It's So Easy
And Other Lies
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4.6 • 130 Ratings
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
In his New York Times bestseller, Duff McKagan, founding member of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, shares the story of his rise to fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, and his life-saving transformation via a unique path to sobriety.
In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle—partly to pursue music but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In LA only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as “Slash.” Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N’ Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide.
In It’s So Easy, Duff recounts Guns’ unlikely trajectory to a string of multiplatinum albums, sold-out stadium concerts, and global acclaim. But that kind of glory can take its toll, and it did—ultimately—on Duff, as well as on the band itself. As Guns began to splinter, Duff felt that he himself was done, too. But his near death as a direct result of alcoholism proved to be his watershed, the turning point that sent him on a unique path to sobriety and the unexpected choices he has made for himself since.
In a voice that is as honest as it is indelibly his own, Duff—one of rock’s smartest and most articulate personalities—takes readers on a harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock-and-roll history and out the other side.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this honest, well-written memoir, former Guns & Roses bass player McKagan recounts the age-old rock and roll saga of rise and fall complete with private jets, busted marriages, drunken brawls, and drug addiction. But as McKagan relates, he took an unusual path to recovery, healing himself with martial arts, mountain biking, and meditation. Along the way he also earned a finance degree from Seattle University. McKagan's musical career started early at age 15, the Seattle native was already playing in several punk bands. In 1983 he left for Los Angeles, where he met the other members of Guns & Roses. The 1987 release of Appetite for Destruction made the group an international phenomenon. For a rock star, McKagan is surprisingly self-aware and candid, and he doesn't let himself off the hook easily. The first half of this book alternates chapters between his youth in Seattle and early career in L.A., and he vividly evokes both music scenes drugs and all and his own enthusiasm, desperation, and joy. As the years progress, McKagan, who wrote a financial column for Playboy and currently writes a weekly column for the Seattle Times and ESPN.com, is more cautious and measured but no less insightful. 16 pages color photos
Customer Reviews
It’s So Easy
Ah Duff, an articulate and intelligent writer, certainly the best read from any of the Guns N’ Roses members. An honest and sometimes seems to be an embarrassing admission of the antics of his life in the world’s most dangerous band complete with toxic excess, addiction, alcoholism and violence. He was right to call out Axl for treating fans badly when not showing up on time, Axl’s tantrums were legendary which ruined a show when fans rioted Vancouver over it. The Seattle years before GN’R were interesting and the years after were also informative especially how hard he had to work on his body and mind to get sober, not so easy. Duff is now healthy, educated and doing well with a beautiful family, and continues with rock of course with bands Velvet Revolver and Loaded. I hope Duff is at peace with it all now, it seems like it.
Life changing
Couldn't put this book down! Helped me heal my soul. A must for any GNR fan!
Great book
Duff did a great job telling his story and glad he's been able to live a full and productive life after GN'R. Probably one of the best bio's I've read and found it hard to put down. I made the mistake of thinking i could read just the intro at 11pm and before I knew it, it was 3am and I was over 100 pages in!