My Original Review

A lot of people for some reason prefer Illusion I instead of II. Not me, I find this one to flow better and have better songs. It might be that II was "bloated" and that long time fans gravitated to the other one because it was as close as it was going to get to AFD. As for Illusion II, it was and is over produced with epic songs that to the average listener would say are way too long in run time: Civil War, 14 Years, Estranged. Not to me. I love that they are longer than the normal song. I don't want 2 minute songs. Leave that to the Ramones.

Personal faves: Civil War, Yesterdays, Knockin On Heavens Door, Don't Cry and my all time fave for both Illusions...Estranged.

Side note: This was the first and last time I ever went to Tower Records (or any other record store for that matter) at midnight to get the first copies sold to the general public. It was fun. A lot of people showed up. It was very festive, party-like atmosphere. The local news was covering the whole thing. Need to find VHS tape of me on the news. 

Latest Review

Use Your Illusion II was released at the same time as I. Both I & II is basically a double album...sold separately. Where UYI I was written before Appetite For Destruction, UYI II was written during and after AFD.The main selling point for me to pick this up was soley for the song You Could Be Mine. I was salivating getting the song ever since I first heard it used in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

As mentioned in my original review, I tend to listen to this one more than I do the other. Sure, it's nowhere near that of AFD, but I have accepted it for what it is. I get why both albums are not held in high esteem because I don't hold either one up to the level of AFD. Having said that, there are still some great songs on here. More so than UYI I. As great as AFD is though, I will say that Slash has some of his best solos found right here, saving his best for Estranged. Gotta give props to Get In The Ring. When I'm feeling pissy and need something get me going, this one does a damn good job. If there is one song I would drop all together it would be My World. Never have liked it and I find it pointless.

Fave Songs: Civil War, Yesterdays, Knockin On Heavens Door, Don't Cry, You Could Be Mine, Get In The Ring and Estranged. <------MVP

Same opinion about Use Your Illusion I applies here.

For those that have seen Arrested Development, there's an inside joke about both these albums that always gets me laughing because it's pretty damn funny. Read below...

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.

I'm still trying to remember what other Midnight openings I went to. I'm getting old........