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Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with One of Rock's Most Notorious Frontmen
"So where do we start? I remember when we did The Dirt, the Mötley Crüe book, I was interviewed at The Grand Havana Room in Beverly Hills. A lot of people think I didn't get to say much in The Dirt. It's probably true. I didn't read it. I'm not that big a talker. Some people can f*ckin' talk ... eat up all the oxygen in a room in no time flat. I don't tend to run my mouth. It's b*llshit. All those years in rehab and counseling--the talking cure? I can't say I really got that much out of it. All that cure and I should be cured by now, don't you think? All this talking...
So forgive me if it's a bit hard for me to slice open a vein and let my blood run red all over this page for you. I'll fight you or I'll f*ck you but chances are I'll be hard pressed to sit there and talk to you.
War stories. War wounds. I know, I know. Old rock stars fall hard. I'm forty-nine years old. I'm five-foot-nine, 170. The spandex is over. I've had three plastic surgeries. Still, who do you think gets laid more, me or you? But time does change a man. I ain't twenty-one anymore.
It's a miracle we survived at all. A bottle of Jack Daniel's and uncooked hot dogs do not make for a particularly well-balanced diet. We are all very lucky we didn't kill ourselves. It might look like we were trying to do that but speaking for myself, death was never my intent. I just wanted to feel good, you know? I was just looking for that kick, that high...
These days I've got businesses to run. I like the action. Something to get your heart pumping. Healthier than a syringe full of cocaine powder like I was doing back in '81 with my girlfriend Lovey, that's for sure...
But you got to admit...those days are a lot more fun to talk about..."
So forgive me if it's a bit hard for me to slice open a vein and let my blood run red all over this page for you. I'll fight you or I'll f*ck you but chances are I'll be hard pressed to sit there and talk to you.
War stories. War wounds. I know, I know. Old rock stars fall hard. I'm forty-nine years old. I'm five-foot-nine, 170. The spandex is over. I've had three plastic surgeries. Still, who do you think gets laid more, me or you? But time does change a man. I ain't twenty-one anymore.
It's a miracle we survived at all. A bottle of Jack Daniel's and uncooked hot dogs do not make for a particularly well-balanced diet. We are all very lucky we didn't kill ourselves. It might look like we were trying to do that but speaking for myself, death was never my intent. I just wanted to feel good, you know? I was just looking for that kick, that high...
These days I've got businesses to run. I like the action. Something to get your heart pumping. Healthier than a syringe full of cocaine powder like I was doing back in '81 with my girlfriend Lovey, that's for sure...
But you got to admit...those days are a lot more fun to talk about..."
290 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
116 people are currently reading
2765 people want to read
About the author
Vince Neil
11 books42 followersVince Neil is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
July 3, 2010
One isn't supposed to quote from ARC's in reviews, but I'm not a paid reviewer and well this isn't exactly a unique incident...
"Exposed entered the Billboard charts at #13... At first there was some talk of a stadium tour, but that fizzled out. I ended up settling for second billing on the latest Van Halen tour-- the first for their new lead singer, Sammy Hagar."
After 221 pages of being fed bullshit, I finally marked a passage as one that I can easily say is just wrong. Exposed was Vince Neil's debut solo record. He recorded and released it sometime after 1992. Sammy Hagar joined Van Halen in 1986, and is first featured on the album 5150, which Van Halen toured in support of, and would even headline metal extravaganza The Monsters of Rock Tour. Follow where I'm going with this? There is something wrong with what Vince Neil is saying.
I grew up loving Motley Crue. I still have large portions of my brain unintentionally devoted to all kinds of Motley Crue minutia. I'm not necessarily proud of what has stuck in my head, or my love for the band in my early teen years, but it's there.
I loved The Dirt the Motley Crue Bio that came out in 2001. That book is so fucking good. It's up there with Klaus Kinski's autobiography and Johnny Rotten's for complete unintentional hilarity and awesomeness. I was kind of hoping for the same from this book.
I didn't get what I wanted.
I never really liked Vince Neil. He always reminded me of an asshole. Sort of a walking asshole with with blond hair. I figured though since I always thought he was an asshole this book would have some enjoyment.
The problem is that Vince Neil a) claims to not remember a whole lot of what happened and b) Vince Neil does very little wrong in Vince Neil's view of things. Case in point. When he gets to the part where he killed the drummer of Hanoi Rocks in a drunk driving accident; he feels sorrow that his friend is dead. He feels like it sucks for the people who he harmed in the other car. But he doesn't seem to really feel it's his fault, he knew he was driving the car but his description of the events makes the accident seem like an act of God, rather than a Rock Star who had two too many drinks who was racing his car around and lost control.
This trend of blaming others while walking around like an angel continues but the book has some other peoples voices interjected here and there telling their side of the story. At first I hated these other voices, which along with the 'voice' of Vince Neil I'm fairly (98.97%) certain that they are not the real words spoken but 'characters' constructed from real interviews by the co-writer Bob Sager. They are all too a little aw-shucks, with the same antiquated cliches that no one would really say, or maybe one person would but to get so many people saying them is a little weird. That's probably the nature of doing a book like this. Anyway, back to what I was saying. Vince Neil describes his second wife (the ex-mud wrestler) as becoming a germophobe when she got pregnant and this stopped him from having any friends over. And caused a lot of fights between them.
Her side of the story is that she came home one day and found that Vince Neil had been fucking some girl in their house, and told him to stop sleeping around, brining nasty groupies and porn stars into their home and to be careful of getting AIDS or other diseases which she feared could harm their baby that she was carrying.
There are so many more things like this in the book. He is finally 'getting his book to clear the air' about what really went down with Motley Crue and to get back at those scum bags Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, but except for saying what awful people and liars they are he never actually tells what they do that is so awful. Why they can't be trusted. Instead Vince Neil just rambles off awful things that he did but which he doesn't see what the problem is and if there is a problem it's with the person who had the problem with him. He does no wrong.
I'm fairly certain after reading this book that Vince Neil is a sociopath. Really. I've been using that term a lot lately but I think he really is. He's manipulative and charming when he wants to be. He doesn't appear to feel remorse except for when he feels that he should display it to get him out of trouble. Or maybe he is not a sociopath, but rather a developmentally retarded 50 year old man who has never matured past being 15.
This last part should either be ignored, or viewed as a "I told you so" after the release date of this book in September. There is a serious lack of editing in this book. There are capitalizations missing. Grammatical errors. The wrong words being used. Factual problems. Some of it could be Vince Neils own skewed view of the world, but a serious fact checker needs to be put on this book STAT! The amount of errors is huge and really hurts the book. I know I'm reading an ARC and this could be fixed, but it doesn't seem like the kind of book that anyone is going to fix up anymore. I hope I'm wrong. Not that Vince Neil will ever know, he mentions a few times that he doesn't read books, and has no intention of starting with this one.
"Exposed entered the Billboard charts at #13... At first there was some talk of a stadium tour, but that fizzled out. I ended up settling for second billing on the latest Van Halen tour-- the first for their new lead singer, Sammy Hagar."
After 221 pages of being fed bullshit, I finally marked a passage as one that I can easily say is just wrong. Exposed was Vince Neil's debut solo record. He recorded and released it sometime after 1992. Sammy Hagar joined Van Halen in 1986, and is first featured on the album 5150, which Van Halen toured in support of, and would even headline metal extravaganza The Monsters of Rock Tour. Follow where I'm going with this? There is something wrong with what Vince Neil is saying.
I grew up loving Motley Crue. I still have large portions of my brain unintentionally devoted to all kinds of Motley Crue minutia. I'm not necessarily proud of what has stuck in my head, or my love for the band in my early teen years, but it's there.
I loved The Dirt the Motley Crue Bio that came out in 2001. That book is so fucking good. It's up there with Klaus Kinski's autobiography and Johnny Rotten's for complete unintentional hilarity and awesomeness. I was kind of hoping for the same from this book.
I didn't get what I wanted.
I never really liked Vince Neil. He always reminded me of an asshole. Sort of a walking asshole with with blond hair. I figured though since I always thought he was an asshole this book would have some enjoyment.
The problem is that Vince Neil a) claims to not remember a whole lot of what happened and b) Vince Neil does very little wrong in Vince Neil's view of things. Case in point. When he gets to the part where he killed the drummer of Hanoi Rocks in a drunk driving accident; he feels sorrow that his friend is dead. He feels like it sucks for the people who he harmed in the other car. But he doesn't seem to really feel it's his fault, he knew he was driving the car but his description of the events makes the accident seem like an act of God, rather than a Rock Star who had two too many drinks who was racing his car around and lost control.
This trend of blaming others while walking around like an angel continues but the book has some other peoples voices interjected here and there telling their side of the story. At first I hated these other voices, which along with the 'voice' of Vince Neil I'm fairly (98.97%) certain that they are not the real words spoken but 'characters' constructed from real interviews by the co-writer Bob Sager. They are all too a little aw-shucks, with the same antiquated cliches that no one would really say, or maybe one person would but to get so many people saying them is a little weird. That's probably the nature of doing a book like this. Anyway, back to what I was saying. Vince Neil describes his second wife (the ex-mud wrestler) as becoming a germophobe when she got pregnant and this stopped him from having any friends over. And caused a lot of fights between them.
Her side of the story is that she came home one day and found that Vince Neil had been fucking some girl in their house, and told him to stop sleeping around, brining nasty groupies and porn stars into their home and to be careful of getting AIDS or other diseases which she feared could harm their baby that she was carrying.
There are so many more things like this in the book. He is finally 'getting his book to clear the air' about what really went down with Motley Crue and to get back at those scum bags Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, but except for saying what awful people and liars they are he never actually tells what they do that is so awful. Why they can't be trusted. Instead Vince Neil just rambles off awful things that he did but which he doesn't see what the problem is and if there is a problem it's with the person who had the problem with him. He does no wrong.
I'm fairly certain after reading this book that Vince Neil is a sociopath. Really. I've been using that term a lot lately but I think he really is. He's manipulative and charming when he wants to be. He doesn't appear to feel remorse except for when he feels that he should display it to get him out of trouble. Or maybe he is not a sociopath, but rather a developmentally retarded 50 year old man who has never matured past being 15.
This last part should either be ignored, or viewed as a "I told you so" after the release date of this book in September. There is a serious lack of editing in this book. There are capitalizations missing. Grammatical errors. The wrong words being used. Factual problems. Some of it could be Vince Neils own skewed view of the world, but a serious fact checker needs to be put on this book STAT! The amount of errors is huge and really hurts the book. I know I'm reading an ARC and this could be fixed, but it doesn't seem like the kind of book that anyone is going to fix up anymore. I hope I'm wrong. Not that Vince Neil will ever know, he mentions a few times that he doesn't read books, and has no intention of starting with this one.
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September 28, 2010I'm sorry, but I'm a HUGE Motley Crue fan. In high school I had the biggest crush on Vince Neil. But, this book was HORRIBLE. All he did was whine and brag about how good he was at this and how good he was at that, how many cars he had, and how rich he is and bla bla bla. There were also a lot of inconsistencies. I know there was a disclaimer in the beginning; but don't you think that he could of at least got the date of Crues first gig correct, when he had a flyer in the pics of that gig with the date on it? When I read "Dirt" I fell in love with Crue all over again, and wondered why Nikki wasn't my favorite. That book was awesome and was well written. I read it twice, and I also loved and read two times "Heroin Diaries" (which was wonderfully written, But, Nikki Sixx is a talented writer) . Of course, if you are a Crue fan it IS a must read; but you will be greatly disappointed :(
January 21, 2016
It amazes me that these men are still alive. That their spleens and penises and livers haven't exploded. And if I don't hear the word "pussy" again for the rest of my life, I'll die happy!
I saw Motley Crue in their farewell tour. Had a blast. Kinda wish I hadn't read this book - took the 'romance' out of the final tour. Alas, as a friend said 'it's brain candy!'
I saw Motley Crue in their farewell tour. Had a blast. Kinda wish I hadn't read this book - took the 'romance' out of the final tour. Alas, as a friend said 'it's brain candy!'
December 31, 2010
This book is the prime example of what it is to quarter-ass writing a book. He didn't even half-ass it. It was so disappointing. I already knew to expect him retelling his chunk of "The Dirt", but SERIOUSLY!? He went into even less detail in his own book! He could have told so many good stories! He barely even talked about Skylar. What the hell?
I don't even want to think about how many times the book says, "as the story goes..." and then wraps up a massive event of Motley's career (or maybe just a fascinating story) in one paragraph.
During some parts, I felt like I had already read what he was saying in the exact same words from "The Dirt". Ew.
The only parts of the book that were truly worth reading were the introduction, maybe the first chapter, and the interviews with other people. Honestly, the way Vince rambles about how much he loves the business side of things makes me question if he truly wanted to write this book. It seems like it was more of a way to make some quick cash.
On top of that, all he did was crap on all the other band members. I would not suggest reading this book at all. Just go out and read "The Dirt". It's so much more enjoyable.
I don't even want to think about how many times the book says, "as the story goes..." and then wraps up a massive event of Motley's career (or maybe just a fascinating story) in one paragraph.
During some parts, I felt like I had already read what he was saying in the exact same words from "The Dirt". Ew.
The only parts of the book that were truly worth reading were the introduction, maybe the first chapter, and the interviews with other people. Honestly, the way Vince rambles about how much he loves the business side of things makes me question if he truly wanted to write this book. It seems like it was more of a way to make some quick cash.
On top of that, all he did was crap on all the other band members. I would not suggest reading this book at all. Just go out and read "The Dirt". It's so much more enjoyable.
March 25, 2012
Well, if you like having a conversation with a stoner, you would like this book. And, if you like misinformation, you will like this book. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
Vince Neil has really nothing good to say for his bandmates in Motley Crue, and he talks of his ex-wives as if they were put on earth to "nag him to death." Excuse me Vince, but if you are married to one and screwing five others, then the one you are married to has the right to "nag." Considering the lifestyle you chose, you should feel very fortunate that any woman would marry you, let alone put up with all your crap.
Also, he can't remember half the stories he tells, or he tells them incorrectly. There were portions in which he would state something as happening one way, but then in an interview with one of his exes or a manager, they state that it happened another way, or at another time. Then, at times, he starts to state his reasons for doing what he did, only to say that he doesn't remember why he did what he did. That was frustrating to read.
There is one portion that I know was completely inaccurate. He says that when he started his solo career after being fired from Motley Crue in 1992 that his first tour was with Van Halen, and that it was their first tour with their new lead singer, Sammy Hagar. Ummm, excuse me Vince, but Sammy Hagar by that time had been with Van Halen for seven years. The 5150 album, Hagar's first with the band, was released in 1986.
I will give him credit for one piece. He states that he feels that he did not get enough punishment for the 1984 car accident that killed Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley of Hanoi Rocks and permanently injured two others. I felt that he still feels really guilty about that accident. That's what you get when you drink and drive.
This book was not only frustrating to read, but it just flat pissed me off. He makes every excuse in the world for his behavior, but does little to rectify it. I guess it's a typical rock star book, but it was very disappointing.
Vince Neil has really nothing good to say for his bandmates in Motley Crue, and he talks of his ex-wives as if they were put on earth to "nag him to death." Excuse me Vince, but if you are married to one and screwing five others, then the one you are married to has the right to "nag." Considering the lifestyle you chose, you should feel very fortunate that any woman would marry you, let alone put up with all your crap.
Also, he can't remember half the stories he tells, or he tells them incorrectly. There were portions in which he would state something as happening one way, but then in an interview with one of his exes or a manager, they state that it happened another way, or at another time. Then, at times, he starts to state his reasons for doing what he did, only to say that he doesn't remember why he did what he did. That was frustrating to read.
There is one portion that I know was completely inaccurate. He says that when he started his solo career after being fired from Motley Crue in 1992 that his first tour was with Van Halen, and that it was their first tour with their new lead singer, Sammy Hagar. Ummm, excuse me Vince, but Sammy Hagar by that time had been with Van Halen for seven years. The 5150 album, Hagar's first with the band, was released in 1986.
I will give him credit for one piece. He states that he feels that he did not get enough punishment for the 1984 car accident that killed Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley of Hanoi Rocks and permanently injured two others. I felt that he still feels really guilty about that accident. That's what you get when you drink and drive.
This book was not only frustrating to read, but it just flat pissed me off. He makes every excuse in the world for his behavior, but does little to rectify it. I guess it's a typical rock star book, but it was very disappointing.
March 28, 2019
I couldn't finish this, because... YOU RICH, WHINY LITTLE BITCH. Seriously, if he's as big an ass as this makes him look, I don't need to bother.
March 20, 2016
I'm a longtime Crue fan and I think that Vince is indeed one of Rock's greatest frontmen but what really triggered me reading this book at this time is that while I had long known that Vince and his ex wife Sherise had lost their beautiful 4 year old daughter Skylar to a terrible disease, with Sherise's return to the spotlight in the reality show"Ex wives of Rock", I wanted to see how even with all his fame and money that Vince handled such a huge loss and survived.I think the chapters on the loss of Skylar are the best in the book.They are truly heart wrenching and poignant.For all his faults,there is no question that Vince deeply loves his little girl and is devoted to her memory.I feel a lot of sadness for what he and Sherise had to go through.To his credit, Vince allowed a lot of other people a voice in this book including people who have less than complimentary things to say about him such as his ex wives.That was an open and honest thing to do and I give him credit for that.However, there were things about what he had to say in this book that deeply bugged me.Although, I knew that he was a notorious womanizer and had lived a wild life, he always seemed soft spoken and kind in the interviews I've seen him do.The first read flag came when he first briefly described getting together with his third wife Heidi Mark and described her as" a hot piece of ass". I would be so offended if my ex husband said that about me as I'm sure she probably was.I just hate his whole attitude towards women especially groupies.Yes,I know they have done nothing to gain his respect but its obvious that he saw them as nothing but pure sexual objects to be used.It made me sad for the girls that put themselves in that situation.I feel like many of them must have been looking for some kind of self esteem or affirmation by seeking a sexual encounter with a rock star.I see nothing but degradation in that fact that rock star had sex with you for a half hour.You aren't even the only girl of the night and are one of thousands.Sounds degrading to me.I know the rest of the guys in the band and many more famous men and even many regular men in general. have that sort of view towards women but the older I get the less tolerant I am able to be of that attitude.In other reviews I've read of this book I've heard it described as poorly written but I could not disagree more.I found the book so engrossing that I couldn't put it down.Vince Neil is a talented individual with a lot of demons but whatever you think of him or his music,his life certainly hasn't been boring or uneventful and that makes for some interesting reading.
July 16, 2025
Am I a Mötley Crüe fan? Yes. Am I fan of the individuals that make up Mötley Crüe? No. Literally none of them are good people. And this is a thing we all know. But the music slaps.
Anyway, Vince Neil really only ���wrote” this book for…monetary gain? To keep himself busy? (Vince admits very early in the book that he didn’t write the book and that he won’t read it because he’s dyslexic.) He felt like “it was the right time” because his fellow band mates Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee had books to out; and that no one has ever heard “his side of the story”. Except…there’s not really much to the story. Not much that wasn’t shared in The Dirt. It’s really just him talking about his love for blonde, hot, big-chested women, him being a cheater and his co-dependent issues, how much he hates his band mates, and of course, his drug of choice: “pussy, pussy, pussy”.
Thanks to whoever annotated the book when they owned it. Although I wish they’d added more because their commentary was the only thing that kept me reading.
Anyway, Vince Neil really only ���wrote” this book for…monetary gain? To keep himself busy? (Vince admits very early in the book that he didn’t write the book and that he won’t read it because he’s dyslexic.) He felt like “it was the right time” because his fellow band mates Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee had books to out; and that no one has ever heard “his side of the story”. Except…there’s not really much to the story. Not much that wasn’t shared in The Dirt. It’s really just him talking about his love for blonde, hot, big-chested women, him being a cheater and his co-dependent issues, how much he hates his band mates, and of course, his drug of choice: “pussy, pussy, pussy”.
Thanks to whoever annotated the book when they owned it. Although I wish they’d added more because their commentary was the only thing that kept me reading.
November 21, 2010
I feel like Vince Neil just sat down with some other author and a tape recorder. It only briefly went over their glory days as a band, which would have been the most interesting. It was pretty much a 200+ page book of Vince Neil talking crap about everyone he knows, and boosting his own ego.
October 16, 2010
I read the majority of this book in one day. It was hard to put down. I think any fan of Motley Crue will enjoy reading the book. I thought it was interesting and at times shocking to hear about Vince Neil's sex life and his dislike of mostly everyone including his bandmates.
There's two sides to every story. In this book, we are only getting his side. Only one band member wrote a section for the book. It makes me wonder why the others wouldn't contribute anything to the book. Other people have refused as well. In other reviews, references are made about the biography The Dirt. If your going to read this book, then it makes sense to get the whole story by reading the other one as well. That book has gotten many favorable reviews. It would be very interesting to hear other perspectives of how things may have really happened.
Vince Neil does a lot of talking about other peoples' problems, but I'd like to know what his were? All through out the book he never owned up to his shortcomings with the band. As much as I liked the band/Vince Neil growing up, I can't take everything he says as the absolute truth. I have to question the accurateness of his personal accounts within the story. I'm not saying he's a liar, I'm just saying that how one person perceives something is different from how another will preceive something.
I do like how the book is told in a chronological order in his voice. I liked reading the excerpts from people in his life of stories that either confirm or contradict his own. What would have been better was to interview some of the people who he made mean comments about (sharon osbourne and izzy stradlin) just to see what they had to say about him and how they would describe certain instances. Then the book wouldn't have been so one sided.
Regardless, I enjoyed the book because it leaves you with many questions still to be answered.
There's two sides to every story. In this book, we are only getting his side. Only one band member wrote a section for the book. It makes me wonder why the others wouldn't contribute anything to the book. Other people have refused as well. In other reviews, references are made about the biography The Dirt. If your going to read this book, then it makes sense to get the whole story by reading the other one as well. That book has gotten many favorable reviews. It would be very interesting to hear other perspectives of how things may have really happened.
Vince Neil does a lot of talking about other peoples' problems, but I'd like to know what his were? All through out the book he never owned up to his shortcomings with the band. As much as I liked the band/Vince Neil growing up, I can't take everything he says as the absolute truth. I have to question the accurateness of his personal accounts within the story. I'm not saying he's a liar, I'm just saying that how one person perceives something is different from how another will preceive something.
I do like how the book is told in a chronological order in his voice. I liked reading the excerpts from people in his life of stories that either confirm or contradict his own. What would have been better was to interview some of the people who he made mean comments about (sharon osbourne and izzy stradlin) just to see what they had to say about him and how they would describe certain instances. Then the book wouldn't have been so one sided.
Regardless, I enjoyed the book because it leaves you with many questions still to be answered.
July 26, 2017
Let's be honest - if you have read The Dirt, you have basically already read about 75% of Vince Neil's autobiography. Lot of the things he tells in this book are almost word-by-word quotes from The Dirt.
The remaining 25% is either him being bitter and scalding towards all the other guys in Mötley Crüe, or interviews of his family and three ex-wives. It's an interesting contrast, though; Vince being holier than thou and telling how he's being mistreated and misunderstood, and all the ex-wives telling how he can be cruel and can't see his own faults. If you want an honest 360 on Vince Neil, read the parts where his ex-wives are interviewed.
I almost didn't make it past the first pages since the autobiographer didn't seem to have any filter - he basically described Vince like a god on earth. Luckily that toned down after a while. But in short; this was a waste of my money. If you want a good Mötley Crüe biography, go for The Dirt. This just rather made me cringe. I only gave it three stars because of the ex-wives.
The remaining 25% is either him being bitter and scalding towards all the other guys in Mötley Crüe, or interviews of his family and three ex-wives. It's an interesting contrast, though; Vince being holier than thou and telling how he's being mistreated and misunderstood, and all the ex-wives telling how he can be cruel and can't see his own faults. If you want an honest 360 on Vince Neil, read the parts where his ex-wives are interviewed.
I almost didn't make it past the first pages since the autobiographer didn't seem to have any filter - he basically described Vince like a god on earth. Luckily that toned down after a while. But in short; this was a waste of my money. If you want a good Mötley Crüe biography, go for The Dirt. This just rather made me cringe. I only gave it three stars because of the ex-wives.
May 9, 2019
The Netflix original movie of The Dirt was recently released, which sparked my desire to read this book. I read The Dirt, Tommy Land and the Heroin Diaries year’s prior... and I realized that while I’ve had this book sitting in my shelf all that time, I never actually read it.
It was an interesting refresher, especially after having watched the movie. The editing was terrible - while I realize they were trying to capture his persona, it didn’t read well at times.
To be honest, he comes across as very entitled and self centred. He believes he can do no wrong, and that everything is everyone else’s fault.
Anyway, glad I read it to now have the collection completed but it wasn’t one of the best.
It was an interesting refresher, especially after having watched the movie. The editing was terrible - while I realize they were trying to capture his persona, it didn’t read well at times.
To be honest, he comes across as very entitled and self centred. He believes he can do no wrong, and that everything is everyone else’s fault.
Anyway, glad I read it to now have the collection completed but it wasn’t one of the best.
April 12, 2016
This book was Vince's memoir of his life. It was all it was supposed to be; a famous rockstar detailing his life and his rise to fame.
He discussed his children, his wives, his dislike of his fellow bandmates, the fatal car accident, rehab and everything in between and I enjoyed it. I'm a little disgusted at all the cheating he did, which he doesn't seem to have any remorse about. It's a wonder the whole band didn't die from AIDS.
Overall, I enjoyed this. I'd have liked to have heard more from his ex wives, more than just the few pages we got from each of them.
* I won this book in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
He discussed his children, his wives, his dislike of his fellow bandmates, the fatal car accident, rehab and everything in between and I enjoyed it. I'm a little disgusted at all the cheating he did, which he doesn't seem to have any remorse about. It's a wonder the whole band didn't die from AIDS.
Overall, I enjoyed this. I'd have liked to have heard more from his ex wives, more than just the few pages we got from each of them.
* I won this book in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
October 3, 2010
I actually liked this quite a bit. I've been a fan of Motley Crue for a long time, since Shout at the Devil, and have read many of the books about them. I believe Sager did a really good job of putting it all together and mixing in stuff from interviews with Vince with interviews with other folks such as Vince's ex-wives and his two living children. It would have been nice to have more of the group besides Nikki in there but it was probably understandable since there appears to be quite a bit of bad blood still within the group. I can see why Vince feels the way he does about the bandmembers, although there was certainly a lot of "cause" for anger to go around.
January 16, 2016
Was I ever excited to read this book, being a Motley Crue fan, I was really stoked. Then within 20 pages I was putting the book down, shaking my head, and feeling put off.
Vince really goes nuts bashing Nikki Sixx in the book. He does give in to bashing Tommy and Mick too, but nothing like he does about Nikki.
You know what the real kicker is? Nikki writes a letter, like a few other do in the book, and had nothing but good things to say about Vince.
His attitude was a total let-down for me, and highly unexpected.
I will admit, he has a few good stories to share, and that's where the fun reading comes from, and why I gave it a decent rating.
Vince really goes nuts bashing Nikki Sixx in the book. He does give in to bashing Tommy and Mick too, but nothing like he does about Nikki.
You know what the real kicker is? Nikki writes a letter, like a few other do in the book, and had nothing but good things to say about Vince.
His attitude was a total let-down for me, and highly unexpected.
I will admit, he has a few good stories to share, and that's where the fun reading comes from, and why I gave it a decent rating.
March 30, 2019
Well I enjoyed the pictures ... 🙈
April 21, 2020
I finished it.
I'm reviewing the book here because Vince Neil, the man, is nasty. The book starts out honestly. He appears just as Mike Sager meets him like he is reluctant. We understand Vince is not into talking about himself or his band mates but he really does....Mike just has to twist his arm a little and then stand back and watch the shit splash on your shoes. Vince is a pig.
Actually the voice of the book changes for the better and that's when I assume the author took over any dialog and changed it to a different format. I approve because Vince was only going to give shallow responses that built his ego.
The "shit" is his nasty life. I'm glad his kids get a say in the end but that doesn't seem honest musings. The ex-wives each get to talk and they seemed a bit more honest. I think the kids with their limited exposure to their dad dodged a bullet. They have a shitty role model here...hope they're better people.
Quote,"I’d been driving drunk for about as long as I’d been driving. It had never been a problem." After fatal drunk driving conviction where he not only killed his passenger but hit another car with two young people with life long consequences, whereas he got county jail time of 18 days as a trustee and a girl was brought in for sex in the cell. His wife doesn't pick him up after release and he managed to find home and it was empty. The author makes an honest appraisal of that situation. Vince knew he deserves it but jumps right back in to the lifestyle.
Author shows in the story how Vince is older but instead of being wiser just sadder. There is depth in the writing and I wish I could rate writing higher but I don't want Vince any more on people's minds or wallets.
So overall, the writing format was ok. Biographies are difficult. Rocker bios even more egos involved had to truly difficult.
I'm reviewing the book here because Vince Neil, the man, is nasty. The book starts out honestly. He appears just as Mike Sager meets him like he is reluctant. We understand Vince is not into talking about himself or his band mates but he really does....Mike just has to twist his arm a little and then stand back and watch the shit splash on your shoes. Vince is a pig.
Actually the voice of the book changes for the better and that's when I assume the author took over any dialog and changed it to a different format. I approve because Vince was only going to give shallow responses that built his ego.
The "shit" is his nasty life. I'm glad his kids get a say in the end but that doesn't seem honest musings. The ex-wives each get to talk and they seemed a bit more honest. I think the kids with their limited exposure to their dad dodged a bullet. They have a shitty role model here...hope they're better people.
Quote,"I’d been driving drunk for about as long as I’d been driving. It had never been a problem." After fatal drunk driving conviction where he not only killed his passenger but hit another car with two young people with life long consequences, whereas he got county jail time of 18 days as a trustee and a girl was brought in for sex in the cell. His wife doesn't pick him up after release and he managed to find home and it was empty. The author makes an honest appraisal of that situation. Vince knew he deserves it but jumps right back in to the lifestyle.
Author shows in the story how Vince is older but instead of being wiser just sadder. There is depth in the writing and I wish I could rate writing higher but I don't want Vince any more on people's minds or wallets.
So overall, the writing format was ok. Biographies are difficult. Rocker bios even more egos involved had to truly difficult.
November 22, 2019
As a longtime fan, as soon ad I heard about The Dirt I had to watch it. It left me feeling disappointed and somewhat disgusted. All these years of loving this band, only to learn now just how much they used and cheated on women (I'm female), abused friends and colleagues, and lacked any respect for anyone or anything. I had a hold on this book at the library and when it became available, I almost cancelled it.
But I kept an open mind.
I reminded myself that this lifestyle was fueled by drugs, alcohol, adrenaline and fame. He says he doesn't remember a lot, and that's probably true, due to constant overindulgence to the point of blacking out.
However it was interesting to see how other people filled in the blanks. For example, the night Razzle died, his wife at the time claimed he wasn't intoxicated and she knew this because she "looked in his eyes and I could tell". Yet Neil himself admitted he later blew double the legal limit.
Yes, he does talk a lot about all his accomplishments and his cars etc, but I think that's his way of compensating for insecurity. At the time this book was being written (dictated to someone who can write), he knew his career was basically over and was trying to convince himself and the world that he was still the shit.
I think as he gets older and sober, he is starting to look back with more wisdom, but so much damage has been done, it's going to be a long road.
But I kept an open mind.
I reminded myself that this lifestyle was fueled by drugs, alcohol, adrenaline and fame. He says he doesn't remember a lot, and that's probably true, due to constant overindulgence to the point of blacking out.
However it was interesting to see how other people filled in the blanks. For example, the night Razzle died, his wife at the time claimed he wasn't intoxicated and she knew this because she "looked in his eyes and I could tell". Yet Neil himself admitted he later blew double the legal limit.
Yes, he does talk a lot about all his accomplishments and his cars etc, but I think that's his way of compensating for insecurity. At the time this book was being written (dictated to someone who can write), he knew his career was basically over and was trying to convince himself and the world that he was still the shit.
I think as he gets older and sober, he is starting to look back with more wisdom, but so much damage has been done, it's going to be a long road.
July 28, 2023
I just finished Tatoos and Tequilas the autobiography of Vince Neil… the lead singer of Mötley Crüe.
He was always up there with Dave Lee Roth for me… a great talent as a frontman, not so talented with the old voice.
However… saw them live recently and they showed me why I’m still a Crüe Head.
Anyway… the book is great. It’s not as great as The Dirt was. But it shows Vince’s side of the story… or at least what he can remember.
Everything is all about HIM… but that’s what makes a rock star
Read it NOW!!!
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me
He was always up there with Dave Lee Roth for me… a great talent as a frontman, not so talented with the old voice.
However… saw them live recently and they showed me why I’m still a Crüe Head.
Anyway… the book is great. It’s not as great as The Dirt was. But it shows Vince’s side of the story… or at least what he can remember.
Everything is all about HIM… but that’s what makes a rock star
Read it NOW!!!
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me
March 14, 2019
This is ridiculous on so many levels.
I don’t do any drugs at all. Not anymore. And I stopped drinking three years ago. - - I haven’t, I haven’t even tasted my own tequila in three years. [11]
Sobriety is cool. Well, I mean, I’ll have maybe a glass of champagne once in a while. That’s it, you know. But it’s nothing like it used to be. [12]
I finally got sober on March 4, 2007. That’s the date I give. […]I don’t believe I’m an alcoholic, per se. I still drink on occasion. I have a little champagne now and then, sometimes at little more probably than I need. And sometimes I’ll have a shot of tequila, but only Tres Rios, my own brand. [271]
Vince Neil does not want this book to exist, he says it himself. He is doing this because someone told him that it was a good idea, so okay, why not but he is forced to do it. So why would you want to read it?
When I was young I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I never really enjoyed reading too much. It’s difficult for me. […] If you see me after you’ve read this, lemme know what you think. I probably won’t read it myself. [3]
This book masquerades as "an interview" with Neil but it really isn't. It has the real authors, Mick Sager's, voice all over it. He puts words into Neil's mouth and does not address it in any way, which makes it all the more irritating.
Sure, it's an okay read and it doesn't take that long but I can't but despise everything that it is and what it is trying to be. I do not know or really care that much about Mötley Crüe, I've only read their books, but this is a low bar and kinda makes me look down on Neil as it seems many others do. He is doing this because, well, I guess it is an okay thing. The book is conversational, you know, a lot of hedging, maybes, I don't remembers, and the rest. Any of the actually meaningful topics are not addressed. It is mentioned a couple of times that others have said in interviews that Vince is violent when he is drunk (though he is sober and not an alcoholic, he just likes to drink, you know) but he simply ignore answering this.
You get the picture of a shallow man who really does seem like a prick.
I would rather advise reading The Heroin Diaries (an extremely eye-opening book) and probably The Dirt, which I have not read yet but I am about to, soon. There's almost a dozen times that different people address The Dirt, how it got "something wrong". And that's what this seems like; a half-assed attempt to paint a prettier picture but making yourself look even more like a fool in the process.
I kinda want to give it 1 star because how utterly stupid everything related to this book is (I have way more notes on the stupid parts of it but can't be bothered to copy them here), and part of me wants to give it 3 stars because sure, you can read it through okay and I guess it's "an okay read".
But seriously. Don't. Just ignore it.
I don’t do any drugs at all. Not anymore. And I stopped drinking three years ago. - - I haven’t, I haven’t even tasted my own tequila in three years. [11]
Sobriety is cool. Well, I mean, I’ll have maybe a glass of champagne once in a while. That’s it, you know. But it’s nothing like it used to be. [12]
I finally got sober on March 4, 2007. That’s the date I give. […]I don’t believe I’m an alcoholic, per se. I still drink on occasion. I have a little champagne now and then, sometimes at little more probably than I need. And sometimes I’ll have a shot of tequila, but only Tres Rios, my own brand. [271]
Vince Neil does not want this book to exist, he says it himself. He is doing this because someone told him that it was a good idea, so okay, why not but he is forced to do it. So why would you want to read it?
When I was young I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I never really enjoyed reading too much. It’s difficult for me. […] If you see me after you’ve read this, lemme know what you think. I probably won’t read it myself. [3]
This book masquerades as "an interview" with Neil but it really isn't. It has the real authors, Mick Sager's, voice all over it. He puts words into Neil's mouth and does not address it in any way, which makes it all the more irritating.
Sure, it's an okay read and it doesn't take that long but I can't but despise everything that it is and what it is trying to be. I do not know or really care that much about Mötley Crüe, I've only read their books, but this is a low bar and kinda makes me look down on Neil as it seems many others do. He is doing this because, well, I guess it is an okay thing. The book is conversational, you know, a lot of hedging, maybes, I don't remembers, and the rest. Any of the actually meaningful topics are not addressed. It is mentioned a couple of times that others have said in interviews that Vince is violent when he is drunk (though he is sober and not an alcoholic, he just likes to drink, you know) but he simply ignore answering this.
You get the picture of a shallow man who really does seem like a prick.
I would rather advise reading The Heroin Diaries (an extremely eye-opening book) and probably The Dirt, which I have not read yet but I am about to, soon. There's almost a dozen times that different people address The Dirt, how it got "something wrong". And that's what this seems like; a half-assed attempt to paint a prettier picture but making yourself look even more like a fool in the process.
I kinda want to give it 1 star because how utterly stupid everything related to this book is (I have way more notes on the stupid parts of it but can't be bothered to copy them here), and part of me wants to give it 3 stars because sure, you can read it through okay and I guess it's "an okay read".
But seriously. Don't. Just ignore it.
September 2, 2021
If you’d asked me what a stereotypical rock star would be like, then Vince Neil would've probably been the first name I’d come up with so I’m not sure why I am so surprised…& disappointed…to find he actually is like that! It took me four months to plod through this as I could only take Mr-I-love-me-aren't-I-wonderful's bitchin' & whingeing in small doses.
It hasn’t really told me anything about Vince Neil other than he seems to be a first class whiner & so self-centred. To be fair, I guess as a frontman a big ego is needed but boy he takes it to another level & yet he was constantly stressing what a shy guy he is! He seems to have constant need to impress, dropping in remarks like "I can’t remember which one of my thirty cars I drove" & of course nothing is ever his fault…nothing. It’s always down to someone else.
You learn little about Vince’s "real life", he seems to be in permanent showman mode & he could be very selective in his memories - there’s a few (rather convenient) "can’t remembers", the most informative passages coming from other people like his exes.
He moans about the fact none of his bandmates…well ex-band mates at this point…contacted him when his daughter died even though they were at "war" as he puts it, but that fact should "pale into comparison with what he was going through". A tragic & awful time indeed & yet Vince still seemed to turn it into being all about him. Well maybe they didn’t get in touch…or maybe they did, Vince only seems to tell us about what makes others look bad & him hard done by. Maybe he should reflect on his comments when Nikki ODed (pages 193-194). On hearing Nikki wasn’t dead, Vince’s response was "All right Cool" then went back to bed. No dashing off to the hospital to check on someone he says he loves like a brother. No concern or care for anyone but himself.
At the end of the book (apologies if it’s a spoiler but I doubt many will get that far anyway!) he says
"By doing this book, I hope to accomplish…I don’t know. Nikki had a book. Tommy had one or two books" - don’t want to be left out eh Vince? God forbid the limelight should shine on any one else…….
It hasn’t really told me anything about Vince Neil other than he seems to be a first class whiner & so self-centred. To be fair, I guess as a frontman a big ego is needed but boy he takes it to another level & yet he was constantly stressing what a shy guy he is! He seems to have constant need to impress, dropping in remarks like "I can’t remember which one of my thirty cars I drove" & of course nothing is ever his fault…nothing. It’s always down to someone else.
You learn little about Vince’s "real life", he seems to be in permanent showman mode & he could be very selective in his memories - there’s a few (rather convenient) "can’t remembers", the most informative passages coming from other people like his exes.
He moans about the fact none of his bandmates…well ex-band mates at this point…contacted him when his daughter died even though they were at "war" as he puts it, but that fact should "pale into comparison with what he was going through". A tragic & awful time indeed & yet Vince still seemed to turn it into being all about him. Well maybe they didn’t get in touch…or maybe they did, Vince only seems to tell us about what makes others look bad & him hard done by. Maybe he should reflect on his comments when Nikki ODed (pages 193-194). On hearing Nikki wasn’t dead, Vince’s response was "All right Cool" then went back to bed. No dashing off to the hospital to check on someone he says he loves like a brother. No concern or care for anyone but himself.
At the end of the book (apologies if it’s a spoiler but I doubt many will get that far anyway!) he says
"By doing this book, I hope to accomplish…I don’t know. Nikki had a book. Tommy had one or two books" - don’t want to be left out eh Vince? God forbid the limelight should shine on any one else…….
July 15, 2022
This was not what I hoped it would be. One of my friends recently got me into Mötley Crüe and I'm a huge reader so without hesitation I bought all of their books. After finishing this I have only have one of Nikki Sixx's left to read. This is by far my least favorite. I had high hopes for this and it didn't live up to my expectations. A lot of it felt like a rant. About half of the first chapter was about how awful the Crüe was to him. He didn't have much good to say about them or anyone else who contributed to his success or his life. In the last chapter Nikki Sixx had a small part in which he spoke very highly of Vince, sadly Vince didn't speak very highly about anyone in return. There was also a lot of unnecessary name dropping and bragging. The pieces from other people were more interesting and better written than Vince's portion. I don't regret buying it and reading it. It gave me another perspective on his life and filled in some gaps from what I already knew. If you're a fan of the Crüe you should read this but maybe borrow it instead of buying it. Even though it wasn't what I hoped for I'm glad I read it. I'd you're planning on reading it don't set your hopes too high.
August 1, 2020
Nothing is ever this guy’s fault. It’s amazing. Even severing a tendon during a tantrum over mustard isn’t really his fault b/c, you guys, he’d been asking for the rider to be updated for weeks.
If you didn’t know it before you’ll end this book knowing that Vince Neil likes: Vince Neil, pussy (and occasional the women attached the them), cars, and holding grudges.
I give him credit for including commentary from ppl who he had to know were not going to paint him in a positive light, like his 3 (!) ex-wives. (If you’re keeping score at home he’s added ex-wife no. 4 since publication).
There are glimmers of self-awareness and I do think at least one of his grievances with his band is legit. But overall, I don’t know how your own book can make you seem like such a dick bitch.
If you didn’t know it before you’ll end this book knowing that Vince Neil likes: Vince Neil, pussy (and occasional the women attached the them), cars, and holding grudges.
I give him credit for including commentary from ppl who he had to know were not going to paint him in a positive light, like his 3 (!) ex-wives. (If you’re keeping score at home he’s added ex-wife no. 4 since publication).
There are glimmers of self-awareness and I do think at least one of his grievances with his band is legit. But overall, I don’t know how your own book can make you seem like such a dick bitch.
July 7, 2014
I give all autobio's 5 stars. It's not up to me if the story was good or not. This is someone's life. They are just telling me how it went down. If nothing else, I gained some insight on who Vince is. Vince isn't so unlike the rest of us - he just lit it up when the rest of us would have said "that's not safe". He's lived through some awful. I don't care the reason for the awful, some of it was awful like few of us can imagine. That he didn't put a bullet in his head is testament enough that he is a better man than many. I wouldn't have been able to survive what he has. Not without completely losing my mind.
September 30, 2014
This was an interesting read, pretty much every person interviewed has a different memory of the events. Since everyone was constantly drunk or high, that's understandable. There was more than a little boo-hooing when Vince was talking. There was also a few really emotional parts, when he talked of his kids. Even though he wasn't always there but you get the feeling that he cared a lot. All in all this was an okay book but it was essentially a rushed account of all the parties and fights he was in, he spent more time talking drugs and parties than he did about the real stuff going on in his life. Which I guess for him the drugs and parties are the real stuff.
September 30, 2016
This was an interesting read. I liked Vince Neil's recollections and hearing about his early life and how the band formed. His recollections may not be all that accurate as he claims to not remember A LOT. You don't have to be a die hard Motley Crue head to read it. Vince Neil is unapologetic about how he is and WHO he is. Which is a little odd because he seems to have done quite a few things wrong (and we're not just talking 4 marriages). Sad part is the way he feels about his band mates. All in all an entertaining read.
October 1, 2021
I've read several rock biographies and autobiographies but let me say that this one is by far the worst but not because of the content. Rock stars live hedonistic lifestyles. I get it. But all the other ones I've read, the subject usually takes responsibility for their shortcomings. Not Vince. He blames everyone else for his issues. How is he not in jail for good? Drives drunk, kills someone, maims 2 others? No biggie......several more DUIs on his record since then. I always suspected he is a class A #1 d-bag POS but this book confirms it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2012
I love reading the books by the boys in Motley Crue. Vince has lived through more crap than one would think. Rock stars are people too, ya know? He writes things that made me feel so sorry for things he's had to deal with. He writes things that make me wish I could have done some of the things he's done. He's lived a life full of awesome, crazy things... but I don't think he would have had it any other way. I loved reading this.
October 29, 2014
Really enjoyable book - and nice to see sections from other people (ex wives etc) about Vince as well.. overall an excellent read and definately looking forward to reading Tommys and Nikkis side of things next :)
May 26, 2024
Similar to Tommy's biography, this book is also very surface level but with absolutely no accountability for the decisions he's made in life. How he talks about the death of his child shows humility and reflection, but that's about it.
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