Layne Staley: Get Born Again by Adriana Rubio
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Book Reviews of Layne Staley: Get Born Again
Book Review: Pure Trash
Summary: 1 Stars
This book is pure garbage. The author is apparently an anti-drug zealot who really knows very little of what she's talking about and is using Layne to spread her misinformation. She allegedly interviewed Layne talking about his addiction at the end of his life and published the most private statements (not respecting his privacy at all if the statements were indeed made) to sell books and generate sympathy for her cause, and of course to make a fast buck. Her thesis is that Layne's downfall was caused by heroin. One could also make the case that his "downfall" was caused by coming from a broken family or any of a number of other factors. She presents the same lies and myths surrounding heroin that make treatment and actually helping those with a problem impossible. She propagates the myth that heroin is some kind of devil drug and that once you try it you're immediately hooked when, in reality, statistics actually show that most people who try the drug don't become addicts or even regular users. The returning Vietnam veterans who left the habit upon returning to the U.S. is just one of many studies made upon the subject. As long as the myths continue true addicts will not get proper treatment because they will be afraid to come forward in a society that punishes them through harsh laws and treats them as outcasts.
She is more worried about pushing her drug war propaganda than really trying to portray the positive, artistic aspects of Layne's life. I've been an AIC for many years and I can assure true fans that this book has very little to offer. I understand that someone is interested in making it into a movie -- another drug war piece designed to influence people to use emotion rather than reason in evaluating our nation's policies toward drug users. That way, when people think about Layne, they'll only think about heroin and not about the truly talented and amazing artist that he was. Save your money and go see AIC in concert since they are currently touring with Will Duvall. The best way to remember Layne is to enjoy the music he made.
This woman's eating disorder is not illegal and she is not hounded and prosecuted for having gorged herself as a bulemic by authorities or labeled as an outcast as drug users are whether they develop a problem with drugs or not. I have another theory to offer about Layne's downfall. Layne was a victim of the media and of people like this who mystify celebrities so that they are no longer individuals but become symbols of whatever cause is fashionable at the time.
Layne was hounded by the media about his drug use and labeled a "junkie" early in the band's career. Layne the individual was lost and he became a symbol of the evil of drugs -- heroin in particular. His privacy was violated and it was forgotten that he was actually a living, breathing person. If you want to read a more balanced view of life as a "junkie" read The Naked Lunch by William Burroughs, who lived to a ripe old age and who was a junkie for a longer time than Layne but before the drug war had become fashionable. He doesn't glamorize the lifestyle but neither did he die from it and managed to quit on his own. In my opinion, if anyone is to blame for Layne's untimely demise, it is the corporate media and the system of which it is a part. Save your money. This book stinks. No decent person would publish the statements made in The Angry Chair which she attributes to Layne, at least no person that respects other people as individuals. It is an image of a sick Layne which she leaves us with and not Layne, the amazing artist with the beautiful voice.
Book Review: Don't bother
Summary: 1 Stars
I received this book in the mail less than two days ago and have finished it already. Not because it was insightful or the least bit enjoyable but because I kept hoping the author would redeem herself. Basically, I got through the book as quickly as possible the way a child gets through a plate of forced spinach. The writing is choppy and disjointed. There is no cohesion, only interviews and statements by family members that seem out of context. Layne himself is depicted merely as a pathetic soul. I'm certain that there were happy and fulfilling moments in his life but the author chose to concentrate almost exclusively on his suffering. Layne's mother comes off as a total nut job who didn't have a clue how to handle her son's addiction. It's no wonder that she rescinded her support for this book. The author portrays the other members of Alice in Chains in an extremely negative light, solely because they did not choose to support her project. In reality, they made a very smart decision. I understand there are plans to make this book into a film. God help us. In the end, it seems that what Layne Staley feared about journalists came to fruition. He should have told his own story or trusted it to someone who really knew him.Book Review: Get Born Again - What a disappointment!
Summary: 1 Stars
Being a huge Alice In Chains fan and just seeing them in concert with a new singer, I was very eager to read a book about Layne to try to understand what his life was like not so much pre-fame but during fame. I was so looking forward to reading this book and what a HUGE disappointment it was. I felt that there was absolutely no storyline. Alot of the quotes were repeated over and over in the book, almost as a filler. There is nothing from the other members of Alice or any of his friends or label people, which I think is strange. I would think that they would have a huge amount of material to supply to this book. The only people that really contributed to the book were his mother and sister. The author seemed to go off on tangents about goats and midevil times when really I just wanted to read facts about Layne and not some interpretation of how the author perceived him too be. I too can do that. I actually was bored reading the book and was skipping over chapters because they had nothing to do with anything. What a disappointment. I suggest listening to the music instead, although it would be fascinating to read a story about his life. This definitely is not that.Book Review: Worst Book Ive ever read...
Summary: 1 Stars
When I got this book I was hoping to gain some new insight about Layne Staley however after the first chapter I could tell this book was going to be a shocker of a read. The book is junk. Badly edited and written, it contains almost no new information a die hard Alice in Chains fan wouldn't already know.... The chapters are very brief almost rushing through certain parts of Laynes life. In particular the chapters about his Teen life, Band Years with Alice in Chains and Demri. The author seems write an awful lot about them self and their own life expriences which have almost nothing to do with Layne Staley. Many parts in the book are repeated in other chapters. All up this is the worst biography on a musician ive ever read. It's no suprise Layne's mother and sister didnt want this book to be published as well as the remaining AIC members not wanting to take part in it. This book is rubbish, Thank you...Book Review: Drugs were not who Layne Was.
Summary: 1 Stars
This book focuses on drugs, not Layne. Layne was an extraordinary man. He was a musical genius. Not only was he great at writing, but he was also a painter, a sculptor, and he wrote poems. Layne is a legend. If we don't stop supporting things like this he will be lost with time. He should be remembered as a gifted wonderful man. Yes drugs were a part of his life, but they were not his life. He had a disease that he could not beat. He didn't want to be stuck on drugs his entire life. He wanted to be clean and to start a family. He tried rehab countless times. Rehab did not work for him. I will always remember Layne Thomas Staley as a gifted artist , who wrote music that gets me thru my daily struggles. I hope other will do the same.
RespectforLayne.com