In this episode, we have Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose. At the time of this interview in 1987, Rose was 25 years old and was promoting an upcoming tour of Japan. Appetite for Destruction hadn’t even cracked the top-selling 50 albums, and it would be at least another seven months before the band really took off. In the interview, Rose talks about growing up in Indiana, the making of Appetite for Destruction, whether he murdered a dog, and which band is the biggest sellout.
The interview is conducted by Steve Harris. To learn more about Steve, who is new to The Tapes Archive team, please check out our podcast-only interview with him which is out now.
In the interview, Rose talks about:
Going back home to Indiana
How closed off Indiana is
What he draws from conservatism
How he left home at age 16
Whether he murdered a dog
Guns N’ Roses’ early success in England
How the crowds are different in the United States
Gaining more confidence as a live band
Fred Coury, Cinderella, playing for Steven Adler
How he stays fit for concerts
Whether he’s ready for a long tour
People he aspires to be
Mötley Crüe
The recording process for Appetite for Destruction
What would he change on the album
Producers who were considered before Mike Clink
Paul Stanley of KISS as a potential producer
His vision for the record
What success means to him
Whether it bothers him to be compared with Faster Pussycat and Poison
How long it took to get the right lineup for Guns N’ Roses
The tepid response so far to Appetite for Destruction
The limited radio and video play the band was getting
What happens if Appetite for Destruction sells poorly
Slash drinking and driving
What he will do if he leaves the music biz
Working with Izzy Stradlin
When he is happiest
When he is most frustrated
Why he feels Guns N’ Roses is not getting played on the radio
What band he thinks is the biggest sellout
His hopes that Sweet Child O’ MIne will be a hit
Whether he objects to being labeled as heavy metal
His love for the band Queen
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend
His thoughts on fellow Hoosier John Mellencamp
How he and Izzy cannot wait to play Japan
Some ‘80’s racist comments that were not considered racist at the time
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