Album Review Crew Episode 30: "Use Your Illusion II"
On the 30th Episode of the Album Review Crew of Shout It Out Loudcast, Tom, Zeus & Sonny review the 1991 album "Use Your Illusion II" by Guns N' Roses.
This was GNR's 4th studio album and was released simultaneously with Use Your Illusion I on September 17, 1991. This was a monumental moment in rock history as both albums shot straight to the top of charts. Use Your Illusion II debuted at Number 1 on the US Charts and would eventually go 7x Platinum.
Fans of GNR crowded record stores to buy the most anticipated album releases in years. Use Your Illusion II boasted songs that were familiar to their fans, like Civil War, You Could Be Mine and Knockin' On Heaven's Door.
The band had made some changes as well, adding keyboard player, Dizzy Reed to make it a 6 man unit and substituting Steven Adler (drugs) with Matt Sorum.
The album was a purposeful departure from their landmark debut, Appetite For Destruction. Songs became longer, more thought out lyrics and themes were explored in their songwriting, especially by Axl Rose. The album still boasted Slash's amazing guitar work which was a highlight on this album. Songs were also sung by Izzy & Duff as well. All the bandmates contributed songs and lyrics, which gave the album a great variety of music styles and influences.
This was Zeus' pick and he and Tom described how this album impacted Freshman year at Stonehill College for them both. Guns N' Roses is also the first band to have a second album on ARC, with the guys having reviewed Appetite For Destruction on the first episode of The Album Review Crew.
As usual the boys breakdown and dissect the tracks and rank the songs. They then rank the album and the cover against the previous 28 albums reviewed on the Album Review Crew.
It might take you 14 years to get through this episode, but don't cry because when you hear where someone ranks this album you will want them to Get In The Ring!!!
PUNK!