The Spaghetti Incident?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Professional reviews
The Spaghetti Incident?

Cover album by Guns N' Roses
Released	November 23, 1993
Recorded	A&M Studios, Record Plant Studios, Rumbo Recorders, CanAm Studios, Sound Techniques, Triad Studios, Conway Studios, and Ocean Way Recording
Genre	Hard rock Heavy metal
Length	40:25
Label	Geffen Records
Producer(s)	Guns N' Roses, Mike Clink, & Jim Mitchell
All Music Guide link Rolling Stone link Robert Christgau (A-) link
Guns N' Roses chronology
Use Your Illusion II (1991)	The Spaghetti Incident? (1993)	Use Your Illusion (1998)

"The Spaghetti Incident?" is an album by Guns N' Roses recorded from the early '90s line up. The album's songs are cover versions of punk and glam songs of the late '70s and early '80s, with the exception of the album's first track, a cover of The Skyliners' 1959 song "Since I Don't Have You".

Many of the tracks were recorded with original Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin during the Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II sessions. Those tracks were previously intended to be included in a combined "Use Your Illusion" album, consisting of three (or possibly even four) discs, instead of the two separate discs they ended up being.

In 1992, the band prepared to release the leftover cover tracks as an EP, with then-Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke replacing Stradlin's guitar tracks. They later decided on making the album a full release and recorded several more tracks for it.

Then-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan sings on many of the album's tracks and Hanoi Rocks frontman (and Axl Rose's idol) Michael Monroe appears on "Ain't It Fun" as a guest vocalist.

1 Album title
2 Controversy
3 Track listing
4 Credits

[edit] Album title

At the release of the album, the band did not want, or in fact, were not allowed by a court's verdict to explain the title of the album. The album is believed to have been named in derisive reference to ex-Guns drummer Steven Adler. Adler has sued the band several times, either for royalties not paid to him for the tracks he played on, or for the royalties he had to miss since he was kicked out of the band. In a 1992 case, Adler tried to prove to the court how "mean" all band members had treated him, and he told the court about the "Spaghetti Incident": before a show the band had dinner together, and apparently one of the members had eaten Adler's spaghetti. When Adler asked who had eaten his spaghetti, he was met with laughter. Part of the later verdict was that nothing of the verdict was to be disclosed, but part of this court decision was used in a 1997 court case again, showing the settlement with Adler (he received a total sum of $2.5 million[1]), showing the total profit the band had made in 7 years (more than 650 million dollars), and also showing that Axl Rose was the true owner of the band's name.
A different source of the title was explained by drummer Matt Sorum in a 1994 interview with Much Music. Sorum claims it is reference to a spaghetti fight the band had with Steven Adler, and not stealing his spaghetti.
In the "Making of Estranged" video it shows a scene with Axl Rose, Slash and the cover designer discussing how the text should appear within quotation marks and have a question mark.
In an interview with Duff, he said The Spaghetti Incident was related to a drug incident when the band was staying above an Italian restaurant in Chicago in 1987. Steven nicknamed his heroin spaghetti as code in case they were to be kicked out or arrested, but only Axl knew and not the rest of the band. When Steven woke up intoxicated and could not find his drugs he threatened to kill Duff. Axl apparently woke up to hear 'Where's my fucking spaghetti?' and just started to laugh.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Controversy

Despite protests from Rose's bandmates, an unadvertised cover of Charles Manson's song "Look At Your Game, Girl" was included on the album at his request. The CD release gave no track number to the song - it could only be found by listening through the dead air left after the last documented track on the album. In early 2000, Rose said that he would remove "Look At Your Game, Girl" from re-issues of the album, citing that critics and popular media misinterpreted his interest in Manson and that a misunderstanding public no longer deserved to hear it. However, as of 2007, the song is still present on the album.

[edit] Track listing

"Since I Don't Have You" – 4:19 (originally performed by The Skyliners)
"New Rose" – 2:38 (originally performed by The Damned)
"Down on the Farm" – 3:28 (originally performed by UK Subs)
"Human Being" – 6:48 (originally performed by The New York Dolls)
"Raw Power" – 3:11 (originally performed by The Stooges)
"Ain't It Fun" – 5:02 (originally performed by The Dead Boys)
"Buick Makane"/"Big Dumb Sex" medley– 2:39 (Buick Makane originally performed by T. Rex, Big Dumb Sex originally performed by Soundgarden)
"Hair of the Dog" – 3:54 (originally performed by Nazareth)
"Attitude" – 1:27 (originally performed by The Misfits)
"Black Leather" – 4:08 (originally performed by The Professionals)
"You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" – 3:35 (originally performed by Johnny Thunders)
"I Don't Care About You" – 2:17 (originally by Fear)

Hidden track: "Look At Your Game Girl" – 2:34 (originally by Charles Manson)

[edit] Credits

Axl Rose - lead vocals, keyboards on "Since I Don't Have You"
Slash - lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals, talkbox on "Hair of the Dog", co-lead vocals on Buick Makane (Big Dumb Sex)
Gilby Clarke - rhythm guitar
Duff McKagan - bass, lead vocals on "New Rose", "Raw Power", "Attitude" and "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory", drums, acoustic guitar on "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory"
Dizzy Reed - piano, backing vocals
Matt Sorum - drums, percussion, backing vocals

with:

Mike Staggs - additional guitar on "Ain't It Fun"
Michael Monroe - additional vocals on "Ain't It Fun"
Mike Fasano - percussion on "Hair Of The Dog"
Richard Duguay - lead guitar on "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory"
Stu Bailey, Eric Mills, Rikki Ratchman, Blake Stanton: backing vocals on "I Don't Care About You"
Mike Clink - producer

v • d • e Guns N' Roses

Axl Rose • Dizzy Reed • Robin Finck • Tommy Stinson • Chris Pitman • Bryan Mantia • Richard Fortus • Bumblefoot • Frank Ferrer

Ole Beich • Rob Gardner • Tracii Guns • Steven Adler • Izzy Stradlin • Gilby Clarke • Slash • Matt Sorum • Duff McKagan • Josh Freese • Paul Tobias • Buckethead