Here Today... Gone To Hell!

I haven't listened to this album over and over for quite some time, probably many years to be honest.. So this time around I almost listened like a new fan or with different views (not as a gnr maniac).. I know people will get on me for this, but I feel this is the weakest album out of all their studio works...

The album has great tunes
coma
dtj
perfect crime
right next door to hell
don't damn me
november rain


then the next level lower
don't cry
the garden

then the rest for me is just tons of filler really... So many songs sound alike lots of yelling or similar..
terrible like
bad obsession
you ain't the first
bad apples
garden of eden
dust n bones
back off bitch


I think if any album was slash's album it was this one, I don't mean his album as in idea, just the guitar playing on this album is amazing and saves many songs... Like The garden he fucking owns that song, Coma, november rain both him and axl rock, but the guitar is amazing.. For me on a lot of these songs the band itself instrumentaly were tighter or the saviors of many of the songs.. Cause without some of that work these are just blah songs

Either way I just feel this is the one gnr album loaded with filler, with hints of brilliance

Mmmm,bad apples is one of my favs but each of the songs you listed in your filler list cant really be called fillers.the reason i say this is coz if they werent on an album with songs like NR and COMA then i think they would be classed on a higher level.maybee you dont agree but over time,each of the so-called filler songs have all been my fav at some point,so for a song to be someones fav at some point means it cant really be classed as filler.i know what i mean but thats jus my view  :peace:

don't cry is one of the best songs ever, imo...bad obsession and back off bitch kick ass too,

Yea I hear ya Mike. ?There are plenty of fillers on II as well as a few on I. ?If UYI was just one album with the mentioned fillers left out I believe it would rank right up there with AFD. ?

I like evry song I have listed as filler, loved them to at one point back in the 90's.. Just certain songs have remained fresh ot me whil teh others are just not catching my interest as much


Many people that were growing up during the illusion's era like myself never saw the songs the way one might see them now.. It's an amazing thing to love an album for 4 years heavily then listen to it many years later with a different mind set.. It's like tv shows you loved years back you catch now and don't understand what you saw in them, or may notice another reason teh show was good beside your first choice, maybe a different character..

both illusion albums are mostly rubbish and overblown.

cant stand listening to them.

bad obsession always annoyed the shit out of me, way to much going on.. just don't like the tune

I just hear a lot of angst in many of these songs and it becomes repetative to me.. Like 5 songs are the same in ways

good point,but what about the other album wed be left with of the fillers.dont tell me.......VR

bellend  :hihi:

That is a common thing people say. But when you give a 100 fans the task of cropping UYI into one 74-minute cd, you'll get about 100 different tracklists. Who's tracklist is right? Who is to say which songs belong there and which don't when everybody has their own favorites? Besides, even one person's likes and dislikes keep changing from time to time, depending on what mood he is and everything. That "a lot of something for everyone" attitude makes UYI such a great record as it is.

Release the filler album instead of The Spagetti Incident. ?I think we could of done without that one. :hihi:

you know it is true that both have filler but I am glad they did release all these songs because look at how much less material this group would have had out... Sure if gnr stayd together and kept giving us material then one album of the best would have rocked, but since we have had nothing in 15 years anything is better then nothing.. Many songs I am not crazy about still have rocking solos n riffs

am i the only one around here who realllllyyyyy loves TSI

bad apples is decent, if i hear it once every few months i'm ok.  Dust N Bones is a GREAT song though....to me its the "14 years " of UY1.  But I agree...UY1 is def the weakest GNR album.  Like that one dude said, if you put the greatest songs from both 1 and 2, you have an incredible CD - almost as good as appetite.  But I am glad they released 2 since we haven't had much after that hahaha.  I know exactly what you mean though, a lot of the UYI songs I liked A LOT when they first came out, but haven't really stood the test of time in terms of a re listen.  I find myself skipping a lot of them.

Which UYI sold more copies?  I think it was 2 right?

well if you release thirty songs some are about to be liked :hihi:

i think certain songs would be consistent as pics... civil war, ycbm, breakdown, november rain, coma, dtj, perfect crime...

The only song I'm not crazy about is "You Ain't the First." Love the rest of it.

I shouldn't have used the word terrible.. I do like the hear the songs on occassion myself, I do find myself skipping though

UYI I is terrific.  I like it better than theUYI II to be honest.  Both are great.  Best albums ever!!!

somethin i noticed is when you listen to a whole UYI album,its like a journey.
its sometimes fast,
its sometimes slow,
its sometimes high,
its sometimes low,
its sometimes easy,
its sometimes hard,
its sometimes near,
its sometimes far.
but in the end we all get to the same fukin place

soz just turned that into a nice tune in my head as i was typin......now wheres my guitar quick ?: ok:

no, i totally dig it.  I actually found it in my brothers old CDs YEARS after its release - i always dismissed it as a waste of time b/c of the bad reviews/press it got - but since i really liked SIDHY i gave it a whirl.....some awesome tunes.  I love buick mckane, down on the farm, human being, the son of a bitch song.  its a really good guns rock album and made me want to hear the originals. 

that was actually not bad dude, go get your guitar, and make a copyright as well !

I agree, there are 6-8 songs on UYI that would be certs on a single UYI cd but after that most fans have varied opinions of what is filler and what isn't on UYI. You have mentioned DTJ and perfect crime both as non filler but I honestly don't think either of those songs are that good on UYI 1 particularly DTJ (although I do like DTJ when they played it live) and then you mention that Bad Apples and Back off Bitch are filler and I really like both of them. It's interesting because most fans seem to agree UYI have plenty of filler but then disagree on what that filler actually is ?:peace:

I think of the 2 UYI albums UYI 1 is the poorer of the 2 mainly because it contains more of what I feel are filler tracks e.g. You Aint the First, DTJ and Bad Obsession.

If you combined the last 7 songs of UYI 1 and the first and ?last few songs from UYI 2 (excluding MY World and So fine) you would have one of the greatest albums of all time IMO.
 ?

im just putting a new set of ernie balls on my axe right now.ill upload it when its recorded  :hihi:

my opinion could change in a week... I just listened to uyi 1 for the fist time in years.. I had mixed cd's of my favorite tunes or listened to greatest hits for a while ,or mostly afd..

See on two I never like shotgun blues, I thought it was crappy..

TSI > Illusions.

Yeh it's not an album I listen to all that much either really, I either listen to AFD or Live Era really. Live Era contains pretty much all my fav GNR tracks on an official cd with the added live feel, it's probably my fav GNR cd. ?

It's a shame the Illusion stuff  doesn't get a quarter of the praise it should.

If they were conbined at the time it probably have been alot more iconic then having 2 album with half great stuff on and the rest "fillers".

Does this topic not belong on the UYI thread on the "Dead Horse" section?

what is it bothering you...

man your funny

and i know my funny,bellend : ok:

No, just pointing it out.

"I know my funny" doesnt make sense, bellend : ok:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/chaotix/yes.gif)
Stop trying to talk like me : ok:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/chaotix/yes.gif)
TSI > Illusions, FACT not OPINION
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/chaotix/yes.gif)
I know my albums(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/chaotix/yes.gif)

explain

TSI succeeds greatly for what it is.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/chaotix/yes.gif)
Illusion albums fail miserably for what they try to be, which lets face it, UYI tries to be the greatest album since the white album, which results in a shockingly embarrassing bloated monstrous album. A great failure. People keep saying "it would be one of the best albums if it was one album" too bad, its not one album.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/chaotix/yes.gif)
anyone who cant see this epitomises the word bellend.

right so TSI has the success that UYI should of had but on a smaller scale

For me, it is the greatest albums of all time.  Sorry, I don't care what Mikegulliana says.  He is real negative about everything though.  I feel bad for him.  Negativity is a disease.

its not negativity m8.its an opinion  :peace:

I feel that a lot of GN'R best material is buried on the second half of each Illusion disc. Songs like "Dead Horse, 'The Garden," "Locomotive" and "Pretty Tied Up" are real gems.

I like the Illusions! ?To me, TSI was a disaster. ?Just listening to the tracks showed me that the band was on the brink of breaking up. ?With the Illusions, it was more of a big bang epic. ?Their last creative masterpiece. ?I don't know if GNR was trying to outdo the White Album, cause that's pretty impossible. ?To me, there isn't much filler on the albums at all. ?Some of the rants are kinda foolish and immature sounding when you look back, especially when you compare them to the likes of Estranged and November Rain. ?The only track that I would consider complete filler is Axl's "My World." ?However, had that track been released as a single in 98 or 99, it probably would've been a hit. ?It was way before its time and all. ?Of course, the music scene in 98 and 99 was horrible, so that would explain a lot if My World could've had commercial success.

Totally agree Don't Damn Me, Dead Horse, Bad Apples and The Garden are some of GNRs underrated masterpieces, they tend to get overlooked as they are sandwiched between NR and Coma.

No, Im not talking about commercial success or critical success whatsoever.

There's nothing pretencious about TSI.

I think UYI I is their best album  :P

I skip over You Ain't The First, but that's it.  Bad Obsession, Dust N Bones, Garden of Eden and Bad Apples are all quality songs, all better songs than Out Ta Get Me, Think About You, and Anything Goes if we're comparing them to AFD.  Back Off Bitch is dumb but it rocks hard.  It also lacks the out and out stinkers like Get In The Ring, So Fine and My World on UYI II

"B.O." also bugs me nowadays, and I don't like listening to "Live & let die"...I've always loved UYI II much more (other than "get in the ring" and "my world" I love all the other tracks).  I've always felt UYI I was a bit more aggressive and a bit of a mixed bag. 

I think they put out 2 albums at one time bc it was never done b4 (released separatly) and they got away w/ it (in terms of sales at the time....I mean ppl were DESPARATE for a GNR album..why do you think Skid Row reached #1 the summer b4 the Illusions were released--bc ppl were hungry for that GNR vibe).

Mike,

I tend to agree. There's some BRILLIANT material on UYI I [NR, Coma, Dont' Cry, Dust N' Bones, Live and Let Die, Touble Talkin' Jive (best live though)]... but a lot of it is "fly over country". UYI II is definitely stronger IMHO.

Incidentally, I listened to TSI for the first time in years a few days ago... and that album ROCKS. I know it's all covers... but I think the band really got back to its AFD/Lies sound on that album... unfortunately it got buried in the grunge revolution and people were sick of GN'R doing cover songs (I can't believe they followed TSI with ANOTHER cover with SFTD)... but that's a very decent album. Definitely NOT GN'R's "St. Anger", as I used to think it was...

i disagree. Its on of my fav albums.

it has some good tunes, and I know no one on this board likes "spaghetti incident", but I love that record,
 which leaves "ilusions 1" as the worst CD they ever released, completly agree

You think UYI I is worse than Lies?  :confused:

Bah... I think it's great from front to back. I look at the Illusions as two big story books of fame and the trappings that befall the aforementioned stars.

I think Lies is pretty good tbh, unfair to compare with UYI 1 though because Lies is only an EP and I think a lot longer was spent on UYI, Lies was cobbled together in one recording session.

I haven't listened to these in ages either. Maybe I should. I started getting burnt out on that old stuff along time ago, and decided to give it a much needed rest. The only GNR I have listened to over the past 2 years or so is the new songs.

I agree with you. Quite a bit of filler, but better than it just being like a 10-12 song album. I dont consider The Garden to be filler. In my opinion, that is the most underrated song on the album.

that was the first one i bought so it has some sentimental value but ya i do agree some filler is in there like i mean how much do you hear people talk about dead horse.

I like SI myself. I also love back off bitch, great buildup.

I thought that was common knowledge...

I think VRs record is better, and Im certain Axls is too.

i personally like UYI 1 more than UYI 2 and lies and at some point in my life i liked it more than AFD but not any more

well it  was such a good record because it was a double disc album and well that was unheard of then

Im fitting some Ernie Balls tomorrow so if you need me to play rythm give us a shout? :yes:? :beer:

PS. You may need some more lyrics  ;D

uy1 kicks uy2 in the nads

also did u hear about the line up at record stores when it first came out

No. No they're really not. I think they ar better then appetite in their own regards. The epics are unbelievable. I don't really see any "filler". The Black Sabbath song fluff is filler, nothing on illusions.

Mike, UYI I is my favorite! Dust N' Bones, Bad apples c'mon man!

This is absolutely true.  I was there at Specs in Fort Lauderdale, FL. and it was CRAZY!  There had to be 300+ people in like by 10 PM that night.  (Store opened at Midnight to sell the CDs)

-darknemus

Dust N Bones is Fucking sweet,actually all the songs of that album are

There good but not as good as AFD

this is discussion goes nowhere
because

AFD was like just one genre
but the Illussions have very different songs..so it depends on the taste of everyone who hear the albums
for some people the underrated onees are better than the mtv classics....for some not
so i think because this are albums with very different pieces i think it depends on the taste of everyone who listen to it

i hope my poor english doesnt stop you from understanding what i ve tried to say..
thanks =)

Depending on my mood that day or week, I am just as likely to throw UYI on as UYII. Both have a couple of songs that I was never crazy about.
Coma is one of my favorites of any band, or song ever. I can listen to N.Rain or Estranged now, and unless I"m in the right frame of mind, I can lose
interest sometimes. Coma & Locomotive still hit me strong. I think both Illusions were perfect for that time and will always be 2 of my favorite albums, if not my favorites , untill the day I die......and I have a funny feeling Democracy is going to hit me the same way -

think that is crazy...wait till CD
i know it wont be the same at all but i was only like 10 months old when illusions came out soo...

locomotive have amazing lyrics!!!!!!!

[quote author=mikegiuliana link=topic=27777.msg516138#msg516138 date=1142865850

.............then the next level lower
don't cry
the garden

then the rest for me is just tons of filler really... So many songs sound alike lots of yelling or similar..
terrible like
bad obsession
you ain't the first
bad apples
garden of eden
dust n bones
back off bitch


I think if any album was slash's album it was this one, I don't mean his album as in idea, just the guitar playing on this album is amazing and saves many songs... Like The garden he fucking owns that song, Coma, november rain both him and axl rock, but the guitar is amazing.. For me on a lot of these songs the band itself instrumentaly were tighter or the saviors of many of the songs.. Cause without some of that work these are just blah songs

Either way I just feel this is the one gnr album loaded with filler, with hints of brilliance

Wow. Are you serious? I respect your opinion but come on!!!!!

NorthwindNS

YOU ARE FUCKING CRAZY!!!! FUCKING CRAZY!!!! oh my!!!! YA KNOW YOUR CRAZY!!!!

Get lost, you witless fool. :rant:

I love Back Off Bitch... The lyrics are kick ass... "It's time to burn... Burn the witch!"  : ok:

Whoever started this thread is an idiot....Capitol I. 

The whole fucking CD is awesome from "Right next door to heel...to...Coma"  Enuf said.

Great music, and thats why we are here.

How can anyone claim that Dust n' Bones is a filler? It's one of the best Gn'R songs ever, especially live.

Here's my opinion about the tracks on UYI I:

Right Next Door To Hell: Works good as an opener of the album or a live show, but it has never been any kind of favourite of mine.
Dust N' Bones: Like I said this is one of my favourite Gn'R songs, and as a live song it's fucking great! Slash has great guitar melodies and the vocal work is just brilliant (Izzy, Duff and Axl together = amazing :smoking:)
Live And Let Die: Fits on the album, but is kinda lame after many times of listening. I like the 2002-version of it, Axl sounds great.
Don't Cry (Original): Well, what can I say.. Great song with great guitar solos. Brilliant.
Perfect Crime: I love it. The live version is even better, just listen to Helsinki or St. Louis bootlegs and you know what I'm talkin' about ;) It has such a great attitude..
You Ain't The First: First I didn't like it at all.. I just didn't understand it. But now when I have listened to it many times, I actually like it. It's like UTLH to me. A fun song with a nice melody.
Bad Obsession: The intro is great.. I love the sound of harmonica. And Axl's voice is working here. Great song!
Back Off Bitch: A great tune with a great attitude, once again I just love Axl's voice.
Double Talkin Jive: I found this song through the live version. And I still prefer the live version more, but this is amazing fucking song! Matt's drumming is simply great, especially on the longer version. It's kinda sad that they didn't record it, 'cause the part after the chorus is absolutely brilliant :peace: The band makes awesome job.
November Rain: Great.
The Garden: First I thought that this is the strangest song I have ever heard. Then I started to like Slash's solos and melodies, and now I like the whole song. I just hope that Axl would have done Alice's parts too (no, I'm not saying that Alice sucks, but I dont like his sound on this song).
Garden Of Eden: The video is great :hihi: A fun song, but it's one of the least favourite tracks of Gn'R to me. But it's still good :yes:
Don't Damn Me: Awesome guitar riffs. Slash is just great. I also like Axl's vocal work..
Bad Apples: I like it. It's kinda 'light' song, but still one of my favourites. But I think that it could be better with a little more work..
Dead Horse: Same thing as Bad Apples.
Coma: Oh yeah.. what an ending for an album like this. Duff's riffs are awesome, Slash's solos are amazing, Axl sounds great and Matt's drumming is wonderful. One of the best songs ever. Last verse is simply brilliant..

Great album. That's all I can say. But I don't think that Gn'R has ever recorded a bad song.. there is only good songs, very good songs and great songs :yes:

Bad Apples i do like but prob. my least fav. of all!!

i just havta say....
You Aint The First   is fuckin' unreal, i love singin' this when im pissed (drunk), its a ballad n' a ahalf!!!
Garden Of Eden   is AFD ALL OVER, n' thats not why i like it, it just fuckin' rocks, big time!! i love it!!

the rest rock!!! :beer: :beer: :beer: :smoking: :smoking:

off course, LIES is half "live like a suicide", and the accoustic side is just as good, no one here understands the decline of GNR began before the APPETITE tour was even over, it was done, over , nothing better will ever come after 1988

that will never change

everything now is just bonus tracks

that is, if it even happens

I have to say that Dust N' Bones is probably my least favourite track off UYI. I just can't get excited about listening to Izzy sing. He can write great songs for sure, but his vocals are just plain boring compared to a guy like Axl. I never liked DTJ for the same reason. I'd say my favourite tracks on UYI I are The Garden, Garden of Eden, Don't Cry, and November Rain. They definitely made the right choices for the singles. Most of 'Coma' is brilliant, but the cheesy sound effects and background vocals drag it way down.

I Agree with this : ok:

Listen on any given day I can enjoy any gnr songs, but once you have been listening to these albums for about 14-15 years and are able to listen to different songs at different stages you see what stays with you or creates the same buzz as when you first bought it.. No one can say the way they felt as a teen listening to a certain album new is going to be the same 15 years later...

I said I think coma, right next dooor to hell, NR, perfect crime, dtjm & ddm are all classics...  ten years ago I might have had a different list with the exception of maybe coma n november rain..

I'm really suprised no one even thought about saying how slash owned these songs guitar wise...  As I mentioned in my first post he fucking ripps through the garden

To myself many of the songs are similar in the pace axl sings or the volume in his voice, the only real way for me to see the difference is by the musicians in the band,.... Are there any songs by groups you love simply better because of the guitar work, or a song that the p[layers themselves exceed the singer?? That would be like my Highlight in Freebird is the guitars, not the singing.. The singing rules, but without that guitar work it's not as special... Same goes with Stairway to heaven..

The Illusions are way better than the White Album. The White Album has just as much filler (Revolution no.9 = My World) but UYI has more classics, and lets face it all albums should be judged by the its best songs, not its worst. I think that's people's problem with the UYI albums is that they concentrate too much on the weaker songs. But judge them by the best songs, instead and you'll have a different attitude. No band made so many classic tracks in one recording session. I hate people saying its embarassing and bloated. When Led Zeppelin, Queen or The Beatles do 8-minute songs they're are considered complex classics. When GnR do it, they're considered too long, embarassing and bloated. What are you suggesting - they don't release November Rain because its a bit too long for some people? Who cares about the length - its what's in the songs that counts, and the 6 seven- minute plus songs on UYI are simply amazing and unparalleled. There is very few people who like all the songs. There are always a couple songs different people don't like but you could say the same about other double albums like Physical Graffiti and the White Album. But UYI has more classics. Even AFD has a couple of songs I don't always listen to. Personally I prefer ?Dust N' Bones, Bad Obsession, Double Talkin' Jive, Don't Damn Me, ?etc. to My Michelle, Think About You, You're Crazy or Anything Goes.

Seen as we are talking about UYI1 - compare AFD to the 12 best songs of UYI1 (RTDTH, DNB, Don't Cry, Bad Obsession, Back Off Bitch, DTJ, November Rain, The Garden, Garden Of Eden, Don't Damn Me, Dead Horse and Coma). IMHO, as a collection of great songs, they're quite close. Although, admittedly AFD, flows much better. I rarely skip over songs on AFD because they flow into each other so well. But compare the songs individually and it's quite close.

Soloing wise the two UYI albums contain the best collection of solos ever. They're all so different, particulary on UYI II, so I prefer the solos on that album. But UYI 1 has some amazing solos too, as well as some great riffs - Coma has the heaviest riff ever!

Slash fucking owns these albums... I still love when someone feels gnr was axl alone.. :hihi:  The coma riff fucking rocks the house down... The garden too, how he ripps it up all through estranged.. 

Yeah, a lot of great riffs and shredding + melodic solos on both albums!

If I had to combine them to make one killer album it would be:
Civil War
Breakdown
Pretty Tied Up
Locomotive
You Could Be Mine
Estranged
Coma
Don't Damn Me
Perfect Crime
Garden of Eden
Right Nxt Door to Hell
14 Years
November Rain

The problem is, Slash's best stuff ( most of what you just mentioned ) is not exactly what you were hearing on that Lame-ass Snakepit album. I think Axl always wanted to play with him, but he wanted to concentrate more on epics like Estranged & Coma, wanted to create nothing but amazing songs like that, & Slash wasn't going to go that way. While I don't think anyone is happy that we've been waiting 15 years, I am now beginning to believe it would have been better than them just putting the GNR name to that Snakepit stuff, and it becoming just another album in your collection.? NOW, I like some the VR stuff and would have been curious to hear Axl work with those songs, but sh*t happens...you know?

Actually, Slash brought the song"Coma" to Axl to write lyrics to : ok:
that was his baby

Estranged and Novemeber Rain were Axl's :peace:

" i just want to burry apetite.. i dont want to live with that album through my entire life. I have to burry it. Rather than just make a bunch of songs that are fun, were going through with a fine tooth comb."

Axl Rose on UYI

VH1 Behind the Music.

So... If that Cd took what 3 years? and it was a fine tooth comb... well.. 15 years should be insane!

thats what u would think  :%??

LoL the suspense is KILLING me...

me too

'hAH slash proclaimed UYI 1 and 2 as Guns' "white Album" but just not quite as good as THE whitr album

Blasphemy!! My take is that if any album was Izzy's, it was this one. You've listed three of his best songs in the filler section, songs that are among the best on the album.

Still not quite sure why people prefer II to I. The overall sound and production is a lot more raw and concise. Not as overly complex or calculating.

It's easily Izzy's finest hour. Slash is an amazing guitar player, but we all know who the better songwriter was.

RESPEKT

Great album.  I forgot what I was going to say.  took so long to get to this thread.

Yeah, lets keep this thread at the top.

IMO, Use Your Illusion I is an excellent album.  It's got the heavy ("Double Talkin' Jive" with that excellent outro,) and the soft, like "November Rain." and "The Garden."  And of course, there is "Coma" which is awesome.

right, my posts will suffer just for the sake of posting!

Man. I have been listening to UYI's ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL day..  after this bastard fuckingshit came on this forum get in the ring took over and was played numerous times... kinda took away some anger : ok:

I am saying that I felt the guitars are what held my interest in a bunch of these songs..  Lyrics don't always impress me, it's not what holds my interest in a song..

Mike G, if guitars are what hold your interest, what is it about Back Off Bitch, Bad Apples, Garden Of Eden, and Dust N Bones that makes you call them terrible?  The guitars on all those songs kick ass, at least in my opinion  :beer:

I don't even know how to answer this..  I think just about any gnr song has good guitar playing just some as a whole don't interest me.. I mentioned lyrics, some songs are just not what I like vocally.. Gardne of eden does have a really good solo, just the song itself just sounds like a big rambling like oh my god

It seems everybody prefers UYI 1 over UYI 2; the second album even sold more. I think if I really had to choose between the two, I probably would go with UYI 2 just because it has my favorite GNR song ever, "Estranged." But UYI 1 and UYI 2 are two totally different albums with two very different tones; UYI 1 rocks harder; it's heavier; and the yellow and red cover really fits the mood, while the blue cover on UYI 2 fits perfectly, as well. They symbolize the atmosphere that you see and feel and experience while listening to each album. It largely depends on what type of mood I'm in as to which UYI album I wish to listen to.

I think every GNR fan has sat down and wrote his track list for the ULTIMATE UYI album at some point or another. I have TRIED to, but I can never decide on the full list. There are just too many good songs to choose from. And I don't see why any TRUE GnR fan would want to even THINK about the idea of them releasing only one album over two; we now have a whole CD more of tunes to listen to than we would've. And some of the songs listed as supposed "filler" I find quite good. "Dust N Bones" and "Bad Obsession" are two of my favorite tracks on UYI 1. And "You Ain't The First" is just a really fun, drunk sing-a-long. I can just close my eyes while listening to it and I'm suddenly at the bar with Axl and Slash and Duff and the gang, a pitcher of beer in each hand. I believe UYI 1 does contain my three least favorite GnR songs, though. I've never been a big fan of "The Garden," although I know a lot of you others are. I mean, I like it; it's Guns N Roses, how could I not? But it is the only song I often skip. It makes me ... dizzy, or something. Which is kind of cool in a way but yeah ... Also, for some reason, "Back Off Bitch" and "Bad Apples" have never really jumped out at me. They're the only two songs that I still don't know all the lyrics, too. I enjoy both the songs when I hear them, but they don't leave a lasting impression on me. I never put in the CD just so I can hear those songs as I sometimes do when I get an itch for "Dead Horse" or "Coma" or "Perfect Crime."

If I did have to rank all of GnR albums, I guess I would AFD at the top, with UYI 2 a close second. Then probably UYI 1 and LIES (which would be higher if it only had more songs). The GNR CD I listen to the least would be The Spaghetti Incident, which isn't TRULY a GNR album since it contains no original material. I have to be in a certain mood to listen to TSI; although I often put it in just to take a quick listen to "Since I Don't Have You."

I don't think any GNR album contains any filler, though. Even GNR's weakest songs kick a ton more ass than any other band's "strongest" song.

absolutley love it

bar a couple of duds, (bad obsession, back off bitch, perfect crime), I think it's easily the stronger of the two Illusion albums.

I used to love listening to the second side (back in the tape and LP days), it rounds out very strongly

/sign

I disagree mate. Use Your Illusion is the best UYI album. It's full of rockin' tunes. That's what Guns N' Roses means to a lot of people. I like more emotional songs like Breakdown but UYI 1 just outclasses UY2. I hadn't listened to it since last summer and I listened to it this week.

Awesome. However Appetite for Destruction is still the greatest ever.

Gotta disagree with you on the lyrics for Garden of Eden, there are some killer lines there:

most organized religions make a mockery out of humanity our governments are dangerous and out control
the garden of eden is just another graveyard and if they had someone to buy than I'm sure they'd sell my soul

And all of Don't Damn Me is just one long rant that's fucking killer

not to mention the guitar riffs are pretty sick to

It raises an interesting question: if UYI 1 was mostly (or even substantially) filler, then it means that on the 1992 tour the band was playing filler. Would Axl do that? If so, what does that say about Axl's integrity and giving fans the best show possible?

I don't think Axl or the band thought of songs on UYI 1 as filler. Some are better than others, but none are "throw away" tunes (except for My World which is not really a song anyway).

I don't think anyone could really define what filler is, and as someone else said before, there certainly would be disagreement as to which songs are filler and which are not. I used to like UIY 2 better, but for the past year I have listened to UYI 1 instead.

To me, a "filler" song is one in which I hit the skip button on my Cd player in the car. I don't do that for any of the songs on UYI 1 or 2.

I happen to skip more on one then two... Filler is a word I used as soemthing that wasn't my cup of tea.. I know 1 is more of a rocker album.. I feel axl's voice at times seemed warn compared to the afd songs, and second many of them were in his angst voice that made me feel if the riffs n instrumentals weren't different you would see many songs are sung similar.. 

depending on the mood I'm in, I usually skip anywhere for 4-7 tunes on each disc; though occasionally I listen end to end

when I listen to AFD, I don't think I've ever hit skip in 18-19 years; unless someone only wanted to hear a certain song

That has been me, it goes on with jungle, closes with rq.. What a way to open n close.. half way through is PC, three quaters through is scom.. What can one say

IMO "Best Ever"

I skip Think About You and Anything Goes....AFD best ever? Give me a break. ::) ::)

everyone has their own opinion ;D
though sometimes i think Blizard of Ozz is as well :o

It's not about opinions.....it's about taste! :o

and I'm sure your's is exquisit ;D

Maybe Izzy was a better song writer but considering that Slash had to play most of Izzy's stuff as well as his own on UYI because Izzy never turned up. Izzy may have written some of the songs on UYI 1 but I certainly don't think this is Izzy's finest hour and definately not his album.?

But UYI wasnt known for its "fine " guitar friffs it was known for its awsome vocals and i think that really brought axl down his vocals on AFD were genious and amazing but UYI was the one i think he really lacked on : ok:

this is from amazon.com

a buyers review

The consensus among most critics and the general public is that both "Use Your Illusion" albums contain a lot of filler. It has often been said that a single album, with the best of both volumes, would have been better than two separate albums. Although this is the general consensus among Joe Public, the hard-core Guns N' Roses fans know better.

In my opinion, the Illusion albums have very little filler. It would also be hard to have a single album with songs from each disc, as each Illusion album is its own entity. The Illusion set is not a single album with two separate discs. Both volumes are albums in their own right, with a different tone, vibe, and feeling. The colors on the album covers represent the atmosphere of the albums. "Use Your Illusion I" is brighter, more up-beat, glossier. "Use Your Illusion II" is more reflective, and overall darker.

Between both volumes, there is over two and a half hours of music. Both volumes need to be nursed and savored. The listener needs time to let it all sink in. Some of these songs are fast paced rockers in the vein of "Appetite For Destruction." Other songs are longer, up to ten minutes in length, with intricate solos and complex arrangements, in short, art-rock.

With an album like "Appetite For Destruction" under their belt, any follow-up would be criticized. But much had changed for GN'R since they hit it big. They were now multi-millionaires and no longer living in poverty in cheap apartments in L.A. Also, the lineup of the band had changed. Drummer Steven Adler was fired, and replaced by Matt Sorum. Sorum's drumming was slicker, more technically proficient. Also added to the lineup was keyboardist Dizzy Reed. The new GN'R was more polished, less rough-around-the-edges than they had been in the days of AFD.

GN'R branched out artistically for their follow-up, and naturally received a lot of criticism. Common complaints are--the band went soft, too much filler, to arty, etc.

To address these criticisms: (1) The band did not go soft. There are ballads, but there are also a lot of rockers. A lot of the singles were the ballads, so someone unfamiliar with these albums might conclude that the band went soft by listening to the radio/MTV and conclude that these songs (Don't Cry, November Rain) represent the album, when in fact, they do not. (2) As for there being too much filler, that is a matter of opinion. I happen to think that each song ranges from very good-to classic. A lot of GN'R's very best songs are buried in the set. Because there is so much music, a lot of the songs remain unknown to the general public and are therefore considered "filler." (3)A lot of these songs are art-rock. They are often long in length and are not instantly assessable-and are therefore dismissed. A lot of these songs are quite intricate and take time to fully appreciate.

"Use Your Illusion I" has a very glossy feel. It is somewhat overproduced, but for me, as someone who has been listening to it for almost 15 years, that's just part of the album's charm. I tend to look at the first volume as "the Izzy album," and the second volume as "the Axl album." I do this because Izzy's signature Stones/Faces influence is more prevalent on volume I, and Axl's artistic muscle is stretched more on the second volume, although there is an overlap and each made great contributions to the other.

Sorum and bassist Duff McKagan provide a killer rhythm section. Slash's playing, of course, goes without saying, is absolutely incredible. Each song has at least one or two screeching, ear-crunching, kick-ass, yet melodic solos. And Axl Rose shows why he is one of the most memorable, charismatic figures in rock. And some of Izzy Stradlin's best songs are found on "Use Your Illusion I."

The first volume starts out rocking hard with the AFD style "Right Next Door to Hell." This song doesn't have quite the furry of AFD, but it's still a good song nonetheless and a good way to start off the album. Izzy Stradlin's mid-tempo "Dust N' Bones" is a very Stones-ey song and is quite underrated. Slash's solo in it absolutely rips. Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" is a very cool cover and stays pretty true to the original, while giving it a little more of an edge. "Don't Cry," the first song ever written in Guns N' Roses, is a beautiful balled, although the 30 second ending is a bit over-the-top. "Perfect Crime" is another great rocker, in the vein of AFD, and is another highly underrated song. Izzy Stradlin's sleepy, "You Ain't the First" is the only song I would consider to be filler. It's not bad, but it just slows down the momentum a bit. The rock-a-billy "Bad Obsession" is GN'R paying homage to Southern Rock. "Back off Bitch" musically is excellent, although the lyrics are stupid and juvenile, and didn't help GN'R's image as being misogynist. Stradlin's fast paced "Double Talkin' Jive" has a catchy, almost sinister riff and features one of Slash's best solos. Rose's Elton John inspired masterpiece "November Rain" follows next. This remains one of GN'R's most beloved songs to date.

A lot of Guns N' Roses best songs are found on the second half of "Use Your Illusion I." Unfortunately, because of the album's length, they just sort of got buried. "The Garden" is a really trippy, psychedelic duet with Alice Cooper." "Garden of Eden" is an excellent very fast paced hard-rocker. "Don't Damn Me" features some of Rose's best, most soul searching lyrics. "Bad Apples" is another hard rocker and features one of Slash's best solos. "Dead Horse" is one of the album's highlights. Rose best, most personal lyrics are found right here. The closing epic "Coma," along with "November Rain" is the album's highlight. It simply shows Axl Rose and Slash at their best. The song is just a monster, pure and simple. Axl Rose's 30+ second delivery at the end over Slash's playing is one of the most powerful, vital, ingenious moments in rock.

I bought "Use Your Illusion I" when I was 13 years old, and now, at 26, it remains one of my most favorite albums of all time. If you are looking for an AFD part two, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for instant gratification, go buy a Blink 182 album. If you want a masterpiece that has songs that are instantly addictive as well as songs that take time to appreciate, buy "Use Your Illusion I."