Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion 1
|
List Price: Our Price: $5.71 You Save: $13.27 (70%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.04 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Use Your Illusion 1
Free Music Review: Epic, Theatrical, but Still Guns N' Roses!
Hit: 5 Stars
Some say that this was the end of Guns N' Roses. The dual output of the "Use Your Illusion" albums. They say Axl Rose was to theatrical; and instead of focusing on the music, he was too concerned about creating a visionary masterpiece. Well, aren't some of the greatest geniuses in history, visionaries? And, if you still think that Axl didn't focus on the music as much, take a listen to UYI #1 and you'll see that not everything you hear is the truth.
1. Right Next Door To Hell - This is the classic GnR way to begin an album! Hard hitting right off the bat. Although this song itself may be considered one of the weakest songs on the album, it still shows that the band has that raw edge! 4/5
2. Dust N' Bones - I love this song becuase it has two great GnR elements tied into one song. A rawness and a "don't care" attitude, yet it has that softer, visionary feel to it where I think the "Illusion" album really takes off. Both the bass playing and guitar work are exceptional here as well! 4.5/5
3. Live And Let Die - What would GnR be if they didn't have at least one good cover on an album? This time, they pick the Paul McCartney classic, and boy do they let it all hang out!! There is no denying Slash's guitar work here as he just shreds it up! Not the best all aroun cover I've heard, but very GnR-like! 5/5
4. Don't Cry (original) - This is a stand-out ballad for the album! Although I perfer the alternate version whic appears on the second album, this is right up there! The vocals are haunting, and you really get the sense that there is some real heartache going on. Filled with a lot of imagery, and as evidence by the music video, very theatrical as well. Awesome song, again showing the bands versatility. 5/5
5. Perfect Crime - I love this song! GnR get back to their raw basics on this track and Axl holds nothing back. On the other side too, the listener can hear the very subtle growth between this album and AFD. Great song, with fun, killer hooks all around! 5/5
6. You Ain't The First - For me this is one song where the album just seems to be lost. I can see where the band tries to make it fit, but something is off just a bit. Not a bad song overall, just not a terribly good song that sticks out. Very rare for the band that, despite the bad placement, still plays very well here. 3.5/5
7. Bad Obsession - This is another one of my favorite tracks on the album. Just has a sick groove to it that is hard to describe. I would say its very mediterranean sounding. Very cool vocals that really describe where the band was at during this time! 5/5
8. Back Off B!tch - To me this song is a follow-up to the previous track. You know what? It too, is killer! I love the guitar work by Slash on here, and again Axl seems angry and very passionate about what he has to say! Great song! 5/5
9. Double Talkin' Jive - To continue, I also feel that this is a follow-up tp BoB. If this is truly the case, than this string of songs make for the true meat of the album! I truly enjoy how the band was able to put this song together; seems to flow nicely and, while fun, there seems to be a lot of emotion into it as well. 5/5
10. November Rain - The grandiose EPIC of the album! The Queen-esche rock opera that made people stand up and say "Wow, Axl has amazing song writing skills!" While others stood up and said "Wow, this is the downfall of the true GnR." There is no denying the power behind this track. From Axl's vocals, to the killer guitar solo from Slash, to everything else! This song is amazing and really captured I believe, what the whole "illusion" sessions were about! 5/5
11. The Garden - Fresh of the heels of the "November Rain" epic, comes "The Garden"; one song I never could truly get into. For me there was just too much trying to be crammed into one track and just seems jumbled. Not overly bad, but a weak link on the album. 3.5/5
12. Garden Of Eden - This track again took me awhile to really sink my teeth into, but soon enough, I can see that it is a very solid rockin' track! Solid guitar playing here and the bass stands out very well! One can sense the mixture of AFD attitude, and UYI storytelling. Good song. 4/5
13. Don't Damn Me - A very, very cool song! Caught my attention right away and I believe it is a hidden gem on this epic story of an album! The vocals are very tight, and the ban just seems on their game 100%. Great song to rock out to!! 5/5
14. Bad Apples - Another song that took me awhile, but again turned into being a very solid rocker, and one that I look foward to hearing every time! One could argue that Axl was talking about himself and the impendig end of the band when he screeches, "One bad apple can spoil the whole damn bunch!" Killer guitar work, and just a fun track! 4.5/5
15. Dead Horse - if it were me, I would have a=switched the placement of this song and "Bad Apples." It just seems to me, coming off the heels of the solid rocker, this song just seems to fall a bit. However, the following track more than makes up for it, and this song isn't that bad overall. Good guitar work. 3.5/5
16. Coma - A grand, grand end to the first part of this new GnR journey. A song that you think ends about three or four times and just keeps coming right back kicking your teeth in! A very awesome track, that while on the long side, signals the next part of Using one's own Illusion!!!
There you have it, UYI 1. There are in my opinion more rockers on here than on part two, so if you want the GnR with a bit more attitude and less flashyness, you'd perfer part one. But, if you're a real fan of Guns...get them both!
Free Music Review: The Strongest Pain Relief Money Can Buy
Hit: 5 Stars
There is an energy in this album (along with the other pre Spag. albums) that can not be replicated. The stars lined up just right for a handful of times in the past 50 years, and included in the list of those to benefit is the GUNS N ROSES beast from 87-93. Although contemporary times always make the past look tame, there is still no denying the ferocious, controversial beauty that will probably always be associated with GNR.I'm not in the generation that's supposed to listen to Guns. I was 11 when the Illusions came out, so that meant that while everybody was telling me that Kurt Cobain was the only thing that was cool, I was just discovering the TRUE POWER of music, which is highly inclusive of the mighty Guns. Also a classically trained pianist, let me say I am very open-minded. But regardless of society's pressure to keep up with the times, I still haven't heard anything since the Illusions that can offer such a profound release of anger, tension, stress, and hurtful emotion. Fans ferociously guard "Appetite..." as the definitive album, and there's obviously a whole host of good arguments for that - but although it was at the expense of the band's unity, I maintain that the Illusions pulled off every epic human goal that music can provide, justifying Axl's egocentric addiction to perfectionism. Here's the review of 1, which although it doesn't pull off the "greatest album of all time" -ness of 2, it is the biggest pack of a punch that good hard rock has ever been able to muster.
The songwriting, performing, attitude, musicianship - EVERYTHING - came together with "Appetite" - but now, with a few more dollars in their pockets, the Gunners could take that same vision and get the recordings polished to perfection. I conceed that that is "for better of worse," in that many people prefer a raw sound, and that appeals to many Appetite heads (and I'm one of them!) But during the Illusions recordings, magic happened; a very spiritual (partially demonic) soul got trapped into the tape, making these recordings transcend all laws of recording techniques, and when you listen to the metallic blues of "Dust N Bones", the more obscure "Bad Apples," or the bone-crunching epic "Coma," you can't help but bleed out all of your internal toxins. Music exists for a release (among other things), and no album has you dealing with your demons more intensely than Use Your Illusion I. Axl's lyrics read like a psychiatric report, which as I mention down below, wouldn't make sense if indeed they were a shallow party band. Indeed, this band was put here with a purpose.
Okay, so they weren't the BEST musicians around, but they weren't bad. And the group dynamic made up for the lack of technique many times over. Afterall, a strong element to the foundation of the band is punk, where attitude is all that matters. The fact that Guns had/have attitude PLUS other things to offer makes me say that that is the best thing you could try to get from any musician.
Which leads me right into the high compliment to this album's effective diversity. I play piano for a living, and Use Your Illusion 1 is like Appetite + piano and a few other things, which is why I hold 1 just a notch higher (not worth arguing about though). I could listen to the bluesy headbanging of "Dust N Bones" (and even more, 2's 14 years) all day long, jamming along on piano, and never want to go do anything else. The hypnotic electricity of this band should come in a bottle. Then there's "You Ain't the First," a really cool acoustic ditty, a royal "Queen-like" cover of Sir Paul's "Live and Let Die", the staple ballad "Don't Cry," the monstrously screaming metal of "Back off B@#$%", and the smash epic that needs no description, "November Rain." I put on a piano recital which, after the Beethoven was over, included a full orchestration of this epic, strings and all. A pretty bold move for a conservative music school. With regards to those saying that if 1 and 2 were combined into one solid (though how much more solid do you want?) album it would be much better... I'll concede only as far as "Double Talkin Jive" and "Perfect Crime," are concerned, which are the closest to filler that is on the first album (Slash's tasteful classical guitar licks notwithstanding). This album, especially when coupled with 2, has it all. Dave Matthews and Phish may open up their jams more, but they still leave you needing your Prozac.
It's funny how documentaries try to establish grunge as a return to seriousness after the partying of the 80's bands - but I never fell for grunge, and I've needed a boatload of musical anti-depressants in my life (who hasn't?). No, kids, Nirvana never really offered that much other than a meeting place for disillusioned teens. The magic of Guns was MUCH angrier, much more MUSICAL, and much more PROFOUND. [Why even mention the N word? Well as you should well know, "N" made it not cool to like GNR, which was a sad sad day for the future of the record industry.] But I digress... The characteristic style of randomly chosen subjects, let's say "The Garden" or "Dead Horse", holds up UNBELIEVABLY well today, and still tastes as fresh as it did a decade ago. And when it's all over, that is the true test.
Free Music Review: Epic of life and death
Hit: 5 Stars
Listening to this album (and its sister album, UYI2) was kind of like putting together a puzzle... it took MANY listens,and each time a new piece fell into place. At first, I thought both discs were too long, and had too much filler, yet there was to much musical gold to simply say the albums should be combined into a 'Super Illusion.' Now that I actually see the concept underlying this album, which is ENTIRELY DIFFERENT from UYI2's concept, I can firmly say every track on this album, while not excellent, belongs where it is. To those who just find this album 'ok,' I simply say it takes several listens. Now onto the story of this album - check the title of the review:
'Right Next Door to Hell' is an awesome opener, which goes on for just long enough without getting old. Now, listen to the first verse, and then combine it with the message in the next rack, Dust & Bones. That then goes to the cover, live and Let Die, and then Don't Cry. Notice how the lyrics in Don't Cry are empathetic and reassuring - 'I've beent here before.' That becomes important on the next album. These first four tracks create one of hte most solid openings in hard rock ever, and sets up the concept - one can almost see all these songs being sung by one fictional character (Axl doesn't count), which is especially genius because G'n'R didn't wirte track three.
The next phase of the album is the hardest - I don't feel "Perfect Crime" covers any ground that "Right Next Door" and the first half of "Appetite" didn't... thank god it's short. "You Ain't the First" is alright, and stands out as the only track on all three albums not in 4/4 time... Izzy's so proud that he starts off counting it out. It then goes to Bad Obsession, which seems like a re-hash of Mr. Brownstone, sharing the same weakness as "Perfect Crime," but this song also has a conceptual significance to be revealed soon. "Back Off Bitch" is just fun... Then, "Double Talkin' Jive"...this one really grew on me - someone described it as a Metallica rip-off... um, no. It is pretty funny that they put a song with a line like "I got no more patience... man" right before "November Rain," with its message of 'it'll all be ok... just hold on.'
Which brings us to the pinnacle of western music... November Rain. The album's greatest strength and weakness... because I always want to listen to it twice. Eighteen minutes later... who wants to finish the album? Seriously, the progression of November Rain, from that keyboard buildup, to Slash joining the song 4 MINUTES INTO IT, to that final chorus and then the metal-ish outro and the whole band chanting "you're not the only one"... goosebumps.
So then it's time to put the CD away and finish it tomorrow. You do... "The Garden" is trippy and reminds u that a song like this could not have been possible if John Lennon hadn't existed and wasn't the stoner he was. "Garden of Eden," again with those really short songs with brilliant lyrics that can't be understood... I think the fact that they put both 'Garden' songs next to each other, and that the band littered the album with biblical references - being next to hell, being dust and bones, and 'lost in the garden of Eden' was done on purpose - it's all buildup to a man with a crappy life dying.
The last four songs, like the first four, really underline the story of 'Life's a Bitch, then you die' Notice how there's sixteen tracks, and 'Back Off Bitch' is right in the middle? Anyway, "Don't Damn Me" has some of the most important lyrics, like 'So I step into your world,' 'it's all a part of me' and 'silence isn't golden.' This whole song foreshadows the concept of the next album. Then, "Bad Apples"... I really don't like it very much. The 'death' concept is beaten into our heads as Axl beats a Dead Horse on the next track, along with one of Slash's best solos. Then...
...it all comes together with "Coma." Maybe Guns & Roses was really unimaginative and wrote about the same things... but isn't it more fun to think they tell a story? That chick he had a Bad obsession with can be heard yelling 'all you think of is sex, sex, sex,' the cover song is fullfilled, as he has lived and is letting himself die... 'his world' is waiting on the other side, which is exactly what UYI2 is about. Awesome.
Oh yeah, and the solos are great, Sorum's better than Adler, theproductions good, Axl rocks and all the other things every other reviewer's already told you about.
Free Music Review: This album's greatness is no illusion!
Hit: 5 Stars
Use Your Illusion, Part I (1991.), Guns n' Roses' second studio album
'Use Your Illusion, Part I' was at the time, with part II, a unique album feat. Never before had a band put together two epic albums and released them at the same time. The band's debut effort, 'Appetite For Destruction' was a massive success and was itself one of the greatest albums of all time. Therefore, the LA based metal quintet had an awful lot to live up to with their follow up effort. Fans of the band had waited a long time for the follow up to Appetite and so when it was released, were they disappointed? Not in the slightest!
In fairness, the Use Your Illusion albums are not as good as 'Appetite For Destruction', in my opinion but then, how can you top one of the greatest classic rock masterpieces of all time? 'Use Your Illusion, Part I' is in my opinion, the better of the two parts - it's much more consistent, has no bad tracks and also has some real stand out tracks in there too. I also think this is the heavier of the two albums. GN'R still have their classic sound too - Axl Rose still fronting the line up with his familiar protesting vocals and Slash's guitar playing on the album is first rate, with plenty of excellent solos on most of the tracks. The only real change to the line up was the addition of Matt Sorum, who replaced Stephen Adler on the drums, who was chucked out the band after acquiring a real excessive drug addiction. The songwriting on the album is very good, with all members of the band contributing. Certainly, Izzy Stradlin' is underrated as a songwriter and many of the best tracks were penned/copenned by him, such as 'Dust n' Bones', 'Dont Cry' and 'Double Talkin' Jive'.
Guns n' Roses have attracted no end of controversy over the years which have caused them to be loved or hated by loads of people. However, whether you like them or not, you have to give them credit for the risks they took with their music. Releasing two epic albums at the same time was very ambitious but it paid off and gave the band the unique feat of holding the top two spots in the Billboard 200 album chart at once. This is proof though, of how good their music was when they were at their peak. If there was one criticism though, it would be centered around having the 'Use Your Illusion' in two parts. If the best material from part I and the uneven part II was taken and put into a single album, it would have made a phenominal CD, something to definitely rival their debut effort and plenty of other classic albums.
Well you cant have it all.... So what are the highlights of the 'Use Your Illusion' Part I. The opening tracks are excellent. 'Right Next Door To Hell' is a blistering 3 minute opener with Axl Rose screaming out the vocals. 'Dust n' Bones' is one of the best, slower, with a piano part integrated into the tune - Izzy Stradlin sings this one with a real arrogant style but it works very well. The GNR version of 'Live n' Let Die' knocks the stuffing out of Paul McCartney's Wings version, with plenty of vigour and some killer guitar playing from Slash. 'Dont Cry' is a GNR signature tune but its an excellent, more heartfelt song with an interesting finish were Rose's last word sustains for AGES - this original version is BETTER than the version on Part II. 'You Aint the First' shows GNR were also no slouches at acoustic stuff and 'Bad Obsession' is an upbeat rocker with a mouthorgan part over the top (reminds me a bit of the Led Zep classic 'When the Levee Breaks'). 'November Rain' is another highlight - has an orchestral style backing, a bit of a grand scheme idea from Axl Rose but it works well on here, the track being an excellent epic with more good stuff on the guitar. For a bashed out real heavy metal style track, look no further than 'Garden of Eden'. The closing tracks, 'Dead Horse' and 'Coma', are both brilliant, the latter being a 10 minute epic with plenty of effects.
Use Your Illusion Part I is an excellent effort which saw Guns n' Roses still producing hard rock at its best. It's no Appetite For Destruction but its still well worth buying, probably advisably with Part II, although I think this part is more consistent and better overall. Guns n' Roses were a great rock act, producing great music at their height with plenty of showmanship. This album will not disappoint you.
Free Music Review: It's not Appetite... it's much more, in fact.....
Hit: 5 Stars
Guns N' Roses' two 1991 Use Your Illusion albums have somewhat of a bad reputation for a number of reasons. First, the idea of releasing two separate albums simultaneously seemed dubious to many. The two albums were both 70 minutes long and loaded with several "epic" ballads that stretched out to nearly ten minutes. This gave the records a rather pompous, overly ambitious feel to some. Second, by 1991, a new wave of "alternative" rock bands were becoming popular such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden. Therefore a lot of people felt that Guns N' Roses was too linked to the 1980s to still be relevant, and that they needed to step aside and make way for "grunge". Third, Use Your Illusion 1 and 2, as previously mentioned are both 70-minute albums and a lot of people feel that they are laden with filler. A lot of people say that if the band had trimmed some of the filler and released only one album, they would have had another masterpiece on their hands.
Over a decade later, it's a bit easier to look at this record and its counterpart with more objectivity. Personally, I only partially agree with the above assertions. I have no problem with the epic songs. Guns N' Roses understandably did not want to simply follow-up their classic debut, Appetite for Destruction, with a record that sounded exactly the same. They, or Axl Rose at least, wanted to change directions a bit and evolve musically. As far as any complaints about ballads, well the band's biggest hit was a ballad - Sweet Child O' Mine. That song proved that GNR was perfectly capable of recording a sincere ballad while still rocking like mad. While Use Your Illusion does have its share of ballads, there are many excellent hard rockers as well. As for the band being inexorably linked to the 1980s, that's merely a matter of timing, and not any fault of theirs. Guns N' Roses came along in the midst of "hair metal" and taught all those drag queens what real rock and roll was like. They were one of the few late '80s bands to be rooted in classic rock. With influences such as Aerosmith, The Stooges, AC/DC, Judas Priest, MC5, Nazareth and the Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses brought '70s hard rock into the '80s.
As far as the albums containing filler, I would say that's true of Use Your Illusion II. However, Use Your Illusion I consists almost entirely of excellent, first-rate material. It is the better of the two albums, and while it is a bit long, it is an excellent rock album that should not be overlooked. The album kicks off with Right Next Door to Hell, a rapid-fire rocker that rocks harder than anything on Appetite for Destruction. Perfect Crime is another great hard rocker that would have fit in perfectly on Appetite. Don't Cry is a great ballad in the vein of Sweet Child O' Mine and one of the album's biggest hits. Bad Obsession is one of my favorite songs on the album. It's one of the bluesiest songs that GNR has ever recorded. It has a definite Rolling Stones/Aerosmith type feel complete with harmonica and a slide-guitar solo. Double Talkin' Jive is a fast hard rocker from Duff McKagan that really cooks. November Rain is a true GNR classic. One of their biggest hits and finest compositions. In true power ballad, it starts out slow and somber then builds to an awesome climax with stunning guitar solo by Slash. The Garden is a fine mid-tempo rocker featuring guest vocals by Alice Cooper. Don't Damn Me is another favorite of mine. Great guitar riff and honest lyrics from Axl. Coma ends the album on a high note. It's a very long song, but it's riveting and one of the album's best.
Use Your Illusion I is an excellent rock album that anyone who loves Guns N' Roses should not be without. Guns N' Roses was much more than just Appetite for Destruction. You're denying yourself some excellent music if you ignore this CD and Use Your Illusion II. It's truly a tour-de-force that the band put their hearts and souls into. Axl's lyrics and vocals are potent and hard-hitting as always, rhythm guitar from Izzy Stradlin and Slash is thick and meaty as always, and Slash's guitar solos are simply stunning. This album is almost worth listening to just for Slash's guitar playing. Just amazing. If you consider yourself any kind of Guns N' Roses fan, do not overlook this album. It is a masterpiece of modern hard rock.