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Live Era '87-'93 by: Guns N' Roses

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Rating: - Guns N Roses; Live and in the raw

This album mostly shows why GnR became the biggest rock band of the late 80's/early 90's. There are some awesome live versions of some of their best tunes.

As with most live albums that have been recorded over a bands career, there are going to be live versions of the songs that people think surpass the versions on this cd. This is especially true when GnR went on tour non-stop between 91-93. For example, the You Could Be Mine performance from the bands Tokyo video is far superior to the version on this cd.

The standout performance has to be Nightrain. Axl really lets loose and Slash's guitar solo to play out the song is the best solo I've ever heard, its far better than the studio track. There are other superb performances like the inevitable Welcome To The Jungle as well as an awesome version of Knockin On Heavens Door and an extended version of Move To The City with horn parts as well as a piano and keyboard solo.

There are some glaring omissions such as Civil War and Live & Let Die, also some performances of lesser known songs such as Dont Damn Me would have been nice.

All in all, a good live album. Having seen Axl's new line up live, there is alot more feeling in the versions on these cd's.

Rating: - Sounds Even Better Than I Remember

The first I ever knew of Guns N' Roses was seeing the name compassed into a desk at school back in 1988, I was 12. Around that time these guys started to head skywards. I was never there greatest fan but there music sure hit a chord with me. Tracks like Patience, Rocket Queen, Used To Love Her and November Rain are once heard never forgotten. I bought Use Your Illusion I & II a few months ago . . . after hearing a few tracks from a friends copies, incidentally I first heard them when they were released in ‘91. Quite simply I had to have the orignals. Last week I grabbed Live Era 87-93, Appetite For Destruction and Lies. Talk about a blast from the past, great memories came flooding back. These guys, according to my memory sound better now than what they did in '89. I'm not going to go through each track one after the other, its just if you have vivid memories of GN'R sounding Ok in your early secondary school years then get (if none of the others) Live Era 87-93. After hearing the album maybe you'll be as gutted as I am that I never saw them perform live.

Rating: - GNR live is better than this album .............

Guns n' roses released this double CD album sort of like a greatest hits album. Notable absenties are live and let die and the epic civil war.

Disc one kicks off with nighttrain. I like this better than the album version, it has more punch and the intro is great. Nightrain is followed by it's so easy and mr brownstone. Track 4 is the track with which GNR exploded onto the rock scene in the late 80s, welcome to the jungle. I personally think there are better welcome to the jungle live vrsions than this but none the less still a good song. This is followed by my michelle, you are crazy and used to love her. The album version of used to love her is more soft and better. The first CD ends with the "rose" side of guns n roses, patience,it's alright and november rain. Parience sounded great but it would have been better if they included the patience/imagine live version. There is a sort of like a piano solo before november rain. It still sounds great even after all thoses years. Again felt that there are better live versions of November Rain.

The second CD kicks off with out ta get me and pretty tied up. Normal live songs.Followed by yesterdays and move to the city. Both tracks sound alright. This live version of you could be mine rocks. This is one of the better live versions. Rocket queen started with more vigour than the album version but kind of lost some way in the middle. Track 7, sweet child o mine. Felt that there aree many other better versions. Axl did many different intros to sweet child o mine in concerts, including lyrics from the one, sail away sweet sister, bad time and since i don't have you.It would have been great if this had one of those intros. SCOM is followed by Knockin on heavne's door which has an Axl led sing along. It captures the live atomosphere. This is followed by don't cry(original lyrics). There are better don't crys than this. There is a little intro into estranged. I like this version better than the album version. The cd ends with paradise city again more energy on the live track.

ALl in all the songs are all great but there seems to be somethong missing.....the thrill of GNR concerts are not just the songs but the air of unexpectancy. Would have been better with more intros from axls or solos from band members to give that live atmosphere. Songs the album contains are not rare tracks. I would have given it 5 stars if it has those rare tracks.....sail away sweet sister/bad time intro to sweet child o mine, patience /imagine or the MVA november rain.

Rating: - Excellent but something missing...

The live versions certainly supercede the original studio versions - they sound rockier, faster and louder on here. The live version of "Nightrain" stands out, particularly the middle section with Slash's solo. "Estranged" sounds superb, complete with Dizzy Reed bluesy piano bit. In terms of musicianship there is no doubting the quality of the songs on here. I would have liked to have seen a few more lesser known tracks on here though.

Rating: - A must for any Slash devotee (like myself)

This excellent compilation of some of Guns N' Roses best performances combines big-band appeal with many of their hard rock classics. If anything, the latter are better than the studio versions: Axl's rasping voice makes the lyrics sound more aggressive and heartfelt, while Slash's pumped-up leads and solos take on a new ferocity with little compromise in fluidity. The highlights are definitely a classy Rocket Queen with an extended synth-aided Slash solo; the beautiful melodies of Estranged; and of course the inimitable Sweet Child O' Mine. The only disappointments are a rather flat November Rain, the absence of the wonderful Coma, and the meaningless order of play.

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