Question for old school fans: What did you think of the UYI albums back in 91?

[Towelie]

I'm particularly interested in how the albums were perceived by those who became fans around the time of AFD, ie the old school fans.

What were your initial thoughts when the album came out in 91? Did you feel it was a worthy follow up to Appetite or were you disappointed? How did you feel about the inclusion of two cover versions and the absence of Adler?

It's well documented that some purist fans didn't take too kindly to the introduction of pianos and synths to the GNR sound, was this a common opinion around that time or just a minor gripe of a select few?

Finally, has your opinion on the albums changed over the years or remained the same?

Edited January 23, 2013 by Towelie

[Mfegz]

I thought it was amazing at the time and so many song to listen to, it was a very exciting time !

Some songs took longer to "get into" I didn't really like Breakdown or Locomotive until a few years later lol, but overall it was I think received really well !

[star]

Those were good times, picking up both albums and not knowing which to listen to first. There was no internet like we know now, so it was like experiencing some for the first time first hand. Straight off, tracks emerged that I liked, and there were tracks I didn't like so much. As with all music, the sound was different at the start, and changed once I got used to the songs. It wasn't AFD, but is was Guns N'Roses and packed with epic Slash solo's.

[maynard]

ah, i remember listening to UYI 2. in that moment i only knew SCOM, so it was really different. i loved it! learned the intro from CW and spent the whole day playing it. then i watched the tokyo videos and from that day i haven't watched a better partnership than axl and slash. those two were born to play together.

[saber_]

I didn't like Matt's drums: his playing, the mixing, nor the timbre. On some songs he shined, like YCBM, but on others, his playing was dull and predictable. And his snare drum sounds like shit.

But I really dug the albums. I bought them the day they came out. And I eventually got used to Matt. Even though I'll always miss Popcorn behind those tubs.

[Kapitch_77]

I loved UYI 1 instantly. I purchased UYI 2 a few weeks later, I remember I was disapointed on the first listen. I said to myself at least there is Civil War and You Could Be Mine that is good... but with a few listens I appreciated the album more. Today I think it's a really good album but UYI 1 is far better (to me).

[T.wa.T]

I'm particularly interested in how the albums were perceived by those who became fans around the time of AFD, ie the old school fans.

What were your initial thoughts when the album came out in 91? Did you feel it was a worthy follow up to Appetite or were you disappointed? How did you feel about the inclusion of two cover versions and the absence of Adler?

It's well documented that some purist fans didn't take too kindly to the introduction of pianos and synths to the GNR sound, was this a common opinion around that time or just a minor gripe of a select few?

Finally, has your opinion on the albums changed over the years or remained the same?

When I first saw them, first thing I noticed was how they changed their bullet logo by adding blood, also the Gn'Fn'Rs. It was very noticeable that they spent some money, every thing was brighter n more over the top. Axls image went from leather tto Versace,which sucked. As far as the music huge difference in sound and production. I like the albums alot more now then I did then. They became cartoon characters. They were everywhere, if you were in another band during their peak years, forget it, nobody cared. GnR was easily the most popular band at the time.

[cc4rhu]

I remember being in school and a friend of mine got the albums first. Have you heard them, he said, they're shit! He went down the Metallica path and I was gutted. But once I got them I loved them, especially UYI 1

[T.wa.T]

I didn't like Matt's drums: his playing, the mixing, nor the timbre. On some songs he shined, like YCBM, but on others, his playing was dull and predictable. And his snare drum sounds like shit.

But I really dug the albums. I bought them the day they came out. And I eventually got used to Matt. Even though I'll always miss Popcorn behind those tubs.

Totally agre. He always does the same drum fill, November Rain,Knockin' ,Dont Cry etc... took me alooong time to get used to his sound. Adler fucked up ..

[tange]

Back then it was the 24 hour GUNS network on MTV and the radio played Guns at least 5 times a day. Great time to be a fan.

it was wierd too because there was a huge demand for a record and Axl made us wait. Always thought is was cool when i found out later that a lot of the songs were older tunes. They were never a band that moved quickly.

[Coma16]

Did people complain that the albums were too over-produced back then? I love both I and II (keep on changing which I like better but it's usually I) but it's day and night versus AFD.

[damagedgoods]

I couldn't wait to get them. I wanted to go to the midnight release, but I wasn't old enough to drive and there was no way either of my parents were going to stand in line in the middle of the night for a GNR album. My dad did take me the day of and we had to go to a couple stores to find them cause they sold out. I loved them as soon as I heard them, although as others have said, it did take a bit for some songs to grow on me. I remember liking Right Next Door To Hell, Perfecrt Crime, Don't Damn Me, Bad Apples and Locomotive on the first listens and obviously You Could Be Mine and Civil War (which is one of my fave Guns songs, I think from when I saw it on Farm Aid).

[T.wa.T]

Did people complain that the albums were too over-produced back then? I love both I and II (keep on changing which I like better but it's usually I) but it's day and night versus AFD.

Yes definatly. Alot of people (fans, critics) were calling them sell outs, because of how commercial they became. They were on Mtv all the time!! Every magazine it was insane. The radio.. also there was a ton of GnR merchandise to t-shirts, posters etc...

Edited January 23, 2013 by T.wa.T

[Blunoze]

To be honest, I was really disappointed when I first listened to 'Right Next Door to Hell'. I thought 'what the fuck is that?'. But admittedly, I did listen to it on a pretty crappy tape deck with average speakers. I still get the impression today that the song was badly mixed or EQ'd. It then led into 'Dust N' Bones' and 'You aint the first', which was even MORE 'what the fuck?'. Bad Obsession then kicked in, and I really started to enjoy it. But, due to the fact there was SO MUCH material to listen to and absorb, it took me a couple of months to really appreciate the albums. Especially considering it was all on tape, so it was hard to remember which song was which sometimes. I spent what felt like hours fast forwarding or rewinding trying to find a track. The UYI's were definitely a 'grower' in terms of albums for me. And they were also very relevant music for that era. Everybody around seemed to be talking about it. There were people wearing the GNR t-shirts all around the towns and cities. It was always on the tv music shows, magazines were full of GNR. I remember some magazines coming out that were dedicated to GNR (entitled '100% unofficial' to avoid lawsuits). Every music shop had t-shirts, badges, bandana's, flags, posters, everything you could imagine. And it just felt normal, because that band deserved all the credit. They weren't overhyped, or commercialized, they were just a rock band on top of their game.

[Ragnar]

I was very underwhelned when I first heard UYIs there was no excuse to release two bloated, overblown, over the top and self indulgent albums considering there was no enough good material for two seperate records there are brilliant tracks on those cds but they`re serrounded by mountain of filler fluff mixing and production had issues too Izzy was barely audible in the final mix had Illusions been trimmed to one big 20 or 21 song double LP it would be best Guns N`Roses album without any doubt and one of the best Rock albums of all times

[JimMorrison4]

I loved them. They were great. I started listening to them more than Appetite. Still do.

[trqster]

UYI albums rocked my world back then (was 16). I remember falling in love immediately with Civil War and couldn't quite believe how great the whole albums were!

[bodine]

A few things were weird (My World, Get in the Ring), but that was a wonderful time - Appetite was forgotten for the moment.

[tange]

Did people complain that the albums were too over-produced back then? I love both I and II (keep on changing which I like better but it's usually I) but it's day and night versus AFD.

man not that i remember. Critics bagged them but the general public ate that shit up. November rain, YCBM, Don't Cry, KOHD, and LALD were always on the damn radio. They were much more in the mass appeal dept than appetite. so the sellout title certainly was floating around but not overproduction.

Plus there was so much material that no one really complained that it wasn't their type of album (which i think was totally intentional btw). There was something on those albums that appealed to every demographic.

Typical transition for a band. See Metallica Black album.

[ll_tj1]

I didnt stay up for the midnight release at Harmony House, but I did buy it that morning. It was released the year after I graduated high school, we all had a great summer that year and UYI's were in everyones cassette player. But we all still busted out Lies, and AFD. And at the same time we were still into Metallica as well, until the Black album that is, at least for me. But yeah it was a big deal. They were the biggest act on the planet! It's funny that even back then GNR had a rabid fan base that could never get enough. They released Lies, and while it was great, it was "just" an EP. We wanted a WHOLE record. AFD came out in 1988 (I Think) We waited 3 years for "NEW" GNR music. And we thought that was a long time to wait. Had we only known! Although I personally never expected much more just because I didnt think there was any way these guys would stay alive long enough to do more. LOL. In the area I lived in Michigan, GNR were loved by everyone, the stoners, the jocks, the preppies, they were universally received. And I dont care what anyone says, grunge did not single handidly wipe out GNR. GNR killed GNR. They left, disapeard. They sold out every stadium up until the final show of the UYI lineup. Its nothing like grunge having finally stamping out what was left of watered down hair metal scene. Guns were still releavint, they just allowed themselves to fade away. Then Cobain blows his mind out and "BOOM" He was a superstar. Watching the whole Cobain thing made me wonder, was Jim Morrison as huge as he became, before or after overdosing? Joplyn? Hendrix? I'm not old enough to have see them or to know if they became bigger after death, or were they big before. But Cobain sure did. But back to What did we think back in the day?? I thought it was some of the best music I've ever heard!

[alfa75]

Definitely puzzled by the change in direction, so it took me a while to get used to it. Some songs I loved right away and still do (Coma, DDM, NR) others took longer to grow on me. I remember being particularly critical of Estranged and now that is quite possibly my favorite Guns song. As much as I love AFD, I found the music/lyrics on UYI more relevant to my post-adolescent life. Nothing touches AFD for pure energy and angst, but UYI material feels more contemporary now. Guns had grown and the music had grown too. The mixing was just not as good as AFD, though. Slash n Axl were great, but AFDs thunderous rythm section was not as strong; although Duff shined on songs like Locomotive, Estranged, etc.

[JONEZY]

I thought it was great. Bought both of them the day they came out. Never was a fan of keyboards/synth in this band, but there were a few songs that didn't have them. As I recall, most critics loved or at least liked it. GnR was everywhere, it was a great time to be a fan of GnR.

[- antem]

It's fun to read this posts. It's a shame that I wasn't around at that time. Seemed like good time to be a gunner

[Cosmo]

You guys are old. I was barely 1 when UYI came out

[scans n' copies]

Got 'em at midnite. Drove around for about 3 hours listening. Ahhhh, the time before the internet changed everything about music releases.Loved almost everything about them. Still do, to be quite honest. There are probably 5-6 songs total I wouldn't miss if they weren't on there, but overall I loved the progression of the band.