How do you enjoy listening to the Illusions albums?

[Gackt]

A curious subject for people's listening habits for the 30 song, two and a half hour project of GnR; do many people power through both albums in a single sitting, or do the majority only listen to an occasional track or two?  And what about the bastardized combined version of the albums released by Geffen with the majority of tracks removed?

Edited September 14, 2017 by Gackt

[soon]

Never the combined one.  I usually do one album per session.  On a home stereo almost always.  Theres tracks that I might skip from time to time but only if Im near the stereo when they come on.  I do run back in a panic to stop play before My World starts - ruins the whole journey through the album imo. 

[Gracii Guns]

Considering that I feel that UYI is at least 25% too long, and a couple of tracks shouldn't have seen the light of day at all, I pick singles from each disc and listen to those. 

I'm definitely into GNR for AFD and Lies. AFD is a perfect album. Not one filler song. The double album was buying them time to do the Illusions tour, being able to release singles and videos along the way, followed by a rest. It didn't buy a full 17 years before any new music was released though. 

[Its Tino]

I typically shuffle their entire catalog. 

[SoundOfAGun]

The albums are on shuffle among another 2000 songs. 

[F*ck Fear]

It depends. I listened to the full UYI II the other night, but I often shuffle their discography.

[Sosso]

I don't listen to the albums very often to be honest. I prefer the bootlegs. I prefer live performances in general.

Edited September 14, 2017 by Sosso

[Tucknroll]

I was listening to 1 yesterday and only had one speaker. Izzys side. I noticed some parts where I don't think he's playing at all! Maybe just strum a chord and let it ring. I don't get why

[WhazUp]

I usually listen to one album at a time, sometimes both consecutively if I have enough time and am in the mood for it since they are basically one huge album anways

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

I have a playlist and I've selected my fave songs from each one.  It's nearly all Vol. 1 and some Vol. 2.  From Vol 2. the only songs I desperately love are Shotgun Blues, Pretty Tied Up, Locomotive and Estranged.  The rest of that volume I can take or leave.  Funnily enough, I've just started listening to CD straight through.  

Edited September 14, 2017 by MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle

[rocknroll41]

I also have a playlist which is basically my own imaginary one-album version of UYI. 

It changes slightly every now and then but currently it's: You Could Be Mine, Perfect Crime, Live & Let Die, Double Talkin' Jive, November Rain, Dead Horse, Civil War, Yesterdays, Estranged, Pretty Tied Up, Locomotive, Don't Cry, Coma, The Garden. 

A little long for one disc, but whatever. 

[NicDwolfwood]

Because Im strictly an album consumer, I listen to one or the other whenever im in the mood to listen to them, which hasnt been very recent either. Also I think I listen to UYI I alot more than II, since I like more of the songs on that album than the other. 

[EvanG]

Naked in a closet screaming for dear life.

[janrichmond]

i listen to UYI 1 more than 2 and if i'm close enough to the source then i skip November Rain quite often. Never play them on shuffle either.

[Hollywood Gunner]

naked with some whiskey

[Top-Hatted One]

I never get tired of the following:

Coma, Estranged, Don't Cry, Locomotive, So Fine, Don't Damn Me, Dust N' Bones & Perfect Crime. 

Add Nov Rain & Civil War for commercial purposes and there's my personal/preferred official UYI TRACKLIST. 

12songs that most likely won't fit on one disc

[AxlRoseCDII]

I rarely listen to a full album straight in general anyways 

[Gackt]

6 hours ago, AxlRoseCDII said:

I rarely listen to a full album straight in general anyways 

This is why I was curious about the responses, as they're both double LP's and it's a lot to digest at once; looking at the replies, maybe I should have added an "I assemble my own playlists of specific Illusions tracks" option to the poll 

I personally make it a habit to enjoy music as albums over specific tracks from an album unless I have an ear worm for a certain track catching my ear at the time

[Izzymacbeth]

19 hours ago, Tucknroll said:

I was listening to 1 yesterday and only had one speaker. Izzys side. I noticed some parts where I don't think he's playing at all! Maybe just strum a chord and let it ring. I don't get why

Because thats rhythm guitar, its about highlighting certain parts. 

[Iron MikeyJ]

Depends on the format. Mp3, they are all on shuffle, along with plenty of other artists. On vinyl, I listen to them start to finish, along with appetite, lies, and CD. I don't have TSI or Live era on vinyl or I would have included them 😃

[Tyler Drama]

I listen to all 30, and then sit there wishing they'd made 15 more. 😭

[themadcaplaughs]

I would estimate I listen to both albums - beginning to end - maybe once every year-and-a-half to two years. I think the last time I listened to them all the way through was right before I saw Guns N' roses last July. More often, songs just play on my iTunes or Pandora (unfortunately, work blocked Spotify). "Bad Apples" came on shuffle the other day, and while I usually considered that one of the weaker UYI songs, I truly enjoyed it on the last listen. 

[Tucknroll]

5 hours ago, Izzymacbeth said:

Because thats rhythm guitar, its about highlighting certain parts. 

Not true in this case. Afd and lies, he played rhythm,  uyi,  they basically cut him out

[thunderram]

On 9/14/2017 at 6:41 AM, Gracii Guns said:

Considering that I feel that UYI is at least 25% too long, and a couple of tracks shouldn't have seen the light of day at all

 

I'll never understand this line of thinking. How can an album be too long? Or better yet, how can you not like a band releasing a ton of material??

It's not like a movie where you have to watch the entire thing to conclusion in order to get it. You can pick and choose what you like and don't like. And with more songs available, there's a higher probability of finding more songs that you enjoy -- especially with increased listenings. Even the ones you don't like, many others do like. So I really don't see the downside.

Once you've determined which offerings you don't like, it's pretty easy to skip or not include on your portable device. But I can tell you that there have been plenty of times where I didn't like half or more of an album when it came out or even for quite a while after, but over the course of a few years changed my tune track by track and was really glad the music I didn't used to care about was released. I could have done without all but 3-4 tracks off CD but now like most of it. When the UYI albums were released, it took me several years to warm up to many of the tunes. But probably around 5-6 years after release, I liked all but about 2-3 songs out of the 30.

[Izzymacbeth]

4 hours ago, Tucknroll said:

Not true in this case. Afd and lies, he played rhythm,  uyi,  they basically cut him out

Completely not true. He is highlighting certain parts of the song. I've been a professional musician 20 years and have played Izzy in tribute bands. Its not cut, its ringing highlights. The only songs he doesn't  play on are the ones he isnt credited on: Civil War, The Garden, My World obviously and Locomotive. He is low in the mix I admit,  but ringing a guitar out on a root note is what guitarists do, especially in the studio to highlight a bar change etc. 

When we record we record plenty of guitars and even use pianos to put under certain bass notes to bring a note out on front. Its pretty common place.