GUNS n' ROSES
FAMILY TREE

This is a curious compilation, released on the unknown Music Broker’s label out of Argentina, ‘Guns n Roses Family Tree’ is the aural equivalent of 70’s exploitation cinema at it’s finest - an odd collection cashing in on the Gunners name now that Slash is doing big business with his self titled solo album plus friends. Take Hollywood Rose demos (they were Axl & Tracii Guns’ band before Gunners & L.A. Guns respectively took off), mix them up with some tribute album material of Gunners classics as well as some other covers which I am assuming appear here because they were influential to G n’ R, and some songs by ex-members like Gilby Clarke, and you really do have a hit and miss affair.

My first thought is to wonder how the CD ever got as far as going on sale, what with the litigious nature of our friend Mister Rose. The dubious relevance of some of the tracks to the overall theme is another issue here, and the package itself does hint at possible copyright violation – whether the laws are less stringent in South America, or Music Brokers have covered themselves legally, I am not the one to say.

Most of the tracks herein are available elsewhere, but it’s certainly interesting having them here all in the one place.

Of the old Hollywood Rose demos, early versions of ‘Anything Goes’ and ‘Shadow Of Your Love’ map out the evolutionary trail which led to Guns n’ Roses becoming the biggest band in the world.

The best of the Guns n’ Roses covers include Gilby Clarke’s basic but honest take on ‘Sweet Child O Mine’; L.A. Guns do a faithful rendition of ‘My Michelle’; Tracii Guns, Gilby Clarke and Fred Coury get sleazy on ‘It’s So Easy’; and Bang Tango plus Guns & Clarke score with a decent shot at ‘Mr Brownstone’.

Amidst the Gunners tunes are a couple of Alice Cooper offerings - ‘No More Mister Nice Guy’ is an earthy offering featuring Slash & Roger Daltrey; while ‘Elected’ is uninspiring and disappointing, coming from Duff & Matt with The Cult’s Billy Duffy and the Pistols’ Steve Jones. L.A. Guns pitch in another fine performance of Def Leppard’s ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’, and Tracii Guns teams up with Stephen Pearcy of Ratt to fly the Aerosmith flag with ‘Toys In The Attic’.

The only unreleased song as far as I am aware is also the only track featuring the original Guns n’ Roses lineup – a blistering sleazepunk cover of Rose Tattoo’s ‘Nice Boys’, and this is the real selling point of this double disc set, which is mostly a cobbled together collection of bar room covers (albeit some far better than others) intermingling with average quality demos.

Best bit: The original kings of heavy sleaze rock – Guns n’ Roses making Rose Tattoo seem like ‘Easy Listening’ on their cover of ‘Nice Boys’

Shane Rockpit

1 Anything Goes-Hollywood Rose
2 Welcome To The Jungle-Gilby Clarke, Tracii Guns & Kevin Dubrow (Quiet Riot)
3 No More Mr.Nice Guy-Slash & Roger Daltrey (The Who)
4 Sex Action-L.A. Guns
5 Sweet Child OMine-Gilby Clarke
6 Killing Time-Hollywood Rose
7 Elected-Duff Mckagan, Matt Sorum, Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) & Billy Duffy (The Cult)
8 My Michelle-L.A. Guns
9 It's So Easy-Tracii Guns, Gilby Clarke & Fred Coury (Cinderella)
10 Last Cigarette-Hollywood Rose Feat. Teddy Zigzag (Slash’ 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)

13 Pour Some Sugar On Me-L.A.Guns
14 Rocker-Hollywood Rose
15 Mr. Brownstone-Bang Tango Feat Tracii Guns & Gilby Clarke
16 Toys In The Attic-Tracii Guns & Stephen Pearcy (Ratt)
17 Jailbreak-Hollywood Rose Feat Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones)
18 Used To Love Her-Gilby Clarke, Tracii Guns & John Corabi (Motley Crue)
19 Gypsy-Slash & Tommy Shaw (Styx)
20 Wanted Dead Or Alive-L.A.Guns
21 Patience-Gilby Clarke, Tracii Guns & John Corabi (Motley Crue)
22 Don't Cry-Spike (Quireboys), Tracii Guns & Gilby Clarke
23 Shadow Of Your Love-Hollywood Rose
24 Lay It Down-Stephen Pearcy (Ratt) & Tracii Guns