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Review:
GUNS N ROSES: Sex N' Drugs N' Rock N' Roll (DVD)
Note: This is a review of the DVD version. The material
will also be available on VHS.
Release Dates: OUT NOW!
Reviewed Version: Germany / NTSC format / Region Code
0 / Limited Edition
Publisher: Chrome Dreams
Screen Format: 4:3
Sound: Stereo Sound Mix
Running Time: aprox. 60 minutes
The text on the DVD case promises the following:
The complete and unauthorised biography of Guns N Roses.
More than forty minutes of interviews with the band and
those close to them. Exclusive and previuous unseen film
footage.
New insider revelations on the band. Before we take our
tour through the documentary, let us have a glimpse at
the Limited Edition DVD Extras. The picture gallery (containing
10 pics) shows images of the old als well as of the new
band. Cool stuff but nothing new. Further a complete Discography
is included.
It contains all albums, singles, EPs, Promos and a huge
amount of bootlegs in form of commented text. Unfortunately
the text is damn small and hard to read on a tv screen.
For this you should use a DVD Rom to read the text on
your computer. Next option is a bit merchandising for
Chrome Dreams (they also released the interview CD Maximum
Guns N Roses).
The documentary. You can choose from 13 chapters. I will
start with the first one. It starts with a short summary
of who Guns N Roses are and leads to the fact that Axl
is the only remaining original member. Next is some damn
cool info clip concerning Los Angeles and its music scene.
We get short glimpses of the famous places in Paradise
City like the Roxy, Rainbow, Troubadour, and so on. The
documentary was filmed last year, shortly after the beginning
of the now cancelled Chinese Democracy World Tour. It
covers the bands history from the very beginning when
Axl and Izzy were moving from Lafayette, Indiana, to Los
Angeles, over the early club days (and how GNR came together
from L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose), over the first Hell
Tour, over the record deal and the Use Your Illusion Tour.
The interviews: Unfortunately, the only real interview
with the band is one (cut into some short statement like
clips) with Duff, Slash and Izzy in early 1987 I think.
Another scene is when Slash talks to a crowd of fans from
a balcony. The rest are just thrown in pictures that underline
the interviews with people from L.A., journalists, friends,
a representative of the Conway Studios (where Use Your
Illusion was recorded) and some more. Most interesting
is a longer interview with the guy that tattoed GNR and
other eighties Glam & Sleaze bands like Motley Crue
and others. At the end there is a converstation with a
guy in a studio where they all recorded: Guns N Roses,
Slashs Snakepit, Izzy Stradlin, Gilby Clarke, up to the
new lineup. One time, he says, Guns N Roses were recording,
and then, after they were done, Buckethead took his mask
off and jammed just like a normal guitarist.
Of course, nobody taped that scene. There is a bit of
talking concerning the new tour, album and the VMA appearance.
In the end I can say that this documentary is cool and
real fans should have it if only for the nostalgia. But
except for some interesting or funny sidenotes (like the
Buckethead story and 4 or 5 others) there is nothing really
new that hardcore fans do not already know. However, it
is highly enjoyable.
Important: The DVD does NOT contain any music by Guns
N Roses. Due to copyright contracts the publisher was
not allowed to use original music.
If you want to buy this German version of the DVD, here
is where to get it:
www.amazon.com
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