The Slash autobiography thread

[Ali]

Where is the context for the quote. By itself it means nothing. My challenge still stands. Find the quote in its entirety, not what some paper printed. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

I know people that were "heavy drug" users, and I have been involved with addicts from full blown addiction to recovery. I intimately know addiction and its consequenses, and aftermaths.

That is the entire interview and despite your challenge to the contrary there is absolutely nothing to indicate that Slash was joking around when he said that, nor is there anything to indicate it was taken out of context and misrepresented.  Someone who is involved with addicts should know better than most that it's not uncommon for drug addicts to not have large gaps in their memory.  You shouldn't need any context.

Ali

[JimBobTTD]

There's nothing in that article you gave us. He is quoted as saying "can't remember three-quarters of what went on".

He could have said: "I made a cake which was really nice, but I can't remember three-quarters of what went on the icing". The quote could be taken out of context, could even be meaningless. Could even be from someone else, like "Slash is writing his memoirs, but with all the touring and stuff he surely can't remember three-quarters of what went on."

This is basic literary criticism. You need to be more critical of your sources.

[fuckin crazy]

. Someone who is involved with addicts should know better than most that it's not uncommon for drug addicts to not have large gaps in their memory.

Exactly, large gaps in their memory, not virtually no memory. If someone suffered that much memory loss, there would be many other areas of the brain that were also affected that would leave the person barely able to function(sort of like Adler ... I kid I kid, don't go off). Memory loss occurs when a person is in "black out", which is usually the stage just before "passing out". There are a lot of valid reasons to criticise Slash, I just don't think this is one of them.

[Ali]

There's nothing in that article you gave us. He is quoted as saying "can't remember three-quarters of what went on".

He could have said: "I made a cake which was really nice, but I can't remember three-quarters of what went on the icing". The quote could be taken out of context, could even be meaningless. Could even be from someone else, like "Slash is writing his memoirs, but with all the touring and stuff he surely can't remember three-quarters of what went on."

This is basic literary criticism. You need to be more critical of your sources.

What context do you need? 

It's obvious that he can't remember because of his drug use.  Does extensive touring cause memory loss?  I don't think so.

I understand basic literary criticism, but the examples you are using are ridiculous.

"It almost reads like a journal, except for the fact that I never wrote anything down," Slash said. "It was a hard book to make, because I was pretty f--ked up from 1980 to 2000-something."

Does that help?

Ali

[MikeD]

I don't think the quote was taken out of context. It's just a phrase. Why do you think it has to be so literal.

[Ali]

. Someone who is involved with addicts should know better than most that it's not uncommon for drug addicts to not have large gaps in their memory.

Exactly, large gaps in their memory, not virtually no memory. If someone suffered that much memory loss, there would be many other areas of the brain that were also affected that would leave the person barely able to function(sort of like Adler ... I kid I kid, don't go off). Memory loss occurs when a person is in "black out", which is usually the stage just before "passing out". There are a lot of valid reasons to criticise Slash, I just don't think this is one of them.

Two things, first Duff has said that he was so messed up during the UYI tour that he doesn't remember much of it. ?He was that messed up. ?Second, obviously Slash does not have "virtually no memory". ?He has some, but with large gaps in between.

Here are the facts: ?Slash has written an autobiography to "set the record straight", as he has said. ?Slash admittedly can't remember a large portion of what era and events he is trying to set the record straight on. ?

The flaw in the logic in what he's attempting to do is obvious.

Ali

[fuckin crazy]

Whatever, I can't remember mundane things from last month, much less 20 years ago, and it is not because of drug use.

Have a good day.

[JimBobTTD]

Yawn. I gave silly example to show how silly this all is. The quote is used in a context, but not given in context. Ergo you can not say that he doesn't remember anything purely on the basis of that article, which quotes someone (perhaps not even Slash) and not even a full sentence. The quote could have been chosen as it fits what the writer wants to say. As you know about literary criticism, we need not delve into this.

Whatever, I can't remember mundane things from last month, much less 20 years ago, and it is not because of drug use.

Bingo. There is your 75%. Satisfied?

[Ali]

Yawn. I gave silly example to show how silly this all is. The quote is used in a context, but not given in context. Ergo you can not say that he doesn't remember anything purely on the basis of that article, which quotes someone (perhaps not even Slash) and not even a full sentence. The quote could have been chosen as it fits what the writer wants to say. As you know about literary criticism, we need not delve into this.

Whatever, I can't remember mundane things from last month, much less 20 years ago, and it is not because of drug use.

Bingo. There is your 75%. Satisfied?

You two completely missed my point.  The issue isn't Slash's drug use or whether or not that contributed to his memory loss.  The issue is trying to set the record straight on what happened in a time period you can't remember.  It's a fundamentally flawed idea.  That's all.

Ali

[Just_Me]

Does extensive touring cause memory loss?? I don't think so.

Actually in a sense it can do. Even straight edge bands have said that after a while all the virtually identical venues and hotels and buses and planes merge into one so when you go to look back over a long tour you can't tell one day from the next. It doesn't take drugs to do that.

And I think both Duff and Slash often exaggerate just how much they've forgotten, esspecially around the UYI tour. Last year on Camp Freddy Radio Duff gave a step by step account of the infamous MTV awards incident which matched what happened on the video of the event and what was said in articles at the time perfectly, in spite of the fact that it was about 15 years ago and at the time both of them could barely stand up. So obviously he hasn't really forgotten everything that happened between his 24th and 30th birthdays, which is what he claimed in the same interview.

I'm sure we've all done it. Saying you can't remember half of what happened during a certian time period or event when in reality what you mean is you can't be bothered to try and remember it or you'd rather not or you want to pretend you don't so you don't have to talk about it. (That last one might just be me, although I could see it being a convinient excuse to skip awkward GNR questions.)
And sometimes its just a figure of speech.

I'm not trying to deny that drugs really can cause memory loss. I don't drink a lot but even I've got nights I honestly don't remember (and would probably rather not remember) because I had a few too many drinks. But I just don't think Slash meant it completely literaly, it was just a saying to emphasise quickly and without going into specifics how messed up he was.

And come to think of it thinking back to one of those nights I don't really remember I can still recall a complete conversation about religion and how it affects our society today almost word for word, its just after that it goes a bit hazy. So even if Slash doesn't remember everything that happened he can probably remember significant or exceptional events, the stuff we'd want to hear about. Its most likely details like how long they spent travelling between venues that wouldn't be in the book anyway, or the exact order of tour dates which can be looked up if nessesary that are gone.

[Ali]

Does extensive touring cause memory loss?? I don't think so.

Actually in a sense it can do. Even straight edge bands have said that after a while all the virtually identical venues and hotels and buses and planes merge into one so when you go to look back over a long tour you can't tell one day from the next. It doesn't take drugs to do that.

And I think both Duff and Slash often exaggerate just how much they've forgotten, esspecially around the UYI tour. Last year on Camp Freddy Radio Duff gave a step by step account of the infamous MTV awards incident which matched what happened on the video of the event and what was said in articles at the time perfectly, in spite of the fact that it was about 15 years ago and at the time both of them could barely stand up. So obviously he hasn't really forgotten everything that happened between his 24th and 30th birthdays, which is what he claimed in the same interview.

I'm sure we've all done it. Saying you can't remember half of what happened during a certian time period or event when in reality what you mean is you can't be bothered to try and remember it or you'd rather not or you want to pretend you don't so you don't have to talk about it. (That last one might just be me, although I could see it being a convinient excuse to skip awkward GNR questions.)
And sometimes its just a figure of speech.

I'm not trying to deny that drugs really can cause memory loss. I don't drink a lot but even I've got nights I honestly don't remember (and would probably rather not remember) because I had a few too many drinks. But I just don't think Slash meant it completely literaly, it was just a saying to emphasise quickly and without going into specifics how messed up he was.

And come to think of it thinking back to one of those nights I don't really remember I can still recall a complete conversation about religion and how it affects our society today almost word for word, its just after that it goes a bit hazy. So even if Slash doesn't remember everything that happened he can probably remember significant or exceptional events, the stuff we'd want to hear about. Its most likely details like how long they spent travelling between venues that wouldn't be in the book anyway, or the exact order of tour dates which can be looked up if nessesary that are gone.

Having venues and cities blend together is not the same as memory loss.? Sometimes saying you can't remember something can be a figure of speech, but not when you are a hard core heroin addict so wrapped up in the craving for the drug.?

But, still the bottom line is that he has said that he can't remember a good portion, if not truly 75% of what went on during his GN'R days.? He said his book was hard to make because how fucked up he was (his words, not mine).? How can you set the record straight on a era that your memory has huge gaps in?

An addition thanks to FunkyMonkey: 

"That's the amazing part, that I can remember any of it. It very easily could only have been three pages long." Rocker SLASH had to think really hard to recall his years of excess in GUNS N' ROSES for his self-titled autobiography.

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/the%20things%20they%20say%205755_1045443

Oct. 3 2007

How many times and how many different ways does he have to say it for it to sink in that perhaps this book should be taken as a more of a fun, interesting rock and roll memoir rather than a record-straightening account of what happened with the old GN'R?


Ali

[jarmo]

Have any of you ever heard of blackouts?

How about passing out?


You don't even have to be a drug addict to drink and pass out without remembering what really happened last night.


Just read Nikki Sixx's book and you'll notice that Slash doesn't remember everything.




/jarmo

[DeN]

i don't understand, nikky can remember and slash can't ?
they used to be addict to the same drugs, right ?

[AdZ]

i don't understand, nikky can remember and slash can't ?
they used to be addict to the same drugs, right ?

Isn't nikki's book his diaries?

[novrain91]

Everybody is a BITCH these days. ?I'm sure slash told the stories that he actually remembers. So there is no credibility issue as far as I'm concerned. ?The Fact is that Axl Rose will (and does, from the exerpt) look like a Huge Dick. ?This is obviously probably true since everyone seems to say this. ?The only question is, can you still be a fan of his knowing this. ?I say yes, but not quite as much as I would be if he acted like a reasonalbe person.

[Ali]

i don't understand, nikky can remember and slash can't ?
they used to be addict to the same drugs, right ?

Isn't nikki's book his diaries?

There it is right there.

Nikki kept a written record of his thoughts as they happened. ?Slash did not. ?That's the difference and an enormous difference it is.

Ali

[oldgunsfan]

That excerpt was funny as hell; as far as some of the incidents Slash did remember; I can totally relate to where he's coming from; I've similar incidents where part of a night is pretty blurry yet some incidents are crystal clear; believe me, if you've ever been as paranoid as slash was on the golf course, you'd remember it......been there done it, jumping cab to cab in NYC b/c the cops were "out ta gt me"

[Ali]

Everybody is a BITCH these days. ?I'm sure slash told the stories that he actually remembers. So there is no credibility issue as far as I'm concerned. ?The Fact is that Axl Rose will (and does, from the exerpt) look like a Huge Dick. ?This is obviously probably true since everyone seems to say this. ?The only question is, can you still be a fan of his knowing this. ?I say yes, but not quite as much as I would be if he acted like a reasonalbe person.

You can take an incident here or there from anyone's life and if you generalize how they are on a day to day basis from those incidents, they will look like jerks. ?That's not the same thing as knowing them personally, which is really the only fair way to form an opinion as to someone's character.

You're right, everyone says Axl is a huge dick. ?No one says anything to the contrary ? 

Ali

[Smoking Guns]

Maybe its better if he just says, "based on a true story...."  HA!  He is Slash, there is a review of every show the band did since they were big. Slash was usually fairly straight on tour. Drugs really never affected his ability to play live and damn good.  He was a serious player on the road.  It was at home shit got fucked. 

[Ali]

Maybe its better if he just says, "based on a true story...."? HA!? He is Slash, there is a review of every show the band did since they were big. Slash was usually fairly straight on tour. Drugs really never affected his ability to play live and damn good.? He was a serious player on the road.? It was at home shit got fucked.?

Fairly straight on tour?  I don't know, man.  If that were the case, then why would Axl have threatened to quit the band when they were opening for the Stones in '89?

I agree he was able to play great, but it seems more likely that happened despite the drugs rather than in the absence of drugs.  He was, after all, an admitted drug addict.

Ali