Use Your Illusion Song by Song Thread

At least half of CD

 

No it isn't. Even the worst song on CD blows away this song. I can deal with Dust N Bones and 14 Years if I have to but YATF just leaves me cold. If you and others like it great but it remains the worst thing GN'R has ever done for me.

 

really? why is it about it that you dislike so much?

 

Off the top of my head...

Bon Scott
Layne Staley
Shannon Hoon
Steven Tyler
Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Jim Morrison
Jani Lane
Michael Hutchence
Anthony Kiedis
Dave Gahan

 

Well you know every exception has its rule...

 

First off I cannot stand Izzy's voice. Second it is not a rock and roll song nor is it even a good whatever type of song it is trying to be. It sounds like some joke song a band does in a garage when they are first learning to play and just messing around with no real purpose or skill. Even if it was only Axl on vocals it couldn't be saved from its dreariness and meandering nothingness.

 

Back on topic,

I like Bad Obsession quite a bit even though it is a tad overblown and bloated but it has a sweet groove that is catchy. I like the live versions as well.

 

“Bad Obsession” gets a qualified thumbs-up at my house. I like the lyrics. I like the performance. Nice slide guitar for the second song in a row. Not crazy about the cluttered mix. A good song about addiction. This pairing, with “You Ain’t The First” leading into “Bad Obsession,” is the most Stones-like part of the Illusions records.

 

Back Off Bitch anyone?

 

Bad Obsession isn’t a fav for me. It’s a little too by the books blues rock to my ears. They also chose to play it live consistently over many better songs, probably party because it’s an easier one to sing for Axl.

This also makes me wonder why so many say that Izzy is their best songwriter. Though he’s clearly an important contributor, it seems to me that without Axl and sometimes Slash, his stuff tends to be less melodic and interesting.

 

Perhaps some hesitation to proceed further...? Ha!

I like the ferocious ‘86 (Sound City?) demo with the “burn the witch” lyric included. The UYI album version is lacking some of the demo’s psychotic aggro reaction.

 

Has Gina Siler (the “inspiration” for this song, girlfriend of Axl shortly after arriving in L.A.) ever gone on record with her thoughts on the song?

 

Nope, i read that she was really hurt that she saw Axl sometime after GN'R hit big and he pretended he didn't know her which hurt her a lot, well i guess Back of Bitch encasules his thoughts on his former live in GF.,

 

Ouch. That’s rough. Not surprising tho.

 

What's he trying to say there anyway? I think it's something that should be taken in each person's own special way...

 

Izzy’s songwriting sensibilities shone best within the GNR collaborative scenario, like Lennon. Axl especially was able to bring a melodic variety to Izzy’s songs that contrasted nicely with Izzy’s more rootsy approach. Izzy’s rootsy approach helped ground Axl’s tunes and give them more relatability (for lack of a better word), more of an “Americana.” The two were great together and counterbalanced each other nicely. Wish they could get it together & write a batch of new tunes.

 

Back Off Bitch:

And now we come to Back Off Bitch, written by Axl and future member Paul "Pick a ****in last name, will ya?" Huge/Tobias. This song was an earlier demondating from the Apetite era.
The song is kicked off by a guitar riff, backed by a drum machine, and it builds up in tension with Axl vocalizing until he starts singing at :41, and he sounds fine enough, but the track lacks any real hooks or strong melodies to grab your attention, and it meanders with very little purpose, and even going back to the original demo, its garbage. This song really should never have made it past the demo stage, and of this were a single album, it would never have made the cut.
This song is a total clunker, but perhaps things will pick up tomorrow?

 

Agree. Never liked this song. No hooks or memorable melodies like you said. More of Axl's verbal diarreah. Same as Shotgun Blues
The words are juvenile to say the least

 

I'd say the chorus of this track is catchy - if only because of Axl's vocal acrobatics, but the song as a whole doesn't do much for me.

So far, I'd say the songs that trend hardest towards "Like Appetite, but with a bigger budget" are those that I find least interesting on this album.

 

That's what I hate about this illusions stuff. Axl with the vocal sound effects. Utterly stupid.

 

Here is a live clip from 1985

 

I find the 'spontaneous' banter at the end quite amusing ('hey what do you think he's trying to say there anyway?'). Other than that, this song is just a vomit of rage. Well alright, the solo is good too.

 

Poor song. Never even considered for a best of UYI1 best of.

 

I think we will head on to Double Talkin' Jive sooner than expected. Now THAT is a kick ass song

 

Tomorrow we will, so hold off on rwviews