21st July - Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction

Artist – Album: Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction

Released:  21^st July 1987

Sounds Like: Raucous, rough and rowdy rock, la

So, I’m back at the flat now after spending the last couple of days in Liverpool (to see a girl, tee hee!). It may not be Paradise City but, I’ve got to say, it is a grand old town. Strolling around the docks, visiting the Museum of Liverpool and it’s football orientated exhibition, and standing outside the Beatles Story museum (well, we weren’t going to pay the £15.95 each to go in!), I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that, as good as the place is right now, it’s hard to deny that it's seen better days. The same can be said of Guns N’ Roses style hard rock too.

In 1987 scouse singer songwriter Black scored a big hit with ‘Wonderful Life’, Liverpool and Everton were two of the best sides in England, and hard rock was so popular that Appetite for Destruction would become the highest-selling debut album of all time. Whilst a large amount of this success can be attributed to the inescapable mega-smash ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’, the record earned so many sales and rave reviews through its freewheeling, heavy guitar work, anthemic choruses and fiery odes to hedonism and the pleasures and dangers of living life to excess. Although there’s a few of songs revolving around the ever-popular subject of girls (‘My Michelle’ and ‘Rocket Queen’), we also learn about the bands favourite poison (‘Nightrain’), their drug of choice (Heroin as detailed in ‘Mr. Brownstone’) and the numerous horrors involved with city living (‘Welcome to the Jungle’).

Subject matter aside, the album just wouldn’t have sold so many in today’s world. Prodigious guitar solos have been passed over in favour of dance beats and synthesizers, whilst no amount of auto-tuning could make Axel Rose’s pained cat-like vocals palatable. Still, like a visit to the capital of Merseyside, it’s brilliant to bang it on and reflect on former glories.

Albumaday... rating:  9/10

1.       Welcome to the Jungle – 4:34

2.       It’s So Easy – 3:23

3.       Nightrain – 4:29

4.       Out ta Get Me – 4:25

5.       Mr. Brownstone – 3:49

6.       Paradise City – 6:46

7.       My Michelle – 3:40

8.       Think About You – 3:52

9.       Sweet Child o’ Mine – 5:55

10.   You’re Crazy – 3:17

11.   Anything Goes – 3:26

12.   Rocket Queen – 6:13

Listen to ‘Mr Brownstone’:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVYDnQwi3OQ

Also released on the 21^st July:

1978: Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings and Food

Also released on the 21^st July:

1992: Sonic Youth - Dirty

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2003: Dizzee Rascal – Boy in Da Corner