Estranged
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| "Estranged" | ||
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| Single by Guns N' Roses | ||
| from the album Use Your Illusion II | ||
| Released | 1993 | |
| Recorded | 1991 | |
| Genre | Hard Rock | |
| Length | 9:23 | |
| Label | Geffen Records | |
| Writer(s) | Axl Rose | |
| Guns N' Roses singles chronology | ||
| "Hair of the Dog" (1994) | "Estranged" (1994) | "Since I Don't Have You" (1994) |
"Estranged" is a song and music video by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, from their album Use Your Illusion II.
"Estranged" is one of Guns N' Roses' longest running songs, as well as one of the longest and most expensive music videos ever made. It has many verses, and no set chorus, as well as distinguished guitar and piano solos. Use Your Illusion II's liner notes thank Slash for "the killer guitar melodies," which captured Axl Rose's vision.
[edit] Video
The video is the third and final part of an unofficial trilogy of videos (preceded by "Don't Cry" and "November Rain") from the two "Use Your Illusion" albums which featured a stunning theatrical film type cinematography and massive budget of about $4 million.
The over 9 minutes long video for "Estranged" is similar in style to the previous videos in the unofficial trilogy. However, it appears only loosely to pick up the theme of the previous two videos. This is mainly because Axl Rose and then-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour (who played Axl's girlfriend in "Don't Cry" and "November Rain") had broken up prior to filming the video, making the theme of separation/divorce highly relevant.
The video for "Estranged" was a big budget music video film that initially saw Axl being pursued by a group of SWAT team members while sleeping hidden in what appeared to be an abandoned mansion. Later, in a flashback, Axl is shown being escorted off that same (presumably marital) property. During this sequence, definitions for "Estranged" are flashed across the screen suggesting that Axl is going through a separation or divorce. In the end sequence, Axl goes to an abandoned ship in the middle of the ocean, where in the video's climax, he jumps into the water in an apparent suicide attempt but ends up being rescued by a group of dolphins and gains a level of inner peace in doing so.
In the video, the definitions of illusion, estrange(d) and disillusion appear.
[edit] Controversy
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For some fans, especially die-hard hard rock fans, the video for "Estranged" was seen as a huge disappointment and represented Axl Rose (who had taken an active role in the production of the band's videos) succumbing to rock star excesses with such self-indulgent images of Axl swimming with dolphins, the costly abandoned ship sequence, and the overly indulgent nature of the band's videos. Many felt the video damaged or outright killed Guns N' Roses' credibility as hard rock superstars and for many, the video marked the moment in which Guns N' Roses jumped the shark creatively.
Some critics have argued that the backlash against the video was not an isolated incident, but instead a flashpoint towards a building backlash against Guns N' Roses. The rise of grunge, anger at Axl Rose's increasingly hostile prima donna behavior, and the excessiveness of the band's previous videos, including "November Rain", led many to use "Estranged" as a flashpoint for attacking the band.
However, among many fans, "Estranged" is regarded as the band’s masterpiece as the symphony, melody and integration of all instruments, lyrics and enchanting tempo of the song are unique and represent the peak of Guns N' Roses style.
