Blackstar

I was worried about that after the massively negative response to Absurd on their social media (anyone remember Beta arguing with fans on Slash's Instagram?). Since that didn't affect things regarding releases, I don't think the negativity now will have any effect on whatever the plan is. I haven't really looked at the comments on their social media, but from a quick look on Slash's IG post, although there are the usual "Slash should stick with Myles and quit GN'R" comments, there are also some positive responses.

Monsters maybe a little bit because of Slash's signature guitar sound that is all over it.

It's basically her 2021 written contract (it's on the last 2 pages of the pdf) and the proposed amendment for 2022 (on the two previous pages). Parts of her other contracts were quoted in GN'R's lawsuit against her: https://www.docdroid.net/ecAH9bW/20231024-lawsuit-gundam-touring-services-us-llc-v-benzova-pdf

Some more court documents from this case. Exhibits attached in Kat's lawsuit (including her written contracts with GN'R): https://www.docdroid.net/eACsKLi/20231111-kat-benzova-lawsuit-exhibits-pdf GN'R entities' motion to dismiss most parts of the lawsuit: https://www.docdroid.net/agUpTr9/20231206-kat-benzova-lawsuit-motion-document-pdf Their argument regarding the sexual harassment claims is that they are unrelated to the copyright infringement claims and thus the federal court (where the lawsuit has been filed) doesn't have "supplemental jurisdiction", as the sexual harassment claims rely on California state law and not on federal law. The hearing for the motion will be held in January. Although the motion has been filed only on behalf of GN'R/Gundam and not Fernando (who has not been served yet), if it's granted by the court it will most likely mean that the sexual harassment parts will be dismissed for him, too.

I watched it. Very interesting and informative.

It wasn't just what Sebastian Bach said about what the song sounded like and how much he liked it though, but mostly the stuff about it being a sequel to Estranged. I think Sebastian probably misunderstood something Axl might have told him. He either confused The General with another song or maybe Axl told him that in his mind there was some kind of lyrical connection with Estranged and then Sebastian made it out to be related to the video trilogy and Del James' story.

I think the studio people only said that they were different studio mixes made in L.A. (that was the info Sp1at got from them) and that they sounded like "classic GN'R" (that was from another source, not Sp1at), not AFD specifically (the AFD sounding stuff came from Tom Mayhue). I would say that Perhaps could fit the "classic GN'R" description and maybe Monsters, too (although it would be a bit of a stretch), but definitely not The General.

When it became known that Perhaps was mixed by Joe Barresi and mastered by Bob Ludwig, I said that it was safe to assume that The General had got the same treatment. Oh well. Here's another example of why it's never safe to assume anything with GN'R

Yes, they were both produced by Axl and Caram, but although The General was mixed by Caram (just like Absurd and Hard Skool), Perhaps was mixed by Joe Barresi (which suggests that it was a newer mix). There is no credit about the mastering of The General. Bob Ludwig was credited for mastering Perhaps.

It was only Sebastian Bach (who is not a close associate, just a friend of Axl). And Brain just said it was a cool song (which is normal, since it was his song). Axl merely mentioned the title. That's it. Everything else is only on the fans. No band member or "associate" misguided us to believe that the cell phone recording was The General, we "figured" it all out by ourselves. And no one told the fans that the orchestral arrangement used as an intro at concerts means that it's also the intro to the actual song (and not just integrated in it), that's just something fans speculated and made up.

This one? It must have been summer of 1995 https://www.troccolitm.com/IntlFnClb.html

I don't love The General and I don't hate it either. I'm okay with it as another song added to the official catalogue. I don't think it's one of the best songs in the catalogue, but it's not the worst either - I think it's better than some songs on CD and even a couple on UYI. Would I listen to it again if it were a song I knew anything about by another band that I was only a casual fan of? Probably not. But I do know its history and what the lyrics are about, so I can't judge it from a distance. I'm more receptive to some of the artistic choices and the general "mood" of it, since I can make a connection between them and the subject matter. Production can improve a song significantly or make it worse. But, ultimately, the songwriting and performance is what makes a song good or bad (and that is, to a large extent, subjective, of course). I don't know how the "general public" and casual fans would respond if GN'R wrote a generic song with lyrics and video like this Sebastian Bach song, but the majority response on here would be worse than it is for The General no matter if it was a newly written song and was well produced.

Ain't Going Down was going to be on UYI and then on TSI, but according to Slash it was left out because it was unfinished (needed more vocals) and it eventually ended up on the pinball machine. Regarding the other three, they haven't given a reason, but I suppose it's the same reason as with Crash Diet: they were really West Arkeen songs he wanted to shop to record labels that members of GN'R helped him with, not GN'R songs. They just picked some of West's songs that they wanted to record themselves (The Garden, Yesterdays, Bad Obsession - and it seems Just Another Sunday was briefly considered, too) and the rest were his. The whole misunderstanding with these songs being considered as "unreleased GN'R songs" is due to a bootlegger back in the day randomly calling them "Unwanted Illusions".

Maybe that's why they had not decided whether to release it or not as a digital single (I believe that Fernando's "perhaps" was literal) - it was really meant to be a "b-side". But then they saw the reaction on their social media when the vinyl was delayed. That shitstorm was probably so unprecedented to them (and it went to show that the portion of the fanbase that cared about The General may be small in numbers, but very vocal and loud) that they went out of their ways and addressed the delay on their social media and also decided to put it out digitally.

I've been wondering about that quote. Does any track from the locker leaks fit that description?

Duff in Seattle last night

And it's not even months since it leaked (it's only 6 weeks). I'm sure that by the time Monsters is released it will be slammed as being "shit", too.

They knew, or at least Fernando knew judging from his "The General is a monster" joke. That's why I think the registration as "The General and Monsters" was not accidental.

Definitely not Absurd. The reaction was very negative.

What do you mean he was removed? I guess he's not credited because he didn't co-write it.

The piano and acoustic versions were from the Sound City sessions with Manny Charlton. The "18 minute version" is most likely the piano version that we have and Slash just misremembered the length.

This most likely never existed. The story came from Slash's book, but based on the context Slash just meant the piano demo version that we have (because he mentioned it alongside the acoustic demo version that we also have). I guess he didn't remember how long that was and was under the impression that it was longer than it actually was. I haven't heard anything about a studio version of this. This exists only as an instrumental, most likely. Same as above or Duff vocals. From these only Just Another Sunday was considered for UYI, as far as we know, and it's unknown if it was ever demoed during those sessions. Yes, Bumblefoot played on about 40 tracks, but I strongly doubt there are versions of all of them with Frank. Most likely only remixes- it doesn't seem Ashba recorded on anything else from the CD era. "We Were Lying" was from the "Madagascar88" casual conversation/"interview" with Dizzy in 2006, but it's almost certain that it was a misheard title. It could have been "Leave Me Alone", for example. - You Could Be Mine demo from the AFD sessions (journalist Paul Elliot said that he heard it when he interviewed the band at the time of the Marquee shows in 1987). It's unclear if it had vocals though. - Possibly a demo of Night Crawler (early Slash song that was considered for UYI and ended up on Ain't Life Grand as "Speed Parade"). Axl has also mentioned two Slash songs he had written lyrics to (probably pre-AFD) which they decided not to use. - Down by the Ocean (already mentioned) and other Izzy and Izzy/Duff demos from 1995-96. - Original This I Love demo from 1992 (from what Dominguez said it doesn't seem that the whole thing was erased). Also possibly a 1998 lineup version that was considered for the movie. - Axl's industrial version of an Elvis Presley song (mentioned by Dave Dominguez). - "Daddy Can the Devil do Mom and Me?" (Axl's instrumental inspired by the "End Of Days" movie. - Monstrocity (supposing that the leaked "CD2" track list is real) - it could be a renamed track from the locker leaks, though. And then a bunch of instrumental/unfinished stuff: Slash's "mean" riffs from the brief 1994 sessions, instrumental demos with Zakk Wylde from 1995, Duff/Matt instrumentals from 1996, last sessions with Slash in 1996 (possibly an early sketch of Fall To Pieces) etc.

Ι'm confused about your opinion on the song. You haven't made it clear enough.

It's just a short link to share the same yt version. They seemed to take the release of Perhaps more seriously (made a video, did some promotion), but I guess they thought that few people from the demographic the promo stuff was aimed at would buy the vinyl.

https://www.loudersound.com/news/guns-n-roses-the-general