GnR Chris

I got my Perhaps vinyl in the mail today. It isn’t pixelated like some of the ones others received earlier. Mine says made in Czech Republic, for whatever that’s worth. I promptly stored it in my AFD Locked N’ Loaded box and will probably never look at it again. I don’t mean anything negative by that. I just don’t have a record player, but I like to collect GNR physical media. Especially when they finally, ACTUALLY, give us new songs.

I said it earlier in the thread, but I’m sort of done harping on what I wish they did with “The General” versus just enjoying the song for what it is. Obviously, that doesn’t mean people have to pretend to like it. I dig it. Mostly, I wish this band would keep tracks like “The General” and “Absurd” for a full-length album or for a bonus disc EP to an accompanying album. They’d do themselves more favors releasing groovier, poppier songs that are more palatable for the majority of the fan base. “Perhaps” was pretty well received, with the harshest criticism probably being that it’s an “old Axl song.” Or from people who are in love with the locker leak. “Hard Skool” sounds like Guns N’ Roses. Or, you know … maybe if there was more cohesion with their releases. The weirder or experimental stuff can be the B sides., released SAME TIME as the “lead” single. “The General” as a B side to “Monsters.” “Hard Skool” as a B side to “Perhaps.” “Absurd” as a B side to “Atlas Shrugged.”

Why? All you have to do is not press play on it. Clearly there are folks here who are enjoying the song.

Excuse me? “This I Love” and “There was a Time” feature great solos. “Better” not only has a good solo, but some riffing too. You’re just saying things right now.

The pixelated image used on the vinyl is not only embarrassing but it’s disgraceful. What the fuck was wrong with the quality of it a month ago that it got delayed only to be delivered like this anyway? Why do they consistently fuck everything up. The song isn’t even “new” anymore to me. They took all the goddamn excitement out of it with this FOR NO REASON delay.

I’ve seen comments where people said: ”I wish they wouldn’t have released this.” But why? Why does it affect you? If you don’t like it, you simply don’t have to listen. For those who enjoy “The General,” we have another song to add to our catalog. ”Slash should be embarrassed to be on this. He needs to leave Guns N’ Roses.” Why? As a huge fan of Slash, I like when Slash does things outside of his normal wheelhouse. He has the Conspirators to do his straight up older-school rock and roll. I’m not even saying I wouldn’t like some Appetite-inspired GNR songs. I want any and all new songs they wanna send my way. I’m just not stuck hoping that they will return to their ‘roots.” People forget that there was a huge number of fans disappointed in 1991 that the Illusions records weren’t Appetite. For me the disappointment is in the mixing of these songs. If you listen to the newer stuff, it’s stark how LOUD “General” is compared to “Perhaps.” And the aforementioned clipping. The one song I think sounds like it has the best mix is “Absurd,’ which is the weakest actual song of the four. Funny that.

I expect nothing less from the majority of their fan base. They probably stopped listening to new music in 1994.

Also, sorry, I know I’m posting a lot tonight, but as much as “The General” isn’t a poppy song or something that necessarily has a memorable melody, it’s a goddamn ear worm. I’ve been singing “daddy don’t, the hell I won’t” for a freakin’ month now. And don’t get me started on my awful falsetto on “my only regret ….” My girlfriend actually digs when I play “The General” now ‘cause I’ve had “Perhaps” on such a loop since its official release that it’s far and away my most top listened Spotify song despite it releasing only a few short months ago. So she’s like, finally, something different. Ha!

Count me among the folks who really like the ending to “The General.” I get why people don’t: Axl’s wailing hides the killer guitar work. But what jumped out to me when I first heard the leak was the ending, and how Axl’s high pitched vocals eventually blended into the weeping guitar licks to the point it almost became indecipherable what was Slash and what was Axl. That’s pretty poetic. It reminded me of the way back when Slash said Axl’s voice was a unique instrument unto itself. I doubt we’d bemoan “The General” for what it isn’t if this motherfucking band would just release more music. This slow trickling of tracks leaves us always wanting more with each individual song. Bigger solo. Rasp. More verses. Etc. But if we had a batch of new songs, we could just enjoy each them individually, but as a collective. You know … like a freakin’ album. Every song on an album doesn’t need a long Slash solo. Every song on an album doesn’t need to be 7 minutes.

“The General” isn’t for everyone. If it was on a record, it’d be considered a deep cut IMO. Like “Locomotive” or “Prostitute.” Or even “Perfect Crime.” ”Perhaps” is the “best” song of the NITL releases thus far in that it’s accessible for new and old GNR fans alike. You wouldn’t immediately say “this sounds like a Chinese Democracy song” like you would with “Absurd” and “General.” “Perhaps” is a ballad with bite. “Hard Skool” is a solid rocker. It sounds most like vintage GNR, but it’s just too repetitive lyrically. So for me, I’d compare it to something like “Anything Goes” or “Right Next Door to Hell.” If it was fleshed out, it could have been a rocker more akin to “Nightrain” or “Easy.” ”Monsters” is a “big gun.” I have no idea why they’re sitting on that. It’s mean. It’s vicious. It’s poppy. It’s objectively the best, most complete song we’ve heard from GNR since 2008.

Dude, fuck off. I don’t mind hearing your opinion that YOU don’t like it. But what’s the elitist bullshit about, that everyone has to share your opinion? I’m not lying to myself or you when I say I like the song.

Agreed. “The General” doesn’t even seem new to me anymore ‘cause I listened a hundred times since it leaked..

What demo? The leak was the final song. Or are you comparing this to the cell phone clip? Which wasn’t even “The General.”

I said this too way earlier in this thread somewhere. I like the distortion. But after hearing it live, I liked it “clean” too. I think it would have been dope had it gotten progressively distorted. So peel back the layers first till it goes bonkers like it does in the end.

Sebastian Bach released a new song today and Myles Kennedy is credited as a writer. I didn’t realize they worked together.

I don’t know anything about mixing songs. Could it be they can’t fix the clipping ‘cause it’s on the original recordings they’re pulling this from? Obviously they’re using a bunch of old parts and Axl is not gonna re-record his. Just a question. Definitely disappointing to get another GNR unicorn with a bad mix (haven’t heard the studio release yet but I never expected it to be different than the leak).

I’ve certainly felt burned before with GNR merch. Ripoff Nightrain membership for presale code to ONE stinkin’ show that didn’t net me better tickets than my Citi presale, for example. Just the way they let whoever runs their site treat fans like trash. And the Nightrain merch has almost always been such poor quality. Another thing, I was REALLY pissed at pit prices for the show at Wrigley this year. Higher than ever. I think I paid $400+ and I fuckin’ KNEW if I waited, there’d probably be a very good chance I’d be able to cop for much cheaper due to Suckmaster’s dynamic pricing bullshit. But since I care so much about seeing GNR and never wanna miss a show, I didn’t wanna risk it. Those are the only times I’ve felt hot. But I get my money’s worth at the live shows. It sounds privileged to say I don’t care what it costs … Nothing lasts forever. The band won’t tour in perpetuity. They have been the soundtrack of my life since I was 10 years old. I am gonna see them every chance I get, and I proudly wear my GNR-related stuff. I don’t think I’ll ever have this type of connection with any band ever again.

Don’t know how any GNR fan can say “Better” sucks or is unlistenable. Killer bridge. Great outro. Cool lyrics. Catchy verses with rAsP. Blistering solo. It has everything a GNR fan would want in a GNR song. But the little high-clean “no one ever told me” intro ruins all that? LOL. OK. Also, “Chinese Democracy” was a fine lead single. Nice intro riff. It had Axl’s trademark screech at the beginning (first time I heard the studio release, I remember getting goosebumps at that part). Leaned into his “Brownstone” style voice. Good coda on this one too. Let’s face it. This record could have had “Estranged” or “November Rain,” and there is a large segment of the fan base who would have still tuned it out ‘cause “no Slash.” I’m pumped “The General” is actually coming Friday. Now we wait an eternity for “Monsters”?

They should just reuse this vagina image as the cover for the next record. Right up Slash’s alley, honestly. 😂

Count me in as someone who likes the Chinese Democracy cover a lot. I’m nitpicking, but I guess if I were to change something, I’d get rid of the vertical “Guns N’ Roses” text and move “Chinese Democracy” horizontally along the bottom. Gives a little more breathing room to the cover art. I don’t remember, what gesture is the red hand doing?

I do. It’s just so low effort. A well-framed photograph of a band member would be better as a cover than this stuff.

If they do use live footage from the Hollywood Bowl for a music video, I hope it’s not just the same concept as “Perhaps.” Don’t splice together a bunch of tour clips again and multiple shows. I love the “Perhaps” video, but we don’t need another one just like it this soon. Then again, it’d be infinitely better than a lazy lyric video with a crocodile dying in the background.

“The General” never had a chance to live up to the hype. It’s as mythologized as Chinese Democracy itself was. I like the song. I like “Monsters.” I don’t get bogged down with the thought of what is and isn’t a “big gun.” I just enjoy listening to new Guns N’ Roses songs. Fuckin’ “Perhaps” is my most played song on Spotify this year … and it only came out three months ago. 😂

😂

My favorite comments here are from people who tell us how long they’ve been a fan, and then go on to say “The General” is trash. As if being a fan since 1990 or whenever gives them some type of authority to speak for the masses. The audacity of some of us to actually like “The General” and “Monsters.” We just must be uncultured swine, we “new” fans who enjoy this intolerable “industrial” Guns N’ Roses. I’ve STILL been singing “My only regret is that I never took the time to forget” part over and over throughout the week and I’ve only listened to the song once in the last several days. Still waiting for a proper release so I’m not trying to burn it out. But knowing GNR, “Monsters” won’t release till 2026. It took them how long to get us “Hard Skool” and “Perhaps” after those locker leaks? lol