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Review of Guns 'N' Roses' "Use Your Illusion I"

© Nick Bendel

Use Your Illusion I (1991) is the third album from the hard rock supergroup of the late 80s/early 90s, Guns 'N' Roses. At times it's hard to tell if this band is better known for its music or for its utter craziness. Either way this is a typical Guns 'N' Roses record- loud, aggressive and self-consciously rebellious.

All this controversy aside, this is where the rock classic 'November Rain' can be found. Not only is this a brilliant song, but anyone who has seen the film clip will testify that it is one of the best music videos ever made. What makes the song so good is how sophisticated it is- and this is even more evident when compared to most of the other songs on this record. It begins with a long piano introduction, continues into the main body of the song, and then concludes with a memorable guitar solo from lead guitarist Slash. At just under 9 minutes long, it really is an epic piece of music.

Another very well written song is the rock ballad 'Don't Cry'. It is not quite as good as 'November Rain', but it would be the standout track on just about any other record. A number of other good contributions populate this album too. 'Dust 'n' Bones isn't particularly clever, just a really enjoyable, straightforward piece of rock; happily it also continues the band's habit of abbreviating the word 'and'. 'Live and Let Die is a heavier cover of the classic Paul McCartney number and is good, even if a little predictable. Finally comes 'You ain't the First', a pleasant change with its soft, country sound.

Then come what could be called the generic Guns 'N' Roses songs. 'Right Next Door to Hell', 'Bad Obsession', 'Back off Bitch', 'Double Talkin' Jive' and Don't Damn Me', amongst others, fit perfectly with their stereotype as loud, aggressive and self-consciously rebellious. This is not to say these are bad songs- in fact they're quite good- but they really are all quite similar to eachother and rise to no great heights.

So it's fair to say that Use Your Illusion I is more than 'November Rain' plus a collection of fillers. However it's also reasonable to state that while Guns 'N' Roses can write classics, not every song on this album is a classic. There's a couple of excellent songs, a handful of really good ones and then a whole bunch of more ordinary fare.

RATING: 7/10

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