Review Summary: One half of a duet
After a massive debut album, Guns N’ Roses were on top of the world in the early 90s. They sold out arenas and you couldn’t go a day without hearing one of their songs on any radio station. Rock music was changing at the time, with the rise of Nirvana and Grunge, Guns N’ Roses were in danger of being left behind.
Use Your Illusion I and II were released in 1991 and they debuted at number 1 and number 2 on the billboard charts. Both albums represent a change from the hard rock sound that put the band on the map in the 80s, with more emphasis on synths, piano and lyrics.
Use Your Illusion I is the heavier of the two albums, but it’s also less consistent than its musical brother. Saying that it’s still a brilliant work of art with some of Guns N’ Roses best ever songs. The opener ‘Right next door to hell’ is a cheeky hard rock song, which would have fit in perfectly on Appetite for Destruction. A heavy drum intro is followed by a catchy distorted guitar lick, before Axl starts to sing at a rapid pace. The song is catchy and the lyrics focus on some neighbors the lead singer had who kept calling the cops on him. Slash also supplies us with a good although short solo. ‘Back Off B*tch’ is also an Appetite for Destruction reject, although the song has being slowed down quite a bit here. Slash shines on the song, and Matt Sorum shows what a good drummer he can be, but Axl’s singing leaves a lot to desire here, as he is hard to understand at times.
‘Live and Let Die’ is the token cover on the album. Originally a Paul McCartney song, ‘Live and Let Die’ is a short, synth heavy track. It’s a decent enough song, but considering it’s a cover it’s nothing to write home about. ‘Garden of Eden’ and ‘Perfect Crime’ are both short hard rock songs. The former has some really good lyrics, but Axl sings them so quickly that you can hardly understand anything. Still it has a great chorus. ‘Perfect Crime’ is a brilliant rock song, Axl starts the song off with a scream as the rest of the band plays at a furious pace. The chorus is good, but the instrumental is really the highlight of the song, as a brilliant and fast solo kick in after a short breakdown.
Izzy also takes the lead in a couple of songs, including the western influenced ‘Dust N’ Bones’ and the acoustic number ‘You Ain’t the First’. The latter features three different vocal performances, with Axl and Shannon Hoon. There both decent tracks, and Izzy sings well but the songs do come off as fillers.
The weakest song on the album is probably ‘Bad Apples’, an average hard rock song that is about a minute too long. The chorus is not bad, but the uninspiring lyrics and the weak solo don’t help it.
‘Don’t Cry’ and ‘November Rain’ are two very popular Guns N’ Roses songs that represent an alternate sound for the band. ‘Don’t Cry’ is the first song the band had ever written together, and they even at times have claimed that this song is the reason they got signed by a record company. Slash’s solo is one of the best he has ever done, and the lyrics are sweet as the song builds and builds towards a powerful climax. There is an alternate version on the second Illusion album, and the lyrics are much darker and deeper. That’s the better version.
‘November Rain’ is a song that has been heard in every corner of the world, from the melodic piano intro and the mind blowing synths, to the two long but brilliant solos and also Axl's sorrowful lyrics, it’s a complete song that is loved by the mainstream crowd but at times hated by rock fans. It's a song about heartbreak and a critique of the notion of 'happy endings'. Use Your Illusion II has ‘Estranged’ which is the follow up to November Rain.
The album closes off with Guns N’ Roses musical apex, ‘Coma’. Clocking in at just over 10 minutes, it’s the longest song the band has ever recorded, but it also has the best lyrics they have ever written and also one of Slash’s best solos. The intro quickly drags you in as heartbeats greet the listener, before a heavy guitar riff comes in. The final two minutes could easily be the best piece of music ever written, as an onslaught of instruments and powerful introspective lyrics bombard the listener into submission.
Guns N’ Roses released a cover album as a follow up to the Illusions, but then the band pretty much self-destructed. Now-a-days each member is doing his own thing, releasing new material and replaying old hits.
