Should UYI Have Been 1 Album?

[RussTCB]

Thanks again to anyone taking the time to watch the video in the first post. It's getting a lot of positive feedback so far

[31illusions]

If it was only one album, that's all you might have got! They self imploded shortly there after. I'm happy with it. It was their last (original) musical gasp before destruction.

[ToonGuns]

It probably should have been one album, with a bunch of b sides, but given how light the back catalogue is I'm glad it wasn't.

[Tom2112]

I guess I've never really been a lyric guy, so a lot of the time i'm just listening to the sound of the voice. For me Don't cry alt lyrics doesn't flow as nicely; like you I love having both versions. However I'd cut it in a heartbeat🤣

Get in the ring is a fun song, but the middle rant while entertaining in that "he's such a mentaller" way. 

I like both albums but I'd probably land on the UYI II side of the fence, even though I'd probably cut more songs on that record than UYI I.

When people (myself included) say it should be one record, the biggest difficulty is fitting all the best songs. And even if you did, how do you sequence it? I think you have to include Estranged, November rain, Don't cry from the slow ballad end of things. You could be mine, Yesterdays, Pretty tied up, Civil war, Dead Horse, Breakdown, The Garden, Garden of eden, Dust N Bones, Perfect crime, Double Talkin' jive, You ain't the first, Live and let die, Heavens door. I could go through the track listings, but to me those are the most memorable standout tracks that I instantly think of and already there's more than 1 album. And yes Ieft of Locomotive and Coma😜 I like Locomotive but I'd have left a few mins on the editing floor and it would be a whole other beast.

As for my world... well I'd keep it. I have a soft spot from introducing it to people and then telling them it was GNR, or the times I go into a bowling alley or pub and put it on and then leave😄

[Beto 22]

1 hour ago, 31illusions said:

If it was only one album, that's all you might have got! They self imploded shortly there after. I'm happy with it. It was their last (original) musical gasp before destruction.

Like they didn't self implode shortly after... Izzy bailed before the release, Slash and Duff never released anything in GNR for 20 years!! They just finished the tour that secured them for life.

It's not like GNR released more 2 or 3 albuns because they put it down all the differences with UYI ... It was what it should've been even if it was like the KISS solo albuns.

[RussTCB]

More than a few comments on YouTube so far saying people think I made a good case for it needing to be 2 albums

[Mendez]

as a hardcore fan: It should have been one album

 

Best songs are :

 

YCBM

Civil War

Estranged

NR

Coma

The Garden

Yesterdays

Locomotive

 

 

I think all those songs could have been on one album and totally could have held its own in the market even as it was at that time.

 

Honestly The Garden could have easily fit into the 90s grunge era (even though it happened to be written in 88ish?). Wouldn't have changed the scene, but would have fit in nicely.

 

YCBM obviously had heavy radio play bc of T2 so no need to worry about that.

 

Estranged was kinda dark sounding so it wouldn't have been lumped into a typical ballad category imo

 

Coma should be after War

 

 

And Dizzy Reed should have been scrubbed from album performances

[Gold top 78]

Just watched the video Russ and really enjoyed it 👍

totally agree that there’s no way to fit all the good songs on the albums into one album. For me personally I used to own the cassettes before buying the CD versions of UYI and my favourite run of tracks was “side 2 “ of UYI 1 (NR through to Coma). Whenever I played it I just couldn’t skip any of the songs. 
As far as UYI 2 goes I think the end of the album ends at YCBM for me. It’s cool they recorded alt lyrics for don’t cry and I know a lot of people prefer it over the original but I barely listen to it. 
Overall I think UYI 2 has the stronger tracks ( I mean come on Breakdown, Locomotive and Estranged ) but it’s just a pity it seems like a let down at the end. 
Both albums are great and underrated sometimes and the fact they were different from AFD just made it better. They were the soundtrack of my teenage years and I never get sick of listening to them. 

[UseYourDelusion]

It kinda annoys me that there are two covers still in the modern GnR set (KOHD & LALD)- great though they are, they belong on Spaghetti Incident.

Thats why GnR for me still owe a belting original record to the world to truly belong in legendary status. 
 

It would be truly special to see Axl, Slash and Duff (of course if poss Izzy and Steve/Matt) do an original material album- here’s hoping we aren’t far away.

[RussTCB]

28 minutes ago, Gold top 78 said:

Just watched the video Russ and really enjoyed it 👍

totally agree that there’s no way to fit all the good songs on the albums into one album. For me personally I used to own the cassettes before buying the CD versions of UYI and my favourite run of tracks was “side 2 “ of UYI 1 (NR through to Coma). Whenever I played it I just couldn’t skip any of the songs. 
As far as UYI 2 goes I think the end of the album ends at YCBM for me. It’s cool they recorded alt lyrics for don’t cry and I know a lot of people prefer it over the original but I barely listen to it. 
Overall I think UYI 2 has the stronger tracks ( I mean come on Breakdown, Locomotive and Estranged ) but it’s just a pity it seems like a let down at the end. 
Both albums are great and underrated sometimes and the fact they were different from AFD just made it better. They were the soundtrack of my teenage years and I never get sick of listening to them. 

Thanks for watching and the kind words. I totally agree with you obviously lol

[lame ass security]

Great vid Russ, I enjoy listening to you. I was in the camp that it should've been one album but I changed my mind years ago. Man, your record collection is unreal.

[metallex78]

Having watched the video Russ, on UYI2, the songs you don’t like - GITR, and Shotgun Blues, are two that I actually love. Even if the lyrics are kinda cheese, I absolutely love them instrumentally underneath.

I agree with you that there are too many songs I like for me to cut it down to one single album.

[metallex78]

I always consider UYI1 Slash’s album, as it’s guitar heavy, aside from NR, and UYI2 is Axl’s album, featuring more piano, and of course ending with My World. 

So while I love both and Estranged is my favourite GN’R song, I listen to UYI1 more these days. 

[RussTCB]

1 hour ago, lame ass security said:

Great vid Russ, I enjoy listening to you. I was in the camp that it should've been one album but I changed my mind years ago. Man, your record collection is unreal.

Thanks man and yeah, I've been working on the collection a LONG time but it's been worth all the effort. 

43 minutes ago, metallex78 said:

Having watched the video Russ, on UYI2, the songs you don’t like - GITR, and Shotgun Blues, are two that I actually love. Even if the lyrics are kinda cheese, I absolutely love them instrumentally underneath.

I agree with you that there are too many songs I like for me to cut it down to one single album.

I should have mentioned that I love GitR musically. Really love it from a musical standpoint but the lyrics are just.....ugh lol.....and I felt that way back in 91. I just can't get down with Shotgun Blues though. It's just never grown on me. 

[Evil Doer]

Had UYI been one album, I would have liked to see it stay heavy, raw hard rock.  Always thought tunes like Don't Cry, November Rain, Yesterdays, Breakdown, KOHD would have been great on an Axl solo record.  My tracklist would have been something like this:

 

Right Next Door To Hell

You Could Be Mine

Perfect Crime

Garden of Eden

Dust N' Bones

Civil War

Double Talkin Jive

Pretty Tied Up

Don't Damn Me

Dead Horse

Estranged

Locomotive

Coma

 

This album would have been every bit as good as Appetite.

[Live Like a Suicide]

10 hours ago, Coma16 said:

Not evidence at all. That was loophole to be able to sell it at Walmart (or wherever jt was)

Of course, but it is still an example of what happens when you try to combine the albums into one. It can't be done to a degree entirely acceptable to everyone. At the very least, it would cut some key songs.

[vloors]

11 hours ago, martinb33 said:

If it had been only 1 album we would be talking about the best hardrock album of all time. Garden of Eden, Shotgun Blues, GITR, My World and a couple of other songs could have been discarded, but I guess the commercial strategy of selling more records prospered.

These songs could of been B Sides for singles not needed to be discarded completely

[martinb33]

31 minutes ago, vloors said:

These songs could of been B Sides for singles not needed to be discarded completely

Totally, or as another user wrote, postpone them for another album, something that has always happened, from AFD to now.

I should clarify, I enjoy all those songs, even My World.

Surely there were several alternatives regarding the release of these albums at that time, but of course, one succeeded.

[mystery]

I feel like they could've made Use Your Illusion one album and used some cut tracks as B-Sides or even as holdovers for a separate album around 94/95.

I think 2 albums in the end was the best situation for both the band and the fans. I do think the weight of supporting and touring 2 albums contributed to the demise of the band for the rest of the 1990s.

[jimisbatman]

Just watched video, and enjoyed it very much. I've always loved UYI albums, and turned to them given I over listened to appetite. Have always preferred 2 over 1. However I always skip songs in favour of others and would argue that a single album with the best songs could have rivaled appetite. IMO, given the presence of alot of what could be considered as B_ grade mediocre mid tempo songs, ie, KOHD, Dn'B, YATF, DC(alt), BO, DTJ, The Garden, Dead Horse, 14 yrs, Yesterday's, So Fine, and My World, I see the albums as 'overbloated'. I like some of aforementioned songs, however they were not essential in my opinion. Yes I have often thought about the run times of the 4 long epics, NR, L, C, and estranged, and presents a problem for a single disc opinion lol, however could have released as one epic disc and EPx2 made up of aftementioed songs.   Smashing pumpkins released eps with Mellon collie and had epic songs on them that weren't on an album, but that's a digression. I absolutely love GITR, so I suppose it's different strokes for different folks. Hey Jude was recorded during White Album and wasn't even on the album and just a single, but we know it was different times back then. Anyway, awesome video, keen to check out others. 

[RussTCB]

6 hours ago, jimisbatman said:

Just watched video, and enjoyed it very much. I've always loved UYI albums, and turned to them given I over listened to appetite. Have always preferred 2 over 1. However I always skip songs in favour of others and would argue that a single album with the best songs could have rivaled appetite. IMO, given the presence of alot of what could be considered as B_ grade mediocre mid tempo songs, ie, KOHD, Dn'B, YATF, DC(alt), BO, DTJ, The Garden, Dead Horse, 14 yrs, Yesterday's, So Fine, and My World, I see the albums as 'overbloated'. I like some of aforementioned songs, however they were not essential in my opinion. Yes I have often thought about the run times of the 4 long epics, NR, L, C, and estranged, and presents a problem for a single disc opinion lol, however could have released as one epic disc and EPx2 made up of aftementioed songs.   Smashing pumpkins released eps with Mellon collie and had epic songs on them that weren't on an album, but that's a digression. I absolutely love GITR, so I suppose it's different strokes for different folks. Hey Jude was recorded during White Album and wasn't even on the album and just a single, but we know it was different times back then. Anyway, awesome video, keen to check out others. 

Thanks man. I currently have enough videos shot to where I can release two per week through the end of December. So there's a lot more coming, it's just spread across a lot more than just GN'R. There's already 70 or so videos on the channel as it is

As for UYI; I agree with you and others who've said they might have been able to release one killer album then saved other cuts for EPs or B Sides. 

For this particular video, I just wanted to cover how they were released as is. That's what I was saying it's more aimed at casual GN'R fans. The first thing casual GN'R fans usually say about UYI is something like "it could have easily been one album" and I couldn't disagree more with that. 

 

[Homefuck]

15 hours ago, Mendez said:

as a hardcore fan: It should have been one album

 

Best songs are :

 

YCBM

Civil War

Estranged

NR

Coma

The Garden

Yesterdays

Locomotive

 

 

I think all those songs could have been on one album and totally could have held its own in the market even as it was at that time.

 

Honestly The Garden could have easily fit into the 90s grunge era (even though it happened to be written in 88ish?). Wouldn't have changed the scene, but would have fit in nicely.

 

YCBM obviously had heavy radio play bc of T2 so no need to worry about that.

 

Estranged was kinda dark sounding so it wouldn't have been lumped into a typical ballad category imo

 

Coma should be after War

 

 

And Dizzy Reed should have been scrubbed from album performances

This would've been a really cool idea. Exchange the garden and yesterdays for breakdown and pretty tied up and I'd probably think it'd be one of the greatest albums ever.

If we're going down this road I'm also thinking of removing "think about you" and "anything goes" from appetite and scrap Lies, SI and CD all together and you'd have a band that's only put out 18 songs, but all of them absolutely top notch. 

[El Guapo]

14 hours ago, Evil Doer said:

Had UYI been one album, I would have liked to see it stay heavy, raw hard rock.  Always thought tunes like Don't Cry, November Rain, Yesterdays, Breakdown, KOHD would have been great on an Axl solo record.  My tracklist would have been something like this:

 

Right Next Door To Hell

You Could Be Mine

Perfect Crime

Garden of Eden

Dust N' Bones

Civil War

Double Talkin Jive

Pretty Tied Up

Don't Damn Me

Dead Horse

Estranged

Locomotive

Coma

 

This album would have been every bit as good as Appetite.

I like that a lot! 

[Modano09]

There's too much good stuff there for one album, probably not enough for two full albums.

I mean, aside from trashing My World I really wouldn't change anything.  

Plus at this point it seemed like everyone had their own songs they wanted to get in there. 

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Modano09

[3coloursbeige]

I think it should've been been two slightly shorter albums.  There are a few songs which come up again and again for being weaker - My World, Shotgun Blues, Get In The Ring (sounds silly now but was fun when I was a kid!) - but you're still left with two long albums...