When did Axl Rose reach his career peak?

[Ignatius]

I haven't started a topic here in at least a year, thought it was about time to do so. It?s Friday night and I?m feeling just a little bit nostalgic?

The best frontman survivor game gave me an idea to start a topic here.

As we keep on waiting for our favorite frontman to take over the world like he did 15 years ago, when would you say Axl shined the most?  the 80?s? or 90?s?

The obvious answer would be the illusion days. In the early 90's he became the biggest rock star to come out in 20 years. Riots, tours, interviews, awards, videos...the whole world wanted a piece of him. A new icon was born. I was old enough then to say that I was around when all this happened. I was fortunate enough to see him twice in concert in 92&93.

In 1994, I was around when we all witnessed his disappearance from the public eye.

So when did Axl reach his career peak for me? Well, I have to choose 1989. He was not as big as e became in the early 90's, but the combination of looks, vocals, attitude, stage persona, respect from peers?count a little bit more than his explosion in 1991. That was nice indeed, but if I have to pick one year and one highlight, that?d be 1989 and the VMA?s.

GNR had played Jungle and received and award, MTV had announced Tom petty was gonna close the show with the hit "free falling" as he started to play the first chords, right after the first verse lines, Axl enters the stage and the whole audience goes wild. I'm talking about a 2 minute clapping-dancing-screaming feast. Tom petty couldn't match up with Axl's vocals so he had to walk away from the mike while they were both singing the chorus at the same time.

That moment, right there...I thought to myself, Axl Rose is the coolest    motherfucker I have ever seen in my entire life. His voice was amazing, and so his looks. He did the snake dance (god knows how many times I've tried to mirror that) and wrapped up the show with a rendition to Elvis covering Heartbreak hotel.

That moment, ladies and gentleman, was the peak of Axl's career for me. 

If you consider yourself a GNR fan and haven't seen that footage, I recommend you don't waste your time and get on your hands on it asap. I have probably seen that footage about 100 times!


How about you fellow members? any thoughts?

[gnrvrrule]

If I had to pick a year, it would be 1991, but 1988 and 1992 are pretty good ones too.  The reason why I didn't pick 1989 or 1990 (the years that Appetite and Lies were on fire) is because Guns did little touring at this time and their presence was felt only by listening to records at that point.  But in 1991, a lot of things happened that brought Axl, and not just "Guns N' Roses", front and center.  First was the St. Louis riot in July, which was blamed mostly on Axl.  Then when the Illusions came out in September, Get in the Ring became well-known for its controversial lyrics, so it seemed that not only were Gnr at the height of their popularity (especially at the time of the Illusions release), but Axl himself was on top.  Three years later, he would be seen for the last time for roughly 4 years.

[nesquick]

I would say spring/summer 1992. Here in Europe Guns N' Roses was a massive phenomenon. I would say Axl reached his peak around the Freddy's Mercury Tribute/ The Paris-Vincennes show. yeah spring/summer. I really remember that time, I was young, but I live near Vincennes and I remember I saw tons and tons of people with GN'R tee-shirts in the streets of Paris during that period. Everybody talked about Guns N' Roses. That was a great time!

[Gnr_man202]

I would say spring/summer 1992. Here in Europe Guns N' Roses was a massive phenomenon. I would say Axl reached his peak around the Freddy's Mercury Tribute/ The Paris-Vincennes show. yeah spring/summer. I really remember that time, I was young, but I live near Vincennes and I remember I saw tons and tons of people with GN'R tee-shirts in the streets of Paris during that period. Everybody talked about Guns N' Roses. That was a great time!

exact year, exact thing that I was going to say!! 

[Wheres Izzy]

I would have to say it was while touring for the illusions. My reasoning would be that while I think appetite might be the greatest album ever recorded as far as ball to the wall rock n roll goes, the illusions were a much more ambitious set of songs. Axl really had alot more to say with them as opposed to appetite so right there he had reached a new plateau that he hadn't touched up to that point. Then while on tour for the records you knew the guy was a rock god because for all his faults, shoing up late if at all, the riot, you still loved the guy. There was nothing he could do to take himself out of your good favor. Plus as much as that pist alot of people off, it was interesting. It was exciting. Something was always going on. I mean Axl and the dolphin even said there was alot goin on. Plus for as over the top as alot of people claim the illusion tour to have been all the concerts I have and have heard clips from sound like it was an amazing experience to have been a part of.

[estranged.1098]

Not yet. 

[Eva GnRAxlRosette]

It was exciting. Something was always going on. I mean Axl and the dolphin even said there was alot goin on.

ha!  check out my new sig 

Not yet.

I'm with you on that one.

[SLCPUNK]

Right around the Freddy Mercury AIDS concert....Round that time.

[usurper]

Peak? I believe you have to hit your peak to pass it! 

[thelostrose]

Not yet. 

i think there's more than onje peak. hopefully there'll be another one soon.

[jameslofton29]

July 1991 was the peak of GNR. The riot happened and it was on CNN and everyone was talking about it. It was insane. I went and seen them 2 weeks after the riot and you had no idea what was going to happen. That was one of the great things about GNR, you never knew what was going to happen. Most people think when 'Illusions' was released that was their peak, but I think their peak was the months following up to Illusions. Maybe that is one of the reasons why Izzy left, he knew it couldn't get any better than that.

[Judge Dredd]

He probably hit his peak when he finished recording 'It's So Easy'.

Sorry, but I'm kinda old fashioned

[RichardNixon]

1992.

[knut]

The best is to come with Chinese Democracy.

[ppbebe]

Not yet. 

i think there's more than onje peak. hopefully there'll be another one soon.

David Lynch had twin peaks.

The best is to come with Chinese Democracy

Or maybe the best is to come during the third era after that of Chinese Democracy since they say "what happened twice will happen three times" and "third time lucky". 

[Syren]

Since we're talking about his career - I'd say '91-'92, since they really peaked at that time in terms of succes (hit singles, album sales. etc). But really, by the end of '91 Nirvana was beginning to take over in my circle, so Guns were no longer considered 'cool'. '89 was a very bad year for them, IMO - when the OIAM controversy almost destroyed everything they had worked so hard for to achieve.

In my personal opinion - '87-'88 was the year it all happened for them. Everything was just right -- the attitude, the voice, the looks -- it just clicked.

[Johnnyblood]

As a performer he peaked in 1988. Period. I'm quite aware that a lot of my friends here like the Illusion-era Axl. I just don't get that. 1988 was his peak. Watch the readily available (I'm sure it's all over those p2ps) performance of Jungle at the '88 VMAs. If you have any questions after that, there's nothing I can do for you. The '88 Ritz show is another good one to look at. His TRUE voice was gone by the time of RIR '91 and Illusion-era. I don't even think it sounds as good on the Illusion records, but I know that will piss some people off. So I won't say that out loud. And after becoming a big star he was way too self-conscious to perform with the intensity he had when they were coming up.

As a writer/composer/producer, I'm really hoping he's entering his peak right now. I think it's possible.

[jameslofton29]

Very good point Johnnyblood, but the true peak,at least concerning the worldwide attention on the band, was the leadup to Illusions. Everywhere you looked it was GNR. People talkin about them, TV,magazines,newspapers,etc. I don't think any band has rivaled that attention before or since.

[jimmythegent]

Id have to say 88-90. This was the period when GNR truly became a legendary band. Although there was much downtime involved in this period, the legend and mystic surrounding Axl was taking shape. Coupled with this you had electrifying performances such as MTV awards in 88, Grammys playing "Patience"and Farm Aid. The guy was untouchable and facsinating.

[Buddha_Master]

Very good point Johnnyblood, but the true peak,at least concerning the worldwide attention on the band, was the leadup to Illusions. Everywhere you looked it was GNR. People talkin about them, TV,magazines,newspapers,etc. I don't think any band has rivaled that attention before or since.

Lol what?! Um, yea... you ever hear about a little band in the 60's called the Beatles? You want to rewrite your last sentence to read something like, " I don't think any band has rivaled that attention since." There, much better.

I would definitely agree with the dude who said the Freddy Mercury show. He was so on that night. Also, even the the bloated UYI tour leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I would have to say that Axl was a motherfucking badass at that Paris show in(1993?). He was pissed, sang with this intensity, and just plain kicked ass and took names. He has never been as on since (and neither was GNR).