Hard School

[Jw224]

On 8/3/2021 at 9:30 PM, Blackstar said:

Except for potential complications with the label (renegotiation of the contract), there's no reasonable excuse to not release Hardschool right now. GN'R has a tradition of debuting new songs live first, but this time releasing it before performing it is, for many reasons, the sensible thing to do.

It's not the next masterpiece, but it's totally acceptable, in my opinion, as a "new" Guns N' Roses song. and I think it will be well received by the majority of fans, both diehards and casuals, and by the media.

Of course not each and every hardcore fan will be happy (because it's not newly written, or Izzy isn't on it, or it's not WTTJ level, or Buckethead isn't on it, or they want the General, or it's "too little too late," or they're just too "cool" to like it...). That's because there are many different factions and tastes in the fanbase, and TB has to come to terms with that.

Someone pointed out that Absurd has been licenced by GNR exclusively to the label. So doesn't that mean GNR own the song and not the label? (Not really sure how this stuff usually works) Seems like that'd make it easier to release stuff with less issues 

[Towelie]

2 minutes ago, avahland said:

Detroit ?

 

That soon after Absurd seems not logical....but it's GNR so anything is possible.
I hope you are right.

Tbh, I think we would've got it by now if Axl's voice was in better shape. They obviously don't want to debut it live with him struggling to pull it off, as it would be all over the rock press (like Absurd was) and a bad vocal performance wouldn't do the single release any favours.

My guess is, Axl is waiting for his vocals to strengthen before debuting it live and then putting it out as a single. 

[rocknroll41]

6 minutes ago, avahland said:

Detroit ?

 

That soon after Absurd seems not logical....but it's GNR so anything is possible.
I hope you are right.

The person you were replying to said that on July 30th so they were talking about Hershey, not Detroit.

[avahland]

11 minutes ago, rocknroll41 said:

The person you were replying to said that on July 30th so they were talking about Hershey, not Detroit.

Sorry....I missed that; my bad.
(but still hoping for new music....and a good complete bootleg but the bootleg business died years ago)

[ZoSoRose]

Hard Skool will definitely be released like Absurd (well, it’s GNR so nothing is definite). I’d bet sometime this tour leg

[Blackstar]

6 minutes ago, Jw224 said:

Someone pointed out that Absurd has been licenced by GNR exclusively to the label. So doesn't that mean GNR own the song and not the label? (Not really sure how this stuff usually works) Seems like that'd make it easier to release stuff with less issues 

Yes, that's an interesting observation. It also says on youtube that it's licensed by UMG, but UMG has Axl's publishing, so it's not necessarily related to their recording contract.

[El Guapo]

Releeeease it!!

[ShadowOfTheWave]

59 minutes ago, ZoSoRose said:

Hard Skool will definitely be released like Absurd (well, it’s GNR so nothing is definite). I’d bet sometime this tour leg

I think Hardschool is supposed to be the "real" comeback single, as in the one that makes waves on radio, so I don't expect that until next year, coinciding with an album release. It GNR were to release Hardschool during this tour with no album announcement that would tell me they aren't planning on releasing an album at all, since they wouldn't waste Hardschool as a stand alone track.

[betterman]

11 minutes ago, ShadowOfTheWave said:

I think Hardschool is supposed to be the "real" comeback single, as in the one that makes waves on radio, so I don't expect that until next year, coinciding with an album release. It GNR were to release Hardschool during this tour with no album announcement that would tell me they aren't planning on releasing an album at all, since they wouldn't waste Hardschool as a stand alone track.

Strange logic! 

They have several songs we know of as strong: Atlas, Perhaps, SOG plus probably a lot we dont know

[El Guapo]

It just feels like they will release something else close to Absurd now that they got the attention with this weird song.

But yeah, it' GnR, so...

Edited August 9, 2021 by El Guapo

[ShadowOfTheWave]

7 minutes ago, betterman said:

Strange logic! 

They have several songs we know of as strong: Atlas, Perhaps, SOG plus probably a lot we dont know

I would contest Atlas as a strong track as I find it bland and incredibly overrated on these forums, but regardless, none of these songs make a great comeback single like Hardschool. Of course maybe Absurd shows they want to think outside the box and not do things the standard way, I'll suppose we'll have to see.

[zombux]

4 minutes ago, ShadowOfTheWave said:

I would contest Atlas as a strong track as I find it bland and incredibly overrated on these forums, but regardless, none of these songs make a great comeback single like Hardschool. Of course maybe Absurd shows they want to think outside the box and not do things the standard way, I'll suppose we'll have to see.

the only part of Atlas I consider good is the guitar solo. the rest is whiny shit. 

sorry.

[19AT5]

6 minutes ago, zombux said:

the only part of Atlas I consider good is the guitar solo. the rest is whiny shit. 

sorry.

Agreed. Utterly bamboozled as to the hype it gets aroond here. To be honest, same with Hard School, Perhaps, and most of the Village leaks. State of Grace was not too bad right enough. But for the most part I was completely underwhelmed by all those recordings.

Also off that for the second time in his career it looks like Axl Rose looks set to release new material to the world, only for the world to discover that it's been available for years and it ain't really new. Odd.

[El Guapo]

5 minutes ago, 19AT5 said:

Agreed. Utterly bamboozled as to the hype it gets aroond here. To be honest, same with Hard School, Perhaps, and most of the Village leaks. State of Grace was not too bad right enough. But for the most part I was completely underwhelmed by all those recordings.

Also off that for the second time in his career it looks like Axl Rose looks set to release new material to the world, only for the world to discover that it's been available for years and it ain't really new. Odd.

Same here. Atlas, State of Grace, Perhaps...whiny shit describes it pretty well. Not excited about any of these. Hardschool could be great though.

Edit: Eye on you could be fun if they keep the MacDaddy line.  I'm serious.

Edited August 9, 2021 by El Guapo

[rocknroll41]

Maybe another factor in releasing Absurd before HardSkool is that Absurd is more indicative of what the overall album will sound like?

[zombux]

25 minutes ago, El Guapo said:

Same here. Atlas, State of Grace, Perhaps...whiny shit describes it pretty well. Not excited about any of these. Hardschool could be great though.

Edit: Eye on you could be fun if they keep the MacDaddy line.  I'm serious.

there's quite a lot of interesting and catchy tunes on the Village leaks. 

just please finally get rid of "ooooh a woman left me 30 years ago (because I'm utter piece of shit) and I need to write 60 songs about it"

[Stay.Of.Execution]

Just now, zombux said:

 

just please finally get rid of "ooooh a woman left me 30 years ago (because I'm utter piece of shit) and I need to write 60 songs about it"

You've got some real issues

[Tom-Ass]

36 minutes ago, rocknroll41 said:

Maybe another factor in releasing Absurd before HardSkool is that Absurd is more indicative of what the overall album will sound like?

God I hope not

[fiefer1]

Would anticipate they release their reworked version of Hardschool by the end of this tour, similar to Absurd/Silkworms. As with the current single, I would expect a few musical rearrangements, new guitars/bass, and... the same vocal tracks that were recorded 20+ years ago.

The song as it stands is a lot like most Chinese Democracy songs, lots of interesting parts, but can't maintain momentum and seems incomplete. It won't work as a single, maybe a nice track though if they could somehow finish it and get Axl to work on the vocals... my gripes:

- The vocals on the verses really don't work: Axl's melody on the verses are out of timing, tune and power... you can hear him trying to fit in to the song with little, out-of-breath jabs, not "owning" the verse (which, vocals aside, I really like). Axl seemed to regain his voice around 2006, so here's to optimism that he was able to rewrite his vox/melodies on the verses, but not getting my hopes up.

- The song loses focus after the second verse, and suffers from the same cut/paste/paint-over songwriting that afflicted some CD tracks (thinking of IRS, Atlas, Catcher etc). There just isn't enough vocal work - it feels incomplete here - nor any more hooks that give the song depth, making a pretty thin and stretched set of ideas.

I go back to the song... the long intro is a nice jam but unnecessary, love the verse instrumental but the vocals are cringeworthy, Axl absolutely nails the brief chorus... and that's about it... after the nice cowbell/solo throwback, I usually skip the track. There's a full song here, but even with a vocal redo, Slash/Duff on the amps, maybe some sort of hooky bridge and better editing... it'd be a B-side at best.

Do I still want to hear the updated version? Absolutely. Such is this weird GNR fandom... 

[darkside259]

Absurd sound like a velvet revolver song, and i think the ñew album is gonna be a velvet revolver kinda sound with a chinese touch. pretty sick if you ask me, gnr rocks

[Ralphelmo]

1 hour ago, darkside259 said:

Absurd sound like a velvet revolver song, and i think the ñew album is gonna be a velvet revolver kinda sound with a chinese touch. pretty sick if you ask me, gnr rocks

Edited August 9, 2021 by Ralphelmo

[zombux]

5 minutes ago, Ralphelmo said:

still miles better than "DIZ NOT GUNSES ROSES! DIZ AXEL SOLO BAND AN IT SUX!"

[darkside259]

37 minutes ago, Ralphelmo said:

nice argument pretty mature

32 minutes ago, zombux said:

still miles better than "DIZ NOT GUNSES ROSES! DIZ AXEL SOLO BAND AN IT SUX!"

big fan of nugnr so idk what you mean

[Modano09]

9 hours ago, tsinindy said:

So they played it once live before they decided to release it (Fenway), at MetLIfe he announced they were releasing it before it was played.  What, exactly was Axl's gauge for how it "went over"?  Did they take some poll we aren't aware of?  Did they measure crowd response?   I mean what the fuck does this even mean?

Well you're a pleasant one aren't you?

I just thought it was odd to introduce their upcoming single in somewhat of a self-deprecating way and Axl's past, say, 25 years show that he's hesitant to release new music because he doesn't seem to think anything is good enough until it's been tinkered with until it's perfect. 

[surforia]

11 hours ago, Towelie said:

Tbh, I think we would've got it by now if Axl's voice was in better shape. They obviously don't want to debut it live with him struggling to pull it off, as it would be all over the rock press (like Absurd was) and a bad vocal performance wouldn't do the single release any favours.

My guess is, Axl is waiting for his vocals to strengthen before debuting it live and then putting it out as a single. 

This 100%.  I’m thinking they debut it in a couple weeks in LA.