The most influential, enduring, and iconic metal band of the 1980's reveals everything a tell-all of epic proportions.
This unbelievable autobiography explores the rebellious lives of four of the most influential icons in American rock history.
Motley Crue was the voice of a barely pubescent Generation X, the anointed high priests of backward-masking pentagram rock, pioneers of Hollywood glam, and the creators of MTV's first "power ballad." Their sex lives claimed celebrities from Heather Locklear to Pamela Anderson to Donna D'Errico. Their scuffles involved everyone from Axl Rose to 2LiveCrew. Their hobbies have included collecting automatic weapons, cultivating long arrest records, pushing the envelope of conceivable drug abuse, and dreaming up backstage antics that would make Ozzy Osbourne blanch with modesty.
Provocatively written and brilliantly designed, this book includes over 100 photos, many never before published, for the most exciting and insightful look ever into the Crue.
Her name was Bullwinkle. We called her that because she had a face like a moose. But Tommy, even though he could get any girl he wanted on the Sunset Strip, would not break up with her. He loved her and wanted to marry her, he kept telling us, because she could spray her cum across the room.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just cum she sent flying around the house. It was dishes, clothes, chairs, fists -- basically anything within reach of her temper. Up until then, and I'd lived in Compton, I'd never seen anyone get that violent. One wrong word or look would cause her to explode in a jealous rage. One night, Tommy tried to keep her away by jamming the door to the house shut -- the lock was long since broken from being repeatedly kicked in by the police -- and she grabbed a fire extinguisher and threw it through the plate-glass window to get inside. The police returned later that night and drew their guns on Tommy while Nikki and I hid in the bathroom. I'm not sure which we were more scared of: Bullwinkle or the cops.
We never repaired the window. That would have been too much work. People would pour into the house, located near the Whisky A Go-Go, for after-hours parties, either through the broken window or the warped, rotting brown front door, which would only stay closed if we folded apiece of cardboard and wedged it underneath. I shared a room with Tommy while Nikki, that fucker, got the big room to himself. When we moved in, we agreed to rotate and every month a different person would get the solo room. But it never happened. It was too much work.
It was 1981, and we were broke, with one thousand seven-inch singles that our manager had pressed for us and a few decimated possessions to our name. In the front room sat one leather couch and a stereo that Tommy's parents had given him for Christmas. The ceiling was covered with small round dents because every time the neighbors complained about the noise, we'd retaliate by pounding on the ceiling with broom handles and guitar necks. The carpet was filthy with alcohol, blood, and cigarette burns, and the walls were scorched black.
The place was crawling with vermin. If we ever wanted to use the oven, we had to leave it on high for a good ten minutes to kill the regiments of roaches crawling around inside. We couldn't afford pesticides, so to exterminate the roaches on the walls we would take hair spray, hold a lighter to the nozzle, and torch the bastards. Of course, we could afford (or afford to steal) important things like hair spray, because you had to have your hair jacked up if you wanted to make the rounds at the clubs.
The kitchen was smaller than a bathroom, and just as putrid. In the fridge there'd usually be some old tuna fish, beer, Oscar Mayer bologna, expired mayonnaise, and maybe hot dogs if it was the beginning of the week and we'd either stolen them from the liquor store downstairs or bought them with spare money. Usually, though, Big Bill, a 450-pound biker and bouncer from the Troubadour (who died a year later from a cocaine overdose), would come over and eat all the hot dogs. We'd be too scared to tell him it was all we had.
There was a couple who lived down the street and felt sorry for us, so every now and then they'd bring over a big bowl of spaghetti. When we were really hard up, Nikki and I would date girls who worked in grocery stores just for the free food. But we always bought our own booze. It was a matter of pride.
In the kitchen sink festered the only dishes we owned: two drinking glasses and one plate, which we'd rinse off now and then. Sometimes there was enough crud caked on the plate to scrape a full meal from, and Tommy wasn't above doing that. Whenever the trash piled up, we'd open the small sliding door in the kitchen and throw it onto the patio. In theory, the patio would have been a nice place, the size of a barbecue and a chair, but instead there were bags of beer cans and booze bottles piled up so high that we'd have to hold back the trash to keep it from spilling into the house every time we opened the door. The neighbors complained about the smell and the rats that had started swarming all over our patio, but there was no way we were touching it, even after the Los Angeles Department of Health Services showed up at our door with legal papers requiring us to clean the environmental disaster we had created.
Our bathroom made the kitchen look immaculate in comparison. In the nine or so months we lived there, we never once cleaned the toilet. Tommy and I were still teenagers: We didn't know how. There would be tampons in the shower from girls the night before, and the sink and mirror were black with Nikki's hair dye. We couldn't afford -- or were too lazy to afford -- toilet paper, so there'd be shit-stained socks, band flyers, and pages from magazines scattered across the floor. On the back of the door was a poster of Slim Whitman. I'm not sure why.
Outside the bathroom, a hallway led to two bedrooms. The hall carpet was spotted with charred footprints because we'd rehearse for our live shows by setting Nikki on fire, and the lighter fluid always ended up running down his legs.
The Dirt. Copyright © by Tommy Lee. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.| Part 1 | The Motley House | 1 |
| Part 2 | Born Too Loose | 9 |
| Part 3 | Toast Of The Town | 43 |
| Part 4 | Shout At The Devil | 81 |
| Part 5 | Save Our Souls | 123 |
| Part 6 | Girls, Girls, Girls | 159 |
| Part 7 | Some Of Our Best Friends Are Drug Dealers | 173 |
| Part 8 | Some Of Our Best Friends Were Drug Dealers | 209 |
| Part 9 | Don't Go Away Mad | 241 |
| Part 10 | Without You | 285 |
| Part 11 | The Guns, The Women, The Ego | 333 |
| Part 12 | Hollywood Ending | 399 |
| Acknowledgments | 429 |
AdamGis
Posted May 20, 2010
I was a Crue fan growing up as a kid, and fell out of them in later years. Later on, I always got the feeling that these guys were scumbags.
After reading "The Dirt", my suspicions were confirmed. These guys ARE scumbags...just really interesting scumbags.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 22, 2010
This book is narley. From the bands wild parties. To all the drugs, girls, and rock. This book tells all Motley Crues deepest secrets. Nikki Sixx had a drug over dose. It includes Tommy Lee's crazy ways.
I have read this a couple times. this book reveals everything. This is one of the best bands and best story. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a incredible journey. I love the book. I Recommoend this to any one.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 21, 2009
I love Crue...so this was a fun book with a lot of insite to songs and the band. I really liked the way they covered the same situation from each members point of view. I would highly recommend this book!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.M-VanPort
Posted March 25, 2009
Written as a collection of stories spanning the career of one of the most out of control bands ever, The Dirt, was amazingly enjoyable to read, covering everything from band member's humble beginnings, to outrageous tour stories, to Nikki Sixx dying (twice). This book was a no holds barred glimpse into the rock 'n' roll of days since passed. One notable aspect of the book is that while it is written as different stories, rather than one flowing story line, almost every one of these tales is told from multiple perspectives. This is something that I personally enjoyed, because more often than not, a different view on that story served to draw me as a reader deeper in. However this is at times also the book's downfall, as it can feel like the same thing is being rehashed over and over. In the end though, this small flaw can be forgiven simply because of the outrageousness of the narrative. I also feel as though The Dirt benefited from the fact that Neil Strauss co-wrote the book. To me this allowed for a well written piece, which because of Strauss' status as only a co-writer also let the story come from the mouths of those who lived it. Looking back on the book I find that there was never a time where I felt as though it wasn't worth reading, and as such would recommend this to all fans of rock 'n' roll.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is great as it is written by the band members themselves. By the end of the book you really get a good idea of what these people are really like. It's funny, gross, honest and sad. I enjoyed it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.NEAAAAA
Posted March 15, 2009
This book takes you on a trip with Motely Crue from when they were just children practicing in garages to making it big. From the dirtiest parts to the most heart breaking parts of each member of the band. The story of this great band is told in detail from each band member; Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, and Tommy Lee. They started out playing at little clubs in L.A. and became one of the most notorious bands from that scene. The Crue lead a crazy lifestyle. It also talked about all the crude things the Crue did to groupies. Nikki shot up daily, Vince was an alcoholic, Mick nobody really knew what he did, and Tommy was like the little kid of the group. Tommy and Nikki together were like the terror twins. They wreaked havoc on everything in their path. The bands life was a constant party, which began digging them in a deep hole of hard drug addiction and alcohol addiction. After a horrible accident Vince was sent to rehab and practically alienated from the group. The band began acting hypocritical to Vince after rehab about his drinking and partying. It angered Vince until he left the band. And while separated from the band Vince went through many hard times with his wife they divorced and shortly after he lost his daughter to cancer. After the band lost Vince, horrible mud slinging occurred between the band and Vince. The Crue gets another lead singer and tries to continue on, but they hit rock bottom. Their music was no longer on the top of the charts, their record label tries to make them quit, and rehab. Tommy ended up going to jail because of problems between him and Pamela. People were no longer interested in the band; the band wasn't the real Motley Crue without Vince. And nobody wanted to see the new Crue. After awhile Vince joins back up with the band and they go on a sober tour, one thing the band never thought would happen. Tommy and Nikki continued argue and play dirty tricks on Vince. And Vince continued the same. Eventually the band went their separate ways and settled with their families. Overall I liked this book it was a big page-turner. And I can't stand reading. This book gave me a whole new view on one of my favorite 80's bands and the hard and dark times they experienced as a band. It gave me an insight on some of their songs. I think some of the things they did to people were very very crude, but I didn't expect much more from a band this big. They could get away with practically anything they wanted to. It's just wild from all the partying, concerts, drugs and overdoses I just wonder how these four men are still alive. I do suggest that if you are a rock lover or a Motley Crue fan, that you read this book. You'll love it, seriously.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 9, 2009
Motley Crue's The Dirt is a detailed autobiography of one the worlds most notorious rock bands. This book looks into the lives of all the band members at their best and worst times. See inside Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson's marriage, Nikki Sixx struggling with the heroine addiction that killed him, Vince Neil dealing with his daughters' death from cancer, and Mick Mars discovering the disease that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Sex, Drugs and Rock N' Roll are definitely themes that are present in the book and is no better defined than that of Motley Crue.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Connor-Mize
Posted March 5, 2012
The story of this great band is told in detail from each band member; Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, and Tommy Lee. How the story talks about how they started off and then to become one of the most notorious bands from that scene. It also talked about all the crude things the Crue did to groupies. Nikki shot up daily, Vince was an alcoholic, Mick nobody really knew what he did, and Tommy was like the little kid of the group. Tommy and Nikki together were like the terror twins where they wreaked havoc on everything in their path. The bands life was a constant party, which began a life of hard drug addiction and alcohol addiction. After a horrible accident Vince was sent to rehab and practically alienated from the group. The band began acting hypocritical to Vince after rehab about his drinking and partying. It angered Vince until he left the band which caused problems for the band. And while separated from the band, Vince went through many hard times with his wife they divorced and shortly after he lost his daughter to cancer. The Crue gets another lead singer and tries to continue on, but they hit rock bottom. Their music was no longer on the top of the charts and the band was over. Tommy ended up going to jail because of problems between him and Pamela. People were no longer interested in the band; the band wasn't the real Motley Crue without Vince. After awhile, Vince joins back up with the band and they go on a sober tour, one thing the band never thought would happen. Tommy and Nikki continued to argue and play dirty tricks on Vince. Eventually the band went their separate ways and settled with their families. I really enjoyed the book and its message of how fame can tear you apart if you’re not headstrong. I would strongly recommend this book because it’s very interesting.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Just a great read for anyone that is a fan of Motley Crue. Interesting to read about the experiences the members of Motley went through.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.louisejean711
Posted May 5, 2010
Gives great insight on what really went on backstage, onstage... and how hard it really was to make it...
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Mere83
Posted May 5, 2010
A great, absorbing read - To quote a rock n roll journalist "Everything you've ever thought about rock bands is confirmed by this book."
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 17, 2010
If your a new or old fan of Motley Crue you've heard all the rumors and half truths about the band, this book sets it all straight in the words and language of Mick, Nicki, Tommy & Vince. The book is written just like their early days, rude, crude, and in your face with no words minced and no attempts at trying to be politically correct. Hands down the best Autobiography I've ever read and the only one I will reread again and again.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Hard to put down. Having grown up on metal and seeing the Crue in concert many times, it amazes me how they ever did it and survived to tell the tales. Despite the terrible things that this band went through, they stayed true to their dreams, aspirations, and themselves. They give all out, honest recollection of their battles with death, birth, loss, hope, highs, lows, love, hate, alcoholism, and drug addiction. No candy coating here!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.morphine11
Posted March 14, 2010
i had only faintly heard of Motley Crue before this book. the only reason i read it was because my friend brought it into our math class and told me to read a couple of selected paragraphs. i fell in freakin' love. i went out and bought the book after my audition for Syracuse University which went fairly well by the way as my reward. one hell of a reward it would prove to be. you can seriously open this book ANYWHERE and find a story that you will remember for life. you really get a feel for all of the band members, you love them then you get pissed at them and then you love them again and sometimes you get dissapointed in them. But dudes,you gotta read this, when it ended i had no idea what to do. i actually went to a used book store and found this book there in close to PERFECT condition being sold for 3 bucks. i was so furious that someone would give this book up that i bought it again. This book isn't even a book it's a pick me up from life's daily dose of s***. i highly reccomend The Dirt to anyone 16 and older. because it does have a lot of language a lot of sex and a lot of drugs. i love it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The rawness of this story is eye opening. I have always known that producing good music comes from a labor of love, but after reading this book, I have grown to have a deep respect for music in general because now when I hear a good song my first thought is "I wonder what went on during the creation of this song!" I know that not all musicians are drug addicts, alcoholics, and depressed, But after reading this book, it gets you to thinking about some of the things that musicians go through to bring you the music that you hear.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 6, 2009
This book was absolutely wonderful, funny, heartwarming and exciting.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.B3S3G
Posted September 23, 2009
Book Review Outline
Book title and author: Motley Crue: The Dirt By Motley Crue
Title of review: A great book
Number of stars (1 to 5): 5
Introduction
Have you ever wondered what life would be like in the world's most notorious rock band? If so Motley Crue: The Dirt is a book for you!
Description and summary of main points
The book is about a group of guys in there early twenties that start a band and find out about the troubles along the way such as cops, drugs and most of all what happens when you make a careless mistake. From drummer Tommy Lee's marriage with Pamela Anderson, to guitarist Mick Mars being struck with a disease that causes pain through out his body except his fingers. This is an inside look at this bands ups and downs.
Evaluation
The book is a book I would recommend to a mature, older audience. Not young teenagers. This book contains adult language and scenarios that are not recommended to a younger audience seeing as it may provoke foul language.
Conclusion
This book is great for fans of the band and people who love books about a band that really doesn't give a care in the world about anything but rock and roll.
Your final review
This book was an amazing fast paced book about the notorious bad boy band known as Motley Crue. It has insight that people don't hear about in interviews such as bassist Nikki Sixx addition to drugs which actually kills him, but a young doctor makes a daring choice to give him a double shoot a serum that makes his heart beat again thus giving the band the idea to write a song. Also lead singer Vince Neil's daughter is struggling with cancer and doesn't win the battle. Guitarist Mick Mars is stricken with a spinal disease that causes him to feel pain if him moves his body too much but the disease doesn't hurt his fingers which allows him to be one of the world's most famous guitarist. And finally drummer Tommy Lee is married to Pamela Anderson and the marriage doesn't last too long because of Tommy's rock star antics. This book is the true stories and life styles of a famous rock and roll band. This is a book that fans and curious readers can't put down.
Anonymous
Posted August 22, 2008
I absolutlly loved this book! what a story,i couldnt help reading something and then i had to look at the pics just imagining,unreal!saw them in concert after...Love them they rock!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 16, 2008
I really enjoy reading autobiographies about rock stars/bands. I loved Motley Crue when I was in high school. They were such rebels! The book was good and I liked getting the same story from every point of view. It is amazing they survive the debauchery and hard living!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 18, 2008
i read the dirt by motley crure and is awsome book, pictures are great , motley crue is a awsome band :)
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Overview
The most influential, enduring, and iconic metal band of the 1980's reveals everything a tell-all of epic proportions.
This unbelievable autobiography explores the rebellious lives of four of the most influential icons in American rock history.
Motley Crue was the voice of a barely pubescent Generation X, the anointed high priests of backward-masking pentagram rock, pioneers of Hollywood glam, and the creators of MTV's first "power ballad." ...