USE YOUR ILLUSION I & II by Guns n Roses

[Syn Gates]

:syngates:Yo Family! This month’s(and the last) #AOTM(s) is the iconic double album Use Your Illusion 1 & 2 by my favorite rock n roll band of all time, Guns n Fuckin Roses.

The depth of songs like November Rain, Estranged, and Coma make this such a unique and deep rock record. The video for November Rain was the catalyst for my devotion to practice. Slash’s solos and lines are as singable as Axl’s brilliant melodies.

Izzy Stradlin’s vocals on 14 Years and Dust and Bones are so fuckin gritty and raw, they really compliment and push back the high production value that producer Mike Clink and mixer Bill Price absolutely nail on these recordings.

Don’t Cry is one of my top 5 favorite ballads of all time and I strongly prefer the alternate version on UYI II. Curious as to your favorite.

All in all, they don’t make em like they used to. This record scares me when I listen to it. You can feel the intensity and punk rock DNA coming through the speakers to knock you on your ass. These guys didn’t give a flying fuck about anything except the music and that’s extremely rare these days. You wanna make a great record, you gotta go to the depths of hell to pull it out of you and you can clearly see that that’s exactly where they were.

Gimme some thoughts my people. I’m sure a lot of you know this record but listen to the production. The drums are incredible and gigantic. Duff’s bass lines and tone are second to none. There’s a lot going on with such a huge sound yet there is SO much fucking space. It feels like there’s room to poke your head in there and look around at all the different elements and see things so clearly. Amazing.

Hope you enjoy even a fraction as much as I do.

All my love,

SYN
:syngates:

I Apple
II Apple
I Spotify
II Spotify

 

[nightly-whisperss]

 

[Matt Wildcat]

These are two albums I've been dying to see here!! Of course, my mum was a HUUUUGE fan of GnR, and I'm pretty sure they're technically the first rock artist I ever heard for that reason (Either them or Metallica). November Rain has always held such significant meaning to me for that reason, even more so now. I can't wait to delve deeper into these albums!! Back in a bit with my thoughts!!!

 

[Iris]

Can't wait to listen. I haven't listened to a lot of GnR but I remember my older brother and cousin playing these albums a lot. I just never listened to them. I really like November Rain though.

 

[Gabby Heafy]

HELL YEAH! AWESOME AOTM SYN! yeah I’ve heard that awesome album and November Rain has influenced me a lot, it’s a legendary and epic song! I thought for a moment there was no more AOTM hahaha

Happy New Year Syn, wishing all the best for you and your family!!! Love ya

 

[Alicia Willis]

Perfect way to end the AOTM !

I won’t go into detail because honestly all of my favorites are exactly the same as yours with the addition of “Civil War”

As for Dont Cry—that’s such a tough choice. I love both equally but there’s one line of lyrics in 2 that makes me pull that way and it’s :

“So many seem so lonely with no one left to cry to”

Side note, I love the fact that November Rain seems to be a common thread amongst most people I know and what kind of triggered their love of guitar.

 

[Saphyra]

:syngates:Yo Family! This month’s(and the last) #AOTM(s) is the iconic double album Use Your Illusion 1 & 2 by my favorite rock n roll band of all time, Guns n Fuckin Roses.

The depth of songs like November Rain, Estranged, and Coma make this such a unique and deep rock record. The video for November Rain was the catalyst for my devotion to practice. Slash’s solos and lines are as singable as Axl’s brilliant melodies.

Izzy Stradlin’s vocals on 14 Years and Dust and Bones are so fuckin gritty and raw, they really compliment and push back the high production value that producer Mike Clink and mixer Bill Price absolutely nail on these recordings.

Don’t Cry is one of my top 5 favorite ballads of all time and I strongly prefer the alternate version on UYI II. Curious as to your favorite.

All in all, they don’t make em like they used to. This record scares me when I listen to it. You can feel the intensity and punk rock DNA coming through the speakers to knock you on your ass. These guys didn’t give a flying fuck about anything except the music and that’s extremely rare these days. You wanna make a great record, you gotta go to the depths of hell to pull it out of you and you can clearly see that that’s exactly where they were.

Gimme some thoughts my people. I’m sure a lot of you know this record but listen to the production. The drums are incredible and gigantic. Duff’s bass lines and tone are second to none. There’s a lot going on with such a huge sound yet there is SO much fucking space. It feels like there’s room to poke your head in there and look around at all the different elements and see things so clearly. Amazing.

Hope you enjoy even a fraction as much as I do.

All my love,

SYN
:syngates:

I Apple
II Apple
I Spotify
II Spotify

That is great I can't wait to listen and I know a friend who is a huge fan of GnR, I am sure he will love it too
Happy New Year Synyster Gates

 

[Syn Gates]

Perfect way to end the AOTM !

I won’t go into detail because honestly all of my favorites are exactly the same as yours with the addition of “Civil War”

As for Dont Cry—that’s such a tough choice. I love both equally but on there’s one line of lyrics in 2 that makes me pull that way and it’s :

“So many seem so lonely with no one left to cry to”

Side note, I love the fact that November Rain seems to be a common thread amongst most people I know and what kind of triggered their love of guitar.

View attachment 2431

Hahaha exactly!! That line is so necessary! Civil War is a masterpiece and I forgot to add in the covers. Fucking brilliant

 

[John Goodman]

My favorite rock band as well and my favorite albums. Slash’s tone is better on these than on appetite in my opinion and Duff’s bass lines are extremely underrated in my opinion. Love it!!!!

 

[Syn Gates]

My favorite rock band as well and my favorite albums. Slash’s tone is better on these than on appetite in my opinion and Duff’s bass lines are extremely underrated in my opinion. Love it!!!!

Agree wholeheartedly

 

[TreSavedge]

Estranged, 14 Years, Dust and Bones, I’ll take the original Don’t Cry, and Civil War. I always have had my top 4: Stevie Wonder, GNR, Megadeth, and Avenged. But after Stevie it’s basically a tie or ordered depending on the day.

Easter egg I remember from the ‘Don’t Cry’ video. They were banned from StL for almost 20 years in 1991 because of riot starting antics during “Rocket Queen”. So Axl wore a StL Cardinals cap in the video during the line “Don‘t you cry tonight, I still love you baby” as a nod to fans.

 

[Mauro FILHO]

:syngates:Yo Family! This month’s(and the last) #AOTM(s) is the iconic double album Use Your Illusion 1 & 2 by my favorite rock n roll band of all time, Guns n Fuckin Roses.

The depth of songs like November Rain, Estranged, and Coma make this such a unique and deep rock record. The video for November Rain was the catalyst for my devotion to practice. Slash’s solos and lines are as singable as Axl’s brilliant melodies.

Izzy Stradlin’s vocals on 14 Years and Dust and Bones are so fuckin gritty and raw, they really compliment and push back the high production value that producer Mike Clink and mixer Bill Price absolutely nail on these recordings.

Don’t Cry is one of my top 5 favorite ballads of all time and I strongly prefer the alternate version on UYI II. Curious as to your favorite.

All in all, they don’t make em like they used to. This record scares me when I listen to it. You can feel the intensity and punk rock DNA coming through the speakers to knock you on your ass. These guys didn’t give a flying fuck about anything except the music and that’s extremely rare these days. You wanna make a great record, you gotta go to the depths of hell to pull it out of you and you can clearly see that that’s exactly where they were.

Gimme some thoughts my people. I’m sure a lot of you know this record but listen to the production. The drums are incredible and gigantic. Duff’s bass lines and tone are second to none. There’s a lot going on with such a huge sound yet there is SO much fucking space. It feels like there’s room to poke your head in there and look around at all the different elements and see things so clearly. Amazing.

Hope you enjoy even a fraction as much as I do.

All my love,

SYN
:syngates:

I Apple
II Apple
I Spotify
II Spotify

When was released, i have 15 years old. It's a rare moment when you feel the life changed. Nothing's gonna be the same, in fact, after 30 years, this become real. The material of Use your illusion is timeless. If you play on acoustic guitar, will sound good either. So, i still play this riffs and solos, and keep going for all my life, like all music players should do

 

[William B.]

It's going to be my first time hearing these albums
I think I've only heard Appetite For Destruction, when a friend played it
Going to put it on now
The album names <3

 

[Brandon Jones]

Guns N Roses is my all time favorite band. Slash’s playing on these two records can easily be recognized within an instant. November Rain is hands down one of the greatest songs ever written and no matter how many times I’ve heard the song, I still get goosebumps to this day during his solo.

 

[Bigpancakeguy]

Always happy to see these albums getting the love they deserve. I feel like “Civil War” is rarely included in the conversation of all-time great G N’ R songs, but I’m of the opinion that it’s the greatest song Guns N’ Roses ever wrote.

You get to hear the full extent of Axl Rose’s vocal range, some of Slash’s finest guitar work ever, and god damn if that ain’t the catchiest chorus in their discography.

 

[Batbia]

That's an amazing rec to close 2021 or to start 2022 depending on when you're listening
My father listen to Guns N' Roses a lot so I remember listening to Knockin' On Heaven's Door when I was 4 years old or so and I think it will be interesting to revisit this song again after some years I used to sing it but I don't think I remember the lyrics now Also, I'm pretty sure I listened to You Could Be Mine a lot of times on his car, some of them very recently to be honest Anyway, a lot of classics on both of these albums BUT I don't recall listening to them on its entirety so this will be a good opportunity

Hope all the Synner fam have a great 2022

 

[Ed Seith]

Ahh, man, what a way to end the year. Guns was the only concert I saw this year, and it was a great show, with Wolfie Van Halen opening (Wolf and his band were super-impressive).

I was late to the Hype Train (Night Train??) for Appetite, but I was all over UYI 1&2. I remember when You Could be Mine premiered on MTV with footage from the movie it would be featured in - Terminator 2: Judgment Day, one of the biggest blockbusters of the 90s. You couldn't NOT hear that amazing deep-clean thunder of Duff's bass coming in. It was like, "whoa, they used some of the money from Appetite to buy new gear, cool!"

I remember the first time I saw the Seize the Day video, with Syn taking his solo on top of the coffin, and I had no doubt who he was paying tribute to, and it was awesome.

There are so many amazing melodies all over this record, musically and vocally. It is an absolute FEAST. It sounds huge and clean, sweeping, epic, and progressive - way different from the quick and dirty Appetite, and some of the songs were so much deeper than my young brain was used to from all that hairspray metal. Progressive Blues Rock. Hoodathunkit?

14 Years is one of my favorite songs to play along to, and I've actually got a fair bit of my own version of the main solo written just by playing the song so much.

I tend to like the longer songs on these records - November Rain, Estranged, Coma, and the coda/outro on Locomotive (Complicity) is one of my favorite ever.

Civil War is the reason I saw "Cool Hand Luke" (the clip in the beginning, "What we've got here is failure to communicate..." is from the movie)

I love Matt's drum sound on this record, especially his snare, not too much or too little of any of the colors, and Axl doing a lot more experimentation with the stereo soundfield and vocal effects that I feel really influenced Shadows a lot.

This was the album that proved there was genius to Axl's insanity, but I will admit that, to me - it's overstuffed. Making it two full records was indulgent (which is kind of their calling card, I know), and I think if they'd pulled the best of both into one single album it would have been among the biggest albums of all time.

But then, who decides what's the best stuff to make that single album? In the end, looking back 30 years on it, it's cool that I can just build my own "Use Your Illusion" playlist and just call it one of the all-time greatest records.

 

[TreSavedge]

I might be in the minority because I’ve heard shade tossed over this song on more than one occasion (still don’t know why) but I forgot to add:
Live and Let Die.
Great cover of the Wings song from the 1st Roger Moore Bond movie with the ragtime interlude. Impossible to cover live and sound like them.
Also shout out to “You Could be Mine” which was also on the Terminator 2 soundtrack in 91. John Connor listens to it on his dirt bike as he rebels away from his foster parents. I can’t go to Los Angeles without visiting that house and the observatory. Classic locations in cinema.

 

[ari.mac]

OH MY GOD IT'S HAPPENING
I've been waiting for this!!!!!
I love this band so much. It's one of my top 3 favorite bands of all time! Of course I know very well those two albums.
All the songs you mentioned are definitely amongst my favorites as well.
November Rlain is a classic, a masterpiece. It was probably the first GnR song I listend to, I was in middle school and I was literally blown away by Slash's guitar solo and Axl's vocals.

I mentioned Don't Cry to be one of the songs that touch my soul in @Jamie London thread, and it really does. I love both versions but I prefer the original better. I remember taking the bus to school and having it on repeat for the whole ride. Such a beautiful ballad, it gives me so manh emotions.

Other favorites I would add are Garden of Eden such a powerful song. "The fire is burning, and it's out of control, It's not a problem you can stop, it's rock n' roll" .
Yesterdays, I've always loved this song so much. The lyrics are what stands out to me in this because they hold a special meaning to me and I link this song to a particular period of my life. And lastly I would add You Could Be Mine such an awesome banger, love everything about it!

I'll have to revisit both albums in their entirety because I'm sure there are even more songs that didn't come to mind now!!
Thank you for this awesome rec

Also, it's midnight here so: Happy new year to you, Syn, to PG and all the amazing synners here ❤

 

[Iris]

Just watched the video for November Rain for the first time in a long time and I got some serious "Seize the Day" video vibes. @Syn Gates Was that a coincidence or did Avenged plan to give the video a GnR feel.