Draguns

33 minutes ago, Illusion1987 said:

They lost their passion for creating NEW quality music

 

As far as their passion performing.  It's been hit and miss. Axl sounds great some nights and sounds horrible others.

Same wirh Slash...MANY examples of noodling through songs. 

Many have this is a nostalgic  cash grab because THAT is what this is.

Wake me up when we hear NEW AMAZING mus8c from thos group.

Absurd + Hard School + Perhaps + The General is not it.

The General was beyond disappointing. Its a listen to one time and move on to almost all of the music fans that look it for what it is.

Again...wake me up when they release their next masterpiece 

What you stated about Axl sounding bad and Slash noodling aren't examples of GNR losing their passion. That's your opinion on the music.  If they lost their passion, they would be mailing it in and not doing 3+ hours shows. Additionally, they have released songs. Slash even said that there are plans for new songs.  Additionally, the 4 songs are new songs. It's not GNR's problem that you may have listened to the leaks. That's on you. GNR always had songs that they didn't release until a couple of years later. Like I said before, I would reconsider what you wrote.

1 hour ago, Illusion1987 said:

I just don't think they have it in them to put out a creative, well written, we'll produced, well performed album.

They aren't the Rolling Stones or Frank Sinatra ...99.99% of music acts just can not produce hits past their prime. 

Rock and Roll and professional sports are a young man's game and Father Time is virtually unbeaten.

Chinese Democracy was all that Axl had left in him.

The 20 + years Chinese left overs are just ideas and even with that time and ALL the money in the world, they are forgotten tracks. 

 

He'll, half of us here (even wirh no musical background) could have made those tracks better than they were...they just don't care.

They've lost their muse 

They've lost their passion 

They've lost their voice

It happens to the best of us...

If they lost their passion, they would not be performing 3+ hours for each show. I would reconsider what you wrote. 

15 minutes ago, 1987b said:

I’m hoping they sell out and hire a hits writer for a single or 2 like Aerosmith did… or collaborate with a current star for a hit.. make it part of an 11 track album with classic AFD sound.  Something that would make a new GNR track a clerical success and not just something we would listen to.  Not sure why I want that.  I just want gnr to be cool again and not a joke like they have been lately 

I wouldn't be surprised if we hear a duet between Carrie and Axl  for a new song. 

Axl's voice and  his charisma was one of the aspects that brought me into GNR. I also liked Slash's guitar playing and how he looked. He just had a rock star appearance.  The other aspect  was the attitude of the AFD5. They were determined to make it and told those who were against them to F off. That's was what I needed when I was fighting for my civil rights to a public education. 

I wouldn't say that GNR became untrendy in 1993 nor 1994. In the NYC area, Q104.3 was  conceived as an alt rock station in 1994. Rather than picking an alternative rock song as their anthem, they chose GNR's version of Hair of the Dog as their anthem. GNR was still trendy in the alt rock community in this area.  There was some interest in GNR when that infamous fax was broadcasted. College students talked about Slash leaving GNR. 

I think that GNR would have still been as popular as Aerosmith, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and Van Halen. 

7 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

They are doing that right now actually.  They are either playing Sandman or Puppets each night and not playing both. 

Technically speaking, they marketed the tour has having a different setlist for each night. I know that people complained that went to one show, but not the other. They didn't like not hearing Sandman nor Master of Puppets. I went to both shows at MetLife. 

October 1987, my family had just got cable. My father and I were watching MTV. During this time, I was fighting for my civil rights to a public education. While my father and I were watching MTV, a video montage came on of George Michael, Bon Jovi, and this red headed guy in an electrical chair watching TVs and screaming like a banshee. My father said this was a good band named Guns N' Roses. A few days later, I watched the Welcome to the Jungle video in its entirety. It was something I can relate to given what I was going through at the time. 

It's funny to think that The General can cause damage when they released One in A Million back in the day. If anything One In A Million had the potential to cause much more damage to GNR, but it didn't. Additionally, the article that came out in 1994 regarding Axl 's relationship with Stephanie and Erin would have caused a ton more damage than song in 2023. 

This post is an overreaction to The General. The song is average that will not cause damage. If anything, it may even eventually enhance the reputation of GNR (Axl specifically) considering it's about child abuse. The only other song that I know of that deals with child abuse is Janine's Got a Gun. Other than that no other songs that I know of  tackle this subject matter. It may help victims of child abuse tackle their feelings on this and may be used in therapy or something. 

Even though Gordon said he laughs, I would say 1988 Ritz performance would be their overall best concert. You could tell that they were having a great time and enjoyed the crowd along with the spotlight.  That performance was something special.

4 hours ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

But we already have the song. Tell me what does it matter? What is the psychology behind wanting Monsters to be "released officially" at this point now, instead of other songs? We already have the song to listen to, so what is the thought process here, we will get a slightly better quality of it when it's officially uploaded and that's it, so what are you really caring about here..? Other people listening to it, instead of you..? You have access to it anytime you want, as does pretty much anyone on this forum.

We HAVE the song, we've HEARD it, I'd rather they release something we do not have, like a finished State Of Grace, Berlin, Seven, whatever the hell we haven't heard. Absolute no brainer for me, so I don't understand where you're coming from.

Some of us don't have Monsters though. I didn't think about downloading it since I thought it was going to be released. 

Release Monsters and move on in writing new music. 

2 hours ago, colonizedmind said:

I'm finding it difficult to critically process "The General" and be pragmatic about it's merits and flaws...

Why?

For many reasons -I think it's a small miracle we have this song in our collection now and it sits on Guns official channels. It does show that the Axl we've commented on and deduced from the last year or so, is an Axl in quite an obviously different mental state and place than perhaps forever. His entire demeanor has shifted/altered, or rather gone back to the more confident times but with a new twist of modesty and gratitude. He total showed up Slash and Duff and the rest (whom normally are known as quite fan friendly) over the years worth of touring, he stopped many more times to talk with fans, sign shit and take a pouty photo or two...he even looked genuinely moved at a woman saying they named their son, Axl, after him and went in for hugs to name a few examples. His stage presence is at an older age peak, his movement was noticeably less ridged and telegraphed this year...Yes he was in better shape but he seemed more at ease and chill with himself and his position, which came through in his stage chats and banter which has been minimal 2016-22 until this year...

My point to this is....without his current mentality and mindset, I really don't think General gets released otherwise. Listening to it time and time again, reading the lyrics...WOW, it's such difficult and touchy subject and ultimately something, perhaps more than anything he's actually written, really close to the bone. It's obvious this part of his formative years has gone to shape the majority of his life (I'm sure if we get his book it will feature heavily, he often said when crazy shit happened, he had reasons...and one day he'd tell us, why this behaviour)..how he didn't easily trust folk and how loyality became THEE most important thing for Axl, it's quite clear, how his errors and mistakes have occured, manifesting from his own experiences and misfortune of having an abusive dick in the household. Clearly this fucked him up for longer than he'd care to admit...not one to regret, but he regrets "not taking the time to forget" (move forward with help)

Knowing how sensitive he is, firing Go to allow the world to hear THIS? Something that perhaps was more therapy for him to write and record, more than a song he planned at the time for us ...Is the real headline here...

Of course I understand our endless debates about the clipping, about our mismanaged expectations of what the song was, about our hyperbole, about everything really...we all do it. We've had 15+ years...but I can't do it now... just can't objectively criticise a piece, that is about such a personal thing...it kinda doesn't matter, its flaws may only add to what the whole picture is anyway...

I genuinely think it's a small miracle this is out and he gave the ok...

and in it's own little way, that's the biggest statement and takeaway from it all....

Very good post!

5 minutes ago, Gordon Comstock said:

 

With vocals? Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the only 'completed' song was the re-worked Ain't Goin' Down that they used in the pinball machine, and I think that was done either late '93 or early '94. Maybe This I Love too, if that counts. But by all accounts there weren't many 'complete' songs with vocals in the mid '90s.

 

 

I can see why people think Down By The Ocean = Box, but Box was released over a year before Axl mentioned DBTO. We know he listened to Slash and Duff's albums back then, there's no reason to think he wouldn't have been aware of Box and the rest of Izzy's songs... maybe they're similar, but I doubt they're the same song.

I don't know. All I do know is remembering Matt Sorum stating they had 7 completed songs and 7 songs that they were working on at that time period. Additionally, there seems to have been ideas during that era so I'm very curious to hear that. 

21 minutes ago, Sweersa said:

Me too! I wonder if it was later turned into or similar to Izzy's "Box" song. That one has "down by the ocean" from "lives in a box down by the ocean" which is part of the catchy Sweet Home Alabama sounding chorus in Izzy's solo song. 

As Gordon stated, it seems to be different songs.

I would love to hear completed tracks from the 94-96 sessions. Additionally, Down By The Ocean  is something I would like to hear. 

I hope this is the beginning of the end for the CD era. I would like to hear what this NITL  band can produce. Other than Hard Skool, Perhaps, and Absurd, the only other CD era song that I would officially like to have is Monsters. 

I hope it's Monsters.

14 minutes ago, El Guapo said:

I know I'm annoying!

You know, this makes me kinda angry. Because I love(ed) GnR. They are pissing on their legacy and their fans with this. I hate because I care.

Sorry, but I don't feel nor think this way. It's an average song that could have been better. That's all it is. 

I'm seeing lots of positive comments on their YouTube page regarding The General. 

It's an ok song. I get why Axl did the vocal effects, but it does take away from the song. For me, this is an average song. I prefer Monsters over The General. 

1 hour ago, Silence said:

Using your father’s income as an example is a poor one. 60% of people in the US live paycheck to paycheck regardless of income. Its a consumer culture. 

Some of those people have a choice to cut spending. Most do not cut spending. If you cannot live with a $150,000  salary in this area, I don't know what I can tell you.  You are making more than enough money. 

Some people like my father didn't have a choice. He kept working and work. His hard work paid off for us as a family. If my father can make it as someone who came from a foreign country, working two jobs, saving money when he can, dealing with a son that has multiple disabilities, and putting two kids through college then others can do so as well if you making the correct choices in life. I'm sorry you feel that way that my father is a poor example. I beg to differ on that. 

Anyway, I really don't want to debate this since you think my example is a poor choice. I feel very strongly about this. Have a great night!

 

4 hours ago, Silence said:

Life is different now. That comparison is pointless. 

Not really. Point is a guy with a high school level education from a different country is able to make it even though he's supported three other people at close to poverty level. One of which the three people he's supported was born with multiple physical disabilities. 

You just don't want to hear it that it's relevant to today.

I would say the Ritz blu ray. It brought back memories of listening bits and pieces of that concert through a black and white tv that had a combination of a radio. At the time 102.7 WNEW here in the NJ/NYC broadcasted the concert. They had some songs but then played various songs from other artists. 

2 hours ago, Voodoochild said:

I'm ok, but maybe you're the one who needs to chill. I didn't want to upset you with my comment. But I didn't say you SAID that, I said you stated your opinion - that both albums were supposedly BETTER than CD - as a fact. I said that was just your opinion, not a fact, and that's what I meant when I said it was subjective. 

When I said that I like CD a lot more, that's subjective too, of course. And that's what I said: it's your opinion, and I said my opinion - that you promptly dismissed as "fandom talking", which I don't appreciate either, but it's all good. 

Anyways, I apologize if what I said offended you, but I stand by what I said: what you said about CD is just your opinion, and that's subjective. 

The way you worded it kinda came across as you downplaying my opinion. Anyway, I apologize as well. I like what you usually post on here.  I hope you didn't take offense to my comment as well.