There was no appetite for destruction, rather the appetite to let loose whatever they had inside. The summer of 1987 in Los Angeles saw the light one of the most influential albums during the final stretch of rock of the twentieth century. In the beginning, few realized what was upon them; in a few years it would go on to sell millions of copies and become the most successful debut album of history… although it was actually their second album, when they actually belonged to a large record label.

Guns N’ Roses brought back the 'longtime' hard rock sound to a prominent place during a time when it was of widely dismissed in the music scene, reviving an enthusiasm that matched that of the days of the Rolling Stones, even though they really had more in with Aerosmith and bordered on other glam rock wild beasts, not surprisingly, their first goal was to dethrone Mötley Crüe. They also said, and was said, that there were sounds reminiscent of punk. It is the fate of the new, of a fresh and distinct sound to which required the music industry to put as the corresponding label.

Their particular moment itself was perfect, because the tandem Axl Rose and Slash incorporated two saddles for Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan—whose solo discs are highly recommended, by the way. Or almost perfect because they too had the ethyl and chemical excesses of great notoriety.



Appetite also earned a spot in encyclopaedias mainly for two songs that are already part of the pop culture. Welcome to the Jungle, in which an exuberant Axl shines, and Sweet Child O’ Mine, Slash with his guitar placed between the first swords guild and it has allowed him to display his prodigious technique every time he plays it live. In any case, a good debate for his many rivals could analyze if he would have achieved the same impact without the company of Izzy Stradlin...

They say that in those days of wine and “roses” they composed wonders like those in a couple of hours. Songs that are rich with very personal lyrics, evidently written without thinking too much about the consequences given the conflict that caused them with the all powerful MTV. Nor changing the cover twice was enough when their videos were released, loaded with way too much sex, drugs and bad words for the puritan American society. And when they did play them, they took great care to make sure they aired on television during the late night hours.

There are thousands of anecdotes related with the recording of an album that it in of itself is almost a legend, but perhaps one should discard the episode in which the person who was going to be the producer of the album was kicked off the project: Paul Stanley, the almighty lord of Kiss, even though some sources say it was he himself who chose to leave. He lost the gig because those “wrecked drug addicts” hired Mike Clink, who not only was cheaper, furthermore he believed in them.