Guns N' Roses circa 1987

Guns N' Roses

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Guns N' Roses To Release 73-Track 'Appetite For Destruction' Box Set

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New deluxe reissue of the band's classic 1987 debut album will feature 49 previously unreleased tracks
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
May 3, 2018 - 8:00 am

The most dangerous band in the world, Guns N' Roses, have announced an epic deluxe reissue of their classic 1987 debut album, Appetite For Destruction. The extensive new box set will feature a total of 73 tracks, 49 of which have been previously unreleased. Titled Locked N' Loaded, the remastered and expanded reissue is and is due out June 29.

Arriving one year after the album's 30th anniversary, the massive collection reportedly appears to be worth the wait. Spanning four CDs and seven 12" 180-gram vinyl LPs, the reissue includes the album remastered from the original analog tapes across two LPs, a pressing of the band's 1986 Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide EP, an EP of B-sides from the era, plus 25 unreleased recordings from the band’s 1986 Sound City sessions and two unreleased tracks from their sessions with the album's producer, Mike Clink. 

Packed with plenty of extras, Locked N' Loaded also includes a 96-page hardbound book with unreleased photos from Axl Rose's personal archive, 12 new illustrations depicting each song on the album, and replica memorabilia from the era.

An unboxing video was posted then deleted on the band's site, and a countdown clock has been launched for midnight on May 4, presumably marking the official announcement of the reissue.

Producer Mike Clink has also been hard at work recently on behalf of creators' rights. Clink delivered testimony on critical music copyright issues at a House Judiciary Committee meeting earlier this year. Clink's efforts helped lead the Allocations For Music Producers Act (AMP Act) to be included in the Music Modernization Act, which unanimously passed the House of Representatives on Apr. 26. Clink has also worked with bands such as Mötley Crüe, Megadeth, and Heart, in addition to his work with GN'R.

Last December, Slash also went to work on Capitol Hill, lobbying Congress on music creators' behalf in support of the Fair Play Fair Pay Act.

Locked N' Loaded arrives in the midst of Guns N' Roses' Not In This Lifetime… Tour, which kicks back up June 3 in Berlin, Germany, and treks through Europe through the end of July. Complete tour dates can be found on the band's website.

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Guns N' Roses circa 1986

Guns N' Roses

Photo: Jack Lue/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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Guns N' Roses 'Appetite For Destruction' | For The Record

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Revisit the album that delivered fun and games and changed rock and roll forever
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
May 24, 2018 - 2:04 pm

Guns N' Roses erupted out of Hollywood's Sunset Strip like a perfect storm of raw punk energy, rock and roll swagger, and enough post-glam aggression to blow any house down. Their debut album, Appetite For Destruction, perfectly captured the chaos and debauchery — along with a touch of tenderness — on its way to becoming the best-selling debut album in U.S. history with over 18 million copies sold.

Guns N' Roses: 'Appetite ...' | For The Record

Released July 21, 1987, Appetite … arrived at the peak of glam metal's heyday, and while they drafted off the popular genre's aesthetic, there was something much more unpredictable and volatile about GN'R, and that intangible magnetism comes through on their debut. Produced by Mike Clink, the album introduced the world to frontman Axl Rose's masterful whisper-to-a-shriek vocals and lead guitarist Slash's tasteful-sustain-to-blues-on-speed guitar playing.

From the opening delay-soaked guitar notes of "Welcome To The Jungle" to the epic album closer, "Rocket Queen," there's no coming up for air on Appetite For Destruction. Even the album's implied ballad, "Sweet Child 'O Mine" managed to surprise, introducing one of the most enduring opening guitar riffs ever written, showing a sensitive side of Rose, and building into one of Slash's most iconic guitar solos that explodes into a flurry of notes before breaking all the way down to a soft-spoken chant. It seemed like Guns N' Roses could go anywhere they wanted to go on their debut album.

This same invincibility could be felt on the album's more anthemic singles "Paradise City" and "Nightrain" which featured Rose's angst-heavy verses set against melodic choruses that would have stadium audiences singing along. The album also covered edgier ground in the unhinged "Out Ta Get Me" and "You're Crazy," and showcased the group's versatility and ambition in songs such as "My Michelle" and "Think About You"—  territory that would be explored further in the G N'R Lies EP and Use Your Illusion albums that would follow.

GN'R released five singles from the album, "It's So Easy," "Welcome To The Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Nightrain," and "Paradise City." Appetite… mounted a slow climb up the charts, finally reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in August of 1988, almost a full year after it entered the chart at No. 182. Rolling Stone ranked the album No. 62 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Three decades later, Appetite For Destruction remains one of the most popular and influential rock albums ever recorded. Guns N' Roses reunited in 2016 for the Not In This Lifetime… Tour in 2017 and will commemorate their debut album with Locked N' Loaded, a massive 73-track box-set full of rarities and a remastered two-LP 180-gram vinyl version of Appetite…, due out on June 29.

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Axl Rose

Axl Rose

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

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Guns N' Roses Drop Previously Unreleased Video For "It's So Easy"

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Ahead of GN'R's massive 'Locked N' Loaded' box set, the band has unearthed the music video for the classic track two of 'Appetite For Destruction'
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
May 22, 2018 - 7:19 am

Earlier this month, Guns N' Roses unveiled plans for Locked N' Loaded, a sprawling 73-track box set celebrating their 1987 debut album Appetite For Destruction. Now the band has given fans a taste of the buried treasure to come by unleashing the previously unreleased music video for "It's So Easy," which is available exclusively via Apple Music.

The video, made up of live footage of GN'R from the Appetite … era, was apparently never finished and has been sitting in the vault for 30 years until now. Capturing the band in their heyday, it provides a glimpse back at the chaos and debauchery the band became know for in the late 1980s.

"It's So Easy" is the second track on the band's now-classic debut, and while it never got the same amount of attention from radio or MTV that other songs from the album with music videos received, such as "Welcome To The Jungle," "Paradise City," or "Sweet Child 'O Mine," it remained a fan favorite and a staple of the band's live set, including their Use Your Illusion World Tour, which ran 1991–1993.

Locked N' Loaded arrives on June 29, chock-full of GN'R rarities including 49 unreleased tracks on four CDs and seven 12" 180-gram vinyl LPs. Two of those vinyl LPs are the album remastered from the original analog tapes. The box set also comes packed with extras, such as a 96-page hardbound book with unreleased photos from Axl Rose's personal archive, 12 new illustrations depicting each song on the album, and replica memorabilia from the era.

GN'R will hit the road through Europe, continuing on their Not In This Lifetime… Tour from June 3 in Berlin, Germany, through the end of July. The tour was touted as one of last year's most profitable runs, and hit the top slot in Billboard's Hot Tours chart in October 2017.

The newly unearthed video for "It's So Easy" will also be included in Locked N' Loaded, which is available for pre-order via the band's website.

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Drake

Drake

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Listen: Drake's New Double Album 'Scorpion' Is Here

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After months of buildup and three singles, the GRAMMY-winning rapper's fifth album finally arrives
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jun 29, 2018 - 7:41 am

Anticipation has been mounting all year for Drake's fifth album, Scorpion. Today, the wait is finally over as the Canadian rapper's new double album arrived.

Scorpion includes three previously released singles. "God's Plan" came first as part of Drake's Scary Hours EP in January. The song went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and held strong in that spot, making Drake the first male solo artist in history to keep more than one single in the chart's top spot for double-digit weeks. "God's Plan" appears as the fifth track on the first "disc" of Scorpion.

"Nice For What" dropped in April, featuring a sample of Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor" and dethroning "God's Plan" at No. 1. In May, Drake released the third single from Scorpion, "I'm Upset," which he followed with a nostalgic video for the song focused around a cast reunion of "Degrassi: The Next Generation," the Canadian teen television drama he acted on a decade ago. "I'm Upset" follows "God's Plan" as track six on disc one, while "Nice For What" anchors disc two of Scorpion as track four.

With 25 tracks total, Scorpion defies the Kanye West-led trend of releasing relatively short albums – in West's case, all of his recent releases as a producer or artist from the "Wyoming Session" have either seven or eight tracks. West also recently revealed Drake was indeed a co-writer on "Yikes" from Ye.

Drake also used featured guests sparingly on Scorpion, but the album does feature Jay-Z on "Talk Up," Static Major and Ty Dolla $ign on "After Dark," and even a posthumous appearance from Michael Jackson on "Don't Matter To Me."

Drake is all set to head out on tour in support of Scorpion. The Aubrey And The Three Amigos North American tour with Migos kicks off July 26 in Salt Lake City and wraps in Atlanta on Nov. 17. For a full list of dates and ticket info, visit Drake's website.

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Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato

Photo: Ari Perilstein/Getty Images

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Demi Lovato's Pride Fundraiser Takes Off, Raises Funds For GLAAD

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The pop songstress launches an online campaign to raise money in support of the organization that amplifies the voice of the LGBTQ community, and fans follow suit
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jun 27, 2018 - 7:13 am

While we recognize the LGBTQ community during Pride Month each June, Demi Lovato has taken the celebration one step further. The GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter launched a fundraising campaign via Facebook in support of GLAAD, and her fans responded generously.

Lovato set an initial fundraising goal of $5,000 on June 26, and donations have already surpassed $8,500, driving the superstar to raise the bar to a new goal of $30,000.

"Join me in supporting a good cause," she wrote. "I'm raising money for GLAAD and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps."

GLAAD is a non-governmental media monitoring organization with the mission of promoting understanding, increasing acceptance and advancing equality by amplifying the voice of the LGBTQ community. The organization also empowers real people to share their stories and holds the media accountable for the words and images they present. In April, GLAAD honored Britney Spears with their prestigious Vanguard Award.

Demi Lovato On Renewed Faith In Music, New Album

Other stars from the world of entertainment and sports have also contributed to the cause this month, including Iggy Azalea, who auctioned off her iconic cheerleading costume from her 2014 Billboard Music Awards performance. The auction raised more than $2,000.

Lovato is currently on the road in Europe, returning for a run of North American dates next month and heading to South America this fall. For a full list of dates and ticket information, visit Lovato's website.

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