A question for AFD fans about UYI

[metallex78]

This is probably a really old topic, but seeing as I got into GN'R pretty late (around 92-93), I was just wondering how the fans from the AFD era reacted to the first listening of the UYI albums?

I f**king love them as I got into them first (thanks to hearing You Could Be Mine on the radio) and then worked my way backwards to AFD, but what was it like listening to the UYI set after the mighty AFD?

Did they meet your expectations?
Did you fall in love with them straight away?
Did it take a few listens until the songs started to sink in?
What was it like hearing the opening notes of RNDTH on UYI1 for the first yime?

I'd love to hear some stories about it.

The only GN'R albums that I've been around to anticipate release for was from TSI onwards.

[Mikkamakka]

I bought it some days before the official release date, because the record store didn't care and put it out.
My first memories... it was really hard to listen 150 minutes full of new songs. Some songs I liked for the first listen (YCBM - but I heard that on radio before, Civil War, Live and let die, So Fine, KOHD, Back Off Bitch, Double Talkin' Jive, Dead Horse, Coma, Get in the ring), but it was too much, and I didn't really like a lot of songs, so after a 4-5 listens, I went back to listen AFD. And then I began to listen UYI again, but I didn't force it: some AFD, some UYI. And it worked.
First I was a bit disappointed. I thought there are too much long and slow songs on the albums, and the rockers don't match with AFD. I had high expectations for November Rain, but I found it a boring song with fantastic solos on the other hand. I still think it's the most overrated GN'R song, however I do like it now.

[metallex78]

I bought it some days before the official release date, because the record store didn't care and put it out.
My first memories... it was really hard to listen 150 minutes full of new songs. Some songs I liked for the first listen (YCBM - but I heard that on radio before, Civil War, Live and let die, So Fine, KOHD, Back Off Bitch, Double Talkin' Jive, Dead Horse, Coma, Get in the ring), but it was too much, and I didn't really like a lot of songs, so after a 4-5 listens, I went back to listen AFD. And then I began to listen UYI again, but I didn't force it: some AFD, some UYI. And it worked.
First I was a bit disappointed. I thought there are too much long and slow songs on the albums, and the rockers don't match with AFD. I had high expectations for November Rain, but I found it a boring song with fantastic solos on the other hand. I still think it's the most overrated GN'R song, however I do like it now.

I'm a little bit bummed out because most of my very favourite albums came out in the early 90's but I didn't get them straight away, or I wasn't anticipating the releases.

I can't imagine what it would've been like listening the UYI sets for the first time after being an AFD era fan.
Although there's allot of songs and some overproduction, I think the band improved in leaps and bounds from AFD. Slash's shredding was better, Axl's lyrics were deeper and more aggressive and overall the band sounded better.

Thanks for your feedback!

[Mikkamakka]

I'm a little bit bummed out because most of my very favourite albums came out in the early 90's but I didn't get them straight away, or I wasn't anticipating the releases.

I can't imagine what it would've been like listening the UYI sets for the first time after being an AFD era fan.
Although there's allot of songs and some overproduction, I think the band improved in leaps and bounds from AFD. Slash's shredding was better, Axl's lyrics were deeper and more aggressive and overall the band sounded better.

Thanks for your feedback!

I forgot to mention that I became a fan of the UYI albums is some weeks, and they inspired me to play guitar (I got into GN'R in 1989 when I was 12, and then I really didn't care about playin'), and I agree that UYI has deeper lyrics, but AFD has better guitar work.

[jarmo]

Did they meet your expectations?

I think they did. I don't remember my expectations.

I was happy to have more GN'R to listen to since I had spent a few years listening to AFD and Lies.

Did you fall in love with them straight away?

Did it take a few listens until the songs started to sink in?

Yeah. I remember linking stuff like YCBM instantly, probably because I had heard it before. Same thing with Civil War.

Other songs took a while to get into and appreciate.


I do remember thinking how funny it was that they had a song like My World on there. Funny because it was totally unexpected and nothing like the rest of the songs.

To me it was a joke, but now I know it pissed some people off....

What was it like hearing the opening notes of RNDTH on UYI1 for the first yime?

Pretty cool.

I remember buying the LPs right after school and listening to them all the way from RNDTH to My World.

I recognized some songs from the show I had seen a month earlier. But back then I didn't know what the songs were. So it was weird listening to the songs and trying to figure out if I had heard that song in Stockholm or not.



/jarmo

[bolton]

well,i started to listen gnr 1990 when i heard paradise city on radio,then i bought afd,and for me that was the best album for all time.
firsat song from uyi which i heard was ycbm,and my first reaction was "wow,that fuckin great",then i bought uyi and for me uyi with 12-16 songs would be the best album for all time,better than afd,but on double album we had many songs.

1,you could be mine
2. locomotive
3.don't cry
4.breakdown
5.back of bitch
6. estranged
7. pretty tied up
8.knockin on heavens door
9.november rain
10.dead horse
11.civil war(live version)
12.double talkin jive
13.live and let die(live)
the best album for all time

[Dizzy]

Did they meet your expectations?

My expectations of kickass hard rock records?  Not quite.  My expectations of all-around great rock n roll records?  Definitely.

Did you fall in love with them straight away?

Pretty much.

Did it take a few listens until the songs started to sink in?

Yeah, moreso than AFD, since as a whole, they weren't quite as memorable as AFD.  But having heard them 200,000 times since has made them all very memorable.  

What was it like hearing the opening notes of RNDTH on UYI1 for the first yime?

It was awesome, because the intro to that song is great.

[badapple81]

Nice thread Alex    I havent exactly got the answer to your question but I feel like posting anyway, cos UYI got me hooked to GN'R  

Well I was 10 when I got into GN'R.. I saw KOHD door on TV (the Freddie tribute clip) and I thought Axl was THE SHIT! The coolest guy ever! I didn't even know who he was when I was watching.. and my older bro came in and said "Oh Axl Rose, what a loser" or something like that, and I'm like "Oh so THAT'S the guy everyone is talking about at school!"  

About 10 mins later the November Rain clip came on and I was hooked for life.

My Dad bought me UYI I and II, gold disc/signature Australian Tour editions/pack which came with a Coma t-shirt    I had no expectations cos I hadn't heard anything besides the two clips, I just remember loving the opening line to Coma and thinking that this is the coolest stuff I've ever heard.. I hated Izzy's stuff but grew to them as I matured. My fave songs were Coma, RNDTH, Live & Let Die, Dead Horse and Get In The Ring.

I thought the albums were so fucking cool, then a friend loaned me his AFD tape, and I was blown away, the sound, the style.. I began collecting all the singles, videos, books.. hooked for life

Oh yeah also when I was 11, I got into a lot of trouble at school for leading the class into a rendition of the Axl rant in Get In The Ring  

[metallex78]

Thanks for the feedback, it's great to read these stories!

My first impressions of UYI was a little different, in that seeing as I didn't own any other GN'R albums, I had nothing to compare them to, apart from hearing YCBM and Nov Rain on the radio. I also vaguely remember seeing the SCOM filmclip when I was younger, but I didnt really care for Axl Rose, I thought he looked like a knob! hehe
Funny how your tastes change!

Anyway, I think I must've listened to YCBM something like 50 times in a row when I first got the album, I just loved how heavy and catchy it was.
I also remember having the albums playing on random and hearing some piano-y stuff on there that I thought was really really amazing, but I didn't know what track it was that I had heard. I later realised it was Estranged.

[SlashFan]

I think they did. I don't remember my expectations.

I was happy to have more GN'R to listen to since I had spent a few years listening to AFD and Lies.

I liked the Illusion albums when I first heard them,I had been a fan of GN'R since 1987,and when the Illusion albums came out I bought them as soon as they were in the stores.