Guns N Roses - Greatest Hits Album Review

Review of Guns N' Roses 2004 Greatest Hits compilation

This collection contains possibly the greatest tracks that Guns n Roses have ever performed. If you are a die-hard Guns n Roses fan, you can relive the first time you heard these tracks and felt those shivers go up your spine when you realised that these guys ROCK!

This album can also serve as an appetiser to the younger generation who can discover why this band is known as one of the finest that ever graced the stage in the world of music.Is there any more foreboding, more threatening and more appropriate opening to an album than the echoing guitar of "Welcome to the Jungle"? " Sweet Child O' Mine" is one of the immortal songs in Rock History. It has one of the most distinctive solos and is a mix of pop and rock. The highlight of the song is Slash's initially friendly solo brilliantly and fluidly morphinginto a demonic fury and the song ends with menacing metallic aggression.For acombination of pop and metal no song is better evidence than "ParadiseCity". The song is sung as it sounds, happy and naive - "take me downto Paradise City, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty" - butthe reality proves to be different. Axl Rose starts belting out lines about "urchinsliving under the street" and smoking cigarettes in the gas chamber tellingthe listener that not all is hunky dory in "Paradise City". 

Knockin' On Heaven's Door is a spine tingling cover version of BobDylan's 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'. It makes shivers go up your spine when youhear Axl snarling out: "Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door...Knock-knock-knockin'on heaven's door". This is my pick for the greatest cover song ever and in my opinion (no offence to Dylan fans) better than the original. " November Rain", my personal favourite, successfully blends greatpiano skills with strong vocals and light orchestration. Slash's soloin the song is guaranteed to give you goosebumps every single time you hear it. When Axl drawls out - 'Cause nothin' lasts forever. Even cold November rain', you realize that these 80's stars have the rare ability rare ability to transform ordinary lyrics into something compelling...an utterly personal experience for every listener.

Alex Lai