The band has released six studio albums: Appetite For Destruction in 1987, G N' R Lies in 1988, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II in 1991, "The Spaghetti Incident?" in 1993 and, after 15 years and with frontman Axl Rose and keyboardist Dizzy Reed being the only members left from the previous lineup, Chinese Democracy in 2008. They also released three EP's in 1986, 1988, and 1993 and two live albums, in 1999 and 2014.
The group was formed in early 1985 by Hollywood Rose members Axl Rose (vocals) and Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitar) and L.A. Guns members Tracii Guns (lead guitar), Ole Beich (bass) and Rob Gardner (drums). The band created its name by combining two of the members' names. Rejected names were "Heads of Amazon" and "AIDS." A short time later, Beich was fired and replaced by Duff McKagan, and Guns was replaced by Slash after not showing up to rehearsal. Slash had played with McKagan in Road Crew and with Stradlin during a short stint in Hollywood Rose. On their first tour (from Sacramento, California to Duff's home town of Seattle), Gardner quit and was replaced by Slash's friend, Steven Adler.
Stemming from the LA rock underground, the ugly lyrics matched the sleaze of the music--driven by heavy blues licks--covering misogyny, violence, city life, sex, liquor, and hard drugs. They also, however, tended to show sensitivity and a desire to break free from the city. Subsequent albums revealed influence from bands in the vein of The Rolling Stones and Queen.
Their 1987 breakthrough, Appetite for Destruction, (18-times platinum and the highest-selling debut album of all-time), coupled with the success of the hit single "Sweet Child O' Mine" in 1988, took the world by storm. "Appetite" was full of raunchy hard rock with blistering, anthemic guitar riffs and snarling vocals.
The followup EP, "G N' R Lies", contained four songs from their debut EP, three new acoustic songs, and an acoustic version of "You're Crazy". The album sold well and got into the top 10 alongside Appetite. By the end of the 1980s, they were one of the most popular bands in the world.
Steven Adler (original drummer) was kicked out of the band due to his drug abuse and replaced by Matt Sorum.
Following the release of G N' R Lies, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II made history by making the number 1 and 2 spots on the American Billboard Album chart. The albums were filled with songs that pushed Guns into a different direction, far from the Appetite era. They surprised critics who expected hard rock songs but found more "epic" tracks featuring a wider range of instruments (pianos, brass instruments, various effects, etc). The main response was that instead of releasing two albums that included "filler tracks", they could have released one CD.
The band then started a world tour to support the albums. During this tour, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin quit the band due to differences with Slash, Sorum and McKagan due to his newfound sobriety and Stradlin's anger at Rose's management of the band.
They played 192 shows in the 28-month tour, which set attendance records and concluded with a show in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 17, 1993. This show marked the last time original members Slash and McKagan and newcomers Clarke and Sorum would play a live show with Rose.
Axl began work on a new album of original material in 1993. In 1994, Gilby Clarke left the band, and was replaced with Paul Tobias. That same year, the band recorded a cover version of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" for the movie Interview with the Vampire. According to Slash's 2007 autobiography, the first version of guitar track was rejected by Axl, who wanted Slash to copy Keith Richards' playing on the original. Reluctantly, Slash agreed and recorded another version closer to the original. Slash was further infuriated when he discovered Tobias' guitar copying his own solo note by note layered in the final mix of the song. This would be the last recording by the original version of the band, and five years would go by before any new material came out under the Guns N' Roses name.
Slash drifted in and out of the band for the next couple of years, beginning a side project called Slash's Snakepit. In August 1996, GN'R returned to the studio, even though McKagan and Sorum were simultaneously touring with their side project, Neurotic Outsiders. Eventually, only Slash and Rose were left to continue working. During this period, Slash commented in an interview, "My relationship with Axl right now is sort of at a standstill." Additionally, Axl had approached guitarist Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) about jamming and possibly joining Guns N' Roses.
In 1996 and 1997, Slash, Sorum and McKagan all left the band, leaving Rose as the only remaining charter member of the band. The three later formed rock supergroup Velvet Revolver with former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland and guitarist Dave Kushner.
In 1998, a "clean" (i.e., profanity removed) version of Use Your Illusion was released (in the USA only), mainly so the album could be sold in Wal-Mart and K-Mart stores. The album, titled "Use Your Illusion" was a 1 CD compilation of the 2 albums.
Also in 1998, Axl put a new version of the band together and returned to the studio. This version of the band has been touring and recording sporadically ever since. The new band's membership has changed frequently, but its core members have included guitarist Robin Finck, effects man Chris Pitman, bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of The Replacements)— as well as Paul Tobias, drummer Josh Freese and longtime GN'R keyboardist Dizzy Reed.
In 1999, the band released one new song, "Oh My God", on the soundtrack of the film End of Days. The track featured additional guitar work by [arist]Dave Navarro and Gary Sunshine, Rose's personal guitar teacher. The song's release was intended to be a prelude to their new album, now officially entitled Chinese Democracy. Geffen also released Live Era '87-'93, a collection of live performances from various concerts during the Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion tours. Also in 1999, during an interview with Kurt Loder for MTV, Axl said that he had re-recorded Appetite for Destruction with the new band, replacing two songs with "Patience" and "You Could Be Mine".
In 1999, guitarist Robin Finck departed the band in order to rejoin his former band, Nine Inch Nails, on tour. In 2000, virtuoso guitarist Buckethead joined Guns N' Roses as a replacement for Finck. Josh Freese was replaced with Bryan "Brain" Mantia (formerly of Primus). Robin Finck returned to Guns N' Roses in late 2000 to complement Buckethead on lead guitar.
The revised lineup finally made a public appearance in January 2001 with two well-received concerts, one in Las Vegas and one at the Rock in Rio Festival in Rio de Janeiro. The band played a mixture of old hits and new songs from their forthcoming album.
The new lineup played a further two shows in Las Vegas at the end of 2001. In 2002, rhythm guitarist Paul Tobias left the band because of his frustrations with life on the road. He was replaced by Richard Fortus (formerly of The Psychedelic Furs and Love Spit Love). The band then played several shows in August 2002, headlining festivals and concerts throughout Asia and Europe. They made their way to New York for a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in September.
In 2002, the band's first North American tour since 1993 was organized to support Chinese Democracy. However, the opening show in Vancouver was canceled by the venue when Rose arrived late due to his plane being held up by bad weather conditions at Los Angeles airport. A riot ensued. This tour was met with mixed results. Some concerts did not sell well, while shows in larger markets such as New York sold out in minutes. Due to a second riot by fans in Philadelphia, tour promoter Clear Channel canceled the remainder of the tour.
The band went on hiatus until they were scheduled to play at Rock in Rio IV in May 2004. However, Buckethead left the band in March of that year, causing them to cancel. Also in March 2004, Geffen released Guns N' Roses' Greatest Hits, since Rose had failed to deliver a new studio album in more than 10 years. Rose expressed displeasure with this album as its track listing was established without his consent and went as far as trying to block its release by suing Geffen. This failed, however, and the album went triple platinum in the USA.
In February 2006, demos of the songs "Better", "Catcher in the Rye", "I.R.S." and "There Was a Time" were leaked through a fan site. The band's management requested that all links to the MP3 files and all lyrics to the songs be removed from forums and web sites. Despite this, radio stations began adding "I.R.S." to playlists, and the song reached #49 on the Radio & Records Active Rock National Airplay chart in the final week of February - the first time an internet leak had done so.
On May 5, 2006, Axl appeared on the Friday Night Rocks with Eddie Trunk radio show (during an interview with ex-Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach) and said the new Guns N' Roses album would be released before the end of the year. Later in May, the band launched a European tour, headlining both the Download Festival and Rock In Rio - Lisbon. Four warm-up shows preceded the tour at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City and became the band's first live concert dates since the aborted 2002 tour. The shows also marked the debut of virtuoso guitarist and composer Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, replacing Buckethead. During the tour, Bach and Izzy Stradlin made frequent guest appearances. By the tour's end in 2007, the band had played to over 750 000 people in over 23 countries.
On April 5, 2008, a picture of Finck appeared on Nine Inch Nails web page under the title "Welcome Back!" starting the rumor of his possible reunion with Trent Reznor. On April 11, Finck expressed his happiness on playing again with NIN. On April 20, on Guns N' Roses' web site, Axl expressed surprise about the news.
Chinese Democracy had been given the tentative release date of March 6, then reported September 17, 2007. However, both dates passed with no sign of the album. After further release dates were discussed, the album finally came out on November 23, 2008, to mostly positive critical reviews & underselling industry expectations.
Slash, McKagan and Sorum still played together in Velvet Revolver. However, Izzy Stradlin, original GN'R rhythm guitarist and co-composer of many of the band's most successful songs, has not joined them. He did, however, play a few dates as a guest with GN'R in the summer of 2006. Keyboard player Dizzy Reed, while not a founding member of the band (joining in 1990 in the Use Your Illusion period), remained in the previous lineup. in 2014, Bassist Tommy Stinson had previous commitments to The Replacements, leading former bassist Duff McKagan to fill in. After the 2014 tour, bassist Tommy Stinson, guitarists DJ Ashba & Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, and keyboardist Chris Pitman all left the band.
Slash and McKagan rejoined in 2016, as did keyboardist Melissa Reese, as the group embarked on the "Not in This Lifetime..." stadium tour. The tour also featured several guest appearances, including from former drummer Steven Adler, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young, former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach, and Rose Tattoo singer Angry Anderson. The tour was a massive success, becoming the third highest grossing concert tour of all-time by its end in 2019.
The band continued with the Guns N’ Roses 2020 Tour and in 2021 released two new singles “Absurd” and “Hard Skool”, both reworkings of ‘’Chinese Democracy’’ era tracks. The singles are the first songs released featuring Slash and Duff McKagan since 1994.
GN'R's current lineup includes Rose (lead vocals), McKagan (bass), Fortus (rhythm guitar), Slash (lead guitar), Melissa Reese[/bandember] (synth & programming), Frank Ferrer (drums) and Reed (keyboard and percussion).
Discography
Appetite for Destruction (1987) #1 US Billboard, 18x Platinum
G N' R Lies (1988) #2 US Billboard, 5x Platinum
Use Your Illusion I (1991) #2 US Billboard, 7x Platinum
Use Your Illusion II (1991) #1 US Billboard, 7x Platinum
The Spaghetti Incident? (1993) #4 US Billboard, Platinum
Live Era '87-'93 (1999) #45 US Billboard, Gold
Greatest Hits (2004) #3 US Billboard, 3x Platinum
Chinese Democracy (2008) #3 US Billboard, Platinum
The above figures represent US sales only and do not constitute worldwide figures, which are much higher.
11 One In A Million
Guns N' Roses Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guess I needed some time to get away
I needed some peace of mind
Some peace of mind that'll stay
So I thumbed it down to sixth in L.A.
Maybe a Greyhound could be my way
Police and niggers, that's right
Don't need to buy none of your
Gold chains today
Now don't need no bracelets
Clamped in front of my back
Just need my ticket, 'til then
Won't you cut me some slack
You're one in a million
Yeah that's what you are
You're one in a million babe
You're a shooting star
Maybe some day we'll see you
Before you make us cry
You know we tried to reach you
But you were much to high
Much too high
Much too high
Much too high
Immigrants and faggots
They make no sense to me
They come to our country
And think they'll do as they please
Like start some mini-Iran
Or spread some fucking disease
And they talk so many goddamn ways
It's all Greek to me
Well some say I'm lazy
And others say that's just me
Some say I'm crazy
I guess I'll always be
But it's been such a long time
Since I knew right from wrong
It's all the means to and end and
I keep it moving along
Hey, hey, hey, yeah
You're one in a million
You're a shooting star
You're one in a million babe
You know that you are
Maybe someday we'll see you
Before you make us cry
You know we tried to reach you
But you were much too high
Much too high
Much too high
Much too high
Radicals and racists
Don't point your finger at me
I'm a small town white boy
Just tryin' to make ends meet
Don't need your religion
Don't watch that much TV
Just makin' my livin' baby
Well that's enough for me
You're one in a million
Yeah that's what you are
You're one in a million babe
You're a shooting star
Maybe some day we'll see you
Before you make us cry
You know we tried to reach you
But you were much too high
Much too high yeah, yeah, yeah
Much too high
Much too high
Much too high yeah, yeah, yeah
Much too high
Much too high
Much too high
Much too high
Much too high
Much too high
The song "One in a Million" by Guns N' Roses is a controversial and heavily criticized song due to its use of racist, homophobic, and xenophobic language. The lyrics describe the singer's frustration with the environment in Los Angeles, particularly the presence of African Americans, immigrants, and gay people. The lines "Police and niggers, that's right, get outta my way" and "Immigrants and faggots, they make no sense to me" are particularly offensive and have been condemned by many.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses a sense of alienation and detachment from society, as well as a desire for individualism and freedom. He rejects conformist values and material possessions, saying "Don't need to buy none of your gold chains today" and "Don't need no bracelets clamped in front of my back, just need my ticket, 'til then won't you cut me some slack". The chorus "You're one in a million, yeah that's what you are, you're a shooting star" is a reference to the singer's belief in his own uniqueness and potential for greatness.
Despite its controversial lyrics, "One in a Million" is still regarded by some as a classic Guns N' Roses song. It was included on the band's 1988 album "G N' R Lies" and has been performed live numerous times. The song has been the subject of much debate among fans and critics, with some defending it as a reflection of the singer's personal beliefs while others criticize it as offensive and unacceptable.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, one, two, three, four
Counting off before beginning the song
Guess I needed some time to get away
Feeling the need to take a break from life and responsibilities
I needed some peace of mind
Desiring inner tranquility and freedom from worry
Some peace of mind that'll stay
Needing relief from stress that persists even after the break is over
So I thumbed it down to sixth in L.A.
Traveling to Los Angeles by hitchhiking
Maybe a Greyhound could be my way
Considering taking a Greyhound bus as an alternative mode of transportation
Police and niggers, that's right
Expressing derogatory views towards African Americans and law enforcement
Get outta my way
Demanding others to move out of the artist's path
Don't need to buy none of your
Refusing to purchase items from street vendors or stores
Gold chains today
Specifically rejecting the idea of buying jewelry
Now don't need no bracelets
Refusing to wear handcuffs or be arrested
Clamped in front of my back
Referring to handcuffs applied by police officers
Just need my ticket, 'til then
Desiring only a bus ticket to continue traveling
Won't you cut me some slack
Asking for lenience or mercy
You're one in a million
Referring to someone or something as exceptional
Yeah that's what you are
Affirming the exceptional status of the subject
You're one in a million babe
Addressing the exceptional person directly
You're a shooting star
Comparing the person to a star that shines brightly and briefly
Maybe some day we'll see you
Expressing hope for encountering the person again in the future
Before you make us cry
Hoping to connect with the person before it's too late and emotions are hurt
You know we tried to reach you
Acknowledging previous attempts at reaching out to the person
But you were much to high
Implying the person was unattainable or unreachable
Immigrants and faggots
Expressing distaste for immigrants and gay people
They make no sense to me
Stating that the artist doesn't understand or agree with their presence
They come to our country
Positing that the immigrants are arriving in the United States
And think they'll do as they please
Suggesting that immigrants assume too much entitlement or freedom in their adopted country
Like start some mini-Iran
Making an allusion to political unrest in Iran and implying that immigrants may create similar issues in the United States
Or spread some fucking disease
Claiming that immigrants could bring sickness or contagion into their new country
And they talk so many goddamn ways
Complaining about the various languages and dialects that immigrants use
It's all Greek to me
Admitting that the singer doesn't understand the variety of languages and dialects spoken by immigrants
Well some say I'm lazy
Acknowledging that some people may view the singer as lacking work ethic
And others say that's just me
Indicating that some people accept the artist's lifestyle choices
Some say I'm crazy
Admitting that some people may view the artist as eccentric or strange
I guess I'll always be
Resigning to the fact that the artist will always be viewed as unorthodox
But it's been such a long time
Revealing that a lot of time has passed since the singer last felt secure in their decisions
Since I knew right from wrong
Suggesting that long ago the artist knew what was acceptable or unacceptable behavior
It's all the means to and end and
Justifying the singer's current behavior as a necessary means to an end
I keep it moving along
Persisting in the chosen lifestyle despite criticism or societal pressure to conform
Radicals and racists
Expressing disdain for extremists and those with prejudiced beliefs
Don't point your finger at me
Rejecting accusations of radicalism or racism
I'm a small town white boy
Claiming a modest upbringing and cultural identity
Just tryin' to make ends meet
Stating the singer's goal to survive or provide for themselves
Don't need your religion
Rejecting external influences of religion on personal beliefs
Don't watch that much TV
Claiming a limited exposure to television and media
Just makin' my livin' baby
Asserting that the focus is on personal survival and not social norms or ideals
Well that's enough for me
Content with minimal success or wealth
Much too high
Repeating the chorus to emphasize that a person or goal is unattainable
Much too high yeah, yeah, yeah
Emphasizing the idea that someone is out of reach or too idealized for reality
Much too high
Reiterating that the subject of the song is unrealistic and impossible to attain
Much too high yeah, yeah, yeah
Further emphasizing that the subject is an unattainable ideal
Much too high
Continuing to stress the point that the subject is an impossible goal
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: W. Axl Rose, Saul Hudson, Duff Rose McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Monicx
on Sweet Child o' Mine
Guns N' Roses sind eine großartige Band. Ich frage mich, wie Sweet Child o' Mine live klingen wird. Ich habe gerade Tickets für ihr Konzert in Deutschland auf https://www.timeforgig.com/de/guns-n-roses/artists/0mjrv gekauft.