Guns N' Roses: W. Axl Rose (vocals, synthesizer, percussion); Slash (acoustic
& electric guitars); Izzy Stradlin (guitar, background vocals, percussion);
Duff “Rose” McKagan (bass, background vocals); Steven Adler (drums).
Recorded at Rumbo Studios, Canoga Park, California; Take One Studio, Burbank,
California; Can Am Studio, Tarzana, California.
Already a legend in its own meagre lifetime, this startling debut shrouded
itself in controversy, from its original Robert Williams artwork to Axl
Rose's unblinking accounts of LA's underbelly. This mawkish storytelling,
combined with a brattish collective swagger and a surprisingly mature approach
to their songs, guaranteed Guns N' Roses a speedy notoriety that was to serve
their legend brilliantly. From the laconic “Paradise City” to the achingly
beautiful “Sweet Child O' Mine,” or the furious “Welcome To The Jungle,”
the record brims with a brutal integrity. An album they could never surpass even
if they had stayed together.
What the critics say…
Rolling Stone (11/89) – Rated #27 in Rolling Stone's “100 Best Albums Of
The Eighties” survey.
Q (7/01, p.86) – Included in Q's “50 Heaviest Albums of All Time”.
Q (8/00, p.127) – Included in Q's “Best Metal Albums Of All Time” –
“The sweariest rock album ever made…a riotous celebration of sex, drugs and
rock'n'roll…”
Alternative Press (p.200) – “Slash's leering, boogie-rock riffs reeked of
danger and the Stones…”
