Sound N’ Fury: Rock N’ Roll Stories

Niven debuts with a bumpy collection of anecdotes from a career spent managing some of rock’s bestselling acts, most notably Guns N’ Roses and Mötley Crüe. Among other episodes, Niven recalls Axl Rose’s frequent failures to appear at concerts and events (including the band’s 2012 induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame); the comically low-budget shoot for the “Sweet Child o’ Mine” music video (the threadbare set was “full of pigeon shit when we went to see” it); and the power struggles between band members as Rose assumed increased control over Guns N’ Roses in the 1990s (“He now had the reins,” the author remembers thinking as the group worked on material for Use Your Illusion. “Keeping the money flowing would now be the priority, and to do that everyone in the band would bend a knee to Rose”). Niven’s blunt delivery has a certain appeal—he critiques Mötley Crüe as “more sizzle than steak”—though after a while his hubristic tone and tendency to repeat himself becomes wearying. This is best suited for devoted Guns N’ Roses fans. (June)