 GUNS
N' ROSES
Appetite for Destruction
Geffen Records 1987
www.gnronline.com
What’s the 4-1-1?
I’m not going to go into the history and present of Guns N’ Roses.
If you’re reading this, chances are you know the deal. L.A. band
comes out of nowhere and hits one out of the park with their debut release
Appetite for Destruction. They garner fame and fortune, release several
more successful albums, self-destruct due to personality clashes, and break-up
just as fast as they arrived.
Now the singer is crazy, locked-up in an
asylum (his mansion), claiming to release the damn near eight-years-in-the-making
new Guns N’ Roses album with a completely different line-up (even
different from the last time he teased you with it). The rest of the group
goes on to do their own thing, while most notably Slash goes on to guest
on every album that will have him, and then forms Velvet Revolver. Now
you’re up to speed if you forgot.
When this album first came out there was so much mystique and hype behind
it. I remember hearing crazy stories of each member. I can recall hearing
that Slash was wanted in seven states and that was the reason why he
wore the hat, had the hair in his face, and changed his name. Yeah, it’s
ridiculous, but I we were in fifth grade.
In a time when pop and dance music controlled the charts, when you hear
the opening riff and the main riffs that dominate “Welcome to the Jungle” it
made you want to say, ‘to hell with pop music, this is where it’s
at!’ “Jungle” more or less became the anthem of the rock
culture at the time, and it still remains powerful today. Axl switches up
his vocals to a more deep tone for the dark rocker “It’s So Easy.” As
a kid it was a thrill to hear the F-word in a song. It wasn’t something
that happened a lot. Even though it was harmless, to an eleven year old,
it was sort of taboo.
Slash & Izzy lay down some great riff patterns
for the ultra heavy “Nightrain.” Let’s not forget Steven
Adler’s crazy cow bell action either. The sweet chugga-chugga guitar
tones of “Mr. Brownstone” still ring out loud and clear today.
I had no idea what this was about when back in the day, but as the years
progressed, it made more sense. “Paradise City” was the track
that really broke Guns N’ Roses into the mainstream. Looking back it
doesn’t surprise me either; it has a real pop-vibe to appeal to the
non-rock crowd, but still manages to stay heavy enough to captivate their
core audience.
“My Michelle” has one of those choruses, that
for some reason, you’re compelled to sing along with; even trying to
match Axl’s odd voice inflections. Now most rock bands appeal to a
predominately male audience, but to combat that tactic, Guns delivers “Sweet
Child O’ Mine.” I can’t even begin to tell you how many
girls in my class fell in love with that song and Axl Rose because of it.
I’ve always thought that “Rocket Queen” never got the praise
it deserved. It really displays each member’s expertise during various
parts of the six minute composition.
The Verdict
Appetite for Destruction still blows me away. You can’t deny
that this nearly twenty year old album stands the test of time, no
matter what the musical climate, or what generation is listening to
it.
Did You Know?
The originally cover for Appetite for Destruction was banned. It can be found
on the inside on the CD sleeve. I don’t normally agree with censorship,
but the drawing could easily be interpreted the wrong way.
Rating:  out
of 5
--George Dionne
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