Guns n Roses: Use your Illusion 1 Vinyl LP
I picked up this LP along with a few others at Audiopile on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. The owner there (or at least who I THINK is the owner) is a really cool guy, and the prices on the new LPs are pretty good. Additionally, he has a great used Jazz section and a great used pop/rock section as well. I picked up a couple of used records and a few new ones, and the used ones were in NEW shape, and its quite possible they had never even been played. Very nice. He also has a “Spend $100 and get $10 back to spend” deal!
The subject of this post, however, is my GnR Use Your Illusion 1 album. I’ve been considering purchasing this album for quite a while, as I have always considered November Rain and Don’t Cry two of the best Rock Balads ever written. Yes, Axel is a genuis. The album was $28, so it was a bit steep, but I figured that since its two 180g LPs, and November rain was on an outside track, that the quality would probaby be good. Not to mention that it came with a free MP3 album download.
I popped it on my Pro-Ject 2Xperience turntable with the Ortofon Kontrapunkt A cartridge and it sounded AMAZING. November Rain was meant to be listed to like this… there simply is no other way to experience this song. The detail and depth to the soundstage is phenomenal, and it has a presence to it that the CD is simply lacking. I’ve always liked the CD version, but this is so much of an easier-going version of the song, and sounds fantastic. If you are a GnR fan and are into vinyl, this is a must-get album.