To Hell and Back

I love to read about as much as I love music. So it's only natural for me to love books about music and musicians. I've read lots of biographies and autobiographies, but none has stayed with me like The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx.

I wouldn't call myself a crazy Motley Crue fan, but I was definitely into them back in the day. I thought Tommy Lee was the hottie in the band and Nikki was the wacked out druggie. Intelligent, yes, but volatile and messed up. I remember when he overdosed and "died" before being brought back by a shot of adrenalin to the heart. My best friend Eye even used Nikki's overdose in a script for a video she made in our a/v class. I played the person who discussed how even though Nikki Sixx, my idol, used heroin, it wouldn't make me do it. My performance, of course, was Oscar worthy.

Nowadays, Tommy Lee is so sleazy that I feel like I need to scrape him off the bottom of my shoe, and Nikki, clean and sober, is still intelligent, but also compelling and let's face it, plain hot. I was really looking forward to reading his book.

The Heroin Diaries is a collection of diary entries between Christmas 1986 and 1987. The book chronicles the recording of the Girls Girls Girls album and subsequent tour, as well as his relationships with the rest of the band, friends, his then girlfriend Vanity and his family. It also features photos, lyrics and artwork.

The first thought that comes to mind only a few pages into it is how is this man still alive? On almost every page he is ingesting some sort of illegal substance and/or alcohol. He struggles on each page with the knowledge that he is slowly killing himself, but is in so much emotional pain that being high is the only way he can get through the day. There were times when I had to put the book down and walk away because it was too painful to read on. I really have to give Nikki credit for putting this out for the whole world to read. It is unflinching, gripping, and palpably painful.

The Heroin Diaries debuted at #7 on the best seller list, with a portion of the proceeds going to the charitable organization Running Wild in the Night. With the band Sixx A.M., Nikki also released an accompanying soundtrack with the stand out track "Life Is Beautiful."

Music may be Nikki's first love, and his art, and his chosen way to express himself, but let's face it, Motley Crue will never be Grammys' darling. Nikki is now turning towards writing and photography as other means of making his mark on the world, and I'm really interested in what he'll come up with next. It would have been a shame if this man had succumbed to his demons.

How Old Are You Guys, Five?

I hate he said/she said stories. I really hate he said/he said stories. I especially hate he said/he said stories when the he's in question are in their 60s.

Request to Steven Tyler and Joe Perry - cut the crap.

Is he or isn't he? Is Steven Tyler leaving Aerosmith? Well, get out your scorecards. After Tyler's accident this summer, the word was the band was taking a break. Then Joe Perry started talking, and things started to sound a little different. Next he took to Twitter and started tweeting about "certain band members" leaving. Oh really, who could that be? Steven Tyler's daughter Mia tweets that Joe needs to keep his mouth shut. Tyler himself then shows up at a Joe Perry solo gig in New York and gives Joe a verbal finger, telling him that although Joe's a man of many colors, he, Steven, is the whole effin' rainbow.

Enough. You are both acting like you're in junior high school.

And given the fact that Joe Perry just released a solo album called Have Guitar, Will Travel, I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this is just a very poor excuse to get publicity for the CD.

But seriously. Just stop. You're nosediving into Britney and Lindsay territory, and personally, as a longtime fan, I don't want to see you go there. Aerosmith is better than that.

Okay.....

So Jon Bon Jovi is going to appear on the season premiere of "Inside the Actor's Studio" with James Lipton.

Um, did I miss something?

Go to http://www.imdb.com and search for him. Yes, he has acting credits. Yes, he's appeared in movies and on TV. But is he "Inside the Actor's Studio" material?

I would have to say no.

Granted, there have been other musical artists on the show, but we're talking people like Elton John and Diana Ross. People in another stratosphere of career longevity and contributions. And okay, Bravo is owned by NBC, and Bon Jovi is the "artist in residence" for NBC for a while. But I just can't see it.

Might have to tune in just for the fun factor (and to see him get blown off the submarine one more time).

Strong Women Rock

Rihanna finally broke her silence about the assault involving Chris Brown earlier this year. Although she says she was embarrassed and humiliated after it happened, she feels that she did the right thing by breaking up with him after it happened. Rihanna realized that she sets an example for other young women, so she felt that she needed to get out of a situation that others might find themselves in. She didn't want to be responsible for any young woman staying in an abusive relationship. Good girl.

Evanescence, with killer frontwoman Amy Lee, played a one-off gig in New York City as a warm-up gig for a South American tour. They rocked a full set and promised new material next year. Can't wait!

Baby, One More Time...

I'm feeling a hole in my life. There's something missing, something that's just not right with my universe. What could it be?

Oh, wait, I know. I miss Rock of Love.

For those of you living under a rock for the past two years, Rock of Love was VH1's "reality" dating show featuring Poison's Bret Michaels. Twenty women vie for his affections while living in a mansion or on a tour bus, and each week women are eliminated until one remains to be his "Rock of Love."

Bret searched for his Rock of Love not once, not twice, but three times. As far as I know, he's still searching. But while he was searching, there was lots of salacious fun to be had.

You know how when you drive by a car wreck, you want to look away but just can't? That's a perfect description for this show. Surprisingly, Bret turned out to be sweet and kind, while the women trying to win Bret's heart were quite a motley crew. Strippers, models, actresses and a few semi-normal girls dominated the show, and the ensuing sluttiness, cat fights, name calling, backstabbing and general bitchiness turned the program into must see TV for me. For millions of others too, judging by the ratings for all three seasons.

There's no doubt the show gave a boost to Bret's career. It showcased his solo music, including the theme song which he wrote especially for it. It brought bigger crowds out to his live performances and really turned him into a household name. He even made it into People magazine's "Sexiest" issue. But, I guess Bret is done. Since the third time was obviously not the charm, I guess he decided to hang up the ol' bandana. And I have to give VH1 credit. They're trying to fill the dating show void by introducing a new show with actor Antonio Sabato Jr., but it lacks the sleaziness of Rock of Love.

Come on, Bret, just one more time.

Rio Re-Release!

A few weeks ago, Duran Duran reissued their classic Rio album as a double CD. The first CD features the original UK release, and the second features demos, remixes and night versions of some tracks from the album. Of course, I had to buy it. I was surprised to realize that the CD I'd been listening to since I got a CD player was the UK version. After comparing the two, I actually like it better. It's got a bit more meat to it, more bass, more funk. The US version seems too glossy to me now. The demos were interesting to hear. They didn't vary too much from the album versions, with the exception of "My Own Way" which had a different chorus and few lines of the second verse. I've owned the night versions for a while now, so they were no surprise, but still as danceable as ever.

At the same time, they released a live CD and DVD of their 1982 concert at Hammersmith Odeon in London. This concert brings me back to being 13, in my parent's living room, waiting up till the ungodly hour of 11pm to tape this off MTV. This show cemented my love for the band. I watched that tape over and over again, and was glad to have it because I don't think MTV aired it more than a few times. A lot of fans I met in later years had never seen it, and I actually still have that old VHS tape. I also love it because the band performed a killer cover version of Cockney Rebel's "Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)." Back in the day I held a tape recorder up to the TV so I could listen to it as much as I wanted. I remember being so excited when I heard it used on the soundtrack to the movie Threesome. Finally, I could buy a good quality version! The band released it as part of their Singles box set a few years ago as well. Memorably, I also saw the original five members play the song live in 2005, which was a complete surprise and thrill at the same time.

Unfortunately, the mix on the live CD isn't great. It seems a little muffled and muddy to me. Admittedly, I'm not really the biggest fan of live albums, but I wish the sound was crisper.

It annoyed me that I couldn't find either of these items in a store like Best Buy or Target but had to order them from Amazon. But before I start the lament of the demise of the record store, let me just say that I'm glad to have them at all.

Rio is a great pop record, and the Hammersmith Odeon gig shows a band in their prime. Great stuff for a longtime devoted fan like me.

Music As Torture

Last week, I read an article in our local newspaper that really disturbed me. It seems that music played at excruciating levels has been used as a form of torture against prisoners in the military prison at Guantanamo Bay. A group of artists have filed a Freedom of Information request to find out exactly which songs have been used in this manner.

Apparently this has been going on for quite some time, and the fight against it has been waging for at least a year. This tactic is officially banned by the UN Convention Against Torture, and by several human rights organizations. Some of the songs used include Rage Against the Machine's "Killing In The Name," Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and the Barney TV show theme song.

This is wrong. Music should not be an instrument of torture. The artists put their hearts and souls into their creations, their art. It is meant to stir emotions, not be used to drive people mad. A form of popular culture should not be used as an interrogation technique.

I wholeheartedly support the musicians in this matter and hope it is resolved in their favor.