I would never say I'm a huge Gn'R fan, but I would without hesitation cite their debut album Appetite For Destruction as one of my favourite rock albums of all time. If it's not in my top ten, then it is at least in my top twenty. This brutally honest, heavy, gutter-level sleaze rock album arrived just in time in 1987. I was getting a bit tired of all the highly polished rock and metal, when even the "bad boys" sounded too commercial to be legit.
Duff in his heyday with GnR
Like Def Leppard, whose Hysteria album was wildly successful yet feels quite limp nowadays. Super-multi-tracked vocals softened the hard edge of the instruments and simply made every song too gooey. Sort of like wrapping candy floss around a razor blade. Pour Some Sugar On Me, indeed.
Though Aerosmith and Motley Crue achieved great success that same year, I was less than impressed. Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation album completely lost me with its addition of horns and a kitchen sink production approach. The tough image and sound of the 70's was cast off for their new, glittery MTV-oriented near-pop. Dude (Looks Like A Lady)... meh, I never liked it.
Motley Crue, in my opinion, became a casualty in the same vein. The gritty sound and bad attitude on their first couple of albums were watered down for ballads and a glossy sheen on their next two, including '87's Girls Girls Girls. Its dull songs turned me off, even when I saw them performed live.
Can't forget Whitesnake's leaden self-titled offering that year. Its heaviness didn't make up for its stupidness. Triumph, Kiss, The Cult, and Helix also popped out albums that were a step down from their former greatness.
Um, how do I play this thing?
Then along came Guns n' Roses with their snapshot of L.A.'s sleazy Sunset Strip. The music oozed guts and raw primal urges. Lyrical references to violence, drugs, and sex gave Appetite For Destruction the nasty reputation that we rock fans were yearning for... something we could really sink our teeth into. None of this safe corporate rock that was all too common.
Axl's powerful, wailing vocals writhed dangerously around Izzy and Slash's thick, crunchy riffs and Duff's pounding basslines. The band performed as a tight unit, their delivery aggressive yet structured with melody in mind. I mean, just stop for a moment and think of a few songs off Appetite. Now sing or hum the tune from each one. Easy, right? That's called great songwriting.
From mean and dirty opening track Welcome to the Jungle, through grooving and rocking tunes including It's So Easy and Paradise City, to the final cut Rocket Queen, it's a relentless ride. Even mega-hit "ballad" Sweet Child O' Mine contains searing guitar breaks.
I saw Gn'R open for Iron Maiden on their 1988 world tour. I have practically no recollection at all of that show, so I can safely assume it was a blast. I'm sure I was blasted.
The album Appetite For Destruction has reportedly sold over thirty million copies worldwide. It's so easy to understand why. Happy birthday, guys!
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