Why I Owe Axl Rose an Apology for GN’R’s ‘Estranged’ Video
Remember the video for Guns N’ Roses’s “Estranged”? I do because I’ve made fun of it on multiple occasions. First, I included it on a list of “Cheesy Music Videos.”…
Remember the video for Guns N' Roses's "Estranged"? I do because I've made fun of it on multiple occasions. First, I included it on a list of "Cheesy Music Videos." Then, I mentioned the video in the ranking of GN'R's entire catalog, which can be viewed below.
Why is this video so memorable? The damn dolphins! For years, their presence has made zero sense to myself and many others. Thanks to a previously unpublished interview from Kerrang!, the use of the damn dolphins now makes more sense...kind of.
The interview in question is with Andy Morahan, who directed a number of GN'R music videos including the famed "Illusion trilogy" of "Don't Cry," "November Rain" and "Estranged." The latter was the final video of the trilogy. The first two videos featured Stephanie Seymour, who Rose was dating at the time. Once the making for "Estranged" began, the two had broke up, which brings us to the dolphins.
When asked by Kerrang! "What was with the dolphins?" Morahan explained, "By that time, Axl had split up with Stephanie Seymour, and he was like, ‘I don’t want any more beautiful girls in my videos; I’d rather have a dolphin.’"
Morahan added, "We knew that we were deliberately doing that so people would go, ‘What’s all that about?!’ There was a sense that it was throwing up a lot more questions than answers, and that suited everybody – it created a myth and intrigue around the whole trilogy.”
When asked whether the dolphin element made the shoot fun, Morahan said, "It was fun, but it was bloody hard work. I look back on the things like dolphins flying out of aeroplanes and now, the effects look very unsophisticated." He continued, " ... There was also a desire at the time to make things as cutting-edge as possible, and make it wondrous and fantastic and surreal. Axl drove a lot of that; he wanted to be as mysterious and surreal as possible. I think he realized that it made the enigma more powerful."
So, there you have it. The use of the dolphins was to add some mystery and, frankly, because Rose was probably having a hard time with his breakup with Seymour. Of course, considering the latter, now I feel bad for making fun of those dolphins for all these years. Everyone has gone through a breakup before. They always suck, even if you're a massive rock star.
Sorry, Axl.
Guns N' Roses is one of rock's most beloved and notorious bands of all time. Forming from Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, the classic GN'R lineup consists of Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler.
The band turned the Sunset Strip on its head during a time when hair metal bands had taken over the scene and rock and roll, in general. Simply put: Guns N' Roses was the kick-in-the-ass rock needed. That kick came in the form of their iconic debut album, 1987's Appetite for Destruction.
Selling over 30 million copies worldwide, Appetite remains the best-selling debut album of all time and one of the best-selling albums ever. The LP is an absolute must-own classic. From its singles to the album tracks, not a single song is a "skip." Just put this on, let it play and enjoy.
RELATED: Guns N’ Roses: 16 Items That’ll Bring You to Your Sha-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n Knees, Knees
GN'R followed up Appetite with 1988's GN'R Lies. The album featured live cuts for their 1986 EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide and new songs, including the ballad "Patience."
After a long three years, Guns N' Roses released the double album Use Your Illusion I & II. Upon release, both albums were numbers one and two on the Billboard 200 album chart. (Use Your Illusion II was No. 1, and Use Your Illusion I was No. 2.) In total, the two LPs have sold over 14 million copies in the United States alone.
Two years later, GN'R released the 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" In essence, this led to the band going on hiatus and exits from Slash and McKagan. A new version of GN'R would emerge at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, which led to speculation of the eventual released of the highly-anticipated new album Chinese Democracy. While the album's constant delay became a punchline of sorts, it was eventually released in 2008.
And then, the seemingly unthinkable happened: Slash and McKagan rejoined Guns N' Roses in 2015. With Rose, Slash and McKagan on board -- along with Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer and Melissa Reese -- GN'R embarked on the "Not in This Lifetime..." tour in 2016 and have been steadily touring ever since.
Below is a ranking of all 87 songs that comprise the Guns N' Roses catalog. (Some random reissue filler songs were omitted, but c'mon...don't pretend like you care about those.) Scroll through to see where your favorite tracks rank!
87. "One in a Million" - 'GN'R Lies' (1988)
Geffen/UMG86. "My World" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG85. "Look at Your Game, Girl" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG84. "The Plague" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG83. "Oh My God" - 'End of Days Original Movie Soundtrack' (1999)
Interscope Records82. "Since I Don't Have You" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG81. "Riad N' the Bedouins" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG80. "Bad Apples" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG79. "Down on the Farm" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG78. "Used to Love Her" - 'GN'R Lies' (1988)
Geffen/UMG77. "Buick Makane (Big Dumb Sex)" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG76. "Perfect Crime" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG75. "Coma" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG74. "Don't Cry (Alt Lyrics)" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG73. "Locomotive" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG72. "Get in the Ring" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG71. "Shackler's Revenge" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG70. "Breakdown" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG69. "Scraped" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG68. "I.R.S." - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG67. "Sorry" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG66. "This I Love" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG65. "There Was a Time" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG64. "Don't Damn Me" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG63. "Garden of Eden" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG62. "Street of Dreams" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG61. "Back Off Bitch" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG60. "Dead Horse" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG59. "Pretty Tied Up (The Perils of Rock n' Roll Decadence)" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG58. "I Don't Care About You" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG57. "Black Leather" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG56. "Shotgun Blues" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG55. "If the World" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG54. "Right Next Door to Hell" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG53. "Ain't Goin' Down No More" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG52. "So Fine" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG51. "New Work Tune" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG50. "It's Alright" - 'Live Era '87-'93' (1999)
Geffen/UMG49. "Madagascar" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG48. "Attitude" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG47. "Catcher in the Rye" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG46. "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG45. "Chinese Democracy" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG44. "Heartbreak Hotel" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG43. "You Ain't the First" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG42. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG41. "Whole Lotta Rosie" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG40. "Prostitute" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG39. "The Garden" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG38. "Estranged" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG37. "Raw Power" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG36. "New Rose" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG35. "Human Being" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG34. "Mama Kin" - 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' (1986)
UZI Suicide33. "Hair of the Dog" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG32. "Reckless Life" - 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' (1986)
UZI Suicide31. "Ain't It Fun" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG30. "Sympathy for the Devil" - 'Interview with the Vampire' Soundtrack (1994)
Geffen29. "Shadow Of Your Love" - 'Guns N' Roses EP' (1988)/'Appetite for Destruction' (Super Deluxe Edition 2018)
Geffen/UMG28. "Think About You" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG27. "Move to the City" - 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' (1986)
UZI Suicide26. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG25. "Better" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG24. "Anything Goes" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG23. "You're Crazy" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG22. "Yesterdays" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG21."Double Talkin' Jive" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG20. "Bad Obsession" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG19. "Out ta Get Me" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG18. "Live and Let Die" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG17. "My Michelle" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG16. "You're Crazy" (acoustic) - 'GN'R Lies' (1988)
Geffen/UMG15. "Nice Boys" - 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' (1986)
UZI Suicide14. "14 Years" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG13. "Civil War" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG12. "Rocket Queen" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG11. "Mr. Brownstone" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG10. "Dust N' Bones" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG9. "Nightrain" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG8. "Don't Cry" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG7. "It's So Easy" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG6. "Paradise City" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG5. "November Rain" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG4. "Patience" - 'GN'R Lies' (1988)
Geffen/UMG3. "You Could Be Mine" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG2. "Sweet Child o' Mine - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG1. "Welcome to the Jungle" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG
