By 1992, power ballads weren’t cutting edge by any means, but hard rock bands were still pumping them out, and fans were eating them up. Think “Mama I’m Coming Home,” by Ozzy, or “Wind of Change,” by the Scorpions. Metalheads at proms had plenty of songs to nustle up to their lil’ boo thangs and slow dance to.
Usually, they’d start with a shimmering plucked chord progression on guitar or a pretty piano line. This allowed the lead singer to show they could play an instrument instead of just strutting around behind the mic during a rock banger. Then, a drum fill, drenched in reverb, would signal the verse to begin. A huge, catchy, sappy chorus would have us singing along. An excessive shredding guitar solo would be thrown somewhere near the end, so the band wouldn’t lose all their street cred with the metalheads that scowl and cross their arms through the rest of the song. Formulaic? Absolutely. Was it a good formula? Not necessarily. Were they good songs? Hardly ever. Were they huge hits? Definitely sometimes.
One of the most memorable that comes to mind, for me personally at least, is “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses. The song was from their third album, “Use Your Illusion I,” and was their longest-charting hit, as well as the longest song to chart in the top ten at the time of its release. The 1992 “Stairway to Heaven”, if you will, or maybe you won’t, because that’s a silly comparison. The point is, it’s a long song, and long songs are often frowned upon, especially by studio execs.
The song nearly didn’t make the album. Slash and bassist Duff McKagen were strongly opposed to the band drifting from the heavy, aggressive tracks that defined their debut, “Appetite for Destruction.” Slash notes in his autobiography that, a year before production began on that album, they had recorded an 18-minute version of “November Rain.” It seems they needed to mull it over for 5 or 6 years before releasing it in all its schmaltzy glory.
The song’s composition is inspired by Elton John’s “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding,” arguably a pop masterpiece. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, I guess. I can see the parallels, but swapping iconic synths for weak strings—thanks, Axel—screeching clichéd lyrics—thanks again, Axel—and a flashy guitar solo—thanks, Slash—makes comparing the two unfair.
Regardless of my being a pretentious idiot about it, it’s a fun song, and completely of its era. It carries a nostalgia for millions of people, and I’ve never written anything that will stand the test of time, minus maybe my article about Adam Lambert covering Cher’s “Believe,” but that remains to be seen.
I came across a cover of this song by a band called “First to Eleven” while scrolling through YouTube, and gave it a listen. It starts off nearly identical to the original, which didn’t stand out to me. But when the synth string section ended and Audra Miller began singing, I was pleasantly surprised. Having a singer with a pretty voice take the song for a spin is actually quite lovely. No shade to Axel—his voice rips on jams like “Welcome to the Jungle.”
Audra has an almost dialed-back rasp and tone, not unlike a Stevie Nicks or Emmylou Harris, that works really well with this type of rock ballad. The band is also tight as hell. It’s easy to see that they play together all the time because they just click. Guitarist Matt Yost plays the hell out of Slash’s solos, sporting the long curly hair in his face and all.
All in all, it’s a fresh take on a ballad that was popular before these kids were born, probably. It’s really a fun watch, and their sonic and visual production is top-notch. They have a ton of covers on their channel, spanning an insane spectrum of genres. You get everything from Green Day and Metallica, to Lady Gaga and more Guns N’ Roses songs. Well worth a little deep dive, if you’re looking for something to listen to.