Piano in Use your Illusion: Was it a mistake?

[The Holographic Universe]

10 hours ago, EvanG said:

Queen... Aerosmith, just to name two. But the list is really long, though. I love Estranged, I think it's a genius song, but it's not like there aren't other rockbands with amazing piano songs.

Aerosmith doesn't have one song of close to the caliber of Estranged. Estranged is a masterpiece. I can't think of any band that has written song on the level of Coma, Estranged, NR, and Locomotive.

[Darkenchantress]

Dream on does it for me.

[Mustard Tiger]

7 hours ago, The Holographic Universe said:

Aerosmith doesn't have one song of close to the caliber of Estranged. Estranged is a masterpiece. I can't think of any band that has written song on the level of Coma, Estranged, NR, and Locomotive.

I don't think Aerosmith have written a song themselves since around '87

[EvanG]

9 hours ago, The Holographic Universe said:

Aerosmith doesn't have one song of close to the caliber of Estranged. Estranged is a masterpiece. I can't think of any band that has written song on the level of Coma, Estranged, NR, and Locomotive.

That's your opinion. I'm sure there are people who prefer a song like ''Dream On'' or ''Amazing'' from Aerosmith that both are kinda like Estranged... long(ish) songs that start off slow with the piano. But there's no right or wrong, it's whatever you prefer.

[The Holographic Universe]

2 hours ago, EvanG said:

That's your opinion. I'm sure there are people who prefer a song like ''Dream On'' or ''Amazing'' from Aerosmith that both are kinda like Estranged... long(ish) songs that start off slow with the piano. But there's no right or wrong, it's whatever you prefer.

I know it's my opinion. Dream on an d Amazing are great songs. In fact, those two songs came to my mind as I wrote my opinion, but I feel Estranged is above what most rocks bands have written. 

[WAR41]

On 2/19/2017 at 8:35 PM, IncitingChaos said:

They needed to advance their sound to satisfy Axl's desire to evolve the band. 

Look at one instance in an interview where Axl is talking about playing Live and let Die...he says he wasn't sure if they were good enough to do the song and after doing it he realized they nailed it. 

I think Axl had it in his mind that being a rock band was cool, but being artists/musicians meant they could reach across all genres and be great at everything. Even if it meant sacrificing what made them cool, Axl seemed to be determined to unleash the full scope of what they were capable of. 

Its why he didn't accept Slash's snake pit songs, and why he said he just wanted everyone to see how great Slash was when he left. He probably thought skakepit was too "appetite" and when Slash left for the reasons he did Axl probably felt a bit like someone in a breakup "I did this for you"

now no matter how deluded that sounds, Axl really wanted Guns N Roses to be more Beatles than Led Zeppelin,  he wanted to experiment, he didn't want to recreate things, he knew they were good at what they did, now he wanted to push music to see what he could get out of it. 

I don't believe Axl when he said he wanted to do something closer to AFD on the album they were working on in 96 when Slash left...or that he wanted to make a traditional rock record. 

The piano was necessary for Axl and is a big part of Chinese. You don't get UYI with Axl without the piano. 

 Wow this is exactly how I feel.  I love the UYI albums and find them infinitely more interesting musically than AFD and Lies.  AFD is arguably my favorite album of all time, but UYI are much more complex, I don't think there is any denying that.  I know there is no way to prove it, but if the piano was stripped from GNR I don't believe they would have reached the status of rock legends.  UYI pushed their boundaries musically and the piano was a part of that. 

[J Dog]

Sounds pretty damn good to me.

 

 

[Johnny Drama]

Just wished it was Axl playing it all. Never understood the point of writing his own shit on piano and then conversely wanting piano on songs by Slash and Izzy and then pulling in Dizzy to do the job. Should've just done it all himself.

[BOSSY78]

I'm a fan of it and I think it took certain songs to another level. 

[Sprite]

Keyboards added a harmonious element to the songs on live era like scom, rocket queen, patience, don't cry and pretty tied up. And on the 99 big daddy scom. The organ adds a gritty yet innocent sound to the last rocket queen verse on live era. The organ is eery during the 'where do we go' bit on the big daddy scom.They also had that dirty lynyrd skynyrd solo on move to the city on live era that had remnants of call me the breeze. Every lynyrd skynyrd song is about moving away from a a woman so maybe that's the influence. Dizzy Reed is a legend.

Its alright is one of the better covers I think. 

On tsi they mixed it well particularly on since I dont have you, raw power, and human being. It was a nice touch to one in a million but it went as unnoticed as the last verse.

The ending of prostitute with the piano makes me sentimental in a 90s Coldplay sort of way. Like the ending notes to the last moment on earth before everything stands still. Or it could fit well if the ending of the scientist video had a funeral scene. Or were it the beginning.

The most vexing piano question in all of GNR is why the blues lost the heavier intro for the final piano intro on the album. I still hear Boston 02 in my head each time. I wish the synthesizer breakdown in catcher were a bit louder in the mix, similar to the demo. Maybe it should be low though. Like the musically restrained desire of a lunatic. Madagascar, mother Mary, church organs, French horns, MLK, its all one. The keys in the song Chinese oddly make it sound Chinese in a way. This I Love is as scratchy and delicate as November rain but in a American horror story way. Pianos work for me