Appetite for Destruction

Appetite for Destruction
Studio album by Guns N' Roses
Released	July 21, 1987
Recorded	Rumbo Studios, Canoga Park; Take One Studio, Burbank; Can Am Studio, Tarzana, California
Genre	Heavy metal, hard rock
Length	53:48
Label	Geffen
Producer	Mike Clink
Guns N' Roses chronology
Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (1986) Appetite for Destruction (1987) Live from the Jungle (1988)
Singles from Appetite for Destruction
"It's So Easy" Released: June 15, 1987 (1987-06-15) "Welcome to the Jungle" Released: October 3, 1987 (1987-10-03) "Sweet Child o' Mine" Released: August 18, 1988 (1988-08-18) "Paradise City" Released: November 30, 1988 (1988-11-30) "Nightrain" Released: July 29, 1989 (1989-07-29)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Sputnikmusic	[2]
Robert Christgau	(B-) [3]
Rolling Stone	[4]

Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart. As of September 2008, the album has been certified 18 times Platinum by the RIAA,^[5] accumulating worldwide sales in excess of 28 million as of October 2008.^[6]The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Contents 1 Origins 2 Song information 2.1 "Welcome to the Jungle" 2.2 "Out ta Get Me" 2.3 "Paradise City" 2.4 "My Michelle" 2.5 "Sweet Child o' Mine" 2.6 "You're Crazy" 2.7 "Anything Goes" 3 Packaging 4 Legacy and achievements 5 Track listing 6 Personnel 7 Chart positions 7.1 Album 7.2 Singles 8 Certifications 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References

Origins

Axl Rose stated in 1988 that many of the songs featured on the album had been written while the band had been performing on the Los Angeles club circuit, and a number of songs that would be featured on later Guns N' Roses albums were considered for Appetite for Destruction, such as "Back Off Bitch", "You Could Be Mine", "November Rain" and "Don't Cry". It is said that the reason for not putting "November Rain" was because they had already agreed to put "Sweet Child 'O Mine" and thus already had a ballad on the album (however, both Use Your Illusion albums would contain more than one ballad).^[7]

While the songwriting credits are credited to all five band members, many of the songs began as solo tracks that individual band members wrote separate from the band, only to be completed later. These songs include "It's So Easy" (Duff McKagan) and "Think About You" (Izzy Stradlin). "Rocket Queen" was an unfinished Slash/Adler song that was written from their earlier band Road Crew, whereas "Anything Goes", written by Hollywood Rose and included in their compilation album The Roots of Guns N' Roses, was later re-written for Appetite.

Other songs on the album reflect the band's reaction to the debauchery of the L.A. rock and roll underground, such as "Welcome to the Jungle" the lyrics of which Rose wrote after he encountered a man near the highways of Manhattan in 1980 shortly after arriving there from Indiana.^[8] Lyrics to some of the songs focus on the band members' younger years, like "Out ta Get Me", which focuses on lead singer Axl Rose's constant trouble with the law as a youth in Indiana.^[9] The band also based song lyrics on their assorted female companions, reflected in the songs "Sweet Child o' Mine", "My Michelle", "You're Crazy", and "Rocket Queen", but not "Think About You", which actually talks about heroin.

July 21 of 2012 will mark the 25th anniversary of the release of this album.

Song information

"Welcome to the Jungle"

It was released as the band's second single on October 3, 1987 and reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number sixty-seven on the UK Singles Chart. In the United Kingdom, "Welcome to the Jungle" was backed with a live cover of AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie", while in the United States the B-side was "Mr. Brownstone" from Appetite for Destruction. In 2009 it was named the greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

"Out ta Get Me"

Its lyrics focus on lead singer Axl Rose's constant trouble with the law as a youth in Indiana. Slash describes it as being written even more quickly than "Welcome to the Jungle", which means it was written in under three hours.^[9]

"Paradise City"

Slash states in his autobiography that the song was written in the back of a rental van as they were on their way back from playing a gig in San Francisco with the band Rock N Riders. He states that the band was in the back of the van, drinking and playing acoustic guitars when he came up with the intro. Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin started playing along. Slash started humming a melody when Axl Rose sang, "Take me down to the Paradise City." Slash chimed in with "Where the girls are fat and have big titties."

"My Michelle"

The song is about a friend of the band, a girl named Michelle Young who is thanked in the 'Appetite For Destruction' cover sleeve. According to Axl, he and Young were in a car together when "Your Song" by Elton John came on the radio and Young 'happened' to mention that she had always wanted someone to write a song about her. The song is brutally honest, which Axl thought she would hate, but she liked the song.

"Sweet Child o' Mine"

Ninth track on the album and third single. Released on August 18, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S. It reached number six on the UK Singles Chart.

The lyrics of the song are written about Axl's girlfriend (at the time) Erin Everly. The guitar lick at the beginning was a coincidence, as Slash warmed up by playing a circus sounding tune as a joke, but the rest of the band took notice.

"You're Crazy"

It was originally written as an acoustic song, but was revamped for Appetite for Destruction^[10] (this version is one of the fastest songs in the band's catalog). The slower, acoustic version was later recorded for G N' R Lies; this version has also been performed live with electric guitars (as heard on their live album).

A working title for the song was "Fucking Crazy".^[10]

"Anything Goes"

It was one of the earliest-written songs by the band, having been written in 1981 and had been performed in an earlier incarnation with Hollywood Rose. It was originally named "My Way, Your Way".^[11]

Packaging

The album's original cover art, based on the Robert Williams' painting "Appetite for Destruction", depicted a robotic rapist about to be punished by a metal avenger. After several music retailers refused to stock the album, the label compromised and put the controversial cover art inside, replacing it with an image depicting a cross and skulls of the five band members (designed by Billy White Jr., originally as a tattoo), each skull representing one member of the band: Izzy Stradlin, top skull; Steven Adler, left skull; Axl Rose, center skull; Duff McKagan, right skull; and Slash, bottom skull. The photographs used for the back of the album and liner notes were taken by Robert John, Marc Canter and Jack Lue. The original cover was supposed to be on the 2008 re-pressing of the vinyl, though the record label replaced it with the "Skulls" art at the last minute.^[12] The re-pressing of the vinyl, though, is the first Guns N' Roses release to have the Parental Advisory label printed on the artwork; previously, like on the CD, this was a sticker on the cellophane wrap and later (on the CD and cassette releases) on the case itself.

In albums which were issued on double sided media (i.e., vinyl records and audio cassettes) the two sides were not conventionally labeled "A" and "B", but "G" and "R". Tracks 1-6 which comprise side "G" all deal with drugs and hard life in the big city ("Guns" side). The remaining tracks, which comprise side "R", all deal with love, sex and relationships ("Roses" side).

Legacy and achievements

Appetite for Destruction debuted at position 182 on the Billboard 200 on August 29, 1987.^[13] The album reached number one on the chart on September 24, 1988, 50 weeks after its first appearance.^[14] It spent four weeks at the top of the chart,^[15] and a total of 147 weeks on the Billboard 200.^[13]

• In 1989 Rolling Stone ranked Appetite for Destruction as the 27th best album of the 1980s. ^[16]
• The same magazine later ranked it at sixty-one on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.^[17]
• In 2001, Q magazine named Appetite for Destruction as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time.^[18]
• In 2004, Q magazine also named Appetite for Destruction as one of the greatest Classic rock Albums Ever.^[19]
• In 2003, VH1 named Appetite for Destruction the 42nd Greatest Album of All Time.^[20]
• In 2002, Pitchfork Media ranked Appetite for Destruction 59th on their Top 100 Albums of the 1980s.^[21]
• It was ranked 18 in Spin magazine's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005".^[22]
• In 2006, Kerrang! ranked the album #1 on the list of best rock albums.^[23]
• The album was ranked 32 on Rock Hall of Fame's 'definitive 200' album list, developed by the NARM, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers.^[24]
• In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at #10 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".^[25]
• In 2006, the album was placed No. 2 on Guitar World magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time.^[26]
• Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes Appetite for Destruction at number 4, just after Kyuss' Blues for the Red Sun and before Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking, in his classification of the best metal albums of all times.^[27]
• In 2011, Australian radio station Triple M listed Appetite For Destruction #1 in their list of the 250 most life changing albums.

Track listing

All songs credited to Guns N' Roses; "It's So Easy" co-credited to West Arkeen and "Anything Goes" co-credited to Chris Weber.^[1] Actual writers and composers listed.

Personnel

Guns N' Roses W. Axl Rose – lead vocals, percussion on "Welcome to the Jungle", synthesizer and whistle on "Paradise City" Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead guitar on "Nightrain" and "Think About You", percussion on "Paradise City" Slash – lead guitar, rhythm guitar on "Nightrain" and "Think About You", talkbox on "Anything Goes" Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Steven Adler – drums Additional personnel Mike Clink – production Steve Thompson – mixing Michael Barbiero – mixing George Marino – mastering Victor Deyglio, Dave Reitzas, Micajah Ryan & Julian Stoll – engineering assistance Andy Udoff – engineering assistance Jeff Poe – engineering assistance Robert Williams – paintings Michael Hodgson – art direction, design Robert John – photography Jack Lue – photography Greg Freeman – photography Chart positions Album Year Chart Position 1988 Billboard 200 1 1989 Singles Year Song Chart Peak position[34] 1988 "Sweet Child O' Mine" Billboard Hot 100 1 Mainstream Rock Tracks 6 "Welcome to the Jungle" Billboard Hot 100 7 Mainstream Rock Tracks 24 "Nightrain" Billboard Hot 100 93 1989 Mainstream Rock Tracks 13 "Paradise City" Billboard Hot 100 5 Mainstream Rock Tracks 2 Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments Argentina (CAPIF)[35] 3× Platinum 180,000x Austria (IFPI Austria)[36] Platinum 50,000x Brazil (ABPD)[37] Gold 100,000* Canada (Music Canada)[38] Diamond 1,000,000^ Finland (IFPI Finland)[39] Gold 25,000[39] France (SNEP)[40] 2× Gold 200,000* Germany (BVMI)[41] Platinum 500,000^ Mexico (AMPROFON)[42] Gold 100,000^ Sweden (GLF)[43] Gold 50,000^ Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[44] Platinum 50,000x United Kingdom (BPI)[45] 2× Platinum 600,000^ United States (RIAA)[46] 18× Platinum 18,000,000^ *sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone See also List of best-selling albums worldwide List of best-selling albums in the United States List of best-selling albums in Argentina Notes ^ a b "Review". Allmusic. http://allmusic.com/album/appetite-for-destruction-r8759. Retrieved 2011-04-02.  ^ "Review". Sputnikmusic. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/3186/Guns-N-Roses-Appetite-For-Destruction/. Retrieved 2011-04-02.  ^ "Review". Robert Christgau. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=guns+n%27+roses/. Retrieved 2011-04-02.  ^ "Review". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/guns-n-roses/albumguide. Retrieved 2011-04-02.  ^ "Search Results". Recording Industry Association of America. December 19, 1990. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Guns%20N%20Roses&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=CertificationDate&perPage=50. Retrieved December 19, 2008.  ^ "Guns N' Roses To Release New Album - Axl Rose Is The Only Original Remaining Member". Sky News. October 23, 2008. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Showbiz-News/Guns-N-Roses-To-Release-New-Album---Axl-Rose-Is-The-Only-Original-Remaining-Member/Article/200810415127112. Retrieved December 19, 2008.  ^ "''Axl/Slash Interview'', 1988". Hem.passagen.se. http://hem.passagen.se/snoqalf/tr-1988.html. Retrieved November 11, 2010.  ^ Ellin, Doug (July 27, 2007). "Welcome to the Jungle". TV.com. http://www.tv.com/entourage/welcome-to-the-jungle/episode/1036057/summary.html. Retrieved November 20, 2007.  ^ a b Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. New York: Harper Entertainment. p. 109. ^ a b "Song info at GNRSource.com (archived copy, current version unavailable as site undergoes reconstruction)". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071021005816/gnrsource.com/songinfo/afd/crazy.htm. Retrieved November 11, 2010.  ^ #Davis 2008 pg 166, "Crash into "Anything Goes," originally titled "My Way Your Way" by Hollywood Rose, written by Izzy and Chris Webber." ^ "Album cover info at". Musicstack.com. February 9, 2009. http://www.musicstack.com/articles/historic-controversial-album-covers-part-two. Retrieved November 11, 2010.  ^ a b "Billboard 200: Week of August 29, 1987 Biggest Jump". http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200?chartDate=1987-08-29&order=gainer#/charts/billboard-200?chartDate=1987-08-29&order=gainer.  ^ Bronson, Fred (1996-08-31). "WEA's Greatest Hits". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media): 38.  ^ Slash (2008), p.257 ^ http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rstone.html ^ "Appetite for Destruction - Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. November 3, 2003. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6597908/61_appetite_for_destruction. Retrieved November 20, 2007.  ^ "In our Lifetime #2". Q magazine. October 1, 2001. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#50%20Heaviest. Retrieved November 20, 2007.  ^ "Rocklist.net...Q & Mojo Magazine Special Editions Vol.1". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q_mojo_se.htm#Classic%20Rock. Retrieved November 11, 2010.  ^ "VH1 Ranks 100 Best Rock Albums". Associated Press. January 4, 2001. http://babellist.xnet2.com/0101/msg00062.html. Retrieved November 20, 2007.  ^ "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s". Pitchforkmedia.com. November 20, 2002. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/36736. Retrieved November 11, 2010.  ^ Barger, Al (July 3, 2005). "Spin magazine's 100 Greatest Albums 1985-2005". Blog Critics magazine. http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/07/03/052023.php. Retrieved November 20, 2007.  ^ "Guns N' Roses news:". Here Today Gone to Hell. March 4, 2004. http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/news/shownews.php?newsid=964. Retrieved November 20, 2007.  ^ [1] ^ Q August 2006, Issue 241 ^ "Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Albums Of All Time". Rate Your Music. http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=66329&show=25&start=75. Retrieved November 11, 2010.  ^ Scaruffi, Piero. "Best heavy-metal albums of all time". http://www.scaruffi.com/music/metal.html. Retrieved March 7, 2011.  ^ Slash's Autobiography ^ Reckless Roads by Mark Canter ^ The W. Axl Rose Biography by Mick Wall ^ "Steven Adler: 'I'm Finally Starting To Get The Recognition That I Deserve' | Interviews @". Ultimate-guitar.com. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/steven_adler_im_finally_starting_to_get_the_recognition_that_i_deserve.html. Retrieved November 11, 2010.  ^ Kovac, Adam (August 4, 2010). "Former Guns N' Roses Drummer Steven Adler's Learned From His Mistakes". CHARTattack. http://www.chartattack.com/news/2010/aug/04/former-guns-n-roses-drummer-steven-adlers-learned-from-his-mistakes. Retrieved November 11, 2010.  ^ "Steven Adler: 'Axl Is A$$hole' | News @". Ultimate-guitar.com. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/steven_adler_axl_is_ahole.html. Retrieved November 11, 2010.  ^ "Artist Chart History - Guns N' Roses - Singles". Billboard 200. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071224115929/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/searchResult.jsp?exp=y&Ntt=guns+n+roses&Ntk=Keyword&an=bbcom&nor=10&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&N=37. Retrieved November 20, 2007.  ^ "Argentinian album certifications – Guns – Appetite For D". Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers. http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=Guns&album=Appetite+For+D&LanDesde_MM=0&LanDesde_AA=0&LanHasta_MM=0&LanHasta_AA=0&Galardon=O&Tipo=1&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP.  ^ "Austrian album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Appetite For Destruction" (in German). IFPI Austria. http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin.  Enter Guns N' Roses in the field Interpret. Enter Appetite For Destruction in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen ^ "Brazilian album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Appetite For Destruction" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. http://abpd.org.br/certificados_interna.asp?sArtista=Guns+N%27+Roses&tmidia=1.  ^ "Canadian album certifications – Guns 'N Roses – Appetite For Destruction". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Appetite+For+Destruction&sa=Guns+%27N+Roses&smt=0.  ^ a b "Finnish album certifications – Guns N'Roses – Appetite For Destruction" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/artistit/Guns+N%27Roses.  ^ "French album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Appetite For Destruction" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/pag-259165-CERTIFICATIONS.html?year=1997&type=11.  ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Guns N' Roses; 'Appetite For Destruction')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=Appetite+For+Destruction&strInterpret=Guns+N%27+Roses&strTtArt=alben&strAwards=checked.  ^ "Mexican album certifications – Guns N'roses – Appettite For Destruccion" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. http://www.amprofon.com.mx/certificaciones.php?artista=Guns+N%27roses&titulo=Appettite+For+Destruccion&categoria=ALBUM&contenido=buscar.  ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (in Swedish) (PDF). IFPI Sweden. http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf.  ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Guns N' Roses; 'Appetite For Destruction')". Hung Medien. http://www.swisscharts.com/search_certifications.asp?search=Guns+N%27+Roses+Appetite+For+Destruction.  ^ "British album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Appetite For Destruction". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx.  Enter Appetite For Destruction in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go ^ "American album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Appetite For Destruction". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Appetite+For+Destruction%22.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH References Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. London: Rough Guides. ISBN 1-85828-201-2.  Davis, Stephen (2008). Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses. Gotham Books. ISBN 978-1-592-40377-6.  Appetite for Destruction at Allmusic Slash; Bozza, Anthony (2008). Slash. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-000-725777-5.  Preceded by Hysteria by Def Leppard Hysteria by Def Leppard Billboard 200 number-one album 6-12 August 1988 24 September - 14 October 1988 Succeeded by Hysteria by Def Leppard New Jersey by Bon Jovi Guns N' Roses Axl Rose · Dizzy Reed · Tommy Stinson · Chris Pitman · Richard Fortus · Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal · Frank Ferrer · DJ Ashba Ole Beich · Rob Gardner · Tracii Guns · Steven Adler · Izzy Stradlin · Gilby Clarke · Matt Sorum · Slash · Duff McKagan · Josh Freese · Paul Tobias · Buckethead · Robin Finck · Bryan Mantia Studio albums Appetite for Destruction · G N' R Lies · Use Your Illusion I · Use Your Illusion II · "The Spaghetti Incident?" · Chinese Democracy Live albums Live Era '87–'93 Extended plays Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide · Guns N' Roses / Live from the Jungle · The "Civil War" EP Compilation albums Use Your Illusion · Greatest Hits Singles "It's So Easy" · "Welcome to the Jungle" · "Sweet Child o' Mine" · "Paradise City" · "Patience" · "Nightrain" · "You Could Be Mine" · "Dead Horse" · "Don't Cry" · "Live and Let Die" · "November Rain" · "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" · "Yesterdays" · "Civil War" · "Ain't It Fun" · "Estranged" · "Since I Don't Have You" · "Hair of the Dog" · "Sympathy for the Devil" · "Oh My God" · "Chinese Democracy" · "Better" · "Street of Dreams" Other songs "Mr. Brownstone" · "My Michelle" · "Think About You" · "Rocket Queen" · "One in a Million" · "The Garden" · "Coma" · "14 Years" · "Get in the Ring" · "Pretty Tied Up" Videos Use Your Illusion I · Use Your Illusion II · Welcome to the Videos Tours Appetite for Destruction Tour · Use Your Illusion Tour · Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour · Chinese Democracy Tour Related Articles Discography · Members · Awards and nominations · Mike Clink · Del James · West Arkeen · Guns N' Roses Pinball · Riverport Riot Bands Hollywood Rose · L.A. Guns · Velvet Revolver · Loaded · Slash's Snakepit · Neurotic Outsiders · Road Crew Books Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses · Slash · My Appetite for Destruction: Sex, and Drugs, and Guns N' Roses · It's So Easy (And Other Lies) Albums The Roots of Guns N' Roses Labels UZI Suicide · Geffen Records Category · WikiProject