I bought Use Your Illusion I & II just last week, having never heard them before.
I must say I’m really enjoying them, especially II.
Really! That’s fucking awesome! Man, Izzy’s fingerprints are all over II he’s very southern rock oriented as far as structure goes (and II compared to I is very “the south will rise again” oriented). You can really hear his writing on Civil War, 14 Years, and Don’t Cry. I’m not one to really like Southern rock unless it’s fused with rock/the blues. Me and the Allman bros. don’t hang out but for some reason I really dig on it if it’s Izzy writing it.
I think I like II better than I as well. Although, I has November rain and Coma is pretty sweet too! but I wore Coma out in High school! I have yet to wear out November Rain. I still like that song. especially The slash solos at the end, fucking epic! I like the Garden too, as well as Double talking jive. Dead Horse is decent as well, but Like Coma, I wore it out.
But, man, II has Civil War, Breakdown, Pretty Tied Up, Estranged, Don’t Cry (even if it is the alt lyrics, doesn’t change the song any), 14 years and the absolute best song on either of the Illusion albums LOCOMOTIVE! Check it out (track 9)
the cons of II is that it also has 2 of the worst songs ever recorded by Guns: My World (Written by Axl and Dizzy) followed closely by So fine (written by Duff-although Slash’s slide solo is still pretty bad ass!)
Glad to hear some Australian love for the Illusion albums! I think you made my day Olsen
Late,
grmpysmrf
Every single member of this forum should own a copy of Beefheart’s Safe As Milk.
And Grmpy:
Haven’t listened to Use Your Illusion I & II much as I’ve been listening to too much noise related stuff but the tracks I have been digging are…
Dust’n’Bones, Don’t Cry, Double Talkin’ Jive, Coma, Civil War, You Could Be Mine, Estranged and Locomotive.
As for the filler, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door and Live And Let Die should have been b sides as they are waaay too obvious and bring the albums cred down a notch, Perfect Crime is just bad, November Rain is bloated, Garden of Eden is annoying and I more or less hate Shotgun Blues.
It’s strange, I never really liked them when they were around, but I think time has been kind to them. Ten years ago I would have laughed at these albums.
But I still wouldn’t say I’m a fan yet. The bad far outweighs the good on both albums and to be honest I only bought them because they were in a bargain bin sale. I would not have bought them otherwise.
.Dust’n’Bones, Don’t Cry, Double Talkin’ Jive, Coma, Civil War, You Could Be Mine, Estranged and Locomotive.
Not a bad selection at all! I’m not the biggest fan of “Dust and Bones” Which is odd cause that is a very Izzy Stradlin touched song too (I probably forgot about it cause I’m not really a fan-Perhaps it’s the lyrics don’t hate it don’t love it.)
As for the filler, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door and Live And Let Die should have been b sides as they are waaay too obvious and bring the albums cred down a notch,
I pretty much agree with this except that Knocking on… I think should’ve been the live at the ritz version they released in the late 80’s early 90’s but then that rough raw sound wouldn’t have blended at all with the polish that is on the illusions albums. So, in that respect yeah they could’ve done with out those covers.
Perfect Crime is just bad,
HAHA that’s one of Axl’s favorites! again I neither hate it nor love it. I probably swing more towards liking it because I like his vocal delivery and like how the song swings from fast to slow.
Garden of Eden is annoying
Yeah it’s not that great it’s fast for the sake of being fast but not catchy at all. Let the punk bands do the fast songs…I’d be willing to bet that was a Duff song since he’s the self proclaimed “punk” out of the group!
and I more or less hate Shotgun Blues.
again I don’t hate it I don’t love it I think you called it as “Filler” (again I think it’s an IZZY song has that southern feel too it but too much of it!)
It’s strange, I never really liked them when they were around, but I think time has been kind to them. Ten years ago I would have laughed at these albums.
Probably had to do with their popularity, or the popularity of their legacy… I know I will specifically boycott or mock some things when their popularity seems to be bloated
But I still wouldn’t say I’m a fan yet. The bad far outweighs the good on both albums and to be honest I only bought them because they were in a bargain bin sale. I would not have bought them otherwise.
No biggee! I’m stoked you felt comfortable enough to post about here on the biggest music elitist board of the internet! I felt like it was an extended hand to me personally! ok that sounded gay!
I’m out!
Late
grmpysmrf
The missus and I own both Use Your Illusion I & II (well…they’re more hers than mine) but they rarely get played much. She’s the fan and I’m the passive listener. Having said that though, there are more than a few killer tracks on both albums.
Namely Civil War, Dust’n’Bones, Estranged, The Garden, Coma, November Rain, Don’t Cry and Get In The Ring.
That’s just off the top of my head. Maybe I’ll pull out those cds again and give em a deserved listen as I’m sure I could probably find a few more gems.
Chinese Democracy was ok too. At least, the first half and a bit is.
Get in the ring? REALLY???
don’t get me wrong the intro soloing is killer but I thought for sure you all, in unison, would bitch at Axls prepubescent whining all the way through the song!
I’m shocked, utterly shocked! [shocked] Just when I think I got Prongers figured out … shocked![shocked]
Man, my favorite part of Get in The Ring is when the Axl comes in as the announcer and says “Weighing in at 850 pounds…”
There’s fucking FIVE (5) of them and they don’t even come close to 1000 pounds, Skinny crack heads! that averages out to 160 pounds each, fucking tiny! and let me tell you, I met slash that guy is a big dude. I can palm a basketball and when I shook that dude’s hand my hand was GONE! completely enveloped by his! so even slash’s skinny days I’m sure he was 200lbs which means the other were seriously skinny!
Man, don’t know if you are all mocking me or what but knowing how eclectic everyone’s tastes here are and yet you can still write something decent about a band that I know most here wouldn’t normally dig on, is cool…
I guess I’m stoked since the majority of the posts here usually are us bitching at something and yet here is some of (what most would call) the most predictable music in the world and some are being cool about it… I mean you guys were ruthless with the slash album!
anyway I’m already passed sounding gay! (anybody got a cock I can chug?)
Late,
grmpysmrf
I guess I’m stoked since the majority of the posts here usually are us bitching at something and yet here is some of (what most would call) the most predictable music in the world and some are being cool about it… I mean you guys were ruthless with the slash album!
anyway I’m already passed sounding gay! (anybody got a cock I can chug?)
Well, you’ll be picking yrself up off the floor by the end of this post Grmpy…because I actually like Guns’n’Roses.
Which is partly why I was so hard on the Slash cd because it was so insipid and so plastic and so awful compared to G’n’R in their heyday. If Guns’n’Roses meant nothing to me I wouldn’t even have bothered reviewing it.
You may think I attack things for ‘not’ being avant garde but I don’t. I can smell shit a mile off regardless of what genre it’s dressed up as. I can dig on plenty of commericial music - popularity has nothing to do with it.
And sometimes there’s only so much ‘experimental’ a person can take.
I probably feel the same way about Guns’n’Roses as I do about Metallica. I like 'em and their great tracks are really great, but damn if there isn’t an ocean of shit to wade through.
However, I’m not ready to down my Boyd Rice and Whitehouse albums just yet in favour of the Gunners so don’t get too excited.
I still can’t believe you didn’t enjoy Earth’s remix album, ‘Legacy Of Dissolution’ though. That was a wasted opportunity.
I probably feel the same way about Guns’n’Roses as I do about Metallica. I like 'em and their great tracks are really great, but damn if there isn’t an ocean of shit to wade through.
Aw, Metallica’s easy. First four albums + the Garage Days e.p.s.
And if you’re like me, you can also stomach the black album and Death Magnetic.