The Flashback: #11 - I.R.S.

[Spirit]

Heard the leak of this one. Not my cup of tea at the time, but I think a lot of it had to do with audio quality.

This is the one song that has grown on me the most. It is the song on the record with the most groove. I have come to like this song very much actually.

Had the pleasure of hearing it live as well, and with Axl's voice in top form this is a great, great live experience, similar to Nightrain.

[TheBaconman]

Is a good track to play live.    New crowds seem to like it

[sky dog]

rocks...one of my top 4 on the album...I think it could have been a good single.

[D-GenerationX]

Second favorite song on the album for me, after TWAT.

Just love everything about it.  The riff, the vocal, and for my money, some pretty underappreciated lyrics.  Very well written, I think.

Also one of the rare instances where I think letting the cut and pasted shit over top of the otherwise finished song really help.  I really dig the stuff of from Ron they put on here.

Sure see a lot of fans shitting on it, which I don't get.  It sounds more like GNR than most of this album, in my view.

Also think it should have been the lead single.  Would have helped ease the transition.

[Spirit]

rocks...one of my top 4 on the album...I think it could have been a good single.

Also think it should have been the lead single.  Would have helped ease the transition.

Do you think it being the first leak off the album might have been a factor in not having it as a single?

Personally I agree with you, I.R.S. or Better should have hit the airwaves first.

[D-GenerationX]

Do you think it being the first leak off the album might have been a factor in not having it as a single?

Personally I agree with you, I.R.S. or Better should have hit the airwaves first.

No, because 'Better' not only leaked, it played on the radio in 2006 and charted.  And it was still a single.

I would have thought it best to release 'I.R.S.' as the early teaser before the album dropped, and then 'Better' as the lead single once the album was out.  And then you have have promoted one, or both, to a world that needed to be re-introduced to a new era of GNR.

But, alas...

[Spirit]

Do you think it being the first leak off the album might have been a factor in not having it as a single?

Personally I agree with you, I.R.S. or Better should have hit the airwaves first.

No, because 'Better' not only leaked, it played on the radio in 2006 and charted.  And it was still a single.

I would have thought it best to release 'I.R.S.' as the early teaser before the album dropped, and then 'Better' as the lead single once the album was out.  And then you have have promoted one, or both, to a world that needed to be re-introduced to a new era of GNR.

But, alas...

My memory says it was IRS that charted on the radio, wasn't it?

[D-GenerationX]

My memory says it was IRS that charted on the radio, wasn't it?

I thought both did.  I could be wrong, however.

I wonder if perhaps the song wasn't a single option because the lyrics are about the band breaking up.  And maybe you don't want to lead with that sentiment in your first public single in 14 years.

Hey, remember that band you all loved?  Well, fuck those guys, and here's why...

[Spirit]

My memory says it was IRS that charted on the radio, wasn't it?

I thought both did.  I could be wrong, however.

I wonder if perhaps the song wasn't a single option because the lyrics are about the band breaking up.  And maybe you don't want to lead with that sentiment in your first public single in 14 years.

Hey, remember that band you all loved?  Well, fuck those guys, and here's why...

Rather piss off the country of China.. 

[D-GenerationX]

My memory says it was IRS that charted on the radio, wasn't it?

I thought both did.  I could be wrong, however.

I wonder if perhaps the song wasn't a single option because the lyrics are about the band breaking up.  And maybe you don't want to lead with that sentiment in your first public single in 14 years.

Hey, remember that band you all loved?  Well, fuck those guys, and here's why...

Rather piss off the country of China.. 

Hahahaha

I have played the original version from RIR III for people that dug it.  Keeping that a short, tight, 3 minute rocker might have been a better plan.

Because when I played the studio version, 8 years later, for those same folks...they weren't digging it and found it too busy.

[D-GenerationX]

On the other hand, I did get good reactions to 'I.R.S.' when I played it for folks.  From the leak right on through to the album.

[Spirit]

My memory says it was IRS that charted on the radio, wasn't it?

I thought both did.  I could be wrong, however.

I wonder if perhaps the song wasn't a single option because the lyrics are about the band breaking up.  And maybe you don't want to lead with that sentiment in your first public single in 14 years.

Hey, remember that band you all loved?  Well, fuck those guys, and here's why...

Rather piss off the country of China.. 

Hahahaha

I have played the original version from RIR III for people that dug it.  Keeping that a short, tight, 3 minute rocker might have been a better plan.

Because when I played the studio version, 8 years later, for those same folks...they weren't digging it and found it too busy.

The new intro, although fitting on the album, it doesn't work as well on the radio as a single.

The electronic elements of the song was more prominent on the RIR III version as well as the first leak. Still, that early version of the song fitted better with the times of 2001 than 2008, so I can understand why parts were added and the mix adjusted.

[Spirit]

On the other hand, I did get good reactions to 'I.R.S.' when I played it for folks.  From the leak right on through to the album.

Personally I like the album version the most, so I can understand that.

[D-GenerationX]

On the other hand, I did get good reactions to 'I.R.S.' when I played it for folks.  From the leak right on through to the album.

Personally I like the album version the most, so I can understand that.

Same here.  I really think's Ron's additions help the song.

But even as far back the leaks, people could still sort of see it as GNR.  Compared to say, when I played them 'Shackler's Revenge' and they made a face.

[nick6sic6]

I loved  the leaked version,and later the finished one.I remember being in the photographers pit 1 meter from the stage in Athens in 2006,singing along the words and kind of noticing Axl seeing some nobody fan knowing the lyrics to an unreleased song.I don't know...
Just saying

[draguns]

For me, this was one of the songs that stayed true to the GNR sound. I liked it and still play it.

[GNR2014]

It's a crime, you know it's truuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue 

[sky dog]

that scream in to Bucket's massive solo is downright awesome....

[HBK]

I Remember Leaked !!!

 

[rebelhipi]

I really like this one Its the perfect deeper cut. I Probably first heard this one live in 2006.

The song structure is fun, its back and forth soft ballad like and super heavy. I like the flow of the tune.

One of my alltime fav guitar solos of anyone is Robins first guitar solo. The tone is just 1000% perfect.

Would be fun to know again who played what on drums. My guess is That Frank played the part after Robins solo because the snare sounds really different there. The rest is probably Brain.

Lyrics are killer

They should play this more often live. If they will play live again.


I find it interesting that Robins solo was at the end of the song in the leak version, and it was the only solo. I think the album version is better, both are great.


I just found out that the song works great on constant repeat