Guns N’ Roses were credited for helping inject some much needed venom into the LA rock scene, and at the forefront of that venom was vocalist Axl Rose.
Their first album was very much one of hard grit. From the first track to the last, you could guarantee that you were going to hear hard guitar lines, shredding and some of Rose’s iconic screeching vocals. It was a real treat for lovers of rock music, especially those who worried that the genre had lost its edge in the world of glam rock. Guns N’ Roses had the same hair as glam rockers, but their sound meant business, and was unrelenting in that respect.
Of course, there is one number that stands out on that album, and that is ‘Sweet Child O Mine’. Depending on who you ask, it stands out for a number of reasons, including the iconic introduction, the catchy chorus and the epic outro. Regardless of what your rationale is for liking it, there is no escaping that one of the main reasons it stands out is because it’s different to the other tracks on Appetite For Destruction. On a record that proudly brandishes the venom Guns N’ Roses let squirm at the centre of everything they did, ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ was sweet-sounding, borderline beautiful, so much so that Slash wasn’t a big fan.
“I hated it for years,” the guitarist admitted, “You know, Guns N’ Roses was always a real hardcore, sort of, AC/DC kind of hard rock band with a lot of attitudes […] If we did any kind of ballads, it was bluesy. This was an uptempo ballad. That’s one of the gayest things you can write.”
If it was up to Slash, what is now considered a classic by the band would never have been released. The only reason ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ found its way on to the record was because Axl Rose and the rest of the band insisted. The variety might not have been on brand, but so long as it was musically exceptional, the band didn’t care.
The variety that Guns N’ Roses were capable of only peaked its head round the corner slightly on their debut album; however, it well and truly revealed itself on their later albums Use Your Illusion I and II. Don’t get me wrong, these are still evidently rock ‘n’ roll records at their heart, but Guns N’ Roses were adamant on embracing different styles and sounds when making them, so much so that songs like ‘Estranged’, ‘Coma’, ‘November Rain’ and ‘Don’t Cry’ have nothing in common and yet still come across as cohesive.
Naturally, these albums garnered different reactions depending on who was listening. Some like Appetite For Destruction and the small inclusion of a ballad on a record that was predominantly hard rock, meanwhile, others enjoyed hearing the band explore their versatility. The jury is out on which approach is best. One thing is for sure, though, Axl Rose revelled in being able to explore different styles and sounds on some of these later records.
Rose remains incredibly proud of both of these albums, and even refers to some moments, such as the song ‘Coma’, as “One of the best things that I’ve ever written.” This all makes sense when you learn about Rose’s personal preferences when it comes to music. It won’t surprise you to hear that the singer likes rock music; however, the rock band who influenced him the most was Queen, not just because of their hits, but their willingness to expand upon various genres on their albums.
“Whenever their newest record would come out and have all these other kinds of music on it, at first I’d only like this song or that song. But after a period of time listening to it, it would open my mind up to so many different styles,” said Rose, “I really appreciate them for that. That’s something I’ve always wanted to be able to achieve. It’s important to show people all forms of music, basically try to give people a broader point of view.”
It’s Rose’s adoration of a band like Queen that helped him encourage Guns N’ Roses to branch out and make more varied music, as opposed to sticking with one aspect of rock ‘n’ roll.