Guns n' Roses: Appetite For Destruction - 1987
In the mid-late eighties, hard rock sounds and attitudes weren’t doing too well, buried under a mountain of tinny synthesisers, big hair, make-up, pastel jackets and shoulder pads.
Then, surprisingly, virtually out of nowhere came L.A.’s Guns n’ Roses, led by a headbanded scruffbag of a singer in Axl Rose (together with some rather unpalatable attitudes and a potty mouth) and a charismatic lead guitarist in Slash. Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin wasn’t half bad either.
As opposed to the almost lovable whisky-swilling, womanising seventies heavy rock bands there was something a bit grubby, urban and dangerous about G n’R, something edgy and a bit nasty. It was funny how heavy rock attitudes sort of changed with their arrival. Despite that, they could kick up a racket, lay down a riff or two and provided a refreshing alternative to synth pop and Stock/Aitken/Waterman acts. I remember at the time being surprised at how people who liked that sort of stuff also took to G n’R yet they wouldn’t give Deep Purple, AC/DC or Black Sabbath the time of day.
Anyway, their debut album here had a primal, sleazy, slightly bluesy hard rock sound perfectly exemplified by its best-known cuts, Welcome To The Jungle, the superb rock of Paradise City and the gloriously riffy Sweet Child O’ Mine. Night Train is a great rocker too, as are Out Ta Get Me, the Dee Dee Ramone-influenced thrash of You're Crazy and the equally-punky It's So Easy. The twin guitar work is outstanding, up there with The Rolling Stones and Thin Lizzy. Good hard rockin' album.
