Have your thoughts on TSI changed since 1993

[gunsfanoldie]

Hard to believe that album is turning 20 years old! I'm just curious, looking back at the album in hindsight, have your thoughts on the album changed since when it was released? Do you enjoy the album more now than you did then? It ended up being the last majorly original GNR album so do you look back on it more fondly? Do you hate the album or have you always hated it?

For me personally, I used to ignore the album completely. Denied its existence, and never counted it as part of GNR's catalogue. I'll admit, nearly all of the songs on that album were new to me as the originals just aren't the genre I listen to or ever heard before. So in theory to me, its essentially an album of new material despite the fact that I know they are covers. At some point probably 5 years ago, I heard Since I Don't Have You and Ain't It Fun on the greatest hits album and thought they were terrible. Then, last October or so, I listened to Since I Don't Have You and fucking loved it! Especially the way the song builds to Slash's guitar at the end. Fell in love with the album on one listen and because its newer to me I have revisited it alot in the last year.

I guess I just wonder is that album easier to take in nowadays seeing as there's been time to process it. Like at the time might have thought "what a waste of time to record a stupid covers album" but now that we have no more albums with Slash and Duff its like "this is awesome!" I think of it as similar to Kanye West's album 808s And Heartbreak (sorry thats the only example I can think of at the time). For those that don't know, the album is very much focused on breakup or relationship songs and its very different for Kanye in terms of he sings autotune the entire album as opposed to rapping. I just recently got into Kanye, so when first hearing the album it was jarring to me but I quickly got into it. However, my friend who's been following Kanye for years said at the time the album was released, he and many really hated it. It was just that in the moment feeling of "this is what we waited for?" or "this is what we're stuck with you promoting right now?" which is kind of absent when you listen to these albums so far later in life. I didn't have that feeling because to me it was just another past album, not one I had waited for or the new thing I just hated.

I'm interested to see if anyone else feels that way on its 20th anniversary. For me personally, I'm sad I really fucking talked that album down for years. Its excellent and Axl in particular sounds killer. And I love the major presence of Duff songs.

[Scumcat Esq.]

Nothing has changed. I still like it. There're some of my all-time favourite tracks performed by Guns on the record.

[batman007]

It was my first cd I ever bought. I haven't listened it to it for a long time, but I really like it.

[MEXzilla]

No, I like a good 3 songs on it maybe 5 but that would be stretching it. I think the album is bad and its not because the band didn't pull off the songs I just think they are covering for the most part bad songs. I think they made the songs better and I wish Axl would have sung all the songs by himself with no duff,slash, etc. My favorite track is still Since I don't have You it's just a perfect cover and to me the definitive version of that song. I think the only tracks that I prefer the originals are the Soundgarden tune and Misfits attitude but that's it.

Edited August 19, 2013 by MEXzilla

[Hollywood Gunner]

i like it alot more now than i did back then... not sure why... maybe my taste in music changed a bit... and the fact that 20 years is a long time if youre only listening to afd, lies and uyi 1&2... i guess i got into it more as CD was taking forever to come out

[estrangedtwat]

I still like it and every now and then listen to it straight through just for the hell of it.

It was the first GNR CD I bought on the day of release, so it'll always have a special meaning to me for that. (Then again, the only only other ones I did that with were Live Era and CD...fucking Axl.)

I have LOVED "Since I Don't Have You" since I first heard it. Still do. And "Ain't It Fun" sounded so raw and gritty to me back then. And "Human Being" was cool cause it was just 6 minutes of straight Axl wailing. And "Hair of the Dog." "Buick Makane." And my favorite track on the whole damn thing "Look at your Game Girl." I loved that when I "discovered" it at the end of the album.

I even got the orange vinyl version years later for less than $10. GNR's star burned bright but it faded fast. You can't go into a used record store in the world and not find TSI? for like $2.50 or less.

Fuck it. I loved it cause it was "new" studio recordings from GNR. Never imagined it would be the last (from the real band.)

I'm gonna listen to it right now!!

[Kapitch_77]

No my thoughts haven't changed.

Many good tracks but I never liked those songs:

Since I don't have you

Attitude (live or on the album)

You can't put your arms around a memory (not terrible but average)

Look at your game girl (that song shouldnt've been on the album at all)

The others are pretty good.

[JONEZY]

I still like it. But I would have preferred if it would have come out in 1989. That was the plan according to Axl in 1988. It was something they were gonna put out in 1989 to keep the fans happy til the 'new album' came out in 1990.

[axlsalinger]

I liked it quite a bit when it first came out, but my opinion of it has definitely gone down, at least a little bit. Really haven't heard the whole thing for quite a L while, other than cranking Human Being every now and then.

It's fine for what it is, which is a punk covers album. Nothing overly special, though.

[GeetarMikey]

First GN'R album I heard and thought it was originals at the time haha!

I really like it; it's a good 180 from the UYI's in the sense that it's just straight up RN'R and I think the production is a bit beefier than the UYI's.

Feels like a "let's let off some steam" record. Human Being is a fav.

[WhazUp]

It is a fun record to play, but something I don't listen to that much because I would much rather go to Appetite or the Illusions for my old GNR fix

The versions of Black Leather and Human Being are killer though

[T.wa.T]

I've always liked it. For whatever reason the louder this record is played the better. Only song I don't care for is I Don't Care About You.

[Tom-Ass]

I used to like it alot more back in the day.. i still like most of it though

All Great

Ain't It Fun

Down On The Farm

Look at Your Game Girl

Buick Mckane

Hair of the Dog.

Black Leather

I guess the ones I don't care for these days are New Rose, Raw Power and You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory....

I don't care about you, attitude and Human Beings are ok sometimes..

Edited August 19, 2013 by Tom-Ass

[netcat]

love it now and then, this record introduced me to some great acts like UK Subs, Misfits, Johnny Thunders. Black Leather is perhaps my favorite track nowadays, and i appreciate Axl sharing vocal duties with Duff

[username]

TSI is really quite a good record. Since I Don't Have You is absolutely terrible, but the other songs are all decent to quit good. But it is a cover album, which get appreciated less. And on top of that it followed UYI which was incredibly successful. UYI had some huge hits on it ranging rockers to ballads to epics. TSI however is punk. Quite a different hing than what was going on at the time. So yeah, underrated record, but at the same time it has no huge commercial highlights on it.

[Tyler Drama]

Down on the Farm and Hair of the Dog are so great.

[bodine]

It's no longer the worst gnr album.

[Facekicker]

I don't play it a whole lot but I like some of the songs. It is what it is.

[wfuckinga]

I like it a lot more then I used to, but it's still not my favourite. Ain't It Fun is still my top track from the album, but the others grew on me over time.

[J Dog]

I feel about the same. I like a lot of the songs and don't think it deserves all of the hate it gets. But it's no masterpiece either.

Hair of the Dog

Down on the Farm

Black Leather

Attitude

I Don't Care About You

Raw Power

I can listen to these about anytime, the others not so much.

[Zint]

For me it still kicks as much ass as it did back then.

To this day it still finds it way in to the car deck a few times a year.

In fact, I've probably played it more than any other GnR release.

[Coma16]

Was never a big fan of this album. I do really like Aint it Fun as well as Look at your game girl.

[J Dog]

I've always thought Aint it Fun is one of their best. TSI or otherwise.

[rockerman]

I saw the album for what it was. it was a tide over album inbetween albums like Lies was. A really great strategy. The album was simpla and straight forward no bull shit.

[Roush]

it's a fun party album. a cool concept.