411 GN’R Roundtable: “The Spaghetti Incident?”

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 11.23.2008

The countdown has ended and Chinese Democracy is finally here. With it, the 411 music staff wraps up their GN’R retrospective with a look back at the band’s all-covers album, The Spaghetti Incident…

On November 23rd, Guns N' Roses releases Chinese Democracy, their an album literally fourteen years in the making. Anticipation for this album among the GN'R faithful, haters and just plain curious has reached a fever pitch over the last two years thanks to new leaks, Axl's on again/off again comments and, finally, the news that the album would finally be released as a Best Buy exclusive. Even on the eve, some have to wonder if it's even REALLY going to happen after all this time.

But why all the hype for a band who hasn‘t released an album in a decade and a half - whose last album wasn‘t even that good and who is completely different now save for one member? Well, 411 has decided to find out and tell you all about it. How? By taking a look back at GN'R's other five studio sets, from the iconic hard rock of 1987's Appetite For Destruction to the strangeness of the all-covers Spaghetti Incident. Because to understand the future, you need look no further than the past. Or some shit like that.

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PART FIVE: "THE SPAGHETTI INCIDENT?"

In the two years after the release of the Use Your Illusion albums, Guns N' Roses maintained their status as the world's biggest rock band through constant touring and constant controversy. When the tour wrapped up, the band rushed out another album - this one consisting of all cover songs. Most of the tracks had been recorded during the Illusion sessions with a third and perhaps fourth volume in mind. With that idea scrapped, Axl and the gang decided to compile the covers, have new guitarist Gilby Clarke record over Izzy Stradlin's parts, and release them as a new album.

"The Spaghetti Incident?" hit stores in November of 1993. With it, the band once again courted negative attention, as the album contained a hidden cover of a song by famed serial killer Charles Manson. Three tracks were released from Spaghetti Incident (covers of punk act The Dead Boys‘ "Ain't It Fun", 50's doo-wop band The Skyliners' "Since I Don't Have You" and rockers Nazareth's "Hair Of The Dog), but none of them reached the Top 40. The album itself reached platinum by the dawn of ‘94, but stalled there, peaking at #4 on the charts. Today, it stands as GN'R's worst selling album.

After the release of the record, the band would put out one last single (a cover of the Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil") and remain quiet for the next five years. In 1994, Gilby Clarke left the band. Slash followed on the day before Halloween 1996, then Matt Sorum in ‘97 and Duff McKagan in ‘98. All during this time, the GN'R camp maintained that they were working on a new album. This seemed most likely in 1999, when GN'R (at the time comprised of Axl, Dizzy Reed, guitarists Robin Finck and Paul Tobias, bassist Tommy Stinson & drummer Josh Freese) released the song "Oh My God" on a soundtrack. However, it would be nine more years of rumors and false starts before the next studio album would see the light of day.

Today, the 411 music staff takes a last look back at the band‘s swan song, "The Spaghetti Incident?" and decides if its really as bad as its reputation.



Do You Have This Album?

Jesse Coy: Yes, and I probably got it close to when it came out. It was part of the reason why I went on to get the Use Your Illusion albums. I personally like cover albums, and I was impressed by this one, hearing the band do so many great punk tunes (plus Nazareth, T. Rex, and Charley).

Tom Santoro: I bought this as a bargain basement special for 99 cents at a used CD store a few years ago. No fan fare, no angry record store owners just a decision to pick up a record for a dollar. Thankfully that is about what this album was worth.

Jeff Modzelewski: If memory serves me correctly, I got this album soon after it came out, around Christmas of '93. I knew my parents wouldn't get it for me, so I had to get it for myself. Of course, I may have just copied a tape from a friend, I'm not sure.

Mitch Michaels: Mitch Michaels making his very first appearance in the GN'R Roundtable at the very end? Why, well two reasons - one is that our good friend Peter Smith bailed on this one because he doesn't actually own this album. And two - Spaghetti I actually the only Guns N' Roses album I own (up until last week, when I picked up Greatest Hits - damn, why didn't somebody tell me "Civil War" was so awesome?). I've just never been a huge GN'R fan. In fact, the only reason I have this album is because my wife brought it into the marriage.

< b>Michael Adler: I do not own it. I guess this is kind of the forgotten GN'R album. I'm aware of it, but the cover always kind of freaked me out. It's not even good spaghetti. It looks like some kind of Chef Boyardee crap. You can't judge a book by its cover of course, but still. It's bad pasta. Regardless, thanks to the magic of the internet, I gave a listen.


What Tracks Do You Love?

Jesse Coy: I like very much how the opener is "Since I Don't Have You," originally from '58, before going into the punk tunes. I have great fondness for "Attitude" (which Duff sings), because at the time of this release, that Misfits track hadn't been issued on CD. And then there's Fear's "I Don't Care About You," which a couple other bands have covered. It's a great, harsh tune, short and to the point. I do like the Charles Manson song, not because it was originally done by him, but because it's so weird sounding. Ah, and the nod to Soundgarden's "Big Dumb Sex" is rather cool.

Tom Santoro: There is not much to like on this record. I am not a big fan of covers, especially covers by Guns N' Roses. If I had to choose one it would be "Ain't It Fun."

Jeff Modzelewski: There's some solid songs on this album, but really not much to love. "Raw Power" is a good track. I really like the cover of "Hair of the Dog." And I really enjoyed the "fuck everything" feel behind "Attitude" and "I Don't Care About You."

Mitch Michaels: When I was still but a child in musical tastes, I used to hate visiting my grandparents because my uncle would always monopolize the television and watch MTV. In that time, I was mainly into country music and some stuff from the 50's and 60's, so MTV wasn't exactly my favorite channel. It was on one of these visits where I first became familiar with GN'R's "Since I Don't Have You". And I was mesmerized. Not because GN'R did such a great job on the song, (the original and several covers are much better), but because in the video, not only did you have the devil and hot chicks making out, but you also had that shadow girl dancing and I'm like 99% sure you could see her vagina. That blew my fucking mind. The covers of "Attitude" and "Buick Makane" aren't bad either.

Michael Adler: I'm not big on covers on albums. They're a nice surprise live, but I like original stuff on an album for the most part. Regardless, "Big Dumb Sex" and "Hair of the Dog" are awesome. "Since I Don't Have You" is pretty good. Slash's guitar work shines on that one. I also enjoyed "Ain't it Fun". U2 needs to cover "Look at Your Game Girl" on their next DVD so Bono can say, "Guns N' Roses stole this from Charles Manson, now we're stealing it back!"


What Tracks Do You Skip?

Jesse Coy: To be honest, I like this just fine as is. The cover of the New York Dolls' "Human Being," I'd maybe prefer closer to the end, either the last song or the second to last song. But there's not much I don't like here.

Tom Santoro: "Since I Don't Have You" is comical and out of place on this record. While everything else has a basis in punk rock or hard rock of the 1970's, this doo wop song is grating on the ears. I also do not like the straight ahead cover of Nazerath's "Hair of the Dog."

Jeff Modzelewski: Some of these songs just don't work well. They took a chance with songs like "Since I Don't Have You" and "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory," and they just don't work. "Down on the Farm" is pretty mediocre. I can't think of any other songs that I'd skip, but there's not much that stands out as very good, either.

Mitch Michaels: There are just a lot of things on this album I don't get. First off, there's that ugly cover. Second, if you're going to do punk covers, why dilute it with "Since I Don't Have You" and (especially) "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory"? Plus, you've got the whole Charles Manson thing, which isn't even a good song. I think Axl just likes pissing people off. It's these little things that bastardize what could be a hard rock tour de force.

Michael Adler: "New Rose" was boring. "Down on the Farm" was ridiculous, although Axl with a British accent and saying "baa" is awesome. "Attitude"-Eh. Same for "Raw Power". More like Bore Power. Burn.



Final Thoughts

Jesse Coy: For some reason, I think this release is not liked, and I don't quite understand why. The covers were perfect for the band, and they sound good. I also like the fact that they picked some tracks that weren't so common. As far as cover albums go, I'd rank this as definitely one of the better ones.

For another fun cover, off their Live Era double CD, the band does a favorite Black Sabbath tune of mine, "It's Alright." Just wanted to throw that out there.

And now, to close everything out with the band, there were tracks that I left off my Use Your Illusion and Illusionary Tracks CD's I made. Of course, I don't like to waste anything. And since there was such a long gap between the "then" and "now," I'll help Axl out. Starting with one of the band's two non-album soundtrack tracks (I stuck the other one, "Symphony for the Devil," on Illusionary Tracks)... may I present to you...

Taiwanese Republic
"Oh My God" - 3:40
"Back Off Bitch" – 5:04
"Double Talkin' Jive" – 3:24
"Don't Damn Me" – 5:19
"Get in the Ring" – 5:41
"Pretty Tied Up" – 4:48
"Estranged" – 9:24
"Don't Cry (Alternate Lyrics)" – 4:44

Tom Santoro: The last official Guns N' Roses release is a toss away record full of covers. Is there any wonder why people have been begging Axl and his latest Guns incarnation to release Chinese Democracy?

Jeff Modzelewski: If they had released this album and then released an album of new material a year later, this mistake would've easily been overlooked. Instead they waited 15 years for a follow up. Bad decision. Unlike their other albums (including Lies), The Spaghetti Incident? doesn't have much to get excited about. Hopefully Axl will make up for that with Chinese Democracy.

Mitch Michaels: As my only official GN'R studio album, "The Spaghetti Incident?" pretty much just sits there collecting dust. It has its moments, but it's really not worth getting out and playing unless you're doing some kind of weird "listen to all of the Guns N' Roses albums in order" thing. My brother has both Illusion albums (well, until one of my skank cousins stole one), and they are a million times better. In fact, to be only 2 years apart (and culled from the same sessions), I think it's amazing that it's even the same band. Some people call this the link between Illusions and the early days. I guess, but that doesn't excuse it from having some poor song selections and an even poorer choice for title and album art.

Michael Adler: It's non-essential Guns N' Roses.

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And that's all for the 411 Guns N' Roses Roundtable. We hope you can now rock out to Chinese Democracy in the proper historical perspective. Thanks for reading!