The "New Album" Thread . The maybe, possibly, at some point, soon, whenever, wtf Axl thread🤞

[SoulMonster]

The problem I have with comparisons is that is it rarely meant as a genuine inquiry into why different people have different ambitions, drives, and possibilities, but mostly meant as complaining that Axl or Guns N' Roses isn't behaving exactly as some other artist or band that is doing things differently. Occasionally it is complaining about things you would think would be easy for Axl/GN'R to do, other times it comes across akin to asking why someone is only fifth best in the world. I cringe a bit. 

Why isn't GN'R as productive as a million other bands in the world? Who the fuck knows, but it has likely a lot to do with Axl's personality.
Why has Slash exchanged his ability to let his guitar sing with exquisitely chosen and sustained notes with noodling a thousand notes instead? Who the fuck knows, but it has likely something to do with age.
Why isn't the band communicating more with us? Who the fuck knows, but it has likely a lot to do with Axl's personality.
Why did they choose to release Absurd? Because it is a fun song 100% inline with GN'R tradition of not doing what is expected of them.

We don't cope well with the lack of communication. We really don't  The knowledge gap is filled by "insiders" and endless discussions that seek to conclude with answers to things we can't possibly know. It sows animosity and polarity among the fans. And some fans express attitude that suggest we are entitled to get answers, as if Axl or the band works for us. 

[Free Bird]

2 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

Why has Slash exchanged his ability to let his guitar sing with exquisitely chosen and sustained notes with noodling a thousand notes instead?

If you had given his last album a listen you would have notice that there are at least three songs on there with solos where he let his guitar sing. He never has lost this ability. Even if people don't stop spreading this noodling bullshit.

11 hours ago, EvanG said:

You really don't get it. No one is defending Axl. It's not a competition. We are merely explaining that comparing shit like this is pointless because people are different. What's next, you're going to compare haircuts? Who cares?!

I can understand that you're frustrated that a musician you like isn't prolific. I don't like it either, if I had it my way Axl would have released at least 20 records by now. But for whatever reason, he hasn't. Comparing him to another musician is completely pointless because everyone knows already that the guy isn't prolific, especially not compared to most other musicians. You are just stating the obvious.

Yeah, I'm the one who doesn't get it 

Edited November 19, 2021 by Free Bird

[SoulMonster]

3 minutes ago, Free Bird said:

If you had given his last album a listen you would have notice that there are at least three songs on there with solos where he let his guitar sing. He never has lost this ability. Even if people don't stop spreading this noodling bullshit.

Oh, sorry, I was talking to his live performances.

[Free Bird]

3 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

Oh, sorry, I was talking to his live performances.

Do you think he can't let his guitar sing live anymore? 

Edited November 19, 2021 by Free Bird

[Rovim]

1 minute ago, SoulMonster said:

Oh, sorry, I was talking to his live performances.

I've watched a 17 minute live performance of Wicked Stone with Slash noodling like there is no tomorrow with zero emotion. It's subjective of course, and sometimes he is still great, but overall, he's not as inspired as he once was imho. He was much more consistent in the past but I think it's understandable.

at his peak he was almost always in the zone. Not anymore. Some of the time he compensates for lack of inspired ideas while improvising by throwing more technique and notes at it and it loses musical direction. One of the best things about his playing is how lyrical it was even in the most frenetic moments in his solos. There is an obvious difference to my ears though like he needs to think about what he's doing or he doesn't know where to go with the solo. He was one of the greatest at just feeling what needs to be played.

[SoulMonster]

2 minutes ago, Free Bird said:

Do you think he can't let his guitar sing live anymore? 

Who knows? That was exactly the point I was trying to make. I don't claim to know why he increasingly substitutes more melodic guitar lines with random noodling. Maybe he can, maybe he can't.  I don't know. It is what it is and I don't see the point in comparing him with better guitarists and asking why he isn't like them (anymore). He is still fairly good. 

[Free Bird]

3 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

Who knows? That was exactly the point I was trying to make. I don't claim to know why he increasingly substitutes more melodic guitar lines with random noodling. Maybe he can, maybe he can't.  I don't know. It is what it is and I don't see the point in comparing him with better guitarists and asking why he isn't like them (anymore). He is still fairly good. 

Well, if you don’t know if he's able to do it, why don't you listen to some live shows. Maybe you get your answer then?

[SoulMonster]

2 minutes ago, Free Bird said:

Well, if you don’t know if he's able to do it, why don't you listen to some live shows. Maybe you get your answer then?

I obviously meant to the same extent as before. Anybody can do a sustained note, that's not the question. But Slash increasingly substitute carefully picked notes that he either bends or vibrates, and often sustained, for cramming lots of notes into where he before would do with just a few. He has gone away from that simply blues-approach to lead guitar, and seemingly thinks that more is better. Can he not do what he did in the 80s anymore? I don't know. Maybe he can't physically do it anymore because he has lost some musicality, or maybe it is an artistic decision. I don't know. I am not going to bag on him, either way, and compare him to his betters. It's like heckling an athlete for coming in last. Bad taste. 

[Free Bird]

16 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

I obviously meant to the same extent as before. Anybody can do a sustained note, that's not the question. But Slash increasingly substitute carefully picked notes that he either bends or vibrates, and often sustained, for cramming lots of notes into where he before would do with just a few. He has gone away from that simply blues-approach to lead guitar, and seemingly thinks that more is better. Can he not do what he did in the 80s anymore? I don't know. Maybe he can't physically do it anymore because he has lost some musicality, or maybe it is an artistic decision. I don't know. I am not going to bag on him, either way, and compare him to his betters. It's like heckling an athlete for coming in last. Bad taste. 

I don't know what you obviously mean when you say something else. 

Obviously Slash hasn’t lost his ability to let his guitar sing, which was exactly what you stated 

Not in the studio, nor in a live setting

Edited November 19, 2021 by Free Bird

[DTJ80]

12 hours ago, vloors said:

No one wants a ashba album either.

Given the opportunity I’d absolutely take ‘CD2’ regardless of who plays on it. Beggers can’t be choosers….and I don’t doubt there would be some cool stuff on there. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[SoulMonster]

Just now, Free Bird said:

I don't know what you obviously mean when you say something else. 

Obviously Slash hasn’t lost his ability to let his guitar sing, which was exactly what you stated 

Jesus. You are doing a very good job refusing to understand. Anybody can make a guitar sing with a single note. Of course I wasn't claiming that Slash has lost the ability to do that. Sometimes when you write something you make the mistake of assuming your reader understands a little better so you try to get away with less writing. In this case there is an ongoing discussion around Slash increasing decision, in a live setting, when he is improvising leads melodies and solos, to go for the noodling approach rather than rely on simpler melodies with less notes but where the notes get to "shine" more. I assumed you were aware of this context and wouldn't think you thought I meant Slash had somehow lost the ability to play single notes. Jesus. 

[Tom2112]

17 hours ago, Popcorn crew said:

Did we discussed it allready, do we accept any kind of album or do we have some criteria?

We all have criteria of 'what we would like'... but we also have no choice in the outcome other than "will I or won't I buy this album". 

The sooner people accept that the next release is the remainder of the best bits from the Chinese sessions with Duff/Slash playing over the top, the sooner everybody can start to enjoying whatever music is released. Way too much baggage attached, it's creating a pretty high bar that  don't think GNR can meet EVEN if there were also Slash/Axl/Duff co-writes on the record (which isn't the case).

Like Chinese this next album will have loads of split opinions, but I'm gonna give it a fair listen even if it isn't the album that I hoped they'd make when Slash/Duff signed back on. I basically wanted them to go in and record live on the floor how Slash did hi most recent album.

[Tom2112]

31 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

I obviously meant to the same extent as before. Anybody can do a sustained note, that's not the question. But Slash increasingly substitute carefully picked notes that he either bends or vibrates, and often sustained, for cramming lots of notes into where he before would do with just a few. He has gone away from that simply blues-approach to lead guitar, and seemingly thinks that more is better. Can he not do what he did in the 80s anymore? I don't know. Maybe he can't physically do it anymore because he has lost some musicality, or maybe it is an artistic decision. I don't know. I am not going to bag on him, either way, and compare him to his betters. It's like heckling an athlete for coming in last. Bad taste. 

100% agree. Still love Slash! but sometimes his solos live are dogshit for the reasons above... and sometimes the solos on his latest records have been kinda lazy. Key word here is sometimes.

It's not even opinion, this is a clear cut case that he plays more notes in spaces where he used to play less. Personal taste if that's what you like, but I think it distracts from the melody and in general is lost in a big gig situation. Jeff Pocaro said it best when talking about fast drum fills in a big concert, saying how it gets lost, you are way more impactful playing less... you can get away with playing more in a smaller room... but in general as bleh as it is to say 'Less is more'. ...Not bagging on fast lead playing either, I love when Slash plays fast, but I like it within the context of a well framed solo not just widdle, widdle, widdly, widdly😴 and that goes fro ANY guitar player or musician. 

[Free Bird]

57 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

Jesus. You are doing a very good job refusing to understand. Anybody can make a guitar sing with a single note. Of course I wasn't claiming that Slash has lost the ability to do that. Sometimes when you write something you make the mistake of assuming your reader understands a little better so you try to get away with less writing. In this case there is an ongoing discussion around Slash increasing decision, in a live setting, when he is improvising leads melodies and solos, to go for the noodling approach rather than rely on simpler melodies with less notes but where the notes get to "shine" more. I assumed you were aware of this context and wouldn't think you thought I meant Slash had somehow lost the ability to play single notes. Jesus. 

I'm aware of this discussion but I simply disagree.

[EvanG]

11 hours ago, janrichmond said:

It may be stating the obvious but it is a fact. I really don't see the issue you have with comparisons, it's what we do as humans, we compare things and form an opinion. We can choose to share these comparisons we make and our opinions with others. This forum is used for sharing opinions and it'd be fucking boring if we all had the same ones.

This isn't about having an opinion. I'm sure (almost) everyone here has the same opinion regarding this specific example. What I was trying to understand is why anyone would compare something that is subjective like said example. Nothing more than that, but before I know it I am reacting to straw men again. Plus, I agree with what SoulMonster said regarding comparisons.

Edited November 19, 2021 by EvanG

[Popcorn crew]

I dont think he lost it but on live sessions I think that he is soloing just to give Axl time to rest.

Also with SMKC I think it is more in process of songwriting because songa are just look a like and uninspired. He needs Axl/Scott to pull all of his juices.

[Gnrcane]

I know he released a lot more albums than GNR but Billy Joel hasn't released any new music (aside from a classical music album in 2001) in 28 years and just tours.

He basically said he doesn't have anything good left to write.  Maybe Axl doesn't think anything he's coming up with is very good and just doesn't want to record. He definitely enjoys touring and performing but maybe he just doesn't want to write and record anything.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Gnrcane

[Rovim]

15 minutes ago, Gnrcane said:

I know he released a lot more albums than GNR but Billy Joel hasn't released any new music (aside from a classical music album in 2001) in 28 years and just tours.

He basically said he doesn't have anything good left to write.  Maybe Axl doesn't think anything he's coming up with is very good and just doesn't want to record. He definitely enjoys touring and performing but maybe he just doesn't want to write and record anything.

at the very least we know that DJ said he heard new piano compositions that Axl played him in hotel rooms and he thought it was great material. Axl also mentioned in the China exchange interview that he would like to write some lyrics first when it comes to the artistic process so I think he at least interested or was fairly recently in writing lyrics and composing piano shit.

[Zeppelin]

1 hour ago, Gnrcane said:

I know he released a lot more albums than GNR but Billy Joel hasn't released any new music (aside from a classical music album in 2001) in 28 years and just tours.

He basically said he doesn't have anything good left to write.  Maybe Axl doesn't think anything he's coming up with is very good and just doesn't want to record. He definitely enjoys touring and performing but maybe he just doesn't want to write and record anything.

Great thing about Billy Joel is he just said it. He knew his songwriting was finished and stuck to that conclusion. With GNR, it's one big mystery. And then we get two singles that were reworked from ages ago. The band doesn't owe anyone anything, but their approach to music is awkward and unfulfilling.

[SoulMonster]

4 hours ago, Free Bird said:

I'm aware of this discussion but I simply disagree.

That's fine, and my intention wasn't to discuss Slash's inadequacies either  

[Sweersa]

I wonder if Slash will be re-recording all of Robin and Buckethead's work. 

I think we will hear some Buckethead, especially since you can hear him in bits of Absurd. (some say in Hard Skool too, but I'm not sure on that)

[Free Bird]

4 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

That's fine, and my intention wasn't to discuss Slash's inadequacies either  

I know. Your intention was to convince others that it's not ok to compare Axl to musicians who release music on a regular basis.

[DTV88]

20 minutes ago, Sweersa said:

I wonder if Slash will be re-recording all of Robin and Buckethead's work. 

I think we will hear some Buckethead, especially since you can hear him in bits of Absurd. (some say in Hard Skool too, but I'm not sure on that)

Where is he heard in Absurd?

[ToonGuns]

Off topic I know, but on the Slash subject... he is probably my favourite guitarist of all time, but his sound has definitely changed for the worse in my view. Still love it, and relatively he is still amazing, but definitely has declined. The tone seems to have changed (around 10 years ago), and it also often sounds ever so slightly flat when he bends notes live.

[Sweersa]

36 minutes ago, DTV88 said:

Where is he heard in Absurd?

Intro guitar, it repeats but gets lower in the mix when the lead guitar(s) kick in, and towards the end you can hear it. Both were heard in the leaked demo (the one with Bumble's guitar in its own channel) but in the channel that doesn't contain Bumble's guitar, so it is presumably Buckethead, and sounds like it is too, unless it's Robin.

It will be really interesting to read the credits for the next album on all of the tracks. 

Edited November 19, 2021 by Sweersa