Blog Archives
GUNS N’ ROSES – Appetite for Destruction
Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987, Geffen Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Welcome to the Jungle” … 4:32
2. “It’s So Easy” … 3:21
3. “Nightrain” … 4:26
4. “Out Ta Get Me” … 4:20
5. “Mr. Brownstone” … 3:46
6. “Paradise City” … 6:45
7. “My Michelle” … 3:38
8. “Think About You” … 3:49
9. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” … 5:54
10. “You’re Crazy” … 3:16
11. “Anything Goes” … 3:25
12. “Rocket Queen” … 6:14
Band:
Axl Rose – Vocals
Slash – Guitar
Izzy Stradlin – Guitar
Duff McKagan – Bass
Steven Adler – Drums
Produced by: Mike Clink
The album that set loose Axl and his band of decadent men upon the world! What a classic. Has there ever been a better debut album?
It was pretty hard to ignore massive MTV & radio hits like “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “Paradise City” and “Welcome the the Jungle” when they first were released, but I wasn’t exposed to the whole album until (*GASP*) 1997 or so when a friend gave me his old cassette because he had just bought it on CD. I used to play it every day on my walk home from high school in my cassette player (yes, CASSETTE PLAYER).
Of course, the album is so amazingly awesome, in little time I bought the CD myself. I actually played it so much I got sick of the album for awhile and then while playing it while out cruising with my best friend a few years back, I fell in love with it again. Although GNR has done tons of great things since (and continues to do so with Axl only, IMO), they’ve never done anything as consistent or as balanced as Appetite.
ESSENTIAL for any rock ‘n’ roll fan.
Highlights: It’s freakin’ Appetite for Destruction. It’s nothing BUT highlights.
www.gunsnroses.com
www.myspace.com/gunsnroses
DUFF MCKAGAN – Believe In Me
Duff McKagan – Believe In Me (1993, Geffen Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Believe in Me” … 3:23
2. “I Love You” … 4:14
3. “Man in the Meadow” … 4:50
4. “(Fucked up) Beyond Belief” … 3:29
5. “Could It Be You” … 3:08
6. “Just Not There” … 3:34
7. “Punk Rock Song” … 1:37
8. “The Majority” … 3:10
9. “10 Years” … 4:29
10. “Swamp Song” … 3:04
11. “Trouble” … 3:12
12. “Fuck You” … 3:24
13. “Lonely Tonite” … 3:03
Band:
Duff McKagan – Vocals, Background Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Synthesizer, Piano, Drums
Additional Musicians (*deep breath*):
Billy Nasty – Harmony Vocals
Bobbie Brown-Lane – Background Vocals on “Believe In Me”
Dizzy Reed – Background Vocals, Piano, Farfisa Organ
Doc – Vocals on “Fuck You”
Gilby Clarke – Background Vocals, Guitar on “10 Years”
Jeff Beck – Guitar on “Swamp Song” and “(Fucked Up) Beyond Belief”
Joie Mastrokolos – Background Vocals on “Swamp Song” and “Fuck You”
Lenny Kravitz – Vocals on “The Majority”
Matt Sorum – Drums on “(Fucked Up) Beyond Belief”
Rob Affuso – Drums on “Fuck You”
Sebastian Bach – Vocals on “Trouble”
Slam – Background Vocals on “Trouble”
Slash – Guitar on “Believe In Me” and “Just Not There”
Snake – Guitar on “Lonely Tonite” and “Trouble”
Suicide Horns – Horns on “Lonely Tonite”
Ted Andreadis – Organ, Clavinet
West Arkeen – Guitar on “Fuck You”, “Man in the Meadow” and “Swamp Song”
Produced by: Duff McKagan & Jim Mitchell
Whenever there was some GNR downtime, Duff would hop into whatever studio was available to write and record his own stuff. Believe In Me is the result of those spare time sessions and it’s a great album. I found it really cheap about 10 years ago in the used section of the ridiculousy overpriced Turtles Music (probably why that chain isn’t around anymore) and have cherished it ever since.
GNR turned in the weird The Spaghetti Incident? cover album in ’93, but Duff turned in something that same year that is pretty close to something of a Use Your Illusion III. Minus the epic and grandiose songs of Axl, this is pretty much a GNR sounding album circa early 90s. All the then-current Gunners performed on the album (except Axl, of course) and a few other high profile artists helped out as well like Jeff Beck, Lenny Kravitz, and Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach and Rob Affuso. Heck, even Jani Lane’s girl made a guest appearance!
Lenny Kravitz particuarly does a great job on “The Majority”. Just listen to his opening “YEEEEAAAH!!!!” and tell me that’s not awesome. Sebastian Bach brings it as well when he channels Axl on “Trouble”. I even like the rap-rock song “Fuck You” with rapper Doc “from the Mob”, whoever that is. But the rest is all Duff, bringing that his punk style of singing over GNR quality tunes.
A definite must for GNR fans as it doesn’t stray too far from that tree.
Highlights: “Believe in Me”, “(Fucked Up) Beyond Belief”, “Could It Be You”, “Just Not There”, “The Majority”, “Swamp Song”, “Trouble”, “Fuck You”, “Lonely Tonite”
Duff has no personal site or MySpace that I could find (looks like there’s a few dummy MySpace accounts though), so I recommend these sites to see what he’s up to these days in Velvet Revolver and his side project, Loaded:
www.velvetrevolver.com
www.myspace.com/velvetrevolver
www.duff-loaded.com
www.myspace.com/loadedlamf
GUNS N’ ROSES – GN’R Lies
Guns N’ Roses – GN’R Lies (1989, Geffen Records)
Tracklisting:
1. “Reckless Life” [3:20]
2. “Nice Boys” [3:03]
3. “Move to the City” [3:42]
4. “Mama Kin” [3:57]
5. “Patience” [5:56]
6. “Used to Love Her” [3:13]
7. “You’re Crazy” [4:10]
8. “One in a Million” [6:10]
Band:
Axl Rose – Vocals
Slash – Guitars
Izzy Stradlin – Guitars
Duff McKagan – Bass
Steven Adler – Drums
Features the infamous “One in a Million” track, which gained Axl and the band tons of negative publicity. I don’t believe the band has ever attempted to play it live (and rightfully so). At this point, I don’t even think Axl will even talk about the song, because he got so tired of having to defend it and himself. It’s actually a really good song musically and one of the best on the album.
I think the public’s reaction was blown out of proportion. If you actually listen to Axl’s explanation, you’ll see what he means in the song. I think he went about the wrong way with how he puts it across in the lyrics, but I understand what he was *trying* to say and I don’t believe he’s racist or homophobic. Besides, the words he used are nothing that you don’t hear in rap songs everyday. The only exception is that a white male said it this time and that’s why, I think, everyone got upset about it.
There’s a stellar version of “You’re Crazy” here, which was originally on Appetite for Destruction, but the acoustic version here is actually the original version of the song (and the superior version as well). And of course, the classic “Patience” is here as well.
GN’R Lies was a decent effort, combining a supposed “live” EP plus four brand new acoustic songs. It’s really only the acoustic songs that stand out to me. The first four tracks are missing something, although “Reckless Life” shows a bit of spark.
Highlights: “Patience”, “Used to Love Her”, “You’re Crazy”, “One in a Million” (yes, I’m going there)
