Classic Reviews : Guns and Roses Appetite for Destruction

Okay so the new Slash Album came out a few weeks ago, but you know what I realized. Rather than listening to it I would rather listen to the classic cuts. God I'm going to hate admitting this but Slash is a one trick pony. He does one thing. He does it really well but he does one thing.

And rather than listen to the new Slash I would rather listen to the old so welcome to my Album reviews: Classic

First off let be be clear. All of the members of Guns and Roses were and mostly still are awesome at what they do. It's one of those bands you want to see back together because everybody held their own. It shows in their single projects ehhh even ehehehehh CHehehehh ineese speww Deiiimoabefmeocracy. Damn you Axl I wanted to hate it. But damn it I kind of like it despite the fact that you insisted on calling it a Guns and Roses album.

Let's set the stage shall we. It's the late '80s. Metal is king but it's kind of becoming a parody of itself. People love it, but at the same time the mainstream doesn't take it seriously anymore.

You have a few underground movements (Thrash) trying to recapture the glory, but on the LA strip it's mostly glam metal.

Now while not thrash Guns and Roses were aggressive. Nobody was afraid of their teenage daughter dating Diamond Dave. (They should have been. Oh, the hotel stories I've heard.) But Axl Rose. Christ. I think it was Slash who said with him you never knew what type of show you were going to get. He might have an awesome set or he might get pissed and walk off stage, or worse break someone's nose. When he sang "you can have anything you want but you better not take it from me." You believed him.

Note: Though to be fair Roth had long started his solo career by '87, the year Appetite for Destruction came out.

Let's start with that great cut everyone hears at least once. That ubiquitous anthem that says, "Kansas just got blown the fuck away Dorthy and your about to ride the whirlwind." "Welcome to The Jungle"

What can't be said about it that hasn't already? As a first track it does its job. It tells you exactly what type of album this is going to be, an unapologetic tour through rock and roll debauchery, drugs, sex and rock and roll.

Okay I'm not going through every track but some deserve special mention.

Quasi-mandatory disclaimer: I do not use nor do I endorse the use of drugs. There I said it! Happy, you Nazis! Now that I've gotten that over with "Mr. Brownstone" is catchy as hell. "He's been knocking. He won't leave me alone."

And Paradise City. Oh God Paradise City. The riffs and solos. Slash at his best. Damn the entire band at its best.

My Michel is a good song, but it's a little weak in this line up.

Sweet Child of Mine. It's ballad but unlike other ballads it never seems quiet or tame. It seems like a fierce explosion of emotion. While the guitar work is top notch it mostly works 'cause of Axl's vocal range.

Rocket Queen is great too.

Overall, it's a tight album. All killer and no filler. And when I say killer, I mean some of the best riffs and solos in rock history. All is as it should be this album being a near mandatory listen to anybody even mildly interested in rock.