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A Simply Brutal Review of Guns N'Roses

I saw G-n-R on the Appetite for Destruction tour and the only thing I ever liked about them was Slash. I hate Axl's voice....hate listening to him sing. It's reminiscent of a severely wounded tom cat after an alley brawl. One of the worst bands I ever saw live in the 34 active years I've gone to concerts. Every LP after Appetite for Destruction got worse and worse and that song November Rain is the King of the cheese songs by them.
 
tubed said:
I really like 10,000 Days, but I don't believe Tool has yet achieved the fame or international rock acclaim GnR once did.
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and they never will. the two are polar opposites, and appeal to entirely different audiences. I won't opine about GnR here, as it would seriously insult their many fans posting in this thread.
 
are ANY of these groups--Stones, Beach Boys, Guns, VanHalen, etc--still relevant? I mean they were OK "back in the day" but now they're just doing "wheelchair and gray hair" tours. O and sucking in people's money.
 
I saw the "new" GnR here in Ottawa in January 2010 and they were absolutely superb then. They didn't take the stage until 11/11:30 pm (on a Sunday night, LOL!!) and got crucified for it in the papers the next day.

I'm happy to say that the concert far exceeded my expectations. The musicianship and showmanship was dynamite.
 
Vocally, Rose sounded battered but not beaten. His indelible screeching — half bird of prey, half race car brake pad — was never expected to last for a lifetime...

The primary stench emanated from Frank Ferrer’s drum kit as he carelessly let the songs slip out of focus....

More embarrassing: the Slash pantomime performed by guitarist DJ Ashba. He seems to have been hired for his ability to wear a top hat, play a Les Paul and smoke cigarettes simultaneously.

Even the group’s most veteran members — bassist Tommy Stinson and pianist Dizzy Reed — failed to bring dignity to these songs. Back to noodling at Guitar Center, all of you!

Ouch.
 
My favorite line was:

...the band would wander off into instrumental dead zones, as if trying to discover the intersection of pathetic and insulting.
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Tommy Stinson knows that what the world really wants is a Replacements reunion tour.
 
Caught G&R around the time Appetite came out. Aerosmith headlined and smoked 'em. And, crybaby that he is, Rose dove into the crowd to smack some guy who was video taping the show. That was the last time I listened to Axl and co. Can't believe Tommy Stinson has sunk so low.
 
kneeOhFight said:
and they never will. the two are polar opposites, and appeal to entirely different audiences. I won't opine about GnR here, as it would seriously insult their many fans posting in this thread.
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+1
I honestly think they're one of the greatest rock bands of the 20th century, regardless of how their fame compares to that of other better-known bands. I wouldn't say there is any "last great rock band," though.
 
tnmike1 said:
are ANY of these groups--Stones, Beach Boys, Guns, VanHalen, etc--still relevant? I mean they were OK "back in the day" but now they're just doing "wheelchair and gray hair" tours. O and sucking in people's money.
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Ah, the relevant factor.....

I've often wondered what this term means in relation to music.
It seems to mean one of following as far as I can tell:

I don't like it, so it's irrelevant.
I listen to newer "cutting edge" stuff so the other stuff is irrelevant.
Any music over 6 months old or whatever is irrelevant.
There must be a current social message in the music, that I can relate to, or it's not relevant.

The Stones play to 60,000 people consistently. I don't think those people find them irrelevant.
Justin Bieber plays to 16,000 twelve year old girls, I don't think they find him irrelevant.

I still can't appreciate rap and hip hop, but I wouldn't call it irrelevant.

I guess in some minds Bach, Mozart and Gershwin are irrelevant as well. They haven't done anything in the last 50 to 200 years. Hell, they can't even pull together a "wheelchair" tour for "sucking in people's money".
 
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Heh, I saw Robin Trower a couple of years ago. They looked absolutely geriatric, but when they whipped out their axes they played like they were 30 and the 1000 or so people who came to see them were blown away. One of the best performances I've ever seen.

I agree that the term relevant to music is meaningless. It presumes that your little sub-culture is the center of the artistic universe. Ironic that the relevant bands are usually fairly obscure and ultimately schmaltz acts. Boston, for example was a musical force that touched millions world wide, vs the million or two sold by bands that couldn't play, like the Ramones.
 
I'm trying to think of American rock bands that I've seen live in the last 10 years or so that still bring it. This is not to say they are the last great ...
Tom Petty
Bob Seger*
CSN&Y

* Interesting note about Kid Rock. He showed some respect after his song with Bob and stood and watched the rest of the show from the wings just below our seats with David Spade.
 
I first saw GNR when they opened for the Cult's Electric tour.

I wasn't impressed with GNR and I was disappointed with the Cult's new AC/DC like sound. I love AC/DC, but not copy cats.

Anyway, the girl who I was with loved this introduction of GNR. I thought they were an Aerosmith wannabe band, with some frontman making mermaid (!) moves.

GNR went on to become really famous. I never got it. Later, I visisted Italy and found that GNR (and the Doors) were huge in Italy. I never got it. Didn't understand the Doors either.
 
tubed said:
Chronologically, yes...unless you want to count Sublime:)
I'd say Talking Heads before GnR.[/QUOTEI

Great review, had me laughing!
I would rather hear Lou Dog barking for three hours than to hear the new GnR play for three hours! just saying...
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zebra03 said:
Talking Heads were a one trick pony if I ever saw one . And I LOVED Stop Making Sense .
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I'd like to know what your definition of a one-trick pony is, 'cuz as I see it, there were at least four distinct phases of the band's evolution:

  • Spartan, post-punk (their first two albums)
  • Their Brian Eno collaborations
  • The Dark Times (their weakest albums: Little Creatures and True Stories)
  • Their latin-influenced Naked album
That's four tricks over an 8-album career. Their sound never stopped evolving, unlike GnR, and they put out music that defies being cataloged the way a simple two-word phrase, "hair metal" tells you all you need to know about GnR.

However, my vote for Greatest American Rock Band goes to Los Lobos. They've been around forever, continue to grow as a band, are unbelievably talented (once saw them at Clutch Cargo's in Pontiac where, at the end of the show, they asked the audience to suggest MoTown hits for them to play, and they then proceeded to knock three of those requests out of the park - an amazing display of talent, IMHO). Best thing about Los Lobos, though, is that the themes they sing about are themes for grown-ups, not some puerile, adolescent crap. The give their audience credit for growing up and not wanting to listen to the same old re-heated crap.
 
Axle Poser always has been a punk, always will be.... Have no idea how he's even stayed in business...
 
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