Hollywood Rose - The Roots Of Guns N' Roses (2004) * RE-UPPED *

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Hollywood Rose - The Roots Of Guns N' Roses (2004) * RE-UPPED *

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This is a historic release, the first official appearance of recordings by Hollywood Rose, the band that would later mutate into Guns N' Roses. These were cut in 1984, when the band was led by Axl Rose and guitarists Izzy Stradlin and Chris Weber, with Johnny Kreis on drums, and these are the recordings that initially got Hollywood Rose playing the L.A. club circuit; Tracii Guns, the guitarist who later split to form L.A. Guns, would come along later, along with bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler. Hearing this original five-song demo, it's easy to see why Vicky Hamilton, the group's first manager, took them under her wing – they were harder, tougher, rawer, and meaner than any of the metal coming out of Los Angeles during 1984. Not that the music was fully formed: apart from "Anything Goes" and "Reckless Life," both of which appeared on GNR releases, the songwriting was embryonic, and the music, particularly the guitar playing, fell prey to a few '80s metallic conventions and lacked the recklessness that Slash brought to the band. Still, these are urgent, fiery, utterly committed performances that have dated very little since their recording; it's metal played with the hunger and vigor of punk, something that later made Guns N' Roses stars, but made them outcasts in 1984, and it's a thrill to hear this original demo at long last. And that's a thrill that can't be diluted even though the CD itself is padded out with two different remixes, one by latter-day Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke and one by Cinderella drummer Fred Coury. Although it's hard not to smirk in admiration at Clarke bringing Tracii Guns in for posthumous guitar overdubs on two songs, these remixes are superfluous – way too bright, punchy, and modern for music that sounded as raw and twitchy as an exposed nerve in its threadbare demo version. Even with this filler, The Roots of Guns N' Roses is essential listening for any fan of hard rock or heavy metal – not only is it an important piece of history, it's as raw and reckless, as live like a suicide as anything the Gunners cut or will ever cut again.

~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com

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This new release, showcasing five songs, was the original demo that got Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin on the road to stardom. It also secured Vicky Hamilton as the manager who would later get Guns N'Roses a deal with Geffen records.

That being said, it is very raw and powerful, just like Axl's vocals on these 1984 recordings. You will recognize the song "Anything Goes" from the Guns' historic Appetite For Destruction release and "Reckless Life" from the original debut EP Live Like A Suicide. The remaining three tracks are all strong in their own right and give the listener a glimpse of where Izzy and Axl were headed. Axl's signature screams and use of different ranges within one song and Izzy's scratchy and loose guitar style were clearly developed even in these early recordings.

Guitarist/bassist Chris Weber financed the original demos and was responsible for making this historic recording available to the public. The drums were played by a guy that the band hired from an ad in the Recycler (a popular want ads magazine in Los Angeles). The Roots Of Guns N'Roses contains the original five demo recordings plus five new remixes of the same songs by one time G N'R guitarist Gilby Clarke, with guitar work added by one time Hollywood Rose member Tracii Guns. The same five tracks are also remixed by Cinderella drummer, and one time G N'R fill-in, Fred Coury.

The inserts/packaging contains a nice history with photos and set-lists, plus a history of how Vicky Hamilton came to manage the band, as told by her. For a real taste of early and raw Axl and Izzy, the original demo mixes are amazing and this release is a definite must for your collection.

~ Teddy Heavens, sleazeroxx.com