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Why was Tokyo 1992 Chosen for the DVD?


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I’ve always wondered why this specific concert was chosen to be in the official dvd. I believe that it is the weakest of the pro-shot 1992 shows that are available. The band just wasn’t their best that night. There are so many other better concerts from 1992; Paris, Oklahoma, Chicago. Shit, even the other two Tokyo shows played days apart are better (Locomotive at one and Coma as an opener at the other). 

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7 minutes ago, TheSeeker said:

They specifically had extra cameras/better sound recording equipment at this show for the sake of recording it - IIRC it was originally filmed for a 2-part special on Japanese television

I saw somewhere else that they had cameras used to make movies that they used to film the second warm-up gig for the Illusion tour. I’m not sure if it’s true, but if it is, I would rather see that show.

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5 minutes ago, Ninjapie24 said:

I saw somewhere else that they had cameras used to make movies that they used to film the second warm-up gig for the Illusion tour. I’m not sure if it’s true, but if it is, I would rather see that show.

Yeah - if it's anything like this Nirvana performance shot on film in 1991, it would be wild to see:

 

 

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15 minutes ago, TheSeeker said:

Yeah - if it's anything like this Nirvana performance shot on film in 1991, it would be wild to see:

 

 

I’m not a fan of Nirvana (I still respect and like Dave Grohl) but if we saw Bad Apples, Right Next Door to Hell and other less seen Illusions songs in that quality, I would need to use my white pants.

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1 hour ago, TheSeeker said:

Yeah - if it's anything like this Nirvana performance shot on film in 1991, it would be wild to see:

 

 

OK I've never seen this before, that was 1991?! Yeah I'd shit having a classic era GNR show in that quality. 

Side note, Dave's drumming around this time was top fucking notch. VMAs 1992 being my favourite. 

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Other than a few songs (DTJ springs to mind) it was a pretty average show - at least compared to some of their top shows. The dark venue, subdued crowd etc didn’t help.

Paris or any number of other shows would’ve been better as a lasting official release

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I wondered this a million times, too. Lots of things speak against this show as a representative live release of a band at the top of the game or at least their commercial height (even little things like Axl not wearing a bandana). I think Tokyo was chosen because there is long history of releasing live material/albums recorded in Japan. Think of all the Budokans albums for example. 

Anyway, the better question is: Why is Tokyo still the only show released to date, especially taking into account that it isn't their best/representative show?!?!

Lots of  bands (e.g. the Doors) did release a quick shot medicore live album during their heydays but did correct this mistake sooner or later by opening their vaults or - at least - by adding one or two more better live releases. 

After more than 25 years since the Tokyo 92 release and a current three years (and counting) reunion tour it's NOW time for GNR to do the same. There is absolutely no reason not to do so! 

The current Saskatoon-gate alone should have shown the last person within the GNR camp that there is a massive need/hunger for such a release! 

But hey, why complaining?! We can order GNRair pins and sunglasses instead. 

Edited by zigzagbigbag
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3 hours ago, Ninjapie24 said:

I’ve always wondered why this specific concert was chosen to be in the official dvd. I believe that it is the weakest of the pro-shot 1992 shows that are available. The band just wasn’t their best that night. There are so many other better concerts from 1992; Paris, Oklahoma, Chicago. Shit, even the other two Tokyo shows played days apart are better (Locomotive at one and Coma as an opener at the other). 

everyone in 1992 that knew half a thing about GNR knew that 1992 was the weakest year of GNR whatever was left of GNR

including axl, slash and duff

they knew

seriously

whoever decided to release anything from 1992 as the first GNR live DVD -- specially without ever releasing anything from 1987-91 -- really lost the plot

you have to be truly, truly stupid -- and ignorant about your own band! -- to pick anything from 1992 when you had pro shots from 1987-91 to pick and choose

since axl had taken over GNR by then, i can only assume that the decision of recording and releasing THAT DVD was Axl's

 

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2 hours ago, ludurigan said:

everyone in 1992 that knew half a thing about GNR knew that 1992 was the weakest year of GNR whatever was left of GNR

including axl, slash and duff

they knew

seriously

whoever decided to release anything from 1992 as the first GNR live DVD -- specially without ever releasing anything from 1987-91 -- really lost the plot

you have to be truly, truly stupid -- and ignorant about your own band! -- to pick anything from 1992 when you had pro shots from 1987-91 to pick and choose

since axl had taken over GNR by then, i can only assume that the decision of recording and releasing THAT DVD was Axl's

 

I think it was likely a matter of wanting to have the, at that point, current band. Just like how it wouldn't make a lot of sense to release shows from the AFD or UYI tour today, it didn't back then either. Especially given that thungs weren't exactly good between Izzy, Steven and the rest of the band. 

That being said, a release from 87 or 91 would be incredible. I have no idea about why they didn't include the Marquee show in the boxset. And, all things considered, summer 91 was the last time Axl had proper rasp. 91 Axl > 93 Axl > 92 Axl, in my opnion. 

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All three Tokyo '92 shows were filmed by a Japanese film crew, for a possible vhs release in Japan.  There were problems (of a practical nature, staging etc.) during the first two nights, so the third night was chosen.  Eventually, it was released world wide.

In my opinion, all three shows count as some of the best of the whole UYI Tour.   Pretty long shows (3+ hours), great cross-section of all the material featured on the UYI tour, in line with the high standard of the late '91, early '92 North American shows.  In fact, these were some of the last of the really epic UYI Tour shows.  Pretty soon, a lot of these songs would fall by the wayside, in some cases never to return : 'Pretty Tied Up', 'Move To The City', 'Rocket Queen', 'Estranged', 'Locomotive', 'Coma', ...  Pretty soon, and for (basically) the rest of the '92 run, they would revert to a boring, standard, static setlist :

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/guns-n-roses/1992/stadio-delle-alpi-turin-italy-1bd61924.html

By June '93, they were playing sets under 2 hours ... :shrugs:

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My only gripe with the tokyo shows was the constant costume changes by axl, they just looked stupid. Were the constant outfit changes the norm in 91 and 93 shows?. The other good thing about the tokyo releases was seeing PTU on a release. The other laugh was seeing how out of it duff was " im like a conductor".:lol:

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All these years later I'm not the biggest fan of that tour.

Give me something from 1991 when Izzy was still there, and the only "addition" musician was Dizzy. Or something from the Skin N Bones tour like the recently leaked Saskatchewan show.

Hell, a remastered and uncensored Ritz 88 would be awesome on Bluray!

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I can’t remember the specifics- but I recall something about the band/mgmt. feeling like they “owed” the Japanese market and music industry. Maybe Japan was particularly kind/supportive to the band in the early days? I have also heard this as an explanation for why Izzy had those “Japanese only” releases too.

I think another factor is that they thought the Japanese fans would provide a nice, calm enivironment to focus on filming. Obviously things were pretty wild for the band in North America during that time...

Personally, I love the DVDs. Not so much for their quality v. other shows- but rather it’s just cool to play them and instantly be taken back to a time where the band was the biggest on earth. Also attached to them b/c I wore them out in the wait for Chinese...

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53 minutes ago, F*ck Fear said:

All these years later I'm not the biggest fan of that tour.

Give me something from 1991 when Izzy was still there, and the only "addition" musician was Dizzy. Or something from the Skin N Bones tour like the recently leaked Saskatchewan show.

Hell, a remastered and uncensored Ritz 88 would be awesome on Bluray!

I cannot understand why everybody is screaming for an official Ritz release?! We already got that show for years. 

By far more I want something which hasnt never been seen by anyone of us instead of something which everyone has seen a million times, even if the quality would be a little bit better. 

I don't want Paris 92, Ritz 88 or any other of the shows of which pro shots are circulating for years. Give me Ritz 91, Wembley 91 or whatever. Otherwise it would be the same as with the AFD demo songs everybody complains about. 

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12 hours ago, TheSeeker said:

They specifically had extra cameras/better sound recording equipment at this show for the sake of recording it - IIRC it was originally filmed for a 2-part special on Japanese television

This. Plus it simply looks the best. Japanese video cameras > any other video camera at the time

 

2 hours ago, zigzagbigbag said:

I cannot understand why everybody is screaming for an official Ritz release?! We already got that show for years. 

By far more I want something which hasnt never been seen by anyone of us instead of something which everyone has seen a million times, even if the quality would be a little bit better. 

I don't want Paris 92, Ritz 88 or any other of the shows of which pro shots are circulating for years. Give me Ritz 91, Wembley 91 or whatever. Otherwise it would be the same as with the AFD demo songs everybody complains about. 


Not everyone has easy access to this stuff.

Edited by Setzer
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The show could have been much better if the audio mix was better. Bad bass mix, compressed as all hell, not just the dynamic range, but also the bitrate. Even the laserdisc audio is just terrible. I wish it would have had the mix that the LALD Wembley ‘91 single audio had, or maybe how Oklahoma ‘92 is, even if you can’t always hear the rhythm guitar

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