Why Did Guns N' Roses Release 'G N' R Lies' In November 1988?

[YouCouldBeMine_2029]

First Off, this Isn't a Dig at the Album nor Gn'Rs Decision to Record/Relsease It. It's a Brilliant Album!

-

'Appetite For Destruction' by the Time 'G N' R Lies' was Released was Selling Millions and was the Biggest Album In North America along with the Massive Hit 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. Going Into 1989 Appetite and Sweet Child Were going to take over the World along with Jungle and Paradise City. I imagine that was the Projection for 1989 at the time by Geffen/WB and The Band.

Was ''Lies'' just Released because of the huge potential of the Single 'Patience'? Or, was it a sign by the Band that they weren't going to be releasing another Worthy Follow up to 'Appetite For Destruction' anytime Soon i.e 89 0r 90. Which, as we know, turned out to be true.

What do you Think?

-

'One In A Million' Best Song on The Album Imo...

Edited November 22, 2020 by YouCouldBeMine_2029
Grammer

[DownUnderScott]

8 hours ago, YouCouldBeMine_2029 said:

First Off, this Isn't a Dig at the Album nor Gn'Rs Decision to Record/Relsease It. It's a Brilliant Album!

-

'Appetite For Destruction' by the Time 'G N' R Lies' was Released was Selling Millions and was the Biggest Album In North America along with the Massive Hit 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. Going Into 1989 Appetite and Sweet Child Were going to take over the World along with Jungle and Paradise City. I imagine that was the Projection for 1989 at the time by Geffen/WB and The Band.

Was ''Lies'' just Released because of the huge potential of the Single 'Patience'? Or, was it a sign by the Band that they weren't going to be releasing another Worthy Follow up to 'Appetite For Destruction' anytime Soon i.e 89 0r 90. Which, as we know, turned out to be true.

What do you Think?

-

'One In A Million' Best Song on The Album Imo...

Yeah I think it was to keep fans happy and engaged while they worked on UYI music. So basically to keep the momentum up.

And I also love One in a Million. Such an underrated song with great guitar rhythm and brutally honest lyrics. That’s true art!

[IrishgunnerII]

3 hours ago, DownUnderScott said:

Yeah I think it was to keep fans happy and engaged while they worked on UYI music. So basically to keep the momentum up.

And I also love One in a Million. Such an underrated song with great guitar rhythm and brutally honest lyrics. That’s true art!

I think it’s the brutally honest lyrics which are the problem with some people. Yes, I can understand Axl’s feelings but I think in hindsight he could have conveyed his anger in a better way. It’s the same with the song fairytale of New York which uses one of the same words that is used in OIAM and considered a slur against gay people but the pogues have explained the thinking behind the use of the word yet bbc radio 1 in the UK have decided it would offend their listeners. It’s one thing I don’t like about today’s society is that assume insult that isn’t there for people. 
 

And to answer the actual question asked. Yes, I think lies was released when it was to tie fans over until what became UYI 1 and 2 was released, but there probably was a bit of capitalising on the success of AFD also. I think the album is a great album and has my favourite version of you’re crazy, there’s patience obviously, move to the city, and used to love her which shows the band could have fun around a sensitive subject.

Edited November 22, 2020 by IrishgunnerII

[YouCouldBeMine_2029]

19 minutes ago, IrishgunnerII said:

I think it’s the brutally honest lyrics which are the problem with some people. Yes, I can understand Axl’s feelings but I think in hindsight he could have conveyed his anger in a better way. It’s the same with the song fairytale of New York which uses one of the same words that is used in OIAM and considered a slur against gay people but the pogues have explained the thinking behind the use of the word yet bbc radio 1 in the UK have decided it would offend their listeners. It’s one thing I don’t like about today’s society is that assume insult that isn’t there for people. 
 

And to answer the actual question asked. Yes, I think lies was released when it was to tie fans over until what became UYI 1 and 2 was released, but there probably was a bit of capitalising on the success of AFD also. I think the album is a great album and has my favourite version of you’re crazy, there’s patience obviously, move to the city, and used to love her which shows the band could have fun around a sensitive subject.

Oh Don't get me Started on The Pogues/Radio1/PC Brigade situation. Unbelieveable!

The Freaking song has been a Major Favorite during the Festive Season since 1987 with Millions of People. I'd just love for the Gay Community to come out and protest The BBC for doing it.

Rant Over!

-

That's what I believe to.

My favorite version of 'You're Crazy' to.

[alfierose]

13 minutes ago, YouCouldBeMine_2029 said:

Oh Don't get me Started on The Pogues/Radio1/PC Brigade situation. Unbelieveable!

The Freaking song has been a Major Favorite during the Festive Season since 1987 with Millions of People. I'd just love for the Gay Community to come out and protest The BBC for doing it.

Rant Over!

-

That's what I believe to.

My favorite version of 'You're Crazy' to.

I heard about The Pogues thing on the radio the other day. I was listening to BBC Radio 2 (because I'm old now) and it seems it's only R1 that has to play the new censored version. The other stations are free to play whichever version they like and to illustrate the point they played a clip of the offensive lyrics. So it seems they're only censoring it for a select demographic of youngish people and keeping their fingers crossed they never flip the channel from R1. 

[The Holographic Universe]

4 hours ago, DownUnderScott said:

Yeah I think it was to keep fans happy and engaged while they worked on UYI music. So basically to keep the momentum up.

And I also love One in a Million. Such an underrated song with great guitar rhythm and brutally honest lyrics. That’s true art!

One in a million would have been a classic if the lyrics were changed.

[YouCouldBeMine_2029]

10 minutes ago, alfierose said:

I heard about The Pogues thing on the radio the other day. I was listening to BBC Radio 2 (because I'm old now) and it seems it's only R1 that has to play the new censored version. The other stations are free to play whichever version they like and to illustrate the point they played a clip of the offensive lyrics. So it seems they're only censoring it for a select demographic of youngish people and keeping their fingers crossed they never flip the channel from R1. 

Good to hear that!

 

[soon]

(Bigotry is acceptable when its "honest" is not a logical statement.)

But yeah, the album was a stop gap. Back then Guns thought that 2 years between releases was too long to wait! Just think about that!

I dont think that they expected Patience to be so huge. It was on the charts at the same time as SCOM iirc.

[Tom-Ass]

8 hours ago, The Holographic Universe said:

One in a million would have been a classic if the lyrics were changed.

Still a classic to me either way..

LIES is my second favorite Guns album. Yes I consider it an album... There are countless classic albums from the 70's and 80's that only had 8 songs..  8 songs amd I love every oe of them.. 

[janrichmond]

I believe the release had something to do with the previous release of Live Like A Suicide being sold out quicker than expected and people paying OTT prices, so the idea was to re-release LLAS but add the acoustic set on the other side.

This is from memories at the time but @Blackstar can give us the facts. 

Thanks @Blackstar 

[megaguns1982]

I remember reading somewhere that live like a suicide was selling for ridiculous prices because demand for GNR music was high, so they re-released it and threw in the extra songs to make up an albums worth.

it always struck me as strange that they didn’t include shadow of your love on lies

[estranged_85]

I guess to keep the momentum and interest up, which they totally forgot how to do in recent years. 

[Blackstar]

23 minutes ago, janrichmond said:

I believe the release had something to do with the previous release of Live Like A Suicide being sold out quicker than expected and people paying OTT prices, so the idea was to re-release LLAS but add the acoustic set on the other side.

This is from memories at the time but @Blackstar can give us the facts. 

Thanks @Blackstar 

Yeah, the idea was to re-release Live Like A Suicide for this reason, and it was planned even before Appetite was released.

At first the plan was to release an EP with LLAS on side A and four live tracks/B sides on side B.  The title of side B had already been decided to be "The Sex, The Drug, The Violence, The Shocking Truth."

In late 1987, they recorded the acoustic tracks, and at the CBGB's show in Oct. 1987 Axl announced that the acoustic EP was scheduled to be released about a year from then.

Then, in early 1988, they decided to combine LLAS and the acoustic tracks into one EP.

More details here:

https://www.a-4-d.com/t4956p30-08-1987-1988-touring-and-success#19096

and here:

https://www.a-4-d.com/t4987-09-august-december-1988-lies-and-the-spotlight#19255

 

[YouCouldBeMine_2029]

17 minutes ago, Blackstar said:

Yeah, the idea was to re-release Live Like A Suicide for this reason, and it was planned even before Appetite was released.

At first the plan was to release an EP with LLAS on side A and four live tracks/B sides on side B.  The title of side B had already been decided to be "The Sex, The Drug, The Violence, The Shocking Truth."

In late 1987, they recorded the acoustic tracks, and at the CBGB's show in Oct. 1987 Axl announced that the acoustic EP was scheduled to be released about a year from then.

Then, in early 1988, they decided to combine LLAS and the acoustic tracks into one EP.

More details here:

https://www.a-4-d.com/t4956p30-08-1987-1988-touring-and-success#19096

and here:

https://www.a-4-d.com/t4987-09-august-december-1988-lies-and-the-spotlight#19255

 

Thanks for the Information and Links!

 

[2020_Intensions]

OIAM is musically one of Guns' best moments.

[Original]

13 hours ago, The Holographic Universe said:

One in a million would have been a classic if the lyrics were changed.

Top 5 GnR song.   Woulda been “accepted” if it were sung by a (black) rapper vs a white dude.  Albeit it was sung from the perspective of an Indiana hick...   But that’s been debated 1 million times on here.  

[DownUnderScott]

1 hour ago, Original said:

Top 5 GnR song.   Woulda been “accepted” if it were sung by a (black) rapper vs a white dude.  Albeit it was sung from the perspective of an Indiana hick...   But that’s been debated 1 million times on here.  

This. 

[DownUnderScott]

16 hours ago, IrishgunnerII said:

I think it’s the brutally honest lyrics which are the problem with some people. Yes, I can understand Axl’s feelings but I think in hindsight he could have conveyed his anger in a better way. It’s the same with the song fairytale of New York which uses one of the same words that is used in OIAM and considered a slur against gay people but the pogues have explained the thinking behind the use of the word yet bbc radio 1 in the UK have decided it would offend their listeners. It’s one thing I don’t like about today’s society is that assume insult that isn’t there for people. 
 

And to answer the actual question asked. Yes, I think lies was released when it was to tie fans over until what became UYI 1 and 2 was released, but there probably was a bit of capitalising on the success of AFD also. I think the album is a great album and has my favourite version of you’re crazy, there’s patience obviously, move to the city, and used to love her which shows the band could have fun around a sensitive subject.

I think Axl conveyed it perfectly, even declaring the fact he was just a small town white boy to paint a picture of his background. So the problem is actually society’s, it’s failure to understand his perspective and that is his perfectly valid opinion. 

[jackparker123]

They should follow up Lies with the 'Truth' EP in 2021:

1. Hard School
2. BRAND NEW SONG
3. State Of Grace
4. The General

#TheNextChapter 

[bucketmaster101]

19 hours ago, alfierose said:

I heard about The Pogues thing on the radio the other day. I was listening to BBC Radio 2 (because I'm old now) and it seems it's only R1 that has to play the new censored version. The other stations are free to play whichever version they like and to illustrate the point they played a clip of the offensive lyrics. So it seems they're only censoring it for a select demographic of youngish people and keeping their fingers crossed they never flip the channel from R1. 

Yeah it's this. Radio 1 (which is famously targeted to younger audiences) has said that the use of language is not acceptable and may offend younger listeners. R2 and R6 will be able to decide which version they air, although I believe that the stations higher ups have passed on that responsibility to individual DJ's (could be wrong on that point though). 

It's odd to me that the reason given seemingly implies that the younger crowd lack the ability to understand nuance and would elect to simply be offended by hearing song lyrics but hey ho! 

[MaskingApathy]

OIAM is Axl's best vocal performance of any song imo. He uses all ranges of his voice.

[GnR Chris]

Imagine that. GNR releasing new music a year after AFD as a way to satiate their fanbase.

Then they turned around and released a double album only two years afterward.

We're 12 years removed from Chinese Democracy, a record the official social media channels seem to completely ignore. At least, I guess, the band still plays CD songs live.

Edited November 23, 2020 by GnR Chris

[TeeJay410]

One in a Million is an undoubtedly musically brilliant but lyrically abhorrent song, a fact as well as confirmed by the band by its omission in the box set. If you refuse to acknowledge that fact, it's on *you.*

[Amaya]

Why Lies 1988?

Record companies, album buying public , sales. Strike the iron while it is hot.

GnR  was big, happening.

 

Why 3 RS covers, including one with Axl alone? I might have miscounted.
Magazines. People bought periodicals. Happening group.

Cream, Hit Parader, Metal something... I cannot remember, Rolling Stone was back then a very good magazine. Just a magazine.

 

, 

 

33 minutes ago, TeeJay410 said:

One in a Million is an undoubtedly musically brilliant but lyrically abhorrent song, a fact as well as confirmed by the band by its omission in the box set. If you refuse to acknowledge that fact, it's on *you.*

Thank you. Some lyrics, for shock, just were not cool. 
 

[UsedYourIllusion]

19 hours ago, DownUnderScott said:

I think Axl conveyed it perfectly, even declaring the fact he was just a small town white boy to paint a picture of his background. So the problem is actually society’s, it’s failure to understand his perspective and that is his perfectly valid opinion. 

I've always assumed that OIAM is a frame song, that Axl is conveying how someone may feel and act; not his emotions or feelings. But his responses and defense of the song seemed to not support that. Making the song something of a mystery.