How Matt Sorum Saved Guns N’ Roses During Use Your Illusion [Highlight From Episode 371]

Booked On Rock with Eric Senich · Apr 9, 2026 · 5m · transcript

Did Guns N’ Roses fans get Matt Sorum wrong?

When Matt Sorum replaced Steven Adler, many fans criticized his drumming style on Use Your Illusion I & II—arguing he lacked Adler’s swing and looseness. But in this highlight, Geoff Harkness, author of Estranged: Guns N’ Roses & Use Your Illusion, explains why Sorum may have been exactly what Guns N’ Roses needed during one of the most ambitious and chaotic periods in the band’s history.

Did Matt Sorum help save Guns N’ Roses during the Use Your Illusion era? And do fans owe him an apology?

Featuring Geoff Harkness, author of 'Estranged: Guns N’…