Reviews (page 10 of 16)
Excellent all the way through!
Classic blast from thr past.
I mean, how could this be less than a 4? I doubt there is a more famous rock song than Welcome to the Jungle, and if there was one it would probably be Sweet Child O' Mine! This isn't wall-to-wall bangers, and it does come off a bit cheesy/cringe at times, but for a debut effort it's phenomenal.
One of my favorites
Solid album
This is probably the last perfect rock debut album. I remember hearing in the late 80's that Axl and Slash were voted 'most likely to die of unnatural causes' like 3 years in a row. This band should've been my generations Rolling Stones. Drugs and egos fucked that up though. This album is proof that nothing exceeds like excess. Game changer and total banger.
Great album, that is something that I really enjoyed. I knew half of the songs, which I was surprised by, because I was a big fan of Guns N' Roses' music when I was younger. I still enjoy their greatest hits and clearly also enjoyed their not-so-greatest hits. I would say that out of all of the albums that I have gotten on here, this one might be overall the best one, as the other albums are either super weird or not all of the songs are 5-star worthy ones.
welcome to the jungle (intro), is a pretty good background song, like its not a song where i listen intensely to it, just kinda enjoy it in the background its so easy, is more my style, like the voice a bit better here - still not a fav a bit boring
Yeah I guess it was fine. Boring.
Most of the songs are good but nothing crazy. Welcome to the Jungle is an ok song but fun to sing along to but then there's a run of really good tracks in the middle. Really like Paradise City, My Michelle, and Think About You. And then there's Sweet Child O Mine. Great song. Best song on the album by far. Then back to bunch of ok to good songs
Despite the band’s clarification that I was in the jungle, I’m not sure where I stand with this one. Rating it a three feels like a bit of a cop-out, since there were some truly delightful parts and some truly idiotic parts, and I want to settle on a two or a four. Ultimately, I must ask ‘where do we go now?’ and then screech a bunch.
Favorites: Welcome to the Jungle, Out ta Get Me, Sweet Child O' Mine, My Michelle, You're Crazy Kinda liked this as a change of pace. Not sure I'd reach for it on my own. Axl Rose's vocalizations are a hoot; he really goes all out! I mean, it's an energetic album, you gotta give it that. The songs I liked best were the ones that made me laugh a lil bit (except for Sweet Child O' Mine, which I've always had a soft spot for). 3 stars.
Perfekt för en amerikans roadtrip med så en EXTREMT rak väg där man bara kan bränna på i så 200km/h. Va INTE i det mindsetet alllllls när jag lyssnade. Kommer möjligtvis åka fram under gubbsommaren när man tycker att man är mycket coolare och bryr sig mycket mindre än vad gör. Lowkey beskriver hela albumet. Ja e ROCKARE och ja e COOL och ja knullar fett med tjejer WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Pompous, but in an acceptable way.
Overall a pretty good album with some classics and a couple others that still sound just a little unpolished.
Perfection
A classic album for sure but over time have really come to dread Axl rose's voice. Some of the lyrics oof haha
Albumi #101, 06.11.2024 Yksi maailman kovimmista debyyttilevyistä. Ei ehkä omia suursuosikkejani, mutta loistava levy silti.
como pode uma banda estreiar com um album desse nivel, simplesmente bizarro.
This sounded very exciting when I was fifteen (tbh I don't think I heard this one back then, except for the hits. I definitely had Use Your Illusion on tape. I and II). It still sounds quite exciting but also bloated and a bit silly.
While I am sick to death of the big hits off this record (shoutout to literally every cookie-cutter FM station playing Welcome to the Jungle multiple times a day for 20+ years), one cannot deny their importance in the overall history of rock n roll - there's a reason they're overplayed! Putting myself in the shoes of a listener in 1987, I cannot deny that these songs kick serious ass \m/ Slash managed to write one of the most instantly-recognizable guitar riffs of all time with Sweet Child O Mine - and I can fully understand and respect the fact that he hates it now. Everything outside of the big hits felt like a mixed bag to me - mostly padding, but with some interesting moments. By the time I got to the last track 'Rocket Queen' I was quite ready for it to be over.
Banger of an album that is unfortunately brought down by a few of the tracks in the second half of the album. Stradlin, McKagan & Adler are one of the best rhythm sections rock music ever saw.
Obra prima do rock
I really do like guns n' roses and this album has always been a little special to me.
Was it as good as Lies ? Some might disagree :) but still a belter of an album
Good, but doesn’t age super well.
I can see why it sold bucketloads. The songs are catchy, the playing is good, the singing is, at least, interesting. However, it remains manufactured pap of the worst kind.
Actually liked it more than I expected. It's still corny as hell but honestly pretty fun overall.
i think it was great. it wasn't too long or too boring. loved
It's difficult to label Guns N' Roses. They're a little too heavy for hard rock, but they're not quite full on heavy metal. It's glam like Mötley Crüe but there's an edge to it. It's got a grittier sound. Everyone knows the three big singles. I think I've been worn out on 'Welcome To The Jungle' by playing it a lot on Guitar Hero 3 and 'Sweet Child O' Mine' is just overplayed in general. Having said that though, I absolutely can't deny they're both very good tracks. 'Paradise City' is the other single and for me is the best song here. The mini epic of the album. Fantastic riff that makes you want to headbang, and when it kicks into overdrive, it's fast and furious with a great solo. 'My Michelle' is probably my favourite from the rest. Really catchy chorus and a gritty riff. Now to what I don't like. I'm afraid Axl Rose is the weak link here. His voice isn't for me at all. He sounds like he's squawking a lot of the time or like he's holding his nose shut. He's so nasally and whiny. Not all the time I have to say, but he's certainly more bad than good. Slash is the star. He plays very well throughout and really is a great guitarist. I can't knock a star off purely for Axl's vocals though, because the actual music is that good. A fantastic debut and from what I understand, they never quite reached these heights again.
A great debut, I used to listen to this a lot. It’s not quite filler free but it’s pretty close.
Not really my style but pretty catchy 80s fun, I'd listen for sure
Other than the "hits", Paradise City, Welcome to the Jungle and Sweet Child O'Mine, I didn't feel there was much to offer on this overly long album. Of course, I prefer my heavy metal/hard rock in smaller doses...
One of the absolutely iconic late 80's hair metal albums. So many Hall of Fame intros. One of the top 25 albums.
'Appetite for Destruction' is certainly a rock n roll classic. I can't describe the sound better than the Billboard review which praised the album's mix of \"metal's forceful playing, punk rock's rebellious themes, glam metal's aesthetic, and bluesy guitar riffs that appealed to purists.\" The big singles should already be familiar to most listeners, including 'Welcome to the Jungle', 'Paradise City', and 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. Those are powerful rock anthems that Still hold up today. Axl Rose is the epitome of a rock star in all the best and worst ways. It's as easy to picture yourself on stage belting out lyrics like he does, as it is to pick again the sometimes toxic, often drug-fueled lyrics. The non-single tracks also don't have the same impact as the others. Still, for an 80s rock band's debut album, it obviously made a massive impact on the music scene.
I don’t care. It’s a great album.
Remember when paradise city came out everyone thought it was such a dumb song and decades later I still think that. Tom waits "going out west" is harder than any gnr song
I own this album on vinyl and I wanted to like this more than I do. I think the substance abuse I know the GNR guys were doing has dampened my enthusiasm for their music over the years, as it kinda just makes me sick to hear most of it. I still love Sweet Child O' Mine, Paradise City and Welcome to the Jungle, because I know them so well, but most of the other tracks are just a reminder of their awful (IMO) lifestyle and just makes me depressed to listen to. I've only listened to my copy once and I may end up selling it because I'm not sure I'll ever want to listen to it again. :(. Three stars.
Listened Before? Y One of the best hard rock albums of all time. Everyone is probably familiar with at least part of this record. Sometimes in these reviews I rail about juvenile subject matter... THIS is an example of how you should handle such in my opinion. Gritty and hard and unapologetic instead of treating everything as a joke. A killer album. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Welcome To The Jungle, Nightrain
Banger debut
WOOOOOO!!!!! Fav Songs: Nighttrain, My Michelle, Sweet Child O' Mine
Amazing album! Legendary
The classics of Welcome To The Jungle, Paradise City and Sweet Child O' Mine are of course so cold hard classics that this album could never be below a 3*, but the rest of the songs are fine to quite good, but truly I think this may be a band whose greatest hits are immaculate but individual albums are just good. I hope to be proven wrong but I didn't get convinced otherwise this time!
Appetite for Destruction is an album I’m incredibly familiar with. Guns N’ Roses have always been a band I’ve enjoyed, including Chinese Democracy, but this debut has more grit, aggression, and danger than any of their other releases. Overflowing with testosterone, this album strikes the perfect balance between rock ‘n’ roll swagger and skilled musicianship. Axl’s voice—like if a chainsaw and a wildcat had a baby—combined with a ridiculously talented band, results in what is quite possibly the greatest debut album in rock history. It’s packed full of classics. Standout track: Paradise City (seeing it live was extraordinary). Score: 5/5.
I forgot how great this album was. Axel Rose kills it
Boring. Never liked G'n'R, and this did not change my mind.
not my style 🤷♀️
Solid rock album, got a lot of classics
Horrible.
This album reminds me of fall weather, driving around with nowhere to go, blasting this at ear-splitting volume. Of course, this was almost 15 years after the album came out, but it was still in regular rotation, even among a bunch of college radio station punks. A truly great album, even if you hate the band, its members and everything else they even put out it is absolutely undeniable.
I'm conflicted here. I loved these songs when they came out. Now, the vibe in a few tracks seems pretty off, especially in the opener. Some great riffs and great energy though. 3.5, I think
The hits are really good, the rest is pretty typical hair metal
Pretty good.
Couple brighter tracks, but for the most part a depressingly stupid listen.
the hits are hits, but the rest of the album feels pretty much like the same song
It was all down hill from here for GNR.
Classic. Precies mijn muziek. Paar inkakkartjes erop. 4,5 ster
Ahh the album that broke me away from listening to Michael Jackson and Culture Club. The album where I heard my first swear word in a song. The album that produced the video for Paradise City which was the most energetic video I had ever seen. There was no turning back after this album. I had been molded into a new person that still exists today. I masturbated to the moaning in Rocket Queen and to the photo on the album sleeve of the naked cartoon girl. Times were different then and I was thankful for the experience. A great rock album from start to finish. Choice Cut: Rocket Queen
# 345 : Great album, I really like this, seen 'em live recently and it was the worst concert I've been to. Shocking. Still good to listen to them every now and again… and THAT riff… Favourite track : Welcome To The Jungle
Had obviously heard the big three tracks off this countless times, but the rest of the album was just as good. Great energy, hard hitting rock
Glaube macht Spaß wenn man sowas gern mag. Haben wenige gute Lieder
Today this album brings to mind ridiculously overplayed songs and a complete douche of a front man. That wasn't the case when this album was new though. In a landscape of polished, spandex wearing, soft hair metal bands like Poison and their ilk, Appetite For Destruction was like a bomb going off. Louder, faster, dirtier, sleazier, yet somehow more down to earth. It changed the game and helped pave the way for many other bands to come.
First and Best!
Sweet Child of Mine, Welcome to the Jungle and Paradise City are just class
3.5
Their one essential album
é bom mas não é o melhor dos Guns
One star for sweet child o mine being able to instantly transport me back to 1989, when this song was inescapable. A very Proustian moment. The rest of it, ugh. All that testosterone, long sweaty hair, preposterous rawk n raunch, oh those LA bad boys. Plus, Axle is a complete arse.
i'm going to shit myself and die
I loved listening to this. Of course, I recognised half the tracks despite never having actively listened to Gun N' Roses, but it was still an exciting, raw, libido-fuelled journey that showcased every instrument's potential. This is especially true for the vocals. Axl Rose, like Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, has a great rock scream that toes the line between high-pitched and gritty. And there are so many great vocal and guitar hooks, making just about every track easily re-listenable. Paradise City, Welcome To The Jungle, Nightrain, Mr. Brownstone, It's So Easy... Then, of course, there's the star track – not just of the band, but (arguably) of all of 80s rock – namely, Sweet Child O' Mine. I think it's safe to say that there's nothing bad about this track (in isolation), and everything good. The semi-distorted, semi-melancholic guitar riff, the wistful lyrics, the stadium-rocker chorus. Quite good eh? Sure, half of these are played to death on rock radio stations, but can you really blame them? There's such a raw power in every instrument here, all brought together into a monster of an album that can absolutely stand up against other giants of the rock genre. Side note: "It's overplayed" is not a good criticism of any form of music. Don't give a 1-star review if that's your only justification. 5/5 Key tracks: Sweet Child O' Mine, Paradise City, Mr. Brownstone, It's So Easy, Nightrain, Welcome To The Jungle
Haven't listened to much of Guns N' Roses before, but was looking forward to hearing this. Some good fun hard rock, love it! Slash's guitar work is incredible. Welcome to the Jungle starts us of with a banger. Mr. Brownstone was fun. Paradise City is always a classic. Sweet Child O'Mine is a nice slower (comparatively) jam. Rest of the album is solid. Best song: Paradise City
Though a good portion has been worn out by rock radio, this is hard to deny.
Crazy that the opening track on their debut album is Welcome to the Jungle. Overall insipid and puerile lyrics, but dang Slash is so good at guitar
I dont think G&R has any non-5 star albums. Maybe the one that came out years later when Axl's voice was done.
Pretty rockin' album! Welcome To The Jungle, Paradise City, and Sweet Child O' Mine are classics. I had not listened to My Michelle before and enjoyed it.
Not my preferred kind of music. Some good guitar licks here and there. I really don't care for the lyrics/vocals. Top 3: 3. Paradise City 2. Nightrain 1. My Michelle
Yyyereaaaaahhhhhh
Glorious album. If it were a couple of songs shorter (ie remove the fluff) then it would be a 5
Iconic, for me one or two filler songs prevented a 5* rating
Four of the songs are just all time rock classics - Paradise City being the best of them all. However much of the other cuts are just so mediocre. The drums on Its So Easy sound like two shoe boxes and a pair of keys. That said the highlights are sublime. 4/5
Veel goede nummers, maar wel veel van hetzelfde.
Sex, drugs, and rock & roll. But that's just where the story starts. I've heard this album probably a hundred times or more, but it wasn't until recently, as I was listening with an ear to write something about the album, that I realized that this is a loose concept album. It's about going to the big city (in this case L.A.) to make it big, with your head full of dreams, only to be smacked by the reality of drugs and the eternal chase after a high you can never again reach. It's the later songs like "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child o' Mine" that has the protagonist regretting his decisions and wanting to go back home, wherever that is, far from the big city that is, indeed, not paradise, not filled with pretty girls, and certainly lacking in green grass.
Today on “songs that other media has ruined for me”: stepbrothers ruins sweet child o mine
No can do i
I never really know how to rate Guns N' Roses. I despised them with a passion when I was a teenager, but more from envy than anything else, and even then I understood what my friend saw (and idolized) in how impressive Slash was. This is clearly their signature album, and really impressive for being a debut, and it has so many permanently-popular songs on it that it's nearly a greatest hits album on its own. Except that the other songs, of which there are *far* too many, are forgettable and interchangeable. But it's hard to ignore what a strange and far-reaching influence this band had on the glam/metal/rock scene. So as much as I *still* don't really enjoy listening to them, I can't help but give them a 4-star rating. Welcome to the jungle indeed.
First time listening to this album though I've heard their songs before. Enjoyed the classic rock vibe! Their popular songs are the best but there aren't many clunkers on this album.
Welcome To The Jungle is pretty great tbh, shame this album then outstays its welcome by about eleven songs. I was going to give this 2/5 but then I heard Anything Goes which finally destroyed all respect I had for the obvious musicianship on display here. I will very happily never hear another album track by this band ever again.
Sudore e spettacolo. Mi stava stufando ma poi fortunatamente è partita sweet child o' mine.
This album doesn't really offer anything more than the three classics that still get play. Sweet Child and Jungle are great songs on their own, but the deep cuts just don't have a hook, so it just feels like a lesser version of the good stuff.
fun rockah stacked with hits, no excuse not to enjoy it
Not my cup of tea but a noteworthy album for sure
It was fine. Classics were there they were fun. Heard them all before though.
It’s a classic but a little overplayed so the high points were already songs I’ve heard…a lot. Despite this the high points such as paradise city and sweet child of mine were as good as I expected and enjoyed. A certified classic album but not one I’m particularly fond of like many who enjoy it. 4/5.
My all time favorite album - so glad this one is one the list!
Axl rose is such a douche
There is a lot to like, but this just isn't for me. Too soft and poppy to be metal, I always think of this as teenage girls' "heavy music". (nothing wrong with that) Axl's vocals are very good but a bit same'ish. Slash certainly can play the guitar. I'll still give it a 4* because I'm in a good mood, it's an influential album, and it certainly has its qualities. Won't switch if off when it's on the radio but won't get the album either.
Meh. I never listened to GnR beyond the radio singles, and after finally listening to this album I feel like the singles are the only songs worth anything. The album’s not bad per se, but all of the songs sound very similar. A lot of them have cool intros but then the main song starts and it’s just more of the same. It’s like AC/DC — if you’ve heard one of their songs you’ve pretty much heard them all. The last couple of songs are slightly different, but the lyrics are bad. There’s not much substance to this album lyrically. Sex, drugs, and rock n roll. Also, who thought the line, “Cause I can turn on anyone/Just like I turned on you/I’ve got a tongue like a razor, a sweet switchblade knife” was sexy? Yeesh. While I was listening to this I had an epiphany that Axl sounds like Elmo doing his best Ann Wilson impression, and I will never unhear it now. 3/5 — basically one point for each of the singles.
It’s easy to forget how damn good this album is. How a new band emerged this fully formed is amazing. Three of the songs - a quarter of the album - are radio stokes and rock classics (Jungle, Sweet Child, Paradise City) that are well deserving of both. Then there’s Nightrain, It’s so easy, and Mr Briwnstone, which would have been freshman album classics but are second tier only because they are overshadowed by the other big three. Interestingly, listening to this again, I realized how much of future albums, especially much of Use Your Illusion, draws on the sound of Think About You, rather than much of the above.
this album is so good it made me sing Sweet Child o Mine with my family while I was driving and I almost crashed into an oncoming car because I had to tell my wife she was flat
Hammer
Best debut riff ever? Probably. On par with Lynyrd Skynyrd for best debut album.
Disclaimer: I'm not really looking forward to this one... Track 1: Welcome to the Jungle (9/10) I want to try and judge these songs as they are but it's difficult when some of them have been so grossly overplayed throughout my life. With that being said, I do think this is a pretty great song overall. Slash is a great soloist and Axl's voice fits the song nicely, I just hate all the moaning he does. The bridge before the last chorus is the best part. I never want to hear this song again. Track 2: It's So Easy (6/10) Duff is the secret weapon for GnR and I love that he gets a great bass intro this early into the album. The rest of the song does nothing for me until Slash's solo. Track 3: Nightrain (6/10) The lyrics are so generic, it gives me a headache. However, I really liked the instrumentals. Once again, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills when I hear people praising Axl's vocals cause most of the time he sounds like a dying cat to me. Track 4: Out Ta Get Me (4/10) A song so generic that I zoned out and had to restart it. I still don't remember anything about it. Track 5: Mr. Brownstone (9/10) This has always been the one GnR song that I've never gotten tired of and I still stand by that statement. I actually adore Axl's vocal delivery in this song and the chorus is so much fun! Track 6: Paradise City (9/10) I remember seeing Slash live in the 9th grade (a long time ago) and being so hyped that he closed the show with this one. It's my favourite riff in their discography and another song where I don't hate Axl's vocals. It's horribly overplayed now though. Track 7: My Michelle (8/10) That riff made me do a hardcore stinkface lol easily the best song I hadn't heard so far. I wouldn't mind hearing this one if it came on the radio. Track 8: Think About You (7/10) I had my foot tapping with this one! Pretty good song overall, not something I see myself listening to all the time though. Track 9: Sweet Child O' Mine (5/10) I'll give this song the credit it deserves. The opening riff/bass interplay is incredible. I hate everything else and I'm not sure if that has to do with it being the single most overplayed song on the planet. It's hard to listen to it objectively cause rock radio has ruined what I genuinely think could be a good song. Maybe I'd rate it higher otherwise. Track 10: You're Crazy (5/10) Another forgettable song that I have nothing to say about it. I guess the guitar work is good but that goes without saying. Track 11: Anything Goes (3/10) What is with the squeaking in the beginning? The lyrics are gross and the music is boring. Track 12: Rocket Queen (6/10) Another song where Duff gets to show off! I don't think it's a great album closer though. Overall: 6/10 I don't hate this album. The high points are incredible (even if I'm sick of hearing them) and the lows make me either cringe or fall asleep. It's still the best thing that GnR ever released and I believe it deserves to be in this list for it's cultural impact alone. Fav Song: Mr. Brownstone Least Fav Song: Anything Goes
Every time I dread listening to a certain album I’m usually pleasantly surprised. NOT the case for this album it is awful
Good album. Every song slaps
Really a pretty fun album filled with a fair amount of hits.
Siis tosi klassinen peruskaura-albumi mut emt... Ehkä mun historia KISSin kaa ei anna mun sydämessä tilaa muille vanhan liiton rock-bändeille </3 oisin kauheesti halunnu antaa 2⭐ mut on gunnarit nyt parempi ku edellinen radiohead
Iskärokkii parhaimillaan, mul oli nuorena suuri guns n roses ja slash vaihe nii nostalgian lämmittämänä kuuntelin ilolla.
How did I avoid ever hearing this entire album? My brother owned it and I am familiar with exactly 5 tracks which are classic and the rest is ... odd. They're really just a bluesy rock bar band with an inventive lead guitarist and some dude screaming while just BARELY staying on key. Kind of a boring album tbh. This is probably why it was overlooked for a year before hitting.
Some great hits and some major misses for me.
I mean, just a full album of classic bangers. I'm sure for a lot of people this one is overplayed and they are sick of it, but I discovered it late enough in life that it still hits for me.
There are no dull moments on this album, but it’s just not my kind of thing. Sweet Child Of Mine is 5/5 and there are some other great songs, but a full album of Guns n Roses is a little too much for me to bear. Under the right circumstances, I would agree that the album is 5/5. But I gave it a few tries and I just couldn’t get into it.
Album you should listen before you die or album you won't be able to ignore in your lifetime? This one for me is an album to grow up to. Sweet child o mine is just so fucking perfect. Easy time I hear it I can't help, but wonder - how did they do it? Love this album, love guns and roses. Five our of five ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Absolute bangers weer
I get it, it's "important" or whatever. I just can't care.
I had never considered myself a G&R fan - but there are a lot of great songs on this album, which I have never listened to in full before. My Michelle was a new favourite for me.
Classic Album
Neck is sore
Gold
Love it
Kinda starting to wish I didn’t give the last album a 4…. Cause I enjoyed this way more than Joni… but I don’t want to give it a 5 either. That’s gotta be reserved for absolute bangers. Anyways my head was sore Friday afternoon from slightly head banging for an hour and a half or so. Good album. The popular songs are overplayed… but the rest of the album surprised me by how good it was.
Before he took up residence in the deep end, Axl could rip it (though a little screechy), and Slash was right there with him (minus the crazy). They can be a little unimaginative and repetitive, though at their best there is a nice freewheeling energy to follow.
My natural disposition is to choose not to listen to this. I won’t turn off the hits if they come on the radio, the sad thing being I seem to know all the words. This week I certainly wasn’t in the mood to listen to it so I waited until I was open and receptive. However, my appetite for this has not been stimulated but I admire their talent for a catchy tune.
Fun album from my youth. Lots of memorable songs. I don't have this in my current playlist because I think it's been overplayed, but it should still be acknowlegded for its staying power.
Before I even spun this record, I started penning some thoughts about GnR and how enthralled I was by their energy and what seemed like legitimate danger inherent in the band when this album came out in 1987. I saw them open for Aerosmith when this album was starting to launch and there was a feeling of a changing of the guard (which didn't exactly happen, I guess) — GnR was a young FORCE and Aerosmith was hitting Phase III with Permanent Vacation. Anyway, I was going to lament the fact that everything after this album was second-rate and GnR's being heralded as one the all-time greats was overstated considering they only really had one great album — and one that doesn't necessarily hold up after all these years. Then I spun the record, and OK, there's some legitimate greatness here. Axl, as big of an asshole as he is, was a revelation when this album landed, and while I'll argue that over a larger body of work he's kinda predictable, on this album, he's gold and there's no one who ever sounded like this. The riffs are big and scary and meaty and the whole package is enthralling more often than not. And in the same breath, the album is bloated — and I'm not even going to go into the misogyny and posturing because it may really be a portrait of the lives they were living. Like it or not. But bloated... indulgent soloing, too much Axl — I think they knew they had something special and they packed everything into these 12 songs. There are undeniable moments of brilliance. And you can also hear where things were going to go off the rails. Maybe they got too big too quick and were able to indulge themselves without restraint way too soon. Perhaps it's that touch of restraint that makes this album great. But it ain't perfect, so it gets the 4-star. I went into this feeling it might not get to that, but it's a landmark record. I just think it's all the band ever needed to release. Everything after this punched a hole in their legacy, IMO.
I rolled my eyes when this showed up. I've never been a fan and have never understood the passion people have for this band. But whatever, I went in with an open mind. "Welcome to the Jungle" in undeniably great. It's such a perfectly crafted pop song with all the trimmings—hooks galore, great performances, great energy. 10/10 no notes. The second song I'd never heard before and I would have never guessed it was GnR, it sounded so different. So props for that, but major minus for the aggressive misogyny. Then... well, then it pretty much went to shit with the nonstop hard rock cliches and godalmighty but Axel's vocals annoy the hell out of me. And yeah, OK, Sweet Child of Mine is solid, but by that point I had given up. Fuck Guns and Roses and that disgusting brew of toxic LA-hard-rock masculinity.
The hits are good but the other sounds were mid.
Miten ikonisia (ja siis hyviä) introja! Sinkut on jo kliseitä, mutta ne toimii - ne on ripoteltu kantamaan albumia. Toisaalta ei muutkaan biisit filleriä ole, mietittyjä. Laulutyyli on vitsi muttei mauton, heidät voi vielä ottaa tosissaan.
Nämä ovat verrattoman mielikuvituksellisesti ja huolellisesti valmisteltuja kappaleita. Vaikka LP jakautuu selkeään A- ja B-puoleen, varsinaista suvantoa ei ole - mikä osoittaa, etteivät he jatkuvasti olleet täysin pihalla. Ongelma on levyn sanoituksellinen ja konseptuaalinen ulottuvuus, joka heijastaa tiettyä uskottavuutta, mutta liukuu samalla lapsellisesta häiritsevään ja takaisin. Tästä huolimatta Appetite on LP, joka kaikkien pitäisi kuulla. Ei niin että tätä nykyä usein kuuntelisin. Mutta vittu mikä avausraita.
I never listened to this album when it came out, apart from the popular songs on the radio. I was hoping I'd like it more than I did. I wanted to give it points for nostalgia but even that feels forced.
Great tracks on this one. Also some boring tracks. Sweet child o’mine is always a banger
Heard it a bunch. It's got some classics, but also this sound was super short lived and it is not my favorite. They do it better than anyone else I've heard do it tho. It's a classic, but by no means one I come back to frequently. They come across as all energy, and the songwriting isn't that outstanding to me, even tho that's not necessarily the focus of the band. And while it doesn't factor into my rating of this album... GNR has one of the most puzzling discographies in popular rock music.
Still good rocking
The definitive Guns N Roses album! One of the best rock albums of all time, even if a couple of tunes from it are way too overplayed on radio (paradise city, sweet child o mine) it's still just amazing. I'm more of a Use your Illusion kinda guy, but this is still the work that people know them for, and that’s what makes it a timeless classic! 4⭐️
This, for me, is kind of like the ur-rock album. When I think of how rock sounds in my brain it sounds like this album. Granted, I'm young-ish, so my understanding of rock was definitely formed through the Guitar Hero era (which relied heavily on the hits from the album). The hits are still bangers, like all timers. Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, Sweet Child o Mine... all masterpieces of rock from the orchestration and production to the vocals. Each a 5 minute odyssey in their own right. The other songs don't necessarily "slouch", but I think my taste in music, generally, has moved beyond this type of thing. A 15-16 year old version of myself still rocks out to these songs, but it's not me anymore.
The non major hits on this are even better than I thought!
Fantastic
8.6/10
Own the vinyl not listening to it all the way through but already love welcome to the jungle, Paradise city and sweet child of mine. Very loud
fucking great
Not the biggest fan of this type of music. But I can't deny the hits or overall musicianship.
**Appetite for Destruction** by **Guns N' Roses** is one of the most iconic and influential hard rock albums of all time. Released in 1987, it not only cemented the band's place in rock history but also became a cultural landmark, blending the grit of punk with the raw power of metal. Below is an in-depth review of the album, analyzing its **lyrics, music, production, themes, and lasting influence**, along with a critical assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. ### **1. Lyrics** The lyrics of *Appetite for Destruction* embody a raw, unfiltered look at life in the underbelly of Los Angeles during the mid-1980s. They are unapologetically grim, focusing on themes of addiction, hedonism, street life, alienation, and violence. - **“Welcome to the Jungle”**: The album opens with this anthem of urban chaos and survival. Axl Rose’s portrayal of L.A. as a predatory environment ("You're in the jungle, baby!") perfectly encapsulates the dangers and excitement of the city’s nightlife. The lyrics present a hostile yet seductive landscape, where survival hinges on one's ability to adapt to the brutal realities of life on the street. - **“Paradise City”**: In stark contrast to the darkness of “Jungle,” “Paradise City” offers a nostalgic vision of escape. The refrain, “Take me down to the Paradise City / Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty,” serves as a desperate plea for innocence lost. Yet, even here, a subtle cynicism lurks, as the song reveals the illusion of paradise and the inevitability of decay. - **“Mr. Brownstone”**: One of the more autobiographical tracks, it dives into the band’s struggles with heroin addiction. The lyrics are blunt and direct, avoiding glorification while acknowledging the spiraling, inescapable nature of drug dependency. This song speaks to the band's personal demons and how these vices fuel and impair their creativity. - **“Sweet Child O' Mine”**: Perhaps the only love song on the album, this track stands out for its romanticism. Rose’s lyrics convey deep affection and admiration, which contrasts with the more destructive themes elsewhere. The simplicity and sincerity of the lyrics make it one of the most relatable tracks on the album. ### **2. Music** Musically, *Appetite for Destruction* is an aggressive, high-octane blend of hard rock, punk, and blues influences, perfectly reflecting the energy and chaos of L.A. life in the ‘80s. Each member of the band brings a distinctive sound that, when combined, creates a powerful, cohesive musical experience. - **Guitar Work**: Slash's guitar playing is one of the defining aspects of the album. His ability to blend bluesy undertones with raw, distorted hard rock riffs is on full display, especially in tracks like “Sweet Child O' Mine” and “Rocket Queen.” The interplay between rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin and Slash adds a layered texture to the sound. Their contrasting styles (Izzy’s more laid-back, groove-heavy playing and Slash’s fiery solos) complement each other beautifully. - **Bass and Drums**: Duff McKagan’s bass work is punk-inspired but maintains a solid foundation that keeps the songs grounded. His lines are intricate yet never overshadow the guitars. Steven Adler’s drumming is ferocious, providing the songs with a relentless, driving beat. His playing on “Welcome to the Jungle” and “It’s So Easy” brings a sense of urgency to the music. - **Vocals**: Axl Rose’s voice is perhaps the most polarizing element. His range spans from guttural screams to high-pitched wails, providing a dynamic emotional palette to the album. On tracks like “Nightrain” and “Rocket Queen,” Rose’s delivery is venomous, matching the lyrical content perfectly. Yet, on softer tracks like “Sweet Child O' Mine,” his voice can convey vulnerability, showing his versatility as a vocalist. ### **3. Production** *Appetite for Destruction* was produced by Mike Clink, whose work on the album is often praised for its clarity and balance. The production avoids the overly glossy, polished sound of many '80s rock albums. Instead, it captures a live, gritty energy that is essential to the band’s aesthetic. - **Rawness and Clarity**: One of the standout aspects of the production is its rawness. The instruments are allowed to breathe, and there is little in the way of unnecessary overdubbing. Clink’s approach gave the album a street-level authenticity that many other rock bands of the time lacked. The sharpness of Slash’s guitar and the snappy punch of Adler’s drums are given room to shine without being drowned out by excessive studio effects. - **Balancing Complexity**: The production also manages to maintain clarity even during the album’s more complex musical arrangements. Tracks like “Rocket Queen” switch between heavy riffs and lighter sections, yet each part is distinct, allowing listeners to fully appreciate the band’s musicality. - **Limitations**: If there’s a downside to the production, it’s that the raw sound may alienate listeners who prefer a more polished approach. While it works well for the high-energy tracks, the occasional lack of refinement can feel jarring. However, this “rough around the edges” sound is largely what makes *Appetite* stand out from its contemporaries. ### **4. Themes** *Appetite for Destruction* explores several core themes that resonate throughout the album. These themes give the album a thematic consistency that elevates it beyond a mere collection of songs. - **Urban Chaos and Survival**: The album is rooted in the band's experiences navigating the dark side of Los Angeles. “Welcome to the Jungle” encapsulates this theme best, serving as a cautionary tale for those seduced by the city’s allure. There’s a feeling of constant threat and the necessity to be tough to survive. This theme recurs in tracks like “It’s So Easy” and “Nightrain,” which further explore the band’s reckless indulgences and survival amidst vice. - **Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll**: Nearly every song on the album touches on one of these three pillars of rock debauchery. Songs like “Mr. Brownstone” and “Rocket Queen” explore the highs and lows of drug addiction and sexual exploits, while others, such as “Paradise City,” offer moments of reflection on the inevitable fallout of such a lifestyle. - **Alienation and Inner Conflict**: Tracks like “Out Ta Get Me” and “Think About You” delve into feelings of paranoia, alienation, and the strain of relationships. Axl Rose’s lyrical themes often reflect personal battles, internal demons, and a general sense of rebellion against authority and societal norms. ### **5. Influence** The influence of *Appetite for Destruction* is difficult to overstate. It reshaped the rock and metal landscape at a time when hair metal dominated the airwaves. Guns N' Roses brought a dangerous, rebellious energy back into rock, rejecting the glamor and excess of their contemporaries for a rawer, more primal sound. - **Reviving Hard Rock**: In a decade saturated with overly produced, image-driven bands, *Appetite* felt like a return to the raw spirit of early rock 'n' roll. It bridged the gap between the heaviness of metal and the rebelliousness of punk, inspiring countless bands to adopt a more stripped-back, authentic sound. - **Cultural Impact**: Guns N' Roses became the embodiment of rock’s darker side. They were dangerous, unpredictable, and lived the lifestyle they sang about. This authenticity resonated with a generation of listeners who were growing tired of the sanitized, polished pop-rock that dominated the charts. - **Longevity**: Even over three decades later, *Appetite for Destruction* continues to be regarded as a high-water mark for hard rock. Its influence can be seen in the resurgence of rock bands in the early 2000s, as well as its continued presence in popular culture. ### **6. Pros and Cons** #### **Pros** - **Timeless Music**: The combination of Slash’s iconic guitar work, Axl Rose’s dynamic vocals, and the tight rhythm section creates a timeless sound that has aged remarkably well. - **Gritty, Authentic Lyrics**: The lyrics provide a raw, unfiltered look into the band's lives, addressing themes that were often avoided or romanticized in rock music at the time. - **Consistent Energy**: From start to finish, the album maintains a high level of intensity. Each track feels connected, part of a larger thematic whole. - **Influence**: Its impact on rock and metal is undeniable, and it continues to inspire musicians across genres. #### **Cons** - **Polarizing Vocals**: Axl Rose’s unique voice is an acquired taste. Some listeners may find his high-pitched wails abrasive, especially on tracks like “You’re Crazy” and “It’s So Easy.” - **Thematic Repetition**: While the album’s focus on hedonism, urban chaos, and survival gives it thematic consistency, some may find that the subject matter lacks variety. - **Production Roughness**: The raw production is part of its charm, but for listeners accustomed to the cleaner, more polished sounds of later rock albums, *Appetite* can come across as a bit too rough around the edges. ### **Conclusion** *Appetite for Destruction* is a landmark album that encapsulates the danger, thrill, and chaos of the hard rock lifestyle. Its lyrics are brutally honest, its music intense, and its influence far-reaching. While not without its flaws—such as its polarizing vocals and thematic repetition—it remains one of the most important albums in rock history. It’s a definitive statement from a band at the peak of their rebellious powers, offering a glimpse into a world where survival and self-destruction walk hand-in-hand.
8/10 Really enjoy it
83% Best: Welcome to the Jungle; Mr. Brownstone; Paradise City; Sweet Child O' Mine Must-Hear? Sure
Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this record. I obviously knew of the 3 mega-hits from this album, but (aside from liking "November Rain") nothing after this their debut album was worth it to me. However, while the triforce of hits do still deliver, there is a lot to this album that stuck out to me. Axl Rose's early career screaming rock vocals are iconic, the hooks throughout this album are catchy as hell, and Slash's solos are masterful. This record to me explains why GNR remain the gold standard for 80s hair metal. While the rest of their discography pales in comparison, "Appetite For Destruction" is a veritable greatest hits, which is quite a feat in a debut record. Notable Tracks: - Welcome To The Jungle - Nighttrain - Paradise City - Sweet Child O' Mine - You're Crazy - Anything Goes 9/10
How daring yet how commercial. This album can be generic yet it still slaps. This balance alone is quite impressive tbh. That being said, I still believe that GNR is a singles band. They made legendary singles, but their deep cuts and albums? Kinda mid.
Favorite Track: Sweet Child O' Mine
Welcome to having an appetite from rock legends. Some of the best guitar solos, takes me away to that special place. Axl Rose has a legendary voice which doesn’t sound like he’s shouting in songs! <<< welcome to the jungle, sweet child of mine, paradise city
A fun and silly and rocking album for sure. Yes I was embarrassed to listen to it at the office, but I can't deny how incredibly influential some of these songs were. Not my cup of tea exactly, but couldn't give it less than a 3/5 for that ! Listening notes: lol alright here we go I guess. first album on here that came out the year I was born :) Didn't realize their debut album had all these hits! Welcome to the Jungle: ok dang we're in it. Though as a Cardinals fans this opening guitar riff is just Mark McGwire walking out to bat. You know where you are?? you're in the jungle baby!! you're gonna die!! This song rocks lol It's kinda crazy how different Axl can make his voice sound. I didn't believe it was him singing on some of these tracks. Paradise City! this will forever be interweaved with Can't Hardly Wait for me. Sweet Child of Mine guitar melody.. so iconic. Big Guitar Hero energy for me. Rocket Queen.. alright we got sex sounds
Hits zijn goed. De overgebleven nummers zijn te repetitief.
So so good. 5 songs on here are all-timers. The only reason this gets a 4 is that the other songs are (frankly) butt.
Given the hits on this album, it has to be a five.
Outside the well-known highlights/hits, all the songs sound the same, like an AC/DC album. Axl’s voice is more annoying the more I hear it. Highlights: sweet child o mine, welcome to the jungle, paradise city
Kinda sounded all the same
This album defines the last two years of my high school life.
there was a time i would have given this more stars
Dad rock
It's crazy how every other album from them is so ass. This one is very good though. Will I listen to again: 95%
For some reason, my image of Guns N' Roses was that of a more serious than the average rock band (pretty sure the last time I heard their songs was a long time ago on the radio, and compared light pop-rock tunes something like "November Rain" seemed monumental). But yeah, they are a classic for a reason: lyrics and vibes that are all party are combined with proper hard rock sound. (Do I understand why Glam Metal is in the Metal umbrella? No)
Excellent album even with Axl's voice resembling closely rusty door hinges.
this album is the magnum opus of butt rock. an album so devoid of anything other than the worst most annoying tendencies of 80's rock. an album that feels like a parody of the very genre it seeks to be apart of. it deserves five stars in it's effort to be the lowest common denominator, and one star for the void of any true meaning. an album of nothing and everything. the worst pop tendencies of metal and hard rock. truly garbage that stands as a monument to what the 80's were.
Gritty and "in your face", rock and roll record. Most of the songs on the album are catchy and fun to listen to. I prefer the "Use Your Illusion" pair to the debut but there are many memorable songs, other than the three that garnered massive radio play. My favorites are, "Mr. Brownstone" and "Rocket Queen".
so many hits on 1 album...
One of the best debut albums ever. And the best by GnR.
Quite simply one of the greatest rock albums ever made. PROBABLY the best debut album ever. Raw energy, brutal riffs, beautiful bass work, powerful drumming. It's got it all! Sweet child of mine can get in the bin, but everything else is AWESOME
Hell yes
Awesome.
Big, dumb, fun. Well achieved standard rock. You can see how they took from the prog/psychedelic end of things and set it straight.
A really good album with a lot of great songs, including the classics of Welcome To The Jungle, Paradise City and Sweet Child O' Mine.
irritating
Wow, nice start to this new challenge: three five-star, stone cold classic albums, nice! Because this one hit when I was 20, it’s probably the most resonate in my memories. Two things stand out on that front: this smashed ALL presumptions I had about Metal as it literally would define what the next 20+ years of the genre would morph into. Secondly, I remember visiting the Sunset strip for the first time with a bunch of college buddies and being in front of Guitar Center and thinking we walked into the fever dream (nightmare?) right out of the “Welcome to the Jungle” MTV video. And that’s the beauty of G&R right out the gate: strong songwriting that provides vivid images, and it’s of the dirt, grunge, drugs and crime of LA during the mid-late 80s. The sheen was off of any 70s rock star glamour that was aspirational, replaced with the grime of real life in the mud and muck. Couple that with amazing singing, blazing dual guitars, and you got a classic.
Man this album is full of star power. The average American probably knows over half of this album just from incessant radio play of the hits (of which there are many). The album itself didn’t age too well, but I think this is more of a product of the genre than the content. It’s in a tough spot between the regrettable hair metal era of the 80s and the “hard” rock era of the early 2000s that I wish we could forget. Somehow, the album ends up being a blend of the best of all of these deprecated sub genres of rock and ends up standing out amongst it all.
couple bangers but idc
Izzy Stradlin. Brother…I was not familiar with your game. Your playing sounds like the guitar itself is inebriated—someone else here described your playing as louche—but I quite like it. Your rhythm work falls into this odd, but brazen pocket. This was my favorite thing about the album. This is my first, and will probably be my only, time listening to this album in full, but I started to enjoy listening to it the second time through. It was nice to hear the more popular songs within the context of the full album. Slash was great as always. Axl’s singing isn’t as bad as some of the other reviews make it seem 😂 Thankful to have been introduced to Anything Goes and Rocket Queen. 3/5
Not my type of music, don't like the vocal style and not a lot of redeeming qualities here. Some "hits" for sure but nothing to sway me back. On the 2 side of a 2.5.
These songs are so over saturated and I don't even care. Ever since I first played Guitar Hero 3 and heard Welcome to the Jungle, this album has been iconic to me. I love Slash's solos in most of these songs and it's a really great hybrid of pop and metal that meets at the exact right spot. And Axl Rose has a great rocker voice. Dirty and drug fueled, but not ashamed of it. For the playlist, I'll probably pick It's So Easy or My Michelle so I don't have to hear one of the oversaturated singles (though they're all still good).
Más allá de la producción de los 80, que algunos aquí no parecen poder superar, aquí hay un gran disco debut y de Soul. Sign Your Name es un clásico y no tenía idea de quién era ni nada de eso, así que 5 puntos para este proyecto que sigue sorprendiendo. En cualquier caso, no es la única canción recomendable, ya que para eso están joyas como Who's Loving You y Wishing Well.
Eh fa molto teenager contro il sistema, ma spacca i culi.
Honestly not as bad as I expected it to be given it falls directly in that cock-rock/hair-metal genre I hate so much. The singles are classics and still fun, the rest aren't too bad either.
i always hate getting these 80s hard rock albums but i almost always enjoy them. badass af album and pretty fun, although i'll probably never listen to it again
the hits are undeniable but the rest is bad
Your older brother's best friend's favourite album. YEEEARGH! 🤘😎🤘
i fear i am the exact opposite audience for this! a little samey all the way thru :/ sorry #boys
What a hard album to rate. Three all-time bangers, and 10 below average songs full of Axl squealing and uneventful instrumentation. What doesn't help is also the fact that the hits are extremely overplayed in all media. Well, I guess I wouldn't feel comfortable with an average 3 for this album, even though it sounds fair. Very weak 4 it is.
Great for what it is
I love this album. The raw vocals of Axl Rose and the over-the-top guitar off the Slash, it's all here to enjoy. Fun silly manic energy that must have been so crazy to hear for the first time. I know like 3 songs of these are played to death but just IMAGINE it. Put yourself into the shoes of someone hearing these guys for the very first time.
Was in Paradise City where Anything Goes listening to this. You’re Crazy if you don’t agree.
This is near perfect 80s hard rock. Debut album full of energy, and very tight. There are basically no dud songs. A lot of overplayed songs but can’t deny it 5 stars
I was never a fan, but there's no denying this was a huge album.
Welcome To The Jungle is a fantastic way to open an album. Big hair blown out with Slash carrying the bulk of the burden here. Era defining sound. Mr. Brownstone is another favorite of mine. So tonally different from the rest of their stuff, but so great. My Michelle is a fun one. Lots of classic rock staples in this hour of runtime: Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child of Mine, Paradise City, Mr. Brownstone. Certainly encapsulates the hair metal sound of the 80s in opposition to the thrash metal sound of Metallica and more glam rock acts (Def Leppard, etc.). Hair metal isn't my favorite among these choices, but this album is classic for a reason. The song writing is solid and the big-room production certainly gives a larger than life atmosphere to Slash's work on the ax. For me this is a 4 / 5 -- not something I would pick to listen to frequently, but solid through and through without much in the way of excess.
All the classic Gun N roses songs on this one. Not a bad listen. Reminds me of guitar hero slightly as that is really the only time I previously listened to them. That and the radio. 3.5 stars for me.
Speed! Tempo! Energy! Pretty sure that Paradise City was the coolest song in the world when I was a kid. Sweet Child o Mine will be forever recognizable. Everything else about this album was just fine.
An album that I completely memory holed the fact that I have listened to it many times before. Some good old fashioned American rock. Axl Rose's voice can get pretty annoying sometimes, but you can't deny that the guitar absolutely shreds. Welcome to the Jungle and Paradise City don't do so well as stand alone songs because of the massive overplay of them. As part of the album though they are awesome. Sweet Child O' Mine never fails to be a jam as well at any time. Nothing wrong with getting your shred on sometimes. This is just a bang on 4
The classics are good and guitar is real solid (thanks Slash). The rest is kinda mid I just really don’t give a shit about hair metal.
Yeah, I knew full well that I wouldn’t like this, and I don’t. I despise the vocals, they are so obnoxious and irritating. The guitar playing was pretty good, but that was far from enough to save the album. If you had to listen to an album with excellent guitar playing, but a fish making fish noises into a microphone over it, would you enjoy the album? The obvious answer would be no, but I honestly believe I would like the fish-rock more than this. The fish doesn’t think it’s a good singer. It didn’t choose to sing. Axl Rose, however, was fully aware of what he was doing when he decided to bless us all with his grating yelps. I think I have made my case clear.
A pretty damn good album with a lot of raw, visceral energy. The biggest drawback for me, that could influence my rating, is that there has been such an over-saturation of these songs (as well as Axl Rose-fatigue) on the radio for the last 35+ years. While that may attest to the songs' staying power, I just am tired of hearing them and all the drama that Axl brings to everything all the time. With fresh ears, however, this album is raw, crude, and has aged pretty well for the genre.
this album is just loaded with classics! obviously they're all excellent songs ("paradise city" is probably my favorite) but none of them really speak to me. i don't think i'd seek out this album even though it's an enjoyable listen
Good but just not totally my thing. I like the nostalgia. Many songs are familiar. But I just didn’t really get into it.
i grew up to this :D
All time great hard rock album and definitely GnR's best. It helped bring the end to lame 80s big hair rock bands. It still holds up.
Two or three epic tracks, the rest a bit meh
Oh fuck yeah! I know every single lyric to every song on this record because I bought it in high school and listened to it on loop. And I was a high schooler in the early 2000s hahaha. But I was deeply obsessed with all things 80s and this record’s screechy raw power meshed perfectly with my teenage disenfranchisement and need to rebel. I have to laugh looking back at teenage me, just vibing so hard with Mr. Brownstone, absolutely clueless that it’s about heroin addiction but feeling like I relate to it on a deeply personal level. Oh man, kids are dumb. My personal memories and feelings aside, we all have to acknowledge that Appetite for Destruction is one of the most powerful and impressive debut albums of all time. It came screaming out of the gates, cocky as all hell, telling the world exactly who these badass motherfuckers are and not to mess with them. And there’s real talent here. As much of an arrogant asshat as Axel is, you have to give him credit for his songwriting and artistry (at least at this moment in time, let’s leave Chinese Democracy out of it for now). There are 6 singles here! And some of them the most enduring songs in rock to this day! GnR came out swinging, they took no prisoners, pissed all over the global stage, and solidified their status as Demi-gods of rock. And this album still slaps today. Well done, lads!
Possibly the most iconic album of the "hair band" era proves why the genre was a bad idea to begin with
One of the first “adult” albums I listened to; it still holds up. Production is incredible, every member of the band is vital and playing at the top of their abilities. Rose, who loses it later on, sounds fantastic here. One of the all-time great voices. I hadn’t listened to this in full for a really long time and it was a delight. Each song is catchy and has its own “thing” going on. In fact, and I remember thinking this as a little theater kid back in the day, there’s a certain theatricality to this album. Sometimes the songs sound like showtunes! This is a compliment! They’re just very dramatic and the lyrics do such a good job of setting a scene of grime and sin and bad behavior. Somebody should turn this into a jukebox musical, it’d rule. Don’t think you’re too good for GnR!!!
Gear: Hifiman Arya Artwork: ♱💀💀💀💀💀 Mix: 🧏♂️📏🆗 Musik: 🤘🔩🤗🌓😮💨🥱😒 Wertung: 💀💀💀(💀)/5
Rules
I like this album. I like lots of the songs on it. I get why it may not be for everyone.
Bangers
A ballsy and unapologetic hard rock whirlwind. Every song has a punishing energy that you can't help but headbang to. But I do think there's almost too much testosterone on this album, and it would have been even better if there was a song that wasn't about sex or girls. But a really fun listen regardless. Top tracks: Welcome To The Jungle, Nightrain, Sweet Child O' Mine
This is a great. 5/5
Couple great songs, the rest are just bleh
Holy moly this is an amazing album. 100% required listening. The vocals, the guitar, the drums. All of it was exceptional and no song on here isn’t one I wouldn’t re listen to.
One of the greatest albums
4-5
This album helped define my freshman year of college. This band stormed radio and wiped out all the hair bands. This album is iconic and not a weak song on it. They were unapologetic, bombastic, raw, and made great music. The follow up albums were good…..but never topped their debut.
Clássico demais. Nunca tinha ouvido o álbum, mas preciso dizer que é muito bom.
It still sounds better than anything their peers were doing in 1987.
Solid 80s rock
I tried so hard to finish it but couldn’t do the last 2 songs. The masculinity oozing in every song was over in your face, and just too much for me. I know people love a bunch of these songs and I know them too but so many GNR songs in a row just destroyed me. It was too much. I could someone listening to these songs to pump themselves up before an interview or presentation. Fueling on the testosterone….barf. Ha.
Cannot believe Paradise City is almost 7 minutes long. Also thought I wasn’t crazy but Guns n Roses told me otherwise 😔 Pretty close to the middle on this one but I think I have to lean negative, it’s pretty shrill but in a calculated way more than a really effective or emotional way. Not my cup of tea Nonetheless pretty tempted to listen to their other albums “”The Spaghetti Incident?”” and “Chinese Democracy”
Oooof! Thought maybe I would like this because the first song is pretty fun but that second song is dire. Pretty much disliked the vibes of this throughout. Yuck!
band sucks, this is their only good album and you could argue that it's 'fun' but imo it's actually not fun at all and rather sucks shit
Tough one to tie a grade to. But I did like pretty much every song. And the three singles can’t be overstated, though they’ve been overplayed to death. I think this is quite the achievement. I’ll give it 4.
Crazy that Bleach came out only 2 years after this
Flatter than I remember them.
I genuinely think that every song on this album could have been released as a single and shot Guns N’ Roses into stardom. It’s hard to find anything that doesn’t sound fantastic here. It has elements of glam rock left over from bands like Mötley Crüe, but focuses more on the rock and roll rather than the silly. He may be a big of a controversial figure, but Axl’s voice is nothing short of perfect on this album. Slash and Izzy’s guitar playing perfectly compliment each other (but let’s be real, Slash’s solos demonstrate the versatility of the blues scales in rock music and shines a little brighter). Duff’s bass playing together with Steven’s drums provide the backbone for it all to come together into something wonderful. If you can’t tell, this is up there as one of my all time favourite albums.
This album has three good tracks; the remaining ones are either forgettable or just plain horrible. I've got to give it to them, though—they do know how to make an iconic rock anthem. 2.5 stars
un solo tema pasable
Mr. Brownstone Brings It Down.
Energetic, raw, chaotic
It's hard to deny some of the impact of many of these songs, but, also, I feel that the influence of Guns N' Roses has dwindled, at least among the type of music I like. Rose's vocals are grating for me, and a lot of the subject matter doesn't hold up with the hit and classic songs being so overplayed. Overall, I feel that if I ever would choose to listen to GNR, it would be a "greatest hits," as many songs from "Use Your Illusion" I & II would need to be on it, for me.
Che bellino
I absolutely loved this album as a kid. GnR were huge for me and got me into rock, playing guitar etc. Dated now but still some absolute bangers. 5 stars for impact and longevity.
Love the album cover. Great heavy metal-rock album.
This is a slam dunk 5. I distinctly remember the first time a friend of mine played this “cassette” for me of this “new band” in ‘87. G & R did not break mainstream until sometime the next year. The hits are the hits and speak for themselves, but I always liked the deeper tracks “Night train” , “My Michelle”, and “Rocket Queen” as well. Solid staple of rock and roll and landmark Album. Side note: Check out Fergie covering “sweet child o mine” and Carrie Underwood covering “Welcome to the Jungle”. They absolutely kill it and look damn good doing it too.
I was fortunate enough to catch these guys live in the summer of ‘88 as part of a 5-band lineup that included the Smithereens, Ziggy Marley, Iggy Pop and INXS. They were one year removed from this album’s release and were at their drama-filled dysfunctional peak. All of which was on full display during this show that ended with Axl kicking over the sound system floor monitors and walking off stage 45 minutes into their “support” set before headliners INXS took the stage. And even though this wasn’t my go-to listening choice at the time, I still recognized how good this album was, especially for a debut. I was always more of a fan of the deep cuts on this one too, particularly Mr. Brownstone and Rocket Queen.
Definitely not my thing, but I can recognize that this band was hugely successful and that this album drove a lot of that. Tough to go lower than 4 when the album has hits like Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, and Sweet Child of Mine.
Man, this is a tough one! A few legendary songs and the whole thing rocks…I just don’t know that it’s quite at that 5 status for me. Also quite a shame that Axl Rose is now a cartoon of himself. 4.5
Classic 4.5/5
LP
I don't listen to much stadium rock as it's often dull. This however has a sleazy, slightly menacing edge to it that many of Guns N Roses cotemporaries lack. The songs are for the most part punchy and even the longer ones don't really outstay their welcome. Axl Rose might now look like Mama Fratelli from the Goonies, but before all the drink and drugs took their toll he had some serious pipes. His powerful, slightly raspy, vocals add a lot to the music. I think this just about deserves 5*. If I only gave it 4* I'd be setting the bar very high and barely giving out any.
I can see how this would have been a breath of fresh air in the late 80s. While it still has some of the trappings of hair metal, it is much more raw. Hair metal was very shiny and sleek, it was rock with pop production. This is straight forward rock music with no frills. I’m not gonna say that I’m a huge fan of it, I like a few songs, but mostly it wasn’t my favorite. However, given the context of when this was released I fully understand its inclusion on this list. And Welcome to the Jungle is still one of the best openers to an album, and a debut album at that. That’s the other thing, while this isn’t my favorite music, this is an incredible debut album. These guys came out kicking.
Welcome to the Jungle 4.1 It's So Easy 3.5 Nightrain 3.7 Out ta Get Me 3.6 Mr. Brownstone 4.3 Paradise City 4 My Michelle 3.8 Think About You 3.7 Sweet Child o' Mine 3.6 You're Crazy 3.4 Anything Goes 3.5 Rocket Queen 3.7 Score: 3.741666667
Fav: Paradise City Least Fav: Mr. Brownstone Lived up to the hype
One of my favorite 80'es albums. And the riffs of Ole Beich lives on in some of the tracks.
Not a huge fan of GnR, but that’s a kickass debut. Sweet Child O Mine (best song) still holds up and the album would have been even better if they ended it on this one. (3.4*s)
Prior to this listen, I never realized their biggest hits are not only on the same album but that album is also their debut release so I'll give 'em that. This is a very solid first release but it's a lot of screeching guitar and screechy singing and I've never been a big fan of them. I do recognize that they can shred and the cover art is fun but this isn't really for me.
Three bangers and a bunch of hair band screeching with guitars a Slash-ing. Not being a fan of GnR, not as bad as I expected. Still don't get the huge following but decent debut. I will give AXL Rose some clever points for the BJ scramble...on par with Mr. Mojo Risen...2.2.
I've never been a big GNR fan. Something about Axl's vocals doesn't land for me and the backing music always sounds "packaged" or something. At one point all the hits from this album were overplayed and overexposed so I got really tired of hearing all of them. I went into this with an open mind and ended up enjoying it more than expected. With some distance between myself and GNR over the last decade I can appreciate Appetite a little more. There is no doubt that there is some good guitar work by Slash mixed with some steady rock from the rest of the lineup. Axl's vocal still annoy but everyone has their own taste. While GNR still isn't for me I can recognize that this album is solid. I can't deny there are a couple of solid radio anthems and even the deep cuts are decent. I can recognize the impact it would have made after it launched GNR. Not something I'll go back to but I won't fault someone if they preach about hot good the album is. To each their own. 2.74 stars
Axl's vocals are terrible... Slash's guitar is amazing.
Near perfect album, enjoyable from start to finish. The weakest songs still have enough appeal to maintain interest and forward momentum.
Several good songs. It was a good album for weekend cleaning.
the singles were really good
Not always in the mood, but when I am it's a pretty solid album!
This is a bit of a blind spot as far as never checked out, can't say I've had strong feelings against it, but never got around to it. I got two songs in before I had to pause for work and "It's So Easy" was already in my head. Fuck it, I'm at "Paradise City" and I'm gonna re-start the whole thing. I'm already losing count of how many times I do that Axl Rose slither move. Obviously, a lot of hits came from this. Even the ones that didn't, like "You're Crazy," are pretty good. Definitely catchy. I think "Anything Goes" is the best example of what crappy bar rock bands have been trying in vain to capture since 1987. She's not gonna fuck you, bro. That and "My Michelle" are probably the low points of the album for me. It's no 9 Shocks Terror, either the Lip Cream release or the Clevo band, but it'll do.
Was NOT a fan when this was released. It's definitely grown on me over the years and it certainly rocks. Still, something about it just doesn't fully hit for me. I think it's Axl's voice. I was surprised to recognize EVERY song here despite thinking I'd never listened to this straight through before. It's fine... I like it... I just don't hold it as the rock 'n' roll masterpiece others do. I certainly can't deny that if anything from it starts playing in public, I'll rock along to it.
i would honestly give this a high 3 maybe a 4, i just don’t think guns n’ roses is for me but there were still a lotta bangers on here and i could see a 4 brewing…
Surprisingly good for work. Not as heavy as I expected fairly tame basically foo fighters 0.5
Hell yeah?
🎸
Packed with goodness. The first one I would actually listen to after this
Fun and fast
A straightforward no-skip album (yes, even "Sweet Child o' Mine")
I enjoyed that. Probably wouldn't listen to this more than once a year, but still a lot to like here. Not all killer, but perfect examples of a genre. A landmark of an album. Four star-ar-ar-AR-AR-ar-ars.
nice
Definitely a classic. I've heard many of the songs through other media rather than directly. Songs like Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child O' Mine, and Paradise City. Anyways, the album for the most part keeps the beat going pretty quickly which is nice. The vocals have a fairly distinct pattern and tone to them which gives the music that characteristic Guns N Roses sound. The guitar work is powerful and keeps the music interesting. It all does start to sound a little repetitive however, like every song is "samey". The chord progression of My Michelle was quite interesting and caught me a little off guard at first. I love the use of of chromatic 3rds. Melodically, probably my favorite on the album. Sweet Child O' Mine is interesting in that it changes up the vibe of the album a bit. There's stronger usage of acoustic elements and it takes on a happier tone. The opening lead is iconic. The closing bridge is a nice change in pace in the song itself as well. Probably overall my #1 on the album, which is unsurprising given just how popular it is. Anything Goes was fun, especially in its use of güiro for rhythm at the start. The usage of female moans in Rocket Queen caught me off guard. Reminds me of Welcome to the Jungle and how Axl threw in a few moans. The other songs just don't quite sound as distinct to me. The opening song maybe? Anyways, it was still enjoyable to listen to. 3.75
Interesting to hear songs other than the 3 popular ones. The guitar, vocals, mixing are all good, but the lyrics are mid and it's a not very original.
Such an iconic album from my youth and really of all time. Really, really great stuff.
I was never a huge GNR fan, but there are some gems here.
I wouldn’t say it’s great music, but familiar and represents a time.
It’s wild how much of a difference it makes when you know some songs on an album! I’m not a GnR fan by any means but they’ve definitely got some good songs in their collection. Knowing a few of these songs definitely helped with my overall enjoyment of it. Yeah Axl’s voice is kind of irritating but that’s also kinda part of its charm?
Welcome To The Jungle - 9 Meaning: The song Welcome To The Jungle exposes the dark side of Los Angeles, where so many people go to persue fame. The group use to live in a house they called "Hell House" on Sunset Boulevard. The house was often filled with drugs, alcohal and groupies. The songs message is one of warning and defiance. It's So Easy - 5 Meaning: The song It's So Easy is about how it became too easy for the band to find a girl to hook up with after shows. The bands drummer said girls/groupies would line up backstage for a change to be with them. Nightrain - 9.5 Meaning: The song Nightrain is about how the band was so crazy, reckless and poor that the only drink they could afford was nightrain wine. They came up with the lyrics and chorus while walking home after getting drunk on the wine. At the time they were living in Los Angeles and playing gigs on the sunset strip. Out Ta Get Me - 7 Meaning: The song Out Ta Get Me is about how Axl Rose got harassed by the police for things that he didn't do. Mr. Brownstone - 9.5 Meaning: The song Mr. Brownstone is about the bands heroin addiction. Brownstone was a slang term for heroin at the time. Paradise City - 9 Meaning: The song Paradise City is about the bands life in Los Angeles. The verses deal with the rough life on the streets, but the chorus is based on Axl Roses memory of the Midwest, with images of green grass, innocence and possibility. My Michelle - 6 Meaning: The song My Michelle is about a woman named Michelle Young, who was a friend of the band and asked them for a song about her. The song does not sugar-coat her life at all, rather it talks about her very hard life and her struggles. Think About You - 7.5 Meaning: The song Think About You is about falling in love. It was written by Izzy Stradlin before he joined Guns N' Roses. Sweet Child O' Mine - 10 Meaning: The song Sweet Child O' Mine is about Axl Roses girlfriend at the time, Erin Everly, the daughter of Don Everly of the Everly Brothers. After dating for four years, they got married at a quicke wedding, but the marriage was annulled nine months later. The reason was due to Everly claiming abuse. You're Crazy - 4 Meaning: The song You're Crazy is about Axl Rose berating a girl who's out of her mind and/or excessively horny, that wants to have sex all the time. Anything Goes - 2 Meaning: The song Anything Goes is about sex, and how anything goes in sex. Rocket Queen - 7 Meaning: The song Rocket Queen is about a woman who hung out with the band in their early years. The sex noises in the song were between Axl Rose and the drummers girlfriend at the time Adriana Smith in the recording studio. Overall: 7.1/10
Four or so absolute classic tracks, the rest is mediocre filler. Hard to rate as a result. If I could give a 3.5 or so, I'd do that, but given that I have to give an even star rating, I think it's closer to a 3 than to a 4.
3 Stars (8/15)
Legendary. So many hits in one debut album.
Absolutely deserved of this list, especially as a first album. GNR has so much rightly earned fandom for a band that really only had 5 albums. Hit after Hit on this album. Between Axl's unmistakeable vocals and Slash's unbelievable guitar work, this album belongs in a time capsule to perfectly describe late 80's rock.
A classic!
This may not be the greatest album of all time, however their is no better album out there to flex in the mirror and do karate moves to and I believe that is worth something!
bello e basta
Carataristico
Che bellino
fun. good songs on there. Overall, not what I want to listen to on the regular, but a classic.
Actually enjoyed this album more than I thought. Despite Axl Rose being the worst, and GnR being overrated as hell. Not terrible.
This is so influential. I do hate the misogyny on display here but also there is some archetypical badassery that transcends the through the music
One of my gateways into hard rock and metal. This is one of the best hard rock albums of all time, if not the best. Guns N Roses peaked on their first album, which is wild (they've got some bangers after, but nothing is as complete and good as Appetite). Welcome To The Jungle is the perfect opening - other favs of mine include Night Train, Think About You, and Out Ta Get Me. Of course the singles are all very good too.
I kind of hate these guys but also found myself rocking out to some of this album.
The deep cuts here are really good. Paradise City and Welcome to the Jungle are stone cold classics. Sweet Child o Mine remains a great riff but a subpar song in my opinion. GNR to me is a late 80s, Motley Cru version of Aerosmith, which is a good combo.
Good album, it's just held back by a few songs and Axl Rose's singing; he sounds like he sings through a harmonica for his high notes and it's rather annoying. 4/5
Album 476 of 1001 Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction Rating : 4 / 5 Favorite Tracks : Welcome to the Jungle / Paradise City / Sweet Child of Mine (The Usual Suspects from this album) Great debut album. I didn't listen much to this genre back in the day. While I enjoyed the hits, I never took the time or had the interest in pursuing further. It isn't that I don't like it, I just find a lot of it repetitive. I liked this album more than I thought I might. Several of the less known tracks were fine while others, less so. Good album. One I would put on again.
Sweet Child O' Mine is great. Slash is a legend. The other hits are fun. Axl Rose's vocals are something you have to be in the mood for to enjoy because they're quite silly. Very memorable. I can do without the moaning.
This is the band that rose above all the '80s hair metal Glam metal labels. But when it comes down to it, that's what they really are. There's still a lot of talent here and a lot of classic songs. I just don't feel like it holds up as much anymore.
It’s been a while since I’ve listened to this all the way through (like I was probably single digits in age still) so it was at least interesting to hear as an adult. For the 3-4 classics on here it’s a pretty uneven album overall with most of the non classics being incredibly lame and forgettable. This has rightfully been relegated to the pits of dad rock but if you haven’t heard it in a while sweet child and you’re crazy at least still pack some punch, paradise city and welcome to the jungle maybe less so for me.
First cassette tape I ever bought. Still sounds great over 35 years later. Every song is strong and well produced. This album helped save hard rock in the 80s.
Well - good fun, good hits but I don’t think I’ll ever actively seek Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City and Sweet Child of Mine in the foreseeable future.
hard to be for nostalgia and just rock at its best
Med bl.a. GnR, klarede jeg mig igennem teenageårene 🤘. Mega fedt album
Jeg bliver stresset og træt samtidig!
The album starts with 'Welcome to the Jungle' which both became a huge hit, and kinda serves as a warning for what's to come. This album is quite frankly wild. I can never go back to the first time I heard these songs but if I could I am sure I'd love them again. Unfortunately, because of the success of this album and the songs on here the hits are very overplayed at this point. I don't think it's fair to fault the album for this though as it's basically suffering from success and staying-power. This amount of hits on a debut is just wild and I think for that alone the album deserves a pretty high rating, and for Slash's guitar and the sheer staying-power of still getting played ad nauseam almost 40 years later has to take it a bit higher. Even if *I* personally think these songs are a bit worn out I have to give credit. The last Guns N' Roses fan hasn't been born yet, and might not for many many years From a more musical perspective Guns N' Roses with this album changed what was the mainstream in rock to more hard rock away from the glam of yesteryear and ushered in the age of hard rock and arena rock while still keeping some of that hair metal influence, but almost in a mocking way Standouts Welcome to the Jungle Rocket Queen Anything Goes 5/5
Rating: 10/10 One of the best debut albums of all time. Everything about this album is amazing: the riffs, the energy, the solos, the charisma, the production, and the mix. Most importantly, it has so much character that it is truly one-of-a-kind. I have heard this countless times and it is still pure bliss to listen to from start finish. A timeless classic. Favorite songs: pretty much all of them. Least favorite song: Think About You.
This is a bit of a tough one, because on one hand this style of '80s hard rock does very little for me overall, but on the other hand this album has three incredibly iconic songs that are all still basically unavoidable nearly 40 years later. I'll typically try to look more at the whole album if it's just one iconic song, but having three makes it hard to not respect what they're doing. It's pretty much exactly what I thought it would be. Slash jamming on the guitar and a lot of songs that sound like the famous ones (but are worse) for 53 minutes. It apparently was pretty overlooked for about a year after it came out, but eventually became one of the most famous rock albums of all time. I guess I'd say I think this is good but not particularly enjoyable to me. I get the appeal, the musicians are very talented, the few famous songs are so famous that their familiarity is somewhat comforting, and yet I didn't particularly enjoy listening to it despite that. I'm not sure what that means in terms of a star rating, probably a 3-4 I guess. Favorite song: Sweet Child O' Mine Other: Welcome To The Jungle, Nightrane, Mr. Brownstone, Paradise City, Rocket Queen 7/15/24
This album has three huge songs on it: “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City” and “Sweet Child of Mine.” They’re all classics that absolutely rock, though I think I’ve also had plenty of moments in my life where I’ve switched the station when one of these songs comes on. They’re great but overplayed. The rest of this album rocks hard. Lots of guitar shredding and great production that keeps everything in balance. But I guess I thought I’d like this more than I did. I think Axl Rose’s vocals can be a little grating. The album feels like a classic of the genre but it doesn’t rev my engines the way it should. I totally understand why someone else would go nuts for this though — it’s high energy and consistently delivers track after track. I just lean more towards other hard rock and heavy metal bands.