GNR Box Set to Include 73 Songs (Except the Super Racist & Homophobic One)

May 7, 2018 | by James Greene, Jr.

On June 29 the Guns N' Roses box set Locked N' Loaded will be released, which rounds up 73 recordings from the group's primitive years. Included in the box are 1986's Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, 1987's Appetite for Destruction (newly remastered from the analog tapes!), 49 previously unreleased tracks, and most of 1988's G N' R Lies. Yes, most of — absent from Locked N' Loaded is the notorious "One in a Million," which originally concluded G N' R Lies in a cloud of racism, xenophobia, and homophobia (it could have been Donald Trump's campaign song; it could also be Donald's inner monologue at all times).

Singer Axl Rose whipped out the fundamentally awful "I hear black people say the 'n' word all the time, why can't I say it?" and "the 'n' word doesn't always mean black" defenses in response to period criticism of "One in a Million." Decades have now passed; a glance at Rose's Twitter suggests he's become more culturally sensitive / aware since he was using his illusions (referring to ICE as Nazis, calling the current White House "disgraceful"). Is it illogical to assume "One in a Million" has been omitted from the box set due to Axl's new personal convictions?

Pending an official statement on the matter, we say good for Axl Rose for finally disowning a gross piece of garbage he made 30 years ago. Now if he could only figure out a way to go back in time and never record it in the first place.