An appreciation of Steven Adler
When Guns ‘n’ Roses started to really take off in 1987–88, there was no scarier band on the planet.
You need no further proof than their show in 1988 at the Ritz. Filmed live for MTV on February 2, 1988, what you see in that show is a band ready to take over the word. The show is barebones with no real production. It was all about the music and the 5 guys from Los Angeles making it.
This is a band that could legitimately kick your ass. When you hear songs like “Mr. Brownstone,” you can believe that the band walked the walk and lives that life. I can imagine their tour bus just smelled horrible. These guys had attitude, the look, and the musical chops to back up the braggadocio.
Much has been written about Slash and Axl Rose, but there has been not enough appreciation of drummer Steven Adler, the bands drummer from 1985 until 1990.
Is Adler an amazing drummer? No. Is Adler the best drummer of that era? Not even close. Adler is, however, very steady. He plays within himself and most importantly, plays with the song.
That’s important — I don’t think Guns ‘N’ Roses would work with a drummer like Neal Peart back there playing. That’s no slight on Neal and Rush, and in the context of their sound, he’s a perfect fit, but Guns is a straight ahead bashing band.
From the opening of Appetite’s “Welcome to the Jungle,” to the closer “Rocket Queen,” Adler keeps the songs moving and rolling down the tracks. You can count on one hand the number of fills Adler uses during the entire album.
When he’s finally given a time to shine, near the bridge of “Paradise City,” he plays the perfect fill for that moment — a Bonham-esque fill that may be the only fill on the record to use the toms. It’s the perfect kick into the song’s double-speed finale and solo.
Adler was eventually kicked out of the band for his drug use, and for me, the band stopped being the “all-for-one” machine it had been during the Appetite era. Izzy left. Matt Sorum and Dizzy Reed joined. Axl starting being a diva. It wasn’t about the songs and message anymore, it was about the individuals.
But for those couple of years, Guns ‘N’ Roses were the strongest, loudest, baddest band on the planet. One we really haven’t seen since.
Slash gave the band its muscle, Axl its soul, but Adler provided the bones to build the sound on.
