You should know who Scott Ian is, if you don’t then just click back on your browser and read a different article on this lovely website… Or maybe google/youtube him and educate yourself. For those who are more knowledgeable, please continue on with this piece of writing.

Iconic guitarist, spoken word enthusiast, author and professional arsehole Scott Ian returns once more with a new book which he hopes will answer what he says is his ‘most asked question’ in any interview; “What is the craziest/strangest/wildest/other word ending in ‘-est’ thing you have seen on the road?”. Packed with stories (23 to be exact), “Access All Areas” is a collection of assorted tales from one man’s journey in the world of music- the highs and lows of fame, personal brushes with natural events, brief forays into acting and most importantly – musical madness!

Intrigued yet? You should be!

What other book on the market contains the tale of a drunken Scott Ian punching Michael Stipe because “EVERYBODY HURTS MICHAEL!!”? What other book would spin the tale of hanging out in a strip club with Madonna to watch a dancer with 42GGG’s before heading to see Rage Against The Machine back in NYC in 1994? What other book details how members of Metallica and Anthrax drunkenly committed the felonies of breaking and entering on one Kirk Hammett whilst he was having ‘The Break Up Talk’ with his girlfriend at the time, purely because it was 4am and they were drunk and wanted to jam? The answer is this book! From bizarre things (Beer and Fruit Loop Enemas backstage at a Nine Inch Nails gig) to punching Michael Stipe at a loft party thrown by David Lee Roth to general advice on making life choices (how to survive being the drummer for AC/DC, why you don’t touch Zakk Wylde’s beard, why you shouldn’t ride shotgun with Al Jourgensen), Scott’s stories, laced with some great detail, witty observations and references to Madonna’s tits and how he managed to wing winning a charity poker tournament have a real gripping feel to them – when you read them, it almost feels like you’re sat at a bar with him, nursing a pint and hanging off of his every word!

The compact length, straight to the point tales, personal observations and witty remarks give it a great re-readability factor and a great entertainment value which will have you smirking/laughing out loud and making you actually feel like you were there as a fly on the wall. The personal insights help show Scott as what he is; just a guy who likes music, comics and finding himself in rather ridiculous situations which at times seem a little far-fetched but at the same time are totally believable. See “Your Hero Should Never Wear Daisy Dukes” for a fantastic example of this!

A personal gripe I have with this book is that there isn’t enough drunken debauchery and chaotic behaviour, but the more random elements to the stories, their lack of chronological order and the fact they are all ‘self-contained’ (there is no need for any backstory or major exposition or continuity factors) more than makes up for this.

In all, this is a great book and it really works well. It’s a great time killer, highly amusing, a great read and provides a great insight into the life of Scott!

(Fraggle)

https://www.hachette.co.uk/books/detail.page?isbn=9780306825231