StrangerInThisTown

4 minutes ago, Rovim said:

I don't think that every listener that knows the music of both bands lumps them together. I'd say a lot of people don't. maybe image wise if you didn't hear too many songs from the catalogs.

Isn't that what "the public" refers to - people who are vaguely familiar with the big hits, maybe watched the WTTJ video or Kickstart My Heart. There is literally no difference to anyone except for people who know Motleys first couple albums instead of Dr. Feelgood (which was their biggest album). Because by that point they were truly putting out the exact same genre of music. Wasn't there even a rumour that Slash wrote the Dr. Feelgood riff and gave it to Nikki?

1 hour ago, Rovim said:

Gn'R created and released AFD, a masterpiece of hard rock. you're comparing that to anything MC did musically? 99% of the public? says who?

You need someone to "say" something for you that is like..so extremely obvious to anyone? That the publics perception of GNR and Motley are largely the same lol? They are lumped in together by the public all day and night what are you on about.

15 hours ago, Free Bird said:

But GNR is way more than Anything Goes. 
They arised from that scene but they grown out quickly. There were still some elements in their songs on Appetite but that was already a bit slower, bluesier, less metal and not as polished as the rest of the hairmetal scene.

That was only the years before AFD came out though. AFD ushered in an entire new era of "hair metal" it goes on for about 5 more years after that point, and when the album exploded, and all hair-metal bands adapted that bluesier GNR sound you described. They were all putting out hard rock like GNR, all the way until about 1992, trying to cash in on their popularity. Those million copycat bands, aswell as bands like Poison and Motley who shifted their style more to GNR with their albums.

I think that whole term refers more to how the people putting the music out LOOKED - which is obviously retarded when you try to describe music with it, like we are trying, which makes the entire conversation flawed, since the term stems from people who didn't think it through and just wanted a dumb name to put on the scene.

3 hours ago, Free Bird said:

But it’s not only the name. To me there’s a difference in styles between GNR and Mötley.

On the early albums I would definitely agree, but by the time Dr. Feelgood was released they were pretty much putting out the exact same music. I don't think there's much of a difference between "Anything Goes" and "She Goes Down", it's the same songs you would nowadays categorize as "hair metal", however vague that term is.

GNR had a hair metal phase even though I would say it's pretty short. Most of their music has darker lyrics than most of those bands put out, even if musically there's not much of a difference. But their look and their subject matter made them different to bands like Motley, which would be enough to understandably want to put them in a different category than hair metal.

(still they toured together in 1987)

55 minutes ago, Free Bird said:

These songs might have some elements of hair metal but all in all it’s hard rock in my opinion. 

80s hard rock and hair metal are often used as synonyms anyway, the entire term hair metal was not even a genre back then, none of those bands or their songs were refered to as hair metal, it was always hard rock. It's a loose made up bullshit term by journalists to give a disparaging name for the entire scene of rock from the 80s played by pretty boys after grunge exploded, and not really a genre in itself. These bands all played hard rock, or a slight variation of it.

1 hour ago, Free Bird said:

I don’t agree. Motley Crue is the stereotypical Hair Metal band and whoever puts GNR in this category has simply no idea.

GNR definitely started out as that and had the hair metal style in the first 3 years (85-87) especially Axl with his teased hair, which even made it as late as the WTTJ video shoot. Songs such as Anything Goes and Back Off Bitch are pure hair metal, not really different to songs other bands wrote at the time.

2 hours ago, Imissthecornrows said:

Anyone else ever go on Youtube late on a Friday night and watch mid to late 2000s performances of Chinese Democracy songs?

If you mean when it's close to 3:00 AM and I come home still drunk and trip and fall all over my keyboard and the impact of my head types the right sequence of letters into the searchbar with the mouse also falling on the ground clicking play when it lands on the resulting video while I unconciously lay on the ground the rest of the night: yeah all the time

Otherwise I don't believe I've ever done that no

1 hour ago, Karice said:

Hmm, maybe Izzy and Steven can collaborate with Guns N'Roses/Axl again soon! 😀

Yes definitely "soon", the worst word of all time to describe a timeframe - which is in turn why you are 100% spot on and accurate with that statement. Nicely done

I'd love for GNR to say yes and then this being the first tour where Shotgun Blues "coincidentally" makes it's live debut and is played for the first time lol

14 hours ago, MaskingApathy said:

The information that they're missing is that he and the rest of the guys are having a blast on the current tour, which is obvious if you see any videos from recent shows but I also have firsthand knowledge of this. 

Also Frank posted this today: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4wJomPv3Yq/?igsh=OG9wZDU1ZGtrdzl6

 

 

Since this discussion you're still having is coming from a point I've made, let me clarify I didn't question whether he enjoys the live shows. That was never really even a question, he always has.

(But even then if we really want to get into it, nothing "is obvious". He looks like he's having a blast when you watch shows he played with VR. It proves nothing - what does that prove? This destroys your entire argument. The only thing that you can deduct and that "is obvious", is that clearly he enjoys playing live, and always has, with any band.)

What I meant by his heart is not in it since the GNR reunion, the comment that people have been ridiculous about - I'm refering to the quality of the albums. They clearly took a hit. And you'd have to be a real idiot to believe that's just a big coincidence, or that it has to do with anything else. It clearly took the wind out of the sails for SMKC in terms of creativity and how into composing new material for that band Slash has been since then, it got relegated from being the main focus in his life into the side thing for downtime..and it shows. The entire existence of SMKC has completely turned into just an excuse to tour, it's all "fuck it this'll do" for the albums. That's not what I call having your heart in it.

The 3 albums before the GNR reunion vs the 2 albums we got after the reunion, they just speak for themselves. And the numbers prove it, do we have to get into those again, I'd rather not. This whole discussion is more suited for the "Where do we go now?" topic anyways.

42 minutes ago, DoMw94 said:

Nobody once ever said that, except you...

How about instead of cluttering the thread with even more of this nonsense you go back and read my earlier reply to you, that you choose to ignore, where I already explained in detail to you and the other guy who claimed he wouldn't be checking Youtube views how that's an absurd take in 2024.

22 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

This Slash "Blues Oriented" album is the most exciting thing since the reunion.

SMKC hit its peak with WoF.. That was killer album and the music was strong enough to outshine Myles.. He is a nice guy and all and better live but he is generic and stale as hell which rubs off on the music. I have zero interest in SMKC anymore. Even more so since the reunion where I can see Slash play GnR songs. 

No interest in Duff's solo stuff.. Especially after the woke cringy Tenderness album. 

Guns themselves are stale themselves these days.. Every one of the "Chinese Leftovers" are crap.. The lineup is sterile and don't do a decent amount of songs justice. Axl is a shell of his former self.. I will still see them live if they come around but it isn't top priority..

I am stoked for this Slash album/tour.. I hope it takes off and becomes an annual thing..

 

Pretty much spot on exactly how I feel. Things in the GNR universe have been flooded with uninspired releases and projects since 2018 when the first release post GNR-reunion came out, LTD, and completely shattered my expectations with what would become of that band after such an incredible string of albums that were just getting better.

But also the new GNR singles, were pretty much not any better. Most of the time the waiting for it coming out ended up being more exciting than the release itself, how disappointing is that? Perhaps was really the only one moment where I felt pretty good about it.

I have a feeling this album will make up for it and that it can be listened to for a long time, with 70 minutes it has near WoF length to it which makes up for things somewhat.

6./5. The General/ I'm Just Ken

I honestly can't tell what would feel more embarrassing to be blasting out of your car around town with your windows down, I'm Just Ken or The General. So already just for that they're way at the bottom, with a large distance to everything else.

4./3. HS/Absurd

Don't think I listened to HS even more than 5 times total because the 2000 version is just overall more exciting, and thinking about it now, Absurd I also don't think I'll ever listen to again either. It's just so lazy in terms of writing it almost feels like it's wasting my time.

2./1. Perhaps and Killing Floor (though that one still has recency-bias to it)

Are interchangeable at the top, way above everything else. just great fully realized songs that feel like work was put into. I don't get that from any of the other 4.

11 hours ago, WhazUp said:

I came into this topic wanting to see what people thought of the Killing Floor cover, and instead its just a bunch of people arguing over SMKC and over-thinking things way more than Axl during the Chinese Democracy era

Instead of extrapolating and guessing what Slash's heart is or isn't into, what do we all think about this Killing Floor cover?  I personally like it a lot, and I like seeing Slash do his own thing with it unrelated to Zeppelin's variation which turned into The Lemon Song

The topic was rather dead for a while, before I began stirring the pot a little again. We can always go back to being boring I guess, lol. I really thought some of my takes might be "hot", but I unexpectedly got confronted with reading even wilder things, like people actually convinced Slash isn't a dude living in 2024, browsing Youtube on his phone, like everyone else. And how he can never possibly look up his own new exciting project he just launched.What a hot take I have don't I, believing the opposite. Made some posters go "WOW", lol

3 hours ago, Bitchisback said:

This is such a wild take lol

 

You do realize the single has Brian Johnson on it right?  Of course people are going to check it out.

 

I really doubt slash is going to compare the success between this album and anything SMKC.  As long as he gets along with those guys and can sell tickets to shows he is going to do it.  Slash likes playing clubs and likes playing with his band.  His world doesn't revolve around YouTube views 

Well, somewhat you are right..yes. I believe that the entire reason that exactly now, after 14 full years of SMKC, he NOW has a new single with Brian Johnson out.. is exactly because of how poorly the last SMKC album did. That would be too much of a coincidence, that after 14 years, he is now suddenly launching a new project. That band has been good to him the entire time and he's cool with that ...aslong as the numbers reflect it.

As soon as it begins to go south he will reevaluate what he's doing. And that's where we are now. I won't fully rule out it could be a coincidence, but it just makes sense at this exact point in time.

22 hours ago, MaskingApathy said:

This is absolutely not true. If his heart wasn't in it he wouldn't be on tour with them right now.

This is so flawed I don't know what to tell you as a Slash fan, you are simply not as informed as you think you are.

According to Slash himself, his heart also was NEVER in VR. Never. Not a single second. Did he tour with that band? Do you, just coincidentally, happen to know?

It wasn't fun for him..the entire time. Yet, he managed to do 2 full albums and tours with that band. You probably would have made this exact same post back in 2007 too, "he wouldn't tour if his heart wasn't in it", without knowing the reality. You really think his SOLE reason for touring and not staying at home is because "his heart is in it" ? - and not because of MUCH more important other reasons such as ..he would be drinking himself to death and relapsing, if he wasn't doing anything else..? 

If you've read his autobiography which I completely believe, being on this forum for years, you MUST have since you come across as big of a hardcore Slash fan as I am: you know that he will be doing absolutely anything in terms of keeping himself busy.

I'm not making this up these are his OWN words, read his biography, he's not good with keeping a downtime staying at home, so he just forces himself to tour, no matter if he's inspired or not, there are much more important things at stake. I suggest you read it again if you think what I'm saying is bullshit.

He will tour the worst album because he doesn't know what else to do with himself. Would he have toured Libertad if "his heart is in it"?  It's just an excuse to tour and do something.. like at all.

6 hours ago, AxlSlashthebest said:

ba ba ba ba. The general is a killer song

Yes, it makes me want to put a rope around my neck blasting it. Absolutely killer

46 minutes ago, DoMw94 said:

This undoes your entire argument.

If he cared what people thought or were saying, he wouldn't be "churning out the same WOF clone", as you put it. He obviously does what he wants to do and isn't swayed by the fanbase – if he was Myles would be long gone. SMKC (and his other solo venture) is his artistic vehicle, it's not there for him to make money or gain attention. He has GN'R for that.

He absolutely isn't checking views or streaming numbers. Nobody of Slash's stature will really (they have management and staff for that), but Slash especially won't be.

For the record, I don't agree. I like SMKC, Myles, and each of the albums (4's production aside)

I mean, look: he is churning out the exact same album because that is what worked before, it's the safe space where not a lot of thought has to be put into it. The problem is just that while he can copy the sound and formula, the songs just aren't there since GNR reunited. That would be a pretty big coincidence if it was for another reason ..no? 15 absolutely great songs on WOF to the downgrade of the century of maybe only 3 or 4 on LTD, and then even less on 4, is that the trajectory he should be following? And the streaming numbers reflect it when even a real deep cut like Dirty Girl has TRIPLE the streams of a lead single like River Is Rising.

Like I said before you too can believe he doesn't look at that on his phone. But that seems incredibly unrealistic to me for life in 2024. As a person having lived life in 2024, with your smartphone constantly in your hands, how can you honestly say that, he surely didn't check in on the charts back in 1987 when MTV was the Youtube of the time, but now it's the other way around where you can have the Youtube App on your homescreen and look up anything within 30 seconds or less, especially when you've just launched a new project for the first time since 2010.

And like I said before also, even if he himself doesn't check it, he has been TOLD by now how the numbers haven't been this high since probably his 2010 album.

And third, what exactly don't you agree with? I too like SMKC, Myles and each of the albums. That doesn't mean I think that the albums have been getting better, which is what I've been saying the entire time. Do we want Slash to further go downhill instead of realizing his full potential? On my money, you can bet your ass nothing better will be happening with SMKC after the last 2 albums, and on the third time around since GNR reunited. He needs to focus on a different thing again and maybe return to doing SMKC after that.

22 hours ago, evilfacelessturtle said:

Not just arrangement, but also writing. Lange is known for helping write. He actually assembled a lot of the solos on Back in Black from bits of different takes, turning improvised ideas into a cohesive melodic narrative. That's something Slash could really use. In fact, he had it on the song No More Heroes. He said that the producer pushed him to re-write the song and flesh it out more. And the result shows, it's one of the best songs on that album with a solo that has a real sense of direction, actually feels like it was written and not improvised.

Myles is a secondary problem for me. I think Myles would be more inspired if Slash was giving him better songs to work with. From the last two albums, only Fill My World has a good riff. The rest is completely forgettable.

You can't ignore that there was hype around this due to the singers of AC/DC and Aerosmith being involved. That kind of thing gets it posted all over the place whereas "oh, another song by this band you've already heard" doesn't.

The AC/DC forums have been abuzz over the song as well. So you have two entire fanbases as a built-in audience.

With the numbers 4 did and still has on streaming, it really wasn't good, even compared to LTD where Driving Rain could be considered an actual hit for the band. I don't see Slash investing so much money in a world wide known producer like that on a side project of his that isn't doing well.

It will be autopilot from here on out probably with Michael Baskette returning to copy the exact same album again and ending with a worse clone again, especially if both, GNR stuff and now the blues band does better. SMKC will be relegated to be a complete time-filler for time when he has nothing else to do, his heart has not been in it since the GNR reunion happened. I believe we have heard all of SMKC in terms of creativity because it has been downhill since Slash has had more projects, and now he has something else even on top of GNR happening.

22 hours ago, MaskingApathy said:

I don't think Slash is sitting there counting YouTube views. He's still planning on making a new SMKC record later this year, the blues album isn't going to change that.

You can believe that, but in the year 2024 I will believe it's not really realistic to think he won't check something that is so instant and easy to look up, especially for an older guy in his 50s who isn't preoccupied with partying and drinking. He can't lay in bed with Megan in the evening, and check on his phone literally within 30 seconds how well his new single is doing? Especially since it's a new project. I think you're still thinking it terms of older life and not in terms of a realistic life of people in the 2020's. And EVEN if not, probably no single he released has garnered that much attention and so quickly in probably 14 years, trust me he knows and if he didn't he was told by somebody, even if he doesn't follow it himself.

If the album really takes off in terms of popularity and how it does, he WILL know. If he really wanted to just crap something out on the side and wasn't really interested in following how it would be doing, he wouldn't have hired Mike Clink who with his credentials can charge artists more to only walk through their door than other producers can charge for an entire session.

All I'm saying is that, after churning out the same WOF clone (and it being worse, with 4 now being the absolute bottom with now newly added crap production) and this new album looking like it's going to completely overshadow the last SMKC singles in terms of success, that maybe it would now be somewhat time to wake up and smell the coffee.

2 hours ago, MaskingApathy said:

Some of the songs on 4 could've used a little work on the arrangements, so that they're not all the same. They could've been developed a little more.

In the grand scheme of things, if you read what fans of Slash and GNR say stops them from getting into SMKC, that is never brought up. It's like trying to fix a broken table in a house where the ceiling is gone. You'll have a working table, but people still won't want to hang out.

He goes and puts out a single with a different band (and vocalist), reaching close to 2 million views within only 9 DAYS -...what gives? Did he even achieve that in 2010 with his album? If that doesn't speak volumes about what Slash should be doing, then nothing ever will. Let's just say I won't exactly be shocked if Slash sits in his room now scratching his chin after this album and doesn't decide "my song arrangements were an issue before"

15 hours ago, evilfacelessturtle said:

That recent Loudwire video where Duff says they wanted Mutt Lange to produce AFD makes me really want to hear him do the next SMKC album. They need his guidance. He had a hand in song arrangement for Back in Black.

Since when was the complaint about SMKC the song arrangement, like ever? I don't recall even reading that once, in all my 8 years on here lol. What complaint you are guaranteed to read every time, and it's the same every time a new album comes out: is that people actually LIKE the music and the songs, but Myles voice is making all the songs sound the same or that it's too whiny for them. No producer song-rearrangement or guidance is going to help fix that for people, and that seems to be the one main reason why people can't get into SMKC.

8 minutes ago, Free Bird said:

Slash’s take 8:10-8:18 min. Haven’t recognized him anywhere else after the first listen.

Kudos to you because I didn't even make it that far, my first listening attempt will probably remain my only one lol.

6 hours ago, LA_0013 said:

Track list and guest spots could’ve been better. Would’ve actually preferred a blues album with 1 band 

Atleast give some names if you're gonna say something like that. Show us your "improved" version. Looks like an empty statement with nothing behind it otherwise.

I think it's great he didn't go with the usual suspects. How boring would that have been for real. We have enough blues songs with those people, do we need the 79th blues cover with Eric Clapton on it? I'd rather hear someones new take on it.