This I Love - discussion/comments

[downzy56]

Singles generally follow a set structure with obvious exceptions (November Rain).  Rarely do singles lack a proper verse, bridge, chorus arraignment. 


Whereas This I Love does have a proper chorus, Street of Dreams is such an unstructured song that it wouldn't work for radio.  Radio singles require something that's easily and quicly discernible. 

That said, neither would really work as a single in my opinion.  Street of Dreams does not work for radio programing and This I Love is so out of left field I'm not sure it would catch on.  It hasn't been since the Lion King that a Broadway-styled song performed well on the radio charts.  And make no bones about it, this is a broadway show tune through and through. 

The other problem with the song is that doesn't have much of the bad-ass swagger that previous GNR ballads had.  November Rain, Don't Cry, Patience all had an attitude about themselves; a vibe that said that the authors could give a fuck if it's a slow song; we're still going to fuck you up.  I don't get that from This I Love.  While I applaud Axl's attempt to try something for new, for me, it misses it's mark as a GNR song.  The piano is too Hallmark "movie of the week," the lyrics yearn to be sung by the Phantom, and the arraignment contains little to no GNR attitude. 

For me, the final stand in terms of singles is There Was A Time.  Cut a radio edit and sell it like a November Rain/Estranged style song.  It's the only song on the album that for me embodies the spirit of what GNR once was.  There's a feeling on TWAT that makes me want to return to the place where the "grass is green and the girls are pretty."

But this is just one man's opinion.

Cheers,

Andrew

Very interesting critique. TIL does remind me of Music of the Night and Defy Gravity which are 2 great Broadway songs. I adored LION KING. I still think TIL would be perfect for THE NEW MOON movie soundtrack, and it could snag Axl an Academy Award nomination and introduce GNR to a whole new fanbase.

Yeah, I'm a big Broadway fan myself.  Les Mesirables is one of my favourite collections of songs; I have nothing against this kind of music.  My only point is that it's tough for a band like Guns N' Roses to sell itself in this light when it goes against how everyone looks at them.  Broadway songs really only work on the radio if they're happy and positive (ie. Lion King); you don't hear too many brooding and depressing show tunes played on the radio.

And it's not a question of GNR taking a risk; I say go for it if they want to try.  I'm just skeptical that radio would play it or that there will be a demand for it.  Releasing This I Love as a single would be a pitch for the masses when I think the better play is to cater to your core audience; the hard rock crowd who loves Paradise City, You Could Be Mine, Welcome to the Jungle, November Rain.  Only There Was A Time in my opinion really speaks to this crowd.  I remember playing the album to a few friends who use to be fans back in the UYI days and it wasn't until I played There Was A Time that they said they finally heard something from GNR that they were looking for.

Give people what they're looking for and they'll respond.  Try to force things down people's throats and you'll have few wanting to hear anything more from you.

Cheers,

Andrew

[Annie]

Singles generally follow a set structure with obvious exceptions (November Rain).  Rarely do singles lack a proper verse, bridge, chorus arraignment. 


Whereas This I Love does have a proper chorus, Street of Dreams is such an unstructured song that it wouldn't work for radio.  Radio singles require something that's easily and quicly discernible. 

That said, neither would really work as a single in my opinion.  Street of Dreams does not work for radio programing and This I Love is so out of left field I'm not sure it would catch on.  It hasn't been since the Lion King that a Broadway-styled song performed well on the radio charts.  And make no bones about it, this is a broadway show tune through and through. 

The other problem with the song is that doesn't have much of the bad-ass swagger that previous GNR ballads had.  November Rain, Don't Cry, Patience all had an attitude about themselves; a vibe that said that the authors could give a fuck if it's a slow song; we're still going to fuck you up.  I don't get that from This I Love.  While I applaud Axl's attempt to try something for new, for me, it misses it's mark as a GNR song.  The piano is too Hallmark "movie of the week," the lyrics yearn to be sung by the Phantom, and the arraignment contains little to no GNR attitude. 

For me, the final stand in terms of singles is There Was A Time.  Cut a radio edit and sell it like a November Rain/Estranged style song.  It's the only song on the album that for me embodies the spirit of what GNR once was.  There's a feeling on TWAT that makes me want to return to the place where the "grass is green and the girls are pretty."

But this is just one man's opinion.

Cheers,

Andrew

Very interesting critique. TIL does remind me of Music of the Night and Defy Gravity which are 2 great Broadway songs. I adored LION KING. I still think TIL would be perfect for THE NEW MOON movie soundtrack, and it could snag Axl an Academy Award nomination and introduce GNR to a whole new fanbase.

Yeah, I'm a big Broadway fan myself.  Les Mesirables is one of my favourite collections of songs; I have nothing against this kind of music.  My only point is that it's tough for a band like Guns N' Roses to sell itself in this light when it goes against how everyone looks at them.  Broadway songs really only work on the radio if they're happy and positive (ie. Lion King); you don't hear too many brooding and depressing show tunes played on the radio.

And it's not a question of GNR taking a risk; I say go for it if they want to try.  I'm just skeptical that radio would play it or that there will be a demand for it.  Releasing This I Love as a single would be a pitch for the masses when I think the better play is to cater to your core audience; the hard rock crowd who loves Paradise City, You Could Be Mine, Welcome to the Jungle, November Rain.  Only There Was A Time in my opinion really speaks to this crowd.  I remember playing the album to a few friends who use to be fans back in the UYI days and it wasn't until I played There Was A Time that they said they finally heard something from GNR that they were looking for.

Give people what they're looking for and they'll respond.  Try to force things down people's throats and you'll have few wanting to hear anything more from you.

Cheers,

Andrew

I love Les Miserables myself. Seeing the original cast in London was a religious experience. The only thing that topped it was seeing GNR for the first time in Las Vegas. Everything you said is why TIL would be perfect for the NEW MOON soundtrack, a brooding depressing show tune in a angsty/emo movie that will be seen by millions of people all over the world.

[ppbebe]

lean to matty's opinion.
however I can see it being played on the radios that are not rock stations. It would take the right moment and the right spot.

Ok. I just attended a TWILIGHT convention that was held at a hotel right next to the ALLSTATE ARENa in Rosemont where I last saw GNR in November of 2006. I was able to give out copies of Chinese Democracy to three of the actors from the film and to the people who run the TWILIGHT LEXICON website. I can be very intense when i am passionate about something, and I told them all that TIL could be Edward Cullen's theme song in NEW MOON and that it is OSCAR worthy! They all seemed excited to listen to it, and Ashley Greene said the producers ask for their input on what music makes the soundtrack! Ashley places Alice Cullen and Peter Facinelli plays Carlisle Cullen.  It was really cool to share my love of TIL with people who were involved with one of my all time favorite movies!

well done annie.

you're one of the few people whose actions speak louder than others words. 

Thankyou! It was so much fun to promote this great song!

annie maybe it's really working.

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272625684.shtml

"Chaske Spencer:  His New Moon Role - As Sum Uley, the leader of the wolf pack...
...Fun Fact - This die-hard Guns N? Roses fan was a heavy metal drummer in high school."

[Annie]

lean to matty's opinion.
however I can see it being played on the radios that are not rock stations. It would take the right moment and the right spot.

Ok. I just attended a TWILIGHT convention that was held at a hotel right next to the ALLSTATE ARENa in Rosemont where I last saw GNR in November of 2006. I was able to give out copies of Chinese Democracy to three of the actors from the film and to the people who run the TWILIGHT LEXICON website. I can be very intense when i am passionate about something, and I told them all that TIL could be Edward Cullen's theme song in NEW MOON and that it is OSCAR worthy! They all seemed excited to listen to it, and Ashley Greene said the producers ask for their input on what music makes the soundtrack! Ashley places Alice Cullen and Peter Facinelli plays Carlisle Cullen.  It was really cool to share my love of TIL with people who were involved with one of my all time favorite movies!

well done annie.

you're one of the few people whose actions speak louder than others words. 

Thankyou! It was so much fun to promote this great song!

annie maybe it's really working.

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272625684.shtml

"Chaske Spencer:  His New Moon Role - As Sum Uley, the leader of the wolf pack...
...Fun Fact - This die-hard Guns N? Roses fan was a heavy metal drummer in high school."

OMG! OMG! OMG! You totally made my day!

[nightprowler1166]

The vocals and piano are moving but something about this song reminds me of another song......There's a Tear in My Beer.

[ShotgunBlues1978]

I don't really think This I Love sounds like a Broadway song

The other musical acts I immediately associate with it are Queen or basically Freddie Mercury, and Meatloaf, with a touch of Chopin (much simpler than Chopin but the same vibe)

[LordRazZ]

Kinda funny...

Logged in here....saw this was the latest thread posted too...and I happen to be listening to the song right now

I said it on the site, I'll say it here

It's the greatest song ever written..there's nothing more incredible than This I Love....

[D]

Except for Estranged

I don't think TIL is anywhere near Estranged of course that is my fave song all time period, not just GNR but favorite period.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

This question begs to be asked...

Does anyone think of ex-girlfriends/boyfriends/spouses when they listen to this song?

[Annie]

Kinda funny...

Logged in here....saw this was the latest thread posted too...and I happen to be listening to the song right now

I said it on the site, I'll say it here

It's the greatest song ever written..there's nothing more incredible than This I Love....

I can't believe that we agree on something!

This question begs to be asked...

Does anyone think of ex-girlfriends/boyfriends/spouses when they listen to this song?

No, I just think of Edward Cullen.

[CheapJon]

This question begs to be asked...

Does anyone think of ex-girlfriends/boyfriends/spouses when they listen to this song?

yes, that's probably the reason i listen to it the least, shame on such a great song 

[cineater]

I'm sure she felt she owed him a good bye.  It's just it wasn't suppose to be like that. 

There were words that had went unspoken.  A common bond that couldn't be talked about.  A sense of understanding.  A sense of not the only one.  A comfort there that had never existed before.  None of which could be openly acknowledged. 

And while she understood that when she left, he didn't realize it until later.  There's a lifeline there in knowing the other is out there because there was and is no good bye.

What I think of but then I'm listening from the woman's point of view.

[Jim Bob]

This question begs to be asked...

Does anyone think of ex-girlfriends/boyfriends/spouses when they listen to this song?

prolly makes everyone think about that shit.   

[Annie]

This question begs to be asked...

Does anyone think of ex-girlfriends/boyfriends/spouses when they listen to this song?

prolly makes everyone think about that shit.   

Nobody I have loved in the past , romantically speaking, is worthy of the depths of emotion of this song

[Jim Bob]

This question begs to be asked...

Does anyone think of ex-girlfriends/boyfriends/spouses when they listen to this song?

prolly makes everyone think about that shit.   

Nobody I have loved in the past , romantically speaking, is worthy of the depths of emotion of this song

then it wasn't really love!

[Annie]

This question begs to be asked...

Does anyone think of ex-girlfriends/boyfriends/spouses when they listen to this song?

prolly makes everyone think about that shit.   

Nobody I have loved in the past , romantically speaking, is worthy of the depths of emotion of this song

then it wasn't really love!

I did love these people, but it was not true love. Breakups are always hard on me, but I have been able to say goodbye and move on.

[LIGuns]

Anyone remember what happened the last time GN'R put a song on a Vampire movie soundtrack?

[Annie]

Anyone remember what happened the last time GN'R put a song on a Vampire movie soundtrack?

It gave me chills and they released it as a single. Supposedly Slash said in VH1 Behind the Music that that was where you could hear the sound of the band breaking up.

[RebelRose89]

Anyone remember what happened the last time GN'R put a song on a Vampire movie soundtrack?

& it was a solid ending to an awesome movie!
look at it this way... if that song supposedly ended old gnr, maybe this new vampire flick score rejuvenates new gnr

[Annie]

Anyone remember what happened the last time GN'R put a song on a Vampire movie soundtrack?

& it was a solid ending to an awesome movie!
look at it this way... if that song supposedly ended old gnr, maybe this new vampire flick score rejuvenates new gnr

What a beautiful thing to say! You totally rock!