Guns N' Roses

About Guns N' Roses

Born on the down-and-out side of LA's Sunset Strip, metal rockers Guns N' Roses have never pretended to be anything other than loud and sleazy. That's how it goes when you're living with a lot of beautiful people and broken dreams. Their legendary drinking and partying never left any question of their authenticity, and they provided a grittier alternative to the glam hair bands dominating metal at the time. Axl Rose set their standards early by brazenly demanding a $75,000 signing bonus from a Geffen Records A&R man, then offering to sign with Chrysalis if that label's attractive female executive would walk down the Strip naked. She declined. Their debut disc, Appetite For Destruction, was a thrilling slab of pure, raunchy rock-swaggering, angry, sexy and like nothing else out there. "Welcome to the Jungle" showcased stylish guitarist (and unofficial Jack Daniels spokesman) Slash's blistering fretwork and Axl's snarling, rough vocals and became an instant hit. The number of classic rock riffs on G'n'R's debut is truly stunning, and a metalhead would be challenged to keep from throwing the devil horns-following up "Welcome to the Jungle" they dropped "Nightrain," "Sweet Child of Mine" and, giving aspiring lead guitarists headaches to this day, "Paradise City." The ambitious band followed it up with their double-disc masterpiece, Use Your Illusion 1and 2. Releasing two separate albums on the same day was unprecedented. The first disc featured Guns N' Roses massive, cryptic ballad "November Rain," and the accompanying video for the track remains one of the most expensive ever filmed.