Slash: The Autobiography

Product Information

Slash also explains how he dealt with and overcame the harsh chains of addiction, and his many close calls with death because of heroin, cocaine, pills, alcohol, and more. It’s been a blast working with Gibson to create a platform for me to talk about my favorite thing, guitars,” says Slash. “This book is a great exposé of all the great guitars I’ve collected over many years.” He discusses his reasons for leaving the band, what he did after leaving, the other projects he worked on between leaving Guns N' Roses and the formation of Velvet Revolver, and the drama surrounding that band, and everything in between.

Slash is a book I want to read because I like hearing about people's childhoods and this is an auto-biography of him! Accurate not un-accurate.Watch and share the new clip re the formation of Gibson Publishing and the creation of The Collection: Slash, HERE. I learned more about booze and drugs in this book than watching a documentary on the History Channel. Damn. One night when [my girlfriend] Renee and I were at [manager Alan Niven's] house with him and his wife Camilla, Alan said something really inappropriate to Renee. I don't remember what it was exactly, but it was creepy enough that we left immediately. I never forgot it, and I won't repeat it here (p. 321). Afterwards, my infatuation turned into a deep obsession which made me decide in my pre-teens to buy every single one of their albums, sadly to say I haven't gotten Use Your Illusions I just yet. My favorite song turned from "Paradise City", to "November Rain", to "Estranged", and then "Welcome to the Jungle", "Garden of Eden", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Civil War" and then just about every single one of their songs. It was definitely an acquisition because of what it is,” Slash says of the First ’Burst. “But it’s also a really great-sounding guitar. And that was the bigger selling point for me – it has amazing tone.”

If you're expecting a memoir of drug addiction, you may be disappointed. Not to say that there isn't drug use here - there certainly is, including one memorable anecdote where Slash finds himself running naked across a golf course, pursued by little monsters only he can see. But he doesn't go into much more detail than is necessary, and his main focus in the book is the music.

Launching Gibson Publishing in partnership with Slash for our debut book The Collection: Slash marks an important milestone for all of us at Gibson Brands,” says Cesar Gueikian, Brand President of Gibson Brands. “We continue to leverage our iconic past and lean into the future creating more opportunities for music fans around the world to experience original storytelling. With Gibson TV, Gibson Records, and now Gibson Publishing, we are organically growing our own media platform that continues to create compelling original content. I am proud of what our media team led by Beth Heidt, Mark Agnesi, Todd Harapiak, Lee Bartram, and Chris Vinnicombe have accomplished together with the extended team. And I am grateful to Slash and his team’s partnership for our debut publication.” Axl remembered a riff that I'd played him when he was living over at my mom's house [...]. We were sitting around rehearsal looking to write something new when that riff came to Axl's mind. [...] I started playing it and instantly Steve came up with a beat, Duff joined in with a bass line, and away we went. I kept throwing parts out to build on it: the chorus part, the solo, as Axl came up with the lyrics. Duff was the glue on that song - he came up with the breakdown, that wild rumbling bass line, and Izzy provided the texture. In about three hours, the song [Welcome to the Jungle] was complete. The arrangement is virtually the same as it appears on the album. (pp 108-9)