Use Your Illusion II

Use Your Illusion II
[1]
Studio album by Guns N' Roses
Released	September 17, 1991
Recorded	A&M Studios, Record Plant Studios, Studio 56, Image Recording, Conway Studios, Metalworks Recording Studios, Skip Saylor Recording (album mixing) 1990-1991
Genre	Classic Rock, Groove Metal, Hard Blues Rock, Heavy Metal, Industrial Rock, Power Ballad, Progressive Rock, Punk Rock
Length	76:06
Label	Geffen Records
Producer	Mike Clink, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses chronology
G N' R Lies (1988) Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II (1991) The "Civil War" EP (1993)

Use Your Illusion II is the forth studio album by Guns N' Roses, released on September 17, 1991 (along with Use Your Illusion I) on Geffen Records. It and Use Your Illusion I are often considered a double album, even though they were released separately. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, one ahead of Use Your Illusion I, the first time a band has held the top two spots on the chart at the same time.

The album yielded five singles: "You Could Be Mine", "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", "Yesterdays", "Civil War" and "Estranged".

The Illusions albums are the first and last albums to feature theIllusions era Guns N' Roses lineup of Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Dizzy Reed.

Track Listing

1. "Civil War" - 7:42
2. "14 Years" - 4:22
3. "Yesterdays" - 3:16
4. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" - 5:36
   • Bob Dylan cover
5. "Get in the Ring" - 5:41
6. "Shotgun Blues" - 3:23
7. "Breakdown" - 7:05
8. "Pretty Tied Up" - 4:48
9. "Locomotive" - 8:42
10. "So Fine" - 4:07
11. "Estranged" - 9:24
12. "You Could Be Mine" - 5:44
13. "Don't Cry" (alternate lyrics) - 4:45
14. "My World" - 1:26

Personnel

Guns N' Roses

• W. Axl Rose - lead vocals, rhythm guitar on "Shotgun Blues", synthesizer and drum machine on "My World"
• Slash - lead guitar, acoustic guitar on "Civil War", banjo on "Breakdown"
• Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "14 Years", acoustic guitar on "Breakdown", sitar on "Pretty Tied Up"
• Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "So Fine", percussion on "Locomotive"
• Matt Sorum - drums, backing vocals, percussion
• Dizzy Reed - keyboards, piano, backing vocals, organ on "Yesterdays"

Additional musicians

• Steven Adler - drums on track 1
• Johann Langlie - drums, keyboard and sound effects on track 14
• The Waters - backing vocals on track 4
• Howard Teman - piano on track 10
• Shannon Hoon - backing vocals on track 13

Additional personnel

• Mike Clink - production, engineering
• Jim Mitchell - additional engineering
• Bill Price - mixing
• George Marino - mastering
• Kevin Reagan - art direction, graphic design
• Mark Kostabi - artwork
• 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

Info

• The cover art is taken from the Renaissance painting School Of Aristotles. The writer can be seen on the right pire. Along with this, the cover reflects the style of music included: Use Your Illusion I has a more hard rock sound (hence the red), while Use Your Illusion II has a calmer sound (hence the calmer blue.).
• Use Your Illusion I & II represented a change in the Guns N' Roses sound. They ditched their raw hard rock style for calmer songs. Axl Rose even plays piano on some tracks.
• The songs, "Estranged," "November Rain (Use Your Illusion I)," and "Don't Cry" are considered a trilogy by fans.