Use Your Illusion Song by Song Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Zoot Marimba, Dec 4, 2017.

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  1. The Doctor

    The Doctor Forum Resident

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    Philidelphia, PA
  2. enro99

    enro99 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Could be from meds. Although he looks a bit better now.

     
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  3. stetsonic

    stetsonic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    I think yes, although it's a bit uneven batch. There's a great version of the Dead Boys' "Ain't It Fun" with Axl and Michael Monroe sharing vocals, and a couple of other winners as well. And Duff pulls out the Misfits and Fear songs way better than the aforementioned Thunders trainwreck. All in all, I respect the choice of songs to cover - it's all good stuff they're feeding on, and good clean fun.

    Supposedly they recorded the basic tracks to Hanoi Rocks' "Beer And A Cigarette" but left it out because - depending on the story - they either didn't want Andy McCoy to get the royalty money or Slash couldn't cut his part (which I find a bit dubious). The Stooges' "Down On The Street" was another contender.
     
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  4. PJayBe

    PJayBe Forum Resident

    I heard that as the band were all now more or less straight they didn't want to give money to a junkie. Hence Mike Monroe's guest appearance on Ain't It Fun.
     
  5. The Doctor

    The Doctor Forum Resident

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    Philidelphia, PA
    Slash was still using H in 1993 and Duff was still drinking heavily in 1993 as well. Don't know about the others but Gilby always struck me as a clean guy. Axl never had any addictions.
     
  6. stetsonic

    stetsonic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    That, and there might have been some personal feuds going on as well. After all, Andy left La La Land in the early Nineties in slightly curious circumstances...
     
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  7. TheLoveDrags

    TheLoveDrags Forum Resident

    and Andy hooked up with Izzy's X-girlfriend, Angela Nicoletti, who Andy later married...
    Most of TSI songs were recorded during the Illusions sessions, they just wiped Izzy's guitars for Gilby's...
    Speaking of Gilby, his first solo release, Pawn Shop Guitars is a classic, in my opinion...
     
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  8. The Doctor

    The Doctor Forum Resident

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    Half true. 7 songs were recorded in 1990 but none had vocals. The other 6 were recorded in 1992-1993 and then Axl did his vocals around September 1993 rather quickly. As of Feb 1992 at Tokyo the album was still considered to be an EP...Only later on in 92 were more songs added and the decision was made to make it an actual record.

    Hair of the Dog for example wasn't on the table until Gilby suggested it.
    Since I Don't Have You was recorded quickly in Boston in March 1993 with the full band.
    Look At Your Game, Girl was recorded at Axl's house after the UYI tour ended which is why none of the band features.
     
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  9. TheLoveDrags

    TheLoveDrags Forum Resident

    they also did the T. Rex cover after Gilby joined...
     
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  10. TheLoveDrags

    TheLoveDrags Forum Resident

    I remember interviews with Slash saying they didn't want to give money to a junkie and I remember Andy interview stating that Slash couldn't play the guitar parts and they brought him in to teach them to Slash! lol
    I am a huge Hanoi Rocks fan but you have to take anything Andy says with a pinch of salt and then some...
     
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  11. To me, the Gilby songs just weren't good enough. About half the Slash/Duff songs from his debut would have been pretty strong as GNR. I liked what Eric Dover did with them, too, but he seemed to need to sing to strong on that project. If he'd sung it more like he did Imperial Drag, I think it would have worked better. In fact, all of Dover's subsequent work has been better than the Snakepit album.

    Axl seems to have grown out of the Stones/Aerosmith vibe that Izzy writes in, which is too bad (it was their key strength). I could see Axl making new music with Slash and Duff in today's world, if he could ever finish any of it.
     
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  12. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I love both of these records. Anyone who was expecting AFD part 2 were in for a bit of a surprise. I didn't purchase these upon release so I was already familiar with many of the songs when I did. I used to enjoy II more but over the years I've grown to feel I is the better album whilst II contains most of my favorite songs, if that makes any sense.

    Right Next Door To Hell is a great opening track but noticeably something is missing in the recording, the sound of the band. I don't want to lay it all on Sorum's feet (the production is a little too polished) but the song should swing more than it does and had it been recorded in '87 or '88 I think it would have.

    As is I think it's serviceable and a fine opener, short and rocking, if not quite a classic like WTTJ. I'll take it!
     
  13. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I wasn't intending to do TSI, but since we're on the subject, I'll cover it anyway:
    1. Since I Don't Have You: Best track on the record. Granted I hate the "yeah, we're ****ed", that feels like douchey irony, and the stupid little beatbox thing at the end, but other than that, a really cool tune, great vocal, some nice guitar work from Slash, overall one of only two songs I like off here.
    2. New Rose: Terrible, plastic cover, comes nowhere near The Damned's version
    3. Down On the Farm: Truth be told, I don't really like the original version that much, but I HATE this cover, especially Axl's fake Cockney, which gets very old very fast.
    4. Human Being: I love the Dolls, love that first album and a couple songs off the second, but wow, did GnR pick such a terrible song to cover, and their version is even worse.
    5. Raw Power: Oh my God, this is so bad, so plastic, so soulless, just an absolute disgrace to one of my favorite bands of all time.
    6. Ain't It Fun: Not bad, but it lost most of its luster once I heard the Dead Boys' version, which had far more power and feeling to it than this version.
    7. Buick McCane/Big Dumb Sex: I love the original version of both songs and this fails miserably to represent either one, just so bland and sterile.
    8. Hair Of the Dog: I remember loving this track when I first heard the album and I was this GnR nut, but then I discovered the original and wow did they ****ing castrate this thing. First off you have the non groove drumming, and then you get this sterile, soulless cover of a hard rock classic, now, I think the Apetite lineup could've done a great job with this, but we're talking UYI-era Guns here with the drum machine and John Tesh. So yeah, to quickly sum it up, this one is garbage.
    9. Attitude: Basically a Hot Topic band covering Misfits, this is so bad.
    10. Black Leather: Blah.
    11. You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory: :hurl:
    12. I Don't Care About You: Meh, I'll stick with Fear's version.
    13. Look At Your Game Girl: Second best track on Here
     
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  14. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Glad to see you here!
     
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  15. The Doctor

    The Doctor Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philidelphia, PA
    How's this: Imagine the song's tempo slowed down just a tad (to give the song more breathing room); think Izzy-ish choppy rhythm counterbalancing Slash's very metal lead work, with a dryer and less compressed mix? Can you hear it?
     
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  16. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Somewhat
     
  17. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    If you're saying I would more than likely prefer the demo I would say you're correct in that assumption. :agree:
     
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  18. The Doctor

    The Doctor Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philidelphia, PA
    No, no there's no demo unfortunately, I'm just thinking of an alternate more "AFD" esque mix in my head.
     
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  19. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    There has been an influx of song by song threads on the forum lately (Did we start a trend with the overwhelmingly successful KISS thread?). All great albums, but this thread caught my attention. I'll try to contribute everyday but work gets extremely busy (and stressful) this time of year. This will give me a reason to pull out UYII and II for a listening.
     
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  20. Brenald79

    Brenald79 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    I don't think Axl looks bad at all for a nearly 56 yr old. He's aged well. Footage from 2006/7 he could have passed for his late 30s. It's not until the last few years he's even looked his age.
     
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  21. Standoffish

    Standoffish Smarter than a turkey

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Right Next Door to Hell

    As others have asked, "Where's Izzy?". The interplay between Slash and Izzy was a highlight of AFD. And there's a clear downgrade in the drum department.

    That said, I think this is a good opener. It just rips on by, and Axl is in top form.

    Sidenote: We're already getting comments on "My World", the very last song on these albums. I really hope there's somebody here who actually likes it. Should be a fun discussion!
     
  22. Vinyl Fan 1973

    Vinyl Fan 1973 "They're like soup, they're like....nothing bad"

    Yup, and that’s why Civil War sticks out and has the best swing of the whole album. It’s true grit. Not that Matt’s performance was bad, but it’s highly precise and lacks the character that Steven’s parts contained.
     
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  23. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    At least he isn't doing the dreadlock look anymore.
     
  24. Vinyl Fan 1973

    Vinyl Fan 1973 "They're like soup, they're like....nothing bad"

    My first introduction to GNR was the purchase of Appetite For Destruction on cassette as an import from a record shop called Rock En Stock in Montreal. I pretty much was one of two people that had it from my high school, and seriously, no one cared.

    I remember playing it for friends and it didn’t get that much of a reaction. The WTTJ video played on Much Music, and still not much came of it. Then I saw them open for Maiden on the Seventh Son tour and Guns did not go down well. In fact, they were booed.

    Then Sweet Child Of Mine dropped and people went ape****. I had people, the same people I once spoke to about Guns, come up to me and say Geoff you have to hear this new band! LOL...oh the band that I was bragging about last year?

    So I will always remember those times, and remember my excitement when my girlfriend at the time came over with the cassettes for Illusions I and II. She bought them for me as a surprise the morning they came out, and gave them to me that night. I played those things for months, taking in all these new songs and I simply could not get enough. Dust and Bones, You Could Be Mine, Estranged, 14 Years and the masterful So Fine...rocked my world and still does.
     
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