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Metal Hammer:
GUNS N' ROSES January 2000. WHETHER or not you see Guns N' Roses as the greatest, most dangerous band in the world will determine how you view this double live, rather pointless album. If, like me, you always viewed the band as dangerous, then just dig out your old copy of the band's 'Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide' platter from '87, 'cause 'Live Era...'. is about as dangerous as lighting a wet fart. Twenty two tracks covering the band's career, and all that Guns N' Roses stood for is totally lost. Dirty, debauched, deranged and drug-addled - hmmm, I think not. Yeah, OK, so we get the classic songs, but it's all so drawn out and stadium-friendly that every ounce of excitement is lost. The sound is so polished it's painful, and there is not one iota of RAW energy left on offer here at all. Not only has all the 'attitude of the songs from 'Appetite For Destruction' vanished into thin air, but we are also subjected to a turgid swinging brass section half-way through 'Move To The City', pompous arse like 'November Rain' and second-rate tunes like 'Pretty Tied Up' - songs that didn't really rock first time round, never mind on an anonymous live outing. Questions do really need to be asked here. Primarily, does anyone still actually give a shit about this band? I mean, how uninspiring is Axl Rose's contribution on the new End Of Days soundtrack? Exactly. Guns N' Roses were a great band, who made a classic debut album of which they should be proud and remembered for. After that, things became a bit hit and miss. And this is certainly a miss.
Can't wait for the new studio outing in the new year. Darren Sadler |
