Merry Christmas #2: G 'N R First Sessions

Holy crap, the Christmas presents just continue... can I keep it up for the next 23 days? This site might just turn into an Advent Calendar of unreleased rarities!

Today I have the first complete 1987 recordings of Guns N' Roses before the release of Appetite For Destruction.

It is pretty damned thorough, and absolutely a fantastic rock treasure. check out some of the covers: Jumpin' Jack Flash, Heartbreak Hotel, Mama Kin...

And notice 2 songs that made the much-later Use Your Illusion albums: Don't Cry and November Rain! Amazing. I knew nothing of this stufff, till I found it quite by accident trolling around the intertubes.

Here's the description that came with it:

GUNS N'ROSES SESSIONS - Liberated Bootleg
Japanese Silver Pressed Discs
Label: 'Uzi Suicide' - Unofficial
Matrix: GNR871/GNR872

*PROMOTIONAL COPY NOT FOR SALE*

This 2CD Japanese silver set features almost all of the tracks recorded during Guns N' Roses 1987 demo sessions.
Hence the name "Sessions". The only tracks missing are 'Out Ta Get Me', an alternate take of 'Rocket Queen', and an acoustic version of 'Move To The City'. Why these tracks were omitted is beyond me.

These discs have also released as No Refrain (CD1) and November Rain (CD2).

The tracks on 'Sessions' seem to come from a better source/transfer as there are less audible artifacts present in the background.

Highlights of 'Sessions' include two completely unique versions of 'November Rain', as well as raw early versions of 'Paradise City', Nightrain', 'Don't Cry','Back Off Bitch', 'Shadow Of Your Love', and multiple takes of two unreleased covers; 'Heartbreak Hotel', and, 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'.

This incredible document of the early years of Guns N' Roses career is a must for any hard rock fan.

CD I 60:06

[01] Jumping Jack Flash
[02] You're Crazy
[03] Reckless Life
[04] Heartbreak Hotel
[05] Shadow Of Your Love
[06] Welcome To The Jungle
[07] Move To The City
[08] Mama Kin
[09] Mama Kin
[10] Heartbreak Hotel
[11] Instrumental Jam
[12] Jumping Jack Flash
[13] Jumping Jack Flash
[14] West Coast Junkie....
[15] November Rain

CD II 64:35

[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


Download: Guns 'N Roses: First Sessions (zipped)

as always, enjoy! (and we'll see what I can dig up tomorrow!)

Like Reviewing a Unicorn...

Chuck Klosterman Reviews "Chinese Democracy"

An amazingly good read for such a monumentously long-awaited album opus 15 years in the making.

It's an intelligent and thoughtful review that is blisteringly funny and smart and empathetic and told from a true rock fan (and GnR fan's) point of view...

some particulary good lines:

"A song like "Shackler's Revenge" is initially average, until you get to the solo—then it becomes the sonic equivalent of a Russian robot wrestling a reticulating python. "

"What finally made him decide, "You know, I've weighed all my options and all their potential consequences, and I'm going with the Mexican vampire accent. This is the vision I will embrace. But only on that one line! The rest of it will just be sung like a non-dead human." Often, I don't even care if his choices work or if they fail. I just want to know what Rose hoped they would do."

"Sometimes listening to this album feels like watching the final five minutes of the Sopranos finale. There's no acceptable answer to these types of hypotheticals."

read his whole review, and see what he gave it (I completely agree, by the way!)

They're Out To Get Me!

Coming home late after a great Indian dinner at the Bombay Palace, I checked the mail on the way up to the apartment. A large envelope from a law firm loomed dark and dreary in the box. It would seem that last year's nightmare lawsuit is not only not OVER (as a nearly 12 month radio silence might have some people believe) but is proceeding full force, with the Evil Empire, er, I mean North Fork Bank (recently bought by Capital One) releasing the hounds once again on me.

The only difference between LAST YEAR and NOW is that while last year was right before my wedding (bad timing, huh?) THIS year is right when we have just recently (as in, 3 weeks ago) had to move our entire business. Actually, it's hard to believe, but I actually think THIS timing is actually far, far worse. I can't imagine how my business could continue in this point in time if judgement went against me and I owed the amount of money these chimpanzees seem to think I owe.

Alternating between tears and rage, I went out to walk Chalupa (see post #1) and set the iPod to shuffle, having NO idea what I was going to post for you guys on my (new) blog, MUCH LESS how to deal with impending financial destruction.

Shuffle saved the day. Guns and Roses. Live. 1988. The Ritz. "They're Out To Get Me" The first song out of the cannon. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't have PICKED a better song to hear at that moment. So I knew immediately I had to post.


Here's a link to hear "Out To Get Me" live from the Ritz, 1988... Take a listen, share my rage...

Download: Guns N' Roses "Out to Get Me"

Just a quick note about the show: forget the bloated corpse that GNR became by the 90's (all the marriages/divorces to supermodels, $70 million videos, playing with Elton John at the VMAs, etc) In 1988 these guys were living (squatting) in one vomit covered rat's nest room in LA, playing at night, boozing and wasted till dawn, then driving (crashing) a van on the way to the next gig. No exaggeration, these guys were the most destructive force Rock had ever seen. And this is a great gig... they are young, hungry, angry and belligerent, and the energy this gives off in their performance is still to this day unrivaled.


Here's the link to the entire show:

Download: Guns N' Roses Live at the Ritz Feb. 02, 1988

I may be in misery, but that's no reason you all shouldn't at least enjoy some rock! God knows it made MY night! F@ck Banks. Seriously. My next posting will be about Fight Club. Or from Prison. Or Both.