Live Era '87–'93

Updated on Nov 20, 2023

Edit

Comment

Released November 23, 1999 Artist Guns N' Roses Label Geffen Records Genres Hard rock, Heavy metal		Length 133:02 Release date 23 November 1999 Producer Del James

Recorded June 28, 1987 and December 10, 1988 1991–1993 Live Era '87-'93 (1999) Appetite for Democracy (2014) Similar Guns N' Roses albums, Hard rock albums

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. 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."

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.

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."

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.

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.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

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 musicians

Matt Sorum – drums, backing vocals (1991-1993)

Gilby Clarke – rhythm guitar, co-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)

Songs

1Nightrain5:19
2Mr Brownstone5:42
3It's So Easy3:29

References

Live Era '87–'93 Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents