http://www.rockstarweekly.com/content/view/1626/185/
Review: Guns N' Roses - Family Tree
Guns N' Roses - Family TreeA new Guns N? Roses compilation has been released on the Argentina record label Music Brokers Arg. Most likely not endorsed by Guns N? Roses, Family Tree, a two disc CD collection, contains a cross range of material recorded by early Guns N? Roses, an incarnation of Hollywood Rose (a pre-band of GNR members) and several artists associated with GNR.
Several of the solo tracks appear to be covers that happen to have GNR members in them. Although some might have been previously released, it is nice to see them in a collection together. What does make this a nice set is the Hollywood Rose tracks, which sound digitally remastered in some form. What?s also worth a listen is the track non-live version of Nice Boys, a Guns N? Roses demo track featuring the entire original line-up.
I have to admit, I?ve never heard the old Hollywood Rose material before. Was it going to be raw GNR or would it be a totally different animal all together? A little bit of both come to mind after hearing the tracks. It has a lot of the Hollywood glam-rock sound that was popular on the LA Strip in 1984, but it does show a foundation for the Appetite For Destruction sound that we expect from Guns N? Roses.
The Nice Boys demo shows a really raw, very early GNR in the studio. This is most likely the soundtrack to those early days when the band lived in a garage behind the strip. It?s a lack-luster track and would have been a throw-away when they recorded the first album, but from an historical perspective, Nice Boys sheds some light on the broke and starving GNR that was wasted 24/7 while trying to land a record deal. It's almost as if we're in the garage with them.
Fans might be interested to know that the songs from the Hollywood Rose demo tape, which appear here (and on other GNR compilations) were sold to a record label by original Hollywood Rose guitarist Chris Weber. The songs, including some remixes, ended up on a Japanese album (The Roots Of Guns N? Roses) and can be ordered through Amazon. Axl Rose filed a lawsuit to stop the Japanese label and Weber from releasing the material, but lost.
By Dan Savoie
RockStar Weekly
To a die-hard GNR fan, this might be a re-hash of some older material that they?ve been treasuring for years, but for a GNR generalist, this is a great introduction to the world of early GNR mixed with some cover tracks by former GNR members.
CD 1 : TRACKLIST
01. Anything Goes - Hollywood Rose
02. Welcome To The Jungle - Gilby Clarke, Tracii Guns & Kevin Dubrow (Quiet Riot)
03. No More Mr.nice Guy (Alice Cooper?s Song) - Slash & Roger Daltrey (The Who)
04. Sex Action - L.A. Guns
05. Sweet Child O?mine - Gilby Clarke
06. Killing Time - Hollywood Rose
07. Elected (Alice Cooper's Song) - Duff Mckagan, Matt Sorum, Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) & Billy Duffy (The Cult)
08. My Michelle (Guns N' Roses Song) - L.A. Guns
09. It?s So Easy - Tracii Guns, Gilby Clarke & Fred Coury (Cinderella)
10. Last Cigarette - Hollywood Rose Feat. Teddy Zigzag (Slash?s Snakepit)
11. You?re Crazy - Gilby Clarke, Tracii Guns & Stevie Ranchelle (Tuff)
12. Nice Boys - Guns N' Roses (Rare Track - Original Lineup: Axl, Slash, Duff, Izzy & Steven)
CD 2 : TRACKLIST
01. Pour Some Sugar On Me (Dep Leppard?s Song) - L.A.Guns
02. Rocker - Hollywood Rose
03. Mr. Brownstone - Bang Tango Feat Tracii Guns & Gilby Clarke
04. Toys In The Attic (Aerosmith?s Song) - Tracii Guns & Stephen Pearcy (Ratt)
05. Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy?s Song) - Hollywood Rose Feat Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones)
06. Used To Love Her - Gilby Clarke, Tracii Guns & John Corabi (Motley Crue)
07. Gypsy - Slash & Tommy Shaw (Styx)
08. Wanted Dead Or Alive (Bon Jovi?s Song) - L.A.Guns
09. Patience - Gilby Clarke, Tracii Guns & John Corabi (Motley Crue)
10. Don?t Cry - Spike (Quireboys), Tracii Guns & Gilby Clarke
11. Shadow Of Your Love - Hollywood Rose
12. Lay It Down - Stephen Pearcy (Ratt) & Tracii Guns
Author