Take
me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are
pretty.... ----- Paradise City (Appetite for destruction). 1987
The beauty and the existence of hope in this big city... that's the meaning of 'Paradise City' in 'Appetite For Destruction' album. 'Although the times are hard in LA but there's still something to hold on to and to hope for', said Guns N' Roses when asked the meaning of the song. Indeed time hasn't been a bed of roses for the Gunners.
During the first few years of the Gunners' illustrious career, hardship was everything to this LA based band. 'To be somebody in LA is difficult', said Slash. They lived in old shacks, they sold drugs and they sold women, they did everything just to be alive.
'... times are hard, thrills are cheaper. As your arms get shorter, your pockets get deeper.'------ Right Next Door To Hell. (Use Your Illusion II, 1991)
Guns N' Roses circa 1985 was also known as the 'Us against the world' era, where the Gunners received many opposition from the public. As recalled by Slash,' We were heading for a gig one night and on our way we were stopped by a traffic police. We didn't do anything wrong and the cop just stopped us to delay us from the gig because he hated our guts.'
As the band got more and more popular world-wide in the early 90s, more and more trouble started to surround it. Right after the release of 'Use Your Illusion 2', Izzy Stradlin', real name Jeff Isabelle, quit the band. Although the real reason was never been told, but it was said that GN'R members were already at loggerheads that time and Izzy decided to call it a quit to go on with his solo career. His replacement, Gilby Clarke (Gilbert Clarke) got fired after only 4 years of service. And it was said that Slash (Saul Hudson) was real mad at it.
News
about front man Axl Rose (William Bailey) quitting the band was also heard,
but it was not clarified. And in the mid of 1996, Slash officially quitted
the band. With the remaining of the band, Duff McKagan (Michael McKagan),
Matt Sorum (Matthew Sorum) and Dizzy Reed (Darren Reed), GN'R, according
to the media, was about to release its latest album in 1997. But still
no sign of it until now. With Slash out of the band, things will definitely
be different for GN'R and all the fans... but the question is, is there
still any Guns N' Roses??
As we march on towards 1998, things are getting more gloomy than ever especially to all the GN'R fans. Everything seems unsure except for one fact.... Guns N' Roses was, is and will be the greatest band on earth.... alive or not.
This
page is dedicated to all the Guns N' Roses fans all over this fuckin' planet
for realizing one fact.... GN'R is not crime and foe.
This page is also dedicated to all the Guns N' Roses members especially Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin'. You guys are not history.... you are legend of rock n' roll.