What do you want them to do next?

[ZoSoRose]

Well, The General and Soul Monster have now come and gone. Whether or not you like them, the unthinkable has happened and we now have (in some capacity) most of the most talked about "CD2" songs in a pre-2018 GNR world-

Jackie Chan
The General
Oklahoma
Atlas Shrugged
Soul Monster
Oklahoma
Tonto
Zodiac
Thyme
Quicksong
Silkworms
OMG alt. 
Going Down

...with some previously unknown songs like State of Grace, Perhaps, and all the other instrumentals. 

So, what do you want next?

 

Like most people here, I wanted to hear this material so bad. Many spent over a decade speculating and talking about these tracks- which is fucking crazy to me because all we really had were song titles. Still, we did it anyways. We built up a mythical Chinese Democracy 2. It was ready to go in 2010, and it didn't come out after all these years because of Axl. Well, after getting the 4 reunion- songs, I don't think that is true anymore. Regardless of if I like them or not (I overall do), they very much feel like leftovers to me. Almost like they are unfinished. That is how the locker leaks and 5- singles feel to me. It is clear Axl is not reworking or adding to these arrangements, they are just copy/pasting Slash and Duff. 

Personally, I am ready to move on. I love Chinese Democracy, it is one of my all- time favorite albums, but I wish Axl would find a bit more gas in the tank. I am grateful we got to hear all of the above so we as a weird fanbase can move on. I'll take what I can get, but do we really think the completely unheard stuff like Seven is going to blow our minds? I'd happily take that, Zodiac, Oklahoma but we don't even know if they have vocals. Overall, I am content with what we have from the CD sessions, and feel like I have enough closure as a fan. Monsters being a good GNR track, helps. 

The most exciting thing, by far, would be all- new material with new lyrics and vocals from Axl. I'll be honest, it probably wouldn't be that good, but I'd be excited to hear them at least try. 

Edited December 12, 2023 by ZoSoRose

[F*ck Fear]

Selfishly, I want them to completely finish all of the Chinese Democracy era songs and then move on to freshly written and recorded music.

Unless Axl's live work gets better the touring bit doesn't interest me.

[Rindmelon]

I don't care about new music anymore unless it's a leak from cd era. Touring is good enough if they do it less and have more recovery time between gigs. 

[Blackstar]

I want a combination of 1 and 2 but with more emphasis on 2: I want them to release the 3, 5 or however many songs from the CD era that have been re-recorded with Slash and Duff within the next year, either as an EP or as standalone songs. And then move on from the CD era and write new music or record covers or whatever.

[SoulMonster]

1 hour ago, F*ck Fear said:

Selfishly, I want them to completely finish all of the Chinese Democracy era songs and then move on to freshly written and recorded music.

Unless Axl's live work gets better the touring bit doesn't interest me.

Completely agree.

The Village leaks aren't CD2. It is mostly unfinished sketches of songs. I want to hear what became of them, plus the songs written afterwards. 

[VampireSoul]

Actual new music, written after the reunion. And a fucking show in Finland!!!!!!! 

[Stay.Of.Execution]

Enough with the Chinese era. It's been enough now. New album and then Tour the fuck out of it the next 5 years

[BluegrassBlues]

I'd like them to release a few of the CD era songs that Axl feels strongly about, and then move on. It doesn't even have to be new music to start with, I'd be happy with a cover album 

[TheFormerSoul]

No more immediate live stuff.  Axl’s voice sounds like it is in a bad condition.  Fix that first.  Vocal therapy works, and miracles can happen if the problem is treated. 

[adamsapple]

A new song would be nice, written, performed and recorded by the current lineup.

Could even be a shit song, I would give them credit for at least trying.

If they can do that, I'd be hopeful for a new album. If they can't...well, fuck off.

Love this band to pieces but recent releases and developments have been kind of a bummer for me. A strain of copy and paste leftover singles with no heart and soul, sloppy production resulting in sound quality issues, manager accused of sexual harassment, Axl accused of rape...I've seen better from this band, much better.

I have a feeling Axl was kind of saying goodbye with the Perhaps video and also with thanking the band on stage (when did he ever do that like this?), but I hope I'm wrong about that.

[colonizedmind]

46 minutes ago, adamsapple said:

A new song would be nice, written, performed and recorded by the current lineup.

Could even be a shit song, I would give them credit for at least trying.

If they can do that, I'd be hopeful for a new album. If they can't...well, fuck off.

Love this band to pieces but recent releases and developments have been kind of a bummer for me. A strain of copy and paste leftover singles with no heart and soul, sloppy production resulting in sound quality issues, manager accused of sexual harassment, Axl accused of rape...I've seen better from this band, much better.

I have a feeling Axl was kind of saying goodbye with the Perhaps video and also with thanking the band on stage (when did he ever do that like this?), but I hope I'm wrong about that.

Em, at the end of most massive tours? 

[ZoSoRose]

Hot take- I’d love a 2016 live album and video

[DarkLotus1111]

Release a Chinese Democracy box set featuring: CD I and CD II, also including a remix album with "the best of CD" that has Slash and Duff on it. 

Then go full blown mullet rock with fresh new material.

[Sweersa]

2 minutes ago, DarkLotus1111 said:

Release a Chinese Democracy box set featuring: CD I and CD II, also including a remix album with "the best of CD" that has Slash and Duff on it. 

Then go full blown mullet rock with fresh new material.

My guess is they will hold off on any special Chinese Democracy box set similar to what you describe until after they exhaust all re-worked song potential through their exhaustive single release process. That way, they don't release the superior mixes with previous musicians before the NITL lineup fucks them up.

I'd also like a 2016 Axl/DC live Blu-ray.

[Ratam]

Move on.

[Draguns]

Release Monsters and move on in writing new music. 

[hudsonsaul]

For me. I just want them to book studio time for a month and record an album. Don't care if it's in the style of appetite, nor do I care  whatever style it ends up being, or whatever style or vision they want. But just book a small window of time, hire a producer too, and bash out a dozen songs or more songs, construct an album from the best ones and release it. 

Just keep it authentic and honest and see what happens. They're all experienced enough and talented enough to knock up something great in that time frame imo. It shouldn't have to be ground breaking or the best work they've ever done. For me hearing what they can organically come up with would do it for me. 

Do that, don't take it too seriously, and release it.

Won't happen of course. 

What I think they'll actually do:

Keep drip feeding CD leftovers piece meal. Then combo them all up as an EP/album. Talk for years after that about writing a new album, which never really eventuates. Eventually we'll get to fairwell tours and that'll be that. 

[Gunner Gilby]

Well I voted the first option. But ideally release the best of the CD leftovers with Slash, Duff n Melissa adding their touch. Then an album of all new material.

[ZoSoRose]

31 minutes ago, Draguns said:

Release Monsters and move on in writing new music. 

Oh yeah, for sure. Definitely the best GNR song in a long while

[tony adler]

Officially retire the band Guns n Roses, cause this band is not Guns n Roses , anything more is and would be a Blight on their hit albums, ( just see ‘ Original Star Wars Trilogy ‘ and why everything after has soured those seemingly untouchable Masterpieces , Cocksuckers !!!

[Rapidfire]

Finish/ redo CD2 songs with Slash and Duff, put them out as a full album, and then focus on fresh materials with the current band.

[NewGNROldGNR]

Bring back Tracii and Rob, build a hologram of Ole, and do an original lineup club tour.

[ZoSoRose]

39 minutes ago, tony adler said:

Officially retire the band Guns n Roses, cause this band is not Guns n Roses , anything more is and would be a Blight on their hit albums, ( just see ‘ Original Star Wars Trilogy ‘ and why everything after has soured those seemingly untouchable Masterpieces , Cocksuckers !!!

How is this not Guns N Roses? There are 3 original members in the band

[evilfacelessturtle]

I like CD but the locker leaks had nothing interesting to me. I'm shocked that I came to appreciate Perhaps in its final form (largely thanks to the quality mix) because otherwise I feel like "CD II" material is just subpar compared to CD.

That said, I'm also unimpressed by Slash's albums after World on Fire. So my expectations are not high regardless of what they do. I'd love to be wrong, though.

[Gordon Comstock]

May as well release the rest of CD2, since that's realistically our best chance of hearing new music. I'd prefer a box set or massive leak of 2002-10 CD sessions, but Soul Monster was worth the wait even with Slash and Duff. If they're on Cuban Skies, Seven, etc then cool, at least they'll probably be released.

Tbh I think at this point we'd hear better results if they went into a studio for 2 weeks and recorded a covers album, rather than trying to write a new album. Go play some Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper, AC/DC, just rock the fuck out and capture some energy. Axl doesn't seem interested in that approach for his own songs but I'd bet studio versions of The Seeker, Marseilles and Wichita Lineman would all be good, and probably sound more cohesive than these leftover singles.