Are Guns N' Roses A Legendary Band? Why Or Why Not

[Hey Man]

Do you think Guns N' Roses should be spoken about in the same breath as Zeppelin, Aerosmith, The Who, Stones and other legendary bands of the 60's/70's or did they just have their moment in the sun as a major success in the late 80's/early 90's.

I just don't get all these people who think Guns N' Roses are anything special beyond just selling a ton of records like other bands have done, but that don't get the legendary talk.Chinese Democracy is a dud.

Do you agree with the legendary status? Why or why not?

[JJFlamingo]

Yes. There are few albums of ANY genre more brilliant than Appetite For Destruction, and Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 is incredible stuff, if a little less consistent. Sure they shined so bright that they burnt out a little quickly, but legendary? In the late 80s/early 90s, no band was greater...:D

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ohmigod it's Alabama Worley going one-on-one with Adrian Balboa? Who will get the knockout? All this plus MORE right now in the ULTIMATE ULTIMATE MOVIE CHARACTER TOURNAMENT!!!! Don’t miss it!

http://www.joblo.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2921883&posted=1#post2921883

[Hey Man]

Yes. There are few albums of ANY genre more brilliant than Appetite For Destruction, and Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 is incredible stuff, if a little less consistent. Sure they shined so bright that they burnt out a little quickly, but legendary? In the late 80s/early 90s, no band was greater...:D

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ohmigod it's Alabama Worley going one-on-one with Adrian Balboa? Who will get the knockout? All this plus MORE right now in the ULTIMATE ULTIMATE MOVIE CHARACTER TOURNAMENT!!!! Don’t miss it!

http://www.joblo.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2921883&posted=1#post2921883

The Illusions are full of filler and way over produced. Appetite is overrated if you consider the fact that they ripped off a ton of bands with that album. It wasn't original if that's what you think.

You seem to be forgetting many bands in history that came out with huge sales - only to fizzle. Did you know that for over 15 years, Foreigner had the biggest selling debut in Atlantic Records history. But they ain't legendary even though the band lasted longer than Guns and had many more hits.

"No bands was greater" is subjective.

[echo_bravo]

Its not that I hate GnR but damn are they beyond overrated.

I saw them a year ago in Cleveland with some friends (they are HUGE Guns and Roses fans and dragged me to it). I will admit that Axel actually sounded pretty good but the new songs they sang off of Chinese D. were awful.

Not to mention all the white trash at the concert that were trying to start fights.
I was there when Axel got into it with the Eagles of Death Metal and Axel couldnt of been a bigger asshole to them. Basically berating them on stage and getting the crowd on his side. It was pathetic.

[Damone]

Its not that I hate GnR but damn are they beyond overrated.

Same here.

I remember hearing Appetite for Destruction when I was a junior in high school in late '87 and liking it a lot. It seemed like it was almost a year later, after they released Sweet Child O' Mine, that they finally started getting some attention. So to call GnR one of the "legendary" bands of the 80's is really misleading because they only had a year and a half worth of success before the 90's hit.

As far as the Use Your Illusion albums go, I liked half of I and half of II. I tuned out around this time when Axel started acting like a tough guy. I gave The Spaghetti Incident? a listen when it came out but didn't care for it.

[DrJellyfingers]

you can't compare a band with 4 albums to bands that have had 30 or 40 year careers. they are not legendary in that regard because they didn't have the longevity.
what they did was great but they shouldn't be spoken in the same breath as the bands you mentioned.

[outsyder]

I was there when Axel got into it with the Eagles of Death Metal and Axel couldnt of been a bigger asshole to them. Basically berating them on stage and getting the crowd on his side. It was pathetic.


Thanks. You've actually managed to make me hate him more.

It's also good to know that between some of my favorite artists like Kurt Cobain and Josh Homme, they all think Axl Rose is an asshole.

[MightyCelestial]

Yes.
I'm pretty indifferent to their stuff,
but
they've seem to have left a mark of some kind in the music industry.
Therefore, whether anyone likes 'em or not, their place in music history will always be there.

[The Postmaster General]

RESPONSE:

Honestly, now that you mention Foreigner, I think they are more legendary than G N' R.

Appetite for Destruction is great. I've never heard of the rip-off factor, but even still it's a great album.

What makes GNR not legendary is that after one great album, they just went downhill. Lies, although short play, was a good album and a great signal of where they'd go next. Where did they go next? A single for a film. Then along comes one good album spread out over two albums, and the rationing of singles for the next year and a half with Use Your Illusion I & II. By the time that was over, I was having less interest, though still wanting to see where they'd go next. Was this around the time of The Spaghetti Incident? Whenever, with that one, I almost felt like they were trying to cash in on the punk-influence of the alternative scene that was pushing them out of the spotlight. Referencing an obscure Bowie movie seemed very un-Guns. Some of the covers there felt like they were suggested to them.

Now they aren't even Guns and Roses. It's Axl Rose with The Guns, or whatever you want to call it, Axl Roses solo projects where he plays GNR songs is not Guns and Roses. Chinese Democracy is not a Guns and Roses album.

But it has the name attached to it, and that's why "legendary" and "guns and roses" don't go together. Axl Rose has exactly made the band what it is not. When I think of Legendary bands I think of quality, not quantity, and the Rose namesake has no doubt with me sacrificed the former for the latter.

Nah, man. The late-80s were one thing, but it's going on 2009 now and today it almost doesn't even feel right putting Guns and Roses and Appetite for Destruction in the same sentence.




CONDENSED VERSION:

No, they would be legendary if they stopped before this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7SYtuHUP3s

[Fettdog]

Hmm, difficult one.

I saw GnR way back in '87 (when they were still relatively unknown and hungry for success) and '88 (when they were on their meteoric rise to the top, briefly, of the rock world), and back then they were indeed an awesome band to witness live, and a true force of nature.

I bought the original Live Like A Suicide EP when it came out, and despite the fact that there were dozens of LA bands emerging at the time, GnR were by far the freshest and most vital of the bunch. Sure, there were the obvious Aerosmith influences, but what rock band since the beginning of time wasn't influenced by another before them?

Appetite was, and remains, as fine an example of a 'perfect' rock album as you're likely to come across, and Lies was a nice companion piece to tide us over until the next album.

So, if we were to stop here, at the end of the 80s, then yes, GnR are a legendary band. No question.

However, by the time Use Your Illusion I and II came out, the fire had gone, the drugs were doing their worst, and Axl had progressed from being neurotic, exciting, vibrant front man to controlling, anal, insular dickhead. Even back then he was showing signs of his perfectionism as he dealyed the release of the albums so he could include the awful My World track.

As Bubba points out, UYI was a great single album, sadly spread over two with a ton of filler an unbelievably awful cover versions.

As of UYI my loe affair with the band ended, but I still play Appetite very often and still consider one of the top ten best rock albums ever made.

Since The Spaghetti Incident, which I don't even own, but have heard and thought awful, GnR have effectively been the Axl Rose solo show.

I picked up Chinese Democracy out of curiosity, and while it's not a bad album, it's not a great one either. There are a few good tracks, but nothing to hold a candle to any of the songs on Appetite. If it had been packaged as an Axl solo record, instead of trading on the GnR name, then it may have been better received, but it's not the GnR that I knew and loved, not by a country mile.

So, back to the original question - are GnR a legendary band? My answer - the original lineup, 86-89 era are definitely legendary, but since then, no way.

[Hey Man]

Hmm, difficult one.

I saw GnR way back in '87 (when they were still relatively unknown and hungry for success) and '88 (when they were on their meteoric rise to the top, briefly, of the rock world), and back then they were indeed an awesome band to witness live, and a true force of nature.

I bought the original Live Like A Suicide EP when it came out, and despite the fact that there were dozens of LA bands emerging at the time, GnR were by far the freshest and most vital of the bunch. Sure, there were the obvious Aerosmith influences, but what rock band since the beginning of time wasn't influenced by another before them?

Appetite was, and remains, as fine an example of a 'perfect' rock album as you're likely to come across, and Lies was a nice companion piece to tide us over until the next album.

So, if we were to stop here, at the end of the 80s, then yes, GnR are a legendary band. No question.

However, by the time Use Your Illusion I and II came out, the fire had gone, the drugs were doing their worst, and Axl had progressed from being neurotic, exciting, vibrant front man to controlling, anal, insular dickhead. Even back then he was showing signs of his perfectionism as he dealyed the release of the albums so he could include the awful My World track.

As Bubba points out, UYI was a great single album, sadly spread over two with a ton of filler an unbelievably awful cover versions.

As of UYI my loe affair with the band ended, but I still play Appetite very often and still consider one of the top ten best rock albums ever made.

Since The Spaghetti Incident, which I don't even own, but have heard and thought awful, GnR have effectively been the Axl Rose solo show.

I picked up Chinese Democracy out of curiosity, and while it's not a bad album, it's not a great one either. There are a few good tracks, but nothing to hold a candle to any of the songs on Appetite. If it had been packaged as an Axl solo record, instead of trading on the GnR name, then it may have been better received, but it's not the GnR that I knew and loved, not by a country mile.

So, back to the original question - are GnR a legendary band? My answer - the original lineup, 86-89 era are definitely legendary, but since then, no way.

But in a way you didn't answer the question. Are they a legendary band in the same breath as Zep, Stones, Aerosmith, The Who, etc. Not just legendary for the 80's. Will Paradise City stand the test of time like Stairway To Heaven, etc.

[Damone]

Are they a legendary band in the same breath as Zep, Stones, Aerosmith, The Who, etc. Not just legendary for the 80's. Will Paradise City stand the test of time like Stairway To Heaven, etc.


If I would to make some bands comparisons status wise, I would say Boston, Styx, .38 Special, and ELO. Bands that were successful and will be remembered, but not in the same breath as the bands you named.

I also can't see Paradise City being as regarded as a classic as Stairway to Heaven.

[The Postmaster General]

Yeah, I think there's definitive bands and there are legendary bands, and legendary bands are definitive bands, but not all definitive bands are legendary bands. Guns N Roses is at most a definitive band.

Of course, beyond legend you have the 'required listening' and it is there you find your Stairway to Heavens.

[LordSimen]

Yes. They are.

That's really all that needs to be said. :cool:

[The Postmaster General]

If the question was, "Is Guns N' Roses a band LordSimen likes?"

[LordSimen]

"Is Guns N' Roses a band LordSimen likes?"

Change likes to liked and you'd have the same answer as the one I gave for this thread. Otherwise, no.

[countchocula]

No. They had ONE great album. Nirvana had two great albums (3 if you count Incesticide), but at least they had a good excuse for disbanding. Guns could have been legendary, but Mr. Rose blew it.

[hrdude]

Definitely not. One great album does not necessarily make you a legendary band. They certainly had a major impact on the music scene in the late eighties with Appetite then started to die a slow death.

I'd also argue that Aerosmith shouldn't be included under the "Legendary" tag which is thrown about all to easily.

[Superplasmatron]

no axel rose is a cock

[Le_Big_Mac]

Guns 'N Roses is a famous band, but not a legendary band. Appetite for Destruction is a legendary album.

[athf1980]

Guns 'N Roses is a famous band, but not a legendary band. Appetite for Destruction is a legendary album.

Le_Big_Mac is correct here. I agree with him.

[The Postmaster General]

No. They had ONE great album. Nirvana had two great albums (3 if you count Incesticide), but at least they had a good excuse for disbanding. Guns could have been legendary, but Mr. Rose blew it.

I was thinking about that as well, that not just having great albums makes one "legendary" --- Like the Sex Pistols became legends for entirely different reasons than Led Zeppelin

and...



I'd also argue that Aerosmith shouldn't be included under the "Legendary" tag which is thrown about all to easily.

The thing with Aerosmith is that they were very popular in the mid-70s, then after a hiatus returned in the 80s to top their success, AFTER kicking drugs and alcohol. They are one of the few bands to do that, and while I don't think their music is on par with Zeppelin, I think they've paid enough dues that they'll be talked about a lot more than GNR. They have a legacy. If anything, they were the first band to do the rock/rap pair up (w/Run DMC). Like I mentioned to Count, I think there can be more factors than just killer records to give a band a legacy.


Le_Big_Mac is correct here. I agree with him.

I agree with your agreeing of Le_Big_Mac

Change likes to liked and you'd have the same answer as the one I gave for this thread. Otherwise, no.

Wow. So you are really standing by your statement that we shouldn't be discussing this because there's nothing to discuss because you said they are legends. Your contributions are always interesting. Otherwise, no.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

I could never get past Axl's caterwaul singing voice to get through any of their albums. If selling a lot of records makes you legendary, then I guess they are, but other than that I could care less.

[LordSimen]

Wow. So you are really standing by your statement that we shouldn't be discussing this because there's nothing to discuss because you said they are legends. Your contributions are always interesting. Otherwise, no.

What the heck are you going on about? I answered the thread's question. There something wrong with that now?

[Badbird]

GnR is probably one of the most overrated bands in history. Their peak in popularity only ranged from 89 to 92 before completely flaming out. They cranked out some hit singles and even a few genuinely good songs. But so did Warrant.

GnR has been as irrelevant as Duke Nukem Forever.

Meanwhile, one of their 80s contemporaries, Bon Jovi, still plays to sold out arenas, not to mention their big hit album, Slippery When Wet, sold something like 30 million copies.

By those standards, I say Bon Jovi was legendary before GnR.

(Not a fan of either, just making a comparison.)

[The Postmaster General]

What the heck are you going on about? I answered the thread's question. There something wrong with that now?

I'm not sweating you, but it's not a poll. I just want to hear what you had to say in regards to why you think they are legends, like what their legacy is and stuff and I probably could have gone about it a bit less like I had a purple gloved finger up my ass. I typically agree with you on the final line of your disagreements, so I want to know more about your appreciation of Guns N Fucking Roses. Word.

[LordSimen]

I'm not sweating you, but it's not a poll. I just want to hear what you had to say in regards to why you think they are legends, like what their legacy is and stuff and I probably could have gone about it a bit less like I had a purple gloved finger up my ass. I typically agree with you on the final line of your disagreements, so I want to know more about your appreciation of Guns N Fucking Roses. Word.

Oh, well you should have just asked to begin with.

I believe Guns n' Roses are legendary for the simple reason that they have written iconic music that is still relevant and popular 20 years after it's release. Only a legendary band can accomplish that feat.

[The Postmaster General]

What bands do you consider legendary? Do you consider any of the older acts on the Grand Theft Auto Vice IV soundtrack legendary?

[Criminal Rock]

The only thing legendary about GnR is Axel Rose's lizard dance he does on stage when he isn't singing, other than that however they're pretty blah to my ears.

[Fettdog]

But in a way you didn't answer the question. Are they a legendary band in the same breath as Zep, Stones, Aerosmith, The Who, etc. Not just legendary for the 80's. Will Paradise City stand the test of time like Stairway To Heaven, etc.

I see your point, so I guess my answer is that being of the 80s rock generation, as it were, and going to gigs and being into all these bands at the time, I have a hard time thinking of a lot of the bands that came out at that time as being 'legendary', even though some of them have become so.

The bands you mention, Zep, The Stones, Aerosmith, The Who - and I'll add to this list KISS and Rush - were all already legendary in my eyes before I discovered them. Granted Aerosmith performed the ultimate Lazarus trick with Permanent Vacation in the 80s, but they had already secured their place in legend back in the 70s.

Of the 80s bands, I agree that the likes of Bon Jovi can be truly classed as legendary because of their enduring legacy, and the same could be applied to Motley Crue who equally still sell out arenas and have an impressive back catalogue.

I hesitate slightly then to add GnR to this list, but I think that like the Sex Pistols, they were pretty unique for their time, and yes I do think people will still be playing Sweet Child O Mine, Paradise City, Welcome To The Jungle and Patience for years and years to come, mainly because they're awesome songs. It's no coincidence that Appetite consistently shows up in the greatest ever album lists (and not just rock albums where it is usually in the top ten) because it is a great album. Not flawless, but having been listening to it for over 20 years personally now, I still don't think a single track can be described as filler.

So, time for me to get off the fence - GnR legendary? Yes, they are, as they were. The GnR since '91, though, which is really an Axl solo project? No, definitely not. In my mind they are two very different entities.

[LordSimen]

What bands do you consider legendary? Do you consider any of the older acts on the Grand Theft Auto Vice IV soundtrack legendary?

Considering the older acts on the Vice City soundtrack include bands such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne- Hell it even includes guys like Michael Jackson, I'd say quite a few of the older acts on that soundtrack are legendary bands.

Even San Andreas included such legendary acts as Faith No More, The Who, James Brown, Cream, Danzig, Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc...

[The Postmaster General]

Considering the older acts on the Vice City soundtrack include bands such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne- Hell it even includes guys like Michael Jackson, I'd say quite a few of the older acts on that soundtrack are legendary bands.

Even San Andreas included such legendary acts as Faith No More, The Who, James Brown, Cream, Danzig, Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc...



Okay, so I see your list of legendary acts is just considerably longer than mine (which are based on the things I've been discussing), so that's all there is too it. Cool.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go tuck my junk between my legs and dance in front of a mirror to the legendary sounds of Q Lazzarus, afterwards I'm going to call up the local radio classic station and demand that they play more Godley and Creme because "Cry" worked so well during a 3rd season Miami Vice outro.

[HannibalGuy]

I own Appetite for Destruction, but I haven't listened to the album in full for so long. To be honest, I got burned out on songs like Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child O Mine and Paradice City due to the massive overplaying of all 3 since they were released as singles. If you ask me, My Michelle is the best song off that album.

I've never been a fan of the Use Your Illusion's. I admit though I'm a sucker for the pompous, overblown ballads on both albums. They were smart to release those as the singles, November Rain especially.

[Jon Lyrik]

They've made three real projects over 20+ years but they still have a massive, rabid fan base. Overrated, yes, but legendary, even more so.

[The Postmaster General]

I own Appetite for Destruction, but I haven't listened to the album in full for so long. To be honest, I got burned out on songs like Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child O Mine and Paradice City due to the massive overplaying of all 3 since they were released as singles. If you ask me, My Michelle is the best song off that album.


I'm a fool for Rocket Queen, the recording of which does merit an awesome legacy thanks to the fucking engineer.



They've made three real projects over 20+ years but they still have a massive, rabid fan base. Overrated, yes, but legendary, even more so.

Not a point I can disagree with.

[hrdude]

I own Appetite for Destruction, but I haven't listened to the album in full for so long. To be honest, I got burned out on songs like Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child O Mine and Paradice City due to the massive overplaying of all 3 since they were released as singles. If you ask me, My Michelle is the best song off that album.


I'd agree with that My Michelle and Its So Easy are my favorites

[boterjez]

''Aerosmith were the first band to do the rock/rap pair up (w/Run DMC).''

Actually, that's not true.

The first was John Lydon from the Sex Pistols and Afrika Bambaataa with the song ''World Destruction'' in 1984, 2 years before Aerosmith.

And Aerosmith weren't nearly as popular in the 70's as they were later in the 80's.

GnR definitely are a legendary band.They came up with a new wave
of hard rock/metal in the late 80's with AFD.UYI albums were also novelty riding on the style of Appatite. And now Rose does it again with Chinese Democracy, creating new look at rock n roll. Was about time. People and rock need change, fast.

[Elgyn]

Axl Rose = kill yourself

[Jerk Shapiro]

Do you think Guns N' Roses should be spoken about in the same breath as Zeppelin, The Who, Stones and other legendary bands


Fuck no. Fuuuuck no. Now you wanna talk about GNR in the same breath as Aerosmith or AC/DC or what have you, that's fine, they belong in that shitty breath. But to even think about thinking about comparing them to Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones? Complete madness. GNR are just a fucking rock band. They never did anything truly groundbreaking and nothing that ever really impressed me, musically. (Yes, Slash can rip, I know.) Axl Rose has got to be the lamest motherfucker on the planet, also. I just don't see the big deal about these guys.

[Elgyn]

Fuck no. Fuuuuck no. Now you wanna talk about GNR in the same breath as Aerosmith or AC/DC or what have you, that's fine, they belong in that shitty breath. .


I think even THAT`S pushing it.
They had ONE hugely popular album. Aerosmith and AC/DC have had lots of well-recieved albums.
(For the record I`m not a fan of those two bands either).

[The Postmaster General]

I think even THAT`S pushing it.
They had ONE hugely popular album. Aerosmith and AC/DC have had lots of well-recieved albums.
(For the record I`m not a fan of those two bands either).


They've also spanned decades musically - releasing albums, whereas GNR has been more talk than rock. It's that last point that I think really kills their notability. Their hits were great, but lets face it, they've had fewer hits than Styx when you boil it down. Subjectively, I love Appetite for Destruction, and think it is one of the top rock albums, but objectively there's not enough validation with these guys. Slash is a guitar legend, though.

[moviemaniac8210]

Nope, not legendary IMO.

[Jon Lyrik]

Yeah, I don't get the massive love either for Axl. He spends fifteen years making what's basically decent rock and all the fans spray their shorts. For that amount of time and cash on the burner, you better have made something that breaks new ground in some way.

[Puck Bond]

I have to throw my two cents in here...because I'm reading a lot of negative shit about two of my favorite bands ever...my first real exposure to Rock n' Roll and the first true band I was into as a kid was Gn'R...they were huge when I was 12-13 years old living in England...I think of them as legendary not because of the music specifically(although I do love it), but because of what they represented...that hard Rock, alcohol, sex, drugs...badass mothers that don't give a shit LA scene!! I remember seeing the album cover of AFD and the inside cartoon of the skeleton prostitute and thinkin' holy shit...these guys are hardcore...also with their eventual flame out the way they did...I was always left with the feeling damn...what a shame they could have been one of the best ever! As it is...they lived that lifestyle to the tilt and although it lead to their downful in the end it enhaces their legacy. Also they were victims of bad timing...they weren't a typical hairband of the 80's and they weren't part of the Grunge/Alternative movement...they were in the middle and basically a harder version of the classic rock bands of the 60's/70's that have already been mentioned.

Also along with those who mentioned Rocket Queen, My Michelle and It's So Easy...you gotta love Nightrain and Mr. Brownstone!

Also I will not stand for Aerosmith bashing! These guys have been dishing out great bluesy rock n' roll and going strong for 40 years now...they were formed in '68 (Chain Reaction)...they have had success in the 70's/80's/90's(which is how I got introduced to them with Get a Grip and those awesome Alicia Silverstone vids!)...overcome massive drug abuse, have a library of classic hits...next to Stairway to Heaven and Freebird....Dream On was one of the most popular songs of the time...Steven Tyler is one of the greatest frontmen of all time and Joe Perry is no slouch either...what they have been through with their original lineup and their longevity they absolutely deserve to be mentioned with The Who, Stones and LZ and IMO America's greatest Rock n' Roll Band!

Also...love Gn'Rs cover of Aerosmith's Mama Kin from Lies!

[TheHutch23]

Famous, yes. Legends, no. GNR will always be well known and "loved" for a hugely popular debut album and some top singles. Truthfully, how many people who say they love GNR could name off even half of the tracklisting from Appetite?