denin

They can even be mashed up and still manage to make sense.

[Verse 1]
Talk to me softly, there's something in your eyes
Don't hang your head in sorrow and please don't cry
Times that you took in stride, they're back in demand
I was the one who was washing blood off your hands

[Verse 2]
I know the things you wanted, they're not what you have
With all the people talking, it's driving you mad
Don't you take it so hard now and please don't take it so bad
I'll still be thinking of you and the times we had, baby

[Verse 3]
And please remember that I never lied, oh
And please remember how I felt inside now, honey
And when you're in need of someone, my heart won't deny you
So many seem so lonely with no one left to cry to, baby

The vocal timing is probably intentional, if only for the disorienting effect. The same goes for the lyrical tone and the repetitions.

It's sort of easy think of the song as Axl giving some poor lady a hard time. The overall effect is a bit like an earful from a raging lunatic.

10 hours ago, YOUCOULDBEMINE. said:

Of all the shit Axl had lying around. I don't know what to think. These are the original '99 vocals aren't they?

Think so. As it was performed at HOB 01, timelines suggest it was among the songs that had lead vocals in late '99. The plan back then was two albums, with the second more EDM with heavy guitars. Axl must still think Absurd really embodies that experimental side of Guns that he has wanted to explore all this time.

I hope Atlas is next, just really confuse everybody.

1 hour ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

Dizzy must be stoked. He wrote the big GNR comeback single (and is still in the band, unlike Pitman)

Axl revised the lyrics to give a shout out to both of them.

"Dizzy, little dreamer, with your head down in the stars" and

"Fucking little schemer, got yourself inside the art" (Damn you, Pitman!)

"That song in particular that you are talking about, 'Silkworms', it ended up being this incredible track that sounded like Guns N' Roses 10 or 15 years in the future." - Pitman

Sure, 2011 was a bit absurd, 2016 also. Yet, Pit's too modest. He should've called it 20 and been later hailed as a prophet.

It's either to promote the new tour or Axl realized during the lockdown that he can cheer people up by releasing his weird music.

4 hours ago, Modano09 said:

All things considered I think Duff and Slash reworking Chinese Democracy leftovers is the best chance there is at a new album.

Yup. Axl's grown fond of those songs, and they have solid lead vocals in the can. He may have not written new music or lyrics during the past decade for all we know. 

Absurd, right? The song that was hands-down the most ridiculed and shunned of the original 5 live song batch (w/ CD-Maddy-The Blues-Riad), that it became a cult item, a so-bad-its-good deep cut.

Everybody's pining for Hardschool, Axl brings out this... again... which is funny by its own right; as if he would've picked the worst possible bone to throw at the hardcores hankering for new live songs.

The very fact that Absurd (Silk Worms) is a hardcore cult item, raising strong opinions in these circles, makes it a bone aimed especially at the hardcores. 'Chew on this, you lot.' And what happens?

8 minutes ago, Sweersa said:

Chris Pitman is probably the most excited, as has been suggested. He no doubt will have a writing credit for that song, should it be on CD2.

Axl might also troll him good by keeping Absurd in live rotation indefinitely, while releasing CD2 without it.

42 minutes ago, WhazUp said:

Listening to the RIR 2001 it honestly never dawned on me how much Axl's lower register has changed these last 20 years too - it is hard to explain but at times it sounds just so different even compared to any rendition of Silkworms before

Sounds a bit like Foghorn Leghorn, actually. A nice change of pace from ol' Mickey.

15 minutes ago, Alejandro GNR said:

I hope this was a joke for us diehard fans who have been demanding ANYTHING newish

I'm convinced it was. They've been doing market research pre-tour by reading this forum, methinks.

Axl heard them out on tempos and stuff, but when talks shifted to new songs, a malevolent grin appeared on his face.

On 8/1/2021 at 10:12 PM, Powerage5 said:

The gig in Vegas in 2014 where they brought Prostitute and Yesterdays back, they accidentally had the screen showing the computer screen with the list of video files... I do specifically remember Perfect Crime and Riad being on the list... I got the impression more that they build videos for songs in case they get played, not because they will get played. 

Sounds about right. They're also relatively easy to do, coming out as some 3d render nonsense without much (if any) thematic or rhythmic connection to the songs themselves. They look like what I'd imagine Axl's mind to look like, a rollercoaster of bright lights and medusas.

4 minutes ago, MaskingApathy said:

That's rehearsal, not recording a new album in the studio.

A GNR non-event either way. The installation could've used a hat with some change in it.

5 hours ago, Towelie said:

Well, you can't take a picture of something that's not happening.

Del just did.

8 hours ago, El Guapo said:

The vibe of GnR today is like Slash and Duff do not give a fuck at all.

And Axl probably gave up completly, his vision didn't work out at all, now he's stuck with Slash. So he doesn't care either and lets TB do whatever.

Fair enough. Taking all that into account, is it all a facade, then, jerry-rigged by TB? Is Axl their big old housecat, which they take for walkies in global venues?

Who might inherit Axl's stake in Guns? That person would likely orchestrate a posthumous release or three further down the road.

22 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

The selects were basically raw audio, I'm guessing they took the stereo feed and just added it to the video. It's really amateur sounding stuff. Like they have people in the band that can mix that they could have sent the tracks to. Really no excuse for the lack of effort.

Rough. I think you're right on the money about them using the stereo feed. Which is fine when one needs reference audio while working on the picture. But it takes a Fernando to release the damn thing as such... repeatedly.

Considering how much money the tours rake in, the general penny-pinching with the recordings (3 cams in total for a stadium show?), coupled with the draconian YT policy, really leaves them exposed. Maybe they just don't understand modern technology (or the internet) all that much.

GNR, ever failing upwards.

26 minutes ago, Sosso said:

Axl called Slash 

That's right, thank you.

Should've read: "Then, Axl realized he could make more money with NITL and called Slash."

21 hours ago, Towelie said:

The difference then is, we knew Axl was writing/recording. There's zero evidence that he's written or recorded anything since 2008.

Grant you that, Axl certainly wrote & recorded more up to 2008 than he has since. Fortus said, on camera, that Axl was presently recording vocals & stuff (with Pitman) in November 2014. This was after the DJ/Ron lineup had been disbanded in lieu of the 2nd Vegas residency. Axl had a trademark pending for Stay of Execution.

Then, Slash called and Axl realized he could make more money with NITL.

On 6/6/2021 at 10:51 PM, Nice Boy said:

I read on A4D recently, a band being mentioned which was basically the sound they wanted for Appetite. I had never heard the band before but gave it a listen. And now I can't remember its name.

Boston?

On 6/2/2021 at 5:59 PM, Powerage5 said:

Anyone remember back in 2012-2014 when some people would say “lol, NuGN’R playing casinos and bowling alleys”? 

or even, '1% birthday parties & Russian oligarchs'.

Also, gangsta rap from NWA to 50 cent.

Jan '09 is when I think he ditched the braids for good. Do keep up ;)

Ax does not respond well to people criticizing his looks. I remember a forum post about him sweating a lot on stage, judging by pics. Ax read it too, and actually responded, saying how he works hard, etc. It was one thing among many that he felt needed rectifying, his perspiration.

Same as the more recent Streisand moment, when he wanted those FatAxl pics to be taken down by Google image search, I believe. When was the last time he performed without a shirt? RIR3. People called him fat even then, so he started burying himself in those stupid jerseys on stage.

On 5/18/2021 at 11:58 PM, mystery said:

I've always been interested in how Axl went from looking and sounding good at the December 2001 shows to looking completely different and sounding a bit worse a mere 8 months later. What was he doing between then?

His self-image had apparently become an issue. I think Gene Kirkland photographed HOB '01, and Robert John was brought in to shoot the Joint shows a year later. Both long-standing crew members, Axl felt they were now doing it wrong. He complained about the stage lighting, and how unflattering his looks turned out to be. Fired both and went to George Chin, who'd also been around the band a long time. George kept the job for the '02 & '06 tours, at least.