GUNS N’ ROSES STILL THE BADDEST IN THE LAND

If you asked your mirror on the wall who was the baddest of them all right now, no doubt you'd be staring at an image of Axl, Slash, Steven, Izzy and Duff. Guns N' Roses proved themselves many times over with the explosive Appetite For Destruction in 1987, then promptly turned around and showed a more artistic side on their latest, Lies. Their streetwise brand of rock has thrust them into the limelight, and the countless bands that are already modeling themselves after GN'R are a testament to their impact. With all of this attention some bands might be inclined to play it safe. But Guns l\T Roses have built a reputation on being adventurous, and they're not about to stop now. Indeed, one of the things that bothers the group most is being pigeonholed as a heavy metal band.

"We like a lot of forms of music," says lead singer W. Axl Rose. "What came out on Appetite For Destruction were some of the songs we've written that we have the most fun with. But we write different types of music. We weren't planning any certain strategy or anything."

While the acoustic tracks on Lies have helped dispel the notion that all Guns N' Roses can do is play loud, hard rock, Axl says that occasionally the band goes even further out on a limb. "We did a headlining tour here on the coast, and in Anaheim, we happened to be on a roll, so we did two shows. One was like two hours and five minutes, and during that time we did some country stuff. We just twisted things a little bit, because we have the ability to, and it went over really well."

With all these diverse influences, you can't help but wonder what the band listens to when they're not playing their own music. "You never know what you're in the mood for," Axl says. "I kind of go into a record store and just look around for whatever catches my eye. It could be the latest thing out, or it could be 'Man, I used to listen to this record when I was seven years old!' You can end up buying some pretty weird things. Like Izzy once picked up an old Osmonds record because he wanted to hear 'Crazy Horses,' because he remembered that being heavy when he was little. And we go out and pick up Muddy Waters tapes, and you put them in and see what songs catch your attention."

Part of Guns N' Roses' success lies in Axl's convincing lyrics, which are often based on real-life experiences. "I try not to sit down and plan what I'm going to write the song about," he says. "I try to use whatever thoughts and emotional feeling comes to me, start writing, and then gradually piece it together. Once I get the first four lines done, or the stanza or whatever, then you have some idea of what the song's going to be about, so then I stay in that framework. And I try to write about things that have really happened in life."

Another unique aspect of Guns N' Roses is their willingness to let their tough guard down and reveal a more tender side every once in a while, as they have on "Patience" and "Sweet Child O' Mine." "I think it's real hard to do that honestly," Axl admits. "It's hard to write a pretty love song that isn't hokey. I mean it might sound hokey to some people. But for me and the person I was writing about, it was very hard to come face-to-face with those emotions. That was very hard for me to do. But that's the sort of thing a lot of young rock bands have to deal with—they have to learn how to write and not sound like a sap. On the other hand, a lot of bands seem to be scared to do that, to show that side, because they might get classified as a wimp or something. With us it seemed to have the opposite effect—meaning it looks like we have more strength for showing that side. Which is basically the truth of it, but it didn't mean that people had to see it that way."

With Lies firmly lodged in the upper reaches of the charts and a major tour in the works, it's unlikely that we'll see a new album from Guns N' Roses for awhile. But it'll be worth the wait to hear how the band plans to take the cutting edge of rock 'n' roll into the '90s. "On our next record, we should have a pretty broad range of what we're able to give the public," Axl says. "It won't be lacking the loud guitars, because that's something I'm a fan of. On the other hand, on some of the Top 40 stuff, you'll hear loud guitars, but they surround it with synthesizers. I'm not against that, but I sometimes think it's not being played with a lot of originality or heart. I don't want to do that. If we use synthesizers—which I hope we do on the next record—it'll be a bit more experimental."