10 Times Hard Rock Bands Went Acoustic (And Nailed It)

It's always a tricky question when trying to follow up a phenomenal record. After years of slogging it out on the LA club scene, Guns N Roses found themselves creating one of the most badass records of the '80s in Appetite for Destruction, but unsure of where to go from there.

Rather than focus on something much more ambitious, the band just ducked into a studio with acoustics and hammered out the magnificent GNR Lies.

Though not every track hits hard (hello, "One in a Million"), GNR Lies presented a different side of the band that many didn't even think was possible. While Guns was always about a punk rock attitude, this delve into acoustic music was absolutely spellbinding, with Izzy Stradlin penning one of the greatest hair metal ballads ever with "Patience."

Even when the band ended up deconstructing a cut from Appetite, the acoustic affair on "You're Crazy" is actually not too shabby for what it is.

This album also gives the listener an opportunity to hear Slash at his most tuneful, with his bluesy tone sounding like a modern update of someone like Ronnie Wood or Unplugged-era Clapton. The real Guns fans may have felt short-changed by the sudden mood switch, but if Guns hadn't cleared the air at this point, we may have seen an implosion a lot sooner than expected.