Happy B'Day Appetite!

It's hard to believe but true Guns N' Roses released Appetite for Destruction twenty years ago this past July. While it is scary to think I remember this album when it first came out, which makes me feel old it is even scarier that a great rock record has not been made since. It' s not that some albums haven't been good it is just that no album has come out since where everybody is like "Holy Shit" there is not one bad song on that album. Some of the Loft Boys would argue that Life of Agony's debut "River Runs Red" is similar, myself included however for some reason they never achieved any type of mainstream success.

Not to sound old, but I am going to anyway, I just don't think the generation of today understand the importance of great albums with the invention of i tunes and the ability to download only the songs you here on the radio rather then being pumped up by one song, but deciding to listen to the whole album anyway. Appetite is a great example of this. While it is true that no one will ever forget the first time they heard the screeching of the beginning of "Welcome to the Jungle", it was the catchy phrases of "Paradise City" and "Night train" that really made us love this album.

The sad part is because of egos, drug problems and Lord know what else Guns N' Roses reigned kings for a brief four year period by unlike most bands for that four year period they were untouchable. They were our heroes the way kids today worship Lebron, we worshipped GN'R. They were bad asses and made no apologies for it. They reveled in groupies and drugs and not necessarily in that order.

On a personal note when you think about it Guns N' Roses and the other bands of that era kind of changed all of our lives forever. It is because of bands like Gn'R, Motley Crue and Metallica that most of us started hanging out and still hang out almost fifteen years later. I still remember hanging out as a Sophomore in religion with DZ, when he noticed I had Motley Crue written on my notebook and the rest as they say is history! Since then a lot of things have changed Axl Rose has become a recluse, Izzy disappeared and Slash and Duff now play with the guy from STP, on the other hand half of the "Loft Boys" are married some of us even have kids and a good Friday night is having the Mets' win and the baby sleep until 9 am.

While it is true that a lot of things are different two things remain the same: Appetite for Destruction is still one of the top ten rock albums ever made and the "Loft Boys" are still the best groups of friends on earth. While it is true not everyone is able to get together to get drunk on a random Friday night, if there is a wedding or baby's christening you can bet that you can still find us all in the corner of the room sneaking a shot together!

P.S. There is a great story in this weeks Rolling Stone about how during a late night session recording the moaning in "Rocket Queen", Axl was disappointed in the realism of the moaning so he decided to fuck Steven Adler's girlfriend in the studio to make it seem more realistic. Now that's a man on a mission!

P.P.S. To quote the Golden Girls, "Thank you for being a friend!" Now that's talent, Bea Arthur and Axl Rose in the same blog!

P.P.P.S. Forgive me if I sound nostalgic, it is late night and I have been drinking Scotch solo!