Beautiful Disease

The album was recorded through 1998 in Duff McKagan's home studio with all the instruments and vocals on the album provided by McKagan himself, with the addition of guests like Mike Bordin, Michael Barragan, Abe Laboriel Jr. and ex-Guns N' Roses members Slash and Izzy Stradlin.{{Cite web | last = Harr | first = Dan | title = Gun For Hire: Slash the Sideman | work = musicnewsnashville.com | date = May 15, 2013 | accessdate = May 24, 2017 |url = http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/gun-for-hire-slash-the-sideman/}} Beautiful Disease included new versions of the songs "Seattlehead" and "Mezz" that were previously featured on releases of Duff McKagan's previous bands, Neurotic Outsiders and 10 Minute Warning respectively.

The album was supposed to be released on Duff McKagan's birthday February 5, 1999.{{cite book|first=Duff |last=McKagan |chapter=Chapter Fifty-Two |pages=308–311|year=2011 |title=It's So Easy and Other Lies|publisher=Touchstone}} The promotional campaign for the album was started by Geffen Records with promo copies being distributed. During the same time a merger between Polygram and Universal occurred and Geffen was merged with A&M Records into Interscope and McKagan's album was among others that was shelved.{{cite news|last1=Neil|first1=Strauss|title=A Major Merger Shakes Up the World of Rock|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/21/arts/a-major-merger-shakes-up-the-world-of-rock.html|accessdate=September 18, 2015|work=New York Times|date=December 21, 1998}}

Nevertheless, McKagan went on tour in support of the album putting up a band with Dez Cadena of Black Flag, Taz Bentley of the Burden Brothers and Michael Barragan of Plexi.{{cite AV media notes | title = Episode 1999: Live | others = Loaded | year= 1999 | publisher = Pimp Records | type = booklet}}

During the tour McKagan came up with the idea to release a live album that would include the unreleased material. This resulted in Loaded's Episode 1999: Live live album that featured six songs from Beautiful Disease: "Seattlehead", "Superman", "Shinin' Down", "Missing You", "Then and Now" and "Mezz".

The songs "Seattlehead", "Superman", and "Then and Now" were eventually re-recorded and released on Loaded's debut studio album Dark Days.

In 2023, McKagan's manager managed to acquire the rights and master tapes to Beautiful Disease,{{Citation |title=Duff McKagan's Lighthouse Album Special Interview hosted by Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbQG5nudak8 |access-date=2024-02-10 |language=en}} leading to the inclusion of a new mix of "Hope" (with newly recorded vocals) on McKagan's 2023 album Lighthouse, including the original performances from Slash and Abe Laboriel Jr.

Despite McKagan now being in possession of the original album again, no mention has been made of an official release of the original record.

All songs written by Duff McKagan, except where noted.

1. "Seattlehead" – 4:17
2. "Who's to Blame" – 2:06
3. "Superman" – 3:12
4. "Song for Beverly" – 4:33
5. "Put You Back" (Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin) – 3:24
6. "Shinin' Down" (Al Bloch) – 2:54
7. "Missing You" (Duff McKagan, Michael Barragan) – 4:52
8. "Hope" – 4:32
9. "Holiday" (Al Bloch) – 2:22
10. "Then and Now" (Duff McKagan, Paul Solger) – 4:10
11. "Rain" – 4:17
12. "Beautiful Disease" (Duff McKagan, Eddie Hewlett) – 2:43
13. "Mezz" – 4:42

• Duff McKagan – vocals, bass guitar, guitar, drums

• Slash – lead guitar on "Hope" and "Mezz"
• Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar on "Put You Back"{{Cite web | title = Beautiful Disease Articles | work = noonz.tripod.com | accessdate = May 24, 2017 |url = http://noonz.tripod.com/articles2.htm}}
• Mike Bordin – drums
• Michael Barragan – rhythm guitar on "Missing You", "Who's to Blame" and "Then and Now", Moog Prodigy on "Missing You"{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}
• Norm Block – drums on "Missing You", "Who's to Blame" and "Then and Now"{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Duff McKagan}}

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Category:Duff McKagan albums

Category:Unreleased albums