Estranged (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Estranged"
Estranged.jpg
Single by Guns N' Roses
from the album Use Your Illusion II
B-side"The Garden" (LP version)
ReleasedDecember 1993
Recorded1991
Genre
Length9:23
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)Axl Rose
Producer(s)
Guns N' Roses singles chronology
"Ain't It Fun"
(1993) 		"Estranged"
(1993) 		"Since I Don't Have You"
(1994)
Music video
"Estranged" on YouTube

"Estranged" is a power ballad by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. released on their 1991 album Use Your Illusion II. The song was released as a single in late 1993.

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.[3]

According to Slash, the song was written while the band was rehearsing for an extended period of time in Chicago.[4] Axl revealed that he wrote the song during a more "bummed out" time in his life when his marriage with Erin Everly was annulled.[5]

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.[6] The estimated budget was $4 million.[7] The video is similar in style to the previous two in the trilogy. Its live scenes were shot at Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany.

The song's video was placed on New York Times list of the 15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos.[1]

Description[]

The video is the third and final chapter in Guns N’ Roses’ massively popular "November Rain music video trilogy" (preceded by "Don't Cry" and "November Rain"). It was directed by Andy Morahan and written by frontman Axl Rose himself.[8] While "Don't Cry" and "November Rain" have a strong similarity (they both stage a sort of motion picture film told in vignettes and following the story of a romantic relationship),[8] "Estranged" has very little connection to the previous story of the two previous videos.[8] This is mainly because by Axl Rose's then-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour (who played the vocalist's girlfriend in "Don't Cry" and "November Rain") had broken up with Rose before shooting the video, forcing him and the director to abandon the original plans for the shooting of "Estranged",[8] thus leading to a thematic disconnection with the first two.[8] However, this does not mean that the cinematic style was also lost, since "Estranged" has visuals that evoke the first two videos.

The video shows Axl Rose being arrested by a group of special police officers, then taken to a mental health clinic, as definitions of various emotional disorders are seen on the screen.[8] The protagonist (Rose) talks to the therapists about his emotional problems; a topic that was depicted in the video for "Don't Cry". In the end, the protagonist is released from the clinic and heads to an abandoned ship at sea,[8] where the story reaches its climax: the lead singer of Guns N 'Roses jumps into the water and swims with a group of dolphins, gaining inner peace by doing so.[8]

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.[9] The song was featured with regularity on the tour from 2011-2014. A recording was issued on the Appetite for Democracy 3D video. It was played at almost every show on the "Not in This Lifetime... Tour".

Track listing[]

Germany and Australia CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Estranged" (LP version)W. Axl Rose9:23
2."The Garden" (LP version)Rose, West Arkeen, Del James5:22

Personnel[]

Charts[]

Chart (1994) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[10] 40
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 28
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[12] 26
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 41
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[14] 16

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Edwards, Gavin (May 5, 2020). "15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Guns N' Roses: The 20 best songs not on 'Appetite for Destruction'". al. December 2, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2021. piano-prog opus
  3. ^ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 316
  4. ^ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 262
  5. ^ Del James (1992), "I, Axl - Part III"
  6. ^ "Guns 'n' Roses - "Estranged"". mvdbase.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  7. ^ Mick O'Shea. (2008). The Guns n' Roses encyclopaedia. New Malden, Surrey, UK: Chrome Dreams. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-84240-423-2.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h 25 Years Ago, Guns N' Roses Unveiled Their Batshit $4 Million Music Video, by Rich Monahan December 21, 2018, Vice
  9. ^ "Guns N' Roses News". Here Today... Gone To Hell!. December 14, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  10. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Guns N' Roses – Estranged". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  11. ^ "Charts.nz – Guns N' Roses – Estranged". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  12. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Guns N' Roses – Estranged". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  13. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Guns N' Roses – Estranged". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  14. ^ "Guns N' Roses Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2017.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""