The Flashback: #13 - This I Love

[Spirit]

I think this is a "love or hate" kind of song.

Personally, I was very excited to see the title when the track list of Chinese was public a month or so before the release. It's a mystical, talked about track for many, many years.

I liked the song more in the beginning than now. It didn't quite fill my expectations of what I thought it would sound like, but it was an alright track. Today, it's a track I rarely come back to when I'm listening to music, actually one of the least played Chinese songs for me.

The vocal performance is of course good, but I would have wished he sang in a different style, a little more mellow maybe. Anyways, the highpoint of the song is the Finck guitar solo - exceptional. Dj has done a different take on it live, but Finck's version of the solo is far superior in my opinion.

[D-GenerationX]

I think this is a "love or hate" kind of song.

Personally, I was very excited to see the title when the track list of Chinese was public a month or so before the release. It's a mystical, talked about track for many, many years.

I liked the song more in the beginning than now. It didn't quite fill my expectations of what I thought it would sound like, but it was an alright track. Today, it's a track I rarely come back to when I'm listening to music, actually one of the least played Chinese songs for me.

The vocal performance is of course good, but I would have wished he sang in a different style, a little more mellow maybe. Anyways, the highpoint of the song is the Finck guitar solo - exceptional. Dj has done a different take on it live, but Finck's version of the solo is far superior in my opinion.

My feelings on the track, almost word for word.  Especially the "love or hate" designation.

Best part of the song is the guitar solo.  Really, really well done.  I thought Robin was horrendous on a lot of the live bootlegs I had from 2001-2007.  He wasn't as bad on the songs, but his solo spots were painful.  Atonal, and I swear to god, I maintain a few of them were parodies or a goof.  But he crushed the solo here.  Very well done.

The song arrangement, a bit Andrew Lloyd Webber for my tastes.  And I don't even dislike that style of music.  But I'd be lying if I said I didn't roll my eyes during certain parts here.

Then, there are the vocals.  The verses, I love.  Really think Axl sounds great.  The refrains...a little much.  They actually hurt the ears in spots.

However, on that last batch of leaks, there is the one 3 minute one that is 15-30 second snippets of a bunch of stuff.  And one of them is this song, but sung in the vocal style he uses on 'Madagascar'.  Sounded terribly interesting.  I know I often scoff at the remix album idea, but that is one I'd be very interested to hear. 

[Spirit]

Heard the same remix clip. Definitively sounded interesting with that change-up to the beat during the verses.

[rebelhipi]

I dont love or hate this song, its allright.

Its the track on the album that i like the least. Its a nice ballad, it works nicely live, its a good slower song. That said i dont think GN'R has a bad song in my opinion.

The solo is great, Ashba does a great job on it live. Frank is great on the live versions, he adds very nice things here and there.

When i listen thru the album This I Love almost feels like a intro to Prostitute which is my favourite song. The live version gives me a fuller view of the song for some reason.

[D-GenerationX]

When I first heard it, I thought it might be use as the intro to 'November Rain' when they started touring.

[TheBaconman]

I like the lyrics

I like the piano...

I am not a fan of Axls voice on this song however.

It reminds me of the movie Finding Sara Marshal.  Where at the end the guy puts on a play using muppets....   And the Dracula muppet sings a sad love song....   Muppet Dracua and Axl on this song sound way to much alike

[mortismurphy]

It is a bit cheesy. I played it a lot when the album first came out because that was one of the few songs that were not leaked but these days I find it a bit embarrassing. Not at all what I was expecting.

[EmilyGNR]

It is a bit cheesy. I played it a lot when the album first came out because that was one of the few songs that were not leaked but these days I find it a bit embarrassing. Not at all what I was expecting.

Not cheesy at all, it is nothing short of brilliant.

I think moaning mortis doesn't like it because it doesn't sound like an AC/DC song.

[mortismurphy]

It is a bit cheesy. I played it a lot when the album first came out because that was one of the few songs that were not leaked but these days I find it a bit embarrassing. Not at all what I was expecting.

Not cheesy at all, it is nothing short of brilliant.

I think moaning mortis doesn't like it because it doesn't sound like an AC/DC song.

No, I do not like it because it is rubbish. I like Streets of Dreams and that sounds nothing like AC/DC so there goes your logic!

[EmilyGNR]

It is a bit cheesy. I played it a lot when the album first came out because that was one of the few songs that were not leaked but these days I find it a bit embarrassing. Not at all what I was expecting.

Not cheesy at all, it is nothing short of brilliant.

I think moaning mortis doesn't like it because it doesn't sound like an AC/DC song.

No, I do not like it because it is rubbish. I like Streets of Dreams and that sounds nothing like AC/DC so there goes your logic!

It is not "rubbish" simply because you are unable or unwilling to appreciate it.

A lot of us do like and appreciate it, moaning mortis, your little labelling system is as mistaken and screwed as everything else you post.

[mortismurphy]

It is a bit cheesy. I played it a lot when the album first came out because that was one of the few songs that were not leaked but these days I find it a bit embarrassing. Not at all what I was expecting.

Not cheesy at all, it is nothing short of brilliant.

I think moaning mortis doesn't like it because it doesn't sound like an AC/DC song.

No, I do not like it because it is rubbish. I like Streets of Dreams and that sounds nothing like AC/DC so there goes your logic!

It is not "rubbish" simply because you are unable or unwilling to appreciate it.

A lot of us do like and appreciate it, moaning mortis, your little labelling system is as mistaken and screwed as everything else you post.

I am not so sure about that. Looking at the replies in this post, most people (at best) seem to possess reservations about the song.

[D-GenerationX]

It is a bit cheesy. I played it a lot when the album first came out because that was one of the few songs that were not leaked but these days I find it a bit embarrassing. Not at all what I was expecting.

Really?

I didn't get a real sense of "man, where is this coming from", you know?

Dude loved Elton.  Dude loved Queen.  Its not like he dislikes this style of music.

[D-GenerationX]

I like Streets of Dreams and that sounds nothing like AC/DC so there goes your logic!

That's just a good song.

Listed to the crap out of the RIR III version.  Didn't dig the stripped down leak/live version in 2006/07.  But even then, didn't hate it.

I think the album version is a nice mix of both.

[D-GenerationX]

I am not so sure about that. Looking at the replies in this post, most people (at best) seem to possess reservations about the song.

Hey, they can't all be gems.

And something tells me the last entry in this series of threads (which I think have been a great idea, BTW) will not struggle for praise.

[mortismurphy]

It is a bit cheesy. I played it a lot when the album first came out because that was one of the few songs that were not leaked but these days I find it a bit embarrassing. Not at all what I was expecting.

Really?

I didn't get a real sense of "man, where is this coming from", you know?

Dude loved Elton.  Dude loved Queen.  Its not like he dislikes this style of music.

This is my own fault as we had heard about this 'This I Love' song from back in 1993, and that it was a part of the ballad 'trilogy'. I was expecting an Estranged but what I got was a cheesy Andrew Lloyd Webber song. The Blues is high class though.

[D-GenerationX]

This is my own fault as we had heard about this 'This I Love' song from back in 1993, and that it was a part of the ballad 'trilogy'. I was expecting an Estranged but what I got was a cheesy Andrew Lloyd Webber song. The Blues is high class though.

I certainly expected a ballad.

Where I think he lost me was describing back in 1993 as "the heaviest stuff I've ever written".

Then, once you hear it...the lyrics sound like a lovesick high schooler.  I think Axl's delivery of those lyrics is better than most, but I'd hardly call them deep, in terms of content.

[mortismurphy]

The lack of an Estranged did shock me with Chinese. When I use the term Estranged I really mean a series of songs with intricate arrangements and key changes: Estranged, Breakdown, Locomotive, Coma. But there was nothing really like that on Chinese Democracy.

[D-GenerationX]

The lack of an Estranged did shock me with Chinese. When I use the term Estranged I really mean a series of songs with intricate arrangements and key changes: Estranged, Breakdown, Locomotive, Coma. But there was nothing really like that on Chinese Democracy.

I see that point.

But I think the guitars on the album are very strong.  That a was a big concern of mine going into all this.  But I think the guitar playing is very strong throughout the album.

[EmilyGNR]

It is a bit cheesy. I played it a lot when the album first came out because that was one of the few songs that were not leaked but these days I find it a bit embarrassing. Not at all what I was expecting.

Not cheesy at all, it is nothing short of brilliant.

I think moaning mortis doesn't like it because it doesn't sound like an AC/DC song.

No, I do not like it because it is rubbish. I like Streets of Dreams and that sounds nothing like AC/DC so there goes your logic!

It is not "rubbish" simply because you are unable or unwilling to appreciate it.

A lot of us do like and appreciate it, moaning mortis, your little labelling system is as mistaken and screwed as everything else you post.

I am not so sure about that. Looking at the replies in this post, most people (at best) seem to possess reservations about the song.

I'm a bit older than most, grew up on Queen and loved Elton so It's a song I can appreciate a lot.

Honestly do not consider a majority of voices on an internet site a true indicator of popularity, nor does it affect my enjoyment.

[mortismurphy]

It is a bit cheesy. I played it a lot when the album first came out because that was one of the few songs that were not leaked but these days I find it a bit embarrassing. Not at all what I was expecting.

Not cheesy at all, it is nothing short of brilliant.

I think moaning mortis doesn't like it because it doesn't sound like an AC/DC song.

No, I do not like it because it is rubbish. I like Streets of Dreams and that sounds nothing like AC/DC so there goes your logic!

It is not "rubbish" simply because you are unable or unwilling to appreciate it.

A lot of us do like and appreciate it, moaning mortis, your little labelling system is as mistaken and screwed as everything else you post.

I am not so sure about that. Looking at the replies in this post, most people (at best) seem to possess reservations about the song.

I'm a bit older than most, grew up on Queen and loved Elton so It's a song I can appreciate a lot.

I am a gigantic Queen fan! This I Love just does not cut it. Mercury would have binned it and wrote 'You Take My Breath Away' in its place.