SoundOfAGun Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 I got into GN'R when I was about 12, so UYI had already been out a few months by the time I was a fan. As a 12 year with no money and in a time where you had to pay for music if you wanted to hear it, I was aware of the albums, but was stuck listening to my copy of AFD (which I played until the tape actually snapped one day). The first time I heard UYI 1 was on a school camping trip; I borrowed the tape off my friend and was instantly impressed by the production and the sneering vitriol of Right Next Door To Hell. I must have rewound that track 10 times and my friend didn't get his tape back for the whole bus journey. It was, at the time and after listening to AFD non stop for months, like having a sequel to your favourite film; I never noticed that Adler was missing (it wasn't until later that year that I saw the Paris show on VHS at my cousin's I realised the drummer looked different), that Izzy's guitar was mixed really low and the gallons of reverb didn't seem so out of place back in the early 90s. Unfortunately, my friend asked for his tape back when we got where we were going, so the first chance I got, I ducked into a record shop and spent over half my spending money for the whole week on UYI 2 on tape (they only had this in the store, otherwise I would have bought UYI 1 as well). I loved it just as much, and with much borrowing of the first tape from my friend that week, I was fully educated on the UYIs by the time we came back from camping. The comments about them being bloated are fair enough, but there are also flashes of what the band could have become even without Izzy and Steven. A GN'R that went in the direction of Locomotive, Don't Damn Me & Breakdown would have made me a very happy fan indeed. In particular, the lyrics and themes of UYI 2 helped me become accustomed to the new feelings and moods that come with adolescence and adjusting to the shift from being a child into a man. To this day, at least once a week, both albums will be put on for my drive home from work (along with AFD), they are more than records for me; the songs and memories from a statement by a band that were clearly not being told "no" at that point in time are woven into the fabric of my existence. Not perfect at all, but the best things never are. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endless2404 Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Both albums are masterpieces, with the second one being the best of the two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTJ80 Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 13 hours ago, Fashionista said: If UYI I had a studio cut of It Tastes Good, Don't It on there and maybe Bring It Back Home in place of one of the other songs, I think it would be perfect. Ain’t Goin Down would be my choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTJ80 Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 17 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said: UYI I is definitely the stronger of the two albums, IMO. There's only 1 weak track on there, Back Off Bitch, but even that isn't really a 'bad' song it's just nowhere near the rest of the album. I'd say it's at least as good as AFD even, as far as the songs themselves go. The production is what brings the UYI's down though, there's some tracks that I almost never listen to the album versions of; I prefer either live versions or Axl's Advance Copy versions of Nov Rain, DTJ, The Garden, and Coma. I have had these at somepoint but don’t think I ever listened to them. Was the mix/production radically different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeonKinight Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 UYI I = AFD II. UYI II - Simply the best. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikothebellic Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Actually, there is nothing to discuss - two amazing albums with very different and thrilling songs. Though, the albums itself was not so “breakthrough” as AFD was, but some some song are even on par with AFD. YCBM and Civil War are one of my favorites from GnR library. Estranged, November Rain - also magnificent songs. Maybe, it was not so “rocky”, but still has songs for different tastes. II better than I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyson Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Here's my opinion: If you take the best 12-13 songs from Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 and put them on one album and have to choose between that or 'Appetite'....you're fucked. Guns N Roses made two of the best albums of all time 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Comstock Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 24 minutes ago, DTJ80 said: I have had these at somepoint but don’t think I ever listened to them. Was the mix/production radically different? Not drastically different, they sound more 'raw' overall, Coma doesn't have the quotes, Nov Rain isn't as layered, The Garden doesn't have the "no I won't" at the start... Don't Damn Me has an entirely different vocal take though, that's probably the biggest difference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTJ80 Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 22 minutes ago, Gordon Comstock said: Not drastically different, they sound more 'raw' overall, Coma doesn't have the quotes, Nov Rain isn't as layered, The Garden doesn't have the "no I won't" at the start... Don't Damn Me has an entirely different vocal take though, that's probably the biggest difference. Hmm - cool. I will need to dig them out and give them a listen. Cheers. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerInThisTown Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 On 8/30/2018 at 12:43 PM, adamsapple said: The last truly epic, bloated, daring, self indulgent rock albums ever made. I love 'em. Estranged, You Could Be Mine, Coma, Breakdown, November Rain, Locomotive...some pretty good music on these. Oasis' Be Here Now in 1997 to be honest. But nothing since then indeed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lies They Tell Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 When I was a kid I thought that the UYI albums had lots of filler tracks. Back then AFD was far superior compared to them in my opinion. But as I got older, my music taste broadened and I remember when I listened to the UYI albums for the first time in a long time and suddenly many of the songs that I had considered filler before, sounded really good. The spoken part at the end of Breakdown didn't ruin the song for me like it did before. Double Talkin Jive didn't sound as incomplete as it did before, but I really loved the energy of the song. As a kid I didn't care about lyrics all that much. As I got older I learned to really appreciate the lyrics of Dead Horse, Locomotive and Dust N Bones for example. The Garden didn't sound boring like it used to. As an adult I really appreciated the slightly psychedelic mood of that song. The UYI albums are not as easily chewable as AFD is. You really need to have a broader taste in music to enjoy those albums, cause they are a mix of so many different music styles. There's still songs on the UYI albums that I don't like all that much, but I do think that they are great albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYWIFEMYLIFE Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Peak of mankind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draguns Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 I would say that UYI I and II are great albums. I do think that Get in the Ring, Shotgun Blues and MY world are the three weakest songs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasted Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 All over the place but big fun. Something about the drums being almost like a machine in parts holds it all together. The simple sound also does that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UsedYourIllusion Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 The biggest thing I can take away from UYI, and CD is GN'R needs someone like Rick Rubin to help push their sound into a cohesive one; rather than just a collection of works or the overproduced visions of Axl etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmardigan Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Strip away some of the covers and the filler and UYI is one great album Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old_school_gnr_fan Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 There is some sub-par material on both of the Illusion records. If you take that material out, and merge the great songs onto one disc, you have a record that's every bit as good as Appetite For Destruction. My one disc Use Your Illusion record would be: November Rain, Coma, Double Talkin' Jive, You Could Be Mine, Civil War, 14 Years, Don't Cry (Original), Dust N' Bones, Locomotive, Right Next Door To Hell, Breakdown, Yesterdays, and Estranged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holographic Universe Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Best rock albums of the 90’s. Honorable mention Load/Reload Metallica Californication RHCP Nevermind Nirvana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UsedYourIllusion Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 18 minutes ago, Old_school_gnr_fan said: There is some sub-par material on both of the Illusion records. If you take that material out, and merge the great songs onto one disc, you have a record that's every bit as good as Appetite For Destruction. My one disc Use Your Illusion record would be: November Rain, Coma, Double Talkin' Jive, You Could Be Mine, Civil War, 14 Years, Don't Cry (Original), Dust N' Bones, Locomotive, Right Next Door To Hell, Breakdown, Yesterdays, and Estranged. Mine would be: Perfect Crime Right Next Door to Hell Dust N' Bones Bad Obsession Double Talkin' Jive Civil War Back Off Bitch November Rain The Garden You Could Be Mine Don't Cry Yesterdays Estranged Coma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holographic Universe Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 On 8/30/2018 at 4:16 AM, Len Cnut said: You can be over-critical about these things I think sometimes. When you ask music fans these sorts of questions a fair portion of them tend to get their critic hats on, myself included but overall, if I was to really think about it, I've listened to the cunting things so many times over my lifetime, especially in my youth, that it'd be unfair of me to really slag em off, they're part of my musical education. And a very formative one at that so at this point in my life I can't really be writing them off. They ain't perfect Gods gift type gems like Nevermind the Bollocks, LAMF or With the Beatles but hey, few are. And they've a broader scope. So what do I think of em? They're pretty fuckin' good really. I like how you stated these albums were part of your musical education. I’m stealing that line. Next I’ll be saying innit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RONIN Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Imperfect masterpieces. These are the albums that made me a fan, especially UYI 2. I don't even mind juvenile stuff like GITR and Shotgun blues because they fit with GnR's attitude that they didn't give a fuck what anyone thought and it's amusing to me that they had the balls to put those tracks alongside Civil War and Estranged. But as time goes by, I have a real issue with how polished the songs sound. They have been robbed of their vitality and it's a disservice to the band that their sound has been neutered in the studio. I think it's even more of an issue here than in Chinese Democracy. All the swaggering of Slash and Izzy are kind of blasted with a sheen of vanilla that rounds out the rough edges. And Matt Sorum's drumming on the AFD-style rockers straight up kill those tracks. He just drains them of their energy completely. In fact what works best on UYI imho are the more experimental tracks hence my affection for UYI 2, the prequel to Chinese Democracy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 (edited) I mean everyone talks about filler but given how GNR turned out aren't we glad to have all these tracks? We already have the distilled perfection of AFD... may as well blow it out. Especially because every time these threads pop-up, there is absolutely no consensus on what the filler actually is . "Bad Apples is filler? Are you mental??"... "alright alriiight.... just calm down.." "You're not taking my Garden of Eden... and how about that video!" "Yeah it's cheesy but... The intro to Get In the Ring!!!" I want someone to get in there and fuck with the mix and the master and get their hands dirty but every single song on those albums has something redeeming. Maybe they should have done a What's the Story Morning Glory / The Masterplan kind of thing if you really want to get that critical appreciation for a tight album... shove all the B-sides and the TSI stuff onto a seperate delayed release. They sure got a lot of publicity and hype for doing two full albums at the same time, though. Edited September 2, 2018 by Ant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RONIN Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Ant said: I mean everyone talks about filler but given how GNR turned out aren't we glad to have all these tracks? We already have the distilled perfection of AFD... may as well blow it out. Especially because every time these threads pop-up, there is absolutely no consensus on what the filler actually is . "Bad Apples is filler? Are you mental??"... "alright alriiight.... just calm down.." "You're not taking my Garden of Eden... and how about that video!" "Yeah it's cheesy but... The intro to Get In the Ring!!!" I want someone to get in there and fuck with the mix and the master and get their hands dirty but every single song on those albums has something redeeming. Maybe they should have done a What's the Story Morning Glory / The Masterplan kind of thing if you really want to get that critical appreciation for a tight album... shove all the B-sides and the TSI stuff onto an album. They sure got a lot of publicity and hype for doing two full albums at the same time, though. Yeah, nobody can agree on what constitutes as filler on those albums. No way is Bad Apples filler though. Neither is Garden of Eden. Come on those songs are great. I don't even think My World would have been filler if Axl had the sense to just dump the vocals and leave it as an instrumental jam. Ditto with GITR. There's an argument to be made for Don't Cry (alt) though. That one was gratuitous even with how excessive UYI already was. Edited September 2, 2018 by RONIN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lio Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 1 hour ago, RONIN said: There's an argument to be made for Don't Cry (alt) though. That one was gratuitous even with how excessive UYI already was. Don't Cry (alt) is the favourite of many people, including me. I wouldn't want to miss it. Plus, back in the day, I only got UYI II at first, so I was really happy to have a version of my favourite GNR song at the time on it. Every show I'm still quietly hoping that he'll do the alt version instead of the original I hated My World right behind it though. Such horror when I wasn't quick enough to turn the cd off after DC. So yes, we can at least agree that no one agrees on the fillers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasted Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 (edited) I think this is my single album version: You Could Be Mine Dust N Bones Live N Let Die November Rain Dead Horse Coma Civil War Pretty Tied Up 14 Years Yesterdays Heaven’s Door Estranged Edited September 2, 2018 by wasted 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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