TARTU KIVILINNA GYMNASIUM 1980s Rock Scene in Los Angeles based on The Dirt and Slash Research paper AUTHOR: Martin Kallas SUPERVISOR: Tea Tamm Tartu 2010 2 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Genre ............................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Bands that influenced 1980s rock scene ..................................................................................... 5 1.2 Location ........................................................................................................................................ 7 1.3 Music ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Kings of the scene: Mötley Crüe Guns N’ Roses ........................................................................................... 8 1.4 Mötley Crüe ................................................................................................................................. 8 1.4.1 Overview .................................................................................................................................. 8 1.4.2 Forming the band .................................................................................................................... 9 1.4.3 Beginnings (1981-1992) ........................................................................................................ 11 1.4.4 Troubled times(1992-1997) ................................................................................................... 12 1.4.5 Reunited (1997-2004) ............................................................................................................ 13 1.4.6 Lifestyle .................................................................................................................................. 13 1.5 Guns N’ Roses ............................................................................................................................ 14 1.5.1 The beginning ........................................................................................................................ 14 1.5.2 Problems with first record ..................................................................................................... 14 1.5.3 Band & addiction problems ................................................................................................... 15 1.5.4 New Drummer ....................................................................................................................... 16 1.5.5 Use your Illusion I & II ............................................................................................................ 17 1.5.6 Use your Illusion tour ............................................................................................................ 17 1.5.7 Break-up ................................................................................................................................ 18 2 Future of the 1980s rock scene band & musicians ............................................................................. 20 2.1 Musical work of the members of Guns N’ Roses and Mötley Crüe during hiatus and break-up 20 2.1.1 Mötley Crüe ........................................................................................................................... 20 2.1.2 Guns N’ Roses ........................................................................................................................ 21 2.2 Future of the Guns N’ Roses and Mötley Crüe .......................................................................... 22 3 2.2.1 Guns N’ roses ......................................................................................................................... 22 2.2.2 Mötley Crüe ........................................................................................................................... 22 3 Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 23 Appendix ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 References ................................................................................................................................................... 28 4 Introduction In 1980s rock music reached its peak in popularity all over the world. Never before nor after has any rock band served as such a huge influence on the youth. Bands that ruled the stages at that time have shaped and changed the 1980s. It is interesting to mark that 1980s rock music was most popular in Los Angles and almost all the bands that were reconized internationally came from LA. This reseach focuses on two bands that were more successful than others – Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses. It examines the successes and failures and life of the members of these bands. After solving their problems both bands are back on stage now, wrting new material and touring. After consideration, these two bands were chosen for the research because of the amount of the available written material they have released such as the band history of Mötley Crüe in The Dirt and Slash, which in addition to being an autobiography of the lead guitarist of Guns N’ Roses partly serves as a chronicle of the band as well. 5 Genre Newspaper ad:”Loud,rude and aggressive guitarist available” and that guy was Mick Mars. (The Dirt) 1.1 Bands that influenced 1980s rock scene 1980s rock music has rather a unique sound and is recognisable easily to anyone even vaguely familiar with rock music. What is not generally known is how 1980s rock music became to be, what genres influenced it and how they did it, because every style has its roots and never grows out of nothing. After studying key bands of the 1980s such as Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses as well as their biographies it can be said that both had the same bands that influenced them with some exceptions. The main band that influenced both Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses and their individual members was Aerosmith. According to Wikipedia Aerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as ‘The Bad Boys from Boston’ and ‘America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band’. Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues. The band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Aerosmith has five members: Steven Tyler (Vocals), Joe Perry (Lead guitar), Brad Whitford (Rhythm guitar), Tom Hamilton (Bass) and Joey Kramer (Drums) who all have been in the band almost from the beginning (Wikipedia reference 5). It is written in Slash how Slash, whose real given name is Saul Hudson, listened to Aerosmith’s album “Rocks” all day and night long: “Once the opening shrieks of “Back in the saddle” filled the room, I was transfixed; I listened to the record over and over, crouched by the speakers, ignoring Laurie completely. I forgot her altogether as well as whatever intricate plans I had for the evening” (Slash, 43). It is also depicted how he devoted himself to learning Aerosmith’s songs: “I devoted to learning “Back in the saddle”. I stole cassette and songbook and replayed the song until I knew the riffs. I learned valuable lesson: music books can’t teach you 6 how to play properly. /../ It made sense: I struggled for hours and still couldn´t play along properly. So I ditched the books and kept at it until I could play it by ear” (Slash, 44). Aerosmith also influenced Mötley Crüe. Nikki Sixx wrote in The Dirt: “Every day I tried to learn Stooges, Sparks /../ and the Aerosmith.”(The Dirt, 19) Another great influence to the 1980s rock music was Thin Lizzy which is described in Wikipedia as follows: “Thin Lizzy is an Irish hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. The band were led throughout their recording career by bassist, songwriter and singer Phil Lynott, and are best known for their songs "Whiskey in the Jar", "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town", all major international hits still played regularly on hard rock and classic rock radio stations. Thin Lizzy’s original members were: Phil Lynott (Vocals and Bass, died in 1986), Brian Downey (Drums), Eric Bell (guitars), and Eric Wrixon (Keyboard)” (Wikipedia reference 6). Mötley Crüe was largely influenced by glam rock band called Ney York Dolls, the entry for which in Wikipedia reads: “The New York Dolls are an American rock band, formed in New York City in 1971. The band's proto-punk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups. New York Dolls lineup consist 5 members: David Johansen (Vocals), Arthur Kane (Bass, died 2004) , Jerry Nolan (Drums) , Sylvain Sylvain (Guitars) and Johnny Thunders (Guitars)” (Wikipedia reference 7). Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx has stated his affection towards the band and named it his favorite band of all times. He says: “Every day after school [...] listening to the New York Dolls …” (The Dirt, 20) or “I’d guzzle the stuff and stand in front of the mirror, fan out my thickening black hair, twist my mouth into a sneer, sling my guitar around my neck, and rock out, trying to look