I’m a huge Ratt fan as the first series the site ever did was a Ratt one where we reviewed every Ratt album in their discography (and my collection). A big part of that is because I like Stephen Pearcy. So when I was in Los Angeles and saw a book by Stephen Pearcy called ‘Sex, Drugs, Ratt & Roll: My Life in Rock’, I had to grab it. Now, Stephen didn’t write it by himself, he had the help of Sam Benjamin. But the two together crafted a book that was an easy, entertaining read and I like easy. And you will notice down below, the copy I picked up had been signed by Stephen back in 2018 which I didn’t notice until I got back home. Pretty cool!!

The story opens with birth of his daughter and him going to rehab, then quickly jumps back to his childhood. He was a typical kid, parents divorced when he was young so he didn’t now his Dad very well and raised by a single mom. He had to move from L.A. to San Diego when he was young and didn’t fit in with the scene. He found some hippie type friends and got in to drugs and drinking at a young age. He was hit by a car and both legs broken and was in rehab in the hospital for months on end and took a long time to recover.

When he finally discovered music, that became his motivation, his drive, his obsession. He knew he was going to make it and did everything in his power to make it happen. He met David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen early on when that band was getting ready to break and there are some fun stories with that. And with a book called Sex, Drugs, Ratt & Roll, you get all of that and then some. Most of the book is about his sex addiction and his drug addiction and after awhile that does get old because how many times can you talk about getting trim and not just sound like it is on repeat. He gets a lot and constantly. Stephen is a giant man-child who can’t commit to anything or anyone except the addictions, but his drive to be a rock star was insane.

The stories of friendship with Robbin “King” Crosby and the tragic story of his demise (from Stephen’s vantage point). The brotherhood between them and both men’s desire to succeed and then to watch drugs take over and tear that apart was sad. Drugs are main point to the book just as much so as the sex. Stephen’s addiction was almost as bad as Robbin’s but Robbin’s ride had the tragic ending. How Stephen survived is beyond me. At first the two crossed paths and became friends, they went their own routes at first but thankfully wound up together.

The stories of Mickey Ratt and how it began and the struggles they faced. Jake E. Lee was in the band for awhile and eventually they would change to Ratt and Robbin would come in, then Warren DeMartini, Juan Croucier and Bobby Blotzer. The band would play a lot of shows but still struggle to make like their peers were doing including Motley Crue who they partied with quite a lot. There is a lot of time on this and great stories I think you’ll enjoy.

You get great detail about the struggles of making it and how much effort goes in to succeeding and how much he literally had to pimp himself out to get his band gigs…when you get to the stories on playing at the Whiskey you will understand what I mean. The stories about Wendy Dio are interesting as well as she tried to be their manager and it didn’t end well. So many great stories about the time on the Strip are what I found most fun.

The book takes your through every album and every tour up to 2013. The only thing I wish there were more stories of were when they were making the albums. I would’ve loved to hear more about the album process with Beau Hill as producer. Instead, it is glossed over and more time is talking about the antics on the road. Did I mention there was a lot of sex and drugs on the road because there was a lot…and I mean a lot. It sounds like Stephen has a lot of kids out in the world that his management team paid off to keep quiet and go away. I wonder how many there are.

The book goes through the dark times of his addiction and the break-up of Ratt. You get some stories on his other bands like Arcade and the later the years get, the more glossed over it goes. Stephen has a baby with his girlfriend, but his addiction never stops. He loves his daughter, but the drugs keep control. He gets married to his girlfriend and hopes that helps…it doesn’t. He does rehab, but I don’t know if he ever fully gets clean. His body wears down, the band gets back together, but nothing really changes. There are lawsuits and things with Ratt are a mess…still are today actually.

I have to admit, I did find the book extremely entertaining and I couldn’t put it down. I read it in a few weeks which for me is really quick and for that to happen, I had to be enjoying it…and I was. If there is a fault with it, it is the little detail behind the making of the albums. That for me is what I enjoy. The finer parts of making an album and all that goes in to it. The tour stuff was great and the stories were sex filled and sometimes quite hilarious. The book is also interspersed with comments from people in and around Stephen and the band…some cool little tidbits and tales. If you are a fan of the 80’s rock scene and even Ratt, this is a must read. You get some great behind the curtain looks at what was going on back in the day. He talks about Van Halen, Motley Crue, Guns & Roses and so many little stories about people and bands you love. My Overall Score is a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars. Sex, Drugs and Ratt & Roll is what its all about.