scar tissue
i just finished reading scar tissue, the anthony kiedis semi-autobiography. a raggedy scroll of addiction and the blitzkrieg that demon wreaks on insane talent, i found mr. kiedis incredibly engaging. the triumvirate of S, D & R’n’R are in full effect, but what struck me most was his attitude towards women. there was no concept of throwaway chicks, PYTs that come and do their duty to the rock gods and get lost and tossed along the way. even when it came to encounters that lasted one night, mr. kiedis treated each story with respect, something that was participated in by both parties with full agency, each gaining something (or losing something, as the case may be) from the encounters. even when recounting some truly tormented spirals of longstanding relationships, there is a distinct lack of blame on the women in his life—something that shouldn’t be startling, but was. everything was told from his point of view—there were no assumptions made about what his partners were feeling. nearly every woman he encountered, sexually or platonically, was given a heartfelt thanks for touching his life.
the triumph of this book is mr. kiedis’ acceptance of his responsibility in life, the acknowledgement and understanding that our lives are what we make of them. even as he is spiralling downwards into another battle with the addiction raging inside him, he knows and conveys that this is his doing.
well-written with the help of larry sloman, the book does get tedious at times as mr. kiedis puts his self-and-life-destructive behavior on repeat for chapters at a time. quite often writers will protest that a negative such as this is purposeful, that it recreates the steady, inexorable sweep of addiction moving its target relentlessly forward. i’m often reluctant to credit that notion; that is not the case here.
overall, highly recommended, and a thanks to matt h for lending it to me.
1 month ago