The Flashback: #2 - Shackler's Revenge

[Spirit]

A song title we hadn't heard about until a few months before the record release.

The first "single" so to speak, as it was released on the Rock Band 2 game. That's where I first heard the song as well, when someone had youtubed themselves playing it.

The song itself:
First off, I'll say that this is not one of my favorite songs on the album. Live, it's a much better song I think.

The intro on the studio version is my least favorite part. That guitar riff works when it is repeated later throughout the song, but as the intro I think it's too "sharp". Deep Axl vocals, that part I like. The chorus is actually quite good on this one, very catchy and sing-along-friendly. Probably the main reason it was chosen for a music video game.

I don't think the guitar solo is that interesting to be honest, but I think the song works very well after the solo. The finger tapping by Ron and the guitars by Robin/Bucket during the outtro are really appealing, love that. Here's also an example of the intro riff working very well when during a breakdown in the song that riff is played by itself to kickstart the song again.

As I said at first, I think the live version brings the song to a higher level. It's a rocker, and you get a more energetic feeling of it when played live. The live intro should have been the same on the record, much better I think.

[LongGoneDay]

Well, I don?t have much good to say about this song, but if the flashbacks continue, my reviews will be far more positive.
Hearing this song for the first time was a real kick in my balls. It may be my very least favorite song ever. By anyone.
I know that there are worse songs out there, but if someone like Jay-Z puts out a bad song, it?s just like, yeah, another horrible song by Jay-Z.
That?s what he does. That?s his thing. He?s got a formula and he?s nothing if not consistent.

Axl?s held to an infinitely higher standard.

The intro always brings Lloyd Christmas ?want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?? to mind.
Musically, those beats in general make me squeamish. Oh My God worked in my opinion, even though the music isn?t anything to write home about, because the genius of Axl took an otherwise forgettable song, and transformed it into something really cool with his lyrics, vocals, melodies. I always thought that Oh My God was the sound Trent Reznor had spent his career trying to capture, and Axl did it better than Trent could ever hope to, first try.

That genius wash out to lunch the day they recorded Shackler?s, though. The one positive I could take from it was that although I find the lyrics to be bland, Axl?s voice sounds strong.
Plus it eventually ends, and iPod?s make it possible to delete/replace songs, so in my case, Oh My God will pinch hit for Shackler every game until the end of time.

Semi related, but am I the last to know that the iPod classic has been discontinued, and the average price for a new 160gb on amazon is something like $600?
What the fuck??!!

[JAEBALL]

My buddy and I went to our local Best Buy and bought I dont even remember ... ALOT of copies... and we didn't even leave the parking lot...just popped it on in the car...

CD and Shacklers are my least two favorite songs of the record... so after CD was played I was like OK.. not my favorite.. and then I got scared after listening to Shacklers... I just didn't dig it... and still don't... Then Better came on and I instantly was all about it. My thoughts on the first three songs are the same today.

If Gnr plays a gig a tomorrow... I'd hope to hear Shacklers tho... Just because it's been played so rarely in comparison to other songs.. and I would prefer to hear any CD song performed by the current lineup playing something from Apetite. (except Jungle because it just gets everybody at the show really going)

[LIGuns]

Shacklers took awhile to appreciate.....The rushed vocals,my favorite part of the song, remind of something from side 1 of LIES..

[HBK]

Killer, Insane, NewHardRock !!!

 

[rebelhipi]

Semi related, but am I the last to know that the iPod classic has been discontinued, and the average price for a new 160gb on amazon is something like $600?
What the fuck??!!

Yeah, im in deep deep trouble when my Ipod stops working. I was looking for some alternative ''ipods'' from other companies just yesterday. I really would want to find something compatible with itunes with minimum 150gt space.

[McGann]

Had me at "Hello".
"Shackler's Revenge" just floored me.
I listen often

Splash

/Mike

[rebelhipi]

First time i really gave Shackers a good listen was when chinese came out on Myspace  . I remember watching a rock band video one or two months before but i probably didnt finish the video, cause i wanted to hear the song in the right context.  At first it felt like one of the weaker songs on the album, but now days i absolutely love it! the live versions give the song a better view.

Brains drum track is amazing, the whole structure of the song is fantastic. The solo by Bumblefoot is one of the greats. Axl shines on this track. The riff is enormous.

I do prefer the way Frank plays this song. He adds something to the intro bit, the fireworks also are great on the intro.

This is one of the songs that grows on you.

[russkwtx]

I love Shackler's, both live and on CD. From my experience the live version is often not calibrated correctly by the sound guy. The drums are too loud, the vocals are too soft, and the volume is so loud that the melody is hard to discern. That said, when the sound comes off right it is a great song live.

To me, this is one of the best songs on the album.

It just goes to show how opinions can differ dramatically.

I can't stand OMG and think it IS the worst song I have ever heard, by anyone.

[jarmo]

Great track. And it was the first real news of the album coming later in the year in 2008. This was the first track that they released.


Always a nice surprise at the shows.




/jarmo

[D-GenerationX]

I like this one a lot.  It has one of the better hooks on an album without many of them. 

Do think the double tracked vocals on the album make the live versions a bit spotty.

[LIGuns]

So much going on in this song...It is entirely different with headphones on....

[jazjme]

I got hooked on this song right away, to me it was just a fresh new sound for GNR, and Axl does shine vocally. Like I love how he does the switches between the low and high harmonies in the chorus. And at the end the I dont believe...! kills it!! IN the best way. Ron's solo is pretty insane on this.

[ice cream sand pig]

Love the lyrics on this one. In particular

"I got a wicked demon, his hunger never fades. I got an empty feeling, I won't be home today."

The image it creates is really cool, as is the way the word hunger coincides with the word empty. I feel like it describes the void people feel, that sort of gnawing feeling that causes us to seek out entertainment and/or go crazy. Great song, love it, always have.

[Bodhi]

I loved this song instantly, and it is probably the song I listen to the most on "CD" besides "Better" and This I Love."  It was a really far departure from the blues based hard rock thing which is something I tend to listen to less and less as the years go on.  And by that I mean I don't listen to any current bands that do that thing,  I feel that genre was perfected in 70's, 80's and 90's so I pretty much stick to the songs from that time.  I  was happy to hear the band go in a completely different direction.  It reminded me of the first time I heard "Oh My God", which is another one of my GNR favorites.  My favorite bands are the ones who don't put out the same record twice, to me that is the sign of a great band.

[Bodhi]

Semi related, but am I the last to know that the iPod classic has been discontinued, and the average price for a new 160gb on amazon is something like $600?
What the fuck??!!

Yeah, im in deep deep trouble when my Ipod stops working. I was looking for some alternative ''ipods'' from other companies just yesterday. I really would want to find something compatible with itunes with minimum 150gt space.

Get Spotify or whatever the next mobile app is going to be.  I know iTunes is relaunching one soon.  I am also one who likes to have his whole library with him at all times, Spotify solved that.  I am anxious to see what iTunes does.

[rebelhipi]

Semi related, but am I the last to know that the iPod classic has been discontinued, and the average price for a new 160gb on amazon is something like $600?
What the fuck??!!

Yeah, im in deep deep trouble when my Ipod stops working. I was looking for some alternative ''ipods'' from other companies just yesterday. I really would want to find something compatible with itunes with minimum 150gt space.

Get Spotify or whatever the next mobile app is going to be.  I know iTunes is relaunching one soon.  I am also one who likes to have his whole library with him at all times, Spotify solved that.  I am anxious to see what iTunes does.

Im too stubborn to get spotify.

1. i dont want to depend on having (fast) internet to listen to music, (i love listening to music while travelling.) plus i dont have a smart phone.
2. i dont want to depend on what spotify allows me to listen, theres a load of good music that is not there, plus my own music, and my bootlegs ect,ect...i want to be the dictator of my music collection.
3. i want to keep on buying cds
4. I think spotify rips off artists.
5. the audio quality is far from what you get on cds.
6. i dont see the big difference between youtube and spotify. both allows you to listen to music that they have, you cant own it.

[Bodhi]

Semi related, but am I the last to know that the iPod classic has been discontinued, and the average price for a new 160gb on amazon is something like $600?
What the fuck??!!

Yeah, im in deep deep trouble when my Ipod stops working. I was looking for some alternative ''ipods'' from other companies just yesterday. I really would want to find something compatible with itunes with minimum 150gt space.

Get Spotify or whatever the next mobile app is going to be.  I know iTunes is relaunching one soon.  I am also one who likes to have his whole library with him at all times, Spotify solved that.  I am anxious to see what iTunes does.

Im too stubborn to get spotify.

1. i dont want to depend on having (fast) internet to listen to music, (i love listening to music while travelling.) plus i dont have a smart phone.
2. i dont want to depend on what spotify allows me to listen, theres a load of good music that is not there, plus my own music, and my bootlegs ect,ect...i want to be the dictator of my music collection.
3. i want to keep on buying cds
4. I think spotify rips off artists.
5. the audio quality is far from what you get on cds.
6. i dont see the big difference between youtube and spotify. both allows you to listen to music that they have, you cant own it.

I actually thought those exact 6 things you just said until about a year ago when I got Spotify Premium.  You can make offline playlists saved to your phone so you don't need any internet connection at all to listen to those songs.  The audio quality difference is very small when you compare it to having just about every song ever recorded at your fingertips in seconds.  Does Spotify rip off artists?  Yeah, probably .  I do know that whether it is fair to the artists or not, this is reality in 2015.  Artists should be happy that Spotify gives them anything honestly, it is all available for free on the internet anyway.  I predict 10 years from now buying physical copies of  albums and movies will be a thing of the past, it is going to be straight up subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime  along with making purchases solely through services like  iTunes.  There will be no physical copies of anything.  It is just way to convenient to have all of that content in a matter of seconds without having to store cd cases and vinyl all over the place. 

[D-GenerationX]

Semi related, but am I the last to know that the iPod classic has been discontinued, and the average price for a new 160gb on amazon is something like $600?
What the fuck??!!

Yeah, im in deep deep trouble when my Ipod stops working. I was looking for some alternative ''ipods'' from other companies just yesterday. I really would want to find something compatible with itunes with minimum 150gt space.

I had always threatened to buy a back-up iPod Classic, just in case.  I use mine constantly.

Right after I do, I see they are going up on eBay for almost a $1,000.  Had no clue they were about to discontinue them.

Just got lucky.

[rebelhipi]

Semi related, but am I the last to know that the iPod classic has been discontinued, and the average price for a new 160gb on amazon is something like $600?
What the fuck??!!

Yeah, im in deep deep trouble when my Ipod stops working. I was looking for some alternative ''ipods'' from other companies just yesterday. I really would want to find something compatible with itunes with minimum 150gt space.

I had always threatened to buy a back-up iPod Classic, just in case.  I use mine constantly.

Right after I do, I see they are going up on eBay for almost a $1,000.  Had no clue they were about to discontinue them.

Just got lucky.

Lucky you. i have two ipod classics but the other has broken screen. i think that the repair price is insane aswell.