Released January 17, 1994 Recorded 1991 | Format CD single | |
A-side "Estranged" (LP version) B-side "The Garden" (LP version) Genre Hard rock, progressive rock, blues rock, heavy metal | ||
"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.
Contents
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.
According to Slash, the song was written while the band was rehearsing for an extended period of time in Chicago. Axl revealed that he wrote the song during a more "bummed out" time in his life when his marriage with Erin Everly was annulled.
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. The estimated budget was US$4 million. 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.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".