THE GENERAL - MONSTERS - Official Discussion Thread. NO LINKS OR ASKING FOR LINKS

[THELINESMAN]

My review: 

An average Chinese Democracy style song with unnecessarily weak clean vocals in the chorus and a good solo at the end.

Too light on guitars in the earlier parts of the song, missing the blues hard rock sound and raspy Axl vocals which is why so many (the majority?) love Guns N’ Roses. 
 

With louder guitars in verses and a raspy chorus it could have had a ‘Civil War’ type lift. Wasted opportunity.

 

Overall, I’m disappointed with this one. All these new releases feel disjointed. Really want the guys to write and record a cohesive new set of songs with that old Guns swagger.

 

I like Chinese Democracy. But The General isn’t a favourite of that era for me. Prefer IRS!

[Blackstar]

1 hour ago, Rindmelon said:

Not random bitches lol, selected women. Probably by the polish millionaire who owns the club & Fashion TV. He was there that night trying to shill his own brand of Vodka.

I hate to say i think I was right (but i think i was right) people uploading clips and versions of Monster's back when we thought it was The General had the song pulled for being 'The general' (which we now know it wasn't) having them under the same trademark means they could pull the song under the name we thought it was without giving away what it actually was. At least i think so, i can think of no other reason they would be tied together like that. Beltrami said when someone contacted him from this board that they were separate pieces of music when he worked on them. That's good enough for me.

Plausible theory.

But, although I know that what Fernando says is not worth overanalyzing, I still wonder why he would make that smartass  I-know-something-you-don't-know joke ("the general is a monster") unless we were supposed to "get" it soon enough (that the leak we thought was The General was actually another song called Monsters). And then there's also the fact that the two songs leaked together. Could be a coincidence, but it's too much of a coincidence, I think.

The explanation that makes sense to me (maybe in combination with your theory) is that the two songs were originally going to be released together on the vinyl, but plans changed because the quality of the pressing was too bad.

Edited December 8, 2023 by Blackstar

[Lethalis]

It's not a bad song, but I just don't like the ending. I would have liked it much more if the ending was guitars only. Axl's high pitched wailing is just too much.

The rest of the song is fine.

Others seem to like the ending (comments on YouTube etc), but it drives me crazy... sometimes I even turn it off. It probably doesn't help that I already have tinnitus and don't like high pitched sounds that much anymore. It hurts just listening to it.

I like the Monsters leak though... so I'm hoping that will be released at some point.

PS My favorite song at the moment is Pull Me Through by Royal Blood. I like these lower mellow sounds much more nowadays. Guess I'm getting old

Edited December 8, 2023 by Lethalis

[axljungle]

11 minutes ago, GnR Chris said:

Dude, fuck off. I don’t mind hearing your opinion that YOU don’t like it. But what’s the elitist bullshit about, that everyone has to share your opinion? I’m not lying to myself or you when I say I like the song. 

People that tell My World is better, I suppose they like more the riff and the solo of my world, or perhaps the clean voice or the drums. I can understand what sense have trolling like this.

For me the YouTube official release have clearer voice

[Chris 55]

1 hour ago, oneway23 said:

Appetite was recorded on analog tape, so, they likely captured it and stored it at 24-192 for archival purposes.

These recent songs are all a product of the digital age, done in pro-tools, probably had the session captured at that rate. 

Not an audiophile forum, but, honestly, nothing we really need to worry about too much.  It's more for the folks making the music.

I see other bands with new songs with higher hz. Metallica for example. Weird. Oh well. 

[Blackstar]

12 minutes ago, DSTK said:

I'd doubt that 100% with the recording credits , vocals maybe, the actual music is new apart from pitman's bits

He was joking, I believe.

[GnR Chris]

“The General” isn’t for everyone. If it was on a record, it’d be considered a deep cut IMO. Like “Locomotive” or “Prostitute.” Or even “Perfect Crime.”

”Perhaps” is the “best” song of the NITL releases thus far in that it’s accessible for new and old GNR fans alike. You wouldn’t immediately say “this sounds like a Chinese Democracy song” like you would with “Absurd” and “General.” “Perhaps” is a ballad with bite.

“Hard Skool” is a solid rocker. It sounds most like vintage GNR, but it’s just too repetitive lyrically. So for me, I’d compare it to something like “Anything Goes” or “Right Next Door to Hell.” If it was fleshed out, it could have been a rocker more akin to “Nightrain” or “Easy.”

”Monsters” is a “big gun.” I have no idea why they’re sitting on that. It’s mean. It’s vicious. It’s poppy. It’s objectively the best, most complete song we’ve heard from GNR since 2008.

[Blackstar]

23 minutes ago, BillConnor_1982 said:

What a garbage press release. Doesn’t mention any history of the song and it’s obviously done on purpose to mask it as a “brand new” composition. 

Their press releases never mention anything about the history of the song. I guess since their publicist is not provided with substantial information about the song, they just write generic stuff about the tour and the band.

[rumandraisin]

Have to say it's probably in my top 5 Guns tracks. Lives up to everything I thought it would be. Dark, bits of electronic mixed with hard rock and it sums up Chinese perfectly. I absolutely love it. Slower dark parts building up to the typical CD over the top choruses. It's perfect. 

[GnR Chris]

Count me among the folks who really like the ending to “The General.” I get why people don’t: Axl’s wailing hides the killer guitar work. But what jumped out to me when I first heard the leak was the ending, and how Axl’s high pitched vocals eventually blended into the weeping guitar licks to the point it almost became indecipherable what was Slash and what was Axl. That’s pretty poetic. It reminded me of the way back when Slash said Axl’s voice was a unique instrument unto itself. 

I doubt we’d bemoan “The General” for what it isn’t if this motherfucking band would just release more music. This slow trickling of tracks leaves us always wanting more with each individual song. Bigger solo. Rasp. More verses. Etc. But if we had a batch of new songs, we could just enjoy each them individually, but as a collective. You know … like a freakin’ album. Every song on an album doesn’t need a long Slash solo. Every song on an album doesn’t need to be 7 minutes. 

[Live Like a Suicide]

The song is getting torn to shreds on their social media, lol.

[GnR Chris]

Also, sorry, I know I’m posting a lot tonight, but as much as “The General” isn’t a poppy song or something that necessarily has a memorable melody, it’s a goddamn ear worm. I’ve been singing “daddy don’t, the hell I won’t” for a freakin’ month now. And don’t get me started on my awful falsetto on “my only regret ….”

My girlfriend actually digs when I play “The General” now ‘cause I’ve had “Perhaps” on such a loop since its official release that it’s far and away my most top listened Spotify song despite it releasing only a few short months ago. So she’s like, finally, something different. Ha!

[MaskingApathy]

I listened to it a few times, yeah as a song it's not all that great. Certainly not as good as it was hyped up to be. It would fit better in the context of an album. Personally I think Absurd and HS are way better (even Perhaps is kind of boring to me).

[GnR Chris]

9 minutes ago, Live Like a Suicide said:

The song is getting torn to shreds on their social media, lol.

I expect nothing less from the majority of their fan base. They probably stopped listening to new music in 1994.

[ChristmasFnatic]

I rather listen to My World. This songs sucks but then again, never a fan of CD songs. The message is good and all, but Aerosmith did it better with Janie’s Got a Gun.

Can't believe this is the great elusive General everyone is talking about for many many years.

[Stay.Of.Execution]

2 minutes ago, ChristmasFnatic said:

I rather listen to My World. This songs sucks but then again, never a fan of CD songs. The message is good and all, but Aerosmith did it better with Janie’s Got a Gun.

Can't believe this is the great elusive General everyone is talking about for many many years.

To be fair, the thing everyone was anticipating turned out to be Monsters in the end

[rumandraisin]

15 minutes ago, Live Like a Suicide said:

The song is getting torn to shreds on their social media, lol.

To me it's usually the sign that they've done something different and experimental. Remember the reviews CD got. 

[there is no dana only zool]

Man I genuinely do not understand some of the comments on socials and stuff saying it's bad.  I mean, I basically like every GN'R song but I easily view general as one of the "big guns."  This song is legitimately awesome. 

[koldbeer2]

21 minutes ago, Live Like a Suicide said:

The song is getting torn to shreds on their social media, lol.

Rightfully so, it's a poor song imo. Monsters is by far the stronger of the two. The live version is a little better but still pretty weak stuff overall 

[Blackstar]

https://www.loudersound.com/news/guns-n-roses-the-general

[Rovim]

The General's chorus is so good. I like how both Josh and Brain came up with songs that actually were released by Axl. The mullet head in me kinda wishes that all these NITL released singles got the Mike Clink treatment, but I really like it anyway.

Edited December 8, 2023 by Rovim

[JAxlMorrison]

34 minutes ago, Live Like a Suicide said:

The song is getting torn to shreds on their social media, lol.

Those folks can go catch a Motley Crue show.

oddly, when I looked at the YouTube comments maybe 30-40 mins after EST release, I’d say 90% were positive, and a lot were well thought out. The other 10% were your typical we want Steven, we want Izzy repetitive nonsense.

The folks who don’t “get” this, well, it wasn’t really intended for you. You’ll always have Appetite.  

[JAxlMorrison]

27 minutes ago, GnR Chris said:

I expect nothing less from the majority of their fan base. They probably stopped listening to new music in 1994.

if it ain’t in the jungle or paradise city, or if it isn’t about drinking and drive or “turn around bitch,” they’re not gonna like it regardless. And they’ll wish and hope and pray for 1990, which is almost 34 years ago already. 

[Mendez]

To whoever asked what duff is backing vocals on. I hear some "hooooo"'s in the prechorus part behind axls layers. Maybe thats it?

[Rovim]

2 minutes ago, JAxlMorrison said:

Those folks can go catch a Motley Crue show.

oddly, when I looked at the YouTube comments maybe 30-40 mins after EST release, I’d say 90% were positive, and a lot were well thought out. The other 10% were your typical we want Steven, we want Izzy repetitive nonsense.

The folks who don’t “get” this, well, it wasn’t really intended for you. You’ll always have Appetite.  

if everyone liked the same shit it would be a very boring world to live in. Some people let the fact that others dislike what they like get to them which is their problem, really.