Guns N’ Roses is dropping the reissue of Use Your Illusion I & II next week, which features an updated version of “November Rain.”
The new version of the classic power ballad can be heard below. So, what makes this version different from the original? The new version features a newly recorded 50-piece orchestra conducted by renowned film and television composer Christopher Lennertz added to the epic composition. If you listen to the track, the orchestral arrangement definitely sounds lusher than the original.
As previously reported, Use Your Illusion I & II will be reissued on November 11 in a variety of formats including digital, CD and vinyl. However, the best part of the reissue is the box sets.
There are two different box sets: A 7CD + Blu-ray box set for $259.98 and a 12LP + Blu-ray box set for $499.98. Both box sets feature 97 tracks, with 63 of those tracks being previously unreleased. Also included are audio and video recordings of “Live in New York”, which was a show recorded at the Ritz on May 16, 1991. All audio and video footage has been remastered. Additionally, “Live In Vegas,” an audio recording of a January 25, 1992 show at the Thomas & Mack Center, is also included. The Vegas recording is the first performance to feature guitarist Gilby Clarke.
Complete reissue specs, as well as album-related merch, can be found at GNRmerch.com.
'Use Your Illusion': Fantasy Tracklisting If It Weren't a Double LP
Guns N’ Roses’ double album Use Your Illusion I & II was released on September 17, 2021. Use Your Illusion was one of the most anticipated albums not just in 1991, but ever. The album dropped at midnight on its first day of release. This resulted in late-night lines at record stores all across the country.
GN’R may have staved off fans with 1988’s GN’R Lies, but the adoring masses were eager for something to really sink their teeth into following the smash success of 1987’s Appetite for Destruction. They got that and then some with a double LP boasting 30 tracks.
BothLPs have been certified 7x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and it still remains beloved by GN’R fans the world over. However, even the biggest Guns N’ Roses superfan would admit that Use Your Illusion certainly has its share of filler tracks.
So, what would Use Your Illusion look like if it were just one album? We’ve whittled it down to 12 tracks, the same amount of tracks on Appetite for Destruction. Scroll through the list below to see which songs made the cut.
But First, What’s Next for Guns N’ Roses?
Currently, GN’R is taking a break from the road. However, in December 2023, they did release a new single titled “The General.”
Fans can listen to “The General” below. Meanwhile, it’s available for streaming/download here.
“The General” is the fourth new song Guns N’ Roses has released since Slash and Duff McKagan returned to the band. “Absurd” was the first new song and came out in August 2021. About a month later, the band released “Hard Skool.” The third song released was “Perhaps,” which came out in August 2023. All four tracks are outtakes from the recording sessions of Chinese Democracy.
'You Could Be Mine'
“You Could Be Mine” provided two intros (besides the sweet 1:06 one on the song itself): It was the first peek at what fans could expect from the ‘Use Your Illusion’ albums, and it was the first track from GN’R to feature new drummer Matt Sorum who was brought in after Steven Adler was kicked out of the band after infamously taking too many drugs. Sorum’s drum track is outstanding as is everyone on “You Could Be Mine.” It’s big without sounding bloated and polished but not lacking grit. James Cameron couldn’t have asked for a better theme for ‘Terminator II.’
'November Rain'
“November Rain” is both a sonic and visual epic. Axl and his piano and Slash and his two massive guitar solos are the stars of this nearly nine-minute ballad, which technically qualifies as a power ballad but manages not to cross into the realm of cheese. Of course, even when listening to “November Rain,” you can’t help but think of its decadent music video. From Slash walking out of the church to Stephanie Seymour’s mullet wedding dress, some of the scenes are the most memorable in music video history. Fun fact: “November Rain” was the first music video released before the invention of YouTube to reach 1 billion views.
'Don't Cry'
When most think of Guns N’ Roses, they think of a badass rock band, but their catalog is filled with plenty of downright sweet love songs, and “Don’t Cry” is certainly one of their best. Plus, when you add in the guest vocals of the late Shannon Hoon (before Blind Melon’s debut was released) harmonizing with Axl Rose, it just puts this song over the top.
'Dust N' Bones'
Izzy Stradlin was sorely missed on GN’R’s “Not In This Lifetime” reunion tour for many reasons, but “Dust N’ Bones” might be the biggest reason why. While pretty much everything the band released before ‘Use Your Illusion’ dripped with swagger, Stradlin’s vocals added a heavy dose of bluesy sophistication to the equation that no one in the band’s lineup history has been able to come close to breaching. Had Stradlin rejoined the band and “Dust N’ Bones” was part of the setlist, it would undoubtedly be a standout moment every night.
'Civil War'
The last thing fans likely expected from GN’R post ‘Appetite’ and ‘Lies’ was an anti-war song, but that’s what they got with “Civil War.” The track first appeared on the 1990 compilation album ‘Nobody’s Child: Romanian Angel Appeal’ before being released as the opening track to ‘Use Your Illusion II.’ Its poignancy still resonates today and likely will for many years to come.
Easily one of the best covers in GN’R’s catalog (and there are plenty), the band’s take on the Wings classic gives the song a heavy dose of edge and attitude. The cover would earn GN’R a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal, but they would lose out to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Give It Away.”
'Bad Obsession'
A standout track on ‘Use Your Illusion I,’ think of “Bad Obsession” as the bluesier sister song to “Mr. Brownstone.” Its heavy blues influence makes loads of sense since its primary songwriter was Stradlin.
'Double Talkin' Jive'
Another song written by Izzy Stradlin, and it’s yet another example of just how damn cool he is and what he brought to GN’R. It can’t be stressed how much he would’ve brought to GN’R’s “Not In This Lifetime” reunion, especially with killer grooves like “Double Talkin’ Jive.”
'Yesterdays'
A bitter-sweet tune about growing up and moving on, “Yesterdays” is the type of tune that hits right in the feels if you’re not fond of taking trips down memory lane. After all, “Time just fades the pages/In my book of memories.”
'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'
Before making a big splash with “You Could Be Mine” in ‘Terminator II,’ GN’R’s first big soundtrack appearance came with this recorded cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” for the 1990 Tom Cruise vehicle ‘Days of Thunder.’ Certainly less gritty than the version featured in an MTV GN’R concert special from 1988, but it’s just as powerful.
'Estranged'
Much like “November Rain,” it’s difficult to think of “Estranged” and not think about its music video. (FYI: It’s the final installment of the Del James-inspired trilogy following “Don’t Cry” and the aforementioned “November Rain.” Personally, I refer to the video as “The one where Axl jumps off a massive ship and swims with dolphins.”) Anyway, this song is good, but it could’ve been great if it just trimmed a verse/bridge or two. I understand excess, but sometimes “more” is “too much.”
Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights
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