Bipolar Rocker, Axl Rose, Turns 50
Today is Axl Rose’s 50th birthday. From the late-1980s until the early 1990s, he and his band Guns N’ Roses was one of the most popular bands in North America. Their first major album, Appetite for Destruction, received critical acclaim at the time and has now sold upwards of 28 million copies. Their third and fourth albums, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, were released simultaneously and debuted at 1st and 2nd on the charts, the only albums ever to have done that.
However, Axl Rose’s life has not been without substantial controversy, some of which may be connected to his mental illness. Guns N’ Roses’ second album, G N’ R Lies, included a song talking about “n*g**rs” and “f*g**ts”, apparently without any irony. His ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Seymour, sued him for physical and emotional assault and sexual battery. He ultimately settled the case for $400,000, and he then recorded a song by Charles Manson as a message to her. He allegedly claimed that his reason for treating her badly was that she had murdered their children in a past life.
After the breakup of Guns N’ Roses, which was largely brought about by Rose’s actions, Axl Rose became a virtual recluse, only appearing occasionally in public. In 2009, he recorded a new album with a reformed Guns N’ Roses, but completely disappeared for months during the album’s promotion. However, he and Guns N’ Roses performed a tour last year.
Commentary
As it came out when I was twelve years old, Appetite for Destruction was also one of the first albums I owned, and was the very definition of “cool” during those first few years of adolescence (except I thought Slash looked ridiculous; my friends disagreed). I think I must have listened to that album a hundred times, and I still appreciate the album. However, when I excitedly purchased my own copy of G N’ R Lies at the age of fourteen, I found the lyrics so appalling that I stopped listening to it and lost interest in Guns N’ Roses entirely. Axl Rose both introduced me to rock music and at the same time really drove me away from it.
I really hope Rose can get some proper help. It would be the best birthday present he could get.
So, now some music:
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