Nightrain (Guns n' Roses) (LP 2665)

Guns n' Roses  Live Era '87 - '93 (CD, Geffen Records, 1999) ***  

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Hope collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You Could Be Mine

Gear costume: Welcome To The Jungle 

Active compensatory factors: I feel like I need to begin this post with an apology to Jo who I can guarantee will read this one. Sorry Jo, but this is my only Guns n' Roses album. I know. But I'm just not a fan.

At times the band annoys me. There's the hanging apostrophe in their name for a starter (I mean, that the...?); Axl's vocal affectations can grate; the bloated songs like November Rain also get my goat; and the overall bad boy drugs and swearing pose leaves me a little cold.

However! It's not all doom and gloom. I do love a few of their songs, and live seems to be the best way to hear Welcome To The Jungle, You Could Be Mine (what a great song), and Sweet Child O' Mine, as the studio versions have become a little too familiar. 

Also on the plus side: although these are songs from a variety of years and sources it sounds like a cohesive concert, with no fading of the audience between songs. Kudos where it is due - there is a uniformity of full-on committed attack from the band throughout the album.  

Where do they all belong? Again, apologies Jo, not looking to add to the GN'R collection!