Mick Wall: Last of the Giants: The True Story of Guns n' Roses (2016)
Marc Canter (w/ Jason Porath & Jack Lue): Reckless Road: Guns n' Roses and the Making of 'Appetite for Destruction' (2008)
So much has been written about the 'Most Dangerous Band in the World' that even those of us who lived through Guns n' Roses' incredible heyday can only cherry pick the books and autobiographies least likely to blur reality with bitter, one-sided memories and cheap sensationalism.
You know, the ones otherwise known as GnR Lies.
But seriously, when it comes to band histories (as opposed to band member bios), I'd personally recommend Mick Wall's Last of the Giants -- if for no other reason than because he was one of the rock critics Axl Rose infamously invited by name to "Get in the Ring"!
Much to my surprise, Wall barely addressed the subject (let alone gloated about how Axl inadvertently granted him instant immortality) but, with nothing left to lose after falling out of favor, he was free to pen a balanced and comprehensive band history with his customary, uncompromising fearlessness.
That being said, there's an obvious difference between the book's first half, in which Mick relies on an enviable personal archive of exclusive interviews, and the second half's more distant, straight-up reporting, after he'd been -- forgive the pun -- "boxed out."
Then again, who wasn’t exiled during the nearly two decades between GnR albums by a deeply paranoid Axl: rock's own Howard Hughes, who surrounded himself with yes-men and -women (managers, musicians, masseuses, psychics!), while allegedly pining for his lost love, Stephanie Seymour, and paralyzed by creative uncertainty.
Wall also covers Velvet Revolver's brief and turbulent run (sadly, robotically, rather than in his typically sharp and spicy style) until Axl tentatively reunited with Slash, Duff, and other assorted former Guns for the period of relative peace and productivity (on stage, if not in the studio) we know today.
So, imperfect as Wall's attempt may be, I'm not aware of anything better and I honestly doubt we'll ever get to the bottom of the enigma that is Axl Rose, unless the man himself decides to spill the beans someday, and maybe not even then.
And that means further reading ...
Although a love of reading isn't required for those who a pick up Marc Canter's Reckless Road: Guns n' Roses and the Making of 'Appetite for Destruction', which provides a fly-on-the-wall oral history of the group's gory/glory days, as remembered by those who shared Sunset Boulevard gutters with Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff, and Steven Adler.
Very, VERY poorly written and edited (with Jason Porath) by Slash's childhood pal Marc Canter, scion of the famous Canter's Deli family, this is essentially a personal scrapbook packed with spelling errors, lapsed continuity, and repetitive set-lists and stage banter.
But it also boasts an incredible collection of over 1,000 photographs snapped by Canter and Jack Lue (plus flyers, posters, etc.) that capture the gritty, chaotic, decadent, violent, and lighthearted evidence of GnR's combustible formative years through 1987.
In other words, this isn't a book you'll want to read, but one you won't be able to take your eyes off of, making it a perfect addition to your rock 'n' roll coffee table.
So there you have it: just two of countless Gun n' Roses books for you to choose from (I'm personally salivating for ex-manager Alan Niven's forthcoming addition to the pile), or, as W.Axl Rose might put it, for you to "Get in the ring, motherfuckers!"
Featured Records:
Guns n' Roses: Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Hollywood Rose: The Roots of Guns n’ Roses (2004)
Buy from: Amazon / Amazon
