Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Q (mag) March 2004 Issue 212

12 STEPS TO BUILDING THE ULTIMATE HAIR METAL COLLECTION

Back in the ?80s, before grunge came along and pooped the party, hair metal ruled the world.  The most celebratory - not to mention shamelessly superficial - of rock?s myriad sub-genres, it was the domain of tight-trousered, poodle-haired hustlers like Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Guns N? Roses.  Mocked by serious critics but loved by millions, it was loud, flashy and wilfully dumb, the prime concerns extending little beyond drugs, alcohol, women and overuse of the word ?dude?.  The spectacular success of The Darkness (climaxing with those four Brits nominations) has put hair metal back on the map - albeit in a decidedly more arch incarnation - prompting a reassessment of its debauched charms.

1 MOTLEY CRUE Shout At The Devil
2 DEF LEPPARD Pyromania
3 VAN HALEN 1984
4 SCORPIONS Love At First Sting
5 BON JOVI Slippery When Wet
6 WHITESNAKE 1987

7 GUNS N? ROSES Appetite For Destruction
Geffen, 1987
The Mt. Everest in the Himalayas of hair metal, Guns N? Roses? proclamation that they were ?the most dangerous band on the planet? was backed up by this debut album.  Swaggering and venomous, it noisily celebrated the joys of sex, drugs and rock?n?roll - literally, in the case of final track Rocket Queen, which featured the sound of a strung-out Axl Rose boffing his girlfriend in the recording booth.
Key track: Welcome To The Jungle

8 SKID ROW Skid Row
9 VARIOUS The Big 80's - Big Hair, Volume 2
10 THE CULT Electric
11 KISS Alive!
12 THE DARKNESS Permission To Land

Guns N' Roses were the only cool band from the 80s,atleast that's what I think. : ok:

When I think of GN'R I don't think hair-metal, I think Rock N' Roll.

Rock N' Roll is timeless unlike hair-metal which was just a fad.

To lump GN'R in with hair-metal bands is not only insulting to them, but just shows how little this reviewer knows.

I think Guns and Roses was not a hair metal band, they are what killed that scene, IMO.  It always bugs me when I see something like that.

I agree,Guns N' Rose is Guns N' Rose,they kick ass,they always have.

I think its because of AXL's hair in Welcome To The Jungle really!
mmmmmmmm Axl in those tight leather pants! oooooo and DUFF when he winks at the camera!!!!!  :drool:  :drool:  :drool:

Agreed. And The Darkness hair metal? Total crap.

Still, it's good to see a hair metal revival, grunge wrecked a great scene.

I disagree, as much as hate the term "grunge" there were some great bands that came from that scene - Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and STP.
All of those bands smartened rock up again away from the poodle rock wank bands (apart from GN'R) mentioned in the article.

Unfortunately, GNR will always be lumped with hair metal because they got big when hair metal was big.  Also, GNR had a very hair metal look in the beginning.  Watch any early show and look at Axl's hair (or just watch the WTTJ video).

I don't think it's fair because hair metal is usually synonymous (to me) with cock rock.  Which GNR definitely wasn't.

And I hate to say it, but GNR did not kill hair metal.  They may have knocked it down a couple notches, but it was still alive and well into the early 90's, when grunge officially killed it.

I dont mind GNR being lumped in with the hair metal scene, hair metal bands rock! The Gunners weren't as poppy as all of those bands but they still were around in the same place (LA) as all the hair metals bands.

I'd still take the likes of Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Kiss, Van Halen and Def Leppard over any of the nu metal bands, grunge bands or crappy pop punk bands that are around now. At least in hair metal, there was showmanship and actual talent rather than the lack of talent and showmanship that exists today.

The world needs Axl and Velvet Revolver now more than ever, at least they have some talent and know how to entertain!