Live Era '87–'93

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."[3]

Live Era '87–'93
Live album by Guns N' Roses
Released	November 23, 1999
Recorded	June 28, 1987; December 10, 1988; April 10 and 28, 1993 1991–1992
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	133:02
Label	Geffen Records
Producer	Del James
Guns N' Roses chronology
Welcome to the Videos (1998) Live Era '87–'93 (1999) Greatest Hits (2004)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]

The album is certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies. The RIAA counts each disc in a double album separately for certification, so the album has actually shipped 250,000 copies.[4]

Album information

The album was compiled by band associate Del James.[5] The dates and locations of the tracks are not revealed in the liner notes, and are referred to simply as being "Recorded across the universe between 1987 and 1993". However, the majority are believed to be from the Use Your Illusion Tour of 1991-1993.[6]

Axl Rose is alleged to have communicated through intermediaries with former Guns N' Roses members Slash and Duff McKagan to select the track list. "The live album was one of the easiest projects we all worked on," Slash noted. "I didn't actually see Axl, but we communicated via the powers that be."[7]

Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke, who play on the majority of the tracks, are not credited as band members, but as "additional musicians". Classic-member drummer Steven Adler, who plays on only three tracks, and Izzy Stradlin, who plays on six, are credited as "main band members."

Two popular live songs, "Live and Let Die" and "Civil War" – both played frequently during the Use Your Illusion Tour – are omitted from this release. Songs that were played to a much lesser extent ("Pretty Tied Up" and "Move to the City") are included.

The Japanese and vinyl versions of the album contain a rare performance of "Coma".

"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.

Track listing

All music and lyrics written by Guns N' Roses, except where noted

Disc one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Concert	Length
1.	"Nightrain" (from Appetite for Destruction, 1987)		Las Vegas, USA; January 25, 1992	5:18
2.	"Mr. Brownstone" (from Appetite for Destruction)		London, UK; August 31, 1991	5:42
3.	"It's So Easy" (from Appetite for Destruction)	Guns N' Roses, West Arkeen	Paris, France; June 6, 1992	3:28
4.	"Welcome to the Jungle" (from Appetite for Destruction)		Buenos Aires, Argentina; December 6, 1992	5:09
5.	"Dust N' Bones" (from Use Your Illusion I, 1991)	Slash, Stradlin, McKagan	New York City, USA; May 16, 1991	5:05
6.	"My Michelle" (from Appetite for Destruction)		London, UK; August 31, 1991	3:53
7.	"You're Crazy" (from Appetite for Destruction)		Tokyo, Japan; December 10, 1988	4:45
8.	"Used to Love Her" (from G N' R Lies, 1988)		Tokyo, Japan; December 10, 1988	4:17
9.	"Patience" (from G N' R Lies)		Mexico City, Mexico; April 24, 1993	6:42
10.	"It's Alright" (Black Sabbath cover)	Bill Ward	Houston, USA; September 4, 1992	3:07
11.	"November Rain" (from Use Your Illusion I)	Rose	Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992	12:29
Total length:				59:54

Disc two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Concert	Length
1.	"Out ta Get Me" (from Appetite for Destruction)		London, UK; June 28, 1987	4:33
2.	"Pretty Tied Up" (from Use Your Illusion II, 1991)	Stradlin	Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992	5:25
3.	"Yesterdays" (from Use Your Illusion II)	Rose, Arkeen, Del James, Billy McCloud	Las Vegas, USA; January 25, 1992	3:52
4.	"Move to the City" (from Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, 1986)	Stradlin, James, Chris Weber	Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992	8:00
5.	"You Could Be Mine" (from Use Your Illusion II)	Rose, Stradlin	Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992	6:02
6.	"Rocket Queen" (from Appetite for Destruction)		Las Vegas, USA; January 25, 1992	8:27
7.	"Sweet Child o' Mine" (from Appetite for Destruction)		Paris, France; June 6, 1992	7:25
8.	"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Bob Dylan cover from Use Your Illusion II)	Bob Dylan	London, UK; April 20, 1992	7:27
9.	"Don't Cry" (from Use Your Illusion I)	Rose, Stradlin	Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992	4:44
10.	"Estranged" (from Use Your Illusion II)	Rose	Tokyo, Japan; February 22, 1992	9:52
11.	"Paradise City" (from Appetite for Destruction)		Las Vegas, USA; January 25, 1992	7:21
Total length:				1:13:09

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.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Concert	Length
12.	"Coma" (from Use Your Illusion I)	Rose, Slash	Omaha, USA; April 10, 1993	10:48

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[8]

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
• Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Dust N' Bones" (1987–1991)
• Duff McKagan – bass, acoustic guitar on Patience, backing vocals
• Steven Adler – drums (1987–1988)
• Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, synthesizer, percussion, backing vocals (1991–1993)
• 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)
• Cece Worrall – horns (1991–1993)
• Anne King – horns (1991–1993)
• Lisa Maxwell – horns (1991–1993)

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[9]	Platinum	60,000^^
Japan (RIAJ)[10]	Gold	100,000^^
United States (RIAA)[11]	Gold	500,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. AllMusic review
2. Rolling Stone review
3. Guitar World Presents: Guitar Legends - Slash #76 pg.12
4. GNR certifications- RIAA
5. Hotten, Jon (January 2002). "Mad bad and dangerous to know?". Classic Rock #36. p. 78.
6. "Live Era Track Sources". October 14, 2010. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008.
7. Guitar World Presents: Guitar Legends - Slash #76 pg.17
8. Live Era '87-'93 (Media notes). Guns N' Roses. Geffen Records. 1999.CS1 maint: others (link)
9. "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
10. "Japanese album certifications – Guns n' Roses – Live Era" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1999年12月 on the drop-down menu
11. "American album certifications – Guns n' Roses – Live Era". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 10 July 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 

External links

• GNR On Tour's Live Era Source Listing - John M.'s concert source listing for the album.
• Live Era '01-'07 - A Fanmade Compilation entitled Live Era '01-'07