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Estranged (song)

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"Estranged"
Song
A-side"Estranged" (LP version)
B-side"The Garden" (LP version)

"Estranged" is a power ballad by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It is from the album Use Your Illusion II. The song reached #16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in early 1994.[1]

Background

At over nine minutes long, "Estranged", also known for its music video, is the longest song on Use Your Illusion II and Guns N' Roses' second longest song overall (after "Coma" from Use Your Illusion I). It has many verses, no set chorus, and several distinguished guitar and piano solos. Use Your Illusion II's liner notes thank lead guitarist Slash for "the killer guitar melodies", which captured Axl Rose's vision. Slash has specifically stated that recording the guitar parts for this song was very intensive for him; he recorded it using a Les Paul Gold Top, using the rhythm pickup with the tone turned all the way down.[2]

According to Slash, the song was written while the band was rehearsing for an extended period of time in Chicago.[3] Axl revealed that he wrote the song during a more "bummed out" time in his life when his marriage with Erin Everly was annulled.[4]

Music video

Released in December 1993, the official music video (directed by Andy Morahan) is the third part of an unofficial Del James series of videos (preceded by "Don't Cry" and "November Rain") from the Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II albums.[5] The estimated budget was US$4 million.[6] The video is similar in style to the previous two in the trilogy. Its live scenes were shot at Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany.

Live performances

"Estranged" was played live very frequently during the Use Your Illusion Tour from 1991 to 1993. During performances of this song, Dizzy Reed would play piano instead of Axl Rose. A live version of this song can be heard on Live Era: '87-'93. During the Chinese Democracy Tour, a riff from the song was sometimes included in Ron Thal's solo interpretation of the Pink Panther Theme. In December 2008, Axl spoke of his desire to bring Estranged back into the live set.[7]The song was featured with regularity on the tour from 2012-2014. It has been played at almost every show on the "Not in This Lifetime... Tour".

Track listing

Germany and Australia CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Estranged" (LP version)W. Axl Rose9:23
2."The Garden" (LP version)Rose, West Arkeen, Del James5:22

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1994) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 40
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 28
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[10] 26
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] 41
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[12] 16

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.billboard.com/artist/303248/guns-n-roses/chart?page=1&f=376
  2. ^ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 316
  3. ^ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 262
  4. ^ Del James (1992), "I, Axl - Part III"
  5. ^ "Guns 'n' Roses - "Estranged"". mvdbase.com. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  6. ^ Mick O'Shea. (2008). The Guns n' Roses encyclopaedia. New Malden, Surrey, UK: Chrome Dreams. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-84240-423-2.
  7. ^ "Guns N' Roses News". Here Today... Gone To Hell!. December 14, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  8. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Estranged". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  9. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Estranged". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  10. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Estranged". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  11. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Estranged". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  12. ^ "Guns N' Roses Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
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