Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction

One of the greatest debuts in rock history....still potent today...

This is one of the greatest debut albums in the history of rock and roll, and 20 years or so after it was released, it's still one of the greatest albums ever. Despite Guns n Roses being a metal band from the late 1980's, they transcend genre and make lasting music. None of their albums have dated, and it all started with this masterpiece.

All the classic songs are here, the real rock and roll anthems (Paradise City, Welcome to the Jungle, and Sweet Child of Mine), and they are really true classics in every sense of the word. They still rock, still seem dangerous, and no matter how many times you spin this album/CD, you won't get tired of it. Sure, the original band is gone and Guns n Roses consists of Axl Rose and new members, but this album reminds you of how awesome they were, how they really shook up the rock world with this album, and how Appetite for Destruction still has its power all these years later. It's pretty cool when you listen to an album that you can listen to many years later, and feel the exact same way without giving into nostalgia. The followups to this album are great, too, but here is where the powderkeg started. Guns n Roses rule!

November 19, 2008

classic

I had this album back when it was released. Lost it some how. Great album! October 31, 2008

Great tunes

In my utterly amateur opinion, these songs sound really good. And I enjoy the emotion behind them. October 6, 2008

Can a band be HoF material based on 1 album?

In a few more years, this may be a legitimate debate, as GNR becomes eligible for the RnR Hall of Fame. And though the band put out about four more albums (Lies, Use Your Illusion I and II, Spaghetti Incident), this is the definitive piece of work for this band. And with good reason! Unlike most of the other "Hair Metal" bands that were more about glitz (a certain New Jersey pretty boy comes to mind), this band was simply supersonic, nitty gritty, raw rock! Twenty years later, and this album is just as hard hitting! I first saw them open for Motley Crue on the Girls, Girls, Girls tour in 1987 (thanks to Google, I found the actual date!) ... we had camped out (back in the days when you could do that!) for Crue tix, and had never heard of GNR; I remember wondering WTF 'cause Aerosmith had been opening for Crue on an earlier leg of the tour. Then we went to the show, and it was definitely WTF ... as in, OMG, who the HELL are these guys, they ROCK!! Slash was on stage trashed, carrying a bottle of Beam. To this day, I still remember them performing most of these songs, particularly "Mr. Brownstone" and "Paradise City", which was simply incredible. Also, they did their "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" cover. After the 45 minute we were already exhausted. My best friend went to the store the next week and bought the tape; he couldn't stop talking about them

Over the course of the next few years, as the band blew up big time, I remember telling people about that show. I think it still stands as my favorite to this day, with maybe Pink Floyd competing! But this was sheer decadence, and it felt GOOD!!!

It is shame that this band imploded, since this could have been truly legendary band along the lines of The Who, Zeppelin, etc. Then again, what made them great is what destroyed them (alcohol, coke, smack), although the aforementioned bands somehow survived, at least for a while. Alas, I digress ... this album is one of the all-time greats of rock; the balance between Slash's lead and Issy's rhythm is superb, Duff (bass) and Steve Adler (drums) created a pounding rhythm section that is comparable to Jones and Bonham. And so much has been said about Axl, but what truly amazes me is that he has the scratchy, shrieking voice, but is able to sing in three octaves with ease. And even on this first major label release effort, the production is stupendous, with Axl providing his own backing vocals in different octaves, which is probably the signature part of the sound! Check out "It's So Easy", especially the bridge and, of course, "Paradise City". It all made for incredible melodies and harmonies at a sonic decibel level.

All in all, this was no "hair band"; this band was as loud and raw as it got. As the last salvo to the '80s, they provided a terrific bookend with Brian Jone's incarnation of AC/DC for the decade that came in loud and went out loud, even if there was a lot of mush in between! Even as the band was collapsing of its own stature, grunge was on the rise (ironically, Nirvana would repeat this brief but iconic story arc with an even more tragic ending). When the time comes in a few more years, I hope this band is given its due! September 19, 2008

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due!

C'mon without Tracii Guns this album would have never been possible..."Sound never repeated" Get an L.A. Guns C.D. Moron! Why doesn't anyone wonder why Axl was never able to duplicate this success, and why he always relied on cover tunes? BECAUSE TRACII WASN'T THERE TO WRITE THE MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also why Axl is sitting on his rich fat butt and Tracii is still rockin' out with legends like Nikki Sixx! Because Axl was a no talent hack! Tracii Guns Rocks Axl was, is, and always will be a wannabe! August 18, 2008

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