This song was composed & recorded by Bob Dylan in 1973 for the movie "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid". GnR recorded it for their "Use Your Illusion" albums in 1991.
I was 6. But I would agree it was the best time to be alive. I lived in Cincinnati when the Bengals went to the super bowl, and they played GnR Welcome To the Jungle like there was no tomorrow. Wish I could go back to that time.
@@thronebornI was also 6. I didn't have to hear them twice to immediately understand why "the older kids" were so into music. The late 80s and early 90s were magical - probably to a degree just to us since we were kids, but fuck. Sorry, I'm high as fuck lol
Sooooo many good Guns' n Roses songs! Gotta check out the classics"Welcome to the Jungle", "Paradise City", "Patience", "You Could Be Mine", "Sweet Child O Mine". Some of my personal favorites are "Coma", "Mr Brownstone", and "Dead Horse".
Bob Dylan wrote this song from perspective of a good police officer dying in the line of duty, talking to his mother. I played it, as he requested, at my brother's funeral, a good, even best police officer, and as an ex-con in for the first and worst, my beloved brother drove me back home from prison, proving how great he was as a police officer.
Worth checking out as a reaction twice - the larger scale performance of this after they released the studio version. This is 1988, but by 1992 it had become something altogether more. Just beautifully fleshed out with gospel style backup singers and keys and you name it. The Freddie mercury tribute concert performance of this is arguably their best performance.
This one is special because it was MTV I believe and the original 5. Izzy is the forgotten gunner. I agree 1992, Freddie Mercury Tribute is Legendary. Just my respectful opinion I did lose someone and forgotten this gem,back in the day
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I loved the GNR version of this song. I think Axl's voice gives the song another dimension. If I am not mistaken, the official video for the song was this live performance. I support more GNR. Some lesser reacted to songs I think are worth your time: Out Ta Get Me, You're Crazy (rock or acoustic), Anything Goes, Used to Love Her, Sorry, Perfect Crime, Don't Damn Me, Bad Apples, Dust N' Bones, Shotgun Blues, and Pretty Tied Up. If you want to hear some more covers by them, I personally think the Spaghetti Incident album is great--its a covers album of theirs ala Metallica's Garage Inc.
"can't write a better melody than this and the chorus is very catchy" that's because one of the greatest song writers EVER - Bob Dylan - wrote it. But I do love this version too. And yeah the studio version is really good, but you should do Dylan's, fo sho!
At the time of G&Rs zenith I was a tile& marble contractor in So Cal. My helper "Jay" was an identical twin (not related) to Axle Rose and could even sing just like him. Fresh from the Marines I was pretty buffed, flat top haircut & purchased a black "SECURITY" T-shirt and we too a trip to Los Angeles. Dropped off my pickup and had a limo lake us to the sunset strip. Picked a club with a long-line and cut our way to the front where we were shown straight in. Drinks on the house and the ladies....... Thank you POLO for bringing up great memories for the sick old man
In my opinion this version is the best one. It blows the album version away. Slash's solo is off the charts. I'd say it's probably the best version I've ever heard. I remember seeing the Live at the Ritz concert on MTV back in the 80's. I found a bootleg cd of the entire concert with some other live stuff on it back in the early 90's. I still have it and listen to this version of "Knockin'" quite often. By the way he says "We got some nakedness here".
Ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh Mama take this badge off of me I can't use it anymore It's getting dark, too dark to see I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Mama put my guns in the ground I can't shoot them anymore That long black cloud is comin' down I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Ooh-ooh-ooh
I've seen them live here in Portugal and this was the song everybody sang with them... Around 60,000 people!!!! In my case because I m a huge Bob Dylan´s fan!
Dylan wrote it for the movie Pat Garrett and Biily the Kid. 1973. Dylan released it as a recording after the film opened, was a big hit. Covered a lot of times, but I'd only heard Bob Dylan's version before. Thanks.
Thank you so much for the reaction Polo! I will never not love Guns and Roses. There was a girl climbing onto the stage, lol. Security removed her. That's when Axle said "fight honey" The guitarist is Slash. He's the coolest of the cool and always had a cigarette in his mouth. "November rain" is another video worth watching. Thanks again!
Slash always smoked while playing, they were awesome!! I saw them in 2018 yes Axls ilder but hes still got that appeal. Love this group and your reaction.
I get to see them this coming weekend! I still think they are awesome live, I saw them in 2021 and loved it, but I never got to see them back in these days, unfortunately.
From what I heard, Guns N' Roses were friends w/ Todd Crew, who was the bassist of the L.A. band Jetboy... He was unfortunately, a drug addict and was fired from Jetboy before he died in mid-1987 from an OD... Guns N' Roses were on tour when they heard the news of Todd Crew passing away and were devastated... I believe that was when they decided to cover Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on heaven's door" and played it live in concert... This was filmed in 1988 when Steven Adler (drums) was still in Guns N' Roses. The studio version of this song was recorded around 1990/ '91 w/ Matt Sorum (drums) having replaced Steven Adler (who was fired in 1990 for his own drug addictions) and made the 'Use your illusion II' album... Guns N' Roses performed a well-received version of it live in 1992 on the Freddie Mercury tribute concert at Wembley Stadium. Eric Clapton also recorded "Knockin' on heaven's door" in 1975.
This channel is fire man! I don’t think there is anything better in life than music with the exception of seeing someone else moved by that same music. G and R 🤟🏻
This is my favorite cover of this iconic song. Axl was/is a great entertainer/ frontman. It's a Bob Dylan song, BTW. It means so much to me, personally because I have addictive disorder (alcoholic 15 years sober). The day before I got sober, I was driving w/my son and I was still drunk from the night before. This song came on the radio. My message. It was time to surrender. The next morning I walked into AA and surrendered (not my first time BTW). Blessings...
Polo, you’re right, Axl had an amazing rock voice, the guitarist’s name is Slash and he is one of the finest guitarists ever to pick up the instrument. Ironically he’s from England, Stoke on Trent!! You MUST listen to the studio version of You Could Be Mine and watch the video too, it was the title track to Terminator 2 and IMHO is quite simply one of the best rock tracks of all time. If you listen to it through those headphones of yours you will hear how intricately intertwined the rhythm guitar played by Izzy Stradlin and the lead by Slash actually is.
Slash is a God!!! He’s the guitarist with the cigarette in his mouth. You usually see him in a black top hat. Kick ass guitarist and still cool at 58 years old in 2023
GNR Was The Biggest Rock Band in Late 80'S, GNR Won The MTV Video Music Award (VMA), Since 1989,1990,1992,1993. Beating U2 Albums, Metallica Albums, And Nirvana Albums in The MTV Music Video Award. Then GNR Vacuum in The Middle Of 1993, Then Came The Famous Alternative Bands, Such As: Nirvana, Pearl jam, And SmashingPumpkins. Nirvana is Famous For Entering The Same Music Recording Studio As GNR, Namely Universal Studio Music, Through The Album Nevermind. Even though Previously Nirvana Was Not Famous at The Time, When They Were Still in Their Indipop Music Studio. The Famous Alternative Music Band From 1993-1995. Then GNR Held A Reunion At Troubadour in L.A. And The Coachella Music Festival in 2006. Many Hollywood Artists Came, Watched The GNR Reunion, Because Everyone Missed The Band GNR Rock Music, Because The Music GNR Was Very Nice To Hear. I Loved The Band GNR. From Solihin in Central Jakarta. Indonesia. 💖👫💖👫👌👍👏👏.
Hello again from Newfoundland! I'm the guy that suggested "She" , by Alice Phoebe Lou and I have another one for you! Please do "Summer Dress" by July Talk. They are a Canadian band and are soooo good live! The music video gives a pretty good idea of what their stage antics look like. The girl is absolutely wild. One time when I seen them, she hopped out on the front row rail while singing, walking up and down the length of it holding hands with random people in the crowd for balance (Pre Covid Era) She even got on someone shoulders and got them to carry her out into the crowd at one point. You really never know what she is going to do. Neither does the rest of the band according to the interviews I've watched! Hahaha What a fun band this must be to play in!
You should react to "Coma" and have the lyrics handy. It's a masterpiece from start to finish. It's one of those GNR songs you'll never hear on the radio.
I'm of the opinion that if you can't bring originality to a cover, best to leave it alone. It's so rare to see a song covered that stays true to the original and still blows the doors off. Im sure Bob Dylan's ghost is fine with it :)
Knocking on heaven's door is a cover. Guns and Roses did the song justice. Guns and Roses was one of the biggest Rock/Metal bands in the world. They were the opposite of hair bands. Axl Rose is the singer. Axl's voice is gritty and powerful. The guitarist with the long hair and cigarette is Slash. Slash is well know guitarist with a lot talent. Usually Slash has a big black top hat on. Guns and Roses had some of the biggest hits. The band had a even bigger falling out with each other. Axl went into seclusion for at least a decade with his demons. Slash has another band and created Velvet Revolver with Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots (passed away). Very interesting pieces of history. But yes Guns and Roses were really something different. About Axl's dance, he didn't invent it. Look at a video (mute it understandly) from The Monkies 'Day Dream Believer'. The singer is Davy Jones. This is 1960s. My theory is neither knew how to dance.
IMHO, I’ve heard it before as everyone from The Grateful Dead to Sisters of Mercy has covered it. Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton probably have the most recognisable versions.
This song was composed & recorded by Bob Dylan in 1973 for the movie "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid". GnR recorded it for their "Use Your Illusion" albums in 1991.
That's a great album.
@@rfd339 Where do they want to ban the album cover?
@@elev8torguy
Apatite for destruction was, my mistake.
one of my fav dylan albums
It was written by Dylan.Written and composed are note the same thing.
Axl in his prime was an absolute beast. Slash is god tier as a guitarist.
1988 was a hell of a time to be a teenager!
Yep. I graduated high school June of 1988
Yes it was!!!
I was 6. But I would agree it was the best time to be alive. I lived in Cincinnati when the Bengals went to the super bowl, and they played GnR Welcome To the Jungle like there was no tomorrow. Wish I could go back to that time.
@@thronebornI was also 6. I didn't have to hear them twice to immediately understand why "the older kids" were so into music.
The late 80s and early 90s were magical - probably to a degree just to us since we were kids, but fuck. Sorry, I'm high as fuck lol
I was 8 .great band,great memories ❤❤
Every Rocker loves this i know. Was born 1959 good music has no age age limit. Rock On Brothers
Sooooo many good Guns' n Roses songs! Gotta check out the classics"Welcome to the Jungle", "Paradise City", "Patience", "You Could Be Mine", "Sweet Child O Mine". Some of my personal favorites are "Coma", "Mr Brownstone", and "Dead Horse".
Love your list...but you left out "I used to Love Her".
Coma is my absolute favorite song of theirs. Doesn't get enough love. Would love to see him react to that.
Bob Dylan wrote this song from perspective of a good police officer dying in the line of duty, talking to his mother. I played it, as he requested, at my brother's funeral, a good, even best police officer, and as an ex-con in for the first and worst, my beloved brother drove me back home from prison, proving how great he was as a police officer.
He is the originator he named the " the slithering snake "
In their prime they were everything a rock band wanted to be so many great shows ❤❤
So it ain't Davy Jones
Bob Dylan won the Pulitzer Prize in literature in 2016 for his songwriting. Amazing man.
He sold his soul to the devil for his fame and fortune.
Love Guns and roses!! My teen years!💥💥💥❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
The perfect band to come along at the perfect time.
it sure was. GnR and Motley Crue and those bands are the soundtrack to my childhood/teen years.
Worth checking out as a reaction twice - the larger scale performance of this after they released the studio version. This is 1988, but by 1992 it had become something altogether more. Just beautifully fleshed out with gospel style backup singers and keys and you name it. The Freddie mercury tribute concert performance of this is arguably their best performance.
This one is special because it was MTV I believe and the original 5.
Izzy is the forgotten gunner.
I agree 1992, Freddie Mercury Tribute is Legendary.
Just my respectful opinion
I did lose someone and forgotten this gem,back in the day
The album version became less IMO, it sucked the life out of the song. I almost always skipped it.
Definitely agree about the Freddie tribute performance being the best!
I was 16 when this came out and we had never heard anything like it!! What a great time to be alive!!
Davey Jones originated that snake dance but when people imitate it, they're imitating Axl, definitely.
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The band is here in its original formation. Good old times
I am in my 60’s and love GNR. Slash is one of my favorite guitarists. I recently found out that Axle is top 5 in octave range.
I loved the GNR version of this song. I think Axl's voice gives the song another dimension. If I am not mistaken, the official video for the song was this live performance. I support more GNR. Some lesser reacted to songs I think are worth your time: Out Ta Get Me, You're Crazy (rock or acoustic), Anything Goes, Used to Love Her, Sorry, Perfect Crime, Don't Damn Me, Bad Apples, Dust N' Bones, Shotgun Blues, and Pretty Tied Up. If you want to hear some more covers by them, I personally think the Spaghetti Incident album is great--its a covers album of theirs ala Metallica's Garage Inc.
Rocket Queen
@@brettteeter3461 I liked that song, but in terms of doing some lesser done songs/lesser recommended ones... I went the route I did.
"can't write a better melody than this and the chorus is very catchy" that's because one of the greatest song writers EVER - Bob Dylan - wrote it.
But I do love this version too. And yeah the studio version is really good, but you should do Dylan's, fo sho!
Axl Rose had so much swag back then. Ahead of his time in the swag game
At the time of G&Rs zenith I was a tile& marble contractor in So Cal. My helper "Jay" was an identical twin (not related) to Axle Rose and could even sing just like him. Fresh from the Marines I was pretty buffed, flat top haircut & purchased a black "SECURITY" T-shirt and we too a trip to Los Angeles. Dropped off my pickup and had a limo lake us to the sunset strip. Picked a club with a long-line and cut our way to the front where we were shown straight in. Drinks on the house and the ladies....... Thank you POLO for bringing up great memories for the sick old man
“He sings like he swallowed a bag of sand” 😂😂😂
I about choked on my pizza laughing so hard at that one.
In my opinion this version is the best one. It blows the album version away. Slash's solo is off the charts. I'd say it's probably the best version I've ever heard. I remember seeing the Live at the Ritz concert on MTV back in the 80's. I found a bootleg cd of the entire concert with some other live stuff on it back in the early 90's. I still have it and listen to this version of "Knockin'" quite often. By the way he says "We got some nakedness here".
Love gun's n roses
The greatest band ever with the greatest lead singer ever!!
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Mama take this badge off of me
I can't use it anymore
It's getting dark, too dark to see
I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Mama put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore
That long black cloud is comin' down
I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Yes....the studio version is fire 🔥
Slash was born wearing a top hat and smoking a cigarette
This whole concert is an amazing watch Live at the Ritz
DEFINITELY react to more GNR!! They were my favourite Rock Band growing up 80s&90s and possibly always will be 👌🏴🇬🇧
Yes that is his sway. No one does it better!
I've seen them live here in Portugal and this was the song everybody sang with them... Around 60,000 people!!!! In my case because I m a huge Bob Dylan´s fan!
My son played his acoustic guitar and sang this song (B Dylan ver.) at my Moms funeral. She had requested him to several years before.
One of my favoritebands! 😊
this concert at the ritz during this year was defiantly the best show!!!
Great Cover !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This whole show is mega ,LOVE it!
Dylan wrote it for the movie Pat Garrett and Biily the Kid. 1973. Dylan released it as a recording after the film opened, was a big hit. Covered a lot of times, but I'd only heard Bob Dylan's version before. Thanks.
I love the lead singer’s outfit 😮
Thank you so much for the reaction Polo! I will never not love Guns and Roses. There was a girl climbing onto the stage, lol. Security removed her. That's when Axle said "fight honey" The guitarist is Slash. He's the coolest of the cool and always had a cigarette in his mouth. "November rain" is another video worth watching. Thanks again!
There are so many great hidden gems with this band.
Double talkin' jive
Breakdown
So Fine
14 Years
Don't Damn me
Fantastic band
Thank you! And thanks for who requested this ,I broke down in tears... touched my heart. R.i.p Dad .
Thank you! It's been a long minute since I've watched this! Sure rocked out!
Slash always smoked while playing, they were awesome!! I saw them in 2018 yes Axls ilder but hes still got that appeal. Love this group and your reaction.
Yes.. He introduced us to the sway.
That would be Davey Jones😎
I get to see them this coming weekend! I still think they are awesome live, I saw them in 2021 and loved it, but I never got to see them back in these days, unfortunately.
Listen her polo … arguably the best rock band of all time. This band is a rock god beast. No lie
You wanna hear a great Guns N Roses live song? Check out "Rocket Queen " from the "Live Era 87-93" album. Phenomenal.
Slash is the guitarist (who actually quit smoking many years ago). "You Could Be Mine" from Terminator will melt ur face!
Now you should listen to 2 versions of this song:
1) Bob Dylan, cause he wrote it!
2) Grateful Dead, cause Garcia!
My favorite all time band.
Thus is a great example of a cover done right
3 other good songs they did are Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, & Sweet Child o' Mine!
One of my favorites of Gun's and Roses please please please check out Journey - either Mother Father live in Houston or Wheel in the Sky live in Osaka
From what I heard, Guns N' Roses were friends w/ Todd Crew, who was the bassist of the L.A. band Jetboy... He was unfortunately, a drug addict and was fired from Jetboy before he died in mid-1987 from an OD... Guns N' Roses were on tour when they heard the news of Todd Crew passing away and were devastated... I believe that was when they decided to cover Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on heaven's door" and played it live in concert... This was filmed in 1988 when Steven Adler (drums) was still in Guns N' Roses.
The studio version of this song was recorded around 1990/ '91 w/ Matt Sorum (drums) having replaced Steven Adler (who was fired in 1990 for his own drug addictions) and made the 'Use your illusion II' album... Guns N' Roses performed a well-received version of it live in 1992 on the Freddie Mercury tribute concert at Wembley Stadium.
Eric Clapton also recorded "Knockin' on heaven's door" in 1975.
Axel and Slash are so cool!
this is a good performance by them but on the studio version,its phenomenal.
Yes, react to the studio version!
That was a kick ass video ✌️
This channel is fire man! I don’t think there is anything better in life than music with the exception of seeing someone else moved by that same music. G and R 🤟🏻
This was (I think) live at The Ritz. 1988-ish? It's been years since I've seen it but the entire concert is on RUclips & it rocks!
This is my favorite cover of this iconic song. Axl was/is a great entertainer/ frontman. It's a Bob Dylan song, BTW. It means so much to me, personally because I have addictive disorder (alcoholic 15 years sober). The day before I got sober, I was driving w/my son and I was still drunk from the night before. This song came on the radio. My message. It was time to surrender. The next morning I walked into AA and surrendered (not my first time BTW). Blessings...
Great reaction, great song. Check out "Patience." Dance: "The Axl" 💚🤙
I truly believe grunge as an entire genre was made for all of my teenage angst, feelings, everything
At the top of their game here.
This is a pretty good live version, but the studio version is definitely my favorite.
“Estranged” always gets me. Perhaps next time
Any songs from this show "Live at the Ritz" is peak GNR - Axl hadn't injured his voice yet.
Polo, you’re right, Axl had an amazing rock voice, the guitarist’s name is Slash and he is one of the finest guitarists ever to pick up the instrument. Ironically he’s from England, Stoke on Trent!! You MUST listen to the studio version of You Could Be Mine and watch the video too, it was the title track to Terminator 2 and IMHO is quite simply one of the best rock tracks of all time. If you listen to it through those headphones of yours you will hear how intricately intertwined the rhythm guitar played by Izzy Stradlin and the lead by Slash actually is.
Slash is a God!!! He’s the guitarist with the cigarette in his mouth. You usually see him in a black top hat. Kick ass guitarist and still cool at 58 years old in 2023
So, this is sort-of a Bob Dylan cover. But I think GnR took this as theirs.
Eric Clapton introduced me to this song, but I love this version as well.
GNR Was The Biggest Rock Band in Late 80'S, GNR Won The MTV Video Music Award (VMA), Since 1989,1990,1992,1993. Beating U2 Albums, Metallica Albums, And Nirvana Albums in The MTV Music Video Award. Then GNR Vacuum in The Middle Of 1993, Then Came The Famous Alternative Bands, Such As: Nirvana, Pearl jam, And SmashingPumpkins. Nirvana is Famous For Entering The Same Music Recording Studio As GNR, Namely Universal Studio Music, Through The Album Nevermind. Even though Previously Nirvana Was Not Famous at The Time, When They Were Still in Their Indipop Music Studio. The Famous Alternative Music Band From 1993-1995. Then GNR Held A Reunion At Troubadour in L.A. And The Coachella Music Festival in 2006. Many Hollywood Artists Came, Watched The GNR Reunion, Because Everyone Missed The Band GNR Rock Music, Because The Music GNR Was Very Nice To Hear. I Loved The Band GNR. From Solihin in Central Jakarta. Indonesia. 💖👫💖👫👌👍👏👏.
Axl in his prime had a 6 octave range.
Davy Jones is the original sway dancer from the monkees check it out!
Rory Gallagher, Calling Card lp, from Ireland, before solo he was in a band called Taste
Fire reaction man 🔥
Got that Janis Joplin tinge in that delivery.
Best remake ever!
Great band, great tune Polo!
PS.SLASH Was "Down And DIRTY" ON THE FINAL SOLO SECTION !! Amazing!!😎🤘
You definitely have to do Paradise City with official music video!!
Since you said awhile back that you were going to do more Bob Dylan you should the the original version of this song by him
Love this
Hello again from Newfoundland! I'm the guy that suggested "She" , by Alice Phoebe Lou and I have another one for you!
Please do "Summer Dress" by July Talk.
They are a Canadian band and are soooo good live! The music video gives a pretty good idea of what their stage antics look like. The girl is absolutely wild.
One time when I seen them, she hopped out on the front row rail while singing, walking up and down the length of it holding hands with random people in the crowd for balance (Pre Covid Era) She even got on someone shoulders and got them to carry her out into the crowd at one point. You really never know what she is going to do. Neither does the rest of the band according to the interviews I've watched! Hahaha What a fun band this must be to play in!
So glad you did this one and not that crappy overproduced one people always request.
Don't you cry. Live,the Ritz 1991 multicam.
You know it was gonna be something else if Adler was still on the drums
like a lot You took an early live performance , big💖therefore
GnR one my faves!!
But Axel isn’t first move like that. Check Davy Jones (Monkeys) AND Jim Morrison. They move the same way - and I love it lol
Thanks for the reaction as always. I prefer the studio version.
Eric Clapton also has a version of this song. Great job.
You should read something on Axel he had a rough life coming up....and yes he invented that sway....love him...and I'm 75 !!
You should react to "Coma" and have the lyrics handy. It's a masterpiece from start to finish. It's one of those GNR songs you'll never hear on the radio.
Eric Clapton and many others recorded this. Such a great song
Axl was the bad boy of rock back in the day. He destroyed many a hotel room. And yes his voice was raked over the coals of hell!
I'm of the opinion that if you can't bring originality to a cover, best to leave it alone. It's so rare to see a song covered that stays true to the original and still blows the doors off. Im sure Bob Dylan's ghost is fine with it :)
bob isn't dead.
This is a classic performance. GnR at their best.
Knocking on heaven's door is a cover. Guns and Roses did the song justice. Guns and Roses was one of the biggest Rock/Metal bands in the world. They were the opposite of hair bands. Axl Rose is the singer. Axl's voice is gritty and powerful. The guitarist with the long hair and cigarette is Slash. Slash is well know guitarist with a lot talent. Usually Slash has a big black top hat on. Guns and Roses had some of the biggest hits. The band had a even bigger falling out with each other. Axl went into seclusion for at least a decade with his demons. Slash has another band and created Velvet Revolver with Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots (passed away). Very interesting pieces of history. But yes Guns and Roses were really something different.
About Axl's dance, he didn't invent it. Look at a video (mute it understandly) from The Monkies 'Day Dream Believer'. The singer is Davy Jones. This is 1960s. My theory is neither knew how to dance.
IMHO, I’ve heard it before as everyone from The Grateful Dead to Sisters of Mercy has covered it.
Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton probably have the most recognisable versions.