Track Listing
Civil War
14 Years
Yesterdays
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Get In The Ring
Shotgun Blues
Breakdown
Pretty Tied Up (The Perils Of Rock N’ Roll Decadence)
Locomotive (Complicity)
So Fine
Estranged
You Could Be Mine
Don’t Cry
My World
TVV Rating
9/10
Average Critic Rating
9/10
Overview
There’s a darker, more reflective edge to ‘Use Your Illusion II’, with Guns N’ Roses pushing their Hard Rock sound into sprawling arrangements and emotionally charged territory. The swagger is still there, but so are regret, disillusionment and a fair amount of anger at the world. Piano and melodic guitar passages give the album room to build, making the heavier moments hit with real force. Slash is on incredible form with some of the best guitar work of the 90s heard here. Some of the extended instrumental sections are so good you barely notice how long you’ve been listening. It isn’t flawless, but it is close; the occasional rant and awkward experiment interrupt the flow, and restraint clearly wasn’t highly thought of. Still, the ambition pays off far more often than it misses. A huge, emotionally absorbing 90s Rock album with enough grit, melody and outstanding musicianship to earn its excess. Dare I say it, this is a slight improvement on the already outstanding first album.
Recommended for Guns N’ Roses ballad lovers looking for even more singalong moments.
Featured Song
Civil War
Most Streamed
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Least Streamed
My World
Underrated
Breakdown
TVV Top 3 Songs
Civil War | Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door | You Could Be Mine
Singles
Civil War | Yesterdays | Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door | Estranged | You Could Be Mine
TVV Top 3 Non-Singles
14 Years | Locomotive (Complicity) | Don’t Cry
Listen to Again?
Yes
No-Skip Album?
No
Album Artwork Rating
8.5/10
Almost impossible to say anything different from the ‘UYI I’ cover. So, lets not bother - A nice ode to Raphael’s ‘The School of Athens’, with its inviting blue/purple palette - iconic. I am just wondering why they focused on this one lil’ philosopher perched like a flamingo and scribbling away.. my only conclusion is that Axl Rose sees himself in this one trying to write ‘November Rain’.
Genre
Rock
RL
Geffen Records
Recording Studio
A&M Studios (Los Angeles, California) | Conway Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California) | Image Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California) | Metalworks Studios (Ontario, Canada) | Record Plant Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California) | Studio 56 (Los Angeles, California)
