Might as well close the day out with the most predictable next one. Since it's been talked about a little already I'll get 36 up not too long after this.
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37.
GUNS N' ROSES
USE YOUR ILLUSION IIHard Rock / Heavy Metalreleased September 17th, 1991
by Geffen Records
1. Civil War [7:42]
2. 14 Years [4:21]
3. Yesterdays [3:14]
4. Knockin' on Heaven's Door
(Bob Dylan cover) [5:36]
5. Get in the Ring [5:42]
6. Shotgun Blues [3:23]
7. Breakdown [7:04]
8. Pretty Tied Up (The Perils of Rock n' Roll Decadence) [4:48]
9. Locomotive (Complicity) [8:42]
10. So Fine [4:08]
11. Estranged [9:23]
12. You Could Be Mine [5:43]
13. Don't Cry (Alt. Lyrics) [4:45]
14. My World [1:24]
USE YOUR ILLUSION II is
W. Axl Rose (Lead and backing vocals / Piano / Whistling / Rhythm guitar on 6)
Slash (Lead and acoustic guitars / Banjo / Backing vocals / Rhythm guitar on 7 and 9)
Izzy Stradlin (Guitars / Sitar /Backing vocals / Lead vocals on 2)
Duff McKagan (Bass / Percussion / Lead vocals on 10)
Matt Sorum (Drums / Backing vocals)
Dizzy Reed (Keyboards / Backing vocals)
WITHSteven Adler (Drums on 1)
Johann Langlie (Drums / Keyboards / Sound effects on 14)
The Waters (Backing vocals on 4)
Howard Teman (Piano on 10)
Shannon Hoon (Lead vocals on 13)
This album comes with some caveats. I do not like to acknowledge My World, because that song is an abomination. I don't like the alternate “Don't Cry” lyrics much. I don't like “So Fine” very much either. Get in the Ring and “Shotgun Blues” are kind of cringey at times, but “Get in the Ring” is so over-the-top that I love it. It's just dumb fun.
This is a beautiful album when it reels it in, and goes full bore when it's angry. I like that. I like Axl's lyrics, which can be poetic and sophisticated (“Estranged,” “Breakdown,” “Civil War”), or furious and heavy metal (“You Could Be Mine”). Most of my favorite Guns N' Roses lyrics are on these songs, as well as “Locomotive” which has a very weird effect on most of Axl's voice.
But what makes this album even better is the piano. Dizzy Reed is featured a lot on Use Your Illusion I, but it's Use Your Illusion II where he shines. He's much more prominent here, being a key player in most of the songs. And those songs never get quite as intense as the ones on UYI1, but they're energetic in a different way. Again, 10, 13, and 14 are tracks I'm not fond of, but the rest of the album is just that damn good. There has always, ever since the first listen, been something very attractive about the generally mellow vibe about most of the songs on this album.
In Summary: As an adult I identify more with Use Your Illusion 2 these days than 1. The piano featuring heavily in the songs is a major factor for me loving it so much, but honestly, growing up with it, I've just always loved the sound of this band and what they're doing here. “Locomotive,” “Estranged,” and “Breakdown” are three of the best Guns N' Roses songs with some of their best lyrics and composition. It's not perfect and I understand why people don't like it, even I have a few complaints, but the rest is so god damned good it's had a pretty big impact on my entire life and I still love it today. The piano, the singing, the imagery, the emotional swells, the solos and bluesy playing... hell yeah.
Katt's Favorites: Yesterdays (music video),
Breakdown,
Locomotive,
Estranged (music video)Listen to "Use Your Illusion II" by Guns N' Roses on Spotify except it doesn't have Yesterdays for some reason...