A Fast Ride Out of Here: Confessions of Rock's Most Dangerous Man

by Pete Way, Paul Rees

'They call me a madman but compared to Pete Way, I'm out of my league.' - Ozzy OsbourneThere are rock memoirs and then there is this one. A Fast Ride Out of Here tells a story that is so shocking, so outrageous, so packed with excess and leading to such uproar and tragic consequences as to be almost beyond compare. Put simply, in terms of jaw-dropping incident, self-destruction and all-round craziness, Pete Way's rock'n'roll life makes even Keith Richards's appear routine and Ozzy Osbourne seem positively mild-mannered in comparison. Not for nothing did Nikki Sixx, bassist with LA shock-rockers Motley Crue and who 'died' for eight minutes following a heroin overdose in 1988, consider that he was a disciple of and apprenticed to Way.During a forty-year career as founding member and bassist of the venerated British hard rock band UFO, and which has also included a stint in his hell-raising buddy Ozzy's band, Pete Way has both scaled giddy heights and plunged to unfathomable lows. A heroin addict for more than ten years, he blew millions on drugs and booze and left behind him a trail of chaos and carnage. The human cost of this runs to six marriages, four divorces, a pair of estranged daughters and two dead ex-wives. Latterly, Way has fought cancer, but has survived it all and is now ready to tell his extraordinary tale. By turns hilarious, heart-rending, mordant, scabrous, self-lacerating, brutally honest and entirely compulsive, A Fast Ride Out of Here will be a monument to rock'n'roll debauchery on an epic, unparalleled scale and also to one man's sheer indestructability.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography

205 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 11, 2017

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a huge fan of UFO in the 1970's and had seen them a couple times. Great music and they put on quite a show. I guess I never knew just how extreme Pete Way became with the Sex, Drugs, and Rock N' Roll lifestyle. How he lived as long as he did with the number of drugs and alcohol he consumed is amazing. Lots of stories about Pete and other famous musicians. I really liked the comments through the book from his bandmates, family and friends. Things could be very depressing at times, but it was a very good memoir. Worth picking up if you are a fan.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

mildly interesting as I didn't know much about ufo even though they were around with a lot of other classic bands at the time. typical rock star story

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed UFO in it's heyday and was fortunate to see the show recorded at the Amphitheater for Strangers in the Night. So, I wish Pete would have given more about that period of time and what went on in the studios and on the road instead of all the later tales of how much coke and other drugs he did. Seems like he was more depressing than dangerous.

[Neil Fulwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

On page 13 of this memoir, the bassist and founder of UFO notes that he had a passion for model railways as a child, a trait shared with a surprising number of other rock stars. On page 37, he recounts a teenage prank that almost burned down the factory where he was working. On page 138, he details some of the excesses which occurred whilst touring with Ozzy Osbourne. On page 240, he recalls that his nadir as a drug user was having to shoo rip into his groin. Each of these subjects are narrated matter-of-factly. A memory of saving up his pocket money for a model loco is given as much weight as the logistics of taking a needle to one’s scrotum. That’s the kind of autobiography this is. It’s as amenable a tale of debauchery and self-destruction as you’re ever likely to read.

[PhattandyPDX · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We had an even harder time with other bands. REO Speedwagon, for instance, insisted that we should not be allowed backstage at the same time as them. They had their wives and children with them and claimed we were too dangerous for them to be around. In the first instant, I think it was the fact we’d had a water pistol fight that had annoyed them. That and also, perhaps because we would do fistful of Quaaludes after a show, and then stagger around the place like zombies. I didn’t like them or their music anyways; it was like watered down rock. It was the same with Styx, another American band we played with in those early days. They were a dreadful, humorless, bunch, and full of themselves, too. As such, we prefer to keep to ourselves and our drugs“

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this was the typical rock story. I never listened to UFO regularly but was familiar with some of their songs.

A Fast Ride Out of Here is filled with tension among band members, addiction issues, and a lot of sex. Way admits to an excess usage of drugs throughout his career and treating women poorly in his youth. It seems that as he matured his frequent sexual experiences and life on the road became less enthralling and he began to crave normalcy to some extent.

Learning about the band's road to success was interesting and I enjoyed reading snippets from members of other bands, along with those of Pete's brother. I have to say the first half of the book seemed more like Michael Schenker's story than Pete Way's however.

Definitely wouldn't consider Way "Rock's Most Dangerous Man" but I will admit he had some crazy stories to tell.

An okay read. Quick and easy and pretty much what one would expect.

[ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was like ufo’s music, nothing special but not the worst thing to exist

[David Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't really a great book, but it's a great story, and I find it interesting for its insight into the life of a musician and a band who saw what the premier league looks like, and sampled what it had to offer, but didn't quite have the single-mindedness to keep performing at that level. Yet they didn't give up, or explore second careers, either; just kept doing the only thing they knew how to do.

The structure of the book follows a straightforward and well-trodden path: album, tour, line-up change, better album, great tour, not-so-good album & tour, bust-up, rinse and repeat. Interspersed with this are the six wives - divorced, divorced, died, died, divorced, survived - and anecdotes about Ozzy, Bon Scott and the brothers Young, dentures soaking by their hotel beds. The moments of reflection are brief and quickly left behind (usually of the form, "I should have treated her better, but I never seemed to learn"). The best insights frequently come the family, friends and peers who contribute commentary along the way - my favourite being when Geddy Lee flatly contradicts the account Pete has just given.

Perhaps he and UFO might have sustained their success if it had come slower and harder - the first single went Top 10 in Germany; they hit the magic formula when recruiting Schenker a couple of years later. Thanks to starting when they did, the field for British hard rock bands was much more open than it later became (now it's so respectable that it seems everyone tries being in a band in their gap year).

Why did Pete keep at it, right to the unfortunate end in an accident a few months ago? Was it tireless devotion to rock and to performing, or was it lack of ability to imagine any other way of living - aside from drink and drugs? A bit of both.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was never a UFO fan—don’t remember hearing any of their hits on the radio, but I like music autobiographies so I gave this a shot. Pete Way had quite a story to tell—plenty of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. What more can you ask for?

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a fan of UFO for a long time, but never knew much about the band. I happened to find this book while browsing on Amazon and decided to buy a copy and read it.

It wasn't the best rock autobiography I've read, though it was far from the worst. Pete Way died a few years after this book came out from complications after a fall he'd had. Most of the book is him remembering times spent doing drugs or cheating on any one of his six wives (although it doesn't mention cheating on his sixth wife, that could very well be because he was unable to due to effects of his cancer treatment or he just didn't include it in the book). Pete Way is far from the only rocker to ruin his life with drugs or to have wild sex with tons of women, so I'm not sure what made him "Rock's most dangerous man." To me, that title belongs to someone like Ozzy or someone who committed serious crimes like Ian Watkins.

There were some interesting anecdotes with other musicians. In one story, Ozzy Osbourne was asked to tone down his language at a restaurant and retaliated by peeing on the table of the two men who had asked him to tone things down. Another time Ozzy jumped out of the vehicle they were in after a fight with Sharon Osbourne, and she made Pete track him down because she was afraid he wouldn't come back otherwise.

I'm not sure of how reliable of a narrator Pete was. Throughout the book, there were parts where he would tell a story in a certain way and then the other person involved in the event would give their side of the story, and it would completely contradict the story Pete had just told. Multiple people described Pete as a liar, including one person who called him a "pathological liar." Also there were things left out of the book, such as the fact that at the time of her death from an overdose, his fourth wife was being investigated by the DEA and had lawsuits against her and Pete had been accused of a domestic violence incident, which was still ongoing at the time of her death.

There were also some odd mistakes in the book. Pete said he accepted a joint but found out it had "THC, a powerful horse tranquilizer" that incapacitated him for 48 hours instead of being a "regular joint." I'm still confused by this, because he had to know that THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Maybe he meant ketamine (Special K)? There was also a reference to his coke dealer having "Marlon Brandon" as a client. Since the book was ghostwritten, I assume those were errors made by the ghostwriter and weren't caught during editing.

The book ends with him successfully going through cancer treatment and making plans to tour again for an album he was working on at the time the book was written. I don't know if he went on tour or what happened between the time of the book's release and his death, about three years after the book was published.

Overall an interesting book, but not one I would really recommend for anyone besides UFO fans or those who tend to read every rock star autobiography they can get their hands on.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Entertaining— I guess— but so often these types of autobios reveal our heroes to be immature, shallow, self-absorbed, and tragically flawed people. Clapton’s autobio is similarly disappointing in this way. You can admire the musician, but not necessarily regard them highly as a person.

Hey, no one’s perfect. The best thing that can be said about Way and his autobio is that it’s unflinchingly honest about just how selfish addicts like him can be.

Everyone has regrets in life. But Way sure seemed intent on not learning a thing from his mistakes, even to the end. Even the most major problems and stupid life decisions are rationalized with a flippancy that is appalling.

Pete Way was simply out to have a good time. He makes that abundantly and redundantly clear throughout the book. People talk about the wild stories of excess and juicy gossip— but there’s little to no insight on Way’s approach to his music here at all, nor any depth or detail on how all those classic UFO albums were made. The music itself is presented as barely even an afterthought here.

It all comes across as so shallow and simplistic. I assume that Way was just intent on giving his readers all the celebrity juice they wanted to read, but the amount of human wreckage he left in his wake over the course of his irresponsible life is unbelievable. And getting away with so much of the callous, impulsive, and often dangerous behavior by getting the celebrity treatment seemed only to be a point of pride with him.

Hey— he was the bassist for one of the greatest hard rock bands of the 70’s. And no doubt their music has brought lasting joy and inspiration to people all over the world. But maybe I idealized these guys for too long, so in that regard this book was an eye opener.

Overall, I came away from this book with a definite sense of disillusionment and regret over such waste of life. Like Clapton, Way expresses regrets over his more selfish and destructive actions, but absolutely no meaningful, lasting introspection about them.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the type of book I expected it to be from the title. I've loved the music of UFO and thought it would be interesting to read about the band from an insider's point of view. I don't think anything prepared me for the dark read this turned out to be. What a grim life! I was expecting the start of the story to be the kind of working class kid done good but is then overworked and screwed over by the record company as a familiar tale of seventies rock bands. So I can understand at first the appeal of the lifestyle of sex with groupies, the drink and the drugs. But then, you'd expect some degree of self reflection and as maturity continues a lifestyle decision or two to change that but not in Pete Way's case. And his life seems all the more tragic because he doesn't even seem to be aware his life has any brakes. I read the book with a growing unease for all those around him. Drinking Special Brew at 6am just to get the day started, vomiting infront of a primary school at 9am and excusing himself with his wife at the time from a family meal to shoot drugs into his hardening veins. There is no glamour in this book and I don't think he was fooling anyone. What's the most remarkable thing about it is that he continued to find people around him who cared for him, at their own expense because Pete himself seems utterly self-absorbed and incapable of the ability to care for or have empathy with anyone else. I'd call this a warts and all book, there are considerably more warts in this life tale than I was expecting. It's the story of an adult's decline into alcoholism and drug addiction.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea who Pete Way was when I picked this up, but I still thought this was an interesting read about his many marriages, recording of albums, and the throes of addiction. I give it three stars because I think I'm too young for this book. UFO was a big band in the 70's - my parents know and love them, but as a thirty-something, I am not really familiar, and it made some elements of this book difficult to keep track of. I was hoping for a really gritty drug-addled, angry, violent, insane tale of rock star hijinks, and it wasn't really that for the most part.
My least favourite part: he didn't go into a lot of detail in his storytelling. It was very matter-of-fact - he tells us that he got married, or that they made an album, or that they played a show, but doesn't tell much of a story. Is that because of lazy-writing, or is that all that he can remember?
My favourite part: the last 20% of this book just shoots off like a rocket. We go from a very formulaic tale of the drug-addict-rock-star into a deeper look at his life. We follow him home on his drug binges, through the death of loved ones, and through the horrifying transformation of his body due to his injection of drugs.
Another part I liked a lot was the inclusion of interviews. Every chapter would be interjected by his family members or fellow musicians and friends who popped in to give their version of a story, or fill in the blanks where Pete couldn't remember something.
I only recommend this if you're a fan of UFO or Waysted.

[Ian Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a callow youth UFO were one of the first bands I saw live back in the seventies & Pete Way was one of those larger than life characters that you'd love to emulate.

Hat's off to Pete for the Raw honesty portrayed in this book, he doesn't pull any punches or shy away from waste of his talent after being lured into the world of rock n roll excess.

At times funny, though ultimately depressing to discover someone you looked up to as a hero, was in fact a deeply flawed individual.

No one can ever take away his part in a short period of history where he was at the top of his game and he for sure had more than his fifteen minutes of fame, for that I will always be grateful. Of course there are the salacious tales of excess & shenanigans with some of his contemporaries when he was on tour.

But behind that the lasting impression is of a selfish man, something I think he came to recognise ( & maybe regret) later in life. The drug & alcohol addiction & the selfish actions that affected his health, personal life & that of those who loved him.

Please read this book if for nothing else than to understand the toll fame & fortune can take on an individual, both personally & professionally.

R.I.P Pete Way

[Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading A Fast Ride, you'd be forgiven for forgeting that you're reading the memoir of a famous rock musician.
Once UFO have established themselves, and he's fully on board with the lifestyle, music becomes the thing he does to find the drink and drugs rather than the focal point.
And it's the same with the book.
From about a third of the way through, his endless drinking, sniffing, snorting and shagging become all he recalls (either through choice or substances).
For the final third of the book, even the music barely gets a look in.
It's the same with most of his marriages.
He's an entertaining-enough storyteller, although credit should go to journalist Paul Rees who's name is all but absent from the book - but Way is also an idiot.
He's a vegetarian (if you overlook the meat), he's off the spirits (if you gloss over the bloody marys), he does feel slightly responsible for some of his divorces (he slept with a sister-in-law), and apparently plays bass guitar.
If you want insight into life in a rock band, look elsewhere.
If you want insight into the mind of an addict, step right up.

[A KERR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book on my bookshelf for a while but chose to read it after learning of Pete Way's death.

For books of this type, its well written with asides from friends, family and fellow musicians. The comments were not always complimentary so I appreciated the honesty. I saw him once as a guest at a festival and he came across as a wreck. However, he had many long lasting friendships and a long list of people wanting to work with him so he must have been great company and a good musician.

I don't believe that he wrote this himself, its too well written. The writing is concise and the memories are clear (although at odds with some of the added comments). I think that the comments by Jenny, his last wife, are the most telling when he turned up at her home towards the end of the book.

[Mike Balsom · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1980 a young Canadian boy purchased a copy of UFO's album "Obsession", having been familiar with their previous release "Lights Out". Almost 40 years later, that album continues to be an obsession for this now-much-older Canadian man. Over those many years it's clear that too few people are familiar with the band and especially this masterpiece of an album. That's a crying shame. I'm sure that means that very few will also pick up and read bass player Pete Way's memoir, and that, too, is a shame. Though he most definitely comes across as a womanizing, drug-and-alcohol-addicted reprobate at times, his life and the history of his band are interesting stories. Unlike many other rock and roll memoirs, he actually has a "Way" with words, as well.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

If one knows the stereotypes of the rock star lifestyle, then the book would not shock anyone, though it is a fascinating read.
It details UFO bassist Pete Way’s career with UFO and his own bands Fastway and Waysted. Other than the stories about groupies and partying, Way talks about his friendship with AC/DC and Ozzy Osborne, as well as the aftermath of the deaths of Bon Scott and Randy Rhoads.
Way is pretty honest with how his extensive drug addiction and alcoholism negatively affected his relationships, and his road to recovery. The book also includes commentary from fellow bandmates, friends and those who toured with Way, giving insight to Way’s naivety and confirming (or correcting) Way’s stories.

[Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. Not only did it give the great UFO bassist Pete Ways views on the events he described, in many instances the opinion of the other participants in the events was also provided in a different font. This was a great way for the reader to see how events are viewed differently by both participants. Whoever thought of doing this bio this way is a frickin genius.
The book itself was well written and a good solid read. Pete WY led the ultimate rock and roll life which eventually destroyed him. But,like the proverbial Phoenix he eventually did come back. Altered and damaged he certainly was. But he survived, and this book tells that story.

[Kevin Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I was never really all that familiar with Pete Way, or UFO, I still realize how influential they were so many of the bands I loved like Maiden, AC/DC, Preist and so on. This was the one book where I actually LOL'd many times throughout. Pete's English wit and the way he phrases things is comic gold. In the end though its really just another sad story of a Rock star who becomes a hopeless addict. Glad he eventually got clean and found happiness.

[Jamie Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight away I will admit had not heard of Pete Way until his death. After a little musical research I wished to find out more about the man as so much was mentioned about his lifestyle. He was definitely a victim of his own lifestyle and took the rock n roll life to its full excess.
A really good read and I particularly liked the brief inserts from the people who knew him. Gave the tales a different perspective.

[Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new here.

Could be the drugs, but this book was like one long run-up sentence. Mr Way started at the beginning of his life and yada-yada'd his entire career while waxing rhapsodic about whatever drugs he was taking at the time. Zzzzz. He crossed paths with some of the greatest musicians of the time, yet made them an afterthought. It was all about the drugs, man. And Mr Way did not leave me with the impression that he was interesting enough to care.

[James Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I finished May's auto-biography I was left with a sense of futility at a life which seemed to have been sacrificed to the consumption of drugs. I remember seeing him play as the bassist of UFO in one of the first concerts that I went to - his frenzied playing set the standard of bassists for me. But the end of this book I was just saddened that he could not break out of the cycle of addition.

[CRAIG DICKINSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been meaning to read this for some time and finally got round to it. Got through it in two days which is quick for me. I've long been a UFO fan having first seen them at Newcastle city hall in 1979.
It's a great read but you do get the impression that Pete's recall is impacted by his drug use, it's good that there are many quotes from others in the book who don't have the same recollection as Pete which gives the book some balance.
I found it very entertaining and also a little sad since Pete is now no longer with us.

[william lanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

UFO

Great insight into a very underrated rock band full of characters that made the read that much better. How Pete made it through and survived this madness to get this book together was no small task. UFO 50th anniversary tour called Last Orders will take place in 2019. Phil Moof has been in fine form long after the original band break up.

[David M. Carroll · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stupidity and selfishness abound!

I doubt the author was nearly as famous as he claims. He doesn't seem to accept responsibility for all the lives he has negatively affected either. I'm amazed that he's still alive and hold him mostly responsible for wives that aren't. He's the kind of guy that gives Rock n Roll a bad name.

[robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real rock n roller

Thoroughly enjoyed Pete Way's book and genuinely didn't want it to end. Open, honest and no punches pulled. He lived life to the max but was a vulnerable and beautiful soul not afraid to admit his shortcomings to his friends , family and band mates. The world is worse off without him.

[Johnmcdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this down. Rare that a bassist has a memoir so exciting. Covers his exploits with UFO, Lemmy, Fastway, Waysted, and much more. It is a sex, drugs, and rock and roll book we need every now and then. UFO was an overlooked band for sure. The parts about being in a band with Michael Schenker were eye-opening. RIP Pete!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a huge UFO fan I felt this was a sad tale of rock & roll excess destroying a talented man.
The book seems to concentrate more on the drugs & less on the music.
What I did really enjoy were the paragraphs by the rest of the band (Schenker in particular comes across as far more caring & sensible than he’s often portrayed)

[Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the read, having the inserted prospective from family & fellow artists really was genius, provided a much necessary prospective from others.

Drugs/Self abuse, of course, IS the story here, yet I would have MUCH preferred more about the music and less about the glory of scoring & taking. Just my view.