ABSUЯD Single released at midnight

[Powderfinger]

3 minutes ago, MaskingApathy said:

Iron Maiden also did some promo stuff leading up to the release, GnR didn't and it was a surprise. Maybe that made a difference?

Maiden fans are pretty hardcore, so a new tune is going to get viewing. It’s also a track to listen to a few times, it’s lengthy with different parts, so it’s a few listens. 

But like I mentioned, absurd hasn’t got much repeat viewing among the people I know. It’s been turned off more before it ends than the few who tried a few times with it. 

How does it sound live while at the gig @RussTCB

[Tom-Ass]

2 hours ago, Powderfinger said:

But like I mentioned, absurd hasn’t got much repeat viewing among the people I know. It’s been turned off more before it ends than the few who tried a few times with it. 

The song was a pretty big talking point between friends and family for the first couple days after its release.. I literally got zero good feedback from anyone.. The most positive reactions I have seen have been on this board and even that seems pretty split. It looks like 99% of the fans here who do like were fans of CD.  I am sure there are some exceptions but it seems like the vast majority that didn't like CD, do not like this.. Slash or not..

Edited August 18, 2021 by Tom-Ass

[Nick85]

If there is a contractual agreement to release music during the tour, it means there is ::gasp:: a plan. It also means they know exactly what the next single will be and exactly when it's coming.

Fuck, I want to believe this dude Pele. 

[Pele]

54 minutes ago, RussTCB said:

My point is: when Axl played new music, then went silent (back in 2003 - 2005) we had everyone and their brother pop up to tell us about allllll this "insider" info they had. None of it ever came true.

The same exact scenario is playing out now. Axl surprised released a new single, yet none of these people with super super reliable sources told us it was coming. However, they're certainly able to play their "insider card" now to tell a bunch of things that could happen? 

It's literally the exact same thing that happened on forum 18 years ago! At least it was entertaining back then. Now it's just a retread of something that was worn out a long, long time ago. 

Thanks Russ.  My point overall in response to this (and Downzy is as follows)

Full disclaimer - I'm not an insider.  I don't know anyone connected to the band.  Everything I state is opinion.

 

Your issue with 'insiders' - you're acting like nobody has provided info before.  I said earlier - there is a big difference between fake, mysterious, attention seeking insiders and those obsessive fans who spend a lot of time, energy, money etc tracking down information.

The most famous 'insider' of all was not an insider.  The band hate him, however he did the following:

• Leaked various tracks of ChiDem before we'd heard them
• Leaked a document listing Tonto, Perhaps and Going Down 8 years before we knew of their existence
• Leaked Better Gone and This I Love new vocal
• Leaked DJ Ashba's submissions to Axl (Mi Amor/Ballad of Death)
• Leaked Going Down
• Leaked a document detailing the Better Video Treatment featuring puppets (proven true as people emailed contacted the director)

Another forum nuisance ended up driving across the country and negotiated the sale and handover of the treasure chest that was the Village Disks!

 

I won't keep going on about this as I know it's a divisive topic.  I just want to highlight the MASSIVE difference between a fake 'insider', and a relentless, obsessive fan with the time, patience, intuition to get all of this stuff.

 

[CAFC Nick]

Has anyone actually mentioned ‘Perception Reality Life’ as being the words associated with the initialism P.R.L. previously? Interesting.

Could be wrong here but do not recall ever even hearing P.R.L. mentioned in any form before the Village Leaks happened.

Edited August 17, 2021 by CAFC Nick

[janrichmond]

24 minutes ago, Pele said:

Full disclaimer - I'm not an insider.  I don't know anyone connected to the band.  Everything I state is opinion.

Stop. Just stop. It's boring.

[metalavenger99]

3 hours ago, Sweersa said:

The mixing is my biggest gripe with this song. It just seems off. Guitars and vocals drown out the drums and other layers. The village demos and the 2008 CD songs are masterpieces of mixing in comparison, unless it's just me.

What do the audiophiles have to say on this? Some have said it's not the best.

I personally don't like the excessive reverb on Axl's voice but I love the song overall.

I don't know if someone has mentioned this before but back in the day if you searched for Silkworms lyrics on google most of the results would throw out "My home, just a world away, let's drift away" for the "chill break" and if you hear the old demos and Absurd (at least IMO) it clearly says that, I don't know why would they replace that with "Just another life, slips away" in the official lyrics, when you can hear some words before that, (My home?) anyway the obvious guess it's that it might've been a Pitman's line and Axl just wanted to change it -on the lyrics- cause we already know the vocals are old.

[RussTCB]

35 minutes ago, Pele said:

Thanks Russ.  My point overall in response to this (and Downzy is as follows)

Full disclaimer - I'm not an insider.  I don't know anyone connected to the band.  Everything I state is opinion.

 

Your issue with 'insiders' - you're acting like nobody has provided info before.  I said earlier - there is a big difference between fake, mysterious, attention seeking insiders and those obsessive fans who spend a lot of time, energy, money etc tracking down information.

The most famous 'insider' of all was not an insider.  The band hate him, however he did the following:

• Leaked various tracks of ChiDem before we'd heard them
• Leaked a document listing Tonto, Perhaps and Going Down 8 years before we knew of their existence
• Leaked Better Gone and This I Love new vocal
• Leaked DJ Ashba's submissions to Axl (Mi Amor/Ballad of Death)
• Leaked Going Down
• Leaked a document detailing the Better Video Treatment featuring puppets (proven true as people emailed contacted the director)

None of that is info, except of course for the bit about the Better video that absolutely no one cares about. 

So, I'm not acting as if "insiders" have never provided solid information, it's just a fact that they haven't. 

Also, there's no need to continue the faux cloak & dagger with dancing all around the names of people who've leaked tracks. Everyone knows who leaked what. Dancing around their names is still discussing them which still isn't allowed on the forum and hasn't been for a very long time. 

In the end, this thread which was meant to discuss the first new GN'R single in 13 years has now become another pedestal for "insiders" to hint around at what they might know. 

The same people who didn't have any idea that Absurb was going to be performed live, let alone released as a single. 

[janrichmond]

Please stay on topic in the thread, off topic posts will be deleted. Thank you.

[RussTCB]

Just now, Pele said:

What?

Are you saying all of that stuff I listed didn't happen?

I didn't say it didn't happen. I said it wasn't info, because it isn't. As I said before, there's a huge difference between leaking tracks someone managed to get a hold of and having actual inside information. 

1 minute ago, janrichmond said:

Please stay on topic in the thread, off topic posts will be deleted. Thank you.

I'm 100% responsible for keeping it going. That's my bad. Sorry! 

[Martin Riggs]

1 hour ago, MaskingApathy said:

Iron Maiden also did some promo stuff leading up to the release, GnR didn't and it was a surprise. Maybe that made a difference?

The difference between 10 million views and 1.5 million views is quite significant. Their song has been out a few weeks longer but that doesn’t come close to being the reason. Also Iron Maiden may have done promo for their song but it’s not like GNR didn’t get a lot of publicity when they released Absurd.

[janrichmond]

3 minutes ago, RussTCB said:

I'm 100% responsible for keeping it going. That's my bad. Sorry! 

I have the ban hammer ready! 

[MaskingApathy]

1 hour ago, Powderfinger said:

Yknow, it’s just YouTube, I’m not aware of Spotify, iTunes etc, etc. The numbers could be higher there.. The Maiden track also came out mid July, so it’s had some weeks on absurd, but.... to me it speaks volumes yeah. 

 

1 hour ago, Powderfinger said:

Maiden fans are pretty hardcore, so a new tune is going to get viewing. It’s also a track to listen to a few times, it’s lengthy with different parts, so it’s a few listens. 

But like I mentioned, absurd hasn’t got much repeat viewing among the people I know. It’s been turned off more before it ends than the few who tried a few times with it. 

How does it sound live while at the gig @RussTCB

I looked up the numbers on Spotify, Writing on the Wall is at 5.1 million streams and Absurd is at 1.2 million streams but like you said the Maiden song has been out for a month already. I still think that for having been out for less than 2 weeks more than 1 million streams is really good, esp for an artist that isn't Taylor Swift/Olivia Rodrigo/etc. Let's see how many streams Absurd has a month after release.

[Sweersa]

38 minutes ago, metalavenger99 said:

I personally don't like the excessive reverb on Axl's voice but I love the song overall.

I don't know if someone has mentioned this before but back in the day if you searched for Silkworms lyrics on google most of the results would throw out "My home, just a world away, let's drift away" for the "chill break" and if you hear the old demos and Absurd (at least IMO) it clearly says that, I don't know why would they replace that with "Just another life, slips away" in the official lyrics, when you can hear some words before that, (My home?) anyway the obvious guess it's that it might've been a Pitman's line and Axl just wanted to change it -on the lyrics- cause we already know the vocals are old.

Very interesting, I've always wondered what Axl was saying there. Is there an official source for those lyrics? Would be cool to get a clear photo of Axl's monitor during that song! Haha

[DTJ80]

2 hours ago, Powderfinger said:

2 weeks later Absurd is still crap to these ears.... I’ve tried it a few times and it’s still tripe. 

1.5 million views of the first original track by a band in 13 years. The new Iron Maiden tune has 10 million views. That says a lot. 

If you look at the officially released singles by GNR, this surely ranks the worst. Shadow of your love, even though an oldie, was far better than this. 

Amongst the couple of music heads and GNR heads I know, I haven’t heard anything positive about this track. “It’s a joke right” , “it’s not sexy” and “I turned it off after a minute, twice” were some of the comments made. 

I’m glad they got SOMETHING, out there, and I hope an album follows, but this track ain’t great.

(Again, only my take on it. Music is like food, what I eat others might not like and others eat what I might not like, it’s why there’s such a variety of music, all tastes are catered for, and absurd isn’t to my taste) 

Light my Fire has been mentioned by some posters in this thread @Pele is this a cover of the Doors track? I never thought of Guns covering this track, but I could see it being brilliant. I’m intrigued!!

 

2 hours ago, RussTCB said:

@Powderfingerwow....I didn't realize the difference in numbers between GN'R and Iron Maiden. That really does say a lot. Sheesh! 

That maiden track is boring….maiden are great but that song is awful IMO. So 10 million views is a great number but doesn’t mean the song is good. Plus you factor in the hardcore Maiden fans (mainly South America) who pray at the altar of maiden and the fact it was out much earlier…..🤷🏼‍♂️

[ShadowOfTheWave]

1 hour ago, CAFC Nick said:

Has anyone actually mentioned ‘Perception Reality Life’ as being the words associated with the initialism P.R.L. previously? Interesting.

Could be wrong here but do not recall ever even hearing P.R.L. mentioned in any form before the Village Leaks happened.

https://www.mygnrforum.com/topic/222640-cd-leaks-discussion-thread-no-links-no-asking-hinting-for-leaks/page/137/

 

[Martin Riggs]

10 minutes ago, DTJ80 said:

 

That maiden track is boring….maiden are great but that song is awful IMO. So 10 million views is a great number but doesn’t mean the song is good. Plus you factor in the hardcore Maiden fans (mainly South America) who pray at the altar of maiden and the fact it was out much earlier…..🤷🏼‍♂️

Guns N Roses don’t have hardcore fans and/or a lot of fans in South America? I’d be a little surprised if that official Absurd video has 10 million views by its 1 year anniversary next year, let alone its 1 month anniversary. 

[Tom2112]

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ex-guns-n-roses-guitarist-ron-bumblefoot-thal-remembers-recording-his-parts-for-song-that-became-absurd/

Nothing new as such, but interesting to hear him mention. 

Would love to know how many others he worked on!

[AxlRoseCDII]

I’m not sure there’s any way to legitimately track how successful a new rock song is nowadays anyways. There’s a million variables. 

1 minute ago, Tom2112 said:

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ex-guns-n-roses-guitarist-ron-bumblefoot-thal-remembers-recording-his-parts-for-song-that-became-absurd/

Nothing new as such, but interesting to hear him mention. 

Would love to know how many others he worked on!

Of course Ron would talk about Guns new song more than GNR themselves 

[Tom2112]

21 minutes ago, DTJ80 said:

 

That maiden track is boring….maiden are great but that song is awful IMO. So 10 million views is a great number but doesn’t mean the song is good. Plus you factor in the hardcore Maiden fans (mainly South America) who pray at the altar of maiden and the fact it was out much earlier…..🤷🏼‍♂️

SA fans pray at the alter of GNR  too. Maiden just have more aggressive following. Gnr are more well known but a majority of those people don't seek out new material. They are discovering Chinese Democracy for the first time at the shows since 2016.

Absurd will slowly pick up streams but it's not a popular song. The Maiden song is a bit meh... but most people aren't repulsed by it in the same way as Absurd. At least you hear the Maiden track and even though it's stylistically different it's still very clearly a Maiden song from the vocal.

If hardskool was released first the numbers would be quite similar, maybe gnr might even have more! 

[Tom-Ass]

Interesting.. I have never really been a Maiden guy aside from a handful of songs but I do like that new song.  

[metalavenger99]

1 hour ago, Sweersa said:

Very interesting, I've always wondered what Axl was saying there. Is there an official source for those lyrics? Would be cool to get a clear photo of Axl's monitor during that song! Haha

The first days of Absurd on Youtube, the lyrics where down there on the video description, maybe you can check them there, plus Axl sings “Just another life” live 

[GnR Chris]

1 hour ago, Sweersa said:

Very interesting, I've always wondered what Axl was saying there. Is there an official source for those lyrics? Would be cool to get a clear photo of Axl's monitor during that song! Haha

From their YouTube page:

Guns N’ Roses - ABSUЯD out now.
https://gunsnroses.lnk.to/Absurd

Written by Guns N’ Roses
Produced by W. Axl Rose N’ Caram Costanzo
Recorded and Mixed by Caram Costanzo
Brain Mantia - Drums

Lyrics

Ha-oww
Listen motherfuckers to the song that should be heard
Back down in the gutter is more than you deserve
Screaming fucking banshee, you know that’s what you are
Pussy full of maggots, isn’t that absurd
Dizzy little dreamer with your head down in the stars
Fucking little schemer lost yourself inside the art
Syphilitic priestess baby, I know who you are 
Parasitic demon sucking acid through your heart

Absurd
Absurd
Absurd
Ha-oww

Ha-oww
Listen motherfuckers to the song that should be heard
Back down in the gutter is more than you deserve
Screaming fucking banshee, you know that’s what you are
Pussy full of maggots, isn’t that absurd

Absurd
Absurd
Absurd
Ha-oww

Ha-oww

Just another life slips away

Ha-oww
Listen motherfuckers to the song that should be heard
Back down in the gutter is more than you 
deserve
Screaming fucking banshee you know that’s what you are
Pussy full of maggots, isn’t that absurd

Absurd
Ha-oww

Absurd 
Absurd 

[Blackstar]

On 8/11/2021 at 8:20 PM, Liva said:

wonder if anyone knows what this means.  On Spotify below the song ABSURD is says "2021 Guns N' Roses, under exclusive license to Geffen Records"

ChiDem says "2008 Geffen Recods"

AFD Super Deluxe says "2018 UMG Recordings, Inc." and "A Geffen Records Release: This Compilation 2018 UMG Recordings, Inc."

The Spaghetti Incident says "1993 Geffen Records"

Wonder what that means on who has control over the music and future releases.  Did GNR become its own label under Geffen?  Anyone with industry knowledge know what this means, if anything

On 8/11/2021 at 8:22 PM, SoulMonster said:

Let's send up the @Blackstar signal!

Just noticed this.

It's the same as with SMKC's latest record:

"© 2018 Snakepit Records, LLC under exclusive license to Roadrunner Records, Inc. for North America and South America."

Slash released it under his own label and licensed it to Roadrunner for distribution.

So it looks like that GnR have released it independently and licensed it to Geffen for distribution, which means that they own the recording and not the label.

[On youtube it says that it's licensed by UMG, but most likely that's not UMG the record label, but UMG  Publishing that has Axl's publishing (meaning the rights from songwriting, sync and mechanical royalties, etc. - I think Slash and Duff still have their own publishing).] 

This is very interesting, because it could mean that GnR are free from the contract with the label.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Blackstar

[jimisbatman]

1 hour ago, Blackstar said:

Just noticed this.

It's the same as with SMKC's latest record:

"© 2018 Snakepit Records, LLC under exclusive license to Roadrunner Records, Inc. for North America and South America."

Slash released it under his own label and licensed it to Roadrunner for distribution.

So it looks like that GnR have released it independently and licensed it to Geffen for distribution, which means that they own the recording and not the label.

[On youtube it says that it's licensed by UMG, but most likely that's not UMG the record label, but UMG  Publishing that has Axl's publishing (meaning the rights from songwriting, sync and mechanical royalties, etc. - I think Slash and Duff still have their own publishing).] 

This is very interesting, because it could mean that GnR are free from the contract with the label.

Thanks for this, very interesting. First thought was, their free, awesome, release music and hold the rights. Then I'm reminded its gnr, and nothing is ever this straight forward.