The classic Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses are one of greatest bands ever. They were founded by singer W. Axl Rose, original name Bill Bailey, and guitarist Izzy Stradlin', real name Jeff Isabelle, in 1985. The original line up included members of the bands Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, but only bassist Duff McKagan, real name Michael, stayed soon after drummer Rob Gardner and guitarist Tracii Guns had been replaced by 2 two new members, Steven Adler on drums and Slash aka Saul Hudson on guitar. In 1986 they released a limited live EP called Live Like A Suicide on their own label "Uzi Suicide" which raised attention and got them a record deal with Geffen Records. Their debut album Appetite For Destruction, produced by Mike Clink, was selling quite bad in the beginning. It wasn't until September 1988 when the single "Sweet Child O' Mine" shot to the top of the US Billboard Charts making the album one of the best selling debut albums of all time. In December that year the band released GN'R Lies, an EP featuring the 1986 live EP plus 4 new recorded acoustic songs including yet another hit single called "Patience". Then the band concentrated on recording a proper follow up to their debut album. During that time Slash wrote a song with Lenny Kravitz, "Always On The Run", and the band contributed a song called "Civil War" to a charity album in 1990. However the band fired drummer Steven Adler because of his big problems with drugs and Matt Sorum from The Cult joined. In summer 1991 a pre-single release announcing the new album also appeared on the Terminator II soundtrack, "You Could Be Mine". In September that year the band actually released even two albums on one day, Use Your Illusion I + II. That double-release saw the release of yet another pre-single, the classic ballad and actual first song the band had written "Don't Cry", and the bad news that Axl's long time friend Izzy Stradlin' left the band, also because of drug problems. Gilby Clarke replaced him and the Gunners became the biggest band in the world at that time with more worldwide hits such as "November Rain", "Estranged" and the cover versions of McCartney's Bond song "Live And Let Die" plus Bob Dylan's "Kockin' On Heavens' Door". In 1993 bassist Duff McKagan released a solo album called "Believe In Me" and later that year the band's punk cover album "The Spaghetti Incident ?" had been released. The following year the band was said to headline "Woodstock '94", but had to cancel because of some band problems. Rumours spread that Gilby had been fired, but when he released his solo debut "Pawnshop Guitars" in summer that year he still said he was in the band. In December 1994 the latest GN'R single so far had been released, a cover version of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil", which appeared on the soundtrack to the Tom Cruise/ Brad Pitt movie "Interview With The Vampyre". That single featured Paul Huge on guitar, who had co-written a song called "Back Off Bitch" on Use Your Illusion I, making it sure that Gilby was no longer a Gunner. In Febuary 1995 Slash released a solo album called "It's 5 c'clock Somewhere" and founded his own band "Slash's Snakepit" for that reason. He's been joining several artists including Michael Jackson and Blackstreet since and Duff and Matt have also made a punk record with Duran Duran bassist John Taylor and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones as Neurotic Outsiders. But now in 1999 the only remaining band member is Axl who's currently in the studio recording a new Guns N' Roses album, the follow up to the '91 Use Your Illusion epics, with a totally new band including Robert Finck of Nine Inch Nails on guitar, Tommy Stinson of Replacements on bass and Jose Freese of Vandals on drums. The album is expected later this year and will see Axl on guitar ...