A realization I had - a difference between "classic" GNR and "Chinese era" GNR I didn't think about before

[denin]

On 9/9/2021 at 9:10 AM, StrangerInThisTown said:

Yeah CD is an album as "serious" as it gets, it's IMO more of an angry bitter statement/response by Axl to the world, since most of the world had the opinion that he broke up the band and was responsible and an asshole for that.

The bitterness is the throughline in most CD lyrics. Some songs and barbs Axl saved especially for some former ladyfriends. Atlas Shrugged may be the most upbeat song of the bunch - even if Axl's reach exceeds his grasp there. Instead of him going down that road he sings about, we get the lyrical equivalent of an overhead drone shot. The lyrics, then, don't quite coalesce for me. It's almost as if the Atlas narrator is daydreaming about a better life that would await him, if he got his head together ("we hope you understand"). So instead of Atlas, we get Absurd - a song that should be heard.

[CAFC Nick]

11 hours ago, denin said:

The bitterness is the throughline in most CD lyrics. Some songs and barbs Axl saved especially for some former ladyfriends. Atlas Shrugged may be the most upbeat song of the bunch - even if Axl's reach exceeds his grasp there. Instead of him going down that road he sings about, we get the lyrical equivalent of an overhead drone shot. The lyrics, then, don't quite coalesce for me. It's almost as if the Atlas narrator is daydreaming about a better life that would await him, if he got his head together ("we hope you understand"). So instead of Atlas, we get Absurd - a song that should be heard.

Ironically Atlas was written about Robin so it continues on the "bitterness" theme from CD.