Appetite for Entertainment

Former Guns n Roses drummer Steven Adler has always been a lightning rod for controversy. He’s also a man with a thousand stories to tell. But with his share of drug problems over the years, it felt his story would never be told. After a stint on VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab,” however, Adler has gotten clean and has teamed up with scribe Laurence Spagnola, writing a tell-all autobiography, “My Appetite For Destruction.”

Although a little light on his rehabilitation, the tale paints an entertaining picture of Adler’s tenure in GNR and is full of vivid stories of sex drugs and rock roll. Overall, it’s a fitting tribute to a man whose time on the top of the mountain wasn’t nearly as long as his way down.

While the only part Adler played in this book was the extensive interviews and stories he shared with Spagnola, his presence is felt throughout. A Harvard graduate with multiple works under his belt, Spanola is capable of writing something much headier than this, but channels Adler’s voice and ideas throughout. Anyone who has seen Adler interviewed over the years or watched him on reality television will feel at home with the book, as the conversational tone makes it a very comfortable and accessible read.

In spite of that, there’s a heart to this book that far exceeds the down to earth nature of the narrative. Adler isn’t perfect and doesn’t pretend to be. He makes similar mistakes throughout the book and doesn’t learn until much later. Regardless, you feel for him and accept him for his bevy of weaknesses the same way you’d accept a member of your own family. In the end, regardless of all the fame and drugs, Adler never loses his smile and ability to bounce back. Because of that, all the stupid mistakes, sex with nameless women, drug-dealings with strangers and trauma he caused his family and friends are forgiven.

The fact that the tone of the book is largely apologetic helps Adler’s cause as well. Throughout the tale, he continually makes reference to his problems and how they affected the band and the people he loves. He also spares no expense in labeling himself as an addict and someone that needed help. Candor like this makes you take him and his story a bit more seriously than you would have otherwise.

Nevertheless, his escapades aren’t forgotten, which makes him an unreliable narrator at times, making you wonder how much truth has survived all the reckless activities he’s partaken in over the years. You can also tell Adler still has some sour grapes due to the way he was ousted from GNR and there’s obviously more to the story, but largely, Adler know he was to blame for the majority of his problems.

All of this doesn’t matter to an extent however as real music fans will eat up all these adventure regardless of how much truth is actually here or not because it’s a great story that deserves to be told. Not many people can say they started from nothing, became everything they wanted to be, to only lose it all and then start all over again. This is largely why Adler’s story is a captivating one. On top of that, his new band is touring all over the country and he’s even taking drum lessons now, making his tale one that isn’t completely finished yet.

In the end, it’s written fluidly with an eye for the casual reader, making it a gritty autobiography with heart and passion to spare.