From the proper follow-up to “Appetite For Destruction”, the two CD “Use Your Illusion”. I never counted “Lies” as a follow up, it was just a stop gap cash grab to capitalise on the success of “Appetite”. I remember clearly saying, they didn’t even need to release this EP because “Appetite” was still selling like crazy.
This song is what Izzy Stradlin is about, that social, bluesy, laidback feel and full of soul.
And the lyrics are some of the best he has written.
“He lost his mind today, he left it out back on the highway”
There is nothing like a long drive to get you thinking. Our thoughts can be our best friends and our worst enemies.
“Time moves on, that’s the way, we live an hope to see the next day”
I want to live and see the next day. It’s the basic fight or flight response within us. To survive
“Ya get out on your own and you take all that you own”
So true. When I moved out of home the first time, I just took my music collection. It was all that I owned.
“And you forget about your home and then you’re just fucking gone”
I never forgot about home, I still want to return to it. My life story will have a final chapter about the return.
“There’s no logic here today, do as you got to, go your own way”
These lyrics are from 1990/91 and has anything really changed today.
“Time’s short, your life’s your own and in the end we are just Dust n’ Bones”
Damn right. Life is short, use every moment you can, to do something you love.
GNR haven’t been the same act since Izzy left. Some would say it’s a natural progression for GNR to move to the sounds on “Chinese Democracy”, but GNR is a rock band, that’s what they do best. “Chinese Democracy” became a rock album in the end, but Axl took a very long way to get there, first with electronic sounds and industrial sounds, then with so many different studio guitarists and when you hear sweep picking in songs (like that sweep picking lick in “Better”), then you know that path of good intention went a bit sideways.
Axl, Slash and Duff should get Izzy back. And Steve Adler. Fans will lose their shit. And release new music with the original five.
destroyerofharmony 
Izzy’s tracks on those Illusions discs are the best. I really like 14 years. The debut Izzy solo album is gold as well.
Yep I’m with ya on the Izzy tracks. I have the debut solo album on CD but I just can’t remember a stand out song in the same way I remember these ones. Anyway it will come up in The Record Vault series eventually
Yeah that solo Izzy album was different than what he did in Guns. It took me a while at the time to wrap my head around it as I was expecting a bunch of 14 years like tunes haha.
Shuffle it All from the Ju Ju Hounds and Pressure Drop are brilliant. Its a great album as I have it on vinyl
Yes, the band was not the same once Izzy and Steven left. Izzy = music. Steven = groove, laid back attitude.
I saw ’em only once, MoR 1988, and it is still a bittersweet memory due to the tragedy* which we did not know until leaving the festival site. GNR was on top of their game but the setlist and performance felt a tad too lazy and improvised.
Later we realized why they try to mellow the crowd and why Axl stopped and started the show a few times. Steven Adler leaving his kit and rushing to Slash to point surging crowd. I still remember Axl’s plea for the audience when they were leaving the stage: “Don’t fuckin’ kill yourselves.”
Sadly it took me 30 years to see the band again. Without Izzy and Steven, of course.
* https://everyrecordtellsastory.com/2012/06/05/guns-n-roses-at-donington-88-the-triumph-and-the-tragedy/
That MoR tragedy got a lot of news in Australia, maybe because of our ties to the UK. So cool that you got to see a MoR, of course not cool about the tragedy.
I’ve seen the band only once on the UYI tour and Gilby and Matt were in. Matt is a powerful drum, great technique, but sometimes you can’t beat the swagger of the original drummer. Tommy Clueftos and Bill Ward is another example.
And lets not forget Philthy Animal and Pete Gill or Mikkey Dee.
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