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- Shacklermyrye
- Rep: 16
Re: Steven Wilson speaks about his unused work on UYI boxset
“Well, the challenges were the band didn’t like what I was doing,” Wilson admitted (via Blabbermouth). “That came through the record company, and I did it all, and then the band basically vetoed it all. So the only thing that ever came out was my remix of ‘November Rain’, with a real orchestra added.”
It wasn’t a case of poor craftsmanship, but more of a philosophical clash over the sound itself.
“And that was a shame, ’cause that’s a lot of music on those records — I think I worked on about 40 songs, including outtakes, B-sides, and God knows what else. And then the band basically turned around and decided they didn’t like it. They didn’t like [Dolby] Atmos, they didn’t like the idea of their music being in spatial audio. So that project is kind of just sitting on my hard drive, unreleased and unheard. It’s such a shame. Amazing, amazing records. Amazing records. But yes, a shame in a way that it got sort of bogged down in band politics and God knows what else.”
For fans hoping for a sneak listen through back channels, don’t count on it. Wilson says his circle isn’t exactly clamoring for those remixes.
“Well, to be honest, no, because … we didn’t grow up with Guns N’ Roses,” he explained when asked if friends ever ask to hear the unreleased mixes. “Guns N’ Roses was kind of the next generation. I grew up in the ’80s, so the bands all my sort of generation were listening to were The Smiths, The Cure. If it were metal, it would’ve been Metallica. It wouldn’t have been Guns N’ Roses. It would’ve been [Metallica‘s] Master Of Puppets from ’85 rather than [Guns N’ Roses‘] Appetite For Destruction from ’89. So I just missed that generation, yeah. I just missed that generation.”
Still, the studio occasionally turns into a time machine when friends visit.
“But yeah, sometimes people, friends come over and I bring them into the studio and I’ll blast them with some… I say, ‘What music did you grow up with?’ And I’ve usually got something, I’ve usually got something I’ve worked on, which they’ll remember from their childhood, I can blow their mind [with].”
The only piece of his Guns N’ Roses work that made it to fans was a newly orchestrated version of “November Rain,” released in 2022 as part of the Use Your Illusion box set. The lush arrangement featured a 50-piece orchestra under the direction of composer Christopher Lennertz.
As Wilson explained in a Facebook post at the time, “The new 2022 version is the same performance as the original, and mixed faithfully to the established version, but with newly recorded orchestration replacing the sampled sounds used at the time.”
Though the rest of the project remains locked away, it’s clear that Wilson approached it with care and respect. Whether or not those remixes ever surface may depend less on technology and more on the ever-complicated dynamics of legacy and artistic control.
https://www.sonicperspectives.com/news/ … ard-drive/
Re: Steven Wilson speaks about his unused work on UYI boxset
Stories like this could become their legacy though. I know it's just a guy and an opinion, but this shouldn't be happening. It's a shame
I think the band should be looking at their end game now. Put GNR to bed
Axl should think about living a portion of his life without GNR, do the celebrity run, or just lead a quiet life.
- metallex78
- Rep: 194
Re: Steven Wilson speaks about his unused work on UYI boxset
I think I worked on about 40 songs, including outtakes, B-sides, and God knows what else
This is why GNR are absolutely nuts, this guy worked on 40 songs, none of which we’ll ever get to hear.
Seems to be the one constant with this bloody band - existing songs that we will never hear.
- Shacklermyrye
- Rep: 16
Re: Steven Wilson speaks about his unused work on UYI boxset
I think I worked on about 40 songs, including outtakes, B-sides, and God knows what else
This is why GNR are absolutely nuts, this guy worked on 40 songs, none of which we’ll ever get to hear.
Seems to be the one constant with this bloody band - existing songs that we will never hear.
30 from the records leaving 10 from outtakes and B-sides. I know there were live tunes as B-Sides but also the 'Wake up its time to play' version of Shadow was on the Live & Let Die single & I'd imagine probably a remastered version of 'Axls Advance Copy' of I Ain't Goin Down. But given there were a few things on the AFD boxset we didn't really know about you gotta wonder what else he remastered, possibly something we have never even heard of.
- Shacklermyrye
- Rep: 16
Re: Steven Wilson speaks about his unused work on UYI boxset
On an unrelated note, I don't really want to make a thread for this, and it's not like I was looking for it but.........
Remember how shacklers Revenge was inspired in part by the Virginia Tech shooting incident?
Axl said in the forum chats something about the shooters affinity for MR Brownstone and the media trying to draw a connection to it. Well the shooter (who killed 32 people) wrote a play called Mr Brownstone. I now have a copy of that script or screen play or however you want to phrase it, feels a bit weird putting a link to it on a gnr forum so i'm not going to, but if anyone want's to read it PM me
its weird as fuck.
- Shacklermyrye
- Rep: 16
Re: Steven Wilson speaks about his unused work on UYI boxset
He was commissioned to remaster UYI in an Atmos mix. It's like a spacious 3d audio thing that some people swear by, It's been quite popular with prog records that have been remastered this way. for some it results is better separation of instruments and layers, it's hard to describe, I prefer stereo myself. Anyway this was meant to be included in the UYI boxset and wasn't except for November Rain.
Re: Steven Wilson speaks about his unused work on UYI boxset
Thanks! Strange, you would have thought the band would have familiarised themselves with atmos before commissioning 40 songs to be remixed!
I have really enjoyed some of Steve Wilson's work - seeing Porcupine Tree in the Albert Hall was very cool. But I wouldn't have put him together with GNR
Re: Steven Wilson speaks about his unused work on UYI boxset
Stories like this could become their legacy though. I know it's just a guy and an opinion, but this shouldn't be happening. It's a shame
I think the band should be looking at their end game now. Put GNR to bed
Axl should think about living a portion of his life without GNR, do the celebrity run, or just lead a quiet life.
Why do you say that? Lots of older bands still out there performing with large audience attendance. What is a celebrity run? What makes you think Axl doesn't already have a quiet life and a portion not connected to GNR? One in the mountains and one far away from the crowds. So quiet and removed, people think he's in a state of not being able to make decisions or create for GNR. Time off is different for a musician, work months on end and take months off for a good life balance, wouldn't you say?
Are we sure the band commission this guy and it wasn't the record company? I was under the impression the box set was the record company's baby and not GNR's. Something forced on them.
