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GUNS N’ ROSES – Use Your Illusion II
Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion II (1991, Geffen Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Civil War” … 7:43
2. “14 Years” … 4:21
3. “Yesterdays” … 3:16
4. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” … 5:36
5. “Get in the Ring” … 5:41
6. “Shotgun Blues” … 3:23
7. “Breakdown” … 7:05
8. “Pretty Tied Up” … 4:48
9. “Locomotive” … 8:42
10. “So Fine” … 4:06
11. “Estranged” … 9:24
12. “You Could Be Mine” … 5:44
13. “Don’t Cry” [Alternate Version] … 4:44
14. “My World” … 1:24
Band:
Axl Rose – Vocals, Piano
Slash – Guitar
Izzy Stradlin – Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals
Duff McKagan – Bass, Backing Vocals
Dizzy Reed – Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Backing Vocals
Matt Sorum – Drums
Additional Notable Musicians:
Steven Adler – Drums (“Civil War”)
Shannon Hoon – Vocals (“Don’t Cry”)
Produced by: Mike Clink & Guns N’ Roses
I think this album is much, much stronger than UYI I. The songs are solid all over and bit more serious and melodic, whereas the UYI I was the more angry, louder, less focused album.
“Estranged” nearly matches the epic “November Rain”. I remember when I first heard it, it was playing in the background at a friend’s house as we were playing video games. I initially thought it was two different songs (liking them both). At one point I said to my friend, “Is this the same song?!” “YUP!”
Though the Illusion sessions show GNR in a different light, they managed to crank out a few good rockers like the Appetite-esque “You Could Be Mine”, “Pretty Tied Up” and “Locomotive”. “So Fine” is a great ballad by Duff.
The inclusion of “Don’t Cry” (this time with some different lyrics) is a bit odd. It’s neither better nor worse than the original version, I don’t see the point of including it. Something like that would’ve been better saved for a b-side or a compilation.
The album’s closer, “My World”, stuck out like a sore thumb to me and my friend. We used to play it and laugh at how much it “sucked” and didn’t sound like GNR, I actually like it today though. At the time, I couldn’t understand why they would put this song on the album until a few years later when I discovered Axl was getting heavily into industrial acts like Nine Inch Nails long before anyone else was. It would be a sign of things to come…
Highlights: “Civil War”, “14 Years”, “Yesterdays”, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, “Breakdown”, “Pretty Tied Up”, “Locomotive”, “So Fine”, “Estranged”, “You Could Be Mine”, “Don’t Cry”
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GUNS N’ ROSES – Use Your Illusion I
Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion I (1991, Geffen Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Right Next Door to Hell” … 3:02
2. “Dust N’ Bones” … 4:59
3. “Live and Let Die” … 3:03
4. “Don’t Cry” [Original Version] … 4:44
5. “Perfect Crime” … 2:23
6. “You Ain’t the First” … 2:37
7. “Bad Obsession” … 5:28
8. “Back off Bitch” … 5:04
9. “Double Talkin’ Jive” … 3:22
10. “November Rain” … 8:59
11. “The Garden” … 5:21
12. “Garden of Eden” … 2:41
13. “Don’t Damn Me” … 5:19
14. “Bad Apples” … 4:28
15. “Dead Horse” … 4:18
16. “Coma Rose” … 10:16
Band:
Axl Rose – Lead Vocals, Piano, Keyboard
Slash – Guitar
Izzy Stradlin – Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals
Duff McKagan – Bass, Backing Vocals
Dizzy Reed – Keyboards, Piano, Organ, Clavinet, Backing Vocals
Matt Sorum – Drums
Additional Notable Musicians:
Alice Cooper – Vocals (“The Garden”)
Michael Monroe – Harmonica, Saxophone
Shannon Hoon – Vocals (“Don’t Cry”)
West Arkeen – Guitar
Produced by: Mike Clink & Guns N’ Roses
Talk about your excess! SIXTEEN tracks! That’s a bit too much for me. There’s just no way a band can get away with that many tracks and not have SOME filler, even Guns N’ Roses. It’s always best to leave’em wanting more and the perfect number of tracks, for me, would be 10-13 (and you certainly don’t release two albums simultaneously).
And the filler indeed is present. Most of the tracks I don’t list below as highlights are the very definition of filler – nothing too bad, nothing too good… It’s just there. Did we really need two Garden songs? Back to back? C’mon, guys, at least put one on UYI II. But the thing is, the highlights are so great that they make this album as must have, in my opinion.
Their cover of “Live and Let Die”, “Don’t Cry”, “Coma”, and of course “November Rain” are great epics and I really believe “November Rain” to be one of the greatest rock songs ever written.
People say that, by this point, GNR (and Axl specifically) were too full of themselves and became too grandiose for their own good. Well, I can’t necessarily agree with that. Sure, GNR as a group/production/tour was becoming way too excessive, but how can you knock something that gave us “November Rain”?
Highlights: “Dust N’ Bones”, “Live and Let Die”, “Don’t Cry”, “Perfect Crime”, “Back Off Bitch”, “November Rain”, “Don’t Damn Me”, “Bad Apples”, “Dead Horse”, “Coma”
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GUNS N’ ROSES – Appetite for Destruction
Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987, Geffen Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Welcome to the Jungle” … 4:32
2. “It’s So Easy” … 3:21
3. “Nightrain” … 4:26
4. “Out Ta Get Me” … 4:20
5. “Mr. Brownstone” … 3:46
6. “Paradise City” … 6:45
7. “My Michelle” … 3:38
8. “Think About You” … 3:49
9. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” … 5:54
10. “You’re Crazy” … 3:16
11. “Anything Goes” … 3:25
12. “Rocket Queen” … 6:14
Band:
Axl Rose – Vocals
Slash – Guitar
Izzy Stradlin – Guitar
Duff McKagan – Bass
Steven Adler – Drums
Produced by: Mike Clink
The album that set loose Axl and his band of decadent men upon the world! What a classic. Has there ever been a better debut album?
It was pretty hard to ignore massive MTV & radio hits like “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “Paradise City” and “Welcome the the Jungle” when they first were released, but I wasn’t exposed to the whole album until (*GASP*) 1997 or so when a friend gave me his old cassette because he had just bought it on CD. I used to play it every day on my walk home from high school in my cassette player (yes, CASSETTE PLAYER).
Of course, the album is so amazingly awesome, in little time I bought the CD myself. I actually played it so much I got sick of the album for awhile and then while playing it while out cruising with my best friend a few years back, I fell in love with it again. Although GNR has done tons of great things since (and continues to do so with Axl only, IMO), they’ve never done anything as consistent or as balanced as Appetite.
ESSENTIAL for any rock ‘n’ roll fan.
Highlights: It’s freakin’ Appetite for Destruction. It’s nothing BUT highlights.
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GUNS N’ ROSES – GN’R Lies
Guns N’ Roses – GN’R Lies (1989, Geffen Records)
Tracklisting:
1. “Reckless Life” [3:20]
2. “Nice Boys” [3:03]
3. “Move to the City” [3:42]
4. “Mama Kin” [3:57]
5. “Patience” [5:56]
6. “Used to Love Her” [3:13]
7. “You’re Crazy” [4:10]
8. “One in a Million” [6:10]
Band:
Axl Rose – Vocals
Slash – Guitars
Izzy Stradlin – Guitars
Duff McKagan – Bass
Steven Adler – Drums
Features the infamous “One in a Million” track, which gained Axl and the band tons of negative publicity. I don’t believe the band has ever attempted to play it live (and rightfully so). At this point, I don’t even think Axl will even talk about the song, because he got so tired of having to defend it and himself. It’s actually a really good song musically and one of the best on the album.
I think the public’s reaction was blown out of proportion. If you actually listen to Axl’s explanation, you’ll see what he means in the song. I think he went about the wrong way with how he puts it across in the lyrics, but I understand what he was *trying* to say and I don’t believe he’s racist or homophobic. Besides, the words he used are nothing that you don’t hear in rap songs everyday. The only exception is that a white male said it this time and that’s why, I think, everyone got upset about it.
There’s a stellar version of “You’re Crazy” here, which was originally on Appetite for Destruction, but the acoustic version here is actually the original version of the song (and the superior version as well). And of course, the classic “Patience” is here as well.
GN’R Lies was a decent effort, combining a supposed “live” EP plus four brand new acoustic songs. It’s really only the acoustic songs that stand out to me. The first four tracks are missing something, although “Reckless Life” shows a bit of spark.
Highlights: “Patience”, “Used to Love Her”, “You’re Crazy”, “One in a Million” (yes, I’m going there)
SEBASTIAN BACH – Angel Down
Sebastian Bach – Angel Down (2007, Get Off My Bach/Caroline/MRV Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Angel Down” (3:48)
2. “You Don’t Understand” (3:06)
3. “Back in the Saddle” (4:19)
4. “(Love Is) A Bitchslap” (3:08)
5. “Stuck Inside” (2:57)
6. “American Metalhead” (4:02)
7. “Negative Light” (4:33)
8. “Live & Die” (3:53)
9. “By Your Side” (5:27)
10. “Our Love Is a Lie” (3:20)
11. “Take You Down with Me” (4:37)
12. “Stabbin’ Daggers” (3:41)
13. “You Bring Me Down” (3:16)
14. “Falling into You” (4:21)
Band:
Sebastian Bach – Vocals
“Metal” Mike Chlasciak – Guitar
Johnny Chromatic – Guitar
Steve DiGiorgio – Bass
Bobby Jarzombek – Drums
Bach is BACK, ladies and gentlemen. Y’know, I never cared to pick up Bach’s first solo album back with that was new (released way back in 1999), but I was pumped for this one. The songs I was hearing online sounded good (“By My Side” really won me over), plus the fact that AXL ROSE sings on three of the tracks here, I just had to have it.
It’s definitely not what I was expecting. I was assuming more of a 70s/80s hard rock vibe, but it’s actually a pretty modern heavy metal album, IMO, outside of a few tracks. No doubt, this sound came about thanks to the musicians found on the album: Bobby Jarzombek (Halford, Iced Earth), Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Iced Earth, Testament) and “Metal” Mike Chlasciak (Halford). They all had a hand in writing/co-writing the songs, as did the album’s producer Roy Z, who has produced albums for Bruce Dickinson, all three Halford albums and Judas Priest’s Angel of Retribution and Nostradamus. Of course, Baz gets writing credits here too, though I supposed he probably helped with the lyrics more than anything else if his past work in Skid Row is any indication.
The three Axl tracks are three of the best from the album. There’s the awesome cover of Aerosmith’s ”Back in the Saddle”, which places Axl right beside Sebastian on vocals, then “(Love Is) A Bitchslap”, and finally the modern rock sounding “Stuck Inside” (all conveniently are lumped together on the album). Axl’s voice sounds great on all of these and both really did great with the vocals on “Stuck Inside”.
Believe or not, in the midst of Axl Rose and all these metal musicians, a co-written Desmond Child song pops up (“Falling Into You”) and it’s pretty good. “By Your Side” is a great ballad and sounds like it belongs in the year 1988 (and I mean that as a compliment). I’ve heard a live radio brodcast of that song and Bach nails it exactly like he does on the album.
Overall, it’s a very good release, one of the better releases I heard in 2007. Though, it can be a bit of a mixed bag. The songs are all over the place: 70s hard rock (“Back in the Saddle”), modern hard rock (“Stuck Inside”), 80s ballads (“Falling Into You”, “By Your Side”) and modern heavy metal (“American Metalhead”, “Take You Down With Me”). The more heavy metal songs tend to blend in together and sound like one really long song, most of which “Metal” Mike and/or Roy Z had a hand in co-writing.
A shame the album didn’t do better, I figured especially with Axl doing vocals Angel Down would manage to scrape the very bottom of the Billboard 100 at least. But it was not to be, I think first week sales were just north of 6,000 copies. “(Love Is) A Bitchslap” was a poor choice as the lead single anyway, I think. It’s a great song, but “Back in the Saddle” would’ve been a safer choice (especially since Axl is featured prominently on it) and then I would’ve followed up with “Stuck Inside” which has a really modern hard rock sound that would’ve been suited prefectly for radio.
Highlights: “You Don’t Understand”, “Back in the Saddle”, “(Love Is) A Bitchslap”, “Stuck Inside”, “By Your Side”, “Our Love Is a Lie”, “Falling Into You”
