USE YOUR ILLUSION II (Guns N' Roses, 1991)
Artist: Guns N’ Roses (D+)
Recording Dates: Jan ’90 – Mar ‘91
Release Date: September 17, 1991. USA
Record Label: Geffen
Producer: Mike Clink & Guns N’ Roses
Rating: 9.5 (ICONIC ALBUM, MUST HAVE)
Era: Hard Rock (1968-???)
Subgenre: Hard Rock
Best Song: Estranged, So Fine, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, or Civil War… you choose.
Tracklist: 1) Civil War; 2) 14 Years; 3) Yesterdays; 4) Knockin' on Heaven's Door; 5) Get in the Ring; 6) Shotgun Blues; 7) Breakdown; 8) Pretty Tied Up; 9) Locomotive; 10) So Fine; 11) Estranged; 12) You Could Be Mine; 13) Don't Cry" (Alternate lyrics); 14) My World.
Use Your Illusion II was released on the same day as Use Your Illusion I, at midnight on September 17th, and was one of the most anticipated albums, since no one had taken Lies seriously. The format was quite unusual, as it consisted of two discs, but not a double album; rather, two albums sold independently. It was a very risky move that could have backfired, since the expectations generated by Appetite for Destruction led many to believe it would dethrone Michael Jackson's Thriller in sales. However, supermarkets like Walmart refused to carry it due to its potentially violent and obscene content (But why, Guns N' Roses, who had been so well-behaved, hadn't even caused a riot in St. Louis or Germany!). Nevertheless, half a million copies of both discs were sold in just two hours. In the long run, II would sell slightly more than I, since, although I had the most popular singles with "November Rain" and "Don't Cry", II is much more balanced and the overall quality of the waves is superior.
This is partly because much of the material on Album I was written before and during the making of Appetite for Destruction . Album II features songs they had written more recently and that feel more modern, more detailed, and far removed from the 80s sound.
In early 1990, they began planning and rehearsing a new album. Lies can't be taken seriously as an LP for the reasons already mentioned in the review, so they were under enormous pressure to create a tremendous follow-up to Appetite for Destruction. Axl saw an opportunity to incorporate new sounds, expanding beyond the hard rock they were known for, including classical influences, giving it a more epic feel, longer songs, and breathtaking solos. The band managed to gather a large amount of material, including some tracks that hadn't made it onto previous albums because they were still unfinished. They had enough material for two or three albums, so they decided to take a chance on a double album, considering they were inspired and the material was good. Very good.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing. During the recording of "Civil War", the rest of the band realized that Steven Adler was completely out of his mind due to heroin addiction. He could barely keep time and constantly made mistakes with the drumsticks, forcing more than 30 takes. This not only increased production costs, but the biggest risk was when he tried to play it live. Shortly before, he had injured his hand during a concert and was briefly replaced by Fred Coury, drummer for Cinderella. Axl and Slash agreed that a drummer with metal roots gave them incredible power. According to them, they talked to Steve about going to rehab and regaining that swing that sounded so good on Appetite for Destruction, but Steven refused, and that's how Adler's departure began. It was made official on July 11th, and he was replaced by Matt Sorum, who had previously played with The Cult. Furthermore, they decided to officially incorporate Dizzy Reed as the band's keyboardist, since up to that point he had only been treated as a session musician and live backing player. Guns N' Roses was thus formed as a six-piece.
The band is at its peak, delivering a brutal display of energy without sounding like adrenaline-fueled Neanderthals with electric guitars. Instead, they manage to convey anger, fury, and punk attitude with impeccable instrumentation, brimming with adrenaline and technical skill that's more reminiscent of 70s hard rock than 80s glam. And that's perhaps the greatest strength of this second part. They don't need to go full speed and use maximum distortion to sound better. In fact, they tone down the intensity a bit, and there are more mid-tempo tracks. Disc I reminds me of the bully bragging and threatening to kick your ass. Disc II is 14 direct punches to the face; that is, they ditch the talk and posing to inject that ass-kicking attitude into the songs.
Instrumentally, both albums are magnificent, but on the second album, the songs are more polished and slightly more complex. While the first album features tracks that are pure riffs and pounding guitars, this one maintains tension, with several riffs in each song and spectacular solos. "Civil War" is the last time we hear Steven Adler on drums; the rest of the drumming is handled by Matt Sorum, who sounds more powerful and undoubtedly adds more punch with his fills and drum rolls, always precise and perfectly suited to the band's mood . Duff McKagan doesn't stand out, mainly because the bass is kept low (I suppose to showcase the guitars and drums), but if you listen closely, he does a very good job. He rarely plays lead guitar and generally creates his own effective and creative signature riffs. Izzy is incredibly underrated as a guitarist, perhaps because he had to play alongside Slash, but here Stradin shines as a rhythm guitarist, with power chords, riffs, and arrangements throughout the song that set the stage perfectly for Slash to shine. Izzy does a great job, but without him many songs would fall apart, and vocally he remains at a high level, with a treble not far removed from Axl's, but without his excesses. One wonders what would have become of the band if they had fired Axl and continued with them. Oh yes, I remember now, Velvet Revolver… Dizzy Reed also does a good job on piano; he has a more boogie style. He's not a prog keyboardist, nor does the band lend itself to him playing bombastic solos, but his arrangements always help to flesh out and complete the songs. Slash sounds brutal. He was at his peak, and listening to it again in depth, I understand why he's so overrated. And it's true that back then, his style and technique overshadowed any other guitarist of the time, although MTV's claim that he's only surpassed by Hendrix seems like an exaggeration. The most wonderful thing about Slash is that his solos sound emotional, not just a barrage of notes. They're very polished, certainly, but you don't hear a cold, mathematical guitarist, but rather one more inclined towards the blues, who sets himself on fire through his guitar playing. And Axl… well, whether we like it or not, he gives Guns N' Roses a very particular stamp and attitude. The lyrics, at least, feel more mature, and this is their most critical album, with "Get On the Ring", "Civil War", and their cover of Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door".
The album opens with “Civil War”, the last Guns N' Roses song with Adler on drums. It's Axl who stutters and begins with the lines “What we've got here is failure to communicate?" Everything works in this song, and from the very beginning, you can tell the band is more mature, more composed, and more committed. A track full of hooks, with a formidable and meticulous creation of tension, crescendos, and tempo changes. The hooks begin with the mythical whistle that lends a desolate air. Nostalgic arpeggios with tinkling harmonic tones. Duff's deep bass line. This is perhaps the best. Axl Rose's lyrics on his life : “Look at your young men fighting, Look at your women crying, Look at your young men dying, The way they've always done before.” Did someone do their homework and listen to Bob Dylan? The truth is, the harsh, accusatory tone is just as powerful as “Masters of War.” After the second verse comes a couple of power chords that knock you off your feet, followed by a much more potent chorus, with distorted guitars and Rose's heart-wrenching scream, “My hands are tied, The billions shift from Side to side, and the wars go on with brainwashed Pride, for the love of God and our human rights”. It seems impossible that it was written by the same guy who sang “Back Off Bitch” on the twin album!!! At the end of the chorus, Axl holds a long note while Slash plays an exquisite sequence of notes in a devastating ascending scale, setting up a monumental guitar solo. I insist, he manages to capture the perfect mood for the song in every solo. Here it's slow and bittersweet, reflecting both courage and helplessness. And they continue with the sequence of slow verses that explode into violent choruses. At 3:25 comes the second guitar solo, more bluesy, dressing his guitar in mourning and making it literally weep while Stradin continues with the sequence of heavy, slow guitar riffs. Steve Adler makes his final contribution worthily, keeping the rhythm, running through the drums with fills and giving the song that solemn feel. At 5:00 comes the third solo, a kind of powerful riff that repeats and ends in the tremendous ascending scale and then a rapid diatribe and unintelligible. A minute later the song speeds up and the piano becomes more prominent, understated and elegant, leading into an incendiary Slash closing with fingertapping and the song's final, fastest guitar solo, ending with a wah-wah arrangement, storm sounds, and a melancholic whistle. A perfect song, not a second wasted. It's not even very complex or full of changes, but the band keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end, and Slash's guitar work is out of this world. And the lyrics! I'd love to include them in full in this review, but I'll leave them as homework: they're worth it.
We continue with “14 Years”, an Izzy song, sung entirely by him, except for the backing vocals, where Axl sings a duet. It’s an unusual song. It has a Western feel, with the piano dominating this time, carrying Reed’s boogie through almost the entire track. The guitars are content to emphasize the chords. Matt Sorum’s influence is noticeable, with his more impetuous style and more savage drumming. Stradin ’s raspy tone fits perfectly with the song’s nostalgic mood. The lyrics speak of the 14 years of friendship he had shared with Axl at that time. The lyrics are very powerful; they are full of reproaches from beginning to end: “I try and feel the sunshine, You bring the rain…” or in the Chorus: “It's been 14 years that are gone forever, And I'll never have again”. It's not on the level of “Civil War” but it's still one of the album's highlights.
Then there's "Yesterdays", another power ballad that seems to drive everyone wild, but I find it pretty average. I mean, it's not bad, especially the calm beginning before they go crazy with the power chords in the chorus. The solo is good, very bluesy. But even though it has a good melody from Axl, who returns to lead vocals, and a cute little piano part, it's never struck me as anything extraordinary. I don't know, I get the feeling that a more organic, acoustic format would have suited it better, although I don't have anything particularly against it.
We continue with the sublime version of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”. I maintain that Bob Dylan is great, but he always sounds even greater in other voices, and this is proof. Guns N’ Roses deliver one of the best covers in history, or at least one of the most well-known, and it seems as if it were written specifically for them. Axl and company make it almost unrecognizable, unlike the Wings cover on the first album. The guitars play a sweet arpeggio, the deep bass lines keep the beat, the drums usher in the backing vocals, and Izzy and Axl alternate the lyrics for a perfect version, with Rose dominating the catchy choruses with his signature high notes. Slash’s solo at 1:30 has to be one of the most recognizable of the decade, and it’s really not difficult to play; any 15-year-old kid just starting out with guitar can give it a shot, but it’s absolutely iconic and out of this world. The rest is following the formula: slow verses, more powerful choruses, and a new guitar solo on the third fret, a bit more elaborate, but with the same feeling. Then comes a bridge where the rhythm section holds the song together and some effects are heard. Next comes a monumental chorus that responds to Axl, giving it a gospel touch. They also manage to adapt it to be a perfect stadium sing-along. On the surface, it doesn't seem like much. But no one else manages to give this song that definitive feel In my opinion, and without intending to inflate Guns N' Roses' ego, it's one of my favorite covers, and one of the songs that should be on the band's compilations and Top Ten lists , even though it's not their own.
Then comes “Get In the Ring”, a rocker Axl Rose's "Ass-Kicking" song is a way of getting back at all the critics who tore him apart for his irresponsibility on stage, blaming him for the St. Louis incident. For those who don't know, before the album's release, during a concert in St. Louis, Axl saw a guy in the audience filming with a camera. He got incredibly angry and repeatedly asked arena security to remove him or confiscate his camera. When no one did anything, he jumped off the stage, argued with the guy, and punched him trying to take the camera. Then he got back on stage and said that thanks to security, he was leaving, leaving everyone speechless. The concert had barely started, so there was a massive riot that didn't stay in the arena but spilled into the streets with cars set on fire, injuries, arrests, and more. This was his response. It's also said that the song was directed at Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe, whom he couldn't stand and with whom he constantly exchanged threats. It's one of the more average tracks on disc II, but it's fun, and Slash's bluesy guitar at the beginning is worthwhile. Then it speeds up and they fall back on the heavy guitar riffs and the 80’s vibe of Appetite for Destruction. They even added a pre-recorded audience to give the false impression of a live performance. Matt puts on a tremendous display and at times delivers some monumental drum fills. In the middle section, Axl doesn't hold back and starts reciting: “And that goes for all you punks in the press", and he begins naming the reporters and their respective magazines. Then they add boxing ring effects for a hilarious coda in that the false public shout in unison “Get in the ring, Get in the ring, Get in the ring!” to fade away while Axl does that legendary closing “This song is dedicated to all the Guns N ' Roses fans, who stuck with us through all the fucking shit, and to all those opposed... Hmm ... well ?” Sometimes he's obnoxious, but when he does things like this I can't help but grin from ear to ear. Ironically, it's one of the few songs they never played live on their original era.
We continue with “Shotgun Blues”, which is another more or less generic rocker, and much less fun than the previous track. The chorus is catchy, but it gets a bit repetitive after a while. Sorum goes wild, pounding the drums like his soul is being torn apart, and Slash and Izzy combine well on the riffs, but it's one of the average songs with a bluesy feel.
Then comes “Breakdown”, which has a very Country-ish intro, this time complete with banjo included. Slash would say this was the most complicated part of the entire Use Your Illusion process, as coordinating the banjo, piano, and guitar was incredibly difficult. Matt created a particularly intricate intro pattern and was frustrated because he couldn't keep up with his bandmates in time, forcing multiple takes. The song is a kind of ballad, although it has sections where the tempo increases, but not to cataclysmic levels, before returning to a calmer feel, with the piano sounding like a gentle drizzle. It's towards the end that the acceleration really kicks in, culminating in an apocalyptic coda with more aggressive guitars, Axl adding strange effects to his voice while repeating the title, Matt becoming a machine gun, and going wild in the final seconds with the pyrotechnic closing solo.
“Pretty Tied Up” is another Izzy track, with an exotic opening thanks to the sitar. Then comes a guitar with an incisive riff that has a certain darkness from the start. There's something that vaguely reminds me of “Paint It Black”, although I'm not sure if it's the sitar. But anyway, the malevolence dissipates in the chorus, which is melodic, catchy, and almost celebratory, with Axl emphasizing each syllable of the title. The lyrics and the anecdote behind them are what's truly worthwhile. It turns out that one particularly crazy day, a friend took him to visit a female friend Stradin didn't know. The girl gave them shots of tequila and then invited them to her room, and when they entered, they found a fat, naked guy with a fetish for leather, lingerie, and heels, tied up and with an onion in his mouth. They were both shocked and couldn't help but burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation. The song is about the sadomasochistic episode, and it's quite funny. But it doesn't end there. Slash would say that when they composed the song at Stradin 's house. Stradin was so high that he improvised a sitar with a broom, a bucket, and some metal strings. That's where the sitar sound at the beginning came from, but especially the incredibly powerful riff. Overall, it's very well put together, again with great guitar work and a good solo (at this point it's redundant, I know), and bombastic drumming. It's not a classic, but it's fun, and I think it's one of those average ones, the kind that have a bit of a red tint.
Next up is "Locomotive", where Duff shines again, especially with the little opening he gets in the intro. It's an intense intro, by the way, with alternating riffs and strumming guitars. Then Axl comes in with a lazy melody and his peculiar phrasing. The song has a funky feel, and the real credit goes to McKagan, who keeps the song going with his powerful bass. But it's too long, becoming repetitive at almost nine minutes. I love the chagga-chagga they achieve by blending the bass with the guitars, but they don't add much else. Fortunately, this marks the end of that slight dip in the middle of the album, where, while not producing bad songs, they don't quite reach the heights of the opening and closing tracks. All things considered, I think the middle section of Album II is superior to the songs in the middle of Album I.
Next up is “So Fine”, another magnificent ballad, this time sung by Duff McKagan, in a way that truly brings a lump to your throat. You might be tempted to think it's Axl, right? No, Rose only joins in on backing vocals. It's a perfect, emotive melody, with the guitar weeping arpeggios as Duff narrates the story of Johnny Thunders, guitarist for the New York Dolls and precisely the friend Izzy was talking about in “Pretty Tied Up” (the one who took him to the girl, not the one who was tied up). Johnny had just died of an overdose, and this deeply affected McKagan. He then tells the story from his friend's perspective, a heartbreak he had just suffered that plunged him into the depression that consumed him: “How could she look so fine, how could it be she "Might be mine?" and he does it in a way that makes it impossible not to get a lump in your throat. There are sections where they speed up, as if exploding all that frustration. The guitar solo is unique. Slash rarely mirrors the vocal melody, but here he does it with almost the same emotion with which he sings, doing something very simple, but that fits perfectly. One of my favorite ballads by the group. When everyone was bragging about " Knockin' On Heaven's Door" I was trying to play this beautiful thing.
And now comes what I consider the best track on The Illusions and my personal favorite by the band. “Stranged” is perhaps the band's most underrated song. Everything about this track is perfect. EVERYTHING. Well, at least in the first half. The melancholic piano, the tone of perfect defeat with which Axl sings the opening verses, the monumental drumming (which would have been impossible with Adler), the explosions and timing… But the guitar. Slash delivers the solo of his life, and he does it for practically the entire first half of the song. He pours his soul out through the guitar, with truly heartbreaking, bluesy arrangements that seem more depressing and heartbreaking than Axl's wails. In fact, I wouldn't mind if it were an instrumental. It's the only time I've seen the band thank their guitarist in the album artwork for his tremendous performance on the track. And he certainly deserves it . The lyrics It comes to close that heartbreak trilogy, being the hardest and most depressive of the 3: “Old at heart but I'm only 28, And I'm much too Young, to let love break my heart, Young at heart but it's getting much too late, To find ourselves so far apart”. Being teenager Manic-depressive, Cobain's lyrics meant nothing to me, but this It really killed me: “Young at heart and it gets so hard to wait, When no one I know can seem to help me now…” Like, you could drink a bottle of tequila while listening to it. Well, what Slash does can't be reviewed, you have to hear it. Up to 3:40 it's a perfect piece of work. Then the song seems to fade, leaving only bass and piano playing a short bridge, gradually increasing in intensity and adding more instruments. So far, so good, but then Axl comes back in and the song shifts to major keys, with Rose singing about hope and resignation, breaking the heartbreaking spell of the first part. Don't get me wrong, it's still good, and at the 6-minute mark there's a fantastic solo, but the magic seems to break after the most depressing opening in the history of rock. It's as if after the perfect storm, the rain stops and the first rays of sunshine appear. Well, in the end it recovers. At 7:30 another piano bridge comes in, and then Slash and Stradin play some gorgeous slide guitar arrangements, reminiscent at times of the coda of "Layla," before immediately exploding into a colossal solo that seems to blend sadness and resignation. It ends with a great verse, which I love in both lyrics and melody: "I knew the storm was getting closer and all my friends said I was high, but everything we've ever known's here, I never wanted It to die", with Rose drawing out the last syllable and leaving the song hanging, until Matt puts the final period. My favorite of the group, by far.
Then there's "You Could Be Mine", with a crushing drum beat and another great riff. One of the heaviest tracks on the second disc. Axl practically raps in the verses, then switches styles and drags out the first syllables for ages. It sounds more like a song from the first album. It's good, but frankly, a killer track after the emotional rollercoaster that is "Stranged" leaves me absolutely unmoved.
Then there's "Don't Cry (alternate lyrics)”, which instrumentally is identical to the first, with the guitars playing the sweet arpeggios. The lyrics are different in the verses, and Izzy even slightly changes the melody to fit the meter, although the choruses are the same. At the end, Axl seems to sing in a more explosive and wild way. But ultimately, it seems added to fill the same length as the first track.
And we close with “My World”. This is a terrible joke by Axl. He made it himself, without the participation of the rest of the band, trying to make a cheap copy of Nine Inch Nails, who at the time had him completely captivated. It's awful, disgusting, from the singing style, the suffocating electronic instrumentation, the female wailing, the horrible screams. Slash didn't know this monstrosity existed until he heard the album for the first time. You can imagine his reaction and why they still can't speak to each other… Perhaps the worst in the entire Guns N' Roses catalog... Until Chinese. Fortunately, it lasts less than a minute and a half.
In short. A tremendous album, with some of Guns N' Roses' best moments. The last ones. Being quite long, it's inevitable that not every song maintains the incredibly high standard set by the backbone, but at least the middle tracks aren't as steep a dip as on the first disc, and most of them have interesting or fun elements. Slash's level is even better here, and this album proves that Izzy Stradin was a phenomenal rhythm guitarist and had a huge creative influence on the band, one of the most underrated musicians in rock. Furthermore, the band achieves, in my opinion, their magnum opus with " Estranged", although it was somewhat overshadowed by "November Rain", and two monumental tracks of over 9 minutes each would have been asking too much.
True, the two discs run for over two and a half hours. There's some filler, not necessarily bad, and out of 30 tracks, only a couple are downright awful. But in compensation, out of those 30, we have a dozen songs that stand out from the average of their time, and at least six that became classics and would become part of the soundtrack of life for those of us who were there.
This doesn't make Guns N' Roses the best band in the universe, nor Slash the best guitarist in history, but I think it's necessary to acknowledge the difficulty of putting together two albums of that length with so many gems. Unfortunately, the band couldn't withstand the stress of recording, the low blows, or the subsequent tour. Izzy left the group after a few months and no longer appeared in all the promotional videos. Axl went power-mad, vying for attention with Slash, but they still had enough energy left to record their dissolution manifesto on the awful Spaghetti Incident?, as awful as its cover. But that's another story. As albums, Use Your Illusion is a masterclass in hard rock, from a band at its creative peak, and it profoundly marked an entire generation, to the point that what remains of Axl still keeps his band, a mere shadow of its former self, touring under the legend of these illusions. That's why they're must-haves. And that's why they're iconic…
One wonders what would have happened to Guns N' Roses if they had continued at this level... but “if” doesn't exist.
By Corvan
May/1/2013
