Everyone was eager to hear more, so the band rushed out 1988's "G N' R Lies," perhaps a bit prematurely. A mix of live cuts and new songs, it performed very well off the heels of "Appetite" and the terrific acoustic ballad, "Patience," which went to #4. Fans would have to be patient for the next Guns N' Roses release, a double-album called "Use Your Illusion," which arrived in 1991.
The band grew by leaps and bounds but divided fans who wanted "Appetite II." The bevy of songs (29 tracks) on the "Use Your Illusion" records was a mix of angst-driven rock, power ballads, cover tunes, and some overly long experimental tracks. Nonetheless, the band scored some big ballad hits including "Don't Cry" (#10) and "November Rain" (#3). Their rock tracks fared less well.
It's so easy (you see what I did there?) for a lot of good songs to get lost in the woods of a double-album. "Civil War" is one of them. An epic ballad at nearly 8 minutes, it is a fan favorite and among the better lyrics Rose has ever written, a modest redemption from the dreadful lyrics of "One In A Million" from "Lies."
"Civil War" has the added distinction of being the last song original drummer Steven Adler played on. The clip at the beginning is from the movie Cool Hand Luke, and the song Axel is whistling is "When Johnny Comes Marching Home."
No comments:
Post a Comment