Rocktober Album #17: Guns N' Roses – G N' R Lies (1988)

Ahhh, Guns N' Roses. How I miss thee.

Riding the success of what I consider to be the best hard rock debut album of all-time, Appetite for Destruction, Guns N' Roses released G N' R Lies in 1988. Soon enough, GNR became the first artist to ever have two albums in the Top 5 at the same time. Not too shabby.

The first half of the album is "live" tracks from the Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide EP, which was released before the guys hit it big, when they were still the darling bad boys of the Sunset Strip scene. Live is in quotes because, as with many "live" albums, the songs were recorded in the studio, and crowd noise was added in. Make no mistake, that doesn't mean the songs don't kick ass.

The second half of the album is comprised of acoustic studio tracks, with the guys showing their softer side, if you can call a song about killing your woman or a song expressing hatred for various races soft.

1. Reckless Life
The album starts off with a bang. This song is full of energy and youthful angst. "I lead a reckless life / And I don't need your advice." True.
2. Nice Boys
This is one of my favorite GNR songs. It's fast and angry, and has one of the great rock choruses: "Nice boys don't play rock and roll." But that's not even the best line in the song. How about this one to brighten your day: "But now she lays in a filthy room / She kills the pain with a fuck and a spoon." I don't know about you, but I'm interested. The song is actually a cover of a song originally done by Australian hard rockers Rose Tattoo. Coincidentally, Axl Rose has a tattoo of a rose (which I mentioned a couple weeks ago when discussing Thin Lizzy's Black Rose: A Rock Legend).
3. Move to the City
This song is about the classic story of a teenager who fights with his/her parents and isn't doing well in school, so he/she moves to the city. But is that really the solution? I think this song does an admirable job of answering that question.
4. Mama Kin
"This is a song about your fucking mother." After that introduction, the boys kick into their excellent cover of this Aerosmith classic.
5. Patience
You know "Patience." It's a classic. In my opinion, the best song ever that prominently features whistling. Sorry, Andrew Bird fans. And, let's be honest, there isn't one of you who doesn't sing along at the top of your lungs (even when you're at work) when Axl kicks back in with about a minute left in the song: "I've been walkin' the streets at night / Just tryin' to get it right . . ."
6. Used to Love Her
This is also one of my favorite GNR songs. It's got such a cheery and sing-song-y melody, but such a darkly humorous subject. "I used to love her / But I had to kill her / I had to put her / Six feet under / And I can still hear her complain." I think every guy can relate to that, especially the Green River Killer.
7. You're Crazy
This is an acoustic version of the song from Appetite. Somehow, it doesn't lose its edge.
8. One in a Million
I've never much cared for this song, mostly because Axl drops the n-bomb in it, and manages to derogate various other demographics. Apparently, Axl wrote it about an experience at a bus station in LA, and meant no harm. I have never understood how Slash (who is biracial) allowed this song to go forward, although from what I understand, he has taken a relatively zen attitude about it.