Loving the Alien VS Don't Cry

[SADIS]

This is in no way meant as a contest of who's the best: GNR or VR. Neither is it a bash-topic. I love 'em both.

That said, here's my question:

Which one do you think of as better than the other one?

I was thinking about them today, comparing them. But I love the songs both so much it was hard for me to decide which one I find the best. So to me, they are on the same level. Which kinda surprised me, since there has never been a song that could even come close to a GNR song.

What do you guys think? Do you feel the same or do you think I am totally crazy??

[Izzy]

This is in no way meant as a contest of who's the best: GNR or VR. Neither is it a bash-topic. I love 'em both.

Sure thing

Which one do you think of as better than the other one?

Oh dear - that didn't last long, i thought this wasn't a VR v GNR thread?

I was thinking about them today, comparing them. But I love the songs both so much it was hard for me to decide which one I find the best. So to me, they are on the same level. Which kinda surprised me, since there has never been a song that could even come close to a GNR song.

Lol, Loving the alien and Don't cry, same level? Sure thing......

What do you guys think? Do you feel the same or do you think I am totally crazy??

Of course i don't....

[Mikkamakka]

This is in no way meant as a contest of who's the best: GNR or VR. Neither is it a bash-topic. I love 'em both.

That said, here's my question:

Which one do you think of as better than the other one?

I was thinking about them today, comparing them. But I love the songs both so much it was hard for me to decide which one I find the best. So to me, they are on the same level. Which kinda surprised me, since there has never been a song that could even come close to a GNR song.

What do you guys think? Do you feel the same or do you think I am totally crazy??

Don't Cry was written to be a hit, LTA wasn't. Don't Cry has more hit-structured vocal melodies and chords and song structure, LTA does not. IMO the beginning of LTA is much more interesting musically than anything in Don't Cry, but the VR song doesn't have a peak like DC and from the middle it's a bit... I don't know... it loses its curiosity and smartness, not to mention that Slash made better solos for the other two VR ballads and IMO even DC has a better solo. So I think DC is better, but YGNR surely beats Don't Cry. It's my opinion, not a fact. De gustibus non est disputandum.

[slave2thegrind]

Although I like both songs,  I think that Don't Cry is better than LTA.   Don't Cry just has that true ballad feel where as LTA doesn't.  The Don't Cry solo is better than the one in LTA (even tho i think that the LTA solo suits the song very well). 

And no..ur not totally crazy...it's a tough decision..both great songs

[Miz]

Don't Cry was written to be a hit, LTA wasn't. Don't Cry has more hit-structured vocal melodies and chords and song structure, LTA does not.

Really?  You know this how?  Wasn't Don't Cry the first song GN'R ever wrote?  Do you really think 5 drug addicts highest priority was writing a hit at that time?  Especially seeing as it seems to be primarily an Izzy/Axl song, and we know what Izzy thinks of fortune and fame.

[matt88]

Don't Cry was written to be a hit, LTA wasn't. Don't Cry has more hit-structured vocal melodies and chords and song structure, LTA does not.

Really?? You know this how?? Wasn't Don't Cry the first song GN'R ever wrote?? Do you really think 5 drug addicts highest priority was writing a hit at that time?? Especially seeing as it seems to be primarily an Izzy/Axl song, and we know what Izzy thinks of fortune and fame.

In the making of Don't Cry video, the band are talking about how the crowds used to respond to that most in their club days and they (the band) knew it was gonna be a hit. Plus there are 2 versions if i'm mistaken, so maybe he meant that they altered it abit to become a hit. Maybe that's what Mikkamakka meant.

[Miz]

Well, the only difference between the two is the lyrics, so I can hardly see how they altered it to become a hit, especially when the alternative version is the one least people like.

And there's a difference between knowing it's gonna be a hit when the crowd have heard it, and writing it, specifically to become a hit.

[Mikkamakka]

Don't Cry was written to be a hit, LTA wasn't. Don't Cry has more hit-structured vocal melodies and chords and song structure, LTA does not.

Really?? You know this how?? Wasn't Don't Cry the first song GN'R ever wrote?? Do you really think 5 drug addicts highest priority was writing a hit at that time?? Especially seeing as it seems to be primarily an Izzy/Axl song, and we know what Izzy thinks of fortune and fame.

In the making of Don't Cry video, the band are talking about how the crowds used to respond to that most in their club days and they (the band) knew it was gonna be a hit. Plus there are 2 versions if i'm mistaken, so maybe he meant that they altered it abit to become a hit. Maybe that's what Mikkamakka meant.

Thanks for the help, Matt  I didn't mean it wa written to be a Top10 hit, but as I stated it has the classic 'slow hit song structure', and yes, I'm sure that when they wrote/rewrote it, they wanted to write a really popular song. IMO it's the only GN'R song of the type. And don't forget that when they wrote it, Izzy couldn't have known what fame is. Listen to his album, he haven't written a similiar song since then.

[tomass74]

I like Loving The Alien ALOT better...

Don't Cry in the day was good but I don't think it stood the test of time.  I never listen to it anymore, Axl's over dubs are horrible and the lyrics are your typical cheesy love ballad. I do like the music though. I played LTA at work the other night and everyone here loved it. I am not making that up either, everyone wanted to know who it was.

[SADIS]

Wasn't Don't Cry also ripped?

I don't know for sure but I read somewhere a few years ago that some singer/songwriter form the 70's said that he wrote it. And that a judge agreed and that Axl settled it out of court? Anyone knows more about this?

[D]

dont cry the original is somewhat over rated

calm down gnr freaks its true

the lyrics to the original are average however the alt version is amazing

loving the alien is better than dont cry

there i said it!

the way i interpret both songs loving the alien hits me harder than dont cry


however the blues is 10 times better than both songs!

[SADIS]

however the blues is 10 times better than both songs!

Hell yeah, only Estranged can top that one (ballads that is....)........

[Captain P?l]

im sorry... i just find the word : sometimes is all the time and never means maybe...
so then he starts to use the words sometimes and never in the song, are you sposed to see/understand them as allthe time or maybe? and the lyrics doest do a shit for me...

so no further *gough* i pick Dont Cry as a fav. before any slowed paced VR song......

[D]

i get more out of "sometimes is all the time and never means maybe" than anything on dont cry


as read sentences loving the alien makes no sense

i relate LTA to shit in my life, for instance when i was suicidal and in my great blue funk for 2 years i can ask the questions and the lyrics are the answers

do u ever think of killing yourself?? sometimes is all time

would u ever do it? never means maybe

the song when related to certain situations takes on a completely different context, however just reading it as literal written word its rubbish


Dont cry alt version is amazing, ive never dug the original as much

just the part on the alt version
"and when u are in need of someone my heart wont deny u, so many seem so lonely with no one left to cry 2 babyyyyyyyyy"

thats powerful

the original doesnt really do it for me

its almost like as GNR fans we hold GNR songs up on a high pedestal where nothing can touch them and we cant really dissect them to see that some GNR songs arent all we make them out to be.

i guarantee no matter how great CD is, or no matter how great Contraband is or could have been, most people will never openly admit any songs being better than original GNR songs even if they are far superior

The Blues is the 4th best gnr love song ever behind estranged,SCOM and november rain but most people wouldnt rank it as high just out of loyalty

You Got No Right i agree is better than alot of GNR songs but no one would admit that!

[SADIS]

its almost like as GNR fans we hold GNR songs up on a high pedestal where nothing can touch them and we cant really dissect them to see that some GNR songs arent all we make them out to be.

i guarantee no matter how great CD is, or no matter how great Contraband is or could have been, most people will never openly admit any songs being better than original GNR songs even if they are far superior

The Blues is the 4th best gnr love song ever behind estranged,SCOM and november rain but most people wouldnt rank it as high just out of loyalty

You Got No Right i agree is better than alot of GNR songs but no one would admit that!

I agree with you on the fact that it's really hard for the hardcore fans (incl. myself) to ever find music, or the ability to admit that, that's better than the original GNR.

I don't think that YGNR is that great. It starts out fantastic and the solo is the best on the entire CB album. But the chorus isn't that great. It just doesn't get to that "overwhelming" point where you get a total adrenaline shot throughout your body. Just my opinion.....

[Top-Hatted One]

It's unfair to compare something we are really into right now with VR to something we've been listening to for 13 years lol

[TyRod Tulip]

No surprise here, I think LTA is alot better than DC.  IMO it has a better solo and you can't even compare the lyrics.  I could have written the lyrics to DC.  And that part at the end of DC where Axl holds that note forever (well let's face it a computer holds that note forever) is lame and a prime example of over-production.  DC has never been one of my favorite GNR songs.

LTA is my favorite slow song on CB.  I just love the part that goes "I never knew how lovely were the aliens, lovely were the aliens."  That being said, I prefer the rockers (both GNR and VR) to the slow songs. 

-TyRod-

[Top-Hatted One]

I think YGNR is the best ballad.

but YGNR and LTA definitely have the best lyrics

[Mikkamakka]

? And that part at the end of DC where Axl holds that note forever (well let's face it a computer holds that note forever) is lame and a prime example of over-production.?

-TyRod-

Yeah, I think the same. My mother who listens radios 8 hours/day can run out of the world when she hears the ending. She calls it 'disabled coffee machine'. 

[D]

No surprise here, I think LTA is alot better than DC.? IMO it has a better solo and you can't even compare the lyrics.? I could have written the lyrics to DC.? And that part at the end of DC where Axl holds that note forever (well let's face it a computer holds that note forever) is lame and a prime example of over-production.? DC has never been one of my favorite GNR songs.

LTA is my favorite slow song on CB.? I just love the part that goes "I never knew how lovely were the aliens, lovely were the aliens."? That being said, I prefer the rockers (both GNR and VR) to the slow songs.?

-TyRod-

i think axl can hold that though, i have done it twice in my whole life and its damn near impossible, but hell axl's opening VMA scream is fuckin long as shit also, im sure he couldnt do it live but its possible that he can do that

i believe also it was studio magic but i do think he has the capabilities to pull it off


i do love dont cry, dont get me wrong, its amazing, right now i like LTA better, now 10 years from now or 5 years from now, i may like dont cry better but right now LTA is a song thats a couple levels below on estranged

when im down and feel bad had a fight with the lady or whatever, i actually find myself putting on YGNR,FTP and LTA