The Novel Files: Scar Tissue

I realize that a recent biography written by a still-alive musician is not exactly a classic, but it is still an important piece of writing. For Christmas, I gave my brother Scar Tissue, the autobiography of Red Hot Chili Peppers front man, Anthony Kiedis. I have read the book many times myself, read it again last week, and think that it is a book every music-lover should own.

Scar Tissue walks us through the tumultuous life of Kiedis. It talks about his childhood, his parents, growing up, the Chili Peppers, and everything you can imagine along the way. I particularly liked the parts where Kiedis talks about the different women in his life. He is unapologetic when discussing flirtations, affairs, and muses, but swears that he loved all of the women he was in relationships with. There are also many pictures which bring to life the women he writes about. It's amusing to hear how the various relationships ended, and I can't help but wonder how they feel about Kiedis' descriptions of them...

I was also very interested in the parts of the story that talk about Hillel Slovak, the original guitarist. He died of a heroin overdose in 1998, and was replaced by John Frusciante. I don’t know what it is, but something about tragic death fascinates me. I think it is horrible when a young, talented individual is taken away too early, yet at the same time, I want to know everything I can about it. I was the same way when Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, and Brittany Murphy died. I just want to know as many facts as possible. Another part of the story that surprised me was the fact that Flea (a.k.a Michael Balzary) was in the ambulance with River Phoenix when he was taken to the hospital after a serious drug overdose. Phoenix died as a result, and this is another example of tragic death in the story.

The book is definitely worth a read, and you won’t regret it. It will change your opinion of Kiedis, if not the Chili Peppers as a whole.