Guns & Roses "Appetite 4 Destruction" Reviewed

Welcome to the Jungle

"Appetite for Destruction" is Guns & Roses' finest collection! I fell in love with this album right after I heard the opening track, "Welcome to the Jungle" -- the perfect opener for this song collection. These songs both rev you up and take you to unique musical places -- ear candy, so to speak.

Music 2 Wake You Up

"Appetite for Destruction" was my favorite cassette to listen to on my way to work. Since I was always in a hurry, this music gave me the extra shove I needed to push myself -- especially while driving to work. At that time I lived in North Whittier but drove to the City of Commerce in Los Angeles to work -- about 22 miles away.

Listening to these songs on my way to work got my blood flowing; they energized and motivated me as I strove to be on time.

The Band & the Music

Every musician in this band was in their musical prime for these recordings, as you will find when you listen to it.

"Appetite for Destrution" was released July 21, 1987 on Geffen Records.

Guns & Roses' band members:

• Vocals: Axl Rose
• Drums: Steven Adler
• Bass Guitar: Michael McKagan, "Duff"
• Keyboards: Darren Reed
• Guitars: Saul Hudson, "Slash"

Album Cover Art

For start, "Appetite for Destruction," is an amazing title - and the artwork for the cover is artistically very appealing. As an artist, I love the detailed drawings and the color scheme: I love the combination of red, black, and gold. The skeletons are very cool, too, and very trendy: skeletons in the '80's is akin to peace signs in the '60's.

Raunchy Blues Rock

Guns & Roses' music reminds me a lot of early Rolling Stones in that they are both raunchy blues rock; however, I believe Guns & Roses has a bit more style.

Slash, the lead guitarist, plays so near perfect on these songs it is amazing; and the bass player, Duff, also plays some fine bass lines. Of course, we all know this was a group effort, so let's also praise the drummer (Steve Adler), keyboardist (Darren Reed), and the lead singer, Axl Rose, for giving us this awesome record collection.

Embark On a Journey Through Your Ears

From the moment you hear the first song, "Welcome to the Jungle," you are taken on a musical journey. "Welcome to the Jungle' is the perfect opener for this set and, in my opinion, it is one of the best songs ever written -- especially for the '80's.

"Welcome to the Jungle" is a dynamic song with musical changes I found very refreshing. I especially like the break on this song, plus the way the music builds up to a climax before coming back into the chorus again. Excellent song! In case you haven't noticed, "Welcome to the Jungle" is my personal favorite on this album.

Other Songs of Note

There are other songs on this album that are worth mentioning besides the opening track, which we have already mentioned.

"Nighttrain" is a fast, driving, blues-rock song that strongly suggests early Rolling Stones influence. And "Sweet Child of Mine" is a really cool song that starts out with a clever guitar riff -- kind of like the Morse code; the chorus is amazing, as are the beautifully melodic guitar solos featuring Slash.

"It's So Easy", "Out ta Get Me", and "My Michelle" are also pretty good songs. "My Michelle" has a really nice baroque-style guitar riff at the beginning of the song-- before it changes tempo.

"Paradise City" enjoyed some radio play, but it is a basic rock song with nothing much (creatively) to offer.

Classic blues-rock you will love: "Appetite for Destruction" (Click to Tweet) by Guns & Roses.

1. Welcome to the Jungle: Great song with a dynamic introduction! This song (released 11/3/87) went up to #7 on Billboard's Hot 100 (U.S), and to #67 in the U.K.

2. It's So Easy: This was released just before the LP was released, and was their first single and not too well received. They should have launched "Welcome to the Jungle" as their first single.

3. Nightrain: The rousting cowbell introduction and the driving guitars are reminiscent of the Rolling Stones. This is one of my favorites on the record because it is energizing.

4. Out Ta Get Me: Must be Axel Rose's song about paranoia.

5. Mr. Brownstone: A song about drug abuse, apparently. Not the best song in the bunch.

6. Paradise City: A very basic song, but it is catchy.

7. My Michelle: This song starts out with an arpeggio-style guitar riff, and "baroque" sounding. It's a nice unique song.

8. Think About You: This song is just average; it blends in with the other less distinctive songs.

9. Sweet Child o'Mine: Great song. It topped the charts, and was also a "crossover" song for pop or soft rock.

The intro guitar riff reminds me of the Morse code a bit.

10.You're Crazy: Another so-so song to fill the record.

11. Anything Goes: Again, this song is nothing exciting.

12. Rocket Queen: This song is interesting, musically speaking. It stays in your head, so be careful if you find you don't like it.

Below: Selected videos from "Appetite for Destruction."

Each video is chosen by the number of views its drawn, and it is usually also of the best quality, so ...enjoy!