Angel’s Rock Report–Friday [AUDIO]

Listen to this morning's Rock Report here

Twenty years ago tomorrow, September 17th, 1991 at midnight, Guns N' Roses released two albums -- Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II. By 2 a.m. they had sold half-a-million copies. Illusion II debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 770,000 copies and Illusion I was second with 685,000 sold. Each one has since been certified seven-times platinum.

Among the songs on the albums are "November Rain," "Don't Cry," "Estranged" and a cover of Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die."

The album also features the debut of former Cult drummer Matt Sorum, who replaced Steven Adler, who was unfit due to his dependency on drugs.

Looking back on the albums, Slash tells MusicRadar.com that they were "exploratory compared to Appetite for Destruction. I'd have preferred to do a record with just 10 songs that were a bit more straightforward, but it was an opportunity to finally get the band to work again... There's a lot of good crap on those records."

But the recording sessions did lead to discord amongst the bandmates, particularly singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin, who disagreed with the over production. Stradlin quit a week after the albums were released.  (For a great story from the album’s producer about a time Slash almost cried in the studio, check out the audio at the start of this report.)

Dave Grohl is working on a project that has to do with the studio where Nirvana recorded Nevermind. We got the dirt from one of his collaborators, REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin, who let it slip this week on a red carpet in L.A. Cronin wouldn't give a lot of details -- saying he'd rather let DG announce it when he's ready -- but Dave’s definitely collecting stories from artists who've worked there.

Nirvana recorded Nevermind at Sound City Studio in Van Nuys, California, where Speedwagon recorded their 1978 (unfortunately titled) album You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish. Other albums recorded there include Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Damn the Torpedoes and Weezer's Pinkerton.

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine told the audience Wednesday night at the Big Four show with Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer at New York's Yankee Stadium that he needs to undergo surgery on his neck. He injured it during the completed Mayhem Festival tour. Megadeth's appearance last night was actually in doubt because of the injury, but they were able to go on, playing a 10-song set. Megadeth's next shows are scheduled for November in South and Central America.

And rush with great quickness to your calendar NOW to note the release of Scott Weiland's Christmas album, originally scheduled for release last year, will now be out on October 4th.