Estranged (song)

"Estranged"
Single by Guns N' Roses
from the album Use Your Illusion II
A-side "Estranged" (LP version)
B-side "The Garden" (LP version)
Released January 17, 1994
Format CD single
Recorded 1991
Genre Hard rock, progressive rock, blues rock, heavy metal
Length 9:23
Label Geffen
Writer(s) Axl Rose
Producer(s) Mike Clink, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses singles chronology
"Ain't It Fun"
(1993)		 "Estranged"
(1994)		 "Since I Don't Have You"
(1994)
Music video
"Estranged" on YouTube

"Estranged" is a power ballad and music video by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It is from the second part of their two-part Use Your Illusion album, Use Your Illusion II. The song reached #16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in early 1994. [1]

Background

At over nine minutes long, "Estranged", also known for its music video, is the longest song on Use Your Illusion II and Guns N' Roses' second longest song overall (after "Coma" from Use Your Illusion I). It has many verses, no set chorus, and several distinguished guitar and piano solos. Use Your Illusion II's liner notes thank lead guitarist Slash for "the killer guitar melodies", which captured Axl Rose's vision. Slash has specifically stated that recording the guitar parts for this song was very intensive for him; he recorded it using a Les Paul Gold Top, using the rhythm pickup with the tone turned all the way down.[2]

According to Slash, the song was written while the band was rehearsing for an extended period of time in Chicago.[3] Axl revealed that he wrote the song during a more "bummed out" time in his life when his marriage with Erin Everly was annulled.[4]

Music video

Released in December 1993, the official music video (directed by Andy Morahan) is the third part of an unofficial Del James series of videos (preceded by "Don't Cry" and "November Rain") from the Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II albums.[5] The estimated budget was US$4 million.[6] The video is similar in style to the previous two in the trilogy.

Live performances

"Estranged" was played live very frequently during the Use Your Illusion Tour from 1991 to 1993. During performances of this song, Dizzy Reed would play piano instead of Axl Rose. A live version of this song can be heard on Live Era: '87-'93. During the Chinese Democracy Tour, a riff from the song was sometimes included in Ron Thal's solo interpretation of the Pink Panther Theme. In December 2008, Axl spoke of his desire to bring Estranged back into the live set.[7]The song was featured with regularity on the tour from 2012-2014. It has been played at almost every show on the "Not in This Lifetime... Tour".

Formats and track listing

Germany and Australia CD
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Estranged" (LP version)W. Axl Rose 9:23
2. "The Garden" (LP version)Axl Rose, West Arkeen, Del James 5:22

Personnel

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/303248/guns-n-roses/chart?page=1&f=376
  2. ↑ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 316
  3. ↑ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 262
  4. ↑ Del James (1992), "I, Axl - Part III"
  5. ↑ "Guns 'n' Roses - "Estranged"". mvdbase.com. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
  6. ↑ Mick O'Shea. (2008). The Guns n' Roses encyclopaedia. New Malden, Surrey, UK: Chrome Dreams. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-84240-423-2.
  7. ↑ "Guns N' Roses News". Here Today... Gone To Hell!. 2008-12-14. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/18/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.