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| Lifted from Deadspin.com |
"You can taste the bright lights but you won't get them for free"
The seminal sports blog Deadspin is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of Appetite For Destruction by having readers send in their stories of the first time they heard the best album of the decade. Appetite was released on July 21, 1987. Coincidentally, Sad City would start appearing on Craig The Porn Star's WCCC program exactly 23 years later. After a quarter century, it's hard to overstate just how good Appetite was/is. While other music of the era has faded into hipster novelty, Appetite powerfully delivers over and over and over and over and over again.
"I see your sister in a Sunday dress"
I can't remember the first time I heard Appetite, I was all of 7 when it was released. What I can remember is having a trio of older cousins and a couple babysitters who were fully engrossed in the metal scene of the day. It was an era of spectacularly teased hair, jean jackets and "Ride The Wind."
"Well that's one for you and two for me"
Guns N Roses was different. Very different. Appetite starts with the now signature guitar
Twenty five years later it still seems apropos. They seemed designed as rock gods, there could be no other destiny for them. Where "Slippery When Wet" and "Look What The Cat Dragged In" oozed sugary schlock, Appetite and the Gunners were a nasty down in the gutter, in your face, visceral rock and roll extravaganza.
"Sometimes it's easy to forget where you're going, sometimes it's harder to leave"
My favorite GNR video is Paradise City. At the time MTV did not only play music, MTV was music.
Guns N Roses had just broken out with "Sweet Child O' Mine" which returned "Welcome To The Jungle" to heavy rotations and suddenly GNR was atop the rock world.
"I should of known better said I wish I never met her"
As hard as it is to imagine, in the late 1980's MTV ruled the music world. And MTV had Paradise City in heavy rotation. When was the last time you were into a music video? Maybe Lady Gaga became the first to do something with the medium in a decade. This was a time when the next Madonna, the next Michael Jackson, the next Guns "N" Roses music video were all a big deal. Even some dude named Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch were a one hit wonder around this time. What became of that guy?
Paradise City was great in it's time and remains awesome today.
"Take me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty!"
Guns N Roses might have been the last group to want to be the biggest rock band in the world. In a few years Nirvana, Pearl Jam and others would be known for not wanting to be know. Guns N Roses seemed built to be huge. No band has ever been like them since. Guns N Roses are the last of the second generation of rock stars who, while not being corporate cloth, embraced becoming the biggest band in the world and openly indulged in all the perks that went with reaching such rarified air.
"Your daddy works in porno now that mommy's not around"
Paradise City is nearly a perfect song and video. A stadium stage being set up, the band practices before the massive audience arrives. The party atmosphere. Axl making a white leather outfit look cool. The crowd going insane. The couple in the crowd making out. Security running to tackle a fan trying to get onstage. Slash, Duff and Izzy nonchalantly sucking back some heaters like playing a massive outdoor stadium is nothing more than High School graduation.
"Honey now you're my best friend"
Paradise City seems more prescient now. It seems to be saying "take a close look, this is only going to happen once." Every band member is featured in the build up. Every band member has the "yeah I'm in the biggest rock band in the world and f.u." look about them.
Sadly, it only did happen once, Appetite would be the only album Axl, Slash, Duff, Izzy, and Steven recorded together.
"Reminds me of childhood memories"
The best part of Paradise City takes place in the Men's room. What?
Well, it's Guns N Roses. In Paradise City, Slash, cigarette in mouth of course, finishes at the urinal, gets recognized by a fan, and signs the back of a jean jacket in the pisser all not breaking stride or missing a drag on his smoke. That's rock star.
"Well I got something, I got something for you"
Today when I watch Paradise City, I just think "man, they DO NOT make rock stars like that anymore." Appetite For Destruction is an album that would hold up in any era, any time, or any place. It sucks that GNR faded out so fast, yet at the same time it almost seemed destined and part of the legacy that is Appetite.
The closing song Rocket Queen will always be the most underrated song on the album by far.
"Here I am, your Rocket Queen, I might be too much but honey, you're a bit obscene"
You should probably take the 53 minutes and listen to the album. If it's the first time or the 300th time, you won't regret it. Even 25 years later, I think we can all agree we would all do just about anything to be Axl Rose in 1987.
"Don't ever leave me, say you'll always be there, all I ever wanted was for you to know that I care"
riff, not rift.
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