19AT5

3 minutes ago, Sweersa said:

I take back my slight criticism of how 2008 CD was mixed after hearing Absurd and Hard Skool's production.

At least CD was mastered beautifully, and the levels seemed pretty good, save for the low bass. 

Mastering doesn't set the levels though. To be fair, mixing ChiDem would be a fucking nightmare. But it is compressed to hell as well and it suffers big time. I'm guessing that by compressing the layers they felt they could add more to it. Another example of less being more! 

5 minutes ago, RussTCB said:

What a bummer. The song IS really good but my God is the production a bummer. 

It really is bad. There's a fuck load of additional unneccessary crap underneath during the middle breakdown and the last chorus. That amount of compression should also be illegal! 

2 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

I doubt Radio 1 or Radio 6 would touch GNR! 

The others maybe.....but I can't say I've heard Absurd anywhere other than my house! 

Shaun Keavney on 6Music might play it. Steve Lamaq also perhaps. Planet Rock have now at least posted the release on their page so may be waiting until later before they play it? Christ knows though. I think the song has some radio potential. Which is more than can be said Absurd! 

Just had another listen through some decent headphones as opposed to in ear buds. Definitely sounds a lot better but fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck me the production is messy! Not entirely sure why there is so much compression on literally everything. It is rancid! Out with that, I think the song packs a decent punch. Middle section with the slide guitar doesn't fit though. But overall, it's a lot better than Absurd, which isn't all that difficult to be fair. One of my major criticisms of ChiDem is the needless and pointless low mix instrumentation and that appears to be apparent within Hard Skool also which is a shame. But great to hear Slash taking a track and making it a lot better. Axl should really leave production duties to others though!!! Just my twopence though. 

28 minutes ago, bumfarce said:

Shall I get my post count up to 500 or thereabouts?

I think you're well on track to achieve that already! Listen, I don't disagree with your sentiment about this copy and paste job recording. It stinks to me as well. But, and I hate this saying... it is what it is. If that's how GNR want finish their career... that's up to them really. 

2 minutes ago, bumfarce said:

Yes, I only play games in which the only possible winner is me. 

Perhaps time to broaden your horizons pal. 

5 hours ago, Pele said:

It wou;dn't matter at all if there was a vault of recordings over the last two decades.

There isn't, so they are scraping together the last of what he did and the people here are falling for it.

They have literally pasted a scream from 'Eye On You' into the middle of this. 

We'll get the 'woo woo' from Quick Song pasted into Atlas next lol

Well... so what?! Surely that is their issue to deal with! If this is all they have, then fair enough, that's it. I cannot understand why you appear to be so bothered about this when I assume it has little to zero impact on the day to day running of your life! 

For what it is worth (and it ain't worth much I can assure you), I likely agree with you on a few points - I don't think there is a huge vault of completed unreleased material but more a load of jams. But this assumption (and I stress assumption) is based on the lack of released material and that the band have just released two reworked already known songs. I could be wrong and I am open to that possibility. Second point I agree with you on is this copy and paste approach to recording... it sucks big time! But you know what... fuck it who cares. I don't very often listen to Chinese Democracy because on the whole (but not totally) I think it is crap!

Maybe focus on other bands would be my suggestion. Peace oot!

3 hours ago, Pele said:

What are you saying?

He didn't use 99 vocals yet again?

Even I didn't think he'd patch unreleased 99 hey-heys from a completely different demo into another song!

It genuinely is Stockholm Syndrome at this point - he'll patch together his MacDaddy rap with the Woo-Woo from Quicksong and you'll all take it as some sign he has loads of new songs for you!

I sometimes get what you're saying and sometimes feel you get a hard rap for making certain points. But really who the fuck cares about what year the vocals were recorded?! And realistically we have no way of validating it either. Even if we did... so what!?

I would like it, nae love it, if for once GNR released something that hadn't been leaked before and was already well known by fans. Instead controversially it would be great if they actually released something that was written by the current lineup, avoided people endlessly debating whether Axl Rose recorded his vocals in 1999, and whether or not Buckethead (or indeed any other former member) was buried in the mix. Quite frankly songs like Atlas Shrugged and Perhaps can get tae fuck as to my ears they are crap! 

1 minute ago, Tom-Ass said:

Is that the case with this song too?

Oh fuck knows mate, I am just messing! I find it insane how much people over analyse GNR. 

2 minutes ago, MrMojo said:

Think they'll ever record something brand new? 

Obviously not as Axl laid down the bulk of his recorded work in 1999!

20 minutes ago, Muddy said:

The original was far superior in my opinion. A much more musical , dynamic and cohesive song. 

The original intro was beautiful . Duffs intro sounds out of place . Slash’s guitar work on the song sounds random , doesn’t fit with the vibe of the song . 

The Chinese democracy era of GNR was very special , very talented musicians . Intricate, layered, technical rock ‘n’ roll for the 2000s.
 

Velvet Revolver was very special as well . Heavy, groove oriented, tight old school style rock.

This hybrid line up sounds … off . They should have started from scratch rather than having slash and duff add overdubs and changes to already recorded songs . The fact that they are releasing 20 year old songs makes me realize they are very hard up for new material.

I actually agree on your last point. But completely disagree on the multiple ChiDem lineups being all that special! Technically proficient musicians don't necessarily make good songs. The band responsible for the bulk of the tracks on CD mainly played the old band's songs live. Which tells ya a lot!

3 minutes ago, GS67 said:

I don’t think the reviews were all that bad for Absurd. 

Well every person I played it for thought it was shit and to be honest so do I! Though I have tried listening to it a fair bit but just couldn't get into it. Bizarrely though, I now prefer the original Silkworms demo. Still trying to figure it out myself!

1 hour ago, Sweersa said:

I hear a little Bucket on Absurd, so there is hope!

Oh away with ya! That's fairly obviously Slash all over Absurd. 

32 minutes ago, Sweersa said:

I could live with that. However, wouldn't it be weird to release a single (if Hardskool comes in a few days) if the EP comes a few weeks after that?

Ya sure?! I mean there is no indication Buckethead and Robin will appear on the EP! 😋😛😁😅🤪

12 minutes ago, sofine11 said:

The demo’s intro seems like Finck just doing something jazzy, and they decided it was decent enough placeholder until they came up with something better.

Could be right. The intro on the demo is pretty cheesy though. And that mid section is just too fucking happy and I hate it! 

1 hour ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

I know I won't. It's a godawful song and that it's likely it will take up space of a song on the next GNR album fills me with sadness.

Preach it! 100% agree. It is fucking atrocious.

18 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

Yeah, it's so similar. Perhaps worse actually, as at least they played out a lot of the new stuff when they came back in 2000/2001. People heard it, even if it took so long for it to be released. 

As it stands at the moment Hard Skool for a lot of people has gone beyond interesting, into 'just get on with it' territory. If they played it tonight, at this point I'd just think 'thank goodness.....now where's an album?'. Which could be years and years away (if ever) based on how long it takes them to play one song we've been expecting them to play for well over a year! 

 

 

Bang on. The leaked version is decent/okay, minus the awful happy intro and mid sections, in my opinion. If it is ever released, I will listen to it, and give it the time of day, but... I already know the song so...???? 

1 hour ago, allwaystired said:

Oh, for sure! 

It's like getting blood from a stone getting a 'new' song from this band.

When you actually sit back and think about the discussion and drama around it, compared to virtually every other band on the planet, it's even more crackers. 

I am in complete agreement with you! I loved it when Slash said something along the lines of: we're just working out how to release an album. Perhaps get Axl to focus on working out how not to have most it of leaked beforehand! 

6 hours ago, WhazUp said:

If they changed up the order of the set to keep the hits fresh (starting with Jungle or Nightrain, PC not as the encore all the time, etc.), trimmed down the fat on KOHD and rotated Shadow of Your Love, Coma, Locomotive, Pretty Tied Up, etc. into the places The Seeker and Witchita are in, that would be good for me

Trim down the fat on KOHD? Listen to this joker!  It is the highlight of any GNR show. Almost 20 minutes of the same repetitive shite! Good for a piss break though. That's all. 

11 minutes ago, RussTCB said:

Last Friday, I kicked off my Friday night spin with both Illusions straight through just because of the anniversary. Other than that, I rarely listen to GN'R unless they're played on the radio. 

It's partially what you said: they have a VERY limited catalog but on top of that, there's a good chunk that I don't care for. I LOVE the stuff I love though, if that makes sense. 

But I've listened to the stuff I love a million times. There's only so many times I can listen to the same songs from such a limited selection. 

In additon to that, there's just too many other great artists from all other genres I listen to that put out tons of music. I regularly pick up new albums from so many other artists that I always have new stuff to listen to. 

If / when GN'R ever chooses to put out new music, great. But these years (decades!) stretches between new music just cause me to care less and less about their back catalog because there's just so much great music constantly being released from other artists. 

Totally agree with you here. I don't really listen to much GNR either, primarily because I've heard it all so many times. I listened to the Village Leaks with a hope I'd hear something interesting at the very least. But tracks like Perhaps, Atlas Shrugged, Eye On You etc. just left me thinking... WTF is this shit?! Bizarrely I quite liked Chinese Democracy when it came out. But these days I find it pretty disappointing and cringeworthy at times (e.g. Riad, This I Love, Scraped). If GNR release another album, I will give it a listen, but my expectation levels from CD, the Village Leaks, and Absurd are pretty bloody low now.  

13 minutes ago, Rayno said:

What exactly are you two trying to do here?

Appears to be flirting. It's really quite cute! 

1 hour ago, allwaystired said:

They should just play the fucking thing.

I've never seen such a fuss and drama over a band playing a song in my life! 

You make a fair point! It is a bit of a joke this. Especially when a lot of fans have already heard previous iterations of the same bloody track. Possibly they are still finalising the subbass and tambourine mixes!

4 minutes ago, Pele said:

I believe everything we hear in the future, we've already heard, and it's very very average.

Yeah I can understand why you think this like. GNR are the only band I know who can release 'new' music... that most fans have already heard beforehand! And also agree on what I've heard already being fairly average.

30 minutes ago, jacdaniel said:

Can never understand the love for the 2001 line up. It was a freakshow of people that hardly had any actual interest in Guns N Roses. 
 

They only played a handful of shows on a bizarre tour before it was cancelled and that band ended. 
 

I guess it’s the freakshow/mysterious aspect that made it exciting… 

Agreed. That isn't GNR to me. Great musicians sure, but they were mainly playing other people's material. Had those line ups done more then maybe I could see the attraction.