Guns N' Roses FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Bad Boys of Sunset Strip

by Rich Weidman

Overview

(FAQ). Thirty years ago, five L.A. punks unleashed their debut album upon the atrophied and decadent rock charts of Reagan's America. Within weeks, Appetite for Destruction ascended to number one on the U.S. charts; to date, Appetite has sold more than thirty million copies, making it the bestselling U.S. debut album of all time. To say that Guns N' Roses redefined rock 'n' roll is akin to asserting that Jimi Hendrix revolutionized surf music a statement that, while technically true, does more to conceal the truth than elucidate it. GN'R turned back the tide of MTV-spawned New Wave/synth pop by infusing the blistering hard rock of Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith with a punk sensibility that hearkened back to the onstage anarchy of the Stooges, New York Dolls, and Sex Pistols. In Guns N' Roses FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Bad Boys of Sunset Strip , Rich Weidman charts the amazing journey of this seminal record and the band behind it. From the gutters of West Hollywood to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, from Appetite to The Spaghetti Incident? , these 400 pages of hedonistic nihilism, salacious debauchery, and raw, unadulterated rock are guaranteed to turn your head, blow out your eardrums, obliterate your comfort zone, and leave you begging for more. Written in Backbeat's popular FAQ format, Guns N' Roses FAQ breaks the band's story into a series of chapters equally suitable for a straight-through read or piecemeal consumption. Weidman's treasure trove of facts, trivia, stories, and photographs touch on every topic imaginable. Subjects explored include the band's earliest influences and venues, most notorious concerts and opening acts, highlights from their seemingly endless Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion tours, bizarre TV appearances (like the time they destroyed the set of MTV's Headbangers Ball! ), public and private feuds, music videos, best and worst covers (Pat Boone, anyone?), and much more. From the golden years of the late eighties and early nineties to the outrageous antics and self-destructive tendencies that to irreconcilable inner turmoil, from the band's West Hollywood club days to the reunion of three of the five classic band members during the 2016 Not in This Lifetime Tour, Guns N' Roses FAQ paints a portrait replete with sheer talent, raw power, dangerous rivalries, rock excess, and sudden reconciliation that's simply unrivaled by anything else on the market.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781495025884
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/01/2017
Series:	FAQ
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rich Weidman (Ocoee, FL) is a writer and editor. His works include The Doors FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Kings of Acid Rock and The Beat Generation FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Angelheaded Hipsters, as well as several regional travel guides. He serves as editor of two pop-culture and movie-related websites: Alternative Reel and Forgotten Movie Classics.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1 Free of All the Chain: Key Players in the Guns N' Roses Saga 1

2 Another Dead-End Street: Pre-Guns N' Roses Bands 13

3 The Price You Pay: "Hell Tour" (Summer 1985) 19

4 In My First Memories: Musical Acts That Influenced Guns N' Roses 25

5 Taste the Bright Lights: Earliest Guns N' Roses Venues 35

6 Fun 'n' Games: West Hollywood Landmarks Associated with Guns NT Roses 51

7 Climbin' Through the Wreckage: Appetite for Destruction (1987) 63

8 Gone on a Binge: Appetite for Destruction Tour 74

9 When Your Innocence Dies: G N'R Lies (1988) 80

10 Always on the Edge: Guns N' Roses as Opening Act 89

11 A Heaven Above: Use Your Illusion I (1991) 100

12 These Dreams Arc Swept Aside: Use Your Illusion II (1991) 111

13 Such a Lonely Place: Use Your Illusion Tour 119

14 Anything Goes Tonight: The Top Ten Most Notorious Guns N' Roses Concerts 127

15 Can't Wait Here Forever: Ten Bands That Opened for Guns N' Roses 136

16 Take a Closer Look: Guns N' Roses and Their Recording Sessions 144

17 Burned-Out Paradise: Tales of Debauchery on the Road 149

18 History Bears the Scars: Biggest Feuds 156

19 Can't Find My Way Back: "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) 168

20 Nothin' Lasts Forever: Years of Turmoil in the 1990s and Beyond 180

21 Never Felt So High: Notable Guns N' Roses Television Appearances 189

22 All My Twisted Dreams: Guns N' Roses Music Videos 200

23 Bought Me an Illusion: Guns N' Roses Songs That Have Appeared in Feature Films 212

24 What Seemed Like a Memory: Cultural and Political References in Guns N' Roses Songs and Music Videos 223

25 Better Off Left Behind: Ten Obscure Guns N' Roses Tracks 233

26 Seen It All a Million Times: Bands That Have Been Influenced by Guns N' Roses 239

27 Bullshit and Contemplation: Best and Worst Guns N' Roses Covers 249

28 Make It Your Own Way: Solo Efforts, Outside Projects, and Supergroups 260

29 Just Makin' My Livin': Later Guns N' Roses Band Members 267

30 As the Years Go By: Chinese Democracy (2008) 279

31 Real-Time Visionaries: Chinese Democracy Tour 288

32 Never Mind the Darkness: The Most Essential Guns N' Roses Biographies 299

33 Heal the Broken Memories: The Road to Reunion 309

Selected Bibliography 317

Index 321