Hard Skool Officially Released at Midnight - Sept 24

[BucketNZ]

I see a lot of people having trouble finding it? It's out on YouTube music here in NZ

[Ratam]

1 hour ago, Martin Riggs said:

IMO Hard School in this song is basically Axl saying the person is too “hardcore” or “badass/cool” or at least the person in question thinks of themselves this way. They’re set in their ways.

I think Axl give it meaning, but i think the real meaning aside Axl is like Alfierose says and same spanish language, apparently british and spanish meaning same. Axl live in his own planet...

[allwaystired]

1 minute ago, Fozzie Bear said:

This just it...the DRUMS on the DEMO were so much better.  Something about this new version just isn't hitting...but cue the GN'R apologists who weren't even around when GN'R made amazing studio material.  All of my friends who grew up with GN'R are literally laughing at these last 2 "singles"....

I grew up with GNR, and I'm sure as hell not an apologist.....and I love these last 2 singles. 

Fair enough if you don't of course.....but there's nothing 'apologist' about some people liking them. 

[DownUnderScott]

4 hours ago, jimisbatman said:

AUS is good for Russell Crowe and Crowded house,but NZ get HS first 😂 

Actually mate, truth be told, I think Russell Crowe and Crowded House are from New Zealand anyway, so we can't really claim them 

[Malcolm Malcolm]

Now it's out where I am I should say that the bass sounds fucking fantastic. That's definitely Slash in both channels, and much as I'm a fan, I'd like to hear him play off a rhythm player.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Malcolm Malcolm

[Pskihq92]

1 minute ago, BucketNZ said:

I see a lot of people having trouble finding it? It's out on YouTube music here in NZ

Midnight your local time.  8:08pm for me. So 4 more hours.

[Blackstar]

Just now, Fozzie Bear said:

Dude they ALL SOUND unfinished.  Does nobody own AFD or UYI?  Go listen to a properly mixed GN'R SONG and then listen to this stuff.  It's a cut and paste hack job of a song that's 22 years old.   This is not a band that got in the studio and made this song...it's Axl telling them "whatever, do something with this..."

Funny that you say that, because the demo was cut and paste, too. Parts that were good on their own but didn't fit together and Buckethead pasted over it.  This one is much more cohesive, in my opinion, and the new slide slow part fits better.

[Malcolm Malcolm]

But I mean ultimately, this song is Guns N Roses. It sounds like the band we love. That's the main thing.

[TeeJay410]

9 minutes ago, Fozzie Bear said:

Dude they ALL SOUND unfinished.  Does nobody own AFD or UYI?  Go listen to a properly mixed GN'R SONG and then listen to this stuff.  It's a cut and paste hack job of a song that's 22 years old.   This is not a band that got in the studio and made this song...it's Axl telling them "whatever, do something with this..."

My guy, if you knew how music has been recorded over the past 20-30 years, you would be very disappointed.

[Tom2112]

Finally heard it, and it's better than the demo, much more of a UYI feel to this. Some good guitar work and the vocals are improved.

Only criticisms is that Axl is a tiny bit low in the mix, I also feel like he could have added a more prominent vocal over the slide section.

 

[Gordon Comstock]

7 minutes ago, Fozzie Bear said:

This just it...the DRUMS on the DEMO were so much better.  Something about this new version just isn't hitting...but cue the GN'R apologists who weren't even around when GN'R made amazing studio material.  All of my friends who grew up with GN'R are literally laughing at these last 2 "singles"....

 

The drums on the demo were definitely better. The playing on the released version is fine, but I'm really not a fan of the drum sound on this or Absurd. I guess when you're pasting together parts from the early-mid 2000's with other parts from the 2020's, you've gotta compress and EQ the shit out of certain tracks...

[adamsapple]

11 minutes ago, TeeJay410 said:

Oh, man. My guy. The feel on it, I get it, word, but best drummer? Yikes.

For GNR that is. Just like Slash is the best lead guitarist for GNR, even though he's lightyears away from the pantheon of truly great guitarists imo. Josh is one fine drummer, but with GNR I have yet to hear a better fit than Steven.

[Pele]

1 hour ago, 19AT5 said:

I sometimes get what you're saying and sometimes feel you get a hard rap for making certain points. But really who the fuck cares about what year the vocals were recorded?! And realistically we have no way of validating it either. Even if we did... so what!?

It wou;dn't matter at all if there was a vault of recordings over the last two decades.

There isn't, so they are scraping together the last of what he did and the people here are falling for it.

They have literally pasted a scream from 'Eye On You' into the middle of this. 

We'll get the 'woo woo' from Quick Song pasted into Atlas next lol

[hudsonsaul]

9 minutes ago, Gordon Comstock said:

 

The drums on the demo were definitely better. The playing on the released version is fine, but I'm really not a fan of the drum sound on this or Absurd. I guess when you're pasting together parts from the early-mid 2000's with other parts from the 2020's, you've gotta compress and EQ the shit out of certain tracks...

Good point. The mix does sound quite flat imo. Especially considering the resources this band has at its disposal. 

I'm enjoying the track a lot more now the house is empty and I can crank things loudly. 

[sl4yer]

17 minutes ago, Fozzie Bear said:

Dude they ALL SOUND unfinished.  Does nobody own AFD or UYI?  Go listen to a properly mixed GN'R SONG and then listen to this stuff.  It's a cut and paste hack job of a song that's 22 years old.   This is not a band that got in the studio and made this song...it's Axl telling them "whatever, do something with this..."

Yes, times have changed, songs are recorded, mixed and mastered in different way these days. You don’t like it. I get it. It doesn’t mean it’s unfinished.

why tf any of you have problems that it’s an old song and not written with Slash?

Didn’t Izzy write most of AFD and slash just added leads and solos?

Weren’t SOYL and Anything Goes written by a different - if we can say that - band?

Weren’t Back Off Bitch, Don’t Cry, November Rain etc written, played and known for years before they were released?

Why this stuff even bother anybody?

Just enjoy the music

 

[eggers]

This does not sound as exciting as the leak, and what the fuck is with the drum sound? Ugh.

[janrichmond]

2 hours ago, Homefuck said:

So... can we look forward to a "hard skool" emoji on this forum in the near future?

this is your department @alfierose

[Malcolm Malcolm]

3 minutes ago, eggers said:

This does not sound as exciting as the leak, and what the fuck is with the drum sound? Ugh.

Unfortunately that's a 2021 rock drum sound. It's shit and not what drums actually sound like, but we're in another period where drums are processed. 

[StrangerInThisTown]

Sadly I got to say too many cool elements from the original version were stripped away and the mix of the sound just doesn't sound as "badass" as the original version for meit reminds me of every other washed up 80s bands new albums like what Warrant has been releasing the last decade.

Really weak guitar solo by Slash aswell which is a big WTF for me, even filler tracks from WOF like Too Far Gone had amazing memorable structured solos while this is a GNR single.

Maybe it will grow on me, but as much as I laughed at people saying they prefer Absurd when skimming through this thread, here I stand thinking Absurd is the more badass song in the end.

[DTJ80]

1 hour ago, 19AT5 said:

I sometimes get what you're saying and sometimes feel you get a hard rap for making certain points. But really who the fuck cares about what year the vocals were recorded?! And realistically we have no way of validating it either. Even if we did... so what!?

Pretty much spot on. If you have loads of vocal takes compiled from a time when you were vocally much stronger etc - why wouldn’t you use them?!

Sure it might sound a bit different live (we don’t yet know) but who cares? People are only going to judge the studio stuff.

[GnR Chris]

31 minutes ago, Fozzie Bear said:

 All of my friends who grew up with GN'R are literally laughing at these last 2 "singles"....

OK, guy.

[AxlRoseCDII]

The funny thing is if no one knew about the leaks I guarantee you all the people complaining it’s from 99 wouldn’t even realize it and would be enjoying the song. 
 

Get rid of your bias. If this came out in the 90’s on UYI it’d fit right in.

[Tom2112]

Is he doing macdaddy underneath the slide part?🤣

[MaskingApathy]

2 hours ago, HollyWoodRose84 said:

Yes, multiple tracks. I say multiple meaning more than at least 5 that were mentioned to me (no I don’t know names and I wouldn’t say if I did).  There are 100% new songs finished and waiting to be released. The album/EP was ready to go before COVID.  Regarding the songs heard, his overall consensus was “meh” and after hearing what they did with Absurd and this most recent one, I totally understand where he’s coming from. I’ll never be able to get the “yeah, but do you really?” line he used on me when I said I wanted to hear new music. No way in hell anything is going to come close to what was released 30 years ago. 
 

I’m starting to believe it will be 99% leftovers with the majority of the parts overworked by Slash and Duff but I’m hoping for something completely new with this lineup. I was originally told there were a few all new tracks, mostly Slash ideas, that were recorded but that remains to be seen.

This band never ceases to amaze me. I am still confident, as is my buddy that we will see a full release via EP or a full album (or both) by years end.  Everyone is getting along and that’s pretty obvious so let’s see what happens. Sorry to anyone if I’m repeating myself from previous posts. 

Thanks for your answer. Yeah I think too we'll have some new original songs as well. If he's heard these songs already then I'm hopeful that an album is imminent.

1 hour ago, davisp said:

me and my gf had our 10 year anniversary today, Hard Skool got released, I had a Guinness, Hard Skool got released, the Guinness was followed by 4 different craft beers, Hard Skool got released, I had a dry aged rib eye steak, Hard Skool got released..... what a day

Happy anniversary!

[TeeJay410]

There is nothing more amusing than people who know nothing about mixing or producing complaining about things being copied and pasted or things being compressed or drum replacement etc. THE SOLO TO STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN WAS CUT AND PASTED TOGETHER FROM DIFFERENT TAKES. DRUMS HAVE HAD SAMPLE REPLACEMENT/SUPPORT SINCE THE 80'S. Loudness/compression wars started in the late 90's, but really with the advent of the CD. Your favorite records contain all the things you are whining about.