Use Your Illusion I & II released 14 years ago

[jarmo]

How many of you realize that it's been 14 years since the USe Your Illusion albums were released?

Maybe you'd like to share the story of how you got the album(s)?


Personally I went and bought the LPs right after school. Then back home and listened to them from Right Next Door To Hell all the way to My World.




/jarmo

[Thorazine Shuffle]

Holy crap it is isn't it!   My Father who raised me and never really gave me anything (besides a belt to the ass), bought me both the albums on tape the day it was released.  I was 12 and kept replaying "Get in the Ring" trying to remember the shit-talking part and laughing my ass off.  Good Times.

[dave-gnfnr2k]

I got them after my driving lession after school. I put in the first tape ( i got the tape back in 91) and was like damn. My fave song after hearing all the songs on both albums was estranged. I listened to that song like 4 times in a row. It was amazing.

[The New Fiona Apple]

I bought the CD June of 2002 and played it for hours. Yeah, I'm both young and boring.

[erose]

my friends brother played the don't cry picture disc single for me a couple times and not soon after i knew i had to have that song, i didn't know jack shit about gn'r but after also hearing you could be mine i knew i was sold. Just looking at the pic of the band and hearing a voice that's not comparable to any other just blew me away.. "i want to be like that." A few days later my dad took me to the record store and he would only buy me one of the two illusions so i stood there for like a fucking hour looking back and forth at the two beautiful big vinyl covers, hoping he would cave in and let me have both he he, but he didn't tho so i chose the blue one because it had both don't cry and you could be mine on it.

out of the prox thousand records i have bought, that has been my best record buying experience ever.

what a beautiful memory... can't believe it's been 14 years... i was only 10 years old, but i remember it as if it was yesterday.

[darknemus]

I went to Spec's records in Pembroke Pines, FL. and was 2nd or 3rd in line at 9:30 PM (they were going on sale at Midnight)

A few nights before, one of the local radio stations (Zeta, I believe) had actually played both albums in their entirety.. with nothing censored.  I taped those off the air, as well.

I had just gotten a Blaupunkt 'pull-out' CD player installed in my truck.  So, of course, I popped em in there as soon as I got in the car, and basically blew the speakers out during the short drive home.

-darknemus

[Carlos_f_Rose]

mmm, well a friend o mine lent me the Illusion I, and that was in 1998,   


ps, I think Chinese Democracy might be released in 2007 just like Meat loaf's 20 years later of his first album....

[Chief]

i bought them after borrowing them in about 95.. i wish i got them earlier but i just got into the band then.


"Its been 14 years of silence.. its been 14 years of pain..........

[jazjme]

I had gone to this store call the Record Stop, on LI,(down the street from The HS I went to) who had the albums a week before they were released. so by the time it was released I had already had the illusions for a full week, I drove from nassua Lake Ronkonkoma, the day they said they would have it, I had to pay in advance the week before that, I had gotten two coppies of each, one set in cassettes, and one set in cds, .As soon as I got them  I got back in my care and drove all over LI, along the beaches, and listened to the cassettes, cause thats all I had in my car then, I think I listened to both front to back about 3 times, before I got back to Elmont where I was ,living at the time. Imdediate stand outs were , def Estranged, NR, Dont damn me, Coma, Dont Cry,, ....I had seen them the june before at nassau collisium.. and I was so pumped for these albums.Like AFD I listened every day, for yrs,after. I could go no where in my car without those 3 albums.

[Vaclave]

It's been 14 years so I maybe a little off here.

     Before the release date the band one of those radio rock shows (interviews/ premier of some songs).  The show was before the release date so this was big, to have the songs before they were out.  I had my cassette tape ready to go and recorded what they played. 
     I was working in a warehouse at the time When they finally realsed the album.  I skipped lunch and bought the cd's and on cassette as well, just so I could listen that afternoon as I worked.  I had my portable cassette player and headphones blasting as I worked.  My co-workers gave me weird looks and awkward smiles.  I could not give a rat?s ass what they thought.  I had been waiting a whole year or so for this day. 
     Ah, when the anticipation finally gives way to a release date.....Those were the days..... 

[Cornell]

I was at work the day they were released.  I couldn't wait until lunch so I could run out and buy them.  I did just that and listened to them as much as I could in that hour blasting the speakers in my little MR2.   I was sooo happy! 

[gilld1]

Me and a buddy skipped a half a day of school and went to the record store as it opened in the morning and bought about 10 copies for our friends. ?Then there was a triumphet return to our awaiting friends!

The best record store in Lafayette, JL Records, sold about 1000 copies at a midnight sale!

[Continental Drift]

Bought both cds right after school.... all I remember was that it was a mad house in the record store, but I was lucky enough to get a copy of UYI II and one of like four remaining copies of UYI I, which was flying off the shelves more so than UYI II at that particular store for some reason. I too listened to them straight through at home like 3 times in a row. I was blown away by the "trilogy" songs (even though I didn't know they were a trilogy at the time)... and I distinctly remember wanting to hear Live and Let Die because it had been so awesome when they played it live at the show I saw that summer. It did not disappoint. I also remember it was all that anybody talked about in school for weeks. People even thought My World was cool... Axl could literally do no wrong back then...

My only other memories were that the cds came in those really long cardboard boxes... anybody else remember those? I carefully opened the boxes... and I still have 'em in great condition... I cannot freakin' believe that was 14 years ago... ?AXL!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU ALIVE!!?!?!

[jameslofton29]

I ditched school and went to the Wherehouse and bought both albums. Went to a friend's house, bought some weed and meth, and listened to the albums continuously for about 2 days straight. I remember that feeling the night before the release. Like how you feel as a young child on christmas eve waiting for santa claus. Truly an incredible experience. I also remember how on the way home I couldn't believe that I actually had Use Your Illusion in my hands. By the way, alot of great stories, guys. Its great that we all have fond memories of the day of its release. I kinda feel sorry for the newer fans, because they didn't get to experience that. The UYI release was a big part of the GNR experience.

[Chief]

hopefully we will have a crazy experience with Chinese Democracy.  i'd go to the midnight release!!!

[jazjme]

Im there! or I will call the record stop and see if they will have it early..like the illusions!

[33]

I queued outside a record store in London. I live in Oxford, England but my family live in London so I went up there for the midnight opening! It was fucking amazing! I was only about 50 metres back in the queue but I thought for a horrible moment that I would not get both cd's. Boy was I wrong! When I got in I have never seen so many copies of UYI's! It was a massive experience one I wont forget and whilst I will be suprised if the release of Chinese Democracy will be as huge I am still hoping it will be a wicked feeling again!! The return of GnR!! Come on!!?

[anythinggoes]

jeez i was 12 going on 13 i went down town in my lunch hour to a tiny HMV and they had plenty for some reason GNR does not sell well in my town

[Neemo]

I went after school to the local record store and bought both albums on cassette. and my brother's and i listened to them when I got home. we started with UYI2 cuz it had Civil War and Knockin' On Heaven's Door.

Civil war was great to finally get on Tape, I was kinda let down cuz KOHD didn't have the Days of Thunder interlude. Get in the ring was hilarious... YCBM & DC, were fantastic My World was a disappointment, I rembeber being like "what the fuck is this shit?" i was a little bit til' I atarted to appreciate other songs like 14 years, yesterdays, Estranged. I thought Locomotive was pretty bad ass. and HAted Pretty tied up for the longest time.

At first I thought UYI1 was the weaker album, I thought Backoff bitch and You ain't the first were funny, never been a big fan of LaLD, don't cry (original) is better IMO. NR, don't damn me and Dead Horse have always been great IMO. i took me a while to fully appreciate other songs like dust'n'bones, perfect crime, the garden and Coma.

regardless we listened to UYI1 twice and UYI2 three times before we moved from that stereo 

[St.heathen]

I remember how huge a deal it was at the time.? But i didn't like them at that point. It wasn't until the Freddie Tribute and Paris '92 that they took over me lol.? My Dad actually bought Illusions 1 when it came out. In all honesty probably for 'Live and Let die' and the hugeness of the record rather than him being a fan as such.. So It was in HIS collection until I got into them. I remember thinking how huge the record sounded, it was just off the scale.?

Who'd have thought that 14 years would end up being the most poignant song of themall though eh?? It's scary to think it's been that long man.