Man, This album takes me back to the younger days.
USE YOUR ILLUSION I & II by Guns n Roses
- Thread starter Syn Gates
- Start date
Fuck yea! Gnr was my first concert (in 2006 lol) but holy shit, when I first heard these albums I was blown away. I never heard such craziness and controlled chaos in my life. So many cool ass songs on there that so many people haven’t heard because they’ve only heard the main gnr songs, it’s sad but it awesome to discover the craziness of them.
I always thought Avenged’s self titled reminded me of this. (ST is my favorite a7x record still) but same feeling when I heard that. Absolute craziness but beautiful and brain melting at the same time.
gnr is my favorite band ever, with you guys right up there being my favorite “newer” group haha.
I need a a7x, faith no more, ghost, or bring me the horizon tour please, any of those combos will work.
Thanks for the music since I’ve been listening since 2006 and see you like 11 times or something.
btw, have you seen don’t look up? The music to it throughout sounds exactly like exist
Cheers and happy new year!!
Happy new year ariOH 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❤
it's also midnight in France ^_^Cheers
Man this double album is one of my favorite albums ever and I just wrote about Estranged in the 'Songs that touch your soul' thread. I'll write up my thoughts on this soon, but first happy new year to everyone 
i started to listen to them when i was like 6 and i remember the first song i listened was Don’t Cry thanks to my cousins. i love that song with my whole fucking existence, still one of my all time favourites. and November Rain too, has a special place in my heart. i love gnr sm they’re part of my childhood 
These albums are incredible. I honestly don't quite know where to start, other than I have seriously, seriously underappreciated these albums+I wish I'd given them the deep dive treatment they deserve so much sooner. It's actually left me quite emotional for several reasons. It's just so damn good, it's so damn beautiful. Apologies for the essay!
Dust N' Bones - Panning on the low+high vocals,+lead guitar are incredible. It's not all muddled in the middle, every element gets it's own space+it's super effective. This is a recurring production theme that I love.
Don't Cry - I can't decide which version is my fav. They're both just so powerful. That intro touches my soul in ways I didn't know a song could. It's fucking beautiful. Against the song's instruction, I am bawling. That progression is my fav, the clean tone is heavenly. It's always crazy to hear Axl's voice go from crazy raw power to this gentle, soothing, heartfelt tone. Best ballad ever. This is one I wish I had really appreciated more with mum. Fuck...
Bad Obsession - COWBELL! Plus heavy af guitar+harmonicas. Where is this album going?! Nobody knows! But it's so well done I can't complain in the slightest. I love the inclusion of all these different instruments, it really breaks the idea that rock can only be cranked up guitars, huge drums+harsh vocals. Take influence from EVERYWHERE!
Back Off Bitch - I adore this, both musically and lyrically. I'm making this my new anthem. The solo is kickass+the tone of the drums is perfect. Have I talked about how good the snare, kick+ride sound yet for the whole album? I love the lower growl-like vocal to emphasise "Bitch!" in the chorus.
Double Talkin' Jive - Super crunchy guitar lead on the right, a sick bassline+rhythm on the left. The effects on the vocals (Please describe that to me, I wanna say phaser+tremolo but I think I'm wrong.) are trippy as hell+I dig it so much. The fade out to the acoustic solo was not expected but I appreciate it so much. This riff works so well with both heavy distortion+clean, classical playing... beautiful.
November Rain - I cannot get through this song without crying. There are many songs I hold dear to my heart+carry so much meaning to me, but this one is always on top. It's extremely bittersweet. Backing vocals+harmony is on a whole new level. The orchestra is beautifully done.
"So nevermind the darkness, we still can find a way" gets me every time. The end of the song to me really represents that line. Mostly sombre+touching, but then you get the amped up ending that feels like someone picking themselves up, determined to keep fuckin going. I feel that.
The Garden - The switch from clean/acoustic (?) to distortion really shows the versatility of guitar+the licks/riffs you can produce with them. Different textures and timbres are really crucial to explore+this really demonstrates that. (On a dif. note, I saw this track+thought of the Welcome to the Jungle meme: Welcome to the Garden, please respect the rules LOL)
Don't Damn Me - DAMN! This riff is KILLER. I feel bad for anyone trying to sing this live though, I love how rapid it is but where do you even breathe until the bridge section? LOL. Great contrast though. I need a tone like that solo so badly. The bass+toms section is something I can feel in my bones. I love how much bass you can hear in this song.
Bad Apples - The guitar string scratching you can hear panned hard left in the intro is an awesome detail. Bass line is sick. Pretty much the definition of rock music imo, so many people have tried to replicate it because it's so damn good. Also applies to You Could Be Mine.
Dead Horse - The interesting use of the acoustic guitar with the aged, rattling, beaten up tone is one that many people probably would avoid for the most part, many might think it doesn't sound appealing. But used in this context, it's so fitting+sounds amazing, really conveys the down emotion for that section. Love the usage of spoken lines in the distance. That ending with the old rewinding sound is an awesome touch.
Coma - Heartbeat+massive drums w/ the chilling guitar tones is hauntingly perfect. This is what I would imagine danger to sound like, especially after the chorus with the heartrate monitor+added doctors voices. The overlapping really conveys a sense of urgency. "Somebody to tell me what the FUUUUUCK is going on! God damnit!" Is an eternal mood! Bass+clean+ride ending, damn! The rapid hammer/pulls+all the different crazy added effects, voices, everything. They could not have themed and written this song better! What a way to top off the album!
Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Another track I'm very familiar with. One of my favourite solos in this song, and I love hearing more of the piano! The way the phone call is incorporated around the 4min mark is cool, vocal range shown off is awesome. Love the tremolo effects that show up on the guitar.
Get In The Ring - Love those gritty dual vocals! This is another one of those anthem-sounding tracks to me. I LOVE the very angry rant midway thru the song LOL.
Breakdown - Intro is amazing, love the inclusion of whistling+banjo! The chord progression is great, it sounds so upbeat and positive (major key, is that you? Just don't ask me which one). I expected this song to be sadder/angrier because of the title, and yet it's the opposite. 4:44mins might just be my favourite bit ever, so upbeat, the piano and guitar combo works so well.
Locomotive - Sick intro letting the drums and bass shine for a moment! Really enjoy the palm-muting, creates a really cool gritty, aggressive sound. Solo at 4mins is fantastic. 6:30 onwards is AMAZING, I much prefer this section of the song. The long, drawn out vocals are really interesting+the string scratching and wahs are great. Reminded me of Sidewinder in a way!
...Holy shit that was a lot more than I thought. I had extra notes just on the production, styles and instruments of the album in general, but I think I've touched on most of it here+I kept breaking the character limit. TL;DR - These albums are FUCKING AMAZING. I'm defo a bigger fan of the first part than the second, but that's just me. Both parts are phenomenal+I feel terrible for neglecting them for so long.
So Syn... from the bottom of my heart, thank you for this great opportunity to appreciate such a wonderful moment in music. It's been very emotional for me, but in a good way. Thank you.
And Happy New Year to you all! I wish you a wonderful 2022!
This one is a classic! Gonna leave my thoughts tomorrow
Happy New Year synner fam
Happy New Year synner fam
So many great songs on UYI. Imagine what they would have released if they stuck together. Don’t Damn Me is one my favorites and Coma is one of their all time greats.
Coma was the song I always had on repeat when I first heard it. Slash’s tone on it is so raw and the lyrics are incredible.
Coma was the song I always had on repeat when I first heard it. Slash’s tone on it is so raw and the lyrics are incredible.
Damn, great dialogue Truth! Ya, I love the fat. Can’t imagine it without it. Blasphemy would be to say that I could do without the fat on The Beatles White Album
and I would say that. But not with this one. Slash always referred to Illusions as their White Album. It is, only better
One of the greatest covers of one of the greatest songs ever written. Incredible
Have you watched the 8 hour Peter Jackson Beatles special on Disney Plus? I’m halfway through the first episode and it’s fascinating!
Isn't it wild how everyone in this thread puts GNR in their top 5 and we all ended up on the same forum enjoying the same songs? Makes me in awe of the power of the language of music. There's a reason we are all here and we're all trying to speak that same language. Thanks for this school and happy dang new year everyone!!!!!!!!!!!
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I spent a good part of my adolescence watching November Rain (playing the solos too) and Estranged videos, and listening to UYI 1&2 . There are tons of hidden gems and beautiful melodies. "So Fine" and "Don't damn me" bridge starting at 1:58 are two of my favourites 
Its been a while since I've heard these songs, and it was definitely when I was much younger so its been fun listening to them all. All the songs are great but something about "Perfect Crime" that just stands out to me, such a jam. Also, civil war is one of my all time favourites.
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I think we actually played a couple of these songs back in my bar band days. I will have to refresh my memory and give these tracks a new listen before I weigh in.
I always loved GnR. When grunge hit - literally EVERY 80s rock band was put out of business overnight. All those hair bands looked instantly ridiculous.
But GnR was raw and edgy and managed to weather the storm and move into the 90s more gracefully than most rockers - largely due to the strength of these two albums.
While Slash may not be a crazy technical player - he is to me the most lyrical, tasteful, and emotional player of his generation. Most great guitarists make me say - Wow! (based on their technical prowess). But Slash brought tears to my eye. Hey ran on pure emotion.
So enjoy some great songs and some amazing solos.
I'll be back after I listen with more species.
Cheers!
pg
I always loved GnR. When grunge hit - literally EVERY 80s rock band was put out of business overnight. All those hair bands looked instantly ridiculous.
But GnR was raw and edgy and managed to weather the storm and move into the 90s more gracefully than most rockers - largely due to the strength of these two albums.
While Slash may not be a crazy technical player - he is to me the most lyrical, tasteful, and emotional player of his generation. Most great guitarists make me say - Wow! (based on their technical prowess). But Slash brought tears to my eye. Hey ran on pure emotion.
So enjoy some great songs and some amazing solos.
I'll be back after I listen with more species.
Cheers!
pg
GnR was probably the first rock band I listened to when I was a kid, they're so unique I used to listen quite a lot when I was younger I think this is the time to give a listen to their albums again!!
Funny thing I had my parents here for the holidays and I had Avenged on spotify on the background and my father asked if it was some new GnR songs playing
Funny thing I had my parents here for the holidays and I had Avenged on spotify on the background and my father asked if it was some new GnR songs playing
Incredible! Thanks for the depth and honesty!These albums are incredible. I honestly don't quite know where to start, other than I have seriously, seriously underappreciated these albums+I wish I'd given them the deep dive treatment they deserve so much sooner. It's actually left me quite emotional for several reasons. It's just so damn good, it's so damn beautiful. Apologies for the essay!
Dust N' Bones - Panning on the low+high vocals,+lead guitar are incredible. It's not all muddled in the middle, every element gets it's own space+it's super effective. This is a recurring production theme that I love.
Don't Cry - I can't decide which version is my fav. They're both just so powerful. That intro touches my soul in ways I didn't know a song could. It's fucking beautiful. Against the song's instruction, I am bawling. That progression is my fav, the clean tone is heavenly. It's always crazy to hear Axl's voice go from crazy raw power to this gentle, soothing, heartfelt tone. Best ballad ever. This is one I wish I had really appreciated more with mum. Fuck...
Bad Obsession - COWBELL! Plus heavy af guitar+harmonicas. Where is this album going?! Nobody knows! But it's so well done I can't complain in the slightest. I love the inclusion of all these different instruments, it really breaks the idea that rock can only be cranked up guitars, huge drums+harsh vocals. Take influence from EVERYWHERE!
Back Off Bitch - I adore this, both musically and lyrically. I'm making this my new anthem. The solo is kickass+the tone of the drums is perfect. Have I talked about how good the snare, kick+ride sound yet for the whole album? I love the lower growl-like vocal to emphasise "Bitch!" in the chorus.
Double Talkin' Jive - Super crunchy guitar lead on the right, a sick bassline+rhythm on the left. The effects on the vocals (Please describe that to me, I wanna say phaser+tremolo but I think I'm wrong.) are trippy as hell+I dig it so much. The fade out to the acoustic solo was not expected but I appreciate it so much. This riff works so well with both heavy distortion+clean, classical playing... beautiful.
November Rain - I cannot get through this song without crying. There are many songs I hold dear to my heart+carry so much meaning to me, but this one is always on top. It's extremely bittersweet. Backing vocals+harmony is on a whole new level. The orchestra is beautifully done.
"So nevermind the darkness, we still can find a way" gets me every time. The end of the song to me really represents that line. Mostly sombre+touching, but then you get the amped up ending that feels like someone picking themselves up, determined to keep fuckin going. I feel that.
The Garden - The switch from clean/acoustic (?) to distortion really shows the versatility of guitar+the licks/riffs you can produce with them. Different textures and timbres are really crucial to explore+this really demonstrates that. (On a dif. note, I saw this track+thought of the Welcome to the Jungle meme: Welcome to the Garden, please respect the rules LOL)
Don't Damn Me - DAMN! This riff is KILLER. I feel bad for anyone trying to sing this live though, I love how rapid it is but where do you even breathe until the bridge section? LOL. Great contrast though. I need a tone like that solo so badly. The bass+toms section is something I can feel in my bones. I love how much bass you can hear in this song.
Bad Apples - The guitar string scratching you can hear panned hard left in the intro is an awesome detail. Bass line is sick. Pretty much the definition of rock music imo, so many people have tried to replicate it because it's so damn good. Also applies to You Could Be Mine.
Dead Horse - The interesting use of the acoustic guitar with the aged, rattling, beaten up tone is one that many people probably would avoid for the most part, many might think it doesn't sound appealing. But used in this context, it's so fitting+sounds amazing, really conveys the down emotion for that section. Love the usage of spoken lines in the distance. That ending with the old rewinding sound is an awesome touch.
Coma - Heartbeat+massive drums w/ the chilling guitar tones is hauntingly perfect. This is what I would imagine danger to sound like, especially after the chorus with the heartrate monitor+added doctors voices. The overlapping really conveys a sense of urgency. "Somebody to tell me what the FUUUUUCK is going on! God damnit!" Is an eternal mood! Bass+clean+ride ending, damn! The rapid hammer/pulls+all the different crazy added effects, voices, everything. They could not have themed and written this song better! What a way to top off the album!
Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Another track I'm very familiar with. One of my favourite solos in this song, and I love hearing more of the piano! The way the phone call is incorporated around the 4min mark is cool, vocal range shown off is awesome. Love the tremolo effects that show up on the guitar.
Get In The Ring - Love those gritty dual vocals! This is another one of those anthem-sounding tracks to me. I LOVE the very angry rant midway thru the song LOL.
Breakdown - Intro is amazing, love the inclusion of whistling+banjo! The chord progression is great, it sounds so upbeat and positive (major key, is that you? Just don't ask me which one). I expected this song to be sadder/angrier because of the title, and yet it's the opposite. 4:44mins might just be my favourite bit ever, so upbeat, the piano and guitar combo works so well.
Locomotive - Sick intro letting the drums and bass shine for a moment! Really enjoy the palm-muting, creates a really cool gritty, aggressive sound. Solo at 4mins is fantastic. 6:30 onwards is AMAZING, I much prefer this section of the song. The long, drawn out vocals are really interesting+the string scratching and wahs are great. Reminded me of Sidewinder in a way!
...Holy shit that was a lot more than I thought. I had extra notes just on the production, styles and instruments of the album in general, but I think I've touched on most of it here+I kept breaking the character limit. TL;DR - These albums are FUCKING AMAZING. I'm defo a bigger fan of the first part than the second, but that's just me. Both parts are phenomenal+I feel terrible for neglecting them for so long.
So Syn... from the bottom of my heart, thank you for this great opportunity to appreciate such a wonderful moment in music. It's been very emotional for me, but in a good way. Thank you.
And Happy New Year to you all! I wish you a wonderful 2022!
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