RATE: What were GnR best at musically?

[The Holographic Universe]

When I make a case for GNR's greatness it's the more experimental category you listed and the Breakdowns etc... When people talk about them being the next stones or Zeppelin it's GNR ability to transcend their genre-rock and roll- that critics speak to. 

[RONIN]

10 minutes ago, The Holographic Universe said:

When I make a case for GNR's greatness it's the more experimental category you listed and the Breakdowns etc... When people talk about them being the next stones or Zeppelin it's GNR ability to transcend their genre-rock and roll- that critics speak to. 

My thoughts as well. It's their versatility and ability to do many genres WELL that makes them great. I don't know if the AFD purists would see the "Experimental" Illusions as being a sign of their greatness though.

Some of the GnR critics saw the "Axl Epics" as being a case of a band buying into their own hype/folly and not being able to live up that ambitious vision. To some, November Rain, Estranged, Coma, etc were unsuccessful attempts and a sign of a band with limited talent trying to overreach their abilities.

Edited May 1, 2017 by RONIN

[The Holographic Universe]

2 hours ago, RONIN said:

My thoughts as well. It's their versatility and ability to do many genres WELL that makes them great. I don't know if the AFD purists would see the "Experimental" Illusions as being a sign of their greatness though.

Some of the GnR critics saw the "Axl Epics" as being a case of a band buying into their own hype/folly and not being able to live up that ambitious vision. To some, November Rain, Estranged, Coma, etc were unsuccessful attempts and a sign of a band with limited talent trying to overreach their abilities.

The fact that the band had the talent to go from Appetite to Illusions is what makes GNR who they are in my eyes. Axl pushed the talent of Slash and Co. Those songs you listed are the reason I love GNR. and the videos showed vision that most bands lack. Axl is a visionary. No one even writes songs like that much less pulls them off like GNR did. Estranged is a fucking masterpiece.

Edited May 1, 2017 by The Holographic Universe

[Blackstar]

Stadium rock (WTTJ and Nightrain don't necessarily fall in this category though), Axl's epics and Hard Rock/Sleaze w/ Hair Metal/Glam influence is what made them huge.

To me their best were 1) Punk infused hard rock 2) Roots/Southern Rock/Stones-y blues Rock N' Roll 3) Art/prog rock and experimental (not all of it)

Edited May 1, 2017 by Blackstar

[AxlRoseCDII]

Hard choice. I'd argue they pretty much nail every genre quite honestly, even the industrial stuff like Shacklers (to me) are quite brilliant. However, if we're talking absoloute best at I put the bluesy/rock type songs. 

[RONIN]

26 minutes ago, Blackstar said:

Stadium rock (WTTJ and Nightrain don't necessarily fall in this category though), Axl's epics and Hard Rock/Sleaze w/ Hair Metal/Glam influence is what made them huge.

To me their best were 1) Punk infused hard rock 2) Roots/Southern Rock/Stones-y blues Rock N' Roll 3) Art/prog rock and experimental (not all of it)

Yeah - agreed. The original choice for Stadium Rock just had Paradise City but another user suggested adding WTTJ and Nightrain. Opinions vary I suppose

Agreed with your ranking -- I prefer the punk infused hard rock/metal songs most. The Izzy stones-y rockers and the "experimental/art rock" stuff would be tied for #2.

They were great in so many different genres. 

[bigpoop]

Rock 'n' Roll - The version of Nice Boys on Live Like a Suicide is GNR at their best.  Actually that goes for all the fake live stuff on that record. That is the sound of GNR to me.

 

 

[Silverburst80]

Sorry doesn't anyone else have an issue with the word "hair metal" being associated with AFD or GNR in general? Ok they flirted with that look for a short time...but that all it was, a look, sonically it couldn't have been more different.

[bigpoop]

And if you need an original(besides Move To the City) I'd say Mr Brownstone is the sound of GNR. Never need to hear it again really, but that is maybe their most definitive  song.

[Free Bird]

Well, it's all about Appetite, Lies and Illusions. That's GN'R to me. That -My World.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Free Bird

[AxlsFavoriteRose]

On 4/30/2017 at 7:26 PM, default_ said:

Its just Rock N' Roll. 

but i like it

[Lies They Tell]

Interesting topic. It was really hard to choose between Punk infused metal and Art rock/Axl Epics. In the end I chose the latter, but now that I see the results, I wish I would have voted for the punk infused metal instead. I definitely hope that if they make more albums, they try some more experimental stuff, cause I like their experimental stuff if you don't count "If The World" and they are pretty good at that, but definitely not good enough that I would have voted on that category. Oh and GNR could have been my favorite industrial band as well, but the backlash from casual fans was so big that they'll probably never try that shit again.

[AncientEvil80]

Really Forum? GNR at their best with Art Rock/Epics? Sheeesh... 

[Lies They Tell]

32 minutes ago, AncientEvil80 said:

Really Forum? GNR at their best with Art Rock/Epics? Sheeesh... 

What's so strange about that? Many bands can pull off raw in your face rockers. Many bands can pull off bluesy rock n' roll. But very few other bands can successfully create epic songs like Estranged, Coma or There Was A Time. Of course GNR are pretty damn good at making those in your face rockers, so I get your point. Still I think voting for the Art rock/Epics category is completely justified.

[Robert39]

This was Guns at there best !! booze , drugs, sweat & fuckin' DANGEROUS !!!!!! Nobody fucks whit this band.......

[Izzymacbeth]

On 2017-5-1 at 6:59 AM, bigpoop said:

Rock 'n' Roll - The version of Nice Boys on Live Like a Suicide is GNR at their best.  Actually that goes for all the fake live stuff on that record. That is the sound of GNR to me.

 

 

It's not 'fake' live though, the band were recorded playing together live in studio i.e. not drummer then bass then ryhthm then lead then overdubs then vocals then vocal overdubs. Its the 5 playing together at the same time. It's just a fake audience. It's still live but just in front of like 3 guys who were engineering and mixing. 

[2414225]

i go with southern rock songs like civil war, kohd, lies. guns n' roses was like lynyrd skynyrd 2.0

but they were also masters of epic rock balads like scom, don't cry, november rain, estranged.

afd (with punk hair metal) is still their best album. 

its really impressive that they combined that many styles. 

the industrial era is still sth that has absolutely nothing to do with the real GnR sound. instead of that they missed to do a mtv unplugged concert between 1991 and 1994. And their musical catalogue should have been continued with VR songs like set me free, slither and fall to pieces. you can obviously hear that these were actually GnR songs.

 

Edited May 5, 2017 by 2414225

[BOSSY78]

It was really close between prog-ballads ballads and the Art Epic. I chose ballads figuring it likely didnt get much love.

I like them all but those are what I narrowed it down to

[killuridols]

I voted Punk infused metal because that's what I like now but if I have to say what style they do best I think it is the Art Rock/Axl Epics category.

AFD made them huge but songs are not so different from other bands of the genre. While the Axl epics stand out on their own and are pretty distinctive of their sound.

[wasted]

Oh shit. 

[Dan H.]

Nothing they've done compares to Live Era for me, so I went with that.