Guns N' Roses - Still Awesome

[javeryh]

I've been listening to a lot of GNR lately for the first time in ages.  I can't believe how well they hold up.  Now that we've got iPods and playlists and stuff has anyone re-tracked the Use Your Illusion albums into one long CD?  I always thought that if they cut some of the filler they could have made one of the all-time best albums in history.

[RayB]

Explain.
What do you mean by "re-tracked" ? (as opposed to just playing both CDs back to back)

[javeryh]

Explain.
What do you mean by "re-tracked" ? (as opposed to just playing both CDs back to back)

I mean picking the best songs from both CDs and putting them in an order that flows or makes sense so the end result would be one CD of awesomeness.

[shmokes]

I find it more amazing that they are so famous in spite of always sucking balls.   

[jamesjones626]

G N R is classic stuff

[thatitalian]

They are probably the best rock band in the world (IMHO). I think their stuff is timeless! It never gets boring...

[Ginsu Victim]

It never gets boring...

Most of it does, actually....especially if you have classic rock stations that play it over and over.

[thatitalian]

Most of it does, actually....

Maybe for you, definitely not for me.

[HanoiBoi]

I'm on the 'no more GNR' side.  I was into them when they were still playing small clubs (Trocadero, Phila., '87).  Now, I just can't listen to an entire tune.  After Appetite, I simply couldn't stand them.  Every song seemed to be an 'epic', ad to me, an epic fail.

Back in the day, when I thought of GNR, I had good thoughts like; 'Well, well, welll...you just can't tell...well, well, well, My Michelle!' and 'I get up around seven, get outta bed around nine..."  Basically anything from Appetite For Destruction.

Now, when I think of GNR, I think 'Knock, knock knockin' on Civil Wa-u-waaaaaar.....in the cold November Rain....aei-aei-aei-aei....yowza'

It definitely got boring to me.

[Ginsu Victim]

...and that new Chinese Democracy is TERRIBLE. I listened to it free on Myspace when they were promoting it there and it SUCKED.

[Fordman]

When GNR first came out, remember, they were named after Tracii Guns and Axel Rose, hence the band name. They were this band that didnt care who, when, where, why or how. They just played and played. They scored a record deal in the late 80's as alot of LA Glam-Metal bands did. But, they had that little something extra with drawing a crowd like no other. Their songs were original and full of what Rock N Roll was about. Just like all bands did and do, sometime they have to do cover tunes to pay bills, hence the 'Knocking On Heavens Door' cover. Then when the video of the night club cover of that tune hit MTV, they had to do a studio cover (Geffen himself made that happen). So when Appetite for Destruction was a huge hit and the band was selling out arenas, Axel thought that he was bigger than the band and life. Yes, everything had to be of epic proportion to him. The songs, the videos, the concerts, the public appearances and the interviews were about some sort of mishap-feelings in Axel's life, the band became an after thought. He needed the band, but he thought he didnt. Slash was on his own road of self destruction and the other band members, well, they had had enough of both of them. When Slash came around to being human again, Axel, wouldnt come down to earth. After the recorded 'The Spaghetti Incident' (cover tunes), it was done as that album was just to full fill the record contract.

As I babble on about their career, this is one fan that has become dissappointed with Axel and what G'N'R has become. 12 years for an album that is mediocre at best. Slash and the gang has moved on with Velvet Revolver, Slash's Snakepit and solo projects. All great efforts, but in the USA, Rock N Roll isnt dead, but commercially not mainstream as in Europe or Japan. Because former G'N'R' members are now 'old guys', radio-Mtv (does Mtv still play music?) doesnt play them because they dont 'connect' to today's audiences. Well, they dont connect because of the lack of exposure to the audience.

But, again, I'm a G'N'R fan, but they do over play the same G'N'R' tunes on the radio. They need to dig a little deeper into the albums to keep to monotony factor from making me hit a preset each time the opening rif to 'Sweet child O'Mine' starts up!

Fordman

[javeryh]

For every "Sweet Child of Mine" they did 10 power ballads.  What you reflect back on now is a very condensed part of their output, albeit a great one.

That may be true.  I've been listening to them a lot because for the first time in ages I changed the workout music on my ipod shuffle.  They have about 12-15 great songs to run to.

[mr_doles]

I have to say that Guns N' Roses were my favorite band back in the day.  Appetite for Destruction is the greatest CD ever.  There is not one bad song on there.  They were raw and in your face.  Use Your Illusions I and II were not bad but they lacked the edge that Appetite had.  I agree with HanoiBoi that all the songs tried to be epics, they just tried way to hard.  To this day I will deny the existence of The Spaghetti Incident, and Chinese Democracy is not, I repeat NOT Gun's N' Roses.

I still find it hard to believe that Steven Adler got booted from a band that thrived on drug and alcohol because he did too much drugs.  In their defense he was really out of it on Celebrity Rehab (yeah I watched it, and I am watching it this season because of Mike Starr)...oh yeah on that note, HAPPY 4/20

[RayB]

I liked them a lot in the day, but today, listening the odd old tune... I realize how bad Axel's singing really was.