The Guns N’ Roses singer has a relatively eclectic taste in rock and his favorite band has tried to embrace a wide range of influences
Among the numerous so-called glam metal bands of the 1980s, i Guns N’ Roses stood out for a number of reasons. One of them, probably the main one, is the fact that they look and sound different from their colleagues. The influences went beyond hard rock and included elements of punk, classic rock, blues and even heavy metal, among others.
As principal composer, Axl Rose he placed himself as one of the people largely responsible for this good mix. And when you delve into his musical preferences, you can really understand.
In a rare 2012 interview with the presenter Jimmy Kimmel (go Igor Miranda’s website), Rose discussed his references. In addition to mentioning his favorite bands when he was young, he pointed out who his favorite solo artists and lyricists are.
Regarding the bands, he stated:
“My favorite band was queenin addition to Sweetthings like that. But I also liked the BeatlesYou Rolling StonesI grew up listening Elvis Presley.”
The Guns N’ Roses frontman made it clear that his favorite band is Queen, but that his favorite artist, outside of bands, is Elton John. He also mentioned Bernie TaupinJohn’s lyrical composer, as the author of the lyrics he likes best.
“Elton John was probably my favorite, one of my favorites. Of the bands, Queen was my favorite, but Elton… and Bernie Taupin’s lyrics remain my favorite.”
Axl Rose and his passion for Queen
Axl Rose is a true Queen fan. In fact he was among the guests of the Tribute concert to Freddie Mercurya show held in 1992 as a tribute to the voice of Queen. On that occasion he sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” AND “We will Rock You” alongside the classic band – the performance of the first song also featured idol Elton John – and, before that, he performed in a pocket show with Guns N’ Roses.
In a press conference held in 2016, Rose stated:
“Queen has always been my favorite band. Freddie is the greatest singer in history, that’s the way I see it. Another thing about Queen is that they embraced a lot of different styles.”
In 2018, speaking to the magazine Atlasfrom the Etihad airlinethe artist left no doubt about his predilection:
“For me it’s easy: Queen is the greatest band and Freddie is the greatest frontman in history. The band is the greatest because it embraces so many different styles.”
Heavy metal? That’s how it is
It’s not common to associate Guns N’ Roses with heavy metal, although the band’s sound carries an unusual weight in ’80s hard rock. However, a friend of the group guarantees that the Acceptan influential German name in the segment, he had an influence on GN’R, especially Axl Rose.
In the book Nothing but a good timepublished in Brazil by the publisher Cake aestheticsthe guitarist Billy Rowe (Jetboy) talked about how his friends in Guns, including Axl, were into Accept at the beginning of their career. He stated:
“An album that Izzy (Stradlinguitarist) listened a lot Restless and wildof Accept. And especially if you listen to a lot of the songs on that record “Fast as a Shark”you will feel where the Hollywood Pink [banda pré-Guns] and Guns N’ Roses probably took things like that “Reckless Life”. And Axl had that whole vibe Udo (Dirkschneiderlead singer of Accept). However, you never read these things out there.”
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Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
