Kardeshma

When Axl was at the Jimmy Kimmel show he said that as a teenager in Indiana he mostly listened to Queen and Sweet (which I find really interesting because I don't believe that Sweet was that big in the US compared to Europe?)

It's pretty interesting that in most Top Tens you can find Locomtive, considering it was never a single and was hardly played live.

Can you post if when you find it? I only found the instrumental track and the live-bar-session wit Wes Arkeen on Accoustic

That's a tough question. I was thinking about that couple of times, but could'nt come to a conclusion so far. A lot of songs are not really comparable. If I ever make a list I think I would exclude covers (because not written by GnR), demos and maybe also CD songs, because how would I compare those "Axl solo songs" to the classic ones? Although I don't have a list yet, I think my top 3 would be:

1. Rocket Queen

2. Locomotive

3. Coma

P.S. I am shocked you have "The plague" above Bad Apples 

I think Move to the City is quite underrated: For one of the first songs written by GnR, it already contains a lot of stuff that can later be found on UYI: The horn section, the lyrics as a kind of "story-telling" (instead of " I lead a reckless life and I don't need your advice!" ;-) ), and in generell a musical style that is not just straight hard rock but a little bit different. So I think it is a really good song.

To rank the songs is not that easy because the songs are about on the same level: No real hits, no really weak songs. If I had to rank, I would say:

1. Patience

2. Move to the City

3. Nice Boys

4. One in a Million

5. Mama Kin

6. Reckless Life

7. Used to Love her

8. You're crazy

But overall it is very close and can change whenever I listen to the album again.

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)