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Use Your Illusion as one album


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Back Off Bitch has some nice guitar parts, but it's the only song on UYI I that'd I'd call filler. It sounds exactly like what it is - a generic hair-metal throwaway that Axl wrote when he was like 18. That song is the definition of filler, something they ditched back in '86 (I know they played it once on the UYI tour) but included because they were 'emptying the vault'...

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2 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

Finally, there are songs on there that I don't consider great, but nothing including My world that I wish away. 

I’d swap MyWorld for the long version of 14 Years which is even superior than the original.

12 minutes ago, Gordon Comstock said:

Back Off Bitch has some nice guitar parts, but it's the only song on UYI I that'd I'd call filler. It sounds exactly like what it is - a generic hair-metal throwaway that Axl wrote when he was like 18. That song is the definition of filler, something they ditched back in '86 (I know they played it once on the UYI tour) but included because they were 'emptying the vault'...

Disagree. I fucking love Back Off Bitch. :P

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4 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

It would have cost basically zero and it would have been super cool if the UYI 30th anniversary included Slash's raw mix, Izzy's / Slash's no nonsense 8-10 songs album. Easy to do bonus material.

Honestly to put one cd together is next to impossible. How do you leave off some of those songs? The thing that I loved was that I went from balls to wall and then to the most out there bombastic and that was possible because there was space to do so. When you consider the limitations of cd, you have to cut out some classic grade A songs. 

Finally, there are songs on there that I don't consider great, but nothing including My world that I wish away. And yes, it would be cool if gnr had two unquestionable stone cold classic albums in a row but it's also kinda cool that they had no 1 and no 2 albums at the sane time.

Other bands do it all the time. 

Look at Darkness On The Edge Of Town and The Promise by Bruce Springsteen. 

I'm grateful that we got UYI in the scope that they were released in, because it isn't guaranteed that they would have released a follow up, let alone multiple follow ups, but it would be have been really easy for someone to cut a 40 minute album from those sessions. Whether each member could agree on which songs is a different story. 

You could take the 8 songs they chose as singles, and that is a 45 or so minute album. Remove one of the covers, and it's a 40 minute album. It leaves a lot of cool stuff on the cutting room floor, but it would have likely be seen as comparable to AFD. 

Civil War
You Could Be Mine
Yesterdays
Live And Let Die
Don't Cry
November Rain
Estranged

Put those in whatever order makes the most sense. While it is missing a lot of good stuff, and you can argue the point about wasting Estranged on the same LP as November Rain, that would have been a more standout album. I wouldn't rank those as my favourite 8 songs from the UYI sessions, but they are reasonably cohesive. 

Again, not saying that's my ideal album. I'm just pointing out that had they released a lean 40 to 50 minute album of what they considered to be the most marketable songs, the legacy for the album would be very different. It is an infamous set of albums because they released two double albums on the same day, and GNR was still near their peak relevance, but your average music fan doesn't regard the albums the same way Appetite is regarded because to the average person enough of the songs sound like B-sides, or they never cared enough to give the 150 minutes of a music enough of a listen for it to stick. 

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The remix of D’You Know What I Mean is a cool example of the potential of remixing UYI songs.  Be Here Now has a lot in common with UYI, including massively indulgent production. The remix doesn’t eclipse the original imo, but it’s really cool in its own right and makes you wish Noel did the whole album. 

I still hope someday, when the tours are no longer possible and the bodies are worn through, the prospect of a remix starts to look compelling to the right people. It’s the only thing I’d change about UYI. 

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On 10/12/2024 at 2:12 AM, SoulMonster said:

There are lots of great songs on the two Use Your Illusion albums. But that's kind of just what those albums are: Collections of songs, some of which are great. The lack of cohesion, in terms of song styles and genres and quality, hurts the albums and their legacy. Here's what I would have preferred to have made the follow-up album to Appetite more impactful and stood the test of time better.

First off, some songs should have gone elsewhere: So Fine should have gone to Believe in Me (as originally intended), it is a Duff solo song and I see absolutely no reason why it should be on a GN'R album; Live and Let Die should have been saved for Spaghetti Incident, as intended; and My World should have gone on a possible Axl solo album and not tacked onto a GN'R album.

A few songs should have been scrapped in rehearsal because they simply aren't good enough. Knockin' on Heaven's Door is an example of this. Playing it live made a lot of sense: They did a great bluesy version, Slash absolutely shines on it live, it's great for crowd interaction and sing-along, and it is useful to commemorate people like Todd. But the recorded version has none of this and with the choir and telephone it just is a bit silly, especially in retrospect. And I am not saying the other songs I would have preferred they never actually recorded are entirely without merit, either, Slash's playing is inspired throughout the albums also on the poor songs, but they are not good enough to be recorded. They could have been played live now and then to spice things up, though.

Then there are 8 songs that are only good or okay and drags the quality down and should have been kept off the album but used as B-sides on the 8 singles the band released: Dust N' Bones, You Ain't The First, Bad Obsession, 14 Years, Garden of Eden, Dead Horse, Yesterdays and Get in the Ring. These are songs that definitely should be part of the band's back catalogue, but works better as B-sides and not as fillers on albums. It would make the singles more attractive, too. Finally, the alternative version of Don't Cry should also have gone on the Don't Cry single, no need for two version of this song on the album.

This leaves the following 14 songs to go on the one Use Your Illusion album: Right Next Door To Hell, Don't Cry, Perfect Crime, Double Talkin' Jive, November Rain, Don't Damn Me, Coma, Civil War, The GARDEN, Breakdown, Pretty Tied Up, Locomotive, Estranged, and You Could Be Mine. I haven't calculated the minutes and we might be over the limit, though... 

If produced and mixed better, this would have been an album that in my opinion would have been as great as Appetite.

 

I pretty much agree. Either way, we would get all of those songs, or most. I do like KOHD, but it could have been better.

10 hours ago, Bitchisback said:

GNR have so few albums as it is and we are trying to widdle one away 😭😭

That is very true. It's probably one of a few reasons Chinese Democracy was included on the 2020 NITL GN'R Jersey Jack pinball machine. They also feature a lot of Robin's playing throughout, and some of Bucket's. 

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This would be my 'Use Your Illusion' as a single album:

Right Next Door To Hell

Dust N' Bones

Don't Cry (Original)

Bad Obsession

Double Talkin' Jive

November Rain

Don't Damn Me

Coma

Civil War

14 Years

Breakdown

Locomotive

Estranged

You Could Be Mine

I don't know for certain if this would exceed the 79 minutes that fit onto a compact disc, but in my opinion, this is the song list that as one record could match Appetite For Destruction.

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3 hours ago, Old_school_gnr_fan said:

This would be my 'Use Your Illusion' as a single album:

Right Next Door To Hell

Dust N' Bones

Don't Cry (Original)

Bad Obsession

Double Talkin' Jive

November Rain

Don't Damn Me

Coma

Civil War

14 Years

Breakdown

Locomotive

Estranged

You Could Be Mine

I don't know for certain if this would exceed the 79 minutes that fit onto a compact disc, but in my opinion, this is the song list that as one record could match Appetite For Destruction.

Nice list. I’d swap Breakdown for The Garden and Bad Obsession for Back Off Bitch and you’d have my try of a UYI one disc attempt.

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Always have said you take all of the singles and 2 covers plus a few others to make a G side and R side release 

G side

Perfect Crime

Right Next Door to Hell

Civil War

Live and Let Die

Dust N Bones

Coma

R side

You Could Be Mine

Don’t Cry

November Rain

Yesterdays

Knockin On Heavens Door

Estranged 

 

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18 hours ago, guitarpatch said:

Always have said you take all of the singles and 2 covers plus a few others to make a G side and R side release 

G side

Perfect Crime

Right Next Door to Hell

Civil War

Live and Let Die

Dust N Bones

Coma

R side

You Could Be Mine

Don’t Cry

November Rain

Yesterdays

Knockin On Heavens Door

Estranged 

 

That's a cute idea, calling it G for Guns and R for Roses. 🥰 Debbie Gibson had a similar idea for her Electric Youth Album

 She called side 1 This side and side 2 That side. 🥰

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53 minutes ago, El Guapo said:

I love the Illusions exactly for what they are and I wouldn't wanna miss a single tune.

Even My World is part of the spectacle, I never understood all the negative talk about it. It isn't meant to be taken seriously, it's just a very strange und fucked up way to end a monstrosity of an album and I love it for exactly that.

I remember the built up and the actual release very well, bought both vinyl albums in a record store.

Loved the two album thing with the yellow and blue cover concept, it was fucking great.

I would have LOVED if the raw versions Slash talked about would have been released by now as an alternate take, apart from that I love Use Your Illusion I & II just like they are.

Critics thought that a double album from a Band that was only about 6 years old(Guns N' Roses started in 1985 and were actually active for only 4 years(Appetite For Destruction Album was released in 1987)was a bold and really risky move and  thought that a double album should have been released in 1997 instead of 1991.  Critics have said they felt that the 1991 double album was the beginning of the end for Guns N' Roses. 🤔

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7 hours ago, Karice said:

Critics thought that a double album from a Band that was only about 6 years old(Guns N' Roses started in 1985 and were actually active for only 4 years(Appetite For Destruction Album was released in 1987)was a bold and really risky move and  thought that a double album should have been released in 1997 instead of 1991.  Critics have said they felt that the 1991 double album was the beginning of the end for Guns N' Roses. 🤔

Thank you Karice, I'm aware of all that, I was there. I'm old. :)

That's the thing though, it was very over the top and grandiose and I loved it, still do. :)

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8 hours ago, El Guapo said:

I would have LOVED if the raw versions Slash talked about would have been released by now as an alternate take, apart from that I love Use Your Illusion I & II just like they are.

Do you know if what Slash was referring to was the same recordings, just mixed differently, or different recordings altogether? If the latter, I would assume they are rough recordings, not suitable for release unless as some bonus content. 

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On 10/19/2024 at 11:29 AM, guitarpatch said:

Always have said you take all of the singles and 2 covers plus a few others to make a G side and R side release 

G side

Perfect Crime

Right Next Door to Hell

Civil War

Live and Let Die

Dust N Bones

Coma

R side

You Could Be Mine

Don’t Cry

November Rain

Yesterdays

Knockin On Heavens Door

Estranged 

 

That looks like it would be too long for a two sided release. LPs usually hold roughly 25 minutes per side. Ideally, closer to 20, but quite a few albums are longer. 

As much as I have always loved epic albums, I think there is something to be said for making a great 40-45 or so minute album that flows together and makes sense. Even an album like Appetite, that people consider a very strong cohesive album, you could probably cut one or two songs from it like Anything Goes and Think About You, and as good as it is, it would be a better album.

UYI is a difficult album to pare down into one album, because it seems like it is Izzy, Slash, and Axl all trying to get their shit in. There are a few holdover songs from the days of them writing together as smelly vagrants in Los Angeles before Appetite, like Don't Cry, but it almost seems like there are 3 different albums. 

 

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30 minutes ago, Sweersa said:

Do you know if what Slash was referring to was the same recordings, just mixed differently, or different recordings altogether? If the latter, I would assume they are rough recordings, not suitable for release unless as some bonus content. 

Same recordings, just without all those "special effects" and Axlisms and a different mix, as far as I recall.

It would have been perfect to follow up the Illusions with a 10 to 12 track record, AfD style.

That's what Slash wanted to do (see that Kerrang interview etc.).

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3 minutes ago, El Guapo said:

Same recordings, just without all those "special effects" and Axlisms and a different mix, as far as I recall.

It would have been perfect to follow up the Illusions with a 10 to 12 track record, AfD style.

That's what Slash wanted to do (see that Kerrang interview etc.).

Very cool, I'd love to hear that version as well.

I agree on the follow-up, perhaps with a majority AFD style and some UYI and it would likely have included more CD sounding stuff too, so a blend, with a heavy lean towards their AFD roots. 

For as huge as GN'R is and was, it's amazing that they really only have 4 albums worth of original material, not counting CD2. :P It would be nice if they can somehow release CD2 (what's left of it) and actually make one additional new album before they give it up. 

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17 hours ago, El Guapo said:

I love the Illusions exactly for what they are and I wouldn't wanna miss a single tune.

Even My World is part of the spectacle, I never understood all the negative talk about it. It isn't meant to be taken seriously, it's just a very strange und fucked up way to end a monstrosity of an album and I love it for exactly that.

I remember the built up and the actual release very well, bought both vinyl albums in a record store.

Loved the two album thing with the yellow and blue cover concept, it was fucking great.

I would have LOVED if the raw versions Slash talked about would have been released by now as an alternate take, apart from that I love Use Your Illusion I & II just like they are.

I agree with all of this. My world is part of what makes it unique and unlike anything before or since. Would love to hear the raw recordings too.

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