Use Your Illusion II

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For other uses, see Use Your Illusion (disambiguation).
Use Your Illusion II
Studio album by Guns N' Roses
Released September 17, 1991
Recorded January 13, 1990–1991 at A&M Studios, Record Plant Studios, Studio 56, Image Recording, Conway Studios and Metalworks Recording Studios
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock, art rock, classic rock
Length 75:58
Label Geffen
Producer Mike Clink, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses chronology
Use Your Illusion I
(1991)		 Use Your Illusion II
(1991)		 "The Spaghetti Incident?"
(1993)
Singles from Use Your Illusion II
  1. "You Could Be Mine"
    Released: June 1991 (June 1991)
  2. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
    Released: May 1992 (May 1992)
  3. "Yesterdays"
    Released: October 1992 (October 1992)
  4. "Civil War"
    Released: May 3, 1993 (1993-05-03)
  5. "Estranged"
    Released: January 17, 1994 (1994-01-17)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3.5/5 stars [1]
Entertainment Weekly (A) [2]
Q 5/5 stars [3]
Robert Christgau (choice cut) [4]
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars [5]
RS Album Guide 4/5 stars [6]

Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album. Bolstered by the lead single "You Could Be Mine", Use Your Illusion II was the slightly more popular of the two albums, selling 770,000 copies its first week and debuting at No. 1 on the U.S. charts, ahead of Use Your Illusion I's first week sales of 685,000.[7] Both albums have since been certified 7× Platinum by the RIAA.[8] It was also No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart for a single week. The album has recently received critical acclaim again in 2011, being featured on Triple M Radio's Life-Changing Album series in Australia, with the station playing numerous tracks with commentary.[9] This was the last Guns N' Roses album to feature rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin. It also included the last Guns N' Roses song to feature drummer Steven Adler (Civil War).

Contents

Overview [edit]

The Use Your Illusion albums were a stylistic turning point for Guns N' Roses (see Use Your Illusion I for discussion). In addition, Use Your Illusion II is more political than most of their previous work, with songs like "Civil War", a cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", and "Get in the Ring" dealing respectively with the topics of violence, law enforcement, and media bias. The thematic material deals less with drug use than previous Guns N' Roses albums. Use Your Illusion I featured mostly songs pre-Appetite for Destruction (with notable exceptions) while Use Your Illusion II featured more tracks written during and after Appetite For Destruction.

The band's cover of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" had been released almost a year earlier on the Days of Thunder soundtrack, while "Civil War" was debuted at the 1990 Farm Aid concert. That concert also featured Guns N' Roses playing a cover of the U.K. Subs song "Down on the Farm," a studio version of which would later appear on the band's 1993 release of cover songs, "The Spaghetti Incident?". "Civil War" was released as a B-side to "You Could Be Mine". The song had also been released on a charity album called Nobody's Child, a fund-raising compilation for Romanian orphans.

"You Could Be Mine" was released in June 1991 and is featured in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The song was not released on the actual T2 soundtrack. The band also filmed a video featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger in character as the Terminator, with a loose plot featuring Axl Rose as its "target". The original subject matter of the song dealt with Izzy Stradlin's failed relationship with ex-girlfriend Angela Nicoletti.

The Use Your Illusion albums can be considered a single cohesive work, and certain elements of Use Your Illusion II underscore this intent. For instance, both albums have a version of the song "Don't Cry", and both have one cover song; "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney (Use Your Illusion I) and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan (Use Your Illusion II). Each also has at least one track sung by other members of the band: lead vocals on "So Fine" are performed by bassist Duff McKagan and the song was dedicated to Johnny Thunders, who died from a drug overdose before the recording of the album.

The song "Get in the Ring" finds the band lashing out at a career's worth of critics and enemies. Among those referred to by name are editors of several entertainment magazines.

"My World," the final track, was a surprise to a few members of the band. The track was essentially Axl Rose solo, and most band members did not even know it existed until the album was released.

To achieve the final mix of the album, the band had some difficulty, especially during the mixing stages of the production of both albums. According to a 1991 cover story by Rolling Stone magazine, after mixing 21 tracks with engineer/producer Bob Clearmountain, the band fired Clearmountain when he tried to replace the real drums with samples. According to Slash's autobiography, "one afternoon we discovered a notepad of his where he'd notated all the drum samples he planned to mix in over Matt's drum tracks" the band decided to scrap the mixes and start from scratch with engineer Bill Price of Sex Pistols fame.[10]

Slash has stated that most of the material for the album was written on acoustic guitars in a couple of nights at his house (the Walnut House), after several months of non-productivity.[11]

Song information [edit]

For info on other songs, see the individual song articles linked in the track listing.

"Shotgun Blues" [edit]

This song was written by Axl Rose and is the sixth track on the album. Oddly, it lacks Izzy Stradlin on guitar, with Rose instead playing rhythm guitar. Stradlin remains in the song however, performing backing vocals on the chorus along with the remainder of the band. This song has never been performed live. Supposedly, this song is in homage, or may even make fun of, Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil.

Personnel

"Breakdown" [edit]

"Breakdown" is the seventh track on the album. Axl Rose has stated that the vocal ending to the song is the only thing he was not satisfied with on the Use Your Illusion albums.[12] Additionally, Slash has stated that it was one of the most complicated songs to record on the album. According to him, the banjo, drum, and piano parts were hard to synchronize and that drummer Matt Sorum "lost it" a couple of times trying to get the drums just right.[13]

Personnel

"Locomotive" [edit]

"Locomotive" (subtitled "Complicity") is the ninth track on the album. Slash stated that "Locomotive" was played on a Gibson Explorer, saying, "What I do is turn the tone knob down."[14] He also stated that it was written in a house he and Izzy Stradlin rented in Hollywood Hills following the Appetite for Destruction tours.[15] The song also shows the group dabbling in funk metal.[16]

A portion of a line from "Locomotive" is used as the title of Use Your Illusion I and II: "You can use your illusion, let it take you where it may." All guitars on the song were played by Slash. Izzy Stradlin does not appear on the track.[17]

Personnel

"So Fine" [edit]

"So Fine" is the 10th track on the album. The verses of the song are sung by bass guitarist Duff McKagan, while Axl sings the choruses. It was written by Duff as a tribute to the deceased punk rock musician Johnny Thunders.[18]

Personnel
Additional Personnel

"My World" [edit]

"My World" is the last track on the album and was described as "bizarre" by one critic.[19] It was written and recorded entirely by Rose and Johann Langlie in imitation of the style of Nine Inch Nails, a band he is a fan of. The other members were unaware of the track's existence - Slash only found out about it when he purchased a copy of the album.

Personnel
Add. Personnel

Cover [edit]

Raphael, The School of Athens (detail)

The cover art of both Use Your Illusion albums is a detail of Raphael's painting The School of Athens. The highlighted figure, unlike many of those in the painting, has not been identified with any particular philosopher.

Both covers are the work of Estonian-American artist Mark Kostabi.[20]

Track listing [edit]

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Civil War"   Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan 7:42
2. "14 Years"   Izzy Stradlin, Rose 4:21
3. "Yesterdays"   Rose, West Arkeen, Del James, Billy McCloud 3:16
4. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Bob Dylan cover) Bob Dylan 5:36
5. "Get in the Ring"   McKagan, Slash, Rose 5:41
6. "Shotgun Blues"   Rose 3:23
7. "Breakdown"   Rose 7:05
8. "Pretty Tied Up"   Stradlin 4:48
9. "Locomotive"   Slash, Rose 8:42
10. "So Fine"   McKagan 4:06
11. "Estranged"   Rose 9:24
12. "You Could Be Mine"   Stradlin, Rose 5:43
13. "Don't Cry" (Alternate lyrics) Stradlin, Rose 4:44
14. "My World"   Rose 1:24
Total length:
 75:58

Personnel [edit]

Guns N' Roses
Additional musicians
  • Steven Adler – drums on "Civil War"
  • Johann Langlie – drums, keyboards and sound effects on "My World"
  • The Waters – backing vocals on "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"
  • Howard Teman – piano on "So Fine"
  • Shannon Hoon – back-up vocals on "Don't Cry"
Production personnel
  • Robert John – photography
  • Allen Abrahamson, Buzz Burrowes & Chris Puram – engineering assistance
  • Craig Portelis – engineering assistance
  • Ed Goodreau – engineering assistance
  • Jason Roberts – engineering assistance
  • John Aguto – engineering assistance
  • L. Stu Young – engineering assistance
  • Leon Ganado – engineering assistance
  • Mike Douglass – engineering assistance
  • Talley Sherwood – engineering assistance

In popular culture [edit]

The title of the album was the focus of a joke on an episode of the sitcom Arrested Development that aired well over a decade after the CD's release. When magician Tony Wonder (played by Ben Stiller) had to come up with a name for his home video, he decided to name it Use Your Illusion II, citing that Use Your Illusion I had already been taken, apparently unaware of the fact that Use Your Illusion II is also the name of an album. In the end, he used the title Use Your Allusion.

The song "You Could Be Mine" was featured in Terminator 2: Judgment Day in a scene in which John Connor listens to this song while fixing his dirt bike at his foster parents' house. The song was also played during the scenes in which Connor rides around the city with his best friend, and over the ending credits (after the theme music concludes).[21] It also appears in Terminator Salvation, paying homage to its being featured in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

The Australian band TISM released two songs parodying the title, "Lose Your Delusion I" and "Lose Your Delusion II".

Sales and Certifications [edit]

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Argentina (CAPIF)[22] 6× Platinum 360,000x
Austria (IFPI Austria)[23] 2× Platinum 100,000x
Canada (Music Canada)[24] 9× Platinum 900,000^
France (SNEP)[25] Platinum 624,400[26]
Germany (BVMI)[27] 5× Gold 1,250,000^
Sweden (GLF)[28] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[30] 7× Platinum 7,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Charts [edit]

Chart Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[31] 1
Australian ARIA Albums Chart[32] 1
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart[32] 1
U.S. Billboard 200[33] 1
Austria[32] 1
Switzerland[32] 2
Norway[32] 2
Sweden[32] 4
France 11
Spain 11

End of decade charts [edit]

Chart (1990–1999) Position
U.S. Billboard 200[34] 67

Miscellaneous [edit]

  • Before picking out Use Your Illusion, several album titles were dropped such as Gn'R Sucks or even Girth.[35]
  • One of the lines from the song, "You Could Be Mine", "With your bitch slap-rappin' and your cocaine tongue, You get nuthin' done" also appears in the liner notes from Appetite for Destruction.
  • "Breakdown" contains the lyric "Funny how everything was roses when we held on to the guns."

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/use-your-illusion-ii-r8762/review
  2. ^ Garza, Janiss (1991-09-20). "Use Your Illusion II Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-03-30. 
  3. ^ "Q Magazine | Music news & reviews, music videos, band pictures & interviews". Q4music.com. Retrieved 2011-07-28. 
  4. ^ "CG: guns n roses". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2012-03-30. 
  5. ^ "Rolling Stone review". Retrieved September 2011. 
  6. ^ "Acclaimed Music". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 2011-07-28. 
  7. ^ Hasty, Katie. "Kanye Edges GNR, Ludacris For No. 1 Debut". billboard.com. Dec 3, 2008.
  8. ^ RIAA's top albums[dead link]
  9. ^ Albums That changed your life series, Use Your Illusion II, Guns N Roses, 2011, Triple M
  10. ^ "Cover story: Guns N' Roses outta control". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2010-11-11. 
  11. ^ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. pp. 298-300
  12. ^ Breakdown[dead link]
  13. ^ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. pp. 316-317
  14. ^ Locomotive[dead link]
  15. ^ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 252
  16. ^ Thomas, Stephen. "Use Your Illusion II - Guns N' Roses". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-11-11. 
  17. ^ [1][dead link]
  18. ^ So Fine[dead link]
  19. ^ All music guide: the definitive guide to popular music. Retrieved 19 October 2010. 
  20. ^ "Use Your Illusion - Mark Kostabi". artQuotes.net http://www.artquotes.net. Retrieved 8 January 2010. 
  21. ^ Wright, Christian. "Use Your Illusion II by Guns N' Roses". Jann S. Wenner. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  22. ^ "Argentinian album certifications – Guns – USE YOUR ILLU 2". Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers. 
  23. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Guns – Use Your Illusion 2" (in German). IFPI Austria.  Enter Guns in the field Interpret. Enter Use Your Illusion 2 in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  24. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Guns 'N Roses – Use Your Illusion II". Music Canada. 
  25. ^ "French album certifications – GUNSNROSES – Use Your Illusion Vol 2" (in French). InfoDisc.  Select GUNSNROSES and click OK
  26. ^ "Les Albums Platine :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved October 25, 2012. 
  27. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Guns N' Roses; 'Use Your Illusion II')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. 
  28. ^ NO certyear WAS PROVIDED for SWEDISH CERTIFICATION.
  29. ^ "British album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Use Your Illusion II". British Phonographic Industry.  Enter Use Your Illusion II in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
  30. ^ "American album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Use Your Illusion II". Recording Industry Association of America.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  31. ^ "GUNS N' ROSES - The Official Charts Company". Theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 2011-07-28. 
  32. ^ a b c d e f "GUNS N' ROSES - USE YOUR ILLUSION II (ALBUM)". swisscharts.com. Retrieved June 14, 2011. 
  33. ^ http://www.billboard.com/artist/303248/guns-n-roses/chart
  34. ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010. 
  35. ^ "Use Your Illusion 2 on SlashParadise". www.slashparadise.com. November 9, 2012. 
Preceded by
Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks		 Billboard 200 number-one album
October 5–18, 1991		 Succeeded by
Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks
Preceded by
On Every Street by Dire Straits		 UK number one album
September 28, 1991 – October 4, 1991		 Succeeded by
Waking Up the Neighbours by Bryan Adams
Preceded by
On Every Street by Dire Straits		 Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
September 29, 1991 – October 19, 1991		 Succeeded by
Waking Up the Neighbours
by Bryan Adams
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