Weekend Album of Choice (with accompanied personal story)

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This weekend brings what is going to be one of my most popular or if not thee most popular album that I will be highlighting.  I am not going to go into the details of the band because quite frankly if you have never heard of them then you are aren’t alive, simple as that.  So instead of going about the usual and pulling up some history and giving a brief description of the band I will instead go into so personal story connections to them.  The band Guns N’ Roses definitely does not need the introduction as their history from great music to tribulations is well-known and has been highlighted over many times by the media.  I personally will say they put out great music led by the unique voice of Axl Rose and just about everyone loves the former and great lead guitarist that played some of the most memorable riffs of all time, Slash.

Guns N’ Roses debuted with the album Appetite For Destruction.  In my opinion this has to be one of the greatest albums of all time in the history of Hard Rock.  The first time that I heard them that I remember was with their obvious exposure on MTV.  Now when most people think of Guns N’ Roses the three songs that pop out are Welcome to the JungleSweet Child o’ Mine, and Paradise City and rightfully so as these songs were hammered on MTV and Radio.  These also are the three songs that I remember as a kid that were played and to me they were the face of Guns N’ Roses.  Now after listening to the album many times over through the years I have to say they are the songs that annoy me the most.  I sure the hell can’t stand listening to Sweet Child o’ Mine re-sung by people on these singing shows such as American Idol….just stop already!

The song that first stuck out to me goes back to my summer vacation place in Minnesota, my home state.  There’s a well-known and one of the biggest MN lakes named Leech Lake well-known for walleyes and for those big anglers looking to land trophy Northern Pike and Muskies.  My grandparents had a small cabin (okay really it was a single-wide trailer) and I would frequent there during the summer.  There’s a resort there named Huddle’s Resort and it was their harbor that my grandparents docked their boat.  The owner, Roy Huddle, and my grandparents were long time friends as they both arrived at that end of Leech Lake around the same time before Huddle’s Resort became a tourist spot and what it us today  I always felt like a celebrity when I went there because all I had to do was say who my grandparents were as I fished the harbor and all the older men would treat me like their own grandson as my grandparents were well-known and they and friends were known to bring in the walleyes.

A picture of some of the harbor as I remember it.  Cleaned many fish in those fish cleaning shacks.

Anyway when I was around 9 or so I was in the harbor and then I heard the lyrics come over screaming “Well, well, well you just can’t tell…Well, well, well my Michelle” and that song just stuck and I loved it.  It then donned on me that the voice sounded like a lot like the voice of that guy on the TV and radio as Axl had that unique voice.  Anyway I loved what I heard and it kicked the ass of what I heard from their other three popular songs noted above.  I remember asking the hired harbor guy what the name of the tape (yes tape at the time) was and he told me it was Guns N’ Roses Appetite For Destruction.  When my family went to town for gas I went into the gas station and spun that carousel of tapes and lo and behold the tape was in there.  Probably not unusual given the popularity of the album/tape but being around 9 years old this was the find of the trip.  I asked my dad if I could have it and since I was responsible and cleaned my own fish…the tape was mine.  I have since lost the tape since which sucks because its good memories but the music still remains.

Like I said I can’t stand listening to those threesongs anymore but not because they are/were overplayed but there are so many other underrated songs on there that they truly make this a great and one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time.  Since I like almost all the songs and I had to pick 5 they would be:

  • Think About You
  • My Michelle (as noted)
  • Rocket Queen
  • Out Ta Get Me
  • Nightrain

Also the image below was the cover and I remember my dad looking at it, looking at me with that “dad” look, and then threw it on the counter…now that’s awesome; thanks Dad!
http://youtu.be/xPrh6vbdb90

1) Welcome to the Jungle
2) It’s So Easy: [4:33]
3) Nightrain: [7:56]
4) Out ta Get Me: [12:24]
5) Mr. Brownstone: [16:48]
6) Paradise City: [20:38]
7) My Michelle: [27:24]
8) Think About You: [31:03]
9) Sweet Child O’Mine: [34:55]
10) You’re Crazy: [40:51]
11) Anything Goes: [44:09]
12) Rocket Queen: [47:35]

2 Responses to “Weekend Album of Choice (with accompanied personal story)”

  1. it’s about time

    • Haha thanks for the comment, let’s me know what to include some more. Mainly listen to punk but as you may have read go back to other stuff to and this album is definitely on the top. Let’s me know I need to include some more well known stuff and I have more coming down the pipeline. I like to think I have a diversity and open-mindedness to other types besides punk. This album definitely has a sentimental value as well.

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