Description
The fall and rise of a heavy metal icon
Dave Mustaine is the first to admit that he's bottomed out a few times in his dark and twisted speed metal version of a Dickensian life.
Impoverished, transient childhood? Check.
Abusive, alcoholic parent? Check.
Mind-fucking religious weirdness (in his case the extremes of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Satanism)? Check.
Alcoholism, drug addiction, homelessness? Check, check, check.
Soul-crushing professional and artistic setbacks? Check.
Rehab? Check (seventeen times, give or take).
Near-death experience? Check that one, too.
James Hetfield, with whom many years ago Mustaine founded a band known as Metallica, once observed, with some incredulity, that Mustaine must have been born with a horseshoe up his ass. That's how lucky he's been, how fortunate he is to be pulling breath after so many close calls. And Hetfield is right. Mustaine has been lucky. He has been blessed. But here's the thing about having a horseshoe lodged in your rectum: It also hurts like hell. And you never forget it's there.
Mustaine has battled through it all to achieve dizzying heights. From the early, heady days of Metallica, being unceremoniously let go only to become a world-famous rock star—founder, front man, singer, songwriter, and guitarist (and de facto CEO) for Megadeth, one of the most popular bands in heavy metal—Mustaine's is a story that will inspire, stun, and terrify.
Reviews
Mustaine at his candid, honest best
I began to devour this book while waiting in line to meet Dave and have him sign my copy at a book signing in Toronto last week. Very quickly it was evident this memoir is written from a place of candor, humor, humility and honesty that I was both surprised at and appreciative of. After all, the Dave Mustaine of my youth was a balsy mouthpiece with a sneer that could send you running for the hills and melt your heart at once (if you were an impressionable teenaged girl who loved Metal that is).
This memoir is like having a conversation with a friend. The stories shared don't come across from a place of bragging or boasting, but from a place of experience, and sometimes veer into quite emotional and serious areas. Luckily though some tales told can also be both crude and funny at once, and it really feels like the words are falling from Dave's own lips. I found it a very deeply insightful look into both an amazing creature and a flawed man, he's human just like the rest of us. Huh, who knew? In the epic percieved battle of Megadeth vs. Metallica I think everyone will enjoy this look into both Dave's life and his thought process. I was a Metallica fan for many years, with only brief flirts of Megadeth in my musical landscape. Reading this memoir has absolutely made me a bigger fan of Mustaine and his life's work.....Megadeth.
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
OK, so I'm a sucker for a sad story. Just got done reading Dave Mustaine's new memoir. It was a quick read since I have witnessed history being made while working with him as a writer/producer going back over 22 years. Know his story inside out (as most Megadeth fans do too), so there was nothing new in the book for me (SPOILER ALERT) besides the story of having his wife's labor induced for their second child so he could make a Howard Stern Show appearance.
The book is a Walt Disney version of his real life story. It is an extremely cleaned up look at a truly ugly past of a rock star womanizer and hard core drug user. The late Layne Staley from Alice in Chains when talking about his heroin addiction said it clearly in print, "It's a very difficult thing to explain. My liver is not functioning, and I'm throwing up all the time and sh*tting my pants. The pain is more than you can handle. It's the worst pain in the world. Dope sick hurts the entire body." Apparently, social workers have used this story told by this lovely and talented mans words of pain to help others with the same problem.
Can not help but feel empathy for Mustaine while reading the book. It almost feels as if Dave is knocking on heaven's door and wants to tell his story before saying goodbye.
Hope that is not the case and it's just an approaching age 50 thing.
Mustaine does have an extremely long "amends" list and has hurt a lot of people, a whole lot of people as he writes about in the book along his rise to fame.
However, after witnessing his role as a father (was at his house with a film crew in Arizona in 1994 before a shoot sitting on the couch in the living room and his son Justis who was maybe age 2-3 gave my leg a "tap" as toddlers do and Mustaine gave him a "time-out" warning for no hitting) I think there is a good person inside there somewhere. Plus, the photos in the book of his daughter are just angelic, what a blessing.
Furthermore, believe Dave should have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 along with his former band mates in Metallica. Pondering that he just pissed off way too many important people in the music / entertainment industry along the way, including myself.
Mustaine will get his chance, just hope he is alive for it.
Addendum to above book review:
After I finished reading the last page of Mustaine's memoir this song below came to mind (you might have to cut & paste the link it into your navigation bar to view).
Johnny Cash - Redemption Day
[...].
Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir
Vidi well my fellow droogies........
If you're a Megadeth fan, than you know most of the stories that are in this book. It is how honest Dave come across that is the most surprising. He doesn't sugarcoat things or try to place the blame on others, he lets things fall where they lie. If you're interested in Dave as a person then this will be a good read, if you're wanting to get into detailed accounts of recording info, look elsewhere. As a guitarist I would have liked to have seen more about his unique style and show he writes songs but it is still a very good book and I highly recommend it. For a guy who is often demonized or portrayed as godly he comes across as rather human in this book.......
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