#11 History Of Rock Music: GUNS AND ROSES: WAITING FOR AXL.
The Guns became in a short period of time one of the absolutely greatest bands that rock has ever produced, and we wouldn't be wrong if we said that they have been the most important group of our kind to emerge in the last 15 years. Few bands can boast of having had that absolute star status on both sides of the globe. They filled stadiums, sold records like few others, and aroused hatred and passion wherever they went. Their every move was followed with interest by the press, and the band grabbed the covers of both specialized magazines and the pink press.
Los Guns se convirtieron en un periodo corto de tiempo en una de las bandas mas absolutamente grandes que haya dado el rock, y no andaríamos desencaminados si dijéramos que han sido el grupo más importante de nuestro rollo surgido en los últimos 15 años. Pocas formaciones pueden presumir de haber tenido ese estatus absoluto de estrellas a ambos lados del globo. Llenaban estadios, vendían discos como pocos, y despertaban odios y pasiones allá por donde pasaban. Cada uno de sus movimientos era seguido con interés por la prensa, y la banda acaparaba portadas tanto en las revistas especializadas como en la presa rosa.
Their love affairs, their continuous fights, the incidents they provoked in hotels, galas and other events were unraveled... but the truth is that the beginnings had been very different. Five misguided young men, five sewer rats, surviving on the rough streets of Los Angeles or living crowded together in tiny apartments with zero hygienic conditions, didn't look like they would become millionaires overnight. But they did, because, as has happened on other occasions in the bosom of some historic rock bands, there was real talent there, a special spark, an unrepeatable magic. The pure and hard survival had forged them an attitude capable of facing whatever came, and they were not going to stop until they put the world at their feet.
Se desentrañaban sus amoríos, sus continuas peleas, los incidentes que provocaban en hoteles, galas y otros actos… pero lo cierto es que los inicios habían sido muy distintos. Cinco jóvenes descarriados, cinco ratas de alcantarilla, que sobrevivían en las duras calles de Los Ángeles o viviendo apiñados en minúsculos apartamentos con condiciones higiénicas nulas, no tenían mucho aspecto de convertirse en millonarios de un día para otro. Pero así fue, porque, como otras veces ha ocurrido en el seno de algunas bandas históricas del rock, allí había verdadero talento, una chispa especial, una magia irrepetible. La pura y dura supervivencia les había forjado una actitud capaz de enfrentarse a lo que viniera, y no iban a parar hasta poner el mundo a sus pies.
That's how it happened. Dirty, foul-mouthed, angry and with nothing to lose. Possessing the archetypical image of rock stars, dressed in their leather jackets, their boots, their bandanas and rags, they would produce one of the most important albums in the history of hard rock. “Appetite For Destruction”, a debut that changed rock, giving back the lost energy and spontaneity, and brought back into fashion a musical style, a way of life, of which they themselves were the greatest exponents. “The most dangerous band on the planet”, as they were defined in their day, would reach the glory with a plastic loaded with bad milk, tinged with punk rage and heir of the best classic hard rock of bands like Aerosmith, AC/DC, or Led Zeppelin.
Asi sucedió. Sucios, malhablados, rabiosos y sin nada que perder. Poseedores de la imagen arquetípica de rock stars, enfundados en sus chupas de cuero, sus botas de punta, sus pañuelos y trapitos, facturarían uno de los discos capitales de la historia del rock duro. “Appetite For Destruction”, un debut que cambio el rock, devolviéndole la energía y la espontaneidad perdida, y volvió a poner de moda un estilo musical, un modo de vida, del que ellos mismos eran máximos exponentes. “La banda más peligrosa del planeta”, como se les definió en su día, alcanzaría la gloria con un plástico cargado de mala leche, teñido de la rabia punk y heredero del mejor hard rock clásico de bandas como Aerosmith, AC/DC, o Led Zeppelin.
“Sweet Child O' Mine”, a love song that coexisted strangely among other pieces full of nonconformism and bad blood, would be the one that would take them directly to the top, thanks to the continuous programming of the video clip of the day on the then all-powerful MTV. The album would climb the charts from modest positions until it reached number one in the American charts, from where it would not move for quite some time, and to this day it has continued to sell at a good pace, with more than 15 million US copies to its credit, becoming an absolute classic and the most requested debut album of all time. With only one album, the Guns had already become the band of a whole generation.
“Sweet Child O’ Mine”, un tema de amor que convivia extraño entre otras piezas plagadas de inconformismo y mala leche, sería el que les llevaría directamente a la cima, gracias a la programación continua del video clip de turno en la por entonces todopoderosa MTV. El disco iría así escalando los charts desde posiciones modestas hasta colocarse en el numero uno de las listas americanas, de donde no se movería en bastante tiempo, y hasta nuestros días ha continuado vendiendo a buen ritmo, con más de 15 millones de copias USA en su haber, convirtiéndose en un absoluto clásico y en el disco de debut más solicitado de todos los tiempos. Únicamente con un álbum, los Guns ya se habían convertido en la banda de toda una generación.
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From then until today they have been continuously in the eye of the hurricane, raising blisters and creating controversy wherever they went. Axl Rose, their egomaniacal and charismatic leader, possessor of a disputed master voice, with that characteristic sharp torn voice, and Slash, the guitarist with curly hair and top hat, voted several times best guitarist in several music magazines and required by many artists as a reputable musician in their recordings and concerts, would be the two visible heads of the group, the ones who would grab more headlines both for their inexhaustible talent and for their continuous fights that would lead the combo to disintegration.
A partir de ahí y hasta nuestros días han estado continuamente en el ojo del huracán, levantando ampollas y creando polémica allí por donde pasaban. Axl Rose, su ególatra y carismático líder, poseedor de una discutida voz maestra, con ese característicos agudo desgarrado, y Slash, el guitarrista de melena rizada y sombrero de copa, votado varias veces mejor guitarra en varias revistas musicales y requerido por multitud de artistas como reputado músico en sus grabaciones y conciertos, serian las dos cabezas visibles del grupo, las que acapararían mas titulares tanto por su inagotable talento como por sus continuas peleas que llevarían al combo a la desintegración.
Four years after their debut album and an acoustic album with first recordings in between (another sales success), the two volumes of “Use Your Illusion” would arrive, a quadruple Lp that would take them to fill great stadiums wherever they went. 7 million copies sold of each one of the two volumes would be added to their best-selling curriculum. Two albums in which far from repeating the play of their opera prima they ventured to create extensive pieces and epic ballads without forgetting the hard rock themes of the past such as “You Could Be Mine” or “Garden Of Eden”. Shocking videoclips enraptured the teenagers of the time and turned them into idols of fifteen-year-old girls, especially thanks to the extensive love ballad “November Rain”, fruit of Rose's maniacal perfectionism, which would be one of their most radiated singles.
Cuatro años después de su debut discográfico y un álbum acústico con grabaciones primerizas de por medio (otro éxito de ventas) llegarían los dos volúmenes de “Use Your Illusion”, un cuádruple Lp que les llevaría a llenar grandes estadios allí por donde pasaban. 7 millones de copias vendidas de cada uno de los dos volúmenes se sumarian a su curriculum superventas. Dos álbumes en los que lejos de repetir la jugada de su opera prima se aventuraron a crear piezas extensas y épicas baladas sin olvidar los temas hard rockeros del pasado tales que “You Could Be Mine” o “Garden Of Eden”. Impactantes videoclips embelesaban o los adolescentes de la época y les convertían en ídolos de quinceañeras, especialmente gracias a la extensa balada de amor “November Rain”, fruto del maniático perfeccionismo de Rose, que sería uno de sus sencillos mas radiados.
But things were falling apart, and the breakup was confirmed after a massive tour of more than two years around the world. The cover album “The Spaghetti Incident? and their revision of the Stones song ‘Symphathy For The Devil’ for the soundtrack of ‘Interview With The Vampire’ would mark the end in 1994 of one of the most powerful bands on earth. Since then, their faces and statements have continued to fill the covers of magazines in every country, and despite their separation, they continue to generate excitement and controversy with their every move. The ex-members of the group have continued, to a lesser or greater extent, to be active, with Slash getting the most recognition with the two line-ups of his Snakepit.
Axl Rose, with the band's name in his possession, has reformed the group, and has been trying to gestate a comeback LP, presumably titled “Chinese Democracy”, for several years now.
Pero las cosas se iban descomponiendo, y la ruptura se constato tras una mastodóntica gira de mas de dos años por todo el planeta. El disco de versiones “The Spaghetti Incident? Y su revisión del tema de los Stones “Symphathy For The Devil” para la banda sonora de “Entrevista con el Vampiro” marcarían el final en 1994 de una de las bandas más poderosas de la tierra. Desde entonces sus caretos y declaraciones han seguido llenando las portadas de las revistas de cualquier país, ya que a pesar de su separación, siguen generando expectación y controversia con cada uno de sus movimientos. Los ex miembros del grupo han seguido, en menor o mayor medida, activos, obteniendo los mayores reconocimientos Slash con los dos line-up de sus Snakepit.
Axl Rose, con el nombre de la banda en su poder, ha reformado el grupo, y lleva intentando gestar un Lp de regreso, presumible mente titulado “Chinese Democracy”, desde hace ya varios años.
In between we have only been able to enjoy their only official live album, the double “Live Era ‘85-99’ released three years ago that would slightly contribute to increase their record sales to 35 million, and a new single - ‘Oh My God’ - for the soundtrack of ‘The End Of Days’ that left fans divided by the direction the band (Axl) seemed to be taking in their sound. Despite all the hype around them, as throughout their turbulent history, they continue to be huge, especially after their concert at last year's Rock In Rio. Their records continue to be acquired by the present generations of rockers, and we hope that soon the tortured mind of Mr. Rose will give us the work that will consolidate again the power of this group or on the contrary will sink him forever in his perfectionist and obsessive vortex. In any case, the pistols and the roses marked an era.
Entre medias solo hemos podido disfrutar de su único álbum oficial en directo, el doble “Live Era “85-99” publicado hace tres años que contribuiría ligeramente a aumentar las ventas de sus discos hasta los 35 millones, y un nuevo single – “Oh My God” – para la banda sonora de “The End Of Days” que dejo divididos a los fans por la dirección que la banda (Axl) parecía estar tomando en su sonido. Pese a todo el revuelo en torno suyo, como a lo largo de su turbulenta historia, sigue siendo enorme, en especial después de su concierto en el Rock In Rio del pasado año. Sus discos continúan siendo adquiridos por las presentes generaciones de rockeros, y esperamos que pronto la torturada mente de Mr. Rose nos brinde el trabajo que consolide de nuevo el poder de este grupo o por el contrario le hunda para siempre en su vorágine perfeccionista y obsesiva. En cualquier caso, las pistolas y las rosas marcaron época.
The band is currently back together with many of the original line-up (namely Slash, Axl, and Duff). However, as I recall, Izzy Stradlin was the most predominant songwriter of the group. Without him I wonder if they will be able to create new material that matches their earlier work.
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