Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses
by Stephen Davis
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stephen DavisEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2009-09-01
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Gotham
Book Reviews of Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses
Book Review: Elitist slumming of the worst sort
Summary: 2 Stars
I'll be mercifully brief here as this book is hardly worth the effort to tear it apart.
The previous reviews are quite correct when they point out the copious amount of laughable errors in "Watch You Bleed". My personal favorite, which these reviews seems to have missed was The Scorpions being from England. Yep.
Stephen Davis is not a bad writer. I've read and enjoyed his other error-riddled tomes on Zeppelin and Aerosmith. They are typically engaging and briskly paced, and deliver the kind of minutiae that we rock bio dorks crave. The main reason he strikes out so badly here is simply his clear and obvious ignorance and disdain for Heavy Metal in general (at least Zeppelin and Aerosmith were bands that this child of the sixties could somewhat wrap his noodle around). I don't think there is a single example in the early chapters (concentrating on the Sunset Strip scene)where he doesn't feel the need to flat-out insult and sneer at every band he mentions. Ratt, Motley Crue, Poison, etc all mentioned only with a nasty adjective preceding their name. Although there are chuckles galore to be had at his utter cluelessness in this regard. German Power-metal pioneers Helloween being referred-to as "Kiss clones" was one of my personal favorites (as if this clown had ever heard Helloween, no less heard OF them). His smarmy contempt is even directed at the very band he's covering, describing Slash receiving an award for his "alleged" virtuosity.
Probably the all-time award winner for the "I was much too busy to research anything" award though, is his hilarious contention that Motley Crue, immediately following the Girls, Girls, Girls tour, were consigned to "the scrapheap of history". No, I'm not making this stuff up. According to this Tacitus of rock biographers, Motley Crue disappeared after their 4th album. You really have to be a special kind of microcephalic to let something like that get into a major published book. I assume the idea of editing and proofreading, at least by someone born after WWII was not even considered.
Now I am no fan of the hair bands, and generally don't like them either, but his overall snotty and disdainful attitude soon becomes intrusive and annoying, and makes you wonder why this aging hippy insists on writing a book on a genre he knows and cares nothing about.
Of course we do know why. Because a book on Gun N' Roses will sell a lot of copies, that's why. Because there is no large demographic clamouring for a book about Moby Grape, that's why.
Avoid this ridiculous book at all costs.
Summary of Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses
The New York Times bestselling epic tale of the last great rock bandFrom the bestselling author of Hammer of the Gods comes the complete story of Guns N' Roses - from their drug-fueled blastoff in the 80s to the turbulent life of legendary singer Axl Rose, and his fifteen-year, multimillion dollar quest to make the perfect hard rock album.
Riotous world tours. Drug-induced rampages. One hundred millions albums sold. In his sixth major rock biography, Stephen Davis details the riveting story of the last great rock band. Watch You Bleed documents the life of every band member, including the improbable story of W. Axl Rose. Davis brilliantly captures the Guns' raw power - from the gutters of Sunset Strip to the biggest stadiums on the planet. Based on exclusive interviews, private archives, and packed with stunning revelations, Watch You Bleed is the savage, definitive, and highly unauthorized story of Guns N' Roses. For the first time, millions of fans will learn the whole truth about this legendary band.
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