And just why NOT some random Guns N Roses rarities?

Guns N Roses came along at a time where metal had completly lost it's edge and it's menace.....by the mid 1980's I had given up on most music, in particular metal.....sure there was still the Jesus and Mary Chain, Husker Du, and others, but as for METAL? It had beome a disgrace.....old pros like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden were on the downside of once brilliant careers.......Black Sabbath was actually dicking around with Ronnie James Dio as a vocalist ("Blackmore Sabbath")...I thought the "top" metal acts of the day were awful (JMO), Meagdeth and Metalica (who would want to download their shit ANYWAY?) and worst of all, the spate of sickening, poppish hair metal, "party-down" bands such as Ratt, Poison, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and about 1000 other interchangeable bands than perhaps played a power chord one in a while, but from a menace-standpoint, looked as though Rachel Sweet could have kayoed most of them with a single punch. 

And then along came "Appetite For Destruction" in 1987 to restore faith in metal.....these guys wer loud, crude, offensive, sexist as hell, openly and cheerfully took tons of drugs....just what the metal scene needed to invigorate it. Of course, due to their own super-self destructive tendencies it was the ONLY GREAT (and it IS great) album they had in them, the bloated "Use Your Illusion" has its moments but not two discs worth, "The Spaghetti Incident" which was a good idea and sports a lot of good material suffers from some lackadasical performances (except the smoking "Down on the Farm"), and "Chinese Democracy"? No matter HOW good would have been it was destined to be a joke for eternity....Axl Rose is one of those people, not unlike, say, Courtney Love, who invite mocking due to their antics, but nonetheless have turned out a stunner or two.

OK, NOT posting the original GNR albums, if yo like them you have them, simple statement.....but there is a spate of rare and live stuff out there, and make no mistake, live (if they showed up) these boys could bring the razzies.......look these over, perhaps something here will be of interest to you, I don't know, but it's pretty much all band at their self-destructive peak...I wonder how many GNR fans I have here, guessing a , maybe, but to me they combined the edginess of the early 1970's glam bands with the thunder of some of the latter-decade metal stuff. I enjoyed their music in their short career, and am happy to present this rather long list of rarities!

Well, where to begin? How about a 2-disc set of 1987 sessions and demos, creatively entitled "1987 Sessions and Demos".....lots of cover material that one could find of interest, several versions of "Jumping Jack Flash", something called "West Coast Junkie" that I don't THINK turns up elsewhere (I am not the world's foremost expert on this combo), and cool alternate versions of the everything on "Appetite" and a bit of what would turn up on "Illusion".....if you like the band it is worth hearing.

This next one, I don't know.....it's called "So Rare It Bleeds"....I can find NO information about it online, not even a track list, it's like it enver existed.....worse, I don't remember from where it came, so the song titles are guesses and a couple I can't figure out at all. Anyway, it can't be all bad if it includes "Down on the Farm", also covers of "Magic Carpet Ride", "We Will Rock You" (!), a Buckethead guitar solo (always welcome), and more.....I know at least some of this is obvious "Chinese Democracy' era goods, NOT sure about all of it, sorry, just cannot find ANY information about it.

Next up have "The Ultimate Rarities", a mish mash of a variety of duets (Axl with Meatloaf, Axl with Alice Cooper), some remixes, live tracks, Axl anjd Steve Jones make a go of the Pistols "I Did you No Wrong", and of course, the highlight, presented here without comment, is Axl Rose taking on "White Christmas".

"The Rumbo Tapes" is a good 1986 set of studio demos, early versions of the stuff that would become "Appetite", as well as teaming with Elton John (!) on "Bohemian Rhapsody"(!).....pretty fair demo set, a good indicator of the snarling glam-metal that was in the wings.

"The Hell Revisited" is a huge THREE disc set of demos, GnR "completists", if there are such a ting, will want this, loaded as it is with acoustic and instrumental versions of many of their well-known numbers, as well as some flat-out smoking versions of some of them as well.

"The Guns and Roses Family Tree" might be the most intersting thing on the menu, two discs of pre-Guns and Roses tracks, from Hollywood Rose, LA Guns, some various pre-"Appetite" lineups, as well as a rare track "Nice Boys" from the orginal lineup that at least I haven't seen much of anywhere else.

Live recordings of these guys from their glory era 1987-88 are hard to find, at least listenable ones 1987's "Live From the Jungle" is an abbreviated EP set that doesn't even include "Jungle"....the better shows come from the post "Use Your Illusion" tours......I do have a 1988 show from The Ritz NYC, basically, they run through "Appetite for Destruction" and do a couple of encores.

We have the "legendary" St. Louis show at which Rose started a riot by jumping into the crowd to fight someone with a camera (it is just so hard for me to imagine Axl Rose EVER beating up ANYONE), but as a hitorical document, it's here and WE got it!

We have a two disc Tokyo 1992 album, pretty good show from hat it sounds, and a sprawling 1992 THREE disc Chicago show which features a guest vocal from Shannon Hoon "Don't Cry".....OK, I'm gonna start loading these discs, and I'll check the Bay to see if there is anything of interest here. I know this won't appeal to everyone, but when have I ver given that even a second's consideration?

If you are NEW here, here because of the GnR, welcome, look around, enjoy, and say hello to the wonderful people who post and help out here.....we try to have fun and keep it on the lighter, less serious side....if you have anything at all to contribte feel free to do just that! 

1987 SESSIONS AND DEMOS DISC 1-Jumping Jack Flash/02 You're Crazy/03 Reckless Life/04 Heartbreak Hotel/05 Shadow of Your Love/06 Welcome to the Jungle/07Move to the City/08 Mama Kin/09 Mama Kin/10 Heartbreak Hotel/11 Insturmental Jam/12 Jumping Jack Flash/13 Jumping Jack Flash/14 West Coast Junkie/15 November Rain

1987 SESSION AND DEMOS DISC 2-01 Rocket Queen/02 Night Train/03 My Michelle/04 You're Crazy/05 Paradise City/06 Move to the City/07 November Rain/08 Shadow of Your Love/09 Wreckless Life/10 Think About You/11 Welcome to the Jungle/12 Don't Cry/13 Nice Boys/14 Back Off Bitch/15 Anything Goes

SO RARE IT BLEEDS-01 It's Alright/02 Madagascar/03 Solo (Buckethead)/04 Solo (Gilby Clarke)/05 We Will Rock You/06 Magic Carpet Ride/07 Bring It Home to Me/08 Heartbreak Hotel/09 Salt of the Earth/10 Chinese Democracy/11 Human Being/12 Down on the Farm/13 Just  Another Sunday/14 Madagascar/15 Whole Lotta Rosie/16 Unknown/17 Dance the Night Away

ULTIMATE RARITIES-01 Did You Know Wrong (Axl/Steve Jones)/02 Free Falling (Live With Tom Petty)/03 Chinese Democracy (live)/04 Madagascar (Live)/05 Sentimental Movie (Unreleased track with Duff on vocals)/06 Herod's Canz (Axl and Meatloaf/07 Whole Lotta Rosie/08 Sweet Child O Mine (Killer Techno Remix)/09 Mama Kin (Live with aerosmith)/10 The Blues/11 Oh My God/12 Anxious Disease/ 13 Rhaid and the Bedouins (live)/14 Come Together (live with Bruce Springsteen)/15 Under My Wheels (Axl with Alice Cooper)/16 5150 (Live With Van Halen (cut))/17 Just Another Sunday /18 White Christmas (Axl)

RUMBO TAPES-01 The Garden/02 Don't Cry/03 Yesterdays/04 Sentimental Movie/05 Bad Obsession/06 Crash Diet/07 Anything Goes/08 Bring it back Home/09 Back Off Bitch/10 Heartbreak Hotel/11 Move to the City/12 Too Much Too Soon/13 Just Another Sunday/14 Welcome to the Jungle/15 Bohemain Rhapsody (w/Elton John)

THE HELL REVISITED DISC 1-01 Shadow of Your Lov/02 Anything Goes/03 Reckless Life/04 Taxi Driver/05 Welcome to the Jungle/06 Out to Get Me/07 Anything Goes (alt. lyrics)/08 Ain't Goin Down (Inst)/09 Don't Cry/10 Back Off Bitch/11 Shadow of Your Love/12 Welcome to the Jungle/13 You're Crazy/14 November Rain (acoust.)/15 November Rain (Piano)/16 Reckless Life/17 Move to the City

THE HELL  REVISITED DISC 2-01 Ain' Goin' Down (Inst.)/02 Welcome to the Jungle/03 Nighttrain/04 Paradise city/05 My Michelle/06 Think About You/07 You're Crazy/08 Anything Goes/09 Rocket Queen/10 Rocket Queen/11 Don't Cry/12 Back Off Bitch/13 Move to the City (Acoustic)/14Jumping Jack Flash (acoustic)/15 Heartreak Hotel/16 Mama Kin/17 Jumping Jak Flash

THE HELL REVISITED DISC 3-01 Reckless Life/02 Nice Boys/03 Move to the City/04 Mama Kin/05 Shadow of Your Love/06 Heartbreak Hotel/07 Jumping Jack Flash/08 Bad Obsssion/09 Too Much Too Soon/10 Sentimental Movie/11 Crash Diet/12 Instrumental Demo #1/13 The Garden/14 Just Another Sunday/15 Bring It Back Home/16 Instrumental Demo #2/17 Yesterdays/18 Crash Diet (Alternate Mix)

FAMILY TREE DISC 1-01 HOLLYWOOD ROSE-Anything Goes/02 GILBY CLARKE, TRACII GUNS, AND KEVIN-Welcome to the Jungle/03 SLASH & ROGER DALTREY-No More Mr Nice Guy/04 LA GUNS-Sex Action/05 GILBY CLARKE-Sweet Child O Mine/06 HOLLYWOOD ROSE- Killing Time/07 DUFF MCKAGAN, MATT SORUM, STEVE JONES-Elected/08 LA GUNS-My Michelle/09 TRACII GUNS, GILBY CLARKE, & FRED COURY-It's So Easy/10 HOLLYWOOD ROSE FEATURING TEDDY ZIGZAG (SLASH)-Last Cigarette/11 GILBY CLARKE, TRACII GUNS, & STEVE RANCHERO-You're Crazy/12 GUNS N ROSES (ORIGINAL LINEUP)-Nice Boys

FAMILY TREE DISC 2-01 LA GUNS-Pour Some Sugar On Me/02 HOLLYWOOD ROSE-Rocker/03 BANG TANGO FEATURING TRACII GUNS AND GILBY CLARKE-Mr Brownstone/ 04 TRACII GUNS & STEPHEN PEARCY-Toys in the attic/05 HOLLYWOOD ROSE FEATURING MICK TAYLOR-jailbreak/06 GILBY CLARKE, TRACII GUNS, JOHN CORABI-Used to Love Her/07 SLASH & TOMMY SHAW-Gypsy/08 LA GUNS-Wanted Dead Or Alive/09 GILBY CLARKE, TRACII GUNS, JOHN CORBAI-Patience/10 SPIKE (QUIREBOYS), TRACII GUNS & GILBY CLARKE-Don't Cry/11 HOLLYWOOD ROSE-Shadow of Your Love/12 STEPHEN PEARCY &  TRACII GUNS-Lay it Down

1987 LIVE FROM THE JUNGLE-01 It's So Easy/02 Shadow of Your Love/03 Move to the City/04 Knockin On Heaven's  Door/05 Whole Lotta Rosie/06 Sweet Child O Mine

THE RITZ 1988-01 It's So Easy/02 Mr Brownstone/03 Out To Get Me/04 Sweet Child O Mine/05 My Michelle/06 Knockin On Heaven's Door/07 Welcome to the Jungl/08 Nighttrain/09 Paradise City/10 Mama Kin/11 Rocket Queen/12 Whole Lotta Rosie/13 Shadow of Your Love

ST LOUIS 7/2/91 DISC 1-01 Intro/Perfect Crime/02 Mr Brownstone/03 Live and Let Die/04 Dust N Bones/05 You Could Be Mine/06 I Was Only Joking (Intro) Patience/07 Double Talkin Jive

ST LOUIS 7/2/91 DISC 2-01 November Rain/02 Welcome to the Jungle/03 Civil War/04 14 Years/05 Band Introduction/Drum Solo/06 Guitar Solo/Godfather Theme/07 Rocket Queen/08 Axl Jumps Into Crowd/9 Riot

TOKYO 1992 DISC 1-01 Nighttrain/02 Mr Brownstone/03 Live And Let Die/04 It's So Easy/05 Bad Obsession/06 Attitude/07 Pretty Tied Up/08 Welcome to the Jungle/09 Don't Cry/10 Double Talkin Jive/11 Civil War/12 Wild Horses/13 Patience

TOKYO 1992 DISC 2-01 November Rain/02 You Could Be Mine/03 Drum Solo/Guitar Solo/04 Godfather Theme/05 Sweet Child O Mine/06 So Fine/07 Rocket Queen/08 Move to the City/09 Knockin On Heavens Door/10 Estranged/11 Paradise City

CHICAGO 1992 DISC 1-01 Intro/02 Nighttrain/03 Mr Brownstone/04 Axl's Rant/05 Live and Let Die/06 Attitude/07 It's So Easy/08 Wild Horses/09 Patience/10 Double Talkin Jive/11 Civil War/12 Welcome to the Jungle

CHICAGO 1992 DISC 2-01 November Rain/02 You Could Be Mine/03 Drum Solo/Guitar Solo/04 Godfather Theme/05 Coma/06 Don't Cry (w/Shannon Hoon)/07 Bad Obsession/08 Sweet Child O Mine

CHICAGO 1992 DISC 3-01 Only Women Bleed/02 Knockin On Heaven's Door/03 So Fine/04 Move to the City/05 Estranged/06 Paradise City

And since I am such a witty dog, let's include "The String Quartets" ("?) tribute to GNR.....I'm sure it is worth a laugh or two:

STRING QUARTET TRIBUTE TO GNR-01 Welcome to the Jungle/02 Sweet Child O Mine/03 Knockin On Heaven's Door/04 Paradise City/05 Don't Cry/06 November Rain/07 Live and Let Die/08 Mr Brownstone/09 Yesterdays/10 Patience/11 14 Years/12 Civil War

Links a coming!