Motley Crue: The Dirt - Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band

Whiskey and porn stars, hot reds and car crashes, black leather and high heels, overdoses and death. This is the life of Mötley Crüe, the heaviest drinking, hardest fighting, most oversexed and arrogant band in the world. Their unbelievable exploits are the stuff of rock 'n' roll legend. They nailed the hottest chicks, started the bloodiest fights, partied with the biggest drug dealers, and got to know the inside of every jail cell from California to Japan. They have dedicated an entire career to living life to its extreme, from the greatest fantasies to the darkest tragedies. Tommy married two international sex symbols; Vince killed a man and lost a daughter to cancer; Nikki overdosed, rose from the dead, and then OD'd again the next day; and Wick shot a woman and tried to hang his own brother. But that's just the beginning. Fueled by every drug they could get their hands on and obscene amounts of alcohol, driven by fury and headed straight for hell, Mötley Crüe raged through two decades, leaving behind a trail of debauched women, trashed hotel rooms, crashed cars, psychotic managers, and broken bones that has left the music industry cringing to this day. All these unspeakable acts, not to mention their dire consequences, are laid bare in The Dirt.

Here -- directly from Nikki, Vince, Tommy, and Mick -- is the unexpurgated version of the whole glorious, gut-wrenching story. In these pages, published for the first time anywhere, are Tommy Lee's letters to Pamela Anderson from prison: Mick's confession to having an incurable disease that is slowly killing him; Vince's experience burying his own daughter -- and the train wreck that his life became afterward; and Nikki's anguished struggle to deal with an entire life fueled by anger over his childhood abandonment, his discovery of the family he never knew he had -- and his subsequent loss of them. And all of it accompanied by scores of rare, never-before-published photographs, mug shots, and handwritten lyrics. No one is spared. Not David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Vanity, Aerosmith, Heather Locklear, AC/DC, Lita Ford, Iron Maiden, Pamela Anderson, Guns N' Roses, Donna D'Errico, RATT, or those two girls from Dallas, Texas.

Make no mistake about it: these guys are geniuses. They invented glam metal and then left it in the dust; sold more than forty million albums from Shout at the Devil to Dr. Feelgood; toured the world dozen times and have the scars to prove it it; and maintained a rabid following in an era of throwaway pop stars. Mötley Crüe has done nothing less than tattoo the psyche of the entire MTV generation. They are the ultimate rock 'n' roll band. And if you don't believe it, read The Dirt. You don't know what decadence is...

Vince Neil has the most penultimate tear-jerker in the chapter that deals with the death of his daughter. In a book made to shock and astonish, this was as touching a moment as anything I have read. Beyond his love and loss, he comes off like a stand-up guy who enjoys the life style and isn't making excuses.

Nikki Sixx had a rough childhood and has so many father-son issues it's not even funny. While I respect the fact that he's been through more turmoil than I'll ever know...get over it. There's nothing more pathetic than listening to rock star millionaires pining away about how sad they are. I guess money can't buy happiness.

Mick Mars has the least to say in this book and this left me the most intrigued. He has battled rough times from personal illness to divorce to just plain being the victim of emotional abuse. I'm amazed he stayed with the band as long as he has. His is the true sad story in The Dirt.

Tommy Lee...moron. Here is the epitome of a millionaire jerk who just never learns. How a guy like this managed to bag babes like Heather Locklear, Pamela Anderson, and Carmen Electra...is beyond me. Don't expect to learn anything from his chapters except to see a spoiled baby who is used to getting anything he wants, and if he doesn't then the tantrums start...then and now.

It's a testament to this book that I enjoyed reading it. The chapters flow quickly telling each band member's story and author Neil Strauss never slows down. And unlike biographies by other rock groups, these characters actually have some bizarre stories to tell...and how they survived is beyond me. While I may not be racing out to buy any Crue music, I'm very happy that I read this biography.


Wow! Man, be prepared to be blown away!   May 22, 2001
PJ (South Florida)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

Most people know that Motley Crue was/is a crazy band. We know the stories of them dating playboy playmates, getting crazy with Ozzy Osbourne and doing crazy drugs. But, in The Dirt, you get all the nasty, gutrenching information on one of the greatest Rock N Roll bands to ever walk this earth. The book covers each of the band members childhood. To the suprising story of Vince Neil growing up on Compton, CA and already getting hot chicks at age 16, to Nikki's very strange and sad childhood. The book covers the Crue's early days of partying, which should warn people to be get ready to be shocked, amused, grossed out, stunned and freaked out. The book also captures each of the band members honesty. Neil Strauss not only did a great job of writing, but also getting each band member to open up. The chapater on Vince losing his daughter was very tough to read. I must admit, I got emotional. The stories about all the girls is crazy and fun to read. It makes you feel want to be one of the guy's so much, but then you read about how these guys have sufferd in life as well. Not just with heavy drug use, but losing money and family. At the end of the book, you will most likely take a deep breath and say...Wow! I cannot believe these guys lived through all this. Weather your a Motley Crue fan or even a Rock N Roll fan for that matter, this book is a must read. I always thought only a movie and not a book could blow me away, but I was very wrong after I read "The Dirt"


One of the best books of the year!!!   September 27, 2001
Susan
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

First of all, I am not a Motley Crue fan and have never been one. I can't even name a song. But of course, being an avid watcher of VH1 and E!, etc. I know the members and some of their "history".

The book sounded interesting so I bought a copy and sat down one night to read. Wow! I really had a difficult time putting it down. These guys are really, really out of their minds!

I can't say how impressed I am by their candor. No matter what they did, they are more than willing to take responsibility for it. They give a whole new meaning to out-of-control.

The writing was humorous, witty, engaging, thoughtful and emotional. So emotional at times that it was heart wrenching when Vince describes the death of his daughter, Skylar. I got so choked up!

These guys get so many kudos for being embarassingly honest about their roots, behavior and image. Most stars would never be so willing to call themselves a nerd or an a--hole.

Reading about how they came together and reached the peak, then toppled was truly fascinating. So many stories about celebrity interactions are also mixed in, which was great! I always suspected that Pamela was no good. Also enjoyed the chapters from the managers, former managers, etc. Very interesting to get a different version of the same story recounted in others' chapters.

I do admit that I learned some new things about the female anatomy which I could have done without but that just adds to the story. This book really is a celebration of talent and where it can take you if you are willing to give it your all.

It is really a shame that these talented guys got sucked in to a decadent lifestyle of booze, drugs and women that it ultimately affected their talent.

They can count me as a fan albeit a late one.


Wow! Man, be prepared to be blown away   May 23, 2001
17 out of 21 found this review helpful

Most people know that Motley Crue was/is a crazy band. We know the stories of them dating playboy playmates, getting crazy with Ozzy Osbourne and doing crazy drugs. But, in The Dirt, you get all the nasty, gutrenching information on one of the greatest Rock N Roll bands to ever walk this earth. The book covers each of the band members childhood. To the suprising story of Vince Neil growing up on Compton, CA and already getting hot chicks at age 16, to Nikki's very strange and sad childhood. The book covers the Crue's early days of partying, which should warn people to be get ready to be shocked, amused, grossed out, stunned and freaked out. The book also captures each of the band members honesty. Neil Strauss not only did a great job of writing, but also getting each band member to open up. The chapater on Vince losing his daughter was very tough to read. I must admit, I got emotional. The stories about all the girls is crazy and fun to read. It makes you feel want to be one of the guy's so much, but then you read about how these guys have sufferd in life as well. Not just with heavy drug use, but losing money and family. At the end of the book, you will most likely take a deep breath and say...Wow! I cannot believe these guys lived through all this. Weather your a Motley Crue fan or even a Rock N Roll fan for that matter, this book is a must read. I always thought only a movie and not a book could blow me away, but I was very wrong after I read "The Dirt"


The Dirt: Once you're in, you'll never want out   May 22, 2001
Cat (Portland, OR USA)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

The Dirt is a furious and vicious rollercoaster ride into the lurid, depraved and deliciously exciting world of Motley Crue. Like any good rollercoaster, this book will can make you cry, laugh and may even turn your stomach a little. And when you've gotten off and have caught your breath, you suddenly find yourself where you started, back on page one, ready for another ride. This book is so well-written it feels more like real-time than reading an autobiography...I guess that explains why I couldn't put it down: on some primative level I know I shouldn't acnowledge, I was afraid I'd miss something. You'll learn all kinds of things you didn't know, things you've always wondered about will be explained, and things you never thought humanly possible will be elaborated upon with titillating detail, as recalled by the 4 original members of the band In short, if you're a Motley Crue fan, you'll love this book. If you hate Motley Crue, you'll love this book. And if you have no idea who Motley Crue is...well, you really NEED this book! Enjoy it, Respectfully, CAT