Here Today... Gone To Hell!

You guessed it, it's about the song.



/jarmo

This song takes SO LONG to get going. When it finally does, it really shines but that's not until about a quarter of the way through. The rambling feeling of the lyrics come to mind again. It seems as if the lyrics are bitching just to bitch. Axl Rose has always complained but usually mentions what he intends to do about his problem. This song just seems to be a laundry list of what he might do about what he's not sure he's mad about. The solo, drumming and vocal performance stand out. The band works together to really give this song something to remember with the rocking groove.
3/5

Great song once again. Very good the way it mixes heavy sounds with some more soft melodic sounds!

weakest on the album. would rather have had "oh my god" or "silkworms" over this!!

1/5

Not particularly good when it first materialised, now it sounds about three albums out of date. Lyrically it's an all too familiar theme for Axl on this album. There must be something better than this waiting to be heard. Filler on an album that simply couldn't afford to have any.

i love this song.one of the best.

10/10

song rocks simply put

Quality Tune 5/5

I keep reading in reviews about volume issues with this song, and I'm inclined to agree. Why has it been allowed to still sound like a muffled demo when placed next to Sorry?

always liked franks drumming during the 2nd guitar solo. great it's on there. it will be a song people either love or hate, i guess. well, with me it changes from day to day...

Sounds abit more beefy then the demo. But still not to far off from it. Still on of my favs  :smoking: 4/5

This is the best version! The lyrics are so clear! That was one gripe i've always had w/ IRS, lyrics were all jumbled and hard to make out...

Takes it to a 3/5!! Not bad compared what I would have given it yesterday!

With the final version of IRS, they finally captured the hugeness of the live version.  Awesome

I am very much into this tune!

I get suprised when people dont like this, but I am also not all that into "This I Love" so much.  Different Strokes for Different Folks I guess...

I have not been able to get the chorus out of my head, I think it is classic angry Axl.  His voice sounds freakin awesome!

Timbo

I just don't feel it.  The opening melody is an instant turn off and it doesn't make up for any lost ground as it gets going.

I remember hearing the snippet of it before the 2006 leaks and thought to myself, "we're waiting all this time for that!?"

Love Axl, but just don't dig IRS.  A new, revamped version of Oh My God would've been killer instead.

I'll post my intial thoughts on this...

this album takes so much out of your listening to it,. and that's a good thing!

I actually liked the demo version better in a way,. but this is great too!

it's a middle of the pack song for me.... love the heavy chunky riffs

listening to this song over and over now, moved into my top 5 on the album....i looooove Finck's solo about 1:20 in...sounds so sleazy, reminds me of Slash right before so far away in Paradise with the tone....

Best played loud 5/5.

As much as I love this song, I have no idea what its about. I have been listening to it over and over but cant really figure it out.
Anyone know what it's about yet?


 :peace:

ive always enjoyed this song since i first heard it (live).
its just a good old rock song

its probably one of the biggest "growers" on this album,
but like scraped,
give it a chance and youll fall in love with it.

Haha, you've got to be kidding me?! IRS is the best fucking rocker I've heard, easily in the top 5 on the album!
It's a brilliant song that just gets you going totally every time, classic GN'R times 10! :smoking:

im not kidding ! oh my god is a kick ass tune , irs is like something i did in my first band when i was 13!!!

Tax Evasion

IRS is one of my favorites

my least fav. on the album..only song a I'm tempted to FF..I understand why he's calling the FBI, Private Eye and the Police, but why is he calling the IRS?

You guys completely miss the point if you think he is really talking about the IRS in the song...it's like saying that Madagascar is about an island off the coast of Africa.

Yeah..... Id prefer a reworked Oh My God maybe


The song is good but I have to be in certain moods to really like it....................

Why would u call the IRS? To have someone who broke your heart Audited? :hihi:

The whole chorus is just a play on the old saying "make a federal case out of it" as in going over the top and making a big deal out of whatever the situation in question is.  There's nothing about it that's supposed to be literal

Thank you. I was gonna write a semi-long post about it, but you did an admirable job of summing up what I was going to say.

IRS is the dark horse on CD,  I think its one of the most improved from the leaks...just simply rocks so damn hard and has groove...great!!!!  I think the whole IRS FBI etc, is as mentioned above just a metaphor, i didn't get it until i heard the album version.

Is it me or is the guitar riff in the leaks louder and cooler?

IRS on CD just doesn't get me all the way it's cool though

Can't believe not more people dig IRS. I smile everytime I hear the intro cause I know what's comin'! 8) Irresistable song, easily the best rocker on the album! Everytime the "I bet you think I'm doin' this all for my health, I should've looked again babe at somebody else" I just get this urge to headbang and dance that I simply cannot repress! :smoking:

I have always liked IRS, the final version jams. The guitars sound great and mice and rock n roll loud kinda feel. I think this is probably the next best radio friendly rock song on the album

My opinion too. This is one track where the new band is really reminiscent of the old one--because of this groove, this swing in the riffing!

Some people are saying that Scraped reminds them of Appetite, but I just don't hear it: Scraped is way too martial and robotic to remind me of the old band.

This is my drummer/singer's favorite song from the album.

Personally I'd say you'd have to be insane not to like this song. This was the first of the Democracy tracks I recall really liking; sounded like something that would have been right at home on the Illusion albums, with the bluesy overtones. Awesome lyrics, awesome melody, and the guitars after the chorus have me head-banging all over creation.

IRS is for the old school gunners. I think this song plays better live. I have to be in the mood for it but it certainly isnt a bad song. Descent song.

Anyone else pissed they wasted those awesome guitar riffs at the end of the song? Man I wish they used those riffs for an entirely different song. They are incredible. (listen in at 3:56 and on)

I can kinda hear what you're saying but they're not really riffs.  Just guitar squeals...
On the other hand the Bucket solo just before those riffs start is some of his best work ever.  I love how Axl holds the last note of his verse as Bucket's solo is starting like they're having a battle.  Axl always said he was trying to "kick the music's ass" but this one's a draw man!

I love how the whole song just continues to build and build.  The 1st verse Axl is just getting going, after the guitar squeal intro part, axl comes back more pissed and intense then the last verse.  The music also grows each time after the squealing interludes, the last verse just kicks your ass, axl going all out!!....as he does elsewhere on this amazing album.

 I'd like to see IRS as a single, this is the one song on CD that i tend to hit the reply button.

Loved the original leak in 2006 I guess it was...

THis one is good, but liked the leak a tad more, the guitars were slightly louder/different to me... anyone else think this?

IRS is growing on me more and more.

Everybody I have played this to loves this song, its really suprising to see it has such a mixed reception with GNR fans.

Only problem I have with it now is my car stereo wont go any louder when its on, no matter how many times I press the button.

Feels like I'm living inside of this song - with the wall of sound that the music creates, I can really feel being cloistered inside!

Yeah, I don't like this song. Only song on cd I dispise lol. But, it may be because I've been hearing it for so long. They're are plenty of other good songs on cd to listen to though.

I'm still hearing "feeling like I'll never get ya outta this song"  :-\

I think this is a downright awesome rock song. The part when Axl screams Trueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee for like 15 seconds is actually the highlight of the whole album for me. Plus I think its cool when the trumpets go off in the backround, I just think its a great song.

Love the solo they added like 1/4 through the track. It was always one of my favorites, and I never understood why people always thought it was so "meh". Awesome, edgey rocker  :peace:

IRS is one of my favourites!!
By the way, who is that guy in the booklet at the page with IRS lyrics?  ???

Looks like a Chinese soldier to me.

Paul Tobias  ;D

Great song, one of my favs. Very heavy. Reminds me of My Michelle in its heaviness.

I gotta be honest n say I see this as an Axl Rose album but after listening to CD all the way through over n over again IRS is hands down one of the best songs to be released on an album in a long time. At first I thought Better then Sorry but I kept finding myself going back to this over n over. Brilliant song

For some reason, despite never much caring for the song since it first leaked, and having no time for it at all when the album came out, I've suddenly started to like it loads this weekend. It still sounds like it was recorded for a different album from the rest of the tracks, though.

I love that little drum fill that was done on the last tours is in there at the end (around 3:53).

I'm assuming that's Frank because that's how he played it.






/jarmo

Really into this song lately so thought I'd share some thoughts.  Took me a while to find this thread!  ;)

 Always enjoyed the song live, it was the leak at the time that I didn't like....but the album version won me over...and it has risen up the charts for me in regards to my favorites on the album.   Love the drumming on the song (always enjoy hearing Frank's drumming kicking in to go with Brain's) and Axl's vocals are much grittier and angry than in the leaks which really puts the song over for me.

I really LOVE the line "feelin' like I'm done way more than wrong....feelin' like I'm livin' inside of this song..."

Always thought it was "feelin' like I'VE..." when listening to the leak and at concerts...but when the album came out and saw the official lyrics (it's right in both the fugazi and real booklet) I just really loved this part!  Makes so much more sense and just written brilliantly! 

I.R.S.

Man, would have never thought I would dig this song as much as I do...the album version just really won me over.
Looking forward to hearing it live again when I see another G N' R show....hopefully in the States!  Unfortunately it wasn't in the set list at the two Canadian shows I attended (but I'm not complaining, we got "T.W.A.T." in Hamilton!) but yep definitely looking forward to hearing it live again.  :peace:

Honestly the way i look to CD, it has 5 really great songs! Better, Chinese Democracy, Catcher in The Rye, If The World and Scraped! It has 5 so so songs: Shacklers Revenge, Prostitute and This I love, Street of Dreams, TWAT
Then it has the crappy songs: Madagascar, Sorry, IRS and Riad.

IRS - 2/5, The reason i dont like this song because in general its pretty much a filler to me. Its not very interesting musically, lyrically and the guitars are pretty boring. Now i always thought IRS was a bad song and always thought it looks more like an unreleased gem like Just another sunday for example, but i have to say that the 1999 version that leaked a couple years ago was a little bit better then the album version, maybe if they had continued pursued that version they would have made it a little better, but in general i think the lyrics are pretty bad and i dont see anything interesting in the song. Im sorry if im being too up front but its my opinion!

Now i know you're gonna ask why did i put TWAT as a so so song, well before you ask, ill say simply because i hate that intro and because i hate the background voices that Axl added to the album version (when he sings wrong time). I also think the 1999 version that leaked years ago was much better, without that intro and the voices...

Never got IRS..Some parts I like, but WHY IS HE CALLING THE IRS on somebody? Did they not pay taxes?

It's a metaphor.  It's all about calling out someone for always being a dick... someone that thinks nobody realizes that's what he's doing.

It's like cheating on your taxes.  Someone's gonna know.

I don't think you should take it so literally...thats the joy about music, you can turn it into however you want it to fit your own life. And that's whats great about Guns.....their songs translate so well to our own situations.

This songs lyrics will always have deep and intense meaning to me the way they are delivered. And this song absoluteley kills live! So glad it's back in the setlist! This was the song got me headbanging the most in Prague!

I love it, very thoughtful song !

IRS is brilliant. 2nd best song on CD (after This I love).
10/10.

Still have never been able to really get into this song. This and Riad are my 2 least favorites on the album

to me CD lacks of good rocker songs and thats why the album didnt get the attention it deserved.
The album was destined to fail due to all the critics and the media around it and all the years it took to release it, and all the people that wanted to basically screw Axl to make him reunite with the old members, but i think Axl could have still had a better album, if he had left out IRS and replaced it with Oh My God and another rocker.

Also i always thought of Chinese Democracy as a concept album, i think the name of the album screams concept album by itself. He shouldnt have made so much ballads, and he should have opted for less orchestra in the songs.

If he had another hit like Better and Chinese Democracy this album would have been great!
 
IRS should have been left out

I think the melting pot idea was wrong as well, the album looks like a compilation of songs from different eras, and in fact it is what the album is.

Imagine if CD was an industrial concept album, that would have been awesome, if they didnt have changed the songs to a more traditional style, we would have gotten a great album! I think the mistake was to go back a little to a more traditional style.
The earlier demos really sound more like what CD should have been!

Lots of "should" there. Maybe you should look elsewhere to find what you want, because many (and I mean it, as 3+ million consumers is hardly a failure) disagree.

Well as a fan myself i obviously like the album... i mean its Axl! What else could you ask? and no i dont have to look elsewhere, i like the band and the album on a gnr fan perspective, but i know that the album was a failure generally, but the album wasnt allowed to grow anyways

In your world perhaps but not generally, Its outsold many up and coming acts several times over.  In GnR past album sales terms then sales no doubt are lower than hoped, but with piracy and the constant ability to make flawless copies on even the most basic of PC's the sales figures of all albums are gonna be hit. The casual (fan) consumer isn't interested in the booklet etc and just want a copy on their iPod and find ways of cheaply (free) getting downloads done on the numerous P2P  sites will always affect the number of sales made. Its only fans who want to see the paraphernalia of who wrote what, who plays on track X and where its recorded , and not many percentage of them either.

I know the Axl says it wasn't promoted properly, and I'd agree, but not allowed to grow???  This is a 200+ tour date promotion. Its reached a level that will continue to grow, but is passed its peak sales, unless a second CD album drops with a media whoring promotional push. Its new music that isn't leaked, written by the current line-up that people other than the fans that will state any legitimacy to and will buy on its merit as a group.  The Axl's hired hands tag is somehow a  bar into objective opinion when it comes to Gnf'R.  The doubters, aided by the media have to some degree won their argument but what does that matter, I'm like 3,000,000 others are enjoying a great album, and that's what its all about.

Im not saying i didnt enjoy it, i did actually, i still listen to the album like crazy, i just thought it was a very "smooth" album, a very "smooth" statement from Axl if you ask me...after all the shit he went through, i expected an album with more anger, an album with more fire, theres way too many soft songs on there in my opinion, and im pretty sure im not the only one who thinks that.
Also, some of the songs were kinda destroyed in its own way on the album versions in my opinion, "Better" being the one i show more concern about it! There's also a lot of people who agree with that.

I dont care about tags... hell i bought the album 2 times, the original version of the album, and the SHM-CD. I honestly think Axl could have done much much better, and i think there are probably songs that they recorded that they left out that most certainly are better than some of the songs on Chinese Democracy!

About the album not being let to grow, i was referring to the people in Universal, and the headaches they probably gave Axl. Axl stated himself this was the version of the album that they let it pass to the stores, which gives the idea, that the finish product would have been different if it wasnt for the management and all the people he had to deal with, during the Chinese Democracy era.

So are you of the opinion that Axl's holding onto the stuff that he has a vision of that's not for compromise?

I can see that Ax's p1$$ed at the record company and the then management who were pushing for the release, but is this a "will do for now"album and better to come when the legal stuff with Azoff is dealt with?

I'm not sure it is myself, but then I've been wrong before  and all I can do is go with gut feelings...As do most of us.

Well, what im saying is that i think Axl saved some of the songs that were supposed to come out in Chinese Democracy for another album.
I think the management had something to do with the track picks for the album as well

that was the rumour a few months ago or in 2009.
that the band picked some songs and management just filled the rest with fillers or songs that were put in the trash or something like that.

Axl / the band can't pick songs on their own album ? I highly doubt that ...

Im not saying that but i think part of the process that the management wasnt accepting the album and was holding Axl up, was probably because of the tracks and the way the songs were produced and made.

If you notice, they changed Cd,Better, TWAT, Catcher, Irs, Street Of Dreams drastically over the years until it got released!
Now you can all say that that was because the new musicians brought a new vibe and new ideas bla bla bla... but i also think it was because management wanted a more traditional album, and since they didnt got that, they wanted to transform this songs to a more traditional feel.
Axl himself stated this was the album that passed in the red light to us.
I think management definitely had hands on the song picks and on the way the songs sound!

I strongly think that during the current successfull world tour the Chinese Democracy album has been gaining popularity.
Massive amounts of people have been/are seeing GNR in concerts on the very top of their game. And, in spite of the media`s efforts, the general "word of mouth" must be, and also seems to be, very good. 
This surely leads to pretty good CD record sales and (because it is a VERY good music album) thus generates a good word of mouth about the CD album itself => even more people buy/listen to CD => the loop continues.

This, of course, is what happens to any successfull record/movie etc., but initially a combination of a few things hurt CD so that the "ball" got moving relatively slowly (altough still selling millions of copies):
The 1) lack of proper promotion, 2) the (unfair) negative reviews and 3) the lack of an aggressive and instantly grapping "top hit kind of" rock song (like Nightrain or You could be mine) on the album must have hurt CD record sales initially.
BUT....(and this is my main point here): Chinese Democracy is STILL selling pretty good, 2 years after it was released. (ITunes Finland best selling rock albums 3.10.2010: GNR: Greatest hits No 10, Chinese Democracy No 16...and for reference IronMaiden: Final frontier (released 8/2010) No 27.

It probably STILL is way too early to evaluate the success of Chinese Democracy.

"Feelin' like I'm done way more than wrong..."

Man, I love that line.

What I love the most in this song is the ryhthm guitar work. Ron did an amazing job, so did Robin in those "slow" interludes through out the track. Funny is that people overlook this amazing job and just see a regular power chord progression - pretty much like Better.

Also I might add that the little drum samples fills adds a very nice texture. Kudos to whoever put that in (Brain, I guess).