West Arkeen
Encyclopedia
Aaron West Arkeen better known as West Arkeen, was an American
musician
best-known for co-writing several Guns N' Roses
songs. He died in Los Angeles
as a result of a drug overdose
.
, France
and grew up in San Diego, and started playing guitar at the age of 14. He was self-taught after having only a single guitar lesson. He spent hundreds of hours practicing with a metronome and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 21 to pursue a career in the music industry.
After several years of struggling, he had befriended a group of fellow musicians, later to be known as Guns N' Roses
. Arkeen co-wrote "It's So Easy
," "Crash Diethttp://www.gnrsource.com/songinfo/other/other/crashd.htm", "The Garden
" and "Yesterdays" for Guns N' Roses. Arkeen also penned "Make Your Play" and "Pressure" for Brother Cane
, as well as co-wrote "My Misery" for Phantom Blue
.
After working on other songs with the band for their double set Use Your Illusion I
and II
, Arkeen started his own project in 1995, The Outpatience
, with vocalist Mike Shotton, bassist James Hunting, guitarist Joey Hunting, drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and keyboardist Gregg Buchwalter. The band released their debut album, Anxious Disease
(1996), in Japan and were shopping the record to labels in the United States
. The album has strong connections to Guns N' Roses: Axl Rose
, Slash
and Duff McKagan
appear as guests and Izzy Stradlin
co-wrote one of the songs.
Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan are most closely associated with Arkeen. The trio played in the The Drunkfuxs side project together and Arkeen co-wrote two of the songs on McKagan's debut solo record, Believe in Me.
The Guns N' Roses record Live Era: '87-'93
was dedicated, in part, to his memory.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
best-known for co-writing several Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
songs. He died in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as a result of a drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
.
Biography
Arkeen was born in Neuilly-sur-SeineNeuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and grew up in San Diego, and started playing guitar at the age of 14. He was self-taught after having only a single guitar lesson. He spent hundreds of hours practicing with a metronome and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 21 to pursue a career in the music industry.
After several years of struggling, he had befriended a group of fellow musicians, later to be known as Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
. Arkeen co-wrote "It's So Easy
It's So Easy
-Personnel:* Axl Rose - lead vocals* Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals* Slash - lead guitar* Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals* Steven Adler - drums-Cover versions:...
," "Crash Diethttp://www.gnrsource.com/songinfo/other/other/crashd.htm", "The Garden
The Garden (song)
"The Garden" is a song by the rock band Guns N' Roses. It appears on the album Use Your Illusion I as track 11, and the compilation album Use Your Illusion as track 5. The song was written before the band released Appetite for Destruction, but was not included on that album...
" and "Yesterdays" for Guns N' Roses. Arkeen also penned "Make Your Play" and "Pressure" for Brother Cane
Brother Cane
Brother Cane was an American hard rock band that released three albums in the 1990s. The band was formed in 1990 by singer/guitarist Damon Johnson and bassist Glenn Maxey. Joined by guitarist Roman Glick and drummer Scott Collier, Brother Cane released their self-titled debut album in 1993...
, as well as co-wrote "My Misery" for Phantom Blue
Phantom blue
Phantom Blue was an all-female American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming....
.
After working on other songs with the band for their double set Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
and II
Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album...
, Arkeen started his own project in 1995, The Outpatience
The Outpatience
The Outpatience were an American hard rock group formed in California by guitarist West Arkeen, who is best-known for co-writing several Guns N' Roses songs, in 1995...
, with vocalist Mike Shotton, bassist James Hunting, guitarist Joey Hunting, drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and keyboardist Gregg Buchwalter. The band released their debut album, Anxious Disease
Anxious Disease
Anxious Disease is the first and only album by the rock band The Outpatience, released in 1996.-Tracklist:# "Inbred" – 3:03# "Wound Up in a Vega" – 4:21# "Dragon In The Flames" – 4:29# "Cold Luck" – 5:02# "Heart Again" – 3:50...
(1996), in Japan and were shopping the record to labels in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The album has strong connections to Guns N' Roses: Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
, Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
and Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
appear as guests and Izzy Stradlin
Izzy Stradlin
Jeffrey Dean Isbell , known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and former rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of its fame in 1991. Following his departure, he led his own band Izzy...
co-wrote one of the songs.
Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan are most closely associated with Arkeen. The trio played in the The Drunkfuxs side project together and Arkeen co-wrote two of the songs on McKagan's debut solo record, Believe in Me.
Death
On May 30, 1997, West was found dead in his Los Angeles home. His management company said that Arkeen had been at home recovering from severe burns, and that his death was the result of an "accidental opiate overdose." West had returned to his home from a hospital intensive care unit where he was being treated for burns over much of his body after his indoor barbecue exploded 11 days before his death. He was 36 years old.The Guns N' Roses record Live Era: '87-'93
Live Era: '87-'93
-Bonus track:This track was released as the twelfth track on the first CD of the Japanese edition, and as the eighth side on the four LP vinyl editions.-Band members:*W...
was dedicated, in part, to his memory.