Absurd / Silkworms

[D-GenerationX]

Any quibbles to be had have to take a backseat to the fact they actually released something.

We've been banging on about this for over a decade now.  Hard to give credit where it's due.

[alcapone_dudu]

The download..Does it seem to skip a bit in the first couple chorus versus? Right at screaming banshee mark…

Noticed. Maybe they did intend to do it.

I really liked this studio version. The live version was very confusing but I think it's due to poor Youtube clips.

The song is very powerful, killer work from Slash. What a great riff he found there.

The one thing I can not let it pass is the line ''and what can I do with a bitch like you''. Man, this phrase fits the song perfectly. I know it's inappropriate but I'll always sing this way.

Great work GN'R. Give us more songs!

[Lesty]

Didn't expect this when I woke up this morning.  Saw it on a former bandmate's Facebook: he wasn't a fan of it, which doesn't surprise me.

Overall, I give it a kind of "meh" rating. I never liked the live version of Silkworms from Rio much so when I heard it was a reworking of Silkworms I tempered my expectations pretty heavily.

The lyrics are repetitive with the same verse three times and no real chorus. I was hoping maybe more would have been written and added. When it came through a third time I just kind of rolled my eyes and almost shut it off.

I don't remember if it was mentioned here or another board when I was looking through stuff before giving it a listen, but someone pointed out that this could be like a Shackler's Revenge situation in 2008, where it was the first song to get an official (or at least non-leak) release, putting out something new that may not be the best perhaps in an effort to pave the way for the bigger and better ones.

Should Hard School be first? No, hell no. Don't throw your biggest one out first. But I also don't know that this one was the best option either. Just hoping we get Hard School to follow, maybe Berlin.

Completely agree. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that for the first time in 13 years we have new music, and with Slash's guitar on it. And it excites me, because it probably means that there's more songs to be released.

However, talking about the song itself, it's very mediocre to say the least. Some thoughts:

- The opening electronic thing, as brief as it is, sounds weird.

- The main guitar riff is VERY uninspired and repetitive. It sounds like a riff created by someone who just learned how to play guitar.

- The chorus riff is interesting.

- The vocals are absurd, to say the least. It even sounds off tempo at some times. Very weird, especially the chorus, very boring and repetitive.

- The fill in solos are great.

- The middle section is nice, though very short. It had the potential to be longer, maybe throwing a Slash solo in the middle, and then picking up in speed and tempo. Much like Slash's solo on By The Sword or Watch This.

Overall, I think that it sounds like an unfinished song. Really disappointed that they chose this for their first single in years.

But I'm really excited that there may be more on the way, and I'm sure the next ones will be better.

Agree with all of these points. Excited new music is here and more is coming. But this song is kind of a mess, and I don’t get how this would generate excitement from casual or serious fans, being this doesn’t sound anything like the classic lineup sound.
I just hope that Slash and Duff have brought new ideas to the songwriting process the last few years and we don’t just have Axl demanding they do reworked versions of songs robin and tommy wrote 20 years ago. Nothing against those guys, but that was a different time and a different vibe.

[D-GenerationX]

Agree with all of these points. Excited new music is here and more is coming. But this song is kind of a mess, and I don’t get how this would generate excitement from casual or serious fans, being this doesn’t sound anything like the classic lineup sound.
I just hope that Slash and Duff have brought new ideas to the songwriting process the last few years and we don’t just have Axl demanding they do reworked versions of songs robin and tommy wrote 20 years ago. Nothing against those guys, but that was a different time and a different vibe.

Not sure I totally agree here.

Yes, in a perfect world, a new album would be one done by the 7 people onstage each night.  The actual present day Guns N' Roses.  But I still think you can have that element with previously written material.

Here is what I mean.  Axl shows them the Magical Mystery Vault and sees what catches their ear or piques their interest.  If something grabs them, then you have the current band redo it.  I do not want to see a new album released with music played by people out of the band for 20 years now.  But I could roll with the current band reworking some of their ideas.

That's basically what happened here.  'Absurd' does not sound exactly like the 'Silkworms' we heard in 2001.  The current guys tweaked it.  And I think it works.

[C0ma]

How they choose to release it all? We'll have to wait and see.  But I would be SHOCKED if this were some sort of one off.

I’ve been saying all along that I don’t think there next release should be a “record store Tuesday release”… that isn’t how the industry is built anymore. Plus I believe if they do this for say the first hand full of singles it gives them feed back that could eventually change the direction of an eventual compilation release that is aimed that the “physical media” collectors. I think whether or not it’s Hard Skool, there will be a similar pattern either when they hit LA in a week or so… or a month out when they are in Chicago. Hit a “big market” play it to a large audience once or twice then drop it to streaming platforms and release video content. This makes each show a little unique and keeps attention on the tour which makes money. Could be done again in Miami for October, like a serial release (think Stephen King with the Green Mile). Then take it to Europe and elsewhere depending on Covid.

This also gives them plenty of time to work out kinks that have popped up in their past physical releases with rushed artwork, liner notes that weren’t proof read, and other distribution issues. This gets them to the largest consuming audience by attacking streams.

[D-GenerationX]

I’ve been saying all along that I don’t think there next release should be a “record store Tuesday release”… that isn’t how the industry is built anymore. Plus I believe if they do this for say the first hand full of singles it gives them feed back that could eventually change the direction of an eventual compilation release that is aimed that the “physical media” collectors. I think whether or not it’s Hard Skool, there will be a similar pattern either when they hit LA in a week or so… or a month out when they are in Chicago. Hit a “big market” play it to a large audience once or twice then drop it to streaming platforms and release video content. This makes each show a little unique and keeps attention on the tour which makes money. Could be done again in Miami for October, like a serial release (think Stephen King with the Green Mile). Then take it to Europe and elsewhere depending on Covid.

This also gives them plenty of time to work out kinks that have popped up in their past physical releases with rushed artwork, liner notes that weren’t proof read, and other distribution issues. This gets them to the largest consuming audience by attacking streams.

All very valid points.

The only issue I see with this particular selection is that this could never be played.  I know "no one listens to radio" and all that.  But the reality is that every one of our cities has a rock station or 3, do they not?  And "first GNR song featuring Axl & Slash" since 1994 is a grabber.  It would be played.

Or *could* be played...had they released a song that wasn't loaded with too many obscenities to bleep out.

I just think if they dropped 'Hard School' first, that's on the radio.  Today.

[C0ma]

I’ve been saying all along that I don’t think there next release should be a “record store Tuesday release”… that isn’t how the industry is built anymore. Plus I believe if they do this for say the first hand full of singles it gives them feed back that could eventually change the direction of an eventual compilation release that is aimed that the “physical media” collectors. I think whether or not it’s Hard Skool, there will be a similar pattern either when they hit LA in a week or so… or a month out when they are in Chicago. Hit a “big market” play it to a large audience once or twice then drop it to streaming platforms and release video content. This makes each show a little unique and keeps attention on the tour which makes money. Could be done again in Miami for October, like a serial release (think Stephen King with the Green Mile). Then take it to Europe and elsewhere depending on Covid.

This also gives them plenty of time to work out kinks that have popped up in their past physical releases with rushed artwork, liner notes that weren’t proof read, and other distribution issues. This gets them to the largest consuming audience by attacking streams.

All very valid points.

The only issue I see with this particular selection is that this could never be played.  I know "no one listens to radio" and all that.  But the reality is that every one of our cities has a rock station or 3, do they not?  And "first GNR song featuring Axl & Slash" since 1994 is a grabber.  It would be played.

Or *could* be played...had they released a song that wasn't loaded with too many obscenities to bleep out.

I just think if they dropped 'Hard School' first, that's on the radio.  Today.

I agree the song selection was odd… BUT I think Radio like physical release aren’t what anyone is really measuring anymore like they did in the past. Streaming makes up like 80+% of the industry these days.

I’ll be honest I don’t know when the last time I listened to the radio was. My iPhone gets plugged in and I either listen to playlists I built, playlists based off and artist/genre, or podcasts. I don’t want to listen to 7 minutes of music followed by 20 minutes of commercials… also I grew up with pre America’s got Talent Howard Stern so I also don’t need the dozens and dozens of morning or afternoon drive rip offs of his 1980’s and 1990’s persona.

I think this gives Axl the freedom to release what he wants how he wants without having to cater to what “mainstream rock radio” demands, which means we get music.

[Eduardo]

Agree with all of these points. Excited new music is here and more is coming. But this song is kind of a mess, and I don’t get how this would generate excitement from casual or serious fans, being this doesn’t sound anything like the classic lineup sound.
I just hope that Slash and Duff have brought new ideas to the songwriting process the last few years and we don’t just have Axl demanding they do reworked versions of songs robin and tommy wrote 20 years ago. Nothing against those guys, but that was a different time and a different vibe.

Not sure I totally agree here.

Yes, in a perfect world, a new album would be one done by the 7 people onstage each night.  The actual present day Guns N' Roses.  But I still think you can have that element with previously written material.

Here is what I mean.  Axl shows them the Magical Mystery Vault and sees what catches their ear or piques their interest.  If something grabs them, then you have the current band redo it.  I do not want to see a new album released with music played by people out of the band for 20 years now.  But I could roll with the current band reworking some of their ideas.

That's basically what happened here.  'Absurd' does not sound exactly like the 'Silkworms' we heard in 2001.  The current guys tweaked it.  And I think it works.

I don't have a problem with them reworking old songs and giving them their own vision. I think that's the case here, Absurd is a better song than Silkworms, especially because of the guitar solos in the middle, which I think are great.

In fact, this band has a history of reworking songs and releasing them later on. Don't Cry, November Rain and You Could be Mine, for example.

However, if they're gonna rework some old songs, they should pick the good ones. Silkworms wasn't a good song then, and Absurd, even with all the rework, isn't a good song now. It sounds unfinished, rushed and frankly, a mess.

[AdZ]

But this song is kind of a mess, and I don’t get how this would generate excitement from casual or serious fans, being this doesn’t sound anything like the classic lineup sound.

Why would you want a bunch of artists to make the same work 30 years later?

Beyond that, I think there's lots here that sounds similar to old stuff - Civil War, Locomotive both have solos that interject in the same way this song does. The You're Crazy riff certainly isn't far off this, it's just played with a different rhythm. The vocals sound like things Axl has done before.

Fair you may not like the song, that's fine, but to say it doesn't sound anything like Guns N' Roses is incorrect I think.

[Ali]

Agree with all of these points. Excited new music is here and more is coming. But this song is kind of a mess, and I don’t get how this would generate excitement from casual or serious fans, being this doesn’t sound anything like the classic lineup sound.
I just hope that Slash and Duff have brought new ideas to the songwriting process the last few years and we don’t just have Axl demanding they do reworked versions of songs robin and tommy wrote 20 years ago. Nothing against those guys, but that was a different time and a different vibe.

Not sure I totally agree here.

Yes, in a perfect world, a new album would be one done by the 7 people onstage each night.  The actual present day Guns N' Roses.  But I still think you can have that element with previously written material.

Here is what I mean.  Axl shows them the Magical Mystery Vault and sees what catches their ear or piques their interest.  If something grabs them, then you have the current band redo it.  I do not want to see a new album released with music played by people out of the band for 20 years now.  But I could roll with the current band reworking some of their ideas.

That's basically what happened here.  'Absurd' does not sound exactly like the 'Silkworms' we heard in 2001.  The current guys tweaked it.  And I think it works.

I don't have a problem with them reworking old songs and giving them their own vision. I think that's the case here, Absurd is a better song than Silkworms, especially because of the guitar solos in the middle, which I think are great.

In fact, this band has a history of reworking songs and releasing them later on. Don't Cry, November Rain and You Could be Mine, for example.

However, if they're gonna rework some old songs, they should pick the good ones. Silkworms wasn't a good song then, and Absurd, even with all the rework, isn't a good song now. It sounds unfinished, rushed and frankly, a mess.

It doesn't sound unfinished, rushed or a mess. I am not even sure what the former two even "sound" like. It is a relatively simple and straightforward punk song. Maybe it wasn't what you expected or hoped for, but that doesn't make it those things you described.

Ali

[pilferk]

Why would you want a bunch of artists to make the same work 30 years later?

Beyond that, I think there's lots here that sounds similar to old stuff - Civil War, Locomotive both have solos that interject in the same way this song does. The You're Crazy riff certainly isn't far off this, it's just played with a different rhythm. The vocals sound like things Axl has done before.

Fair you may not like the song, that's fine, but to say it doesn't sound anything like Guns N' Roses is incorrect I think.

I get a very distinct Pink Floyd vibe from this song.  Maybe I'm the only one.....

[otgm]

Don't know what to think about this, really... Axl's vocals are so touched up he's hardly recognizable. Why not do his deeper voice without messing it up with effects? It could be a decent song with different arrangement and without so many damn effects. But IMHO: this is not punk.

[AdZ]

I get a very distinct Pink Floyd vibe from this song.  Maybe I'm the only one.....

Please go on... I'm listening

[Ali]

Don't know what to think about this, really... Axl's vocals are so touched up he's hardly recognizable. Why not do his deeper voice without messing it up with effects? It could be a decent song with different arrangement and without so many damn effects. But IMHO: this is not punk.

I don't think that there are that many effects, at least as compared to Silkworms. Axl's voice sounds like it does in the live version to me. So, I think it is recognizable in that sense. But, his accent may throw people off.

Ali

[Eduardo]

Agree with all of these points. Excited new music is here and more is coming. But this song is kind of a mess, and I don’t get how this would generate excitement from casual or serious fans, being this doesn’t sound anything like the classic lineup sound.
I just hope that Slash and Duff have brought new ideas to the songwriting process the last few years and we don’t just have Axl demanding they do reworked versions of songs robin and tommy wrote 20 years ago. Nothing against those guys, but that was a different time and a different vibe.

Not sure I totally agree here.

Yes, in a perfect world, a new album would be one done by the 7 people onstage each night.  The actual present day Guns N' Roses.  But I still think you can have that element with previously written material.

Here is what I mean.  Axl shows them the Magical Mystery Vault and sees what catches their ear or piques their interest.  If something grabs them, then you have the current band redo it.  I do not want to see a new album released with music played by people out of the band for 20 years now.  But I could roll with the current band reworking some of their ideas.

That's basically what happened here.  'Absurd' does not sound exactly like the 'Silkworms' we heard in 2001.  The current guys tweaked it.  And I think it works.

I don't have a problem with them reworking old songs and giving them their own vision. I think that's the case here, Absurd is a better song than Silkworms, especially because of the guitar solos in the middle, which I think are great.

In fact, this band has a history of reworking songs and releasing them later on. Don't Cry, November Rain and You Could be Mine, for example.

However, if they're gonna rework some old songs, they should pick the good ones. Silkworms wasn't a good song then, and Absurd, even with all the rework, isn't a good song now. It sounds unfinished, rushed and frankly, a mess.

It doesn't sound unfinished, rushed or a mess. I am not even sure what the former two even "sound" like. It is a relatively simple and straightforward punk song. Maybe it wasn't what you expected or hoped for, but that doesn't make it those things you described.

Ali

First of all, I wasn't expecting or hoping anything, really. My life goes on regardless of whether there's a new GNR song or not. In fact, I haven't posted on this board for a while now, but as this new song appeared, I just felt like getting back here and seeing what's going on, what's new and what are everybody's thoughts on it.

The points I shared are only my opinion, off course, that goes without saying. This is a GNR Forum, and on a thread about the new song, it's expected that people share and discuss their different views on it. If not, what's the point of us even being here?

To be a little more specific:

- TO ME it sounds rushed, because it tries to encompass a lot of things in 3 minutes. There's electronic effects, there's 3 or 4 guitar solos (which I think are great, BTW), it has vocal effects, it has a middle section that ends abruptly and the song itself ends abruptly

- TO ME it sounds unfinished especially because it ends abruptly and because of the slow middle section

- TO ME it sounds a mess because of the above

Anyway, as I said, even if I didn't like it, doesn't mean I'm not excited it is out, especially because I think there's more on the way.

But all in all,  I'm pretty sure I won't be listening to it come next month. And I bet you won't too.

[pilferk]

I get a very distinct Pink Floyd vibe from this song.  Maybe I'm the only one.....

Please go on... I'm listening

Nothing more than that, really.  Axl's vocals along with the arrangement just give me a bit of that "Animals" era vibe (especially thinking about Sheep)...with a bit of Sex Pistols punk added to the mix (which is ironic, I think, and a bit absurd, because the two bands hated each other, reportedly).

I 100% like it.  I think it's catchy.

Like I said, I entirely acknowledge it could just be me.

[Ali]

Agree with all of these points. Excited new music is here and more is coming. But this song is kind of a mess, and I don’t get how this would generate excitement from casual or serious fans, being this doesn’t sound anything like the classic lineup sound.
I just hope that Slash and Duff have brought new ideas to the songwriting process the last few years and we don’t just have Axl demanding they do reworked versions of songs robin and tommy wrote 20 years ago. Nothing against those guys, but that was a different time and a different vibe.

Not sure I totally agree here.

Yes, in a perfect world, a new album would be one done by the 7 people onstage each night.  The actual present day Guns N' Roses.  But I still think you can have that element with previously written material.

Here is what I mean.  Axl shows them the Magical Mystery Vault and sees what catches their ear or piques their interest.  If something grabs them, then you have the current band redo it.  I do not want to see a new album released with music played by people out of the band for 20 years now.  But I could roll with the current band reworking some of their ideas.

That's basically what happened here.  'Absurd' does not sound exactly like the 'Silkworms' we heard in 2001.  The current guys tweaked it.  And I think it works.

I don't have a problem with them reworking old songs and giving them their own vision. I think that's the case here, Absurd is a better song than Silkworms, especially because of the guitar solos in the middle, which I think are great.

In fact, this band has a history of reworking songs and releasing them later on. Don't Cry, November Rain and You Could be Mine, for example.

However, if they're gonna rework some old songs, they should pick the good ones. Silkworms wasn't a good song then, and Absurd, even with all the rework, isn't a good song now. It sounds unfinished, rushed and frankly, a mess.

It doesn't sound unfinished, rushed or a mess. I am not even sure what the former two even "sound" like. It is a relatively simple and straightforward punk song. Maybe it wasn't what you expected or hoped for, but that doesn't make it those things you described.

Ali

First of all, I wasn't expecting or hoping anything, really. My life goes on regardless of whether there's a new GNR song or not. In fact, I haven't posted on this board for a while now, but as this new song appeared, I just felt like getting back here and seeing what's going on, what's new and what are everybody's thoughts on it.

The points I shared are only my opinion, off course, that goes without saying. This is a GNR Forum, and on a thread about the new song, it's expected that people share and discuss their different views on it. If not, what's the point of us even being here?

To be a little more specific:

- TO ME it sounds rushed, because it tries to encompass a lot of things in 3 minutes. There's electronic effects, there's 3 or 4 guitar solos (which I think are great, BTW), it has vocal effects, it has a middle section that ends abruptly and the song itself ends abruptly

- TO ME it sounds unfinished especially because it ends abruptly and because of the slow middle section

- TO ME it sounds a mess because of the above

Anyway, as I said, even if I didn't like it, doesn't mean I'm not excited it is out, especially because I think there's more on the way.

But all in all,  I'm pretty sure I won't be listening to it come next month. And I bet you won't too.

Oh. I will be. This is the first finished original GN'R song with Slash and Duff in 30 years.

Ali

[Eduardo]

Oh. I will be. This is the first finished original GN'R song with Slash and Duff in 30 years.

Ali

I'm glad you liked it!  

[D-GenerationX]

I get a very distinct Pink Floyd vibe from this song.  Maybe I'm the only one.....

Please go on... I'm listening

Nothing more than that, really.  Axl's vocals along with the arrangement just give me a bit of that "Animals" era vibe (especially thinking about Sheep)...with a bit of Sex Pistols punk added to the mix (which is ironic, I think, and a bit absurd, because the two bands hated each other, reportedly).

I 100% like it.  I think it's catchy.

Like I said, I entirely acknowledge it could just be me.

Definite Sex Pistols vibe.  My first thought.

[AdZ]

Nothing more than that, really.  Axl's vocals along with the arrangement just give me a bit of that "Animals" era vibe (especially thinking about Sheep)...with a bit of Sex Pistols punk added to the mix (which is ironic, I think, and a bit absurd, because the two bands hated each other, reportedly).

I 100% like it.  I think it's catchy.

Like I said, I entirely acknowledge it could just be me.

Definitely hear the Sex Pistols piece - to me it actually reminds me more of PiL, definitely Lydon-esque.

Also, after listening to Sheep I totally hear what you mean!