam and Axl wouldn't show up to until the late PM or early AM and he realized he didn't want to stay up until 6 am every day anymore.

He did say that when his pancreas almost exploded and he was struggling to recover that Axl was the only one from the band to call, visit, or check to see how he was doing...and that when he got sober he and Axl spent a lot of time together doing healthy things- riding bikes, working out, etc.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Mr. Dude

[Padme]

What does Duff say about leaving gnr and CD in his book? I need to get it. But I'm just curious what his "feelings" towards the whole thing are now.

About CD nothing but he said he likes the new band. He says he is ok with Tommy playing bass because he was a big Replacements fan. But keep in mind he wrote the book just after his reconciliation with Axl. He was in good terms with Axl at the time. After the HOF thing I´m not so sure

About leaving the band. There was more than one reason. Slash was no longer there, nothing was going on with the album or the band. Also his wife was pregnant so he had other priorities other than music. He was not the same guy he was back in the 80s. He was sober, he was in college and he was mostly living and Seatle. He had many things going on in his life at the time. So one day he asked Axl to have dinner with him. There he told Axl he was gone. They shook hands and that was it. They never saw each other again until London 2010

[Amir]

Duff's book is great. Reading it, I got the impression that Axl, Slash and Duff really didn't write anything after the Illusions period, so I doubt there's much of anything "in the Vault" from those guys. I thought his book was much better than Slash's, which I never got round to finishing, just because Slash's is so obviously ghost-written and structured for shock value. Duff's got a lot of unique stories, like working as a driver for a bunch of Eastern European gangsters before Appetite got released. The story about meeting Axl in the hotel in 2010 is good, too.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Amir