Alright, so I finally got around to reading Anthony Keidis’ Scar Tissue. Normally I love biographies, especially ones about musicians, but this book cannot be included in that pile of love I have. First off, it is WAYYYYY too long. It could have been chopped down to say 150 or 200 pages, or even the following summary paragraph:
“I, Anthony Kiedis, did a lot of drugs. More than would normally seem humanly possible to survive through. I made a lot of money being in a band that was far more talented than I myself am as a writer. I like to believe everything is mystical and has great energy. I think every girl I fall in love with is the best soul ever born to this plane of existance. Also I cheated on those girls constantly, and then did more drugs.”
Pass on this one, it’s just not worth the time to bother with. Anyone who thinks shooting cocaine (yes, apparently people do that, as if it wasn’t already a disgusting enough thing to snort it) was a good idea just isn’t needing more money via book sales to buy more drugs.
Next up, not a new album by any means, but one that, after years of searching stores for, I finally found! Strung Out’s contribution to Fat Wreck Chords Live in a Dive series. This band, in my opinion, is one of the greatest punk bands ever. Period. This album shows just how talented they are, and arguably better live than they are recorded on any of their albums. The technicality and speed at which they can hold their songs together are incredible, and they cover Ozzy’s Bark at the Moon. I also love the cover art and the fact that the liner notes are a comic book.
I’ve also been reading Douglas Adam’s trilogy in five parts, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. These books are hilarious, a tight mix of science fiction and humour, Adams definitely had an imagination that just isn’t seen or appreciated often enough in today’s society. Adams plays well with his story’s timeline, having lead character Arthur bounce from the destruction of planet Earth to various locations of the galaxy and then back to prehistoric Earth and more. If you’ve read more than the first book, you likely agree with me about it and don’t need any further convincing that it’s a great series.