Unpopular Opinion: GNR's "My World" was a track ahead of its time - article by LA Weekly

[Silverburst80]

6 hours ago, uncivil war said:

Of course Axl was on drugs while recording My World. You can literally hear the click of the lighter, the bong or pipe or whatever it was being inhaled, and Axl exhaling while he says "guess what I'm doing now".

Can we say that Axl  is the only recording artist to have both his own live sex sounds (Rocket Queen) and illicit drug use (My World)  committed to an album?

There's certainly been some bong hits on tape over the years, i think Cypress Hill try to incorporate one every third song. Shame the girl having sex on My World never got the same credit as Adrianna Smith, them's the breaks i guess.

[maxpax]

2 hours ago, Blackstar said:

 

The same could be said at the time for songs like NR and Estranged though. Even Slash and Duff disliked them and thought that this kind of epics had nothing to do with what GnR was. The "Illusions" had received mixed reviews at the time (in most album of the year lists they weren't placed in the top 10) and they remain underrated til now (see here and here ). The songs that were mostly bashed in the lukewarm and negative reviews were, believe it or not, the "bloated" piano ballads (and "Get In The Ring" for obvious reasons).

Personally I don't consider My World worse than Shotgun Blues or even Back Off Bitch. And the Illusions have so many different styles of songs, so it doesn't bother me in that sense either.

 

As you know NR was written at the beginning of GnRs career. It didn't make it on the first two albums cause it didn't fit on them. As we know as well NR and Estranged turned out to be classics. These songs stand for GnR at their musical peak. My world and CD material are music that only contain Axl as an original member.  The fact that Slash said no to this musical direction says it all. He couldn't identify himself with NuMetal.

[EvanG]

13 hours ago, maxpax said:

 for 1991 my world was definately above its time. axl tried to combine rock with rap and electro. sth bands like limp bizkit, korn, etc did years later.

Dunno... there were already bands doing that shit in the 80s.

[Gracii Guns]

I can't comprehend My World as being a song. All I recall when I think of it is Axl shouting something vain and would appeal to teenagers, with that woman faking in the background. 

*Listens to it*

Ok, the synthy thing, I like that. But adding those lyrics and the faking woman over the one riff doesn't make it music. It was quite different for it's time. Certainly feels like at attempt at something heavier before actually being good at it. 

[Italian girl]

I really like it

[nevergotochurch]

I really dig my world. I just wish it were a longer, more realized song. should have maybe had another verse.

[nevergotochurch]

13 hours ago, Draguns said:

"My World" better than "November Rain"???? WTF is this guy on? Wow! It's either clickbait or this guy is using his illusions. pun intended.  lol

I think my world is better than November rain. I've never been very into their ballads, I much prefer the hard rocking songs and I also have a taste for industrial music. my world is way more up my alley than a song like November rain.

[Ace Nova]

I never really took My World all that seriously...and I'm pretty sure either did most of the band or Axl.

[Silverburst80]

Should have been a "secret track" instead of an official listed track if it had to be on there.

[Draguns]

6 hours ago, nevergotochurch said:

I think my world is better than November rain. I've never been very into their ballads, I much prefer the hard rocking songs and I also have a taste for industrial music. my world is way more up my alley than a song like November rain.

I don't think it's a hard rock song. Too much industrial sounding. If I want that, I'll go listen to NIN instead. Just not my type of music. GNR is a hard rock bluesy based band. 

[nevergotochurch]

3 hours ago, Draguns said:

I don't think it's a hard rock song. Too much industrial sounding. If I want that, I'll go listen to NIN instead. Just not my type of music. GNR is a hard rock bluesy based band. 

oh no, sorry, I wasn't saying My World is a hard rocking song... I was just saying... I've never cared for November rain simply because I'm more into their harder songs. I mentioned that to clarify why I don't like November rain in the first place. in addition to that, I like industrial stuff... so, Axl experimenting with industrial stuff is definitely more appealing to me than songs like November rain. sorry for the confusion!

[BatVin]

hahaha, finally, after all these years someone else with positive opinion of My World. I like it. 

[jekylhyde]

I like the tone and overall sound of My World. It has cool elements, I dig Axl's voice on it, the drums and keyboards are pretty nice, but as a composition it is really bad.

It would've been a great piece as an interlude on an Axl Rose NIN-esque solo album. But it doesn't fit in with rest of the Illusions material.

[Bono]

 what a  fucking joke. My World sounds like some piece of shit Trent Reznor threw away while screwing around while taking a  break from recording Pretty Hate Machine. My World fucking sucks and was not ahead of anything let alone it's time.

[Babooshka]

My World isn't the best song, but it's interesting because it points to where Axl was at that time, and what could have been.

I still say he should have gone solo, and that's probably the biggest loss in all of this. He clearly was interested in branching out of the hardrock sound, which is fair enough. At that time, I don't think GNR was the right platform for that experiment though. He should have created a side band with Finck, Buckethead & co. If they'd done stuff like OMG it would have been a cool band imo.

[dgnr]

On 05/07/2016 at 10:54 PM, KeyserSoze said:

  I would rather listen to “My World” than “November Rain.”

  I would rather listen to “My World” than “November Rain.”

  I would rather listen to “My World” than “November Rain.”
 

I cringed... You sir have issues, I tell you right now.

Edited July 7, 2016 by dgnr