Guitar legend Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth) recently announced that, "After an exhaustive and seemingly endless process, I’m beyond excited to let you know that I’ve just turned in the final manuscript for my autobiography, Dreaming Japanese."
Friedman talks about his new book and more in a new feature at The Guardian. The following is an excerpt...
Friedman has poured it all into an autobiography, Dreaming Japanese, which will be published later this year with a focus on what he calls his “transformation to Japanese society. So many people have asked me about it over the years, saying no one else has done what I’ve done. Maybe some see me as this guitar guy who fucked off to Japan to do TV shows and that’s where it ends for a lot of people, but even my hardcore fans don’t know anything that I’m putting in this book – like first love, first sexual experiences, marriage, divorce.”
There’ll certainly be stories of strife – before landing the Megadeth gig in 1990, Friedman auditioned unsuccessfully for Madonna, KISS and Ozzy Osbourne amid periods of homelessness – but it won’t contain the typical tales of excess you might normally find in a rock’n’roll memoir: “I was the only one in Megadeth who was completely sober throughout my time in the band, so I have an outlook that’s accurate and from a different standpoint.”
To write a compelling rock memoir, he says, you don’t necessarily need “the tragic, near-death experiences or drug overdoses. I think a lot of people wanna do crazy shit, take risks and leave a comfortable situation to chase a dream – it sounds cliche but it’s exactly what I did, and hopefully that part is inspiring.”
No other rock band in history has enjoyed a greater wealth of lead guitarist talent than Megadeth. Seven different players have performed across their 16 studio albums and, given the constantly revolving door, speculation around a Friedman return has endured for two decades. Last year, the stars briefly aligned as Friedman joined Megadeth live to perform a trio of songs at Tokyo’s illustrious Budokan arena – including "Tornado Of Souls", which features a famously intoxicating guitar solo. “People were crying and screaming and smiling from ear to ear. It was just a different kind of night!”, he says. “The show couldn’t have been any better, and to be completely honest, the band sounded better than when I was in it.”
He calls it the “perfect reunion”, although only half of the band’s classic lineup was present. Former drummer Nick Menza died from heart failure aged 51 in 2016 after collapsing during a gig in Los Angeles. Long-serving bassist David Ellefson was fired in 2021 after a sex scandal. But Friedman suggests that it was more about him and Dave Mustaine – Megadeth’s ever-present leader – coming full circle.
“[Mustaine and I] love each other but it was time for me to leave the band when I did. The only piece of unfinished business that we had was Budokan. It was equally important for both of us because we’re both rock fans at heart – growing up with Cheap Trick at Budokan, and all our heroes who played there, we both wanted to play it together. Dave got hold of me and said ‘Dude, have you ever played Budokan?’ I said yeah, and he said: ‘Do you wanna play it again?’ It was the sweetest exchange.”
Read more at TheGuardian.com.
Announcing Dreaming Japanese, Marty added: "I've always kept my private life completely out of the media, so with nervous excitement, I am thrilled to share the story about my upbringing, home life and career for the first time. You will enjoy the deepest dive into never before revealed details about my life in Megadeth and the personal relationships within the band written with alarming clarity. Same goes for all of my other bands, from the very beginning.
I outline the entire story why - and exactly how - I dropped living the high life in a multi-platinum band to start from scratch in Japan dreaming to play J-Pop, and how that spiraled into eventually exceeding even my loftiest goals, even becoming a government appointed Ambassador. It`s a complete immersion into my daily Japanese life as I guide you through the inner workings of the Japanese television industry and music scene, from my my unique and unprecedented perspective.
The book releases December 3 and I can’t wait for you to read it. We’re working on the cover now and I’ll share that soon. In the meantime, Dreaming Japanese is available now for pre-order here."
Book description: Marty Friedman’s upbringing was as atypical as his career. Growing up in a Jewish household in Maryland, the son of an NSA executive, he lacked motivation until he accidentally discovered the guitar and immediately found his calling. Enjoying a hazy adolescence overflowing with partying, music, and teen antics, he achieved local stardom in Deuce, then burst onto the national scene by pioneering a radically new style of playing, bringing attention to the guitar aficionado label, Shrapnel Records. Acclaim didn’t breed success or money, but undeterred, Friedman moved to California, and after attempts to join Madonna, KISS, and Ozzy Osbourne, finally scored a gig in Megadeth at a time when the band members were just recovering from the verge of self-destruction, and Marty was in and out of homelessness. Friedman is the most revered guitarist to play in any Megadeth lineup. During his ten years, his exotic, innovating style helped define the sound of their biggest albums, and while it elevated him to guitar hero status with all the accompanying perks, it came at a significant cost. As the only clean and sober member, Friedman vividly recalls the triumphs and trials of each album cycle and more, bringing to light previously undisclosed personal feelings surrounding the circumstances that forced the band into hiding in the midst of the Countdown to Extinction Tour and the brutal effort it took to get the band back up and running. His profound and complicated relationship with frontman Dave Mustaine was symbolic of the band’s insane dynamic, and Marty poignantly and generously shares his experiences within the band’s inner sanctum during the highs, lows, and daily routines. But, Dreaming Japanese is far more than a memoir about Friedman’s multi-Platinum years in Megadeth. The riveting narrative captures his relentless perseverance as he struggles to start again from nothing. Spontaneously leaving his home in the US and feeling lost in the middle of Tokyo, with few connections or concrete plans, the story traces his journey to acclimate and assimilate into the inner core of an alien society, language and culture, almost like a double agent spy. In fascinating detail and clarity, Marty shares how he gradually made inroads into the Japanese entertainment industry, becoming a household name and fixture on mainstream television and earning respect as a highly influential solo artist. Dreaming Japanese follows the wildly entertaining, inspiring, and above all, unprecedented path of a rock and roll guitar player who took the biggest risk, leaving worldwide success to start over from scratch in a country, culture and society far from his own, ultimately becoming an official ambassador of Japan.
