RAW - Albums In Depth, 'The Spaghetti Incident?'

Albums In Depth
RAW No.136 - November 1993
By Neil Jeffries

Neil Jeffries throws a mood-swing over GUNS N' ROSES' 'The Spaghetti Incident?'!

The Spaghetti Incident?
Greffen GFFICID 24017

After the almost ??? wait for the 'Use Your Illusions' albums, it's a bit of a shocker to find this ready on schedule - even if it was started as long ago as 1990...
But what the hell, it's worth the wait - in gold!
A covers album of songs by your heroes would be a cheap shot to sidestep the writing process in almost anybody else's hands, but Guns N' Roses have done it with real class. Given the names of those they've covered, you'd think you could predict the tracks - but GN'R have rarely been predictable. But rest assured in their hands, all these cuts sound inspired.
Ironically, they've cut no corners either, and have made an album which can stand proudly alongside both the '..Illusion' records. Hell, you might even prefer it.
Duff's vocals to 'Attitude' could sum up the whole record. It would have made a perfect title track, but the absolute star is W.Axl Rose whose ever-changing vocals demonstrate more than ever. On first listen you'll need the line notes to be certain its Axl you're listening to. Sometimes it isn't (!).. but the range of characterization he injects when he does is staggering.
Biggest shock of all is the album's opening cut, 'Since I Don't Have You' which, after a short Slash solo, turns into brilliant piece of '50's Doo-Woo Pop where Axl sounds almost like Buddy Holly. Elsewhere, his impersonations of UK Subs frontman Charlie Harper on 'Down On The Farm' (also not unlike Mick Jagger is anchoring ?Gock? or knee mode) and of Nazareths's Dan McCafferty on 'Hair Of The Dog'( with a new hyperspeed ending) are just so impressive.
As well as the the ??? fave 'Attitude', Duff sings lead on the frantic n' faithful 'New Rose' and plaintive n' poignant, 'You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory'. Michael Monroe and Slash also help Axl with some lead vocals (on 'Ain't It Fun' and 'Buick McKane' respectively) - but when the later ?????? into 'Big Dumb Sex', its unmistakably Axl who spits 'I know what to do, I'm gonnal f**k, f**k, f**k, f**k you'
He's equally unmistakable on 'Human Being', where he's back in full high-pitched 'My Michelle' mode. It's a killer track that, like all the best fairground rides, it doesn't really go anywhere but suffers not at all for chucking you off dizzy and battered at the same place you got on. Ditto 'Raw Power' (albeit a much shorter ride), where Duff helps Axl out and adds: 'Yo Iggy check it out,' in tribute. ??????
In fact, it's ???? any of the artists on "The Spaghetti Incident?" would feel ??????? improves on most originals - and he has a real blast with Bolan's spit-in-your-eye riff on 'Buick...' and adding a nod to The Beatles 'Daytripper' at the end of 'Hair Of The Dog'
Standard track is almost certain that opener, 'Since I Don't Have You', purely because it is so unlike anything GN'R have ever done. It would made a superb single - but they've opted first for the slow Blues-to-bitchy Rock of their Stiy Baters tribute. 'Ain't It Fun'.
They've also opted no to tell you about an extra bonus acoustic track which picks up after the vicious rendition of 'I Don't Care About You'. It's uncredited and - I'd guess - an original, possibly called 'Sad Game'. Whatever with the lyric, 'What a mad illusion, living in my confusion...' it draws a very real curtain over the lengthy and ultimately triumphant follow-up-to 'Appetite' saga.
****1/2

Neil Jeffries.

GUNS N' ROSES
'The Spaghetti Incident'

Label: Greffen

Release Date: November 22

Writing:
The album contains no GN'R originals, just cover versions. See track-listing for original artists.

Recording:
Eight of the tracks were recorded during the sessions for what became the 'Use Your Illusion I' and '..II' albums. (first sessions were on 13 January 1990 at Rumbo in LA). These tracks all originally featured former GN'R rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Two other covers - Wings' 'Live And Let Die' and Bob Dylan's 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' - were used on the '...Illusion' albums, but the rest, all Punk tunes, were kept back and slated for release as what became heralded as 'The Punk Covers EP'. Instead, on completion of the marathon '..Illusion' world tour, GN'R went back into the studio, got Gilby Clarke to redo most of Izzy's guitar parts, and added four new songs to make a more varied album: 'You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory' (which might otherwise have been on Duff's solo album), 'Since I Don't Have You', 'Hair Of The Dog' and 'Buick McKane (Big Dumb Sex)'. The tracks were done in numerous studios all over North America, but chiefly at A&M in Los Angeles.

Track-listing:
'Since I Don't Have You', 'New Rose', 'Down On The Farm', 'Human Being', 'Raw Power', 'Ain't It Fun', 'Buick McKane (Big Dumb Sex)', 'Hair Of The Dog', 'Attitude', 'Black Leather', 'You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory', 'I Don't Care About You'.

Production:
All tracks by Mike Clink and Guns N' Roses, except 'Since I Don't Have You' (by GN'R alone) and 'You can't Put Your Amrs Around A Memory' (by Duff and Jim Michell).

Producers previous credits:
Clink and Guns N' Roses do have some previous ?work?: they are the team that brought you all the GN'R Greffen product...???? with total worldwide sales of nearly 50 million. Like the tracks on the '...Illusions' sets, the ?tracks? on 'The Spaghetti Incident?' were mixed by Englishman Bill Price in ??? Sound.

Cover Art:
Photo of a plate of spaghetti, could be Heinz, may be Crosse & Blackwell...

Previous Releases:
'Live ?!'@ Like A Suicide' (Uzi Suicide, 1986)
'Appetite For Destruction' (Greffen, 1987)
'GN'R Lies' (Greffen, 1988)
'Use Your Illusion I' (Greffen, 1991)
'Use Your Illusion II' (Greffen, 1991)

DO YOURSELF A FLAVOUR!
The sleeve to 'The Spaghetti Incident?' bears the message: 'A great song can be found anywhere. Do yourself a favour and go find the originals.'
Your ever-helpful RAW scribe humbly points you in the right direction, telling you the artist who first recorded the song, in what year, and - wherever possible - where you might best look for the original:

'SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU' by THE SKYLINERS
American ??? band. Axl remembers the original, which dates from way back in 1958, and so does Art Garfunkel, who had a hit with this in 1978.

'NEW ROSE' by THE DAMNED
Although claimed to be the first ever Punk hit single - released in 1977 - it failed to dent the UK Top 75. The original 45 is very rare now, but you can still find it on the The Damned's first album - originally on Stiff Records - 'Damned, Damned, Damned.'

'DOWN ON THE FARM' by UK SUBS
First recorded in 1982 for the 'Endangered Species' LP on ?them?.. Recently re-recorded for their current album 'Normal Service Resumed' on Jungle Records'

'HUMAN BEING' by NEW YORK DOLLS.
Last sung on the second LP, 'Too Much Too Soon', 1974 on Mercury.

'RAW POWER' by IGGY POP AND THE STOOGES
Title track of the band's 1973 third LP on ?GRS?

AIN'T IT FUN by THE DEAD BOYS
From 1987, as on the US Punksters first album, 'Young Loud and Snotty(?)on ire.

'BUICK MCKANE (BIG DUMB SEX)' by T REX (SOUNDGARDEN)
The T Rex track was originally on 1973's 'The Slider' album on EMI. Second half of the ?sequal? was first heard on the Seattle quartet's 'Louder Than Love' out in ?1969? on A&M.

'HAIR OF THE DOG' by NAZARETH
Title track of the Scottish band's 1975 Hard Rock classic, originally on ?Mooncrest?, now available on ???Classics.

'ATTITUDE' by THE MISFITS
One of the Glenn Danzig-?? cuts on the much sought after 12" 'Beware' EP released in 1980

'BLACK LEATHER' by STEVE JONES AND THE SEX PISTOLS
The unusual credit hints at the the fact that this was not part of the classic Pistol Incarnation.
Originally on a bonus record on a 1980 singles collection called 'The Pistols Pack', released to great apathy before Jones and fellow ex-Pistol Paul Cook formed another short-lived band, The Professionals. Also covered by The Runaways on 1978's 'And Now...The Runaways'

'YOU CAN'T PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND A MEMORY' by JOHNNY THUNDER
From the ex-New York Dolls guitarist's guest star-studded 1978 solo album 'So Alone', originally on Sire. Re-released on CD Warner Bros in 1992.

'I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU' by FEAR
Originally recording in 1982, Fears back catalogue has been re-issued in mary formats, but this was first on the band's eponymous debut album on Restless. There's a live version on 'Live For The Record' (recorded in 1986, ???, also on Restless, 1991)