Guns N Roses - Radio City (VMAs), New York, NY 8.29.02
Posted by Jeff Modzelewski on 08.30.2002
Guns 'n Roses are back, and hopefully ready to unleash some heavy metal magic like only they can.
I saw something last night that brought me back to junior high. Something that brought me back to the time when I was first forming a musical identity. A band that was a bridge between the hair metal of the 80's and the grunge scene of the 90's. A band that could've given Nirvana a solid run for their money as the most influential band of the past 15 years. A band who, at one point in time, I had memorized every song that they ever put out, including the crap off of "The Spaghetti Incident?"
Guns 'n Fuckin' Roses
Say what you want about this really not being GNR. Say what you want about the fact that Slash was just as important as Axl. Say what you want about Axl being a complete asshole who single-handedly ruined a band that could've completely taken music in a different direction. You're absolutely right, but, in the end, it really doesn't matter. This is the band that formed my musical identity, and brought heavy metal (not that hair band crap) to the masses.
I distinctly remember getting a dubbed copy of Use Your Illusion I from a friend right after it came out. This was the time when I was still listening to what my parents listened to, I was discovering rap for the first time via my brother (good old NWA), and I still had this thought that all heavy metal was screaming that you couldn't understand. Much to the dismay of my mother, I was immediately enthralled with what GNR was doing (ok, obsessed is probably a better word for that), and I started listening to everything I could get my grubby little hands on. GNR set the standard for what I look for even today in a band. They had the 3 major factors that seperate great bands from the rest of the pack: originality, talent, and emotion.
Before GNR, there were 2 main schools of hard rock/heavy metal. On one end, you had the hair bands. Poison, Warrent, Motley Crue, etc... all gained popularity in the 80's based almost entirely on look. The main talents of these bands seemed to be getting their hair to stand straight up and the ability to wear makeup and still get laid. On the other hand, there were the Metallica's, Megadeth's, and Slayer's of the world. Bands that were actual metal with some real credibility, but very little in the way of popularity (Metallica was just beginning to break, but were not quite there). By adding just a little bit of the hair band style to heavy metal, and then adding enough "catchy-ness" to appeal to the MTV crowd, GNR brought heavy metal to from the small clubs and theatres to the arenas and stadiums of the country. No band had done metal the way that GNR did, and I still believe that no one has done it with the same style since.
Say what you will about the fact that the band was full of alcohol- and drug-filled pricks, you can't deny the fact that they had unmatched talent. The band was focused on the amazing riffs of Slash played against the versitile vocals of Axl, with a completely competent cast of supporting characters in guys like Matt, Izzy, and Dizzy. Slash could play in any style, from the searing speed metal of "Garden of Eden" to the laid back acoustic stylings of "Patience". Axl matched Slash's guitar playing with vocals that could ranged from melodic (Don't Cry) to the pissed-off rants of songs like "Get in the Ring." In 5 albums, they played music that touched on classic rock, blues, metal, industrial, and a wide variety of other styles, and they blended it all in a way that was distinctly Guns 'n Roses.
Lyrically, GNR was unmatched. You could feel what Axl was singing about. Listen to "November Rain" and "Estranged," and you'll go through an emotional roller coaster. The band had attitude, style, and anger, but they used those qualities in a way that never seemed pre-packaged or cliche. They could stir all sorts of emotions up in the listener, and make you feel like Axl was feeling the same way you did. Few bands ever had that sort of connection with their audience.
Well, GNR at the VMA's was a definite "mark out" moment for me. I don't know if "Chinese Democracy" is going to bring back any of that GNR magic back. I can almost guarantee that I'll be picking it up the day it goes on sale. As for a tour, provided that Axl doesn't think that he's worth $50 to go see, I'll probably be there to check that out too. It seems like GNR 2.0 is a very talented group, especially with Buckethead on guitar. It'll be interesting to see what kind of chemistry this band has, and if their versions of some of the old GNR classics do the originals justice. Either way, Guns 'n Roses are back, and hopefully ready to unleash some heavy metal magic like only they can.
The 411: Guns 'n Roses are back, and hopefully ready to unleash some heavy metal magic like only they can.
