Duff McKagan's Book 'It's So Easy (And Other Lies)'; First 9 Chapters Posted

[stvyrayvhn]

I read the first 200+ pages last night...  It's an easy read, especially if you read Slash and Adler's books and pretty much have a grasp on the timelines.  Interesting to see where his head was at in comparison to Steven and Slash.

[hitmanhart408]

maybe ill just read it at the bookstore. Steven Adler's book was written for like 5th graders it was so easy.

[scans n' copies]

Just got a copy of it.  Kinda cool I can start on chapter 10 tonight since the first 9 were already online. 

Is Adler's book worth the reading time?

[dont_damn_me]

yes adlers book is worth reading, quite interesting for sure, go get it, i saw if for cheap at hmv canada recently too.

[FunkyMonkey]

October 3, 2011

Duff McKagan on Shifting From Musician to Businessman

Former Guns N? Roses Bassist Duff McKagan on his struggles with addiction and attending business school to learn how to better manage money.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/lou-dobbs-tonight/index.html#/v/1198281848001/duff-mckagan-on-shifting-from-musician-to-businessman/?playlist_id=164630

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK6RF_RgONc

Another, I think, excerpt from the book:

Duff McKagan: I Was Born in Seattle. Guns N' Roses Became a Band on a Tour Back Home

On Thursday, June 6, 1985, we played our first live show with the Appetite for Destruction lineup. The bill at the Troubadour in West Hollywood included Fineline, Mistreater, and, at the very bottom, Guns N' Roses. Slash's high school friend Marc Canter--he turned out to be part of the family that ran Canter's Deli--came and shot pictures. He made prints of each of us the next day so we'd have head shots to put up in the places we played on our tour. That was Friday.

On Saturday, June 8, Izzy Stradlin, Axl Rose, Slash, Steven Adler, and I got together to set out for Seattle, a happy bunch of malcontents about to hit the road in search of rock-and-roll glory, ready to live by our wits in order to prove ourselves and our musical vision--or not. At the very least we thought we had real musical chemistry. That much was obvious even before the tour started....

Continue here: http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/10/duff_mckagan_i_was_born_in_sea.php

[stvyrayvhn]

I finished the book last night.  It was really really good, probably because it hit a little closer to home than the other books.

Adler's book as good too and worth a read, I liked Duff's a bit better though.

[FunkyMonkey]

DUFF MCKAGAN On Early Years Of GUNS N' ROSES (Video) - Oct. 9, 2011

A video clip of Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES, DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED) talking about the early years of GUNS N' ROSES can be seen below.

Here: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=164395

[Falcon]

I got the book a couple of days ago, not the page turner I expected it to be so far - a bit bland to this point.

[siraddam]

I know it's a bit of a tiresome subject but does he mention the whole signing contract thing?
We heard Slash's version and Axl's version and I thought it was interesting what Axl said after the media had portrayed him as holding the others to ransom for so long.
Does Duff shed any light on the whole story?

[FunkyMonkey]

I always thought Duff started his drug use while in Guns N' Roses, but far from it.  He says he started smoking pot in the 4th grade, and dropping acid in the 6th grade. Wow.

In this interview...

DUFF MCKAGAN Interviewed On 'The Adam Carolla Show' (Audio) - Oct. 11, 2011

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=164502

[FunkyMonkey]

Book Excerpt

Excerpt From Duff McKagan's New Memoir, Part I: Guns N' Roses Finds Their Identity, Somewhere Between Metal And "Cow-Punk"

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2011/10/duff_mckagan_its_so_easy_and_o.php

Excerpt From Duff McKagan's New Memoir, Part II: "People would throw cigarettes at us and spit on us."

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2011/10/duff_mckagan_its_so_easy_and_o_1.php

[Trist805]

They should be shipping my book from BookSoup, soon.  He just did the signing there yesterday, so hopefully I'll have it by the weekend( I pre-ordered a signed copy for delivery).  Looking forward to it!  I've actually enjoyed the stuff about his life moreso than the same old GNR stories.  It seems to be pretty honest and personal.   

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff's book is on the NY Times bestsellers list.

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff's book is on the NY Times bestsellers list.

At #17.

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff was interviewed yesterday on Seattle's Q13, he talks about his book and when asked about the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame he says...

"I hope, if nothing else, that the five original guys can achieve some sort of grace, if and when we're inducted."

Video: http://www.q13fox.com/videogallery/65392362/News/Duff-McKagan

[Trist805]

I just got my book today, and am really enjoying it.  I didn't read all the samples, so I'm still only to Ch. 9, but I think it is all very interesting.  It has made me have a new respect for him and realize what a hard life he has lived and how has overcome and worked hard for a lot of stuff.  He is very honest and doesn't put up a wall.  It also made me appreciate his musical experience before he joined GNR, when I had kind of written-it off before or thought "oh he just played drums in some punk band when he was 13." but he was actually out gigging and playing with older people and was pretty serious about it, even back then. 

[lagr08]

Crazy thing about listening to Duff today is that I used to think of him as the burnt-out dumb one.  He seemed to be the one always talking but with the least to say.  Like some stoner trying to philosophize about Cheez-Whiz.  The guy did enough smack to kill an alt. rock singer and now he's writing books, blogs articleas and giving stock advice.  As for his diplomatic treatment to all involved in the GNR saga I consider Duff to be the Derek Fisher of rock-n-roll.

[Trist805]

I'm on about Ch. 15 right now.  It made me understand the band a lot more during the 1985-86 period when they were forming.   It's crazy all the stuff they were doing back then when I was only about 1 or 2 years old.  The story about Duff smoking crack for the first time, in 1986, and the stuff about him and Adler, and jamming to Sly Stone and Duff living next to Sly is all very interesting, and them just trying to get by in LA. 

[gunsnflowers]

Hey Gang
Just wanted to let everyone know
Only a Few more Days to Sign up to win the Duff Prize pack

http://www.simonandschuster.com/sweepstakes/win-the-ultimate-duff-prize-packit-s-so-easy-to-enter

One (1) grand prize The Ultimate Duff Prize Pack: an autographed Fender? Duff McKagan P Bass?, a signed copy of It?s So Easy by Duff McKagan, a limited edition Duff poster, and a selection of albums from Duff?s musical career, including Appetite for Destruction and The Spaghetti Incident? by Guns n? Roses, Contraband by Velvet Revolver, Dark Days and The Taking by Loaded, and more!
Three (3) runner-up winners will receive a copy of It?s So Easy, a $25 iTunes gift card, and a limited edition poster
Ten (10) first prize winners will receive a copy of It?s So Easy

and Stay Tuned I will be having a Drawing of my own
I have a few books to give away too

Later...

[Bridge]

We heard Slash's version and Axl's version and I thought it was interesting what Axl said after the media had portrayed him as holding the others to ransom for so long.  Does Duff shed any light on the whole story?

Yes, Duff reinforces the "Axl wouldn't go on stage unless...."  presentation, but with one crucial addition.  He states that a member of Axl's entourage presented it right before a show in 1993, and (and these are Duff's words) "implied that Axl wouldn't go onstage unless we signed it."  So I suppose we can assume that the person who presented the contract to Duff could have misinterpreted Axl's words or intentions.  However, the one aspect that still doesn't align itself is that Axl claimed that there were clauses in the contracts when they renegotiated with Geffen, and that it wasn't hidden because they all had to initial where it said that.  I always thought that happened around 1990, well before any 1993 concert like Duff claims.

If we assume both Axl and Duff were telling the truth, then it could very well be logical that the member of Axl's posse misrepresented Axl's intentions to Duff when asking him to sign it.

So to answer your question, in some ways, Duff did shed light on it, but in other ways, it's still a mystery, which I think will always be the case.  Duff also admits that he (like Slash) didn't have the foresight to realize the long term repercussions of signing it.

I know it's a bit of a tiresome subject but does he mention the whole signing contract thing?

Yes, it's been discussed to death and you also have to be careful around here given the moderators' penchant towards deleting posts.  On that note, I'll just state that what I revealed above was merely a matter-of-fact telling of what was in Duff's book, it was not meant to disparage Axl or start arguments/trouble.  It's a shame I have to spell that out, but the moderators' delete buttons are powerful things.