'Not in this Lifetime' Selects - Overview

[Tom2112]

3 hours ago, Rovim said:

 do you recall Bumble's shredding on 14 years? this is a guy who works super hard. It sounded terrible to me. I think every player brings their own personality into the music. This means the way they tackle the material, their tone, etc. I don't like every Slash rendition of a Chinese solo or what he did in Yesterdays and Dead Horse. I think in recent years his tendency to overplay has grew and some tunes suffer for it but I also believe this is his way of 1. not getting bored/even more bored with playing the same shit over and over 2. actually expanding the ideas from their studio form (sometimes) and 3. Slash probably doesn't enjoy sitting and going through the material meticulously until it is just right.

you can be upset (not you specifically) about Slash's approach but his approach is also what makes him great. The spontaneity and his drive to explore without the safety net of just delivering the studio versions.

I guess he could come more prepared, like other band members in Gn'R, but I can't fault him for being the kind of player he is cause maybe just like he said he wanted to "kill" his producer during the making of World On Fire cause he kept making him record many takes of a solo idea cause he thought it could be better, maybe the way Slash got to where he is as a guitar player is doing it his way which basically means more freedom to do what he wants with the material live.

I choose to take the good with the bad with Slash cause I think it's important for him to enjoy the process for most of it to be good or something I enjoy. He's just doing his thing with his preferred method imo.

 

I agree what you're saying, but I'd raise the point of Slash is playing the way Slash wants to play and you being ok with that. So, Axl is seemingly singing the way he wants to sing these days, is that 'take the good with the bad' too? because I don't think you can accept one with their faults and not the other. I know Axl is obviously worse, and he's the lead singer so much more of a focal point but it seems fair to contrast the two, considering both are the selling points of the band.

As for Bumbles solo on 14 years, I didn't care for it. It didn't fit the style of the song. I have no problem with a fresh take as long as the fresh take is in-keeping with the style of the song.

Elvis pushing Slash in the studio, I think he just thought that the solos Slash had come up with were a bit stock and they weren't living up to the material. I think Slash is the kind of player that has an idea and records it. I don't think there's much thought outside that and he's on to the next song. An 'in the moment' player. Sometimes that leads to greatness, other times (more common as he aged) it has been less and less quality and more of him filling a space. I have liked more recent Slash solos, but for me they are fewer and fewer as the albums go by.

[Tom2112]

38 minutes ago, ChineseDemocracy2004 said:

They didn't play TWAT in 2007.

Thinking about playing Jordan hurts my hands.

I think the band could've been more giving to Ron at the time. Joining a week before a show and having to learn the Chinese material through headphones having asked for tabs etc instead couldn't have been easy even for someone as skilled as he is.

2009 onwards if you were to close your eyes you may have thought Buckethead was playing if you didn't notice the differences in tone.

I think 2010 was a great year. Perhaps the band's best year until 2016.

I miss the tie die jackets.

When did the wheels come off for you; before Abu Dhabi or afterwards?

GNR did play TWAT in 2007 (Slash didn't), but I meant 2017 that was a typo.

[Rovim]

49 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

I agree what you're saying, but I'd raise the point of Slash is playing the way Slash wants to play and you being ok with that. So, Axl is seemingly singing the way he wants to sing these days, is that 'take the good with the bad' too? because I don't think you can accept one with their faults and not the other. I know Axl is obviously worse, and he's the lead singer so much more of a focal point but it seems fair to contrast the two, considering both are the selling points of the band.

As for Bumbles solo on 14 years, I didn't care for it. It didn't fit the style of the song. I have no problem with a fresh take as long as the fresh take is in-keeping with the style of the song.

Elvis pushing Slash in the studio, I think he just thought that the solos Slash had come up with were a bit stock and they weren't living up to the material. I think Slash is the kind of player that has an idea and records it. I don't think there's much thought outside that and he's on to the next song. An 'in the moment' player. Sometimes that leads to greatness, other times (more common as he aged) it has been less and less quality and more of him filling a space. I have liked more recent Slash solos, but for me they are fewer and fewer as the albums go by.

I think it's different for Axl cause I believe he wants to find the right balance between delivering vocally and preserving his voice for the show and in general so because of the fact the body ages and it becomes harder to maintain a certain level of quality it's more challenging for him to deliver compared to Slash which is why I would like Axl to prepare more cause he isn't capable of delivering on the same level as Slash with the effort he's putting in now imo and the AC/DC stint proved to me he can be so much better and maybe without damaging his voice, just prepare before a tour more.

if I take a look at most of the best performances of Chinese tunes by Slash and the old material, like from the first 2 years of the NITL tour especially, it's fine imo. It's the overplaying that bothers me the most but he's not doing it with his studio material so I think I get why he's doing it which I've already explained. All things considered, a few messy performances don't bother me cause most of what I don't like about his playing doesn't have much to do with him being unprepared.

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Rovim

[Gordon Comstock]

2 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

GNR did play TWAT in 2007 (Slash didn't), but I meant 2017 that was a typo.

 

They didn't play it 2007, 2011 or 2013.

[MaskingApathy]

15 hours ago, Free Bird said:

There's a difference between fucking up the classics or playing so called "GNR songs" in a more "classic era style". That's got nothing to do with double standards  lol.

Yes 100%

2 hours ago, SAU3R said:

I think he did the solo quite well. He stayed close to the album version but it still sounded like Slash. Also I can't imagine Slash using a killswitch or doing tapping. 

I agree

[GNR_RNR]

When I heard Slash play the TIL solo for the first time (First Vegas Show) I thought "THATS what the solo was always meant to sound like"

 

However he has added a lot more noodling to his performances since 2018.

[Free Bird]

24 minutes ago, GNR_RNR said:

When I heard Slash play the TIL solo for the first time (First Vegas Show) I thought "THATS what the solo was always meant to sound like"

 

However he has added a lot more noodling to his performances since 2018.

Exactly what I felt when I first heard it. And I still do.

[Free Bird]

3 hours ago, adamsapple said:

I think he just can't really play Buckethead's solo at all - or else he would have shown by now and perhaps even added a cherry on top, like Buckethead did with the Nightrain solo.

Slash doesn't even care to get the timing and the bendings for Robin Finck's solo right. He emulates a kill switch with a wah, chops the melodic flow and structure of the song into bits and pieces and on top of that replaces chromatic tapping with pentatonic noodling. That's not a matter of style, improvisation or taste, that's simply playing the wrong notes because he can't be bothered to really listen to that beautiful song. I've seen bedroom guitarists on YouTube doing this song more justice than him.

Maybe they should just stop playing CD material and go full on nostalgia. Perhaps even replace the November Rain coda with that of Locomotive and then play the SCOM solo in the middle of Jungle. People probably wouldn't mind or even notice, as long as the guitarist is Slash.

In 2021 you're still expecting Slash to start tapping or using things like a kill switch?

No wonder that you're dissapointed but in fact you should have known better. I don't even think that Slash can't tap. We can speculate about it but at the end tapping is a technique that he can't identify with himself, so why should he play that way? He has his own style and has every right to play things his way, especially in HIS band. I'm glad he doesn't copy everything the former guitarists did. When there's Slash on guitar I want to listen to what he comes up with and I don't expect him leaving his zone...

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Free Bird

[Tom2112]

1 hour ago, Gordon Comstock said:

 

They didn't play it 2007, 2011 or 2013.

My bad I was sure I watched a performance (years ago) on YouTube from 2007. Must have been 2006

[Free Bird]

6 hours ago, DefinitelyInThisLifetime said:

The “give a fuck?” look on his playing, slack jawed and wanky tells anyone all they need to know. One of the largest grossing tours, so cash cow. If he cared he’d be pushing guns to make new material. For the minute he can go out, play the hits and get paid. He doesn’t give a fuck and most of us can see it. 
 

Even The Smashing Pumpkins, who’ve had more lineups and roster changes than Guns have put out material semi often, hell, even bands like Jane’s Addiction who are semi-retired, off tour, on tour, doing whatever are more consistent.

You're absolutely right. Slash is the reason why there's no Guns music since 2008. Look at all these other bands Slash is not a part of. They dll release music! That's an evidence. Without Slash, Axl would have released an album every two or three years... it's all Slash's fault...   oh, wait a minute 

[Top-Hatted One]

On 7/11/2021 at 6:15 PM, Beto 22 said:

I agree with you it's subjective.

 

And Slash take on Van Halen songs as what he did on Crazy Train its lame

Remember the hate Finck received early on very well. Probably led to him really digging in on playing the solos as written in 2006. I gotta say his 2000-2002 interpretations were much more inspiring and emotional than Slash’s CD takes

[ZoSoRose]

I'd it isn't the composer playing, I almost always prefer the songs to be played differently. I enjoyed NuGNR members putting their spin on things and I enjoy Slash doing it

[Live Like a Suicide]

6 hours ago, GNR_RNR said:

When I heard Slash play the TIL solo for the first time (First Vegas Show) I thought "THATS what the solo was always meant to sound like"

 

However he has added a lot more noodling to his performances since 2018.

To be honest, i was very impressed with Slash's improvisations in TIL and Sorry in 2016/2017. He went off a cliff in following years though. I am not impressed when he tries to sit on the fence by playing some of the original solo with his own additions, which more often than not, does justice to neither the original or his own style (e.g. TWAT).

[MaskingApathy]

Ok I'm watching it now; here are my thoughts:

What is up with the snare, why is it so boomy? And why is Slash so soft? Bass is super soft too.

Brownstone is pretty solid, what we've come to usually expect from them.

Not really sure why they chose this YCBM since they paused in the middle but whatever. This is also about the same as usual, Axl sounds like he usually does here. That one shot of Duff during the solo, he looks like his younger self from back in the day.

Better is ok, I like Slash's stage presence in this one. Also I'm noticing that they show Melissa singing but we never hear her.

Slash solo/Godfather is cool, this is my favorite "solo jam" that they did. Fortus needs to be turned down during this part though.

Interesting that they then go into SCOM from a different show. Sounds decent, no worse than before. Not sure why the camera is on Duff for half the solo though. The kill switch thing that Slash does there is cool.

My Michelle with Steven is great, although I don't think this performance was as exciting as the Cincinnati one.

I like Slash's take on TWAT, wish they had him turned up though. Unlike others here I really like his solo at the end; just a couple notes is all it takes to know who is playing it. You can really tell from his body language that he's in his zone here.

Babe I'm Gonna Leave You into Don't Cry is cool. Why can't Frank play the opening fill the proper way though? He's not too bad on the song otherwise. Slash is on point with the solo. 

Best part of this Selects is you can see that Slash was really into it at this point, compared to some of the ones from 2018 onwards.

[Free Bird]

2 hours ago, MaskingApathy said:

Ok I'm watching it now; here are my thoughts:

What is up with the snare, why is it so boomy? And why is Slash so soft? Bass is super soft too.

Brownstone is pretty solid, what we've come to usually expect from them.

Not really sure why they chose this YCBM since they paused in the middle but whatever. This is also about the same as usual, Axl sounds like he usually does here. That one shot of Duff during the solo, he looks like his younger self from back in the day.

Better is ok, I like Slash's stage presence in this one. Also I'm noticing that they show Melissa singing but we never hear her.

Slash solo/Godfather is cool, this is my favorite "solo jam" that they did. Fortus needs to be turned down during this part though.

Interesting that they then go into SCOM from a different show. Sounds decent, no worse than before. Not sure why the camera is on Duff for half the solo though. The kill switch thing that Slash does there is cool.

My Michelle with Steven is great, although I don't think this performance was as exciting as the Cincinnati one.

I like Slash's take on TWAT, wish they had him turned up though. Unlike others here I really like his solo at the end; just a couple notes is all it takes to know who is playing it. You can really tell from his body language that he's in his zone here.

Babe I'm Gonna Leave You into Don't Cry is cool. Why can't Frank play the opening fill the proper way though? He's not too bad on the song otherwise. Slash is on point with the solo. 

Best part of this Selects is you can see that Slash was really into it at this point, compared to some of the ones from 2018 onwards.

I don't get the "he just don't care" thing either, when you see how many passion he put in at the time. I truly believe he enjoys playing at least some of the CD tracks. I think after the Covid break, some of this passion might be back.. The only one who really doesn't care is Axl, that's pretty obvious imo. He delivered with ACDC, and he partly delivered in 2016 but got worse and worse since and that's the main problem if you ask me. 

 

 

[MaskingApathy]

41 minutes ago, Free Bird said:

I don't get the "he just don't care" thing either, when you see how many passion he put in at the time. I truly believe he enjoys playing at least some of the CD tracks. I think after the Covid break, some of this passion might be back.. The only one who really doesn't care is Axl, that's pretty obvious imo. He delivered with ACDC, and he partly delivered in 2016 but got worse and worse since and that's the main problem if you ask me. 

 

 

I agree on both counts. Slash is very passionate about his guitar playing and watching him do those TWAT solos you can see that he's really into it and really in the moment, not just noodling whatever to pass the time, just waiting for the song to be over. Now after 2018 some of those solos could fall in the latter category but not back in 2016, although on certain songs you could see the passion return (like SOYL, Slither, etc). I agree that after this extended break he might be excited again, esp if they're adding some different songs.

[19AT5]

I cannot believe I am about to go down this road but fuck it I am... think it is good GNR continue to play CD tracks live even though not a fave album of mine. However TWAT has always been a song I liked. Particularly the Buckethead guitar solo at the end. I'm less keen on Slash's interpretation though. Just doesn't seem to work for me. 

[MJRemastered98]

The new Paradise City performance should be here, shouldn't it?

[Stay.Of.Execution]

27 minutes ago, MJRemastered98 said:

The new Paradise City performance should be here, shouldn't it?

No. Since it's not a Select and it's not the nitl tour

[jamillos]

13 minutes ago, Stay.Of.Execution said:

No. Since it's not a Select and it's not the nitl tour

[MJRemastered98]

I got bored today and I split every song from the selects and added proper tags and a cover

[Ak1nney]

I'm late to the party, but wow, Slash's solo he wrote for Better is so amazing (I do enjoy the original, but damn, that's a cool take). I had never seen TWAT live with this lineup. Slash did a great job on the huge solo section and I though it was cool to hear him play those amazing recorded leads live, though you could tell if they played it more, he would absolutely nail it.

Edited October 11, 2021 by Ak1nney

[Free Bird]

21 hours ago, Ak1nney said:

I'm late to the party, but wow, Slash's solo he wrote for Better is so amazing (I do enjoy the original, but damn, that's a cool take). I had never seen TWAT live with this lineup. Slash did a great job on the huge solo section and I though it was cool to hear him play those amazing recorded leads live, though you could tell if they played it more, he would absolutely nail it.

Be careful with unpopular opinions here. If certain people say Slash sounds awful on CD songs and that he's noodling than you can't just claim the opposite. 

[Ak1nney]

2 hours ago, Free Bird said:

Be careful with unpopular opinions here. If certain people say Slash sounds awful on CD songs and that he's noodling than you can't just claim the opposite. 

Haha yeah. I try not to take sides with the CD material. I like the studio versions a lot. I mean, come on, Finck and Buckethead were fucking amazing on the leads on that album. I think Better is... better with the simple, yet cool intro and Slash's solo. There Was a Time had some room for improvement, but seeing as they didn't play it much, I think Slash did a damn good job on the solo. I'm a player of nearly 20 years and can appreciate it from a guitarist perspective. Not perfect with T.W.A.T., but all things considered, pretty damn awesome. 

Edited October 12, 2021 by Ak1nney

[hudsonsaul]

4 minutes ago, Ak1nney said:

Haha yeah. I try not to take sides with the CD material. I like the studio versions a lot. I mean, come on, Finck and Buckethead were fucking amazing on the leads on that album. I think Better is... better with the simple, yet cool intro and Slash's solo. There Was a Time had some room for improvement, but seeing as they didn't play it much, I think Slash did a damn good job on the solo. I'm a player of nearly 20 years and can appreciate it from a guitarist perspective. Not perfect with T.W.A.T., but all things considered, pretty damn awesome. 

Going to have a listen now, don't think I've actually seen a decent version of better. 

Also FYI all, someone post proshot RIR 2017 on YouTube a couple days ago. Watch it before it gets pulled:) 

No links due to a vague recollection that it breaks the rules.