This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - Hollywood Rose's "Reckless Life"

If you thought Guns N' Roses sounded ferociously out of control in 1987 (and the band certainly did, especially in comparison with most of its hard rock contemporaries), then you'll probably find yourself even more impressed by the original demos recorded by Hollywood Rose, the band led by Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin that preceded GNR's late-'80s conquest. Of course, if you're a fan of the latter band, you're probably quite familiar with those tracks, but with all the hype surrounding the forever-awaited November 23 release of Chinese Democracy, it feels like a good time to spotlight the part of GNR's past previously hidden from public consciousness. After all, the breakneck, punk-meets-metal sound of Hollywood Rose has a hell of a lot more in common with the original GNR than will whatever decades-removed Axl Rose gumbo emerges later this month on record (or disc, or MP3, to be more precise). Anyway, "Reckless Life" is one of four original Hollywood Rose tunes available on The Roots of Guns N' Roses (a fifth, "Anything Goes," shows up as a sparkling track on Appetite for Destruction, of course). All four rock with abandon and feature a less polished but still effective Axl Rose snarling and screeching his way, eventually, into vital rock history.

• Listen to "Reckless Life" and other selections from The Roots of Guns N' Roses
• Top 10 Guns N' Roses Songs