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Use Your Illusion 1 - could've been better than Appetite?


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Although it's not without its flaws, this is by far the better of the two Illusions albums. I really love this record and feel it gives Appetite a run for its money as the best GNR album from the original lineup. Coma and November Rain are amongst the two best songs the band ever made, and stuff like The Garden, Right Next Door To Hell and Don't Cry are up there as well. Even the lesser celebrated tracks like the underrated You Ain't The First and the cheeseball cock-rock of Bad Apples and Dust N Bones add a certain charm, with their bluesy Stones-esque feel.

If you swapped Don't Cry with the far superior alt version and replaced the fairly average Back Off Bitch with You Could Be Mine I think it could've been an even stronger album than Appetite.

Thoughts?

Edited by Towelie
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If you strip both albums down to One there is no doubt Use your Illusion is just as good - 1 -Perfect Crime-2- You could be mine-3- Civil war- 4- Right Next door To Hell 5 - November Rain- 6 Coma-7- Locomotive-8-Don't damn me 9- Don't Cry 10- The Garden-11-Estranged 12- Garden of eden 13- DTTJ-14 -Pretty Tied up

That would be a killer album - just as good as appetite imo and for god sakes drop Dizzy Read and the piano in every song expect November Rain -During the middle of Estranged have Slash play a killer guitar solo instead of piano going nowhere

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Illusions are better than Appetite for two reasons:

1. Lyrics

2. Song arrangement

Use Your Illusion II epics: Estranged, Breakdown, Civil War, and Locomotive.

Use Your Illusion I epics: November Rain, Coma.

Use Your Illusion I, however, has non- epics with life changing lyrics, such as Right Next Door to Hell, Dust n Bones, Perfect Crime, Garden of Eden,and Don't Damn Me.

I'm most interested in songs between the two that focus on Losing Your Illusions about life. These songs are:

1. Right Next Door To Hell

2. Dust n Bones

3. Perfect Crime

4. Don't Damn Me

5. Garden of Eden

6. Bad Apples

7. Coma

8. Civil War

9. 14 Years

10. Breakdown

11. Locomotive

12. Estranged

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No.

I could see Pretty Tied Up, You Could Be Mine or Back Off Bitch on Appetite, that's pretty much it.

I listen to Vol.1 to the point that I skip most of the songs. Sorry. It's been years since I haven't heard Right Next Door To Hell, Perfect Crime, Garden Of Eden or Bad Apples. Surprising Ain't Going Down didn't finished on vol.1.

Edited by Silent Jay
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the cheeseball cock-rock of Bad Apples

Everyone says this about Bad Apples but i think you're not giving Axl enough credit for his intelligence here, i always felt this song was kinda satirical, like a piss-take of the LA rat race, i think just cuz it's presented in a hard rock context from a big 80s band that people make that association, that it's like some thicko cock-rock track but i don't agree with that at all. In fact, lyrically i think it's up there with Axls best work.

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The highs on UYI2 are incredible, but the album has too many sub-par songs, such as Get In The Ring, So Fine, Shotgun Blues, My World and Yesterdays (don't mind that one, but it isn't great).

UYI1 only has one mediocre track (Bad Apples) and that's fun in a sort of guilty pleasure way.

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the cheeseball cock-rock of Bad Apples

Everyone says this about Bad Apples but i think you're not giving Axl enough credit for his intelligence here, i always felt this song was kinda satirical, like a piss-take of the LA rat race, i think just cuz it's presented in a hard rock context from a big 80s band that people make that association, that it's like some thicko cock-rock track but i don't agree with that at all. In fact, lyrically i think it's up there with Axls best work.

As I said above, I do like Bad Apples in a guilty pleasure way, although perhaps I should cleanse myself of the Bad Apples guilt because you're right, it IS clearly delivered with Axl's tongue firmly in his cheek.

I'd still keep it on the record though. The only track I'd happily kick to the curb off UYI1 is Back Off Bitch. It just sounds too... Appetite-by-numbers. The kind of song Slash would write on one of his solo albums.

I don't think Don't Cry is a good song.

You Ain't the First is one of my favorites though, but I can totally understand why a lot of people don't like it.

Don't Cry alt version is one of GNR's best songs.

But I agree about You Ain't The First. Very underrated track. "DEEP DOWN INSIDE!"

Edited by Towelie
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I don't think Don't Cry is a good song.

You Ain't the First is one of my favorites though, but I can totally understand why a lot of people don't like it.

I think GnR nailed the likes of YATF better than almost any other style they tried their hand at.
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Back Off Bitch, YATF, Garden Of Eden (fun song, but come on) are honestly pretty subpar song.

I know there's a good chunk of amazing Slash riffing an obviously a stellar Axl performance on it, but Coma is clearly the weakest of all the UYI epics too.

I respectfully disagree with anyone preferring the Alternate Don't Cry.I love the honesty of the original lyrics, plus the jarring transition bw the verse and the chorus (you know the one) make me cringe everytime I hear the alt. version.

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Although it's not without its flaws, this is by far the better of the two Illusions albums. I really love this record and feel it gives Appetite a run for its money as the best GNR album from the original lineup. Coma and November Rain are amongst the two best songs the band ever made, and stuff like The Garden, Right Next Door To Hell and Don't Cry are up there as well. Even the lesser celebrated tracks like the underrated You Ain't The First and the cheeseball cock-rock of Bad Apples and Dust N Bones add a certain charm, with their bluesy Stones-esque feel.

If you swapped Don't Cry with the far superior alt version and replaced the fairly average Back Off Bitch with You Could Be Mine I think it could've been an even stronger album than Appetite.

Thoughts?

Well i disagree with your entire post...

UYI 2 was better (some more filleresque songs, but better gems)

Back Off Bitch is one of the best tracks on UYI 1... it's from the AFD days, btw

I never liked Bad Apples and You ain't the first...

Dust N' Bones could be shorter, but it's a fucking great Izzy song

November Rain sounds overproduced on the record i much prefer the demo version or various live versions

The Garden is a fun song, though and contains one of Slash's best solos of alltime, imho

RNDTH is a great opener. LALD is a complete dud, one of the worst songs they ever released and only works on a live setting because the high notes that Axl hit...

Don't Cry: I prefer the original lyrics and much more prefer the 80's demo versions

Coma is over rated like Estranged

I miss a proper recording of DTJ (like the live version or this hidden gem)

or this heavy part

To me: GNR is Locomotive, YCBM, 14 Years, The Garden, Back Off Bitch, DTJ, Don't Damn Me (it's a shame that DDM never played live, because Axl thought the song speaks for itself on the record)

y'know rock songs from a rock band.... (although i always liked Estranged more than NR)

aaand no, AFD is the definitive GNR record and while UYI contains their absolute best songs, overall not even close to AFD in terms of a cohesive record, imho

Edited by Strange Broue
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Both UYI's are perfect the way they are.

On both albums you have almost double the songs than on AFD, yet, nly songs I would take out LALD, My World, KOHD and maybe Bas Obsession.

UYi's were technically better than AFD, AFD was a raw album, on the UYI they technically matured and evolved.

The songs were richer in sound, more epic more bombastic.

Compared to UYI's, AFD was one dimensional.

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Although it's not without its flaws, this is by far the better of the two Illusions albums. I really love this record and feel it gives Appetite a run for its money as the best GNR album from the original lineup. Coma and November Rain are amongst the two best songs the band ever made, and stuff like The Garden, Right Next Door To Hell and Don't Cry are up there as well. Even the lesser celebrated tracks like the underrated You Ain't The First and the cheeseball cock-rock of Bad Apples and Dust N Bones add a certain charm, with their bluesy Stones-esque feel.

If you swapped Don't Cry with the far superior alt version and replaced the fairly average Back Off Bitch with You Could Be Mine I think it could've been an even stronger album than Appetite.

Thoughts?

In my opinion UYI 1 isn't better than Appetite. But what is better than Appetite is the Chinese Democracy CD and worth every penny!

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