Guns N Roses: Ranking Their Albums From Worst To Best

5. G N' R Lies

Although Lies technically qualifies as more of a double EP than a proper album, there's a fascinating dynamic to be found in the song selection. The first four tracks come from the band's first release, Live Like a Suicide, and showcases their thrashing rock stylings in its infancy. "Reckless Life" was written when the group was still under the moniker Hollywood rose (and still a couple members short of the ultimate lineup), and it plays as a glitzier version of a Judas Priest track. Their cover of "Mama Kin" is a pretty faithful recreation, but it's interesting to hear Axl's voice settle into a groove for the first time. The real treasure of Lies is the acoustic second half, which is where we find the folksy mentality we never knew was lurking beneath the surface of these L.A. bad boys. Sure, that whistle intro to "Patience" may have turned to cheese with time, but it was the sharpest way to mark the shift between their street blues and this new, oddly calm disposition. What sticks out most in this half of Lies is just how dexterous the rhythm section could be, and how soulful Slash's guitar playing sounded with the volume turned down. This guy wasn't all about the flash (even if the production on their more bombastic numbers sometimes made it sound that way), he was a skillful blues player hidden away under a thick mane of hair and a penchant for sparkling riffage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErvgV4P6Fzc