Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: Tales from the Other Mötley Crüe Frontman and Journeys through a Life In and Out of Rock and Roll

I read a lot of biographies. I have read hundreds and there is a common theme in most starting with their childhood and parents, etc. Most and I mean most are very boring and I typically skip these sections and get to the meat and potatoes. "I went to this school, my Dad was a hard worker, blah, blah, blah". Most of use do not care about these details. JOHNS BOOK: First thing I noticed was how well worded and spoken the book is. And John always adds a little backstory to what he is talking about. I did not skip one page in the book and even enjoyed all the sections on his childhood and parents. I think one, he is a good story teller and two, the stories are interesting. John is one of the good guys in music, humble, down to earth and knows who he is and does not change for anyone. Definitely one of the top 5 books in my collection!

Lars,
ScotiSlate

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. John has a way of keeping things down to earth, direct (but kind hearted) and real. I discovered the music of his band Angora because of this read and highly recommend checking out the song, “Hey Operator (Give Me a Line)”….fantastic song! The Motley stuff was great. It would be tough to come into a monster band like that and I felt that in his description. It seems like he had a great connection with Mick Mars and that was cool to read about. It was also interesting to hear about how Walt (drummer from The Scream) handled his departure. My heart kind of went out to him. I was never into Union much but the Dead Daisies were great and I just picked up their live album because of this book. I absolutely love how he sums things up at the end of the book….”life is how it should be”. Thanks for the great introspective and honest read, John. I’m kind of bummed to be done with it!

My first review was rejected because I quoted from the book and Mr Corabi has a fondness for the F word (hope that’s acceptable?) and the phrase “are you f-ing kidding me”….which were both used so often it was really annoying! Why 5 stars then? Because I couldn’t put the book down and read it in two days!! I first heard John Corabi when I stumbled across Union and became an instant fan. In my opinion he has one of the best voices in rock and roll! His life and stories are interesting, hilarious and very entertaining! To me he will always be one of the best…..I think I’ll dig out and rewatch those old Union dvds now!

This is one of the best rock biographies I have ever read. It was very in depth. If your a John Corabi fan this book is a must. Very well written!

Been waiting forever for this book. Finished it in one day. If you are a fan Of John's then this is a must read

When I learned John wrote a book I was excited to read it . Some of the stories he has told over the years have really resonated with me , since we grew up in the same place ; Philadelphia. He grew up there in the 60’s and I grew up there in the 80’s . Many of the places and neighborhoods he talks about are right where I lived . I have not finished the book yet , but so far it’s gold.

It’s cool to read a book from someone the music industry that wasn’t necessarily the biggest star but made an impact. There are a lot of interesting stories in this book and it’s fascinating to see the rock works from a different point of view. If you grew up with the 80’s rock scene or are just a fan, I recommend this book.

He's my favorite songwriter and musician in this genre, this book really inspired me not to give up on my own music.

Loved this book. I too have read every rock memoir out there & This one is platinum.
You get your monie$ worth as he wrote a full book of solid anecdotes not some lukewarm poetical head in the clouds journal entries.

The book is well written. It samples various aspects of the music industry and seems to center on the rise
and fall of rock musicians. Growing up in Philadelphia from the 60's to the 80's was an experience both
good and bad. Some of the stories I would rather have not known and try to forget. But I guess the road to rock stardom is rather rough at times. When I was in six grade there was this kid, John who took guitar lessons at the Inky school from one of the nuns. He was learning the more classical way of guitar and the classics. One day, one of my other friends (the other JC) asked this kid if he had learned anything that we would like. I was thinking, oh just great, another kid who thinks that he can play guitar. This kid, John Corabi, played "Wipeout" on his Gibson guitar and thumped the body of the guitar for the drums. When he was finished, there was silence. We all looked at each other in amazement and then applauded. It was perfect. We were in the midst of someone who has real talent. The nun that he refers to as "Sister Charles Bronson" was strict, but she had taught John enough to teach himself. After learning "Kumbaya my Lord", he could learn anything. John lived on the other side of Barrett playground near Mrs. Smith's pie company. This rather large playground became the dividing line between the "good" and "bad" neighborhoods. I was shocked that John mentions names in the antics that they pulled. Some of his stories seemed like stories out of "A Bronx Tale." We lived those stories. And, just like the end of the movie "Sleepers," we all thought that somehow, we would know each other forever. But then, the "they" moved in and destroyed our peaceful existence. We had it all and we lost it. The turbulence at home from his parents' divorce and the abuse that John was enduring from his extended family probably contributed to his silent demeanor. He hated when someone was being bullied. John went from a real altar boy to a teen rebel. But he never lost empathy for others. Yeah, maybe the nuns were tough, but that Catholic School prepared us for the future not to mention high school. John credits his survival to his Italian-Catholic upbringing. In late 60's and early 70's, it really was a great time in Philadelphia. The school doors were never locked during the day. Scanners and security? We didn't need them. We were safe. John and I used to walk to the Church to serve as altar boys at 6am in perfect safety. Today, we could not walk that 5th Street, Lindley Avenue, Ruscomb Street or Rockland Street safely. If you lived in Philly or are interested in John's rise in the music industry, then you will love the Philly parts. Just a warning. Sister Clement and her clicker would not have approved of all the "F" bombs.