Review By Tony Sanchez
In 1993, Duff McKagan, the man who held down the low end for GUNS N' ROSES, dropped his debut solo album, Believe In Me. Let's be clear, this wasn't some groundbreaking musical masterpiece that rewrote the rules of rock 'n' roll. No, it was more like Duff's take on the maelstrom his life had become since he landed in L.A. back in '83.
From the gritty streets of Hollywood to the pinnacles of super-stardom, Duff had seen it all. He'd partied harder than most, self-medicated with drugs and booze, and rode the rollercoaster of GUNS N' ROSES' wild success. So, he decided to do what any self-respecting rock star would do: make a solo album.
Now, to be fair, Duff wrote and executed every song on this record, which is more than you can say for some. But he did bring in some friends for a jam. Sebastian Bach, Lenny Kravitz, Jeff Beck, and even Slash himself lent their talents.
Here's the thing though - Duff has kind of banned this album from his repertoire. Maybe he's trying to erase the memories of his darkest hours from our collective consciousness. I recall meeting Duff at the Virgin Megastore on the Champs-Elysees for a signing the night before his gig at Paris Bercy opening for the SCORPIONS, and it wasn't a pretty sight. He looked like one of the local winos, all sweaty, almost drooling, looking confused, albeit with cool clothes. I remember thinking, on top of my 15 years of existence, that this Rockstar shit wasn't all it was made up to be. But here we are, 30 years later, and songs like "Man In The Meadow" still hit you like a punch in the gut.
It was an era of major shifts, especially in the music biz. GUNS N' ROSES were the last of the giants, and Duff recorded this album right on the edge of one of rock 'n' roll's biggest implosions.
Fast forward to today, and Duff looks like he's been hitting the gym and staying off the hard stuff for a long time now. The 2016 GUNS N' ROSES reunion brought him back on top of the world.
So, do yourself a favor and give Believe In Me a spin. It's aged better than some of the more acclaimed works of that era. After all, in the immortal words of Johnny Thunders, "LAMF" - Like a Mother F****r.
