Appetite For Destruction [PA] - Guns N' Roses > Reviews > This will certainly whet your appetite...

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	Some quality, typically Guns n' Roses tunes
Disadvantages:	couple of weak links

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I bought Appetite for Destruction about two years ago and instantly I loved it. This was a big release for Guns n’ Roses in 1987 and the one that propelled them to stardom. This album was released on the Geffen label, a part of MCA. For those of you who are unaware who Guns n’ Roses are, let me fill you in with a bit of history about the band. This, as I mentioned, was their first release with the original band set-up of Axl Rose doing vocals, Slash playing lead guitar, Izzy Stradlin on rhythm guitar, Duff McKagan on bass guitar and Steven Adler on drums. All the songs on this album are written by the band.

The case on this CD is pretty cool looking. It displays both the band and album names as you would imagine and it has skeleton pictures of the entire band on the front too. The cover has a black background and the banner is in the middle. On the back are the song listings and a picture of the band.

As for the songs, here is a track-by-track run through of each:

Track one: Welcome to the Jungle (4:31)

What a great opening track this is! I really like this song and it appears on the greatest hits album that Guns n’ Roses recently released. This is a very upbeat track with some great guitar work and cool vocals from Axl Rose. Axl undoubtedly has a unique voice whether you like him or not. His high-pitched voice is unique and instantly recognisable. On this track, his voice sounds great and the words are cool too. This track of course has a trademark Slash guitar solo too! Track rating: 8.5/10

Track two: It’s so easy (3:21)

This song isn’t one of the best on the album but that is not to say it isn’t a good song. It has some cool guitar riffs in, with some great guitar and vocal work. Probably my biggest criticism of this song is that it isn’t really very long especially in comparison to some of the others on the album. Furthermore it doesn’t have as much rhythm as perhaps some of the other tracks. Track rating: 7/10

Track three: Nightrain (4:26)

Nightrain is also a great song much for the same reasons as Welcome to the Jungle. Nightrain has a very distinct sounding guitar riff and starts off with some great work from Slash and Axl. Also of course in this song there is a guitar solo and some cool bass work. Overall, this song sounds very cool when it is pumped out loud and although it isn’t acclaimed as one of Guns n’ Roses’ best songs, I think it is somewhat underestimated. Track rating: 8/10

Track four: Out Ta Get Me (4:20)

This song is much like it’s so easy really. It is a good song, just doesn’t have some of the characteristics of some of Guns n’ Roses best songs, not only on this album but also in general. As a song, it is ok and the vocals are good, especially on the chorus but overall this is probably more of an album filler than anything else. Track rating: 7/10

Track five: Mr. Brownstone (3:46)

I really like this song and this has more quality than the last one. The chorus and the rhythm in general is much more typical of Guns n’ Roses and their usual style. The chorus I really like on this one and it is a little different perhaps than some of their other songs. This song of course includes yet again another cool Slash guitar solo. Slash really is one of the best guitar players there is. Track rating: 7.5/10

Track six: Paradise City (6:46)

This is of course one of the classic songs off this album and one that is well known amongst many people. Although this isn’t my favourite Guns n’ Roses song or even my favourite on this album I like it nevertheless. The song starts reasonably slow with a cool guitar riff and then it gradually speeds up and its crescendo is very fast with some great vocals from Axl and great guitar playing. This is one cool song and it lasts a while too so the full effect of the song can be put across, as like I said, it builds up in speed. Track rating: 9/10

Track seven: My Michelle (3:39)

I find this song a great track. I must say that this portion of the album including the two previous and the two after this one. The only criticism of this song I would have is that it is too short but apart from that the chorus is great as is the guitar work. Axl Rose is also particularly good on this track too. Track rating: 8/10

Track eight: Think About You (3:50)

This is a superb song and great preparation for the next track. This song contains possibly one of the best choruses Guns n’ Roses have done in my view. This is a very catchy song and you’ll find yourself singing this to yourself if your not careful! The song also has some great guitar work in it and Axl sounds great on this song. I always put this song on twice when I play this album, as I really like it. If you like Guns n’ Roses then you will love this song! Track rating: 8.5/10

Track nine: Sweet Child O’ Mine (5:55)

Well, this is the most well known song on this album and probably one of the best that Guns n’ Roses have done. This song contains the best guitar solo in any song ever according to a poll for Q Magazine. I would tend to agree as Slash’s solo is absolutely superb. The song is great too with a cool introduction on the bass and the chorus of this song is great too. Axl Rose sounds really good on this song too. Without doubt this is my second favourite Guns n’ Roses song behind Civil War and this is a song worthy of any album. Track rating: 10/10

Track ten: You’re Crazy (3:25)

This song brings us down a notch from the five that have preceded it but nevertheless it is still a good song. Possibly only slightly more than an album filler but it sports a catchy chorus and some great guitar work. Axl Rose also sounds great on this track and as said it isn’t bad. Track rating: 7.5/10

Track eleven: Anything Goes (3:25)

This is pretty much like You’re crazy, not in sound but in quality. This song too is little bit of a filler although it does have some quality. It has a smooth guitar riff and a good chorus. However, it is nowhere near as good as many of the other songs on the album. Track rating: 7.5/10

Track twelve: Rocket Queen (6:13)

This song that finishes the album is in my opinion as good as the one that starts it, if not slightly better. I think this is a great song and one that is slightly under-estimated in my opinion. It is definitely as good as Paradise City and probably better than Welcome to the Jungle, although I drew the parallel between the first and last tracks because they are both quality tunes. This song has a great drum beat to it and I also really like the guitar work and the chorus.

Overall, this is a top class album and in my opinion one of the best debut albums that I have heard. The vast majority of these songs are hits with some notable exceptions that are probably more album fillers. However, Appetite for Destruction is as good as either of the Use Your Illusion albums by the group and for those who have heard nothing by the group before, this could be a good starting point. Although if you would rather just have their best songs then the Greatest Hits is the best point of call. Appetite for Destruction is an album well worth buying, however, if you dislike Axl Rose’s voice or don’t like a bit of quality rock music then perhaps you may not want to get this album. However, at the end of the day if you fancy trying out some Guns n’ Roses then you need go no further than Appetite for Destruction.

This album is available from most high street shops and on most internet websites for about £9.

Thanks for reading!