Label: Entertainment One
Review By: Alan Holloway
Duff McKagan should be dead. It's not the most insightful observation, I know, but after watching this new documentary/performance it's a fact that is pretty much rammed home. At one point it's noted that he has more lives than a cat, and it's not an exaggeration. 'It's So easy & Other Lies' is a mixture of interviews and spoken word performance, and gives an interesting if not too revealing insight into one of rock's most famous bassists.
The spoken word sections come from a tour Duff did to promote the book of the same name. which consisted of him reading passages from the book whilst an acoustic band (with string section) played atmospheric music plus GnR tunes. It's a neat little idea that works well (the audience seem to love it) but to some may seem a little lazy. It's more helpful if you see this as a 'film of the book' sort of thing.
Much more interesting are the many interview snippets, from old friends, family and band members. Only Slash turns up to represent GnR, but then again he's always seemed to be the nicest of a mad bunch and has the bonus of being with Duff in Velvet Revolver as well. So we go through Duff's early band days through his various addictions, recoveries, more addictions, more recovery and so on. All the interviewees do their bit and you get a well rounded and interesting picture as a result.
'It's So Easy & Other Lies' is not the sort of DVD I'd calla 'must' for fans, but if you like a good rock doc you should certainly give it a try. As I have said there's nothing anyone who has read his books won't already know, and the biggest attraction is hearing it from the mouths of those who knew him before and after fame swallowed him up and shit him out again.
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