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Illusion I vs Illusion II


Dimezy

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  • 4 weeks later...

I believe that, apart from the quality of the songs, the structure of the album (the 'storyline' or just the order of the songs) are also an important factor when rating or comparing albums.

And while I believe that the UYI II has more (or on average) better songs than I, I prefer the "storyline" of I.

It starts with a great, rocking opener (RNDTH) which kind of give the direction of the album. It is followed by a good mix of quality songs, that already include one major hit (Dont cry). In (about) the middle of the album you have the climax (November rain), but you still have some good songs to follow upbefore the album is concluded with a great closer (Coma) which leaves you with your mouth open.

 

II on the other hand is a bit messy: Civil war, while being a great song, is not an opener (could you imagine GnR open a concert with that song?). While some nice songs follow, you have kind of a let down with GITR and Shotgun blues. While not really bad songs, they lack in songwriting and atmosphere compared to the rest of the album. After that, three creative and exmperimental songs follow in a row, which are definitly fan favorites, but not really big hits. The album lacks a climax here, like UYI I has with NR.

And the end is the worse part: After Estranged, I always feel like the album should be over. When then, out of nowhere YCBM appears, maybe the best rocker of the album, it is nice to hear the song, but it doesn't really contribute to the album's storline. Maybe only apart from hyping up for a song that you have already listened to (Don't cry) or a song you don't want to listen to (My world). 

That being said, I would have preffered the songlist to look a little bit like this:

1. Pretty tied up (Great opener)

2. 14 years

3. YCMB (similar to UYI, have the "hit single" as one of the first songs)

4. Knocking on heavens door

5. Get in the ring

6. Breakdown

7. So Fine

8. Civil War (Great and popular song serving as the climax)

9. Shotgun blues

10. Locomotive

11. Don't Cry

12. Yesterdays

13. Estranged (for me, it is the counterpart to Coma, and therefore closing with that song would create a bridge to UYI I)

 

(Hidden track: My world)

 

 

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I used to say II, but I now think I due to the better rockers. And no love for Dust N' Bones, shame on you all! I love how bouncy that tune is and how much attitude it has. Perfect Crime is their most metal moment and Axl at his most demonic. And I also might be one of the few who loves the album version of Live and Let Die. They just sound really good on that one.

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  • 1 year later...

UYI 1 - Don't Damn Me is a far superior Get in the RingRight Next Door to Hell shits on Shotgun Blues.Live and Let Die is a much better cover than Heavens Door. Double Talkin' Jive is a brilliant throwaway.

It doesn't have My World. Dead Horse is a banger. November Rain is November Rain. It's much more coherent and has less filler. Oh and Dust n Bones is better than 14 Years. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

There are only a handful of genuinely great tracks on uyi. 

Civil War, Estranged, Locomotive, Coma

A few other good ones and a load of filler. 

I don't think the playlists flow on either album.

Also the audio mastering is muddy, levels wrong, aspects buried in the mix.

 

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1 is definitely the better album, or at least the 'more consistent' album.

2 has some great songs of course but it also has way more filler. Don't Cry (Alt) is good but unnecessary, and Get In The Ring, Shotgun Blues, Knockin On Heavens Door, So Fine and My World are all weak.

The only songs on 1 that I don't really care for are Back Off Bitch and Bad Obsession but they're still better than the UYI2 filler tracks. Dust N' Bones (and DTJ) > 14 Years, too.

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  • 7 months later...
  • 2 years later...

UYI 1 for me. Even as a hardcore fan, its easy to forget just how great November Rain is. 

YCBM is my 2nd favourite GNR rock song, but I dont think UYI 2 was helped by the fact it phased out after YCBM, and then no original album followed for years. 

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I is more hit and miss. It has some really strong tracks like NR, DTJ, Coma and Don't Cry but it also has some pretty weak tracks I haven't felt like listening to for years like RNDTH, Perfect Crime, Bad Obsession, Garden of Eden, etc...

 

II is more stable ride, IMO. The only weak tracks in it are, IMO, Shotgun Blues, Get in the Ring and My World. But it more than makes up for those with Estranged, Locomotive, Pretty Tied Up, Yesterdays and YCBM.

 

And out of all of these songs, I'd say my favourite one is Estranged so... yeah, II.

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civil war, YCBM, 14 years, knocking on heavens door, pretty tied up, so fine, breakdown,.... I love all of it.

I love the moody, but hard rocking vibe of the album.

Especially civil war, after all these years, is still so relevant today. maybe more today than it was then. Absolutely love this song, it gets me through the current times.

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UYI1 is basically two pretty strong EP's with NR sandwiched in the middle. I'd say overall it's much more consistent. It's main flaw is being too long. But that's a problem UYI2 has as well. 

UYI2 has the higher highs, but also the lower low's. Some stellar songs, some redundant ones and some flat out duds. 

Overall probably UYI 1, despite UYI 2 probably having the strongest individual songs on it. 

Edited by username
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3 hours ago, action said:

Especially civil war, after all these years, is still so relevant today. maybe more today than it was then. Absolutely love this song, it gets me through the current times.

Fuck I forgot about CW! How could I?

 

Man, it's UYI II by a mile.

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I don't get the hate for get in the ring.

Fun lyrics that gets the whole family singing along. Brilliant Izzy riff. Playfull slash soloing. The whole range of Axl voices, who seems to be in a particularily spirited mood.

Part of why I was so dissapointed in chinese, was that it didnt contain a song like this.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/19/2017 at 8:58 PM, J Dog said:

I agree they split them up real good. 1 feels like a red album and 2 feels blue.

 

Yeah .This  is a very good sentiment.   Although I never really saw it as two albums , just a collection of 31 songs literally split up ,if that makes sense? 

Edited by wendirosez
sentiments
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