Is The Last Two Minutes of "Monsters" the best passage of music GNR has released since '91

[colonizedmind]

Waited a few days as it can be easy to get caught up in the moment, the new vibes and recent bias...

It's certainly given me highs and chills unlike anything GNR have done for a long time... the blending of the dark deep monsters vocal bridge straight into Axl screaming like he never quite did on Chinese (released) and then a catchy end chorus coupled with Slash's best work in forever...it sounds like Guns now, NU-Guns and classic Guns all in moments...that is quite an achievement IMO.

What's yours? 

Edited October 31, 2023 by colonizedmind

[Coma16]

It's definitely up there but TWAT would like to have a word lol

[Cosmo]

Nah. It's the best since CD, for sure but TWAT, Catcher in the Rye's outro and Prostitute are, in my opinion, far superior.

[pbj_jam]

A thought experiment I did during fading in n out of the general fever dreams, was to wipe the slate clean MIB style, dump every gnr song in a Bucket, then pick up the one song which epitomized and embodied the gnr character and personalities behind it. The results were shocking, spoiler alert, The General and Monsters was what I picked.

 

You have the main characters doing the brunt majority work so, it boils down to.

Axl and his megalomania over the top theatrical perfomances and split personalities with outbursts of mania, racing thoughts of victimhood.

 

Slash and his unwavering build and grind, that completely harmonize with split personalities. Slashs personal signature being all over the journey and not pure noodlefest, reigned in until conductor lets the beast loose. 

Culminating with Monsters dirty sleaze and singalong sensibility, with the meanest bridge, thx Baz and the pure gnr soul leaving our bodies for the anthemic outro. Digest as needed..

[colonizedmind]

41 minutes ago, Coma16 said:

It's definitely up there but TWAT would like to have a word lol

Fair...that did cross my mind but Slash being on this and on great form has definately put it in the conversation for me...

The high notes and Buckets solo are awesome though! 🎃

Edited October 31, 2023 by colonizedmind

[ZoSoRose]

Monsters is the best since CD, that’s for  sure

[colonizedmind]

36 minutes ago, Cosmo said:

Nah. It's the best since CD, for sure but TWAT, Catcher in the Rye's outro and Prostitute are, in my opinion, far superior.

Yea....Catchers outro would be sublime but I hate how muddy the mix gets there...(shit! Hate to keep stoking the talking about mixes but...).... Axls vocals get a bit burried in the layers...

[Cosmo]

2 minutes ago, colonizedmind said:

Yea....Catchers outro would be sublime but I hate how muddy the mix gets there...(shit! Hate to keep stoking the talking about mixes but...).... Axls vocals get a bit burried in the layers...

I agree there's too much going on in that song.

[colonizedmind]

I think this poll may be kinda close...that's why it's interesting to do. I hope.

[bumbleslash69]

I'm sure some people may say CITR, OMG, Better, CD, Perhaps, Prostitute. There is a little bit of everything for everyone depending on the style of music you like from GnR. 

I'm going to go with... yes. Not that it's my favorite song to listen to, but I did think TWAT was the "best" of the CD era and by a good margin. I think Monsters edges it out by not retreading the lost love trope a lot of the GnR epics seem to be based around. It's like you merging the outro of Coma with some dark introspective Axl lyrics and then adding on all the CD era hallmarks. It's a damn good song. 

[lpgnr]

The outro solo is Fortus not Slash. 

[Mendez]

I'd say no. Prostitute from the "i told you when i found you..." part into the 2nd guitar solo / double kick drum part into the outro is at the top as far as a "Guns N' Roses" labeled song goes.

 

I'll give it a few more listenes though to make a real opinion

[drlaban]

TWAT and Prostitute are better. 

[BreakDown2014]

One of the greatest for sure, but it's hard to pick the "best" one. Chinese Democracy has some great moments too

[StrangerInThisTown]

18 minutes ago, lpgnr said:

The outro solo is Fortus not Slash. 

It's both, Slash until exactly 4:03, then Fortus takes over

Edited October 31, 2023 by StrangerInThisTown

[CaioAKR]

It's either that or the solos + Axl's screams in TWAT. Didn't vote because of that. It's a really tough choice between the two, which of course means Monsters is amazing.

[Mikey Whipwreck]

Last 4 minutes of TWAT are the best passage of music they've released since UYI.

And Better is the best overall song released under the GnR banner since UYI and showcased all the potential that 2000-2004 lineup had.

Obviously just one man's opinion. 

[lost un the jungle]

27 minutes ago, Mikey Whipwreck said:

Last 4 minutes of TWAT are the best passage of music they've released since UYI.

And Better is the best overall song released under the GnR banner since UYI and showcased all the potential that 2000-2004 lineup had.

Obviously just one man's opinion. 

TWAT has the perfect blend between industrial and classic rock. There is no exageration of anything and Axl's vocals are superb.

[Cosmo]

35 minutes ago, Mikey Whipwreck said:

Last 4 minutes of TWAT are the best passage of music they've released since UYI.

And Better is the best overall song released under the GnR banner since UYI and showcased all the potential that 2000-2004 lineup had.

Obviously just one man's opinion. 

 

6 minutes ago, lost un the jungle said:

TWAT has the perfect blend between industrial and classic rock. There is no exageration of anything and Axl's vocals are superb.

 

I know most will disagree and some will want to kill me for this but, IMO, TWAT is the greatest GnR composition ever. SCOM and Estranged do come really close second, though.

[prairieboy]

Great question! I've been trying hard to remember if I enjoyed anything from them since Illusions more than Monsters. Maybe the original 2006 Better leak, or the Prostitute leak, but this might be superior. 

 

Maybe it's recency bias, but The General/Monsters feels like everything I wanted the Chinese Democracy album to be.   

[lost un the jungle]

3 minutes ago, Cosmo said:

I know most will disagree and some will want to kill me for this but, IMO, TWAT is the greatest GnR composition ever. SCOM and Estranged do come really close second, though.

Don't be affraid man! it's a masterpiece

[Manfisman]

It's great but no. You just cant beat There Was a Time outro

[colonizedmind]

2 hours ago, lpgnr said:

The outro solo is Fortus not Slash. 

We don't know anything for sure yet...we will have to wait and see...probably only find out if they play it live...

51 minutes ago, lost un the jungle said:

Don't be affraid man! it's a masterpiece

Album version though? Or earlier?

[pbj_jam]

Better, Prostitute, Twat, The General and Monsters look good together..

 

 

[ShadowOfTheWave]

No. There are several moments on CD that are better, and IMO Monsters isn't even one of the best reunion songs.

Edited October 31, 2023 by ShadowOfTheWave