Although
Gun's 1989 debut,
Taking on the World, wasn't a huge mega-smash in the United States, it did reasonably well and indicated that the Scottish outfit had a great deal of potential. With this CD,
Gun's original lineup -- Mark Rankin on lead vocals, Guiliano Gizzi and Baby Stafford on guitar, Dante Gizzi on bass, and
Scott Shields on drums -- unveiled an attractive alternative rock/arena rock sound that could be described as a blend of
INXS and
U2 (who came from Scotland's Celtic neighbor, Ireland). The
U2 comparison is especially valid on "I Will Be Waiting," "Can't Get Any Lower," and "Shame on You," whereas the disc's mildly funky offerings -- which include "Girls in Love" and "Money (Everybody Loves Her)" -- bring to mind
INXS. And in fact,
INXS' Andrew Farriss ended up joining the band in the '90s (after
Gun had become G.U.N.). But that isn't to say that
Gun ever tried to emulate
INXS,
U2, or anyone else -- being influenced by artists isn't the same as trying to emulate them.
Parliament/
Funkadelic leader
George Clinton, for example, was influenced by
James Brown and
Sly Stone, but he never tried to be a clone of either of them;
Clinton, in fact, turned out to be just as distinctive and influential. And similarly,
Gun was able to absorb different influences and still project an identity of their own. While comparisons are all well and good,
Taking on the World demonstrated that
Gun was an appealing, promising band in their own right. ~ Alex Henderson