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March 25th, 2004
Guns N' Roses - (Geffen Universal)

Greatest Hits
Jamie O'Meara

Well, it was really just a matter of time, and quite frankly, I'm surprised they waited this long (13 years from the last album proper, not counting '93's The Spaghetti Incident or '99's Live Era). And it looks as though this is going to have to do, eh? Anyway, of particular note - in addition to the expected hits from all six previous releases - is a pretty rockin' version of The Stones' Sympathy for the Devil, recorded in 1994, though at only 14 songs I'd have liked to have seen a few more from Appetite for Destruction.


	Write your review of this record !

We need money 101

Guns N' Roses is a perfect example of a band that could have been instead of a band that was. W.Axl Rose is easily one of the biggest jerks in the history of rock (we all remember the Olympic Stadium in 1992). But if we go past that incident, we remember that the band really had an explosive debut with the excellent Appetite For Destruction of 1986. We saw a great band in them. The successors of the Stones as the bad boys of rock. Boy, were we wrong.

Only Axl and long-time keyboardist Dizzy reed are part of the band now, they've been promising a new studio album, Chinese Democracy for 2 years now, they have cancelled half of their world tour and caused another riot, this time in Vancouver. And now they put out a best-of set (thanks to a greedy record company) that offers nothing new except this Stones cover (ironically enough), Sympathy For The Devil, originally a part of the Interview With The Vampire soundtrack. It doesn't even contain Oh My God. Talk about a crap product. If the band is ever to play Montreal, maybe Axl should consider Bordeaux jail or Dollard-Cormier centre. That way, he'll probably feel more at home, and will actuallt play the gig.

In brief, old material from a bunch of opportunictic punks, determined to Use Our Illusions yet once again.

Sebastien Behnan

{4 votes}

November 22nd, 2004

Oh C'mon!!!!

Now I know that Estranged is not here. Also they forgot Think about you. But seriously this is a freaking great album. I mean they included Sympathy For the Devil with all of the choicest cuts from the four albums ( I never include the Spaghetti Incident when talking about the Gunners...) This is what keeps me warm at night on those days when I believe Axl when he says that Chinese Democracy is right around the corner. A greatest hits from rockers who are sorely missed these days.

Reuven De Souza

April 26th, 2007

Guns N Roses

wow, how lame. Not only is the tracklisting poor, and very incomplete - there is nothing on here that we haven't heard before. The reason for this coming out was Geffen wanting to cash in, as they figure what pretty much all of us do. The Axl, and whoever will never record an album again. It's been, what? 15 years since they released an original album? Since 1991, everyone except Axl has left the band. Slash and Duff are in Velvet Revolver now, and both are pretty set on not having anything to do with Axl.

Axl on the other hand has been toying in the studio for years, working on an album (Chinese Democracy) that has been set for release (*and then pulled) more times then you could possibly imagine. The latest is is should be released soon, and songs have been leaked on the net. Will this album ever see the light of day? Does anyone still care? I guess we'll just have to see whether or not they continue to be the biggest band to ever implode.

Bottomline: By the 4 studio albums. never waste your money on this, as GNR is much more then this album shows.

Rob Harbic

August 4th, 2006

Album Review - Guns N' Roses Greatest Hits

I expect newer generations of hardcore music fans venturing off into the hard rock world attempting to discover what the big fuss about this type of music was all about in the late 80s / early nineties. They will begin their journey by listening to greatest hits of bands such as this one, like the album but never fully comprehend how Guns N' Roses really made it big. Any Guns N' Roses fan knows that Appetite for Destruction is where its at. The album perfectly portrayed the trials and tribulations of the youth in Los Angeles during that decade. The excess of sex, drugs and rock n' roll is violently described to an alarming effectiveness. The order in which the songs were presented was as important as the content itself. It still remains one of the best rock albums ever made alongside the likes of AC/DC's Back in Black, Led Zeppelin IV or Black Sabbath's Paranoid.

This Greatest Hits package nullifies the impact Appetite had by piecing tracks of this landmark album with subsequent tracks that proved self-destruction was the band's inevitable fate. Do we really need all those cover songs when Axl & Co. excelled in writing killer rock n' roll tunes? Welcome to the Jungle and Sweet Child O' Mine are as important to rock as Live and Let Die and Knockin' on Heaven's Door will ever be.

Guns N' Roses made music dangerous again and this collection is a watered-down excuse to appease rockers' thirst for the aforementioned 'Chinese Democracy" and to keep Axl Rose relevant in the musical spectrum. I still find it hard not seeing top hat curly-haired guitarist Slash in a band actually calling itself Guns N' Roses but that's another topic altogether.

Ronny Pangia

June 3rd, 2006

Guns N' Roses - One word: Izzy Stradlin

All I can say about this compilation is that it should really contain more Izzy Stradlin-penned songs since he was and will always be the backboneof the band, contributing much needed songwriting and attitude to GnR. The rest of the band members were all integral parts to the whole, yes, but the songs came mostly from that man. The songs from Appetite are well-chosen, albeit for It's So Easy and Out To Get Me, but regardless, the songs were the singles put out and are unrepresentative.

As for the Illusion albums, they should have picked 14 Years or Dust N' Bones, to really reflect the gunners' attitude properly. Including a cover like Knockin' On Heaven's Door

only serves to give Dylan royalty cheques. Yes, it's a bit impossible to accurately piece together a GnR compilation truly showing every angle to the band, lest you literally throw every complete album in there. But a best of, featuring singles and nothing more on one disc is a cop-out for the newbies that don't know this band and that will undoubtedly miss out on better tracks and a blatant cash-grab for Geffen.

The album opens with "Welcome To The Jungle" & "Sweet Child O' Mine". Together these tunes contain two of the most recognizable riffs hard rock in the 80s produced. Along with their great acoustic ballad "Patience" & "Paradise City" they set the tone for late 80s stadium rock. Nothing Def Leppard or Bon Jovi ever produced ever had the teeth these songs had.

The five covers in the collection are not bad but could've been avoided. Again, just because they were put out as singles doesn't mean they were that good or well-chosen singles at the time.

Overall a teaser of a compilation but something to inform the uninitiated.

Angelo Antonio Vernucci

{1 vote}

February 28th, 2006

Here would be my G 'n' R 'Greatest hits' list...

I'll start with the ones I agree with:

1) Welcome to the Jungle

2) Sweet Child o' Mine

3) Patience

4) Paradise City

5) possibly Sympathy For The Devil (simply cause I like the original)

Now for the other 9:

6) One in a million

7) Coma

8) So Fine

9) Estranged

wow....whattaya know, can't even find 14 songs....guess I would make a short album...

Ghyslain Lapointe

March 14th, 2005

Guns N' Roses - Greatest Hits

I love Guns 'N Roses, but I will never buy this album. Not only were they completely against it getting released, there's nothing new on here. The only track not on a G'N'R album is 'Sympathy For The Devil' of the Interview With The Vampire soundtrack. Sure it's a great tune, but buy the soundtrack before you buy this.

Not only are there some great songs missing here, G'N'R had only 4 original albums, so I'd suggest picking them up before this. Their albums were all classic (except maybe G'n'lies). It's too bad they haven't released anything original since 1991, but you just have to deal with it. These guys could have been the next Rolling Stones, everyone knows that, but they won't be.

They will eventually make it in the Rock Hall of Fame, and be remembered as one of the best, too bad they weren't around for that long.

Kelly Martel

December 15th, 2004

CDspin/Guns N' Roses/Greatest Hits

Ah, to be young and stupid again...

Y'know, I can still remember when these guys were the shit and held the world in their hands...then it all went to hell.

Guns N' Roses had it all, fame, fortune, groupies, you name it and these boys were rolling in it. Then their egos got bigger than the music and they started acting as if the fans owed them. It's an old story and we all know it. Guns N' Roses splintered and imploded upon itself and left a void that was later filled by an equally troubled band, Nirvana. Music needs its forerunners and Guns N' Roses was just that for many a year.

Fortunately, Guns N' Roses left behind a strong collection of songs to remember them by...unfortunately, that is just what this is, a collection. It's not a remastered and magically superior package that shines a new light on their musical legacy, it's just a pasted together gathering of their hits with little bonus features worth mentioning.

If you have all their previous albums you have what's here and if you really need to buy this particular album then I rather doubt that you're going to appreciate what this band actually could pull off on a real album.

The various members have all gone their separate ways and have found some marginal success but nothing like when they were the one and only Guns N' Roses.

Pedro Eggers

{18 votes}

November 22nd, 2004

What happened to AXL?

I use to be a huge fan of Guns N' Roses and now they have become a joke in the music industry. Axl Rose ego got in the way and that is why one of the best bands of all time had to break up. Now Axl has a new line up and they have yet to release an album to this date. At one point in his career Axl Rose was the biggest rock star on the planet.

As for the greatest hits record I heard that the members of the original Guns N' Roses had no input on what songs would go on the album because Geffen wanted to release it so that they could make some money off it. The former members of Guns N' Roses including Axl were furious and tried to stop it from being release but they were unsuccessful. If you don't own any Guns N' Roses record I recommend that you but this greatest hits album and listen to one of the best Hard Rock bands of all time.

Gerry Samson

{3 votes}

November 1st, 2004

guns and roses-axl and slash

Guns & rose were one of two bands to change the face of heavy metal. With Slash on guitar, which everybody tried to play like him. And with Axl roses original voice they climb to number one and stayed there for along time. But like everything great it had to come to an end at sometime, it was a sad day for heavy metal fans when G & R broke up. I have all their cds and still listen to them with pride. I wish that the real G & R would get back together instead of this fake band that is calming to be G & R, without slash it is just a bunch guys playing along to Axl's voice. Because without Axl or Slash you could never have G & R. But to get the real G & R back together it would take a miracle, and it is never going to happen.

John Shannon

{2 votes}

October 22nd, 2004

I miss them.

I liked all their albums and miss them. I liked their Live and Let Die (on 45), and Knock Knock Knocking on heaven's door (also on 45). I am interested in their over for Sympathy for the Devil - but not enough to lay out $14.95 for one song.

They need to clean up, sober up and just play some music and quit their bitching. No one wants to hear it, we listen for the music, not their attitude.

Greg Bishop

{1 vote}

May 2nd, 2004

Just what we needed, more Axl...Not!

Well, G n' R must be needing to pay off their mortgages, otherwise why bother releasing this? A greatest hits package from a band that had a total of 2, count 'em, 2 hits. The implosion of this band could not have come sooner according to me, what with them having the most obnoxious and ignorant singer in rock at the time. It was really too bad that Slash, who really is a superb guitarist, had to be in a band with such a snivelling punk. How long before they're on a reunion tour? I have a feeling that this album might be the shot across the bow for that tour. Yikes!

Tim Mitchell

April 2nd, 2004

Slash is Back

Yes, Guns and Roses are long overdue to put out a new disc. Does it have to be a greatest hits with a token Stones cover? Despite GNR's obvious problems, they are good musicians and I would love to hear completely new material. I guess Slash has finally had enough of his futile solo projects--of which I have two. Generally when a band comes out of oblivion, such as GNR has done with this greatest hits compilation a new release should follow.

Larry Garnett

{4 votes}

March 29th, 2004

Welcome to the jungle

I can remember dancing to Guns N' Roses in our local bar around 87", 88". It was fun while it lasted. Would I go out and buy the greatest hits cd? probably not. If it was new music that they were trying to promote maybe I would have considered, but not for re-released work that my son could probably burn on to a cd. Even then I'm really not much into Guns N' Roses, so I probably wouldn't even go to that much trouble. I do like hearing them once in awhile-on chom. It brings back a lot of good memories.

Pamela Wright

{6 votes}

March 27th, 2004

I Love Guns N' Roses

I'm such a huge Guns N' Roses fan. I've been a fan since they started out in 1987 with their debut album called "Appetite For Destruction." I heard that with this new greatest hits record Guns N' Roses had no part in the song choosing and that their old record label Geffen Records put out the album so that they could make some money off it. Axl Rose and his former band mates were very upset and filed a lawsuit against Geffen. For this greatest hits they is no use in buying it for me because my family and I already have all their albums. I hope for the young generation they will buy this album and see for themselves what a great band Guns N' Roses were. I still can't wait for Chinese Democracy to come out.

Carmela Sicurella

{2 votes}

March 25th, 2004

Greatest Fits more like it

I certainly hope old fans of the band can enjoy this collection because this group is truly washed up and has been for several years now. The sad part is I feel that Axl has tainted himself and his fans so much that i dare not make this a purchase. Much in the same way with the Oasis brothers...people who just plain don't deserve success because of their constant whining. At least Don HENLEY eventually shut up about all the crap was going on...Axl, and Oasis brothers...your careers are OVER!!

Ger Madden

{3 votes}

March 25th, 2004

Welcome to the... oh let me out of here !!!

What's the point of even releasing this material at this point ? Guns & Roses - have through the years caused so much bad will- that they'll never ever be revived successfully. Jam this "greatest hits" next to the CULTURE CLUB DVD that was released last week for the "so what" award.

Rob Postuma

{3 votes}

March 25th, 2004

I have an idea!

OK, just get all your old Guns N Roses CDs out from the boxes in the closet - or CD rack, shame on you! - and record the ones you like(d) the best. Hey, your own Greatest Hits album, with none of the expense. (Or encouragement to G&R to make more music).

Ellen Reid

{2 votes}

March 25th, 2004

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