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Everyone knows who Guns N' Roses is, and if you've ever been to a sporting event you've undoubtedly heard Welcome To The Jungle; not to mention hearing their other classics on the radio such as Sweet Child O' Mine, Paradise City, November Rain, and Patience (to name a few). That's all fine and dandy, but they had many other great songs that you've probably never heard, or don't remember, unless you're some sort of diehard fan. The list below won't include any bootlegs or demos of songs that are scheduled to appear on the long-delayed (10 years in the making) new Guns N' Roses CD "Chinese Democracy." We'll wait until Axl (and the new GN'R lineup) decides to finally release that album before judging its material. 1) Rocket Queen - Everybody is familiar with the album Appetite For Destruction (the whole album was full of hits and remains one of the greatest rock albums of all time), but how many non-diehard fans can recall the song Rocket Queen? It's the last track on the album, and one of the best. It's said that Axl Rose actually recorded one of his sexual encounters to be used for the primal screams midway through the track. 2) Don't Damn Me - Off of Use Your Illusion 1, Don't Damn Me features a great rock beat with fast-flowing well written lyrics. Whether you're working out or driving down the freeway, this is a song full of energy that makes you want to punch your fist through a wall; and that's not always a bad thing. 3) Locomotive - Running just over 8 minutes, this song never had a chance to be a single; especially with November Rain and Estranged coming out at the same time around the same length. Locomotive is another well-written song (GN'R never got enough credit for their lyric writing abilities), that is especially great to listen to if you just went through a break-up. The best part? After 6 ½ minutes of great melody and singing, you're greeted with the sorrowful chant of "love's so strange" that only Axl Rose could pull off. 4) Coma - Another long song by today's standards at just over 10 minutes, this is one of Guns N' Roses darker songs, filled with a heavy drumbeat throughout by Matt Sorum. The song was only performed live a couple times, most likely due to the complexity of the song and the near impossible task to sing the lyrics without running out of breath during the last 2 minutes. A favorite of many diehard fans, this song is definitely one to check out if you enjoy heavy rock n' roll. 5) Estranged - Although it was released as a single and video (same with Civil War below), most casual fans are probably not familiar with this beautiful song. The best way to describe Estranged is to say it's a cross between November Rain and Don't Cry (another song a lot of casual fans may not be familiar with). It's a sad melodic song that speaks of heartbreak, hope, and regret. 6) Civil War - For the first minute you're lulled into the song before the song grips you by the balls and immerses you into what makes Guns N' Roses so great. This song stands the test of time and if released today would probably make everyone think it was written about the Iraq War. Regardless your political stance, this song is filled with great statements, music, and lyrics. What else can you ask for in a rock song? 7) Back Off Bitch - This song is definitely a guilty pleasure. The chorus isn't creative, but it's something everyone has felt like saying at the end of a bad relationship. The opening seconds of the song gets you in the mood to rock and within a few seconds you're sure to be chanting the chorus "back off bitch" along with Axl. |