Thirty Days of Music- Part VIII

I'm endlessly fascinated by the fact that the sense of smell is so intrinsically associated with memories, particularly memories of people. Something as minute as a certain brand of shampoo conjures remembrances of a certain stage in my life. I like it; sometimes it's terrifying to me that after a while, memories and people become so hazy they're almost faceless, and barely seem like they were a reality.

Thankfully I'll never forget my first boyfriend, because not only can I associate a smell with him, I have the potent powers of Guns N Roses.

Use Your Illusion II is, without question one of my favourite albums of all times.* An impeccable cover of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"**, a lead single that features in Terminator II*** and "So Fine", a song that showcases one of the most beautiful men in the world, Duff McKagan, and his obscenely husky vocals. One of my favourite things about being fifteen was driving in a car with a boy listening to this CD on repeat and feeling unstoppably grown up and excited about life. I think we went to the aquarium once.

I can't remember quite how many time I've listened to Use Your Illusion II, but it's enough to be able to sing every single word, including Axl's angry rant-rap, to my favourite song on the album.

Day eight is a song you know all the words to:

I melt every time I hear Slash's guitar in this song.

Incidentally, if you happen to be sniffing at my unadulterated love for Guns N Roses (it's a possibility), watch the Youtube video below. It may be ten minutes long, but it's absolutely spectacular. Axl Rose mid-sprint, delivering a perfect performance!

* Let's just pretend that "My World" is a song that doesn't actually exist on account of it's horrible and embarrassing and a prime example of Axl Rose's imminent jumping of a shark.

** it only just pips Avril Lavigne's version. That Canadian powerhouse of a pseudo-emo.

*** I have absolutely no idea why this film would ever get criticism. When the Terminator sacrifices himself by very, very VERY slowly lowering himself into a vat of molten steel to save the prepubescent girl that is Edward Furlong, it's nothing short of heart-rending.