Music Debate #98: Guns N' Roses

[Reed Rothchild | 9,520]

 

[Gloves | 11,776]

Hey I know 3 of those songs. Thanks, Burnout Paradise and Guitar Hero!

[RH | 4,903]

This is a band that's totally worth a 10, but considering your definition of each ranking, I had to go with 9.  100% worth listening too, even if you're not into 80s metal.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,520]

Not into it.

Never was a huge fan of the (overplayed) Appetite songs, with maybe an exception for Sweet Child, which I'm fine hearing occasionally.

The Use Your Illusions are massive slogs.

I cannot stand Axl's voice.

I'd rather listen to the originals than any of their covers.

[a3quit4s | 4,096]

10/10

Mom had me when she was 19 in 1985, I knew the words to Appetite before the ABCs. 

edit: she had tickets for them twice, both shows were cancelled. F'n Axl

Edited January 12, 2021 by a3quit4s

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

One of the best to me, 10/10. Also one of the few bands that I think do covers of songs better than the original artists. 

Edited January 12, 2021 by LeatherRebel5150

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

10/10. I even thought Chinese Democracy was good.

[Sumez | 2,947]

I can stand listening to them, and I can understand why a lot of kids think/used to think their music is super catchy, so I really can't blame anyone for liking them.

But I just can't escape how cringeworthy the whole thing is.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Sumez

[fcgamer | 4,723]

10/10, got into them about fifteen years ago.

A few years back, after the band reunited, they stopped in Taiwan for a performance. It just so happened that they were playing the same time that my mother happened to be there, visiting.

My mother really isn't into this sort of music, nor does she like the whole sex, drugs, vulgarity thing, so she had no interest at all in going. The girl I was dating at the time was basically the same as my mom on the matter, though her younger sister (my friend for years) actually does like the band. It would have been a bit weird to go with her though, given the setup, and I also didn't want to leave my mom at home over the weekend, since she came to Taiwan to visit me!

I turned the whole situation over in my head for a few days before ordering two tickets online, and making an executive decision that if be taking my 64(?) year-old mother to go with me to that concert.

In the end, my mother had a blast. Although she wasn't so big into the music, she recognised a few of the songs from when I'd play them on guitar whilst living back home, and she loved watching how the crowd got into it. It's an oddity, for many Taiwanense it seems that music is just viewed as a karaoke KTV thing, but everyone there went nuts.

Even now my mom talks about that concert, and I've been told that she always takes an interested look nowadays if any of the band members are on TV, or a reissue album comes out, etc.

I love this band, it never gets old.

[tbone3969 | 304]

Wish they put out more albums as they could have been the biggest band since Zep and The Stones.  Crazy tight, dirty, rock N roll.  Just the way I like it.  Someone here said the Use Your Illusion albums are slogs....  I think they are masterpieces (except for My World... not sure what Axl was thinking with that one, maybe trying to jump on the whole NIN craze).  Anyways, don't forget about Lies, another great album.

Edited January 13, 2021 by tbone3969

[Jeevan | 8,910]

Gave them a 9.  Really good overall.  I don't hear them as much anymore on radio or anywhere in particular so they aren't overplayed for me.  I am actually on a hair band kick right now and have listened to quite a bit of them lately.

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

8.

Would have been a 9, but I docked them a point for Axl's concert habits.

[TDIRunner | 2,734]

This is another one that's difficult to rate because if I rated them in high school, it would be a 10, but to rate them today would be a 7 or 8.  I just don't get the enjoyment out of their music the way I did in high school.  But I will never forget how often I would use November Rain to get pumped up before a race. 

[Hammerfestus | 3,835]

I like them.  I prefer appetite to the use your illusions.  Really the only 2(3) albums worth mentioning.  I gave them a point for Axl’s concert habits.  

[Tulpa | 3,492]

I liked Appetite.

Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 were neat concepts, but I kind of view them the way I view the Beatles White Album; some great songs, and some filler that everyone (except maybe hardcore fans) tends to gloss over.

I think The Spaghetti Incident is unlistenable. I think I Iistened to Chinese Democracy once. It was okay, but the newer G'N'R lineup just doesn't have the charm of the earlier incarnations.

 

edit: I guess G'N'R Lies is in there, too, but I always forget that (and the Live EP) exist.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Tulpa

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

8 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

I liked Appetite.

Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 were neat concepts, but I kind of view them the way I view the Beatles White Album; some great songs, and some filler that everyone (except maybe hardcore fans) tends to gloss over.

I think The Spaghetti Incident is unlistenable. I think I Iistened to Chinese Democracy once. It was okay, but the newer G'N'R lineup just doesn't have the charm of the earlier incarnations.

 

edit: I guess G'N'R Lies is in there, too, but I always forget that (and the Live EP) exist.

 

Use Your Illusion 1 is probably my favorite of theirs.

The Spaghetti Incident is all covers, so you can't really pin that one on them.

[Tulpa | 3,492]

1 minute ago, captmorgandrinker said:

The Spaghetti Incident is all covers, so you can't really pin that one on them.

I know. It just lacks the raw, unrefined anger that most of those songs need.

I do think Use Your Illusion 1 is better than 2, and between the two, most of the songs I still listen to are from 1.

[a3quit4s | 4,096]

11 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

I know. It just lacks the raw, unrefined anger that most of those songs need.

I do think Use Your Illusion 1 is better than 2, and between the two, most of the songs I still listen to are from 1.

If appetite was a 10/10 I’d say the use your illusions were like 8/10. I like them both but favor I because Dust N Bones one of my favorite GnR songs.

[JamesRobot | 5,799]

GnR were killer on Appetite.  Hard rockin hair metal at its finest. Their only great album start to finish.  Then Axl became a bitchy diva and the band went downhill.

Not a fan of the Use Your Illusion concept and the artsy fartsy bent the band turned towards at that point.  Easily could have paired those down to one good album.  Not everything need to be an epic sweeping ballad dripping with symbolism and deep meaning.

Sure, Don't Cry and November Rain are great but we could just leave it at that.  As much as I dig some of the rock operas and concepts of the 70s, that shit was played out by the 90s.  Just give me some good roadhouse rock, strip joint tunes, an occasional ballad, and let Slash rip some hooks and wail on the solos. 

I give em a 6 but I wouldn't really consider seeing em live out of fear of a no show.

[The Count | 526]

Overrated AF. Axl Rose genuinely hates his own fans and don't forget "One in a Million". 2/10.

[Brickman | 3,983]

Going off the scale 4/10 but probably a point or two higher as a general rating out of 10.

Slash is great and they have a few good songs, but for the most part I can’t stand Axl’s voice. 

[Br81zad | 629]

Paradise City is one of the most obnoxious songs ever created, but hey at least it's repetitive.

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

I wish I could find the bouncy ball version of the Garden of Eden video again.   Closest I can find is a snippet from Beavis & Butthead.

[Gloves | 11,776]

4 minutes ago, captmorgandrinker said:

I wish I could find the bouncy ball version of the Garden of Eden video again.   Closest I can find is a snippet from Beavis & Butthead.

I dunno why it's 2x speed, and thus worthless as a video to watch, but: