In 1991, four years after their breakthrough album Appetite For Destruction, Guns N’ Roses released not one, but two albums, as a follow-up. General consensus would suggest that this was one too many. The world could have got by with a single album featuring the best of both UYI ‘1’ and ‘2’.

From the first Use Your Illusion, a mere three tracks would make the cut for this, namely ‘Live & Let Die’, itself a cover of an old Wings song, ‘Don’t Cry’, the greatest single they ever recorded, and ‘November Rain’. So, you might now be thinking that you wouldn’t be getting value for your money if you shelled out for this DVD. You would be wrong. For a number of reasons.

The first being that the DVD features performances of some of their strongest songs from other albums. So we are treated to ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ off Appetite For Destruction and, confusingly, ‘Civil War’ from Use Your Illusion 2. There’s also their mighty fine interpretation of The Rolling Stones’ classic ‘Wild Horses’.

Then there’s the indisputable fact that Guns N’ Roses rocked live, even when playing a soulless venue like the Tokyo Dome. Every band member is a more than capable musician, a master of their own instrument, or in the case of bassist Duff McKagan his band mate’s too as he also plays the drums. Lead singer Rose, apart from the time when he tinkles the ivories Elton John style with dress sense to match, just can’t seem to keep still and is forever charging across the stage. Forget the Atkins Diet, leaping around like Axl will burn off those carbs.

Finally, the DVD entertains even with the sound off. GNR, let’s face it, were a spectacle every time they walked on stage. With the honourable exception of lead guitarist, and lone Brit, Slash, each and every band member suffered a bad hair day. 365 times a year. Now that’s what I call funny.
(3/5)

Release Date: 12 January 2004

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Use Your Illusion 1 World Tour - 1992 In Tokyo