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The Roots of Guns N' Roses
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The Roots of Guns N' Roses
Current price: $12.99
Barnes and Noble
The Roots of Guns N' Roses
Current price: $12.99
Size: CD
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This is a historic release, the first official appearance of recordings by
Hollywood Rose
, the band that would later mutate into
Guns N' Roses
. These were cut in 1984, when the band was led by
Axl Rose
and guitarists
Izzy Stradlin
and
Chris Weber
, with
Johnny Kreis
on drums, and these are the recordings that initially got
playing the L.A. club circuit;
Tracii Guns
, the guitarist who later split to form
L.A. Guns
, would come along later, along with bassist
Duff McKagan
and drummer
Steven Adler
. Hearing this original five-song demo, it's easy to see why
Vicky Hamilton
, the group's first manager, took them under her wing -- they were harder, tougher, rawer, and meaner than any of the
metal
coming out of Los Angeles during 1984. Not that the music was fully formed: apart from
"Anything Goes"
"Reckless Life,"
both of which appeared on
GNR
releases, the songwriting was embryonic, and the music, particularly the guitar playing, fell prey to a few '80s metallic conventions and lacked the recklessness that
Slash
brought to the band. Still, these are urgent, fiery, utterly committed performances that have dated very little since their recording; it's
played with the hunger and vigor of
punk
, something that later made
stars, but made them outcasts in 1984, and it's a thrill to hear this original demo at long last. And that's a thrill that can't be diluted even though the CD itself is padded out with two different remixes, one by latter-day
guitarist
Gilby Clarke
and one by
Cinderella
drummer
Fred Coury
. Although it's hard not to smirk in admiration at
Clarke
bringing
in for posthumous guitar overdubs on two songs, these remixes are superfluous -- way too bright, punchy, and modern for music that sounded as raw and twitchy as an exposed nerve in its threadbare demo version. Even with this filler,
The Roots of Guns N' Roses
is essential listening for any fan of
hard rock
or
heavy metal
-- not only is it an important piece of history, it's as raw and reckless, as live like a suicide as anything
the Gunners
cut or will ever cut again. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Hollywood Rose
, the band that would later mutate into
Guns N' Roses
. These were cut in 1984, when the band was led by
Axl Rose
and guitarists
Izzy Stradlin
and
Chris Weber
, with
Johnny Kreis
on drums, and these are the recordings that initially got
playing the L.A. club circuit;
Tracii Guns
, the guitarist who later split to form
L.A. Guns
, would come along later, along with bassist
Duff McKagan
and drummer
Steven Adler
. Hearing this original five-song demo, it's easy to see why
Vicky Hamilton
, the group's first manager, took them under her wing -- they were harder, tougher, rawer, and meaner than any of the
metal
coming out of Los Angeles during 1984. Not that the music was fully formed: apart from
"Anything Goes"
"Reckless Life,"
both of which appeared on
GNR
releases, the songwriting was embryonic, and the music, particularly the guitar playing, fell prey to a few '80s metallic conventions and lacked the recklessness that
Slash
brought to the band. Still, these are urgent, fiery, utterly committed performances that have dated very little since their recording; it's
played with the hunger and vigor of
punk
, something that later made
stars, but made them outcasts in 1984, and it's a thrill to hear this original demo at long last. And that's a thrill that can't be diluted even though the CD itself is padded out with two different remixes, one by latter-day
guitarist
Gilby Clarke
and one by
Cinderella
drummer
Fred Coury
. Although it's hard not to smirk in admiration at
Clarke
bringing
in for posthumous guitar overdubs on two songs, these remixes are superfluous -- way too bright, punchy, and modern for music that sounded as raw and twitchy as an exposed nerve in its threadbare demo version. Even with this filler,
The Roots of Guns N' Roses
is essential listening for any fan of
hard rock
or
heavy metal
-- not only is it an important piece of history, it's as raw and reckless, as live like a suicide as anything
the Gunners
cut or will ever cut again. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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