RONIN Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 (edited) It's time for another Illusion era Face/Off. Three of the coolest rock epics from GnR that perfectly reflected their newer, sophisticated songwriting. I love all three so this is a tough one. The lyrics and guitar on all three are spectacular. Locomotive -- The chorus is weak and Axl has that cat being strangled voice but it also has the immortal coda "Love's so strange" which might be the coolest jam GnR has ever done imho. The chugging riffs of Slash are GODLY on this. Breakdown -- The banjo opening sounds suitably log cabin-ny. Epic verses and Slash solos. Weak chorus brings it down a bit as does the ending with Axl talking over Slash's incredible solo. There's too much going on here unfortunately. This song is kickass but I feel like it would have been a masterpiece had they shortened it a bit and revised the chorus. Pretty Tied up -- A Stradlin' masterpiece. Cool Ranch Dressing. Trust Izzy to write a song about BDSM and predict the future of Nu GNR (time went by and it became a joke). I wouldn't change a thing about this song -- even the Axl overdubs work well within the confines of Pretty Tied Up (albeit excessive perhaps). Pretty Tied Up is probably the better song but I have to vote for Locomotive simply because the Coda might singularly be the best piece of music the band has ever composed imho. What is best in life? King Arnold would say that the last 2 minutes of Locomotive is better than crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you and hearing the lamentations of their women. Edited July 3, 2016 by RONIN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oaka Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 I voted for Breakdown. Along with Estranged it's my favourite song from the Illusion albums. The opening lyrics "We all come in from the cold / We come down from the wire" make me feel shivers down my spine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulMonster Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Locomotive. Fantastic lyrics. Love the choruses, Axl's numerous vocals and the chorus riffs. Fantastic when the guitars double on the last chorus ending. Maybe the most headbanging moment of UYI (together with DDM). Slash's verse riffs is lovingly different from what you expect from GN'R. Locomotive may be my favorite GN'R song. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MillionsOfSpiders Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 So difficult to choose between those three and then between locamotive and breakdown. Went for breakdown in the end, I love the way axl sings it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Cantona Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Crazy motive hueheueheue I'm funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooby845 Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Breakdown...but not by far from Locomotive...Pretty Tied Up third place... Breakdown I still consider one of the best openings of a song on UYI records...it is immense song all together..while Locomotive has sick outro!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ak1nney Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Locomotive. It really shows why Axl is a great songwriter. There's like 5 verses in that song and they are all just as good as the chorus. Instrumentally it's a beast too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverburst80 Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Locomotive, it's a complicated heavy/funky headfuck and i love it. What a band they were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top-Hatted One Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 LOCO The End. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponsnflowers Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Hard vote between Breakdown and Locomotive. Both are so great. Had to go with Breakdown. These two should be playing in the radio as much as any Elton John songs. As should Pretty Tied Up of course. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Słash Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Locomotive Pretty Tied Up Breadkdown 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SoundOfAGun Posted July 3, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted July 3, 2016 Locomotive, although Breakdown has some cool lyrical imagery. Locomotive is the direction that I always hoped GN'R would have taken had they stayed together; epic, heavy and complex. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcon Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 2 hours ago, SoundOfAGun said: Locomotive, although Breakdown has some cool lyrical imagery. Locomotive is the direction that I always hoped GN'R would have taken had they stayed together; epic, heavy and complex. Great description. I agree. Also love the 'freestyling' kind of drums in the verses. (Not sure how an actual musician would describe it but I know what I mean) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourcrazy Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Locomotive for me by far. I'd love to hear that live again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom-Ass Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Almost impossible to pick between Breakdown and Locomotive but I picked Loco.. Reasoning was just the nonsense from Axl at the end of Breakdown but they are still both amazing songs. Would love to see one of them replace Coma or a CD song. Pretty Tied up is pretty good but not even on the same planet as those two in my eyes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killuridols Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 (edited) I'm not sure why 'Pretty Tied Up' is in the question, I don't see any similarities with the other two so for me, the battle is between 'Locomotive' and 'Breakdown'. I ended up voting 'Breakdown' because that's the mood I'm currently in but other times I'm more into 'Locomotive'. They are both great songs with few weak parts, like some of you mentioned before, they both have some of the best lyrics Axl ever wrote. I really look forward to more songs like that in the future but I'm not sure Axl is spiritually in that place anymore Edited July 3, 2016 by killuridols 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Padme Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 7 hours ago, SoulMonster said: Locomotive. Fantastic lyrics. Love the choruses, Axl's numerous vocals and the chorus riffs. Fantastic when the guitars double on the last chorus ending. Maybe the most headbanging moment of UYI (together with DDM). Slash's verse riffs is lovingly different from what you expect from GN'R. Locomotive may be my favorite GN'R song. This! I agree with every word you said 10 hours ago, RONIN said: It's time for another Illusion era Face/Off. Three of the coolest rock epics from GnR that perfectly reflected their newer, sophisticated songwriting. I love all three so this is a tough one. The lyrics and guitar on all three are spectacular. Locomotive -- The chorus is weak and Axl has that cat being strangled voice but it also has the immortal coda "Love's so strange" which might be the coolest jam GnR has ever done imho. The chugging riffs of Slash are GODLY on this. Breakdown -- The banjo opening sounds suitably log cabin-ny. Epic verses and Slash solos. Weak chorus brings it down a bit as does the ending with Axl talking over Slash's incredible solo. There's too much going on here unfortunately. This song is kickass but I feel like it would have been a masterpiece had they shortened it a bit and revised the chorus. Pretty Tied up -- A Stradlin' masterpiece. Cool Ranch Dressing. Trust Izzy to write a song about BDSM and predict the future of Nu GNR (time went by and it became a joke). I wouldn't change a thing about this song -- even the Axl overdubs work well within the confines of Pretty Tied Up (albeit excessive perhaps). Pretty Tied Up is probably the better song but I have to vote for Locomotive simply because the Coda might singularly be the best piece of music the band has ever composed imho. What is best in life? King Arnold would say that the last 2 minutes of Locomotive is better than crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you and hearing the lamentations of their women. Good topic, those are three of my favorite songs. I wish I could listen to them live at some point during this tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonok Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Locomotive is tied with Coma as the all-around all-time best GNR composition - it's a Slash and Axl masterpiece with brilliant soloing and riffs (one of Slash's strongest moments on the wah pedal imo) and kickass lyrics and vocal delivery from Axl (although he never quite decided which of the 3-4 voices he uses in the song to do live). And yes, the coda is something that is the closest thing to drugs since drugs. Locomotive is a monster and gets my vote. I love Pretty Tied Up as well - it's got that signature Izzy intro and it's an eerily foreshadowing song. The only thing I don't like about it is the last verse, simply because it's hard to relate to millionaires and their existential crises (a bit like Bad Apples). A great rocker and would undoubtedly get the crowd going if they played it now. Breakdown is a great song with a cool instrumental, but Axl's vocals and lyrics in the chorus are a bit annoying. Also the piano is a bit too excessive imo and doesn't fit in quite right. But that's just my opinon. So yes, Locomotive ftw! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundOfAGun Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 I love how references to the band and album names were worked into the lyrics on Breakdown and Locomotive respectively. Definitely two of the best sets of lyrics Axl has written. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitha_whiskey Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 I voted PTU because it's one of the top 3 GnR sleaze songs (with My Michelle & RQ). It's crazy to think those are all based on actual chicks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Bond Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 They don't even have to dust off Locomotive entirely. Just do the outro jam in place of Layla or something. That would be cool as shit. Yes, I voted for Locomotive but I love Pretty Tied Up. I'd welcome either of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pugachev Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 (edited) Considering Axls vocals in 2016, I think Pretty Tied Up would be he best addition to their set lists. I prefer that song over the other two. The Tokyo performance of PTU is sublime. Edited July 3, 2016 by pugachev 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanity_lost Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Today the order is: Breakdown- Pretty Tied Up- Locomotive Ask me tomorrow and the order will probably change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknroll41 Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Locomotive, simply because of the last two minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasted Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 They should just play all of them Pretty Tied Up into an instrumental of Locomotive into Breakdown. Could be the second encore after Paradise City. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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