18 months ago if you told me that I’d be writing twice a week about Guns N Roses and that they’re pretty much back in every way I would have called ya crazy. But lo and behold, here I am talking about G N’ Fuckin’ R for the second consecutive time this week. The subject is of a different matter, that of celebrating a great album that gave way to a new fashion style of the late 80’s Sunset Strip scene. This weekend is 30 years of Guns N Roses’ legendary ‘Appetite For Destruction’.
I was obsessed with this album in high school. I grew up in the world of rap and manufactured pop in the early 2000’s. And I hated it because even at that age I could tell that there was music with more substance that deserved to be heard that was just as offensive or riskay or whatever you want to call it. Well, metal has come a long way in the past 17 years and made a remarkable comeback. But at the time grunge metal had really faded and hair metal was culturally looked at as a joke within my peers. Rap acts like Nelly and all that crap were what dominated the scene. For one main reason. It’s the same reason why any music is really popular within a youth demographic: they thought it was ‘dangerous’ and our parents hated it. It didn’t really matter how much it sucked.
I was the guy going around with my Motley Crue and Poison music trying to stick up for it and it’s edge element. And I always got the same response every time, ‘It’s dated, it’s not as dangerous anymore, my parents listen to that.’ Those were the typical responses. But they couldn’t fuckin’ say that about Guns N Roses! Guns N Roses were still as equally raw and dangerous than any hip hop act at the time and still to this day. They were and still are such bad asses! I would blast ‘Mr. Brownstone’ and the sex sounds on ‘Rocket Queen’ in the parking lot at my high school and get scolded at by the teacher watching the lot. I never got yelled at for blasting Ratt or old school Bon Jovi. But Guns N Roses? That was crossing the line. And I fucking loved it!
The album was and still is one of the biggest middle fingers of all time. It just kicks so much ass and that’s why it’s triple diamond in sales and still going strong. It just sticks out. Even kids today discover the album and go ‘Shit, I didn’t know you could say that in rock music.’ And not only that, but it’s simply great song writing too. Each song is a strong riff or beat or theme, a lot of times all three. Izzy’s riffs are legendary, Slash’s solos are tight, Duff’s bass is rich and thick and Adler’s drumming is groovy and loose. And Axl is the perfect frontman for a band of such fortitude. On top of that you had a band that really gives a shit. They were conscious of writing the best possible songs that had a real nasty and dangerous side to them. It’s a formula that will timelessly work. So this weekend kick back, blast ‘Appetite for Destruction’ and get fucked up! That’s how to celebrate Guns N Fuckin’ Roses! Long may they reign.
When I first heard the lyrics to this song I was like ‘Damn dude, I didn’t know you could be bad ass.’ It’s still one of the baddest ever.
True story here. The sex sounds are real. They were done in the studio while Steven Adler fucked his girlfriend. They just microphoned it up and slapped it on the song.
This was the first track I fell in love with on the album. I couldn’t believe how blatant it was about it’s subject matter: heroin.
