Live Era '87–'93
| Live Era '87-'93 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by Guns N' Roses | ||||
| Released | November 23, 1999 | |||
| Recorded |
June 28, 1987 and December 10, 1988 1991–1993 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 133:02 | |||
| Label | Geffen Records | |||
| Producer | Del James | |||
| Guns N' Roses chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
Live Era '87–'93 is a double live album by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It was released on November 23, 1999. The record was the first official Guns N' Roses release since "The Spaghetti Incident?" released on the same day in 1993. Former guitarist Slash notes that the album is "not pretty and there are a lot of mistakes, but this is Guns N' Roses, not the fucking Mahavishnu Orchestra. It's as honest as it gets."[3]
Album information
The dates and locations of the tracks are not revealed in the liner notes, and are only referred to simply as being "Recorded across the universe between 1987 and 1993". However, the majority of the tracks on the two CDs are believed to be sourced from the extensive Use Your Illusion Tour of 1991-1993.[4]
Axl Rose is alleged to have communicated with former Guns N' Roses members Slash and Duff McKagan, through intermediaries only, in selecting the track list. In an interview Slash stated that "the live album was one of the easiest projects we all worked on. I didn't actually see Axl, but we communicated via the powers that be."[5]
Two former members who play on the majority of the tracks, Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke, are not credited as band members in the liner notes, but as "additional musicians", while original drummer Steven Adler, who plays on only three tracks on the album, and Izzy Stradlin, who plays on only six songs, are credited as "main band members."
Two popular live songs, "Live and Let Die" and "Civil War", which were both played heavily during the Use Your Illusion Tour, are omitted from this release, while songs that were played to a much lesser extent on the tour ("Pretty Tied Up" and "Move to the City") are included.
The Japanese and vinyl versions of the album contain a rare performance of "Coma", Guns N' Roses' longest song to date.
The song "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was performed and recorded at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert and was previously released on the "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" single.
"Estranged," "Don't Cry," "November Rain," "Pretty Tied Up,", "You Could Be Mine" and "Move To The City" were previously released on the band's Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II videos. The live audio from "Yesterdays" was included as a B-side on that song's CD single.
The original pressing of this album contained a manufacturing flaw. At the 6:13 mark of "Paradise City" on Disc two the song skips to a part more near the end of the performance and repeats several times before finally correcting itself and finishing normal.
Track listing
| Disc one | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Concert | Length |
| 1. | "Nightrain" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | Rose/Stradlin'/Slash/McKagan | Las Vegas, USA; January 25, 1992 | 5:18 |
| 2. | "Mr. Brownstone" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | Stradlin'/Slash | London, UK; August 31, 1991 | 5:42 |
| 3. | "It's So Easy" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | McKagan, West Arkeen | Paris, France; June 6, 1992 | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Welcome to the Jungle" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | Rose/Slash | Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1993 | 5:09 |
| 5. | "Dust N' Bones" (from Use Your Illusion I, 1991) | Stradlin'/McKagan/Slash | New York City, USA; May 16, 1991 | 5:05 |
| 6. | "My Michelle" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | Rose/Stradlin' | London, UK; August 31, 1991 | 3:53 |
| 7. | "You're Crazy" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | Rose/Stradlin'/Slash | Tokyo, Japan; December 10, 1988 | 4:45 |
| 8. | "Used to Love Her" (from G N' R Lies, 1988) | Stradlin' | Tokyo, Japan; December 10, 1988 | 4:17 |
| 9. | "Patience" (from G N' R Lies, 1988) | Stradlin' | Mexico City, Mexico; April 24, 1993 | 6:42 |
| 10. | "It's Alright" (Black Sabbath cover) | Bill Ward | Houston, USA; September 4, 1992 | 3:07 |
| 11. | "November Rain" (from Use Your Illusion I, 1991) | Rose | Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992 | 12:29 |
| Disc two | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Concert | Length |
| 1. | "Out Ta Get Me" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | Stradlin'/Rose/Slash | London, UK; June 28, 1987 | 4:33 |
| 2. | "Pretty Tied Up" (from Use Your Illusion II, 1991) | Stradlin' | Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992 | 5:25 |
| 3. | "Yesterdays" (from Use Your Illusion II, 1991) | Rose/Arkeen/James/McCloud | Las Vegas, USA; January 25, 1992 | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Move To The City" (from Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, 1986) | Stradlin'/James/Chris Weber | Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992 | 8:00 |
| 5. | "You Could Be Mine" (from Use Your Illusion II, 1991) | Stradlin'/Rose | Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992 | 6:02 |
| 6. | "Rocket Queen" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | Rose/Slash/McKagan | Las Vegas, USA; January 25, 1992 | 8:27 |
| 7. | "Sweet Child o' Mine" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | Rose/Stradlin'/Slash | Paris, France; June 6, 1992 | 7:25 |
| 8. | "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Bob Dylan cover from Use Your Illusion II, 1991) | Dylan | London, UK; April 20, 1992 | 7:27 |
| 9. | "Don't Cry" (from Use Your Illusion I, 1991) | Stradlin'/Rose | Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992 | 4:44 |
| 10. | "Estranged" (from Use Your Illusion II, 1991) | Rose | Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992 | 9:52 |
| 11. | "Paradise City" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987) | Rose/McKagan/Slash/Stradlin' | Las Vegas, USA; January 25, 1992 | 7:21 |
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.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Concert | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Coma" (from Use Your Illusion I, 1991) | Slash/Rose | Omaha, USA; April 10, 1993 | 10:48 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[6]
Band members
- W. Axl Rose – lead vocals, piano on "It's Alright" and "November Rain", whistling on "Patience", whistle on "Paradise City", backing vocals on "Dust N' Bones"
- Slash – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar on Patience, talkbox on "Dust N' Bones" and "Rocket Queen", backing vocals
- Duff McKagan – bass, acoustic guitar on Patience, backing vocals
- Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, synthesizer, percussion, backing vocals (1991–1993)
- Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Dust N' Bones" (1987–1991)
- Steven Adler – drums (1987–1988)
Additional Musicans
- Matt Sorum – drums, backing vocals (1991-1993)
- Gilby Clarke – rhythm guitar, lead guitar on Nightrain, acoustic guitar on Patience, backing vocals (1992-1993)
Backing musicians
- Teddy Andreadis – backing vocals, harmonica, percussion, keyboards (1991–1993)
- Roberta Freeman – backing vocals (1991–1993)
- Tracey Amos – backing vocals (1991–1993)
- Diane Jones - (1991-1993)
- Cece Worrall – horns (1991–1993)
- Anne King – horns (1991–1993)
- Lisa Maxwell – horns (1991–1993)
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Rolling Stone review
- ↑ Guitar World Presents: Guitar Legends - Slash #76 pg.12
- ↑ "Live Era Track Sources". October 14, 2010. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008.
- ↑ Guitar World Presents: Guitar Legends - Slash #76 pg.17
- ↑ Live Era '87-'93 (Media notes). Guns N' Roses. Geffen Records. 1999.
External links
- GNR On Tour's Live Era Source Listing - John M.'s concert source listing for the album.
- Live Era '01-'07 - A Fanmade Compilation entitled Live Era '01-'07
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