The Use Your Illusion albums are great!
I actually prefer II to I as my 14 song Illusion United Playlist features 8 II songs and 6 I songs.
I assume we'll talk about Appetite when the time comes, but what makes the Illusion albums special is that they are NOT Appetite Part 2.
Not every song across both albums is great, but there is so many amazing tracks across the two.
Matt Sorum is a fucking beast on these albums. Good call K-Lox giving him a shout out. I love the direction GnR took with this album. They went "next level" in my opinion. Not saying that means it's better than Appetite, but I just feel the playing and writing really showed great maturity, Get In The Ring's lyrics notwithstanding.
With respect to Part I, since it's the one listed, the 6 tracks that make my Illusion United playlist are:
Right Next Door To Hell
Double Talkin' Jive
The Garden
Don't Damn Me
Dead Horse
Coma
I just feel that II has the more epic pieces.
Alice Cooper is awesome on The Garden. Slash's solos are Godly on these albums.
Saw GnR 4 times on the Illusion tour.
It was a hell of a tour, too. (Brian May was the opener for the leg I saw).
That was the last leg. Saw that show at the old Boston Garden (March 16, 1993).
Brian May's band featured not only Neil Murray on bass, but COZY FUCKING POWELL on drums. In Boston, Gary Cherrone came out and they closed with Tie Your Mother Down.