Published: 2004
Genre:
Autobiography, Rock
Kitch’s Rating: 9/10
The thing about these rock autobiographies – similar to the
hockey ones that I devour on a regular basis – is that the stories are essentially
the same, especially when we’re talking about bands or artists who came up in
America during the 1980s and 1990s, as Lee's outrageous band, Motley Crue, did.
Basically, the story goes like this: guy dreams of being a
musician, finds similar-minded band, they toil hard in clubs and get a minor
record deal, strike it hot, get a major record deal, sell ridiculous amounts of
records, tour the world in a private jet, do drugs, have a lot of sex,
sometimes break-up, often stage a reunion, sometimes break-up again, release
more music, do more drugs, have more sex.
The trick to making this tale that we’ve all read before, a
dozen times, is to freshen it up, and what sets Tommyland apart from most others in the genre is the personality of
Tommy Lee. You can feel it oozing through the pages, and that’s great. I like
to learn new things about people I’ve watched plying their trade for years –
that’s why I read autobiographies like this one – and I must say some of the
revelations Tommy made in his book surprised me.
Going beyond the bad-boy image, the fact that he barely has
a bad word to say about either of his high-profile ex-wives, Pamela Anderson
and Heather Locklear, honestly really surprised me, given it was Pam’s actions
that essentially got him sent to jail for four months. You think there’d be an
incredible amount of anger towards her, but if there is, Tommy doesn’t mention
it here. Given he hasn’t shied away from anything in the book, I’m inclined to
believe what he says, that, no matter what, he’ll always love Pam.
The chapter devoted to Lee’s stint in an Los Angeles County correctional
facility will shock and surprise. Tommy Lee crying? Yeah, it happened. Writing
from the heart is what makes this book so great. He doesn’t whinge and complain
like former KISS drummer Peter Criss did in his autobiography, and nor does he
make excuses for things that’ve happened. If he did something wrong, he
generally accepts responsibility.
Tommyland is a
quick read, but an interesting one. It doesn’t take a huge amount of concentration
to follow, but it’s entertaining nonetheless. Tommy is funny when he needs to be
– the chapter devotes to his thoughts on how best to please women is outrageous
gold, as are the frequent asides allegedly
written by his, uh, penis – but, importantly, he shows a sensitive side when
talking about his kids, his parents, the breakdown of his marriages and the
tragedy of the youngster who died in his pool a few years back. His battles
with the paparazzi get a lot of examination, and it’s made me fairly certain
that being famous just isn’t worth it.
If you loved Motley Crue’s epic The Dirt autobiography, Tommyland is a great companion piece. As
a matter of fact, any work co-authored by Anthony Bozza (who steered INXS
through their own tell-all piece) deserves to be read.
Tommy was always the naive one of the group, but he was always the most honest
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