Cons: Bad packaging, lackluster remastering, and a few really bad songs...
The Bottom Line: Guns n' Roses defined a generation of rock and roll. Greatest Hits is their first and only compilation, unfortunately it is not a good look at the band.
lambchops's Full Review: Greatest Hits by Guns N' Roses
Literal years have passed since Axl Rose first promised us his Chinese Democracy. The record label has given up, and even worse the fans have pretty much come to the conclusion that even if it does exist the material will probably never be released.
Geffen, the record label, wanted new music. They’d waited twelve long years and after many promises and much strife Rose failed them and embarrassed himself time and time again on stage. Thus, in a final straw sort of effort the record company hastily released the Guns n’ Roses Greatest Hits collection. Is it complete? No way, but it does exactly what it promises. The fourteen songs are indeed the band’s greatest hits. Keep in mind that this is not a band-approved best of.
Despite the no frills packaging and remastering, Greatest Hits does capture glimpses of the band that was once so great. There are songs culled from each of the band’s five albums (five if you count Lose Your Illusion I and II separately). GNR kicked my butt in the late 80’s and in pre-grunge early 90’s. I loved them, their music, and even their videos. Even if Greatest Hits does collect most of the songs you expect, it does not do what I’d hoped. The only real way that GNR would be well served by such a compilation would be in the form of some carefully thought out boxed set rather than this haphazard mess.
I am left with the distinct feeling that record executives (or was it the interns) sat down looking for fourteen songs to include. They took those that were most expected, but out of sheer ignorance didn’t include some of the lesser hits that fans happen to be rather fond of. Remember what I said—Greatest Hits is just a way to get something from GNR on the shelves and nothing more. In much the same way as the ill-fated Nirvana Greatest Hits, this will not satisfy long standing fans of GNR. They will find it as hollow as the lackluster packaging and completely missing liner notes.
Those songs you would most expect on any homemade compilation are included—covers and all. Like it or not, but some of GNR’s biggest hits were indeed remade earlier songs. I personally am rather fond of Yesterdays, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door and Live and Let Die but find myself willing to do without Since I Don’t Have You and Sympathy for the Devil. The band oozes passion and hurt on Bob Dylan’s Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door--it is one of the best songs on this album and one of the most impressive cover songs of all time.
That leaves just nine original GNR tunes. Surely the guys had a slew of other songs that would have fit perfectly on this album, right? Right. I can’t help but wonder where Estranged, Mr. Brownstone, Nightrain, Used To Love Her (But I Had to Kill Her), or even the outstanding 14 Years are at? They just weren’t deemed important enough and on shoddy compilations the surest way to sell is to include songs which are recognizable on many levels.
Since I own all the GNR albums (save for The Spaghetti Incident?), I find Greatest Hits to be rather unnecessary. As briefly mentioned above, I could personally assemble a better bunch of songs more in line with my taste. I would by no means omit my personal favorites but would have no choice but to hack off the last three songs--Ain’t It Fun, Since I Don’t Have You, and Sympathy for the Devil are all junk. They are difficult and atonal and not at all up to snuff when compared to the first eleven songs.
Even the greatness of the majority of these songs can’t make up for its many shortcomings. I discovered GNR upon the release of songs Welcome to the Jungle and Sweet Child o’ Mine. Smartly, Geffen included those songs in the first two slots. Also not omitted are outstanding original offerings Paradise City, You Could Be Mine, Civil War, and Patience among a few others. Also expectedly the overlong and over-hyped November Rain gets a slot. But still…I’m left feeling empty. Without sounding like a bad cliché, Sweet Child o’ Mine is one of the best and most immediately recognizable rock tracks of all time. Not even excellence on par with Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and The Doors can save this dire excuse for a Greatest Hits album.
Greatest Hits is by no means a must own. It is so lacking it hurts and except for huge fans who insist on owning every last thing from GNR and people who don’t know better this album is not worth having. My suggestion? You may as well just buy Appetite For Destruction, Use Your Illusion I, and Use Your Illusion II. They are much better representations of the band—Axl Rose, Duff McKagen, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, and Steven Adler/Matt Sorum.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars (rounded up)
Track Listing:
01. Welcome to the Jungle
02. Sweet Child O’ Mine
03. Patience
04. Paradise City
05. Civil War
06. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
07. You Could Be Mine
08. Don’t Cry
09. November Rain
10. Live and Let Die
11. Yesterdays
12. Ain’t It Fun
13. Since I Don’t Have You
14. Sympathy for the Devil
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