GUNS N' ROSES

Hard Rock • United States
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Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band founded in Los Angeles, California in 1985. They are often credited with reviving the sleazy side of rock n roll and called "the world's most dangerous band" because of their volatile live shows.

The band has released five studio albums: Appetite For Destruction in 1987, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II in 1991, The Spaghetti Incident? (a covers album) in 1993 and, after 15 years and with only one member of the original lineup remaining, Chinese Democracy in 2008. They also released an EP titled Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide in 1986. This was a collection of two original tracks and two covers, recorded in a studio with crowd noise overdubbed later. Gn'r Lies, released in 1988, was a lengthy EP release pairing the four tracks originally found on Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide and four new
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GUNS N' ROSES Discography

GUNS N' ROSES albums / top albums

GUNS N' ROSES Appetite For Destruction album cover 4.33 | 102 ratings
Appetite For Destruction
Hard Rock 1987
GUNS N' ROSES Use Your Illusion I album cover 3.63 | 51 ratings
Use Your Illusion I
Hard Rock 1991
GUNS N' ROSES Use Your Illusion II album cover 3.63 | 54 ratings
Use Your Illusion II
Hard Rock 1991
GUNS N' ROSES 2.24 | 28 ratings
"The Spaghetti Incident?"
Hard Rock 1993
GUNS N' ROSES Chinese Democracy album cover 2.70 | 26 ratings
Chinese Democracy
Hard Rock 2008

GUNS N' ROSES EPs & splits

GUNS N' ROSES Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide album cover 2.43 | 5 ratings
Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide
Hard Rock 1986
GUNS N' ROSES Guns N' Roses (a.k.a. Live from the Jungle) album cover 3.50 | 2 ratings
Guns N' Roses (a.k.a. Live from the Jungle)
Hard Rock 1987
GUNS N' ROSES G N' R Lies album cover 3.10 | 38 ratings
G N' R Lies
Hard Rock 1988
GUNS N' ROSES Hard Skool album cover 2.50 | 2 ratings
Hard Skool
Hard Rock 2022

GUNS N' ROSES live albums

GUNS N' ROSES Live Era '87-'93 album cover 3.31 | 8 ratings
Live Era '87-'93
Hard Rock 1999

GUNS N' ROSES demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

GUNS N' ROSES re-issues & compilations

GUNS N' ROSES Destruction, Lies: The Road to Illusion album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Destruction, Lies: The Road to Illusion
Hard Rock 1992
GUNS N' ROSES Use Your Illusion album cover 3.17 | 3 ratings
Use Your Illusion
Hard Rock 1998
GUNS N' ROSES Greatest Hits album cover 4.00 | 8 ratings
Greatest Hits
Hard Rock 2004
GUNS N' ROSES The Roots Of Guns N' Roses album cover 2.50 | 1 ratings
The Roots Of Guns N' Roses
Hard Rock 2004

GUNS N' ROSES singles (22)

.. Album Cover
3.83 | 3 ratings
It's So Easy
Hard Rock 1987
.. Album Cover
3.25 | 2 ratings
Welcome to the Jungle
Hard Rock 1987
.. Album Cover
1.88 | 4 ratings
Sweet Child o' Mine
Hard Rock 1988
.. Album Cover
3.00 | 2 ratings
Nightrain
Hard Rock 1989
.. Album Cover
3.25 | 2 ratings
Paradise City
Hard Rock 1989
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Patience
Hard Rock 1989
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 2 ratings
Live And Let Die
Hard Rock 1991
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Don't Cry
Hard Rock 1991
.. Album Cover
3.50 | 2 ratings
You Could Be Mine
Hard Rock 1991
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Dead Horse
Hard Rock 1991
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Hard Rock 1992
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
November Rain
Hard Rock 1992
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Yesterdays
Hard Rock 1992
.. Album Cover
2.75 | 2 ratings
Civil War
Hard Rock 1993
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Ain't It Fun
Hard Rock 1993
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Estranged
Hard Rock 1994
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Since I Don't Have You
Hard Rock 1994
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Sympathy for the Devil
Hard Rock 1994
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Chinese Democracy
Hard Rock 2008
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Better
Hard Rock 2008
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Street of Dreams
Hard Rock 2009
.. Album Cover
4.00 | 1 ratings
Shadow of Your Love
Hard Rock 2018

GUNS N' ROSES movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

.. Album Cover
4.17 | 5 ratings
Use Your Illusion I
Hard Rock 1992
.. Album Cover
4.17 | 5 ratings
Use Your Illusion II
Hard Rock 1992
.. Album Cover
3.33 | 2 ratings
Welcome to the Videos
Hard Rock 1998

GUNS N' ROSES Reviews

GUNS N' ROSES Hard Skool

EP · 2022 · Hard Rock
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siLLy puPPy
What the fuck is this shit? New GUNS N ROSES in 2022? I could’ve sworn this band self-destructed 30 years ago with only an art rock project from Axl Rose emerging in its name. Well considering good old Axl has been deemed as one of rock and metal’s biggest dicks in the biz and Slash’s solo efforts have proven fairly mediocre, i guess it’s not a surprise that Axl and Slash along with original member Duff McKagan buried the hatchets in order to cash in on their debut album which remains one of the world’s best selling cash cows.

Everyone knows the story. Back in 1987 GUNS N ROSES came from nowhere and then after a year of pisspoor response found a huge interest in its debut album “Appetite For Destruction” which single-handedly took glam metal out of the gutters and into the skool of hard knocks street smart rawness. As a fan of that album i have to say it didn’t take long for the band to fall from grace. After a cash in acoustic EP and a couple the two volume set of “Use Your Illusions” which easily could’ve been cropped to a single album, the band just got stupid with a lame ass punk album and then a feud and drama drama drama.

That’s where it should’ve all ended but Axl Rose who apparently owns the name GUNS N ROSES decided to resurrect the name and release the oft hated “Chinese Democracy” which i personally find to be an interesting art rock album but certainly not GUNS N ROSES. It was a great period for launching the guitarists Bumblefoot and Buckethead into the world’s arena but really, the magic found on the debut had long dissipated. I never thought this band would reemerge from the gutters but lo and behold here we are in 2022 with a brand spanking new EP that features four tracks and is most likely a prognosticator of a new album down the pike.

I guess it’s not a surprise since Axl, Slash and McKagan have been performing live together for the first time in decades since 2016 and new material was sure to emerge however there not really anything new about this release HARD SKOOL at all really. It’s just a bate and switch reworking of two tracks written during the “Chinese Democracy” days and two live tracks from the early years. The track “Absurd” was previously known as “Silkworms” and the title track HARD SKOOL actually was heard as far back as 2006 and leaked onto the internets in 2019 under the title “Jackie Chan.” The two live tracks include “You’re Crazy” from the debut and “Don’t Cry” from the “Illusion” albums.

I guess this is basically an excuse for the rock rags to drool and go gaga over this has been band in the hopes of garnering the attention of those who never left the late 80s and early 90s. Both the title track HARD SKOOL and “Absurd” are decent enough tunes and definitely point to the earlier years of the band but hardly anything that’s relevant in 2022. Basically i see this EP as an advertisement and nothing more. Hardly essential in any way and i doubt too many will get excited. After all, Axl Rose looks like a street urchin who’s crashed and burned and his voice hasn’t held up too well either. Slash while still in good form seems stuck in a perpetual comfort zone. These guys made so much money on the debut it sorta made them fat and lazy. This is an OK listen for a one time experience but not much more. Next.

GUNS N' ROSES G N' R Lies

EP · 1988 · Hard Rock
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Vim Fuego
What offends people and what is considered offensive are unusual and changeable things. Guns n’ Roses once held the title of most dangerous band in the world, and have managed to offend countless people in a range of inventive and unusual ways. The way in which people take offence has changed over the decades since the appearance of “GnR Lies” the band’s second major release. It can be used as something of a potted study in how society’s attitudes evolve, and how something which seemed scandalous in the 1980s hardly raises an eyebrow now, while attitudes which were fine then are far from it today.

So, first the technical stuff. “GnR Lies” was released in 1988, and even the format of it is is a little ambiguous. It’s not technically a full album, but it’s too long to properly be called an EP. The first four tracks are demos recorded in 1986, but have been manipulated and cleaned up in the studio, with crowd noise and band banter added to make it seem like they are live tracks. This was originally released as “Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide”. The second set of four tracks are mostly acoustic songs recorded in the studio in 1988, and reportedly originally intended to be B-sides. Never ones to miss a trick, Geffen Records realised there was a huge demand for anything with Guns n’ Roses on it because “Appetite for Destruction” was going stratospheric, so the B-sides became side B of this album, the demo side A, and it started flying off the shelf.

Now to the offensive stuff.

Before you even get to the music, the cover is a mock-up of a tabloid newspaper. The headlines quite cleverly used the song titles with a quick blurb under it about each song, mixed in with a bunch of humorous fake headlines, and pictures of the separate band members. And what did tabloid newspapers used to have on page 3? Why pictures of scantily-clad young ladies of course, and this faux tabloid was no different. Yes, right there on the inside cover, the dream of many a teenage boy across the world – a topless woman! With no top on! Real live print boobies!

Naturally, such a thing caused a bit of a stir. A black bar appeared over the woman’s nipples in later versions. The human breast is a source of nourishment for infants, but apparently they are the only ones allowed a peek of nips! The naked human body is nothing to be ashamed of, but there is a time and place for nudity, and apparently it’s not on the inside of a record cover.

And on to the music.

The song which caused the most offence in 1998 was “Used To Love Her”. It’s an acoustic ballad, with a wicked dark streak to it. The protagonist of the song had been in love with a girl, but ended up killing her because she wouldn’t stop talking. It’s open to interpretation, but it’s easy to imagined the guy singing the song is talking to either a psychotherapist or is in a police interrogation room confessing all. Why? He may be haunted by the spirit of his dearly departed, reflecting shades of Edgar Allen Poe, or perhaps he has descended into insanity, driven to psychosis by his vile crime. Either way, the song has the sting right in the tail. On the front cover of the record there is a quick description of the song – “a joke, nothing more” - and to anyone sane or sensible, that’s exactly how it should be interpreted. The band even said it was one of the few songs they had ever written from a purely fictitious point of view. So of course, it got taken “seriously” by people looking for attention and an excuse to be righteously outraged, and they blew up an absolute shitstorm. The band were accused of promoting violence against women, murder, and misogyny. This was during a time when the PMRC were still trying to label and censor records because lazy parents weren’t supervising what their children were doing. This storm in a teacup blew over pretty quick, and it gave the band free publicity and added notoriety, which bumped up album sales even more. In the subsequent years, a psychopath has claimed he killed his wife because of this song, but there is no evidence to the truth of this, and was more than likely part of an attempt to appear insane to avoid justice.

The song which caused a bit of offense at the time, but was still deemed fit for release was “One in a Million”. In the 2016 reissues, it was left off the album. Why? Because standards of offence had changed, and the band themselves agreed. The shame of this is, it’s a powerful song, and ill-considered choices of language aside (which aren’t going to be repeated here - you know what the song says), it’s the best song on the whole album. The acoustic/semi-electric mix of guitar here lets some simple yet effective riffs shine through. Axl Rose’s vocals are some of the most raw and angry of his career. There’s venom and frustration in his lyrics, and it demonstrates feelings of disgust and helplessness at what Rose experienced when moving from small town USA to the seedier side of Los Angeles.

Since we’re on the acoustic side already, let’s deal with the other songs here. “You’re Crazy” is an acoustic version of a song from the band’s “Appetite for Destruction” debut, and if anything, rips all the harder for it. There’s a few more “fucks” and a “motherfucker” in it than on the original, and Axl spits it with seething venom, rather than wild fury like the electric version. The offense? Obscene language.

And “Patience”. This was a hugely successful single for the band. For a period of time in 1989, you couldn’t turn on FM music radio without hearing it. The song is a sickly ballad, supposedly about Axl Rose and his stormy relationship with Erin Everly, who was the subject of another GnR ballad, the far superior “Sweet Child o’ Mine”. So you’re wondering how a schmaltzy love ballad could be offensive? Just think back to the band’s debut album. What powered it’s massive sales figures? It wasn’t all just marketing and flash. Nope. It was a raw, energetic, angry rock album. “Patience” is the opposite. So the Gunners offended their own fans. A bare 18 months after the release of one of the most incendiary albums of a generation, many fans were already calling this the beginning of the end.

So let’s deal with the electric side. “Reckless Life” starts with Slash screaming “Hey fuckers, suck on f Guns N’ fuckin’ Roses!” Great! An obscene intro to the song and the album! Apparently this is an old Hollywood Rose song. Apart from the intro, it’s not particularly offensive, but it’s a good demonstration of the rough and raw rock sound which earned Guns N’ Roses their reputation.

Next up is the old Rose Tattoo rocker “Nice Boys”. The energy is similar to the original, and Rose Tatt’s singer Angry Anderson was obviously a big influence on Axl Rose’s vocal style. The offensive thing here is rock and roll itself – the full title being “Nice Boys (Don't Play Rock 'n' Roll)”. You couldn’t call either band nice boys. The sleaze and seediness of the song for both bands, from the rough side of town.

“Move to the City”, like “One in a Million”, is another small-town-kid-shocked-by-the-big-city song. It deals with a teen runaway unhappy at home, who steals from their parents to hit the city, but then finds it’s not all it’s cracked up to be – hard drugs, prostitution, all the fun stuff. It’s a fairly typical GnR rocker. Yeah, also not very offensive, but it’s about a pretty gritty sort of life.

And finally the Aerosmith standard “Mama Kin”. Aerosmith knew a thing or two about offending people, having been doing it for nearly two decades at this stage. However, for such a hard-living band, they were a bit thin skinned, as if threatened by the young upstarts. It wasn’t exactly offensive, but there were some comments in the press at the time which saw the bands sparring with each other in public. The Gunners had opened for Aerosmith on tour, and seemingly stole the younger sector of the audience from their heroes. It also didn’t help that GnR were partying hard at a time when the Steve Tyler/Joe Perry toxic twins were trying to dry out and stay off addictive substances. It’s been an on again/off again relationship, with the bands occasionally performing together in the years since.

In a single 33 and a half minute release Guns N’ Roses managed to offend a lot of people. But they also managed to sell over five million copies of what was essentially a cobbled together compilation, short on new content, but packed with attitude. It demonstrated where the band had come from, but, with the acoustic side, where they were heading. It’s paradoxically an easier and harder album to listen to than “Appetite for Destruction”. “GnR Lies” is the same but different. And it still has the power to offend.

GUNS N' ROSES G N' R Lies

EP · 1988 · Hard Rock
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
martindavey87
Released in 1988, just one year after the absolutely monumental ‘Appetite for Destruction’ made Guns ‘n’ Roses one of the biggest bands on the planet, ‘G N’ R Lies’ is an EP which consists of four previously released live tracks and four acoustic tracks.

The first four tracks, taken from the previously released ‘Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide’ EP don’t really do much for me. There’s a cover of Aerosmith’s ‘Mama Kin’, but... meh. The band is in good form however, and you can feel the attitude and energy just oozing out of every guitar chord and vocal screech, but as there’s no studio versions of these tracks, again... meh...

The next four tracks are all acoustic songs, and this is where the EP really shows its worth. ‘Used to Love Her’ and ‘One in a Million’ are okay acoustic rockers, though nothing massively memorable, and there’s an acoustic remake of ‘You’re Crazy’, a song from the bands aforementioned debut album. Then of course, there’s ‘Patience’, the only song from this EP to receive a single release and promo video. With its personal and touching lyrics and catchy-as-hell chorus, this is the true standout moment from this disc.

I’m not the biggest Guns ‘n’ Roses fan in the world, and only own this as I have the rest of the bands discography on CD. Overall, ‘Lies’ is an okay EP for what it is, but isn’t really worth too much attention if you’re only a casual fan. Personally, I’d rather listen to ‘Appetite...’ again.

GUNS N' ROSES Appetite For Destruction

Album · 1987 · Hard Rock
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
martindavey87
First impressions are everything. They can determine whether people like you or hate you, and while opinions can always change over time, there’s nothing quite like a memorable first impression. So how did Guns N’ Roses make theirs? They thought it’d be a great idea to release one of the most legendary, iconic and recognizable albums of all time.

Not a bad start, eh?

Released in 1987 (the same year as yours truly), hair and glam metal was in full swing, with countless rock bands living up the 80’s, prancing around with more makeup and hairspray than an L.A. hooker. And while there were some with the odd hit or memorable album here or there, the scene really lacked that one band that would transcend the genre and make their mark in music history. Enter Guns N’ Roses.

Instantly recognizable for Axl Roses impossibly high and powerful vocals, with their sleazy, spite-filled lyrics, and iconic top hat-wearing guitarist Slash’s fast and frantic blues-inspired riffs, ‘Appetite for Destruction’ has a solid production that really brings the music to life and gives the album nonstop energy and attitude. While it has a distinctive 80’s vibe, it’s still manage to age incredibly well, and even today is a very easy record to listen to, regardless of what music you’re into.

With its legendary front cover (I’m referring to the cross and skulls one which it is most widely known for), ‘Appetite...’ contains some of rocks most greatest moments, including ‘Paradise City’, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, ‘My Michelle’, ‘Mr. Brownstone’, ‘Out Ta Get Me’, ‘It’s So Easy’, ‘Rocket Queen’ and the monstrously huge megahit, ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’. It took me a while to get around to really giving this record a proper chance, but now that I did, I can confirm that it does live up to its reputation.

An all-time classic, ‘Appetite for Destruction’ is one of those absolutely essential albums that should be in every music collection.

GUNS N' ROSES G N' R Lies

EP · 1988 · Hard Rock
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UMUR
"G N' R Lies" is the 2nd full-length studio/live album by US hard rock/metal act Guns N´ Roses. The album was released through Geffen Records in November 1988 in the US and December 1988 in the UK. While "G N' R Lies" is considered the band´s 2nd album, it´s actually more of a compilation. On the original vinyl version, side 1 featured the four live tracks from the "Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (1986)" EP, while side 2 featured four semi-acoustic new recordings. It´s a rather short album with it´s 33:32 minutes long playing time, but at the time of release, Guns N´ Roses fans swallowed it up as there seemed to be an insatiable appetite for new material by the band following the great success of "Appetite For Destruction (1987)". The album has sold over 5 million copies in the US alone.

It´s probably needless to say, but as a cohesive album "G N' R Lies" doesn´t work very well. The mix of live tracks with semi-acoustic rockers make the album a fragmented listen. That doesn´t mean the tracks aren´t top notch though, because that´s certainly the case. I remember I wasn´t too fond of the live tracks when I listened to "G N' R Lies" the first time about 20 years ago, but boy do they rock hard when I listen to the album today. The sound quality is excellent and the material is filled with the snarling "Fuck You" attitude that would make the band so famous a couple of years later. The covers of "Mama Kin" by Aerosmith and "Nice Boys" by Rose Tatoo have been given a shot of adrenaline and Guns N´ Roses perfectly manage to make the songs their own. The two original live tracks "Reckless Life" and "Move to the City" are also raw and powerful rockers.

Out of the four semi-acoustic tracks on side 2, "Patience" is without a doubt the most famous one. It was also the only single released from the album. The video for the track received heavy rotation on MTV and undoubtedly further helped sales of the album. "Used to Love Her" is enjoyable but more in the silly department, while the equally strong "One in a Million" is quite the controversial track, with lyrics bashing minority groups like homosexuals and immigrants. "You're Crazy", which was originally released in a harder rocking and fully electric version on "Appetite For Destruction (1987)", is delivered here in a semi-acoustic version, which the band say was how it was originally intended.

Maybe I´m being a bit too generous with my rating here but I really enjoy "G N' R Lies" and while it´s certainly not perfect or cohesive as an album, a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

GUNS N' ROSES Movies Reviews

GUNS N' ROSES Welcome to the Videos

Movie · 1998 · Hard Rock
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
martindavey87
‘Welcome to the Videos’ is a DVD compilation, featuring a number of music videos by legendary hard rockers Guns n’ Roses. With thirteen videos and totalling at about 70 minutes, it’s a decent enough collection for fans of the band. However, with no extras, or with various, rather prominent songs missing, this single disc DVD does leave a bit to be desired.

Sure, the tracks here are absolute bangers, including ‘Paradise City’, ‘November Rain’, ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, but in all honesty, I’ve never really been too interested in GNR’s music videos. Most of them seem pretty samey to me.

And with music videos readily available on YouTube, and approximately everywhere else these days, owning this on DVD is only really worth it for the die-hard collectors who must own everything.

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