If they had done Unplugged....

[Johnnyblood]

I remember reading somewhere that either Slash or Axl had wanted to do the MTV Unplugged show in the early-90s, but whichever one it was that wanted to, the other one didn't. I guess it was another sign of the impending split.

But I always wondered how such a show might have turned out -  would it have even worked? Even back then I had some problems with Axl's voice, so I really wasn't sure he could pull off the acoustic You're Crazy, not to mention some of the other nutgrabbers he occasionally had problems with post-80s. Would they have picked boringly obvious songs like Patience and November Rain? Would their less obvious material have translated acoustically?

Anyway, I thought it might be interesting for us to speculate how that show might have gone. Keep in mind that this was when Nirvana was every music writer's wet dream and Guns was considered dead and bloated. So this program would have been a sort of comeback for them, something like Elvis's 68 comeback perhaps, when everyone thought the Beatles had made him obsolete and that incredible performance (the inspiration for Unplugged, by the way) aired on NBC and reminded everyone of the pre-Hollywood Elvis that changed the course of history. It was possibly his finest moment.

Could Guns have done that? How would they have sounded without the huge amps? What kind of things would Axl have talked about, Nirvana? Setlist?

I know that they did something like this on the Skin n Bones tour, but Unplugged would likely have to have a bit more advanced and featured a more varied setlist.

My only setlist wish/guess is that they would have done Breakdown.

edit: My other "only" request is Jumpin Jack Flash - love the acoustic demo.

[estranged88]

did you just call november rain BORING!!!!!! [rant]

........i am in shock

ok its over.. they would proabably play the ballads, becaue they would be easier to translate to acoustic, and all the songs from lies minus one in  a million, because it was to "controversial"

they certainly had the talent to do it, but i don't think it would have sounded as good as a regualar guns show.... on the other hand they could have blew nirvana out of the water.

my best guest for a set list

Patience
used to lover her
your crazy
dont cry
november rain
yesterdays
14 years
mr. brownstone
sweet child of mine
since i dont have you ( not sure if this was out at the time your refering to)
estranged

[Johnnyblood]

did you just call november rain BORING!!!!!! [rant]

........i am in shock

Sorry, no offense! I'm just more of Sweet Child O' Mine guy. Or Estranged. Or Don't Cry.

[Will]

My guess, for a MTV-type of setlist would have been:

- Mr. Brownstone
- Patience
- Pretty Tied Up
- Don't Cry
- Estranged
- Knockin' On Heaven's Door
- November Rain
- You Ain't The First
- Ain't It Fun
- Breakdown
- You're Crazy
- Used To Love Her


My wishlist would have been:

- Patience
- Don't Cry
- Estranged
- Knockin' On Heaven's Door
- November Rain
- Ain't It Fun
- Breakdown
- Crash Diet
- Don't Damn Me
- The Garden
- Civil War

[Will]

How in the hell could you play "Estranged" acoustic? I don't even think Slash could successfully pull that one off.

I was actually thinking about a "piano only" version -- like November Rain demo.

[slashsaxl]

How in the hell could you play "Estranged" acoustic? I don't even think Slash could successfully pull that one off.

I was actually thinking about a "piano only" version -- like November Rain demo.

a piano version of estranged, that would have been something else, something i've always wanted to hear.

i think i read somewhere (probably on this board) that slash is the one who didn't wanna do the mtv unplugged back then, i could be wrong.

rock n' roll

[Jizzo]

Dont forget about dead flowers

[Atlgunner]

Axl and West Akreem doing Yesterdays.

[estranged88]

did you just call november rain BORING!!!!!! [rant]

........i am in shock

Sorry, no offense! I'm just more of Sweet Child O' Mine guy. Or Estranged. Or Don't Cry.

...its cool, november rain is one of my favortite songs, but i can see how some people would find the first 5 minutes boring, but i feel the end more than makes up for the "somewhat" dull begining....i personally like the pianno though

[Victor]

I would have loved to hear "Double Talkin' Jive" done unplugged... I mean if we're fantasizing I may as well wish Izzy back into the band.

[Will]

a piano version of estranged, that would have been something else, something i've always wanted to hear.

Yeah me too...it's really more a fantasy than anything but I think it would be awesome. Now, I don't think it will ever happen with the new band...

Concerning Dust In The Wind, BF, GN'R's version was not a Kansas cover, but a Todd Rundgren cover...I guess that's why it was so "different"... The original version was recorded by Rundgren on the album: "Something/Anything?" (1972). If you want to learn more about Rundgren, visit that website: http://trconnection.com

[Booker Floyd]

Concerning Dust In The Wind, BF, GN'R's version was not a Kansas cover, but a Todd Rundgren cover...I guess that's why it was so "different"... The original version was recorded by Rundgren on the album: "Something/Anything?" (1972). If you want to learn more about Rundgren, visit that website: http://trconnection.com

Much appreciated [ok]

[jrs2001_99]

I don't think acoustic versions of the big ballad trilogy would work... I would much rather hear acoustic versions of some of the appetite rockers, even if the pace was reduced slightly, like the version of "You're Crazy" on Lies.

I think an acoustic "Mr. Brownstone" would rock, as would "Paradise City" and "Rocket Queen." There are loads more that I would lie to hear acoustically transformed but most have already been mentioned.

 [beer]

[MR.BROWNSTONE]

Maybe the setlist would be like this but, not in this order.

You're Crazy
Mr. Brownstone
Patience
Used To Lover Her
Knockin On Heavens Door
November Rain
You Ain't The First
Don't Cry
Shotgun Blues (I don't think they would have played it because they never played it live),
Think About You
Back Off Bitch
Bad Obsession

I don't know how many songs they could play if they only had one hour.

[kujo722]

since i dont have you ( not sure if this was out at the time your refering to)

It was around but not available to the fans yet. At the show that I saw in Raleigh/Durham in May 93 they played it over the sound system when they were setting up the stage and Axl sang part of it as the lead in to Sweet Child O Mine.

[MR.BROWNSTONE]

since i dont have you ( not sure if this was out at the time your refering to)

It was around but not available to the fans yet. At the show that I saw in Raleigh/Durham in May 93 they played it over the sound system when they were setting up the stage and Axl sang part of it as the lead in to Sweet Child O Mine.

Yeah they played it for an intro to SCOM a few times.

[Crashdiet]

I'm from hickville canada "saskatoon, saskatchewan", and when GnR came through on their skin and bones tour they actually did an acoustic set... where they pulled out a couch, acoustic guitars, and matt even scaled down the drum set

Used to love her, your crazy, knockin on heavens door, patience, and november rain

The november rain was the best version i've ever heard.... slash did awesome acoustic solo's, matt had a huge gong, and axl did the most amazing piano solo i've ever heard him do... Man i wish I had a copy of that

An unplugged would have kicked ass!!

I've always wanted axl to do a solo show... just him and a piano... I think that would be killer!!!

 

[Dave_Rose]

Ok we know there is a bootleg of unplugged CD but if they actually did MTV Unglugged what set list would you pick...

1. Patience
2. Used To Love Her
3. You're Crazy
4. One In A Million
5. Sweet Child O' Mine (Would be very interesting on acoustic my friend done it sounded cool with changed of course)
6. Think About You
7. Knockin' On Heavens Door
8. You Aint The First
9. November Rain
10. Dont Damn Me
11. Yesterdays
12. So Fine
13. Dont Cry (Orginal that would kickass)
14. Paradise City (That would be very interesting as well lol dont ask how that would work out but anything is possible)

[Mikkamakka]

I think you don't use your fantasy enough, or you underrate the genius of the '87-'93 era players. After hearing what they did with Move to the city and Mr. Brownstone, I think they could have performed almost every song on acoustic. Maybe even My World   And I think they are still able to do it: listen the acoustic Slither - hell, I've never expected them to play it that way, but it was awesome!

My setlist (I think they would have played mostly the 'obvious' songs with some surprises and covers):

Mr. Brownstone
You're Crazy
Patience
Pretty Tied Up
Bad Obsession
My Michelle
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Double Talkin' Jive
Used to Love Her
Civil War
You Could Be Mine (I'm sure it'd have been great!)
The Garden
Paradise City
Knockin' On Heaven's Door

[DJM]

I got an unpluged album from the barras(if your not from scotland its a market) its got on it
 
1 Dead Flowers
2 You aint the first
3 Youre Crazy
4 Used to love Her
5 Patience
6 Knockin on Heavens Door
7 One in a Million (supposedly that was the ony time they played that song)
8 Used to love Her (Better version than the first version on the cd)
9 Patience (First time ever played)
10 Mr Brownstone
11 Move To The City
12 Jumpin Jack Flash
13 November Rain (Just Axl playing the piano and vocals no other instruments played im sure its a demo)

Its quite a good album for ?5