GoodOlJohnnyK

It’s more bits and pieces that I think could be interesting if fleshed out or changed. Some of these work more in the ChiDem style while others I think would work better with the Slash treatment. Circus Maximus is a piece that I think is intriguing, simply for the mood it creates. I’m not sure if there’s enough there for a song - it’s just kinda the one vibe repeated. But every once in a while I like to put it on if I’m driving at night. The electronic noises sound a little dated, so they’d probably have to be updated. This is one that I’d just be more interested in hearing how the NuGuns would have finished it. Oklahoma has sections that I think work - though I hate when it resolves to that major key sounding section. I prefer the mean sounding riff that would function as either a verse or a chorus. Not sure if it’s enough to build a song around and it’s hard to say “I like that!” with no vocal melody present. I’m more reacting to the general energy of the music - the riffs themselves are nothing special but it’s uptempo and aggressive enough in parts to catch my ear. There is a riff in Me & My Elvis that I like - I believe it’s the main riff after the intro - though I don’t like the rhythm section beneath it. Maybe it would work when placed next to a more uptempo section. I don’t know. There are a lot of mid tempo tunes on the Village leaks that just don’t excite me very much. Either way, I like the one riff. The *intro* to Quicksong is cool - it’s got an almost Slither-vibe to it. But the main riff bores me to death and the vocal melodies are trash. My favorite of the unfinished Village Leaks is Tonto. That’s the one that I think easily lends itself to Duff and Slash’s style.

I’m sorry, but I think you’re overreacting. I think the commotion over Perhaps not being released yet is a bit too dramatic given the circumstances - that’s my opinion. If you feel otherwise, that’s cool. I’m letting everyone think and feel how they want to. Check my responses earlier in the thread. I called Perhaps a piece of shit, someone replied that it’s their most listened to GnR song in the last few years (or something to that effect) and I replied “different strokes for different folks - I’m glad you enjoy it.” I’m not angry.

It’s not ruining my day or my life. To argue over who’s right or wrong is pointless? Then…what are we doing here if not sharing our thoughts and opinions? I don’t have a problem with people speculating - but I’m certainly going to weigh in and contribute to the conversation with my disagreement.

Well, I am interested. Again, their last releases are Chinese Democracy, Absurd, and Hard Skool. I liked all three. I just don’t like the remainder of the Village Leaks (at least the ones with vocals - there are one or two instrumentals I like that I wish they’d flesh out). And I’m *always* excited to hear talk of an *actual* new album written with Slash and Duff - I just don’t think it’ll happen.

No, because my point is that I think those people are being unreasonable. I don’t think my assumption that the single will drop sometime during the NA tour is unreasonable because that’s exactly how it went down with Hard Skool and Absurd. Is it speculative? Sure. But it’s not hysterical. I’m not throwing my toys out of anything. Also, two notes with regards to new music: I could change my mind about it. I didn’t like the Silkworm leaks but was pleasantly surprised by Absurd. I thought the Village version of Hard Skool was overrated but quite liked Slash and Duff’s version. Hopefully they pull off a miracle with Perhaps, though I’m not optimistic. But I disagree with your premise that just because I don’t like the remainder of the unreleased songs means that maybe the thread isn’t for me. Last I checked, this was a thread for discussing new music - there’s no requirement that I have to like it.

No. I don’t have a time frame on “any day now” because it means different things to different people in different contexts. I threw out 3 weeks as an example. I just think it’s a bit unreasonable for people to throw their hands up and declare the song canceled just because it didn’t drop this Friday because for some reason they assumed that “any day now” meant this Friday. Oh knock it off with this bullshit about authoritative voice. I’m not an authority. I’m not Axl Rose or in the band or on the management team. I have no connection to the band. I’m just a fan from DC, and this is the only fandom that requires qualifiers like that. It’s a message board about a rock band. Everything I type is just my opinion, and I don’t have to clarify that every time just to make you feel better. If I say it’ll drop before the NA tour, it’s just my best guess. If I say Perhaps is a piece of shit, then obviously that’s just my opinion. You shouldn’t need me to clarify that. If you don’t get that, then *perhaps* the internet just isn’t for you.

I do. Absurd has energy. It’s sneering and aggressive, the way It’s So Easy is. It’s got some juice to it - even instrumentally, the riff bangs and the chorus riff is chaotic in all the best ways. Axl sounds like he means it. I think it’s fun. Perhaps is just a mid tempo, boring, tuneless dirge. No lyrical substance, and more importantly no dynamics. The whole thing just plods along with no discernible difference between the verses and choruses. I mean that chorus just doesn’t do anything. The whole thing goes nowhere. State of Grace is also plodding and dull. Especially the verses, which are slow and drag the song down. By the time the song gets to the chorus, I’m already checked out. And even the chorus isn’t that great - it’s just better in comparison to the verses. The production is just some dull late-90s, early 2000s sounding industrial wanna be sound. That said, I won’t criticize the production too much as it will likely be updated with Duff and Slash. But that won’t fix the fact that the song isn’t very good. And then there’s Atlas Shrugged, which is in a very annoying major key and might be one of my least favorite Guns N’ Roses songs ever. I pray they delete this one.

He’ll be fine in the verses, but the first half of the chorus is gonna be very tough to listen to.

Different strokes for different folks. I’m glad you like it - I’m always happy to hear people discovering music they like. But Perhaps, Atlas, and State of Grace just aren’t for me. I can’t stand them.

I like some of the ChiDem songs too. It’s a good album, actually. But the best songs made the album. Of all the leftovers, Absurd and Hard Skool were the best. Everything else that we’ve heard from the Village Leaks is dreadful, including Perhaps. Though again - as much as I don’t like Perhaps, I’ll take it over Atlas Shrugged, which is just an awful song.

It’s not the songs themselves that push ticket sales. So much promotion is done via social media these days. If you’re a hard rock fan, your phone and social networks likely know that, or you might follow an account like Stereogum or Rolling Stone or something of that ilk. So, once Guns drops Perhaps, there will inevitably be a variety of news articles on it, and in each news article there is a list of tour dates. So if you’re curious enough to click on the link, you’ll scroll down and read that. And there will be people who say “hey, Guns is playing in Hershey next week. I don’t give a fuck about this new song, but I’d love to hear all the rest of the hits,” and *that’s* what drives ticket sales. It used to be the tour that promoted the music. Now the music promotes the tour.

Once again - everyone is taking everything way too literally. Mayhue, first of all, isn’t a band member or a decision maker. When he says “any day now,” some of you for some reason gave it a week’s worth of time and then immediately turned to “Perhaps is canceled! This fucking band, man!” Relax. It’s coming. Either shortly before the NA tour or right after it starts, like Absurd and Hard Skool. “Any day now” can be 3 weeks from now. Jesus Christ. I’m not even sure why anyone is clamoring for the song anyway. Perhaps is a piece of shit and it’s just going to take up another slot in a setlist that’s finally starting to get interesting.

Also, it should be noted that Slash and Duff haven’t tried to write an album with Axl since 1995 (and that didn’t go well). It’s one thing to agree to re-record Axl’s old songs. But creative tensions exist in the studio with even the least volatile bands. With this band, it could be catastrophic. Especially since the last time they worked together, Slash and Duff had as much say as Axl. I’m not sure what the vibe will be the first time Slash has an idea and Axl says “yeah, no. We’re doing it my way.” Which is not to say I don’t want them to try. But this alliance will always seem uneasy, to me.

I don’t recall Hard Skool being soundchecked at every single show. It got a few soundchecks, like Perhaps, and then got debuted in Baltimore after its release. It’s coming. Either shortly before or shortly after they return to North America, would be my guess.

Myles Kennedy has all the charisma of a piece of cardboard. He can hit notes, sure, but it is the most soulless, least inspiring, most tame and lame rock voice I’ve ever heard. Axl, Mickey or not, still has moments of transcendence. Myles never got off the ground.

Yeah. Slash really sucks at making his guitar sound like a robot masturbating. And thank God for that.

Eh, I dunno. If they had a knockout punch somewhere in the vault, the time to release it was the summer they released Absurd and Hard Skool, when they were trying to coax people back into arenas after Covid. I don’t think they’d go in chronological order (after all, there were songs written after HS and Absurd that made ChiDem). And if not then, then certainly now. “Perhaps” is not that.

I still think it’s intentional. The NITL tour was wildly successful on its own, but I was a little surprised to see no promotion from the band for it.

Agreed completely. That’s why if you were to create a tiered view of influence, Slash and Duff are way above Richard and Frank, but below Axl. The question is where TB falls on that hierarchy. My guess would be obviously below Axl, but slightly above Duff and Slash. Duff and Slash certainly negotiated some things - this band used to be famously tardy, and now they take the stage on time more frequently than any normal rock band. Also, the fact that there’s been more or less a complete media blackout seems to be intentional and negotiated between managers. Can’t let “the media” come between you if you don’t talk to them.

I’ve enjoyed our discourses over the past few years, but I just have to disagree with this. *Everyone’s* opinion is just that. He said multiple times that he wasn’t an insider, he was just adamant about his opinion. It’s no different from me - I hold the same opinions. And with Perhaps likely being released next, they’re even stronger. Regarding Soul Monster (the song) - that’s an interesting one. I think a lot of the language used when working on this stuff can be read multiple different ways. When they say “we have a ton of songs in the vault,” they’re not lying…if they’re referring to instrumentals. Soul Monster, though, is the only example of one where Axl specifically said he’s sang on, no? I forget his actual quote, but is it possible that he laid down some sort of guide vocal, a la Quicksong? I dunno, Axl has said a lot of things over the years. It’s hard for me to trust him. The only thing Pele’s said that I disagree with is that State of Grace is a good song. He liked it. I think it’s a dated, boring dirge of a tune.

Going Down only has Axl on backing vocals, no? Wasn’t that from ‘99 as well? I imagine that that one is only a possibility if Duff re-records Tommy’s vocals. And didn’t Tommy write it?

That’s could be. I just doubt it. I’m no insider (because it’s important to specify that in this fanbase for some ridiculous reason) but it just doesn’t line up for me. I know vocals were recorded after 1999…I just think that they were used on Chinese Democracy. Axl could have a treasure trove of completed Guns N’ Roses albums locked away in a vault complete with lyrics and vocals, sure. But the fact that Absurd and Hard Skool were the first two leftovers released, and the third is clearly Perhaps, and they all happened to be from the Village Leaks, and they all happened to have completed vocals…it’s just all too much coincidence for me to have faith that there are more vocals laying around. I hope I’m wrong.

You’re misunderstanding me. I’m not saying Axl was as successful without Slash and Duff - he wasn’t. In order for them to play larger venues consistently, they need the 3 core members (at least in the sense of being the 3 most publicly recognizable) in the group. In terms of that, Slash and Duff are of equal if not more importance than Axl (though if we’re being honest, the only true requirement is that Axl be on stage with Slash). What I’m saying is that, internally, this is successful because Slash and Duff have agreed to go along with the way Axl’s running things. It’s not a triumvirate making decisions. It’s Axl. His people have to coordinate schedules with Slash’s managers, Duff’s managers, etc., but it’s still Axl’s say as to what happens. And believe me, if Guns wants to tour, then SMKC gets put on the back burner because Guns is the moneymaker. When music gets released, it will be because Axl says so. When the next Village Leak gets released is Axl’s call. Slash and Duff are supportive partners, but they’re not steering the ship, and they seem to be just fine with that.

It’s not about perfectionism. It’s about control.

Excellent deal for the band, if true. Similar to Jordan getting a $5 royalty on all of his shoes from Nike in perpetuity. Hard to pull off, but he made a killing doing so.