"Estranged" video voted as one of worst ever by yahoo music blogs

[Bridge]

I agree the video is extravagant and doesn't match the song much, but come on, there are much worse videos than this....


http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/videogaga/64353/real-turkeys-the-worst-videos-of-all-time/

GUNS N' ROSES - "ESTRANGED"
When GNR first hit MTV in 1987, they were the antithesis of big-haired bubbleglam bands like Poison, Europe, and the aforementioned Warrant. But their sound soon bloated along with their egos, and by the time they released the bombastic and self-indulgent Use Your Illusion two-volume set, they'd become the polar opposite of the lean, mean, rock 'n' roll machine they once were. Their cast-of-thousands "November Rain" video, with its Stephanie Seymour wedding scene and jillion-piece orchestra, or "Don't Cry," with its pointless cliff-jumping car stunts and unexplained Shannon Hoon cameo, were OTT enough. But "Estranged" was their real big-budget shark-jumper, as it came complete with oil tankers and dolphins. Yes, dolphins. It also featured men in white coats coming to cart Axl Rose away to the funny-farm. Well, at least that one part of the "Estranged" video was realistic: .

[metallex78]

I agree the video is extravagant and doesn't match the song much, but come on, there are much worse videos than this....


http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/videogaga/64353/real-turkeys-the-worst-videos-of-all-time/

GUNS N' ROSES - "ESTRANGED"
When GNR first hit MTV in 1987, they were the antithesis of big-haired bubbleglam bands like Poison, Europe, and the aforementioned Warrant. But their sound soon bloated along with their egos, and by the time they released the bombastic and self-indulgent Use Your Illusion two-volume set, they'd become the polar opposite of the lean, mean, rock 'n' roll machine they once were. Their cast-of-thousands "November Rain" video, with its Stephanie Seymour wedding scene and jillion-piece orchestra, or "Don't Cry," with its pointless cliff-jumping car stunts and unexplained Shannon Hoon cameo, were OTT enough. But "Estranged" was their real big-budget shark-jumper, as it came complete with oil tankers and dolphins. Yes, dolphins. It also featured men in white coats coming to cart Axl Rose away to the funny-farm. Well, at least that one part of the "Estranged" video was realistic: .

What's so unexplained about that?
Nice of them to ignore the fact that Shannon actually sang on the studio version of the fucking song, which was probably why he's in the video.

[One.In.A.Million]

Well, how stupid people can sometimes be is beyond me. I'm glad I'm part of a fan community that appreciates true music and see's it as an artform, rather than the crap of today.

Estranged is my favourite Guns N' Roses song, because of it's meaning and message. And in regards to the video, I would say it's the best video ever, down to the visual spectacle and cryptic messages displayed. I don't care what yahoo's blogs say, I can make my own judgement, and Estranged is a diamond compared to all of the others. 

We gunners know the truth, leave the media to worry about what a C-List celebrity is wearing. 

[Voodoochild]

The comment about Shanon Hoon just shows how idiotic and ignorant the author is.

IMO, the Estranged video kinda complements the song's meaning. And its a 90's thing, those big budget videos with somewhat cheesy stories like the Aerosmith and Bon Jovi ones. And Estranged is a lot deeper than that.

[rebelhipi]

absolutly agree with one in a million
its my favorite song and video in the world never seen a video that has so many sides/messages/things to watch  and the guts to make a 10 minute high budget video

[rabia]

I think its just become the trend among mindless "critics" to diss the UYI era as "bloated" and "self-indulgent". These people are usually so poorly informed that they cant understand the progression in different eras of GNR and see growth and change as some kind of cataclysmic event.

Did GNR sign a contract with anybody saying the band will never make big videos, use orchestras etc? Who died and made these things unholy for a rock band? Who decided that "lean, mean rock n roll" is a strait-jacket GNR can never get out of?

I've seen critics remark sardonically that the word repeated most often on Chinese Democracy is I. Its ridiculous that anybody would find it outrageous that CD songs are highly personal expressions when its an absolutely consistent trend with Axl as a lyric-writer. AFD and UYI lyrics are mostly about his experiences, feelings and observations too. If self-expression is "self-indulgence" to some people then too bad for them - they're missing the universal messages embedded in these songs.

[axlpwns]

Well, how stupid people can sometimes be is beyond me. I'm glad I'm part of a fan community that appreciates true music and see's it as an artform, rather than the crap of today.

Estranged is my favourite Guns N' Roses song, because of it's meaning and message. And in regards to the video, I would say it's the best video ever, down to the visual spectacle and cryptic messages displayed. I don't care what yahoo's blogs say, I can make my own judgement, and Estranged is a diamond compared to all of the others. 

We gunners know the truth, leave the media to worry about what a C-List celebrity is wearing. 

definitely agreed estranged is a great song and i love the video fuck yahoo. Yahoo also blamed the whole activision lawsuit on axl because he didn't like slash yahoo can fuck off.

[Bridge]

I think its just become the trend among mindless "critics" to diss the UYI era as "bloated" and "self-indulgent".

I'm gonna have to play devil's advocate on that one.  The UYI videos were gaudy and grossly overproduced.  I will disagree that the "Estranged" video is one of the worst videos ever, but I do agree that -- like the videos for "Don't Cry" and "November Rain" -- "Estranged" went way overboard.  The song was a simple song about dealing with unrequited love, but the video involved millions dollars and weeks to film.  For fuck's sake, Slash even had a guitar stunt double!  So I'll agree with the "bloated" and "overindulgent" criticisms.  They had tons of money, so they spent it.  And remember that the yahoo article didn't criticize GNR's music, just the overelaborate videos.

[28andoldatheart]

I've always loved Estranged and I love the video too.

[rebelhipi]

I think its just become the trend among mindless "critics" to diss the UYI era as "bloated" and "self-indulgent".

So I'll agree with the "bloated" and "overindulgent" criticisms.  They had tons of money, so they spent it.

i actually love it that way i know its a bit dumb but still its rock n?roll

[One.In.A.Million]

I think its just become the trend among mindless "critics" to diss the UYI era as "bloated" and "self-indulgent".

So I'll agree with the "bloated" and "overindulgent" criticisms.  They had tons of money, so they spent it.

i actually love it that way i know its a bit dumb but still its rock n?roll

I don't view anything about GN'R from 91-93 bloated at all. I see it as a band progressing and being a cut above all of the rest, and the trilogy music videos are a good example of this.

[Bridge]

I don't view anything about GN'R from 91-93 bloated at all. I see it as a band progressing and being a cut above all of the rest, and the trilogy music videos are a good example of this.

Yeah, they're "good examples" of being a "cut above all the rest" in terms of overindulgence.  As that article pointed out, the video for "Don't Cry" featured huge car crash stunts.  What the hell did that have to do with that song?

As for "Estranged", we had tankers, wave machines, dolphins, stuntmen doubling for band members ... gimme a break.  Just because they spent more money on videos than other bands, doesn't make the videos better.  Personally, I wouldn't have such a problem with those videos if they actually spent the money wisely and stuck to expressing the song.  If you'd never heard those three songs, the damn videos would make you wonder what the hell they were about.

They also don't know their roman numerals... calling "Estranged" Part IV of the trilogy.

[Genesis]

Some people would say the NR video was over done, but I think it suits it perfectly. An epic video for an epic song.

I like the Don't Cry video as well. Yes, there are car stunts, but it's cool.

The Estranged video is the only one that I feel is OTT. IMO they shouldn't have made a video for it at all (since it's a song with pauses and an instrumental section) and should have picked Civil War, Dust N' Bones, DTJ or something else.

One epic video for the UYI albums should have been enough.

[One.In.A.Million]

They also don't know their roman numerals... calling "Estranged" Part IV of the trilogy.

Wasn't that because part 3 was originally meant to be a slightly different story?, in Axl's words " a mutual self destruction of the couple that was in November Rain". But because Seymour had other plans, they couldn't finish the trilogy of videos. So Axl had to work on another way to make it work, and that's why they called it part 4.

So I'm confident it wasn't a mistake with the numerals, but something done purposely.

[Voodoochild]

^ Yeah, thats exactly what was the plan. I can't understand how anyone could honestly think it was a mistake to put "part IV of the trilogy".

As for the Estranged video, when I first watched it (there was a special thing on MTV for its release, the video got aired at every 60 min. through all day), I didnt know it was so expansive. I just watched for what it is and I loved it. Remember: that was a time with huge big budget videos from Michael Jackson and others. It made perfect sense to have such an epic feel for the song.

Also, if they had never released an Estranged video Im sure we would complain about it: the song screams for a picture interpretation just like some of the Chinese songs like TWAT and TIL.

[westcoast_junkie]

They also don't know their roman numerals... calling "Estranged" Part IV of the trilogy.

Wasn't that because part 3 was originally meant to be a slightly different story?, in Axl's words " a mutual self destruction of the couple that was in November Rain". But because Seymour had other plans, they couldn't finish the trilogy of videos. So Axl had to work on another way to make it work, and that's why they called it part 4.

So I'm confident it wasn't a mistake with the numerals, but something done purposely.

Am i wrong, or is it S. Seymour's son thats in some of the footage in the beginning of Estranged?

[Limulus]

^^yes, Dylan Seymour is in there, he should be around 20 years old by now.
videos overproduced etc. could very well be, but what i disliked most that a band coming from more of the hard rock-category (AFD days) decided to put out their most expensive videos from ballads only....why not the rockers?? and what topped those 3 clips was the release of the making ofs of all 3 of them, eh.....

[One.In.A.Million]

They also don't know their roman numerals... calling "Estranged" Part IV of the trilogy.

Wasn't that because part 3 was originally meant to be a slightly different story?, in Axl's words " a mutual self destruction of the couple that was in November Rain". But because Seymour had other plans, they couldn't finish the trilogy of videos. So Axl had to work on another way to make it work, and that's why they called it part 4.

So I'm confident it wasn't a mistake with the numerals, but something done purposely.

Am i wrong, or is it S. Seymour's son thats in some of the footage in the beginning of Estranged?

Yes, I believe during the first part of the video, you can see some scenes where Axl's with Dylan.

[Bridge]

^ Yeah, thats exactly what was the plan. I can't understand how anyone could honestly think it was a mistake to put "part IV of the trilogy".

   That statement is bizarre and backwards to me.  Perhaps you should re-read your own words.  You think it's unreasonable for their to be a Part IV (four) of a trilogy (three) under any circumstances?  You think there is no way that creates confusion?

Wasn't that because part 3 was originally meant to be a slightly different story?, in Axl's words " a mutual self destruction of the couple that was in November Rain". But because Seymour had other plans, they couldn't finish the trilogy of videos. So Axl had to work on another way to make it work, and that's why they called it part 4.

Well if Part 3 never happened, why would it be called Part 4?  Three videos = a trilogy, just like 12 eggs = a dozen.

I've been a GNR a long time and I hadn't heard that before.  But it sounds to me like more overelaborate, cryptic psychobabble.  Maybe it's something that made sense in Axl's mind, but to the world at large...

[Voodoochild]

No, I think it did creat some confusion, but not because one would think it was "a mistake".

It was something ironic to explain (in the making of itself) how they needed to add another story on what was just a trilogy. Really, I can't see it as a big deal at all.