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  • Acid for the Children

  • A Memoir
  • Written by: Flea
  • Narrated by: Flea
  • Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (387 ratings)

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Acid for the Children

Written by: Flea
Narrated by: Flea
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Publisher's Summary

With "virtuosic vulnerability" (The Atlantic), the iconic bassist and Red Hot Chili peppers cofounder pens a love letter to a youth spent wild in Los Angeles in his raw and riveting coming-of-age memoir.

In Acid for the Children, Flea takes listeners on a deeply personal and revealing tour of his formative years, spanning from Australia to the New York City suburbs to, finally, Los Angeles. Through hilarious anecdotes, poetical meditations, and occasional flights of fantasy, Flea deftly chronicles the experiences that forged him as an artist, a musician, and a young man. His dreamy, jazz-inflected prose makes the Los Angeles of the 1970s and '80s come to gritty, glorious life, including the potential for fun, danger, mayhem, or inspiration that lurked around every corner. It is here that young Flea, looking to escape a turbulent home, found family in a community of musicians, artists, and junkies who also lived on the fringe. He spent most of his time partying and committing petty crimes. But it was in music where he found a higher meaning, a place to channel his frustration, loneliness, and love. This left him open to the life-changing moment when he and his best friends, soul brothers, and partners-in-mischief came up with the idea to start their own band, which became the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

Acid for the Children is the debut of a stunning new literary voice, whose prose is as witty, entertaining, and wildly unpredictable as the author himself. It's a tenderly evocative coming-of-age story and a raucous love letter to the power of music and creativity from one of the most renowned musicians of our time.

New York Times best seller

A number one LA Times best seller

A USA Today best seller

One of NPR's "Favorite Books of 2019" 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. 

©2018 Flea (P)2018 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"Acid for the Children is not an as-told-to, nor is it written "with" someone. These are Flea's words-excitable, jazzy, regretful, disarming, popping and writhing away in his biological bass zone. Insecurities to the fore: He worries that he may be producing "a thorny jumble of trash." But he's actually a lovely writer, with a particular gift for the free-floating and reverberant. He writes in Beat Generation bursts and epiphanies, lifting toward the kind of virtuosic vulnerability and self-exposure associated with the great jazz players....Flea-elegant nutcase, funk-at-high-pressure bassist, wildly cultured and culturedly wild man-has written a fine memoir. You'll put down Acid for the Children with your human sympathies expanded; you'll feel less alone."—The Atlantic

". . . a vital, only-in-L.A. account of a wide-open time filtered through an engaging, humbled voice reshaped by his recovery and reconnecting to his spirit through art and music."—LA Times

"[Acid For The Children is] written with the same lyrical, holy goof-ball energy its author brings to all his public activities, and its earnest, eccentric prose reflects Flea's evolution from Hollywood-scene knucklehead to reflective, spiritually clued-in adult."—The New York Times

What listeners say about Acid for the Children

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Very rich storytelling from a wild heart

I am saddened. I often play audiobooks in my vehicle as I commute to and fro, letting them take me to the authors setting of choice. I always dread the feeling of coming to the end of a story that I am so invested in. It feels like meeting a new friend only to have them whisked away, never to hear from again. Flea's intimate storytelling and ability to conjure up magnificent dreamlike stages of his life was captivating and fascinating to the fullest. You can hear the jubilation in his voice when he talks about things he is truly passionate about. The hurt and melancholy is there as well when he painfully describes moments in his life journey that he holds regret. I myself feel like I've been released back into the void of nothingness as I try to find a story that gives me the same satisfaction as this one did. I may be searching for a while. I have a greater appreciation of this man, more than I already had. To know truly how big his heart is and how one can interpret life so wonderfully. Thank you for sharing with us Flea.

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Awesome book

Such a treat to hear how the Red hots got started. Flea was always my favorite bassist and an influence on my musical endeavors. Great book 5 1/2 thumbs up

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1 person found this helpful

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So much passion

A fascinating, incredible story read with so much passion and enthusiasm. Hearing Flea recount his love of music, his regrets, tribulations and faults is inspiring. I'm very excited for part 2, the era of the band.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Flea has a bit of Kerouac in him

I am an RHCP fan but I actually picked up this book after hearing about it on Malcolm Gladwells podcast when he did an interview with Flea. Flea is a very talented writer and this book is definitely worth reading. The audiobook is great because the emotional elements really come through with Flea's narration. Word of caution: this book is NOT a behind the scenes look of RHCP or being a rock star.

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What an amazing human

Loved it. Flea is a human I have come to love and respect after listening to his book. In a world full of disaster and pain, be a Flea. A source of light. Thank you for sharing your story this far. Much appreciated.

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enjoyable!

liked this a lot, i thought there would be a bit more about rhcp. he's ved a crazy life for sure, glad the drugs didn't get him like so many others in those days.

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Having bit of a hard time

This is one of those titles that I wasn’t SO bad to live. Flea is fascinating to me, but the story seems to be living in the minutia of drug use and stories about people that I just don’t know. I’ll finish it but it’s not holding attention very well. RHCP fans will LOVE it I’ll bet.

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awfully disappointing

I don't know where to start. disjointed, all about his childhood, embarrassing anecdotes about his masturbation. I couldn't wait for it to end.

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Crazy life

Really in-depth and showing us his inner workings. Points made me laugh and others left me speechless. I definitely recommend this rollercoaster of a book

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Good Book Overall

real interesting listen as to how he grew up but was disappointed it didn't go into the any of thechilli peppers days. nice to see how he got to that point and look forward to listening to his next book carrying on from there!

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2019-11-15

Flea gets it right...

The story of Mike Balzary navigating his existence, from birth through adolescence and the influences that shaped him. He’s a wild and crazy guy, but with a very kind heart to rival those other traits. Stories of drug-fueled debauchery are there, but certainly not glamorized, simply left there for you to consider and to help understand the street life that bred perspective and enlightenment in an veteran artist. I’ve loved his spirit and his music for decades now; add authorship to that list of things that Flea has blessed us with... much love to him for the soul-baring honesty. It touched my heart.

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33 people found this helpful

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  • Beth
  • 2019-12-01

Well-timed

I’m listening to this book while serving in Addis Ababa. It is read as written as if Flea is knitting a black sweater for us to don and feel the safe, comforting, no-longer-aloneness. Every chapter read left me saying, “ME TOO!” It strums every emotion and not for the shallow or superficial.
Thank you, Flea. I’ll take you to Harar and Lalibela and raise a cup of buna.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2020-01-18

A story of love and friendship

Michael Peter Balzary - Flea before he became Flea - tells a story of love and growth as he roams the streets of Hollywood with his friends in search of friendship and connection.

I listened to an interview with him and Malcolm Gladwell and I knew I had to get the book as well. Flea's narration adds a layer of authenticity to this very personal story, a story of longing for freedom, a story of growth and of escape.

I'm struck with awe as I imagine living in his broken household, with an alcoholic step-father that would only acknowledge his son when it was convenient. Soon after moving to Hollywood, young Michael was left to his own devices, alone and in dire need of guidance and friendship. Roaming the streets, he built up his personality and his future, with resilience and optimism. I am moved by his description of the friendship and camaraderie he found on the streets of Hollywood. I am inspired by his ever-present hunger for jazz and I'm humbled by his desire to pursue music above all else.

There are many lessons in Flea's account of his own childhood and adolescence; all of them learned through a trial of fire. From making mistakes to making friends, from doing drugs to reading books, this is a story of a person that forged his own path through life. Freedom is everything. If you read between the lines, you can glimpse his burning desire to be loved and accepted. This need is a good teacher. Michael grew up to see the best in people. He recalls with loving fondness the few times when Walter, his musician step-father, would surprise him with gifts, or with wise words. Even though he was often angry, neglectful, and sad, listening to Walter's band tear through hard bop phrases made young Michael see that everyone has a calling; and helped the aspiring musician to find his own purpose in life.

Many more stories await to be discovered in the book. Some are funny, some are sad, some are downright scary, but they all come back to one thing: family is important. Through family, you can discover yourself like never before. Find your family at home; if you can't, go out and find it in the streets. Whenever you feel like home, stay; no matter how hard it was to find, it will have been worth it.

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21 people found this helpful

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  • Alex
  • 2020-01-10

Not what I expected

Felt like a long night listening to life story from a guy with severe adhd on a bender. Constant confusion of what’s going on, what time frame on, random side stories. Many I think will like it. Not my cup of tea.

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19 people found this helpful

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  • Jake denotsKO
  • 2019-11-13

I'll listen to this more than once.

I am so happy that this is read by the author. Hearing it in Flea's voice makes it great. I love the little giggles and can see him smile as he reads. Hearing him fight back tears at times makes me feel his story. Thanks Flea.

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18 people found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2019-11-15

It seemed like a good idea at the time

More than just wild tales of a drug fueled youth. This is beautiful and poetic, an earnest baring of a sensitive soul who found solace from an unstable home through running the streets of L.A. Thank you Flea, these words have touched me in the same way that your music has.

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9 people found this helpful

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  • Scott Kuhl
  • 2019-11-14

Epic Bass guitarist but choppy writing

I really enjoyed learning the Flea side of the Red Hot Chili Pepper story. Flea references tons of amazing Jazz musicians that I will have to look up and which makes the story that much better. It is also so interesting to find out more about the actual people behind the music. The writing is a little choppy and jumps around but overall the story is fun. I’d recommend for fans.

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9 people found this helpful

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  • David Schilling
  • 2020-05-30

Not a rock documentary

I was looking for a rock doc, and this wasn't it. First half of the book is all about his life up until middle school. There was nothing terribly interesting about this. The second half of the book jumps all around, and it is hard to know where you're at on the timeline at any given point.. Would not recommend this book for people looking for the history or insight on the RHCP.

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8 people found this helpful

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  • Chris
  • 2019-11-19

Emotional

Flea wrote a relatable piece of art from his soul. I am eternally grateful for his existence and words. Highly recommend this one!

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5 people found this helpful

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  • Tabata Pearce
  • 2019-11-14

great hanging with flea

having flea do the reading is like hanging with your bud on the couch just chatting. insightful and inspirational. thank you flea

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