Nice Boy Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 (edited) GnR are undoubtedly my favourite band. Like most fans, I've always thought that what makes them special and unique is how different they were in their heyday to all those shitty hair bands like Poison, Warrant and whatever. That's a generally accepted and orthodox view for us fans. However.. Sometimes, I get a moment of clarity when I watch a video of one of those shit hair bands, and I realise that to a non GnR fan, when they see a video of GnR playing live in the 80s, what they see is no different to the crap like Poison. To them, it's all just a mulch of cheesy hair, leather and screaming, and there's nothing special about GnR at all. So I get this moment of 'realisation' that actually it's just my nostalgia making me think GnR were special and different, and that actually they are barely any different to Poison or Warrant etc, since from an outsiders perspective it's all the same. A total embarrassment lol. I suddenly doubt my entire love for the band. Are GnR actually shit, objectively speaking? Proper moments of doubt. But then I'll stick the Ritz 88 video on, watch it for a few moments and think, what the hell am I on about, these boys were MILES ahead of those other crappy hair bands. A different league. A different species. And, breathe. That ever happen to you ? Edited June 5, 2019 by Nice Boy Ye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towelie Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 (edited) All classic rock bands sound pretty cheesy in 2019. The indulgent guitar solos, the leather apparel, the OTT vocals, the corny imagery of devil horns and skulls etc. It’s not just 80s hair metal bands. Name me a single band that falls under the classic rock umbrella who isn’t guilty of some/all of the above. But who cares as long as the music gets your blood pumping, right? This is rock music, not Miles Davis or Mozarts Requiem in D minor. Rock music has always been dumb and gaudy. Embrace it. Edited June 5, 2019 by Towelie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lio Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Whenever I watch a GNR clip with people who are not fans, I see GNR through their eyes So I get what you mean. But I don't care. I love them, they mean a lot to me, they're special to me. It doesn't matter how anyone else sees them. To me, they're unique. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drexl Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 The only difference is Guns didn't look like a bunch of pussies and posers. But I've always thought it's about music, not looks. Musically Guns were totally exceptional and one of a kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovim Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 I think Izzy kinda set the tone image wise with his New York Dolls look. Other than that, no moment of clarity for me, Guns were nothing like their peers other than the fact the lyrics were also about sex and drugs but it was darker, there wasn't really a party feel. generally speaking it had more substance than that and the music sounded unique even if it was a continuation of what came before. like every great band it was more than just the musical influences they shared like Aerosmith, Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lame ass security Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 (edited) 12 hours ago, Towelie said: All classic rock bands sound pretty cheesy in 2019. The indulgent guitar solos, the leather apparel, the OTT vocals, the corny imagery of devil horns and skulls etc. It’s not just 80s hair metal bands. Name me a single band that falls under the classic rock umbrella who isn’t guilty of some/all of the above. But who cares as long as the music gets your blood pumping, right? This is rock music, not Miles Davis or Mozarts Requiem in D minor. Rock music has always been dumb and gaudy. Embrace it. WASP wasn't guilty of any of those things.😄 Edited June 5, 2019 by lame ass security Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minche Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 (edited) Except none of those bands had a frontman like Axl Rose. Whether one likes him or not, his charisma, on-stage presence etc., can't be denied. He simply owns it. I'm a huge Rolling stones fan, but when I watched Axl (and Izzy) join them on stage, I couldnt help but notice how nonchalantly Axl stole the show. Same thing happened during his performance with Tom Petty. Not many frontmen are capable of doing that. To me, he is as irreplacable as Mercury and Jagger. Poison and Warrant are really like whatever, in comparison to Gn'r. Could maybe listen to a song or 2 by both, whereas , to this day, I can never get enough of Gn'r.. from Appetite to Chinese Democracy. Nonetheless, I see your point, Nice Boy. I was once a huge Nirvana fan, among other stuff. Fast forward 15 years and I just can't stand their music or understand why was I going cray over them to begin with. 🤷♀️ Edited June 5, 2019 by Minche 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselDaisy Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 I think Slash's bluesy guitar and Izzy's songwriting elevated them somewhat beyond their peers, but I see what you are saying. They are rather embarrassing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-W.A.R- Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 I was listening to Estranged and for whatever this time the beginning of the song embarrassed me - It was like the pretentiousness slapped me right in the face Of course the current state of the band is embarrassing also with them endlessly touring the greatest hits sounding/looking washed up. Ultimately i haven't listened to Guns in months and think i may be over them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Cnut Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 On 05/06/2019 at 8:49 AM, Towelie said: All classic rock bands sound pretty cheesy in 2019. The indulgent guitar solos, the leather apparel, the OTT vocals, the corny imagery of devil horns and skulls etc. It’s not just 80s hair metal bands. Name me a single band that falls under the classic rock umbrella who isn’t guilty of some/all of the above. But who cares as long as the music gets your blood pumping, right? This is rock music, not Miles Davis or Mozarts Requiem in D minor. Rock music has always been dumb and gaudy. Embrace it. This basically. With rock bands you're in the theatre of the common man, it sits neatly alongside comic books and junk food. Its really not meant to be intellectualised. When you listen to rock music remember this, it was originally made by yokels and hillbillys. And thats not an insult or calling those people dumb, rather that its not meant to be held to high-minded standards, its juke-joint music, it just so happened people got some big ideas about it in the 60s and 70s and a lot of people have clung to those ideas because its a lot easier than understanding jazz or deciphering the musical complexities of Beethoven. Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Link Wray, Duane Eddy, these people are not physics graduates. The whole appeal of this music originally was the fact that it didn't think, or require you to think, it wasn't high minded and 'snooty', it was music to drink and dance to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towelie Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 4 hours ago, Len Cnut said: This basically. With rock bands you're in the theatre of the common man, it sits neatly alongside comic books and junk food. Its really not meant to be intellectualised. When you listen to rock music remember this, it was originally made by yokels and hillbillys. And thats not an insult or calling those people dumb, rather that its not meant to be held to high-minded standards, its juke-joint music, it just so happened people got some big ideas about it in the 60s and 70s and a lot of people have clung to those ideas because its a lot easier than understanding jazz or deciphering the musical complexities of Beethoven. Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Link Wray, Duane Eddy, these people are not physics graduates. The whole appeal of this music originally was the fact that it didn't think, or require you to think, it wasn't high minded and 'snooty', it was music to drink and dance to. I like it when you agree with me Len. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Cnut Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 12 minutes ago, Towelie said: I like it when you agree with me Len. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Instead of fluffy on the outside like you generally come across 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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