The General being released (perhaps B-side)

[cineater]

I'm thinking about the song content and Axl.  No final thoughts yet.

Soul Monster if that's about Stephanie, yeah, he dodged a bullet there without knowing it.  Time proved that, kick that woman to the curb and move on.  End those love stinks songs unless Slash wants to revisit that.

The General, not that the subject matter was a secret or that he was going to release it, just came out maybe before he was ready.  People find what they need to hear at the time they need to hear it, important there's something there for them to find.  Up to him if he wants to play it live and what that means to him.  I think it's important to have out there but if you're going to bring it up, it needs follow up.  He could do interviews but there's a lot going on there and it never fully resolves itself.  Comes around again.  Can close the wound but the scar is still there waiting to get ripped open.  Doesn't go as deep but it gets opened.

Axl's okay, you can see it in his behavior, on his face.  He's a veteran of that war.  There needs to be a follow up song for people to find.  Songs give you so many options for ways to find personal strengths and move away.  GNR songs are good for that, take the shit out and deal with it.  I hope he doesn't leave us with this, where it's at.  Beat the fuck out of this topic.  Well no, anger gets you through, but over here, where they didn't win in the end, I'm free and happy with my life.

[bazgnr]

I enjoyed them both before the link was removed and I’m looking forward to hearing it (them?) again soon.  That said, the second half / Monsters was more immediately gratifying.
.

[PermissionToLand]

vocal melodies, as usual, are good. Musically speaking these songs are really poor. basically 3 chords with 300 layers. I don’t see them as ‘songs’ but more as ‘soundtracks’. Very repetitive with a lot of atmosphere. I can see these songs in a sci-fi movie. But again, if u need 23 years or more  to release these songs (which sounds old already, maybe not to people who listen to gnr only, but it is what it is) something went wrong. These songs sounds like demos because  they are not going anywhere, like a typical studio song. Like you have these good melodies but u stuck there, you can’t develop them so you keep adding things here and there till you can’t get rid of any of it. So you have 300 reverbs, delays, vocoders etc etc making the song more of an ensemble of sounds than a structured song.

I have to mostly agree. There are some great parts to the songs (screaming bridge of Monsters & low, distorted vocals) but as a whole, they feel unfinished. The chorus of Monsters is too upbeat, doesn't fit the creepy vibe set by the distorted part. Same issue I have with Shackler and the double-time upbeat pre-chorus ("Don't ever try to tell me...").

And the point about them being built around simple chord changes is a criticism I have of a lot of CD-era stuff. It seems like they stopped really writing around 2000 or so. After that, it was just tinkering around the edges. But many of the songs still needed real structural work.

That said, I'm still listening to them for the parts I like. And it's just interesting to hear this alternate universe where Slash never left.

[sky dog]

I'm thinking about the song content and Axl.  No final thoughts yet.

Soul Monster if that's about Stephanie, yeah, he dodged a bullet there without knowing it.  Time proved that, kick that woman to the curb and move on.  End those love stinks songs unless Slash wants to revisit that.

The General, not that the subject matter was a secret or that he was going to release it, just came out maybe before he was ready.  People find what they need to hear at the time they need to hear it, important there's something there for them to find.  Up to him if he wants to play it live and what that means to him.  I think it's important to have out there but if you're going to bring it up, it needs follow up.  He could do interviews but there's a lot going on there and it never fully resolves itself.  Comes around again.  Can close the wound but the scar is still there waiting to get ripped open.  Doesn't go as deep but it gets opened.

Axl's okay, you can see it in his behavior, on his face.  He's a veteran of that war.  They’re needs to be a follow up song for people to find.  Songs give you so many options for ways to find personal strengths and move away.  GNR songs are good for that, take the shit out and deal with it.  I hope he doesn't leave us with this, where it's at.  Beat the fuck out of this topic.  Well no, anger gets you through, but over here, where they didn't win in the end, I'm free and happy with my life.

Agree!

[PermissionToLand]

Oh yeah, and the song is definitely Soul Monster. The description of SM by Axl fits Monsters perfectly:

"I think it's our most Black Sabbath moment. Sang it on a Christmas eve. Imo the meanest section of anything I've sung to date. Which having said that I'm sure when it's heard others may disagree but we felt it was a Christmas card of unadulterated venom so to speak. I felt a lot better afterward." (Axl Rose , Here Today... Gone to Hell Forum, Dec. 2008)

[ItsoEezee]

The more I listen to The General and Monsters the more I like them.  Thinking back to the releases since the reunion, all these songs don't sound like collaborations as much as Axl tinkering and added elements by Duff and Slash.  The post-reunion songs have a CD feel--which is fine... but GNR has had 7 years since Duff & Slash returned to release an album of new collaborative music.  7.  I have finally resigned myself to the idea that a GNR album with "new" music will never be released ("not in this lifetime"). 

I love Axl as an artist, but I can only assume he releases music when he is damn well ready and that's it.  Everyone else in the band works on other projects and releases music on common industry timetables.

[ITARocker]

vocal melodies, as usual, are good. Musically speaking these songs are really poor. basically 3 chords with 300 layers. I don’t see them as ‘songs’ but more as ‘soundtracks’. Very repetitive with a lot of atmosphere. I can see these songs in a sci-fi movie. But again, if u need 23 years or more  to release these songs (which sounds old already, maybe not to people who listen to gnr only, but it is what it is) something went wrong. These songs sounds like demos because  they are not going anywhere, like a typical studio song. Like you have these good melodies but u stuck there, you can’t develop them so you keep adding things here and there till you can’t get rid of any of it. So you have 300 reverbs, delays, vocoders etc etc making the song more of an ensemble of sounds than a structured song.

I have to mostly agree. There are some great parts to the songs (screaming bridge of Monsters & low, distorted vocals) but as a whole, they feel unfinished. The chorus of Monsters is too upbeat, doesn't fit the creepy vibe set by the distorted part. Same issue I have with Shackler and the double-time upbeat pre-chorus ("Don't ever try to tell me...").

And the point about them being built around simple chord changes is a criticism I have of a lot of CD-era stuff. It seems like they stopped really writing around 2000 or so. After that, it was just tinkering around the edges. But many of the songs still needed real structural work.

That said, I'm still listening to them for the parts I like. And it's just interesting to hear this alternate universe where Slash never left.

Yep that's what i've been saying for years, even talkin about the paradoxical "overproduction". You kind feel the lack of something behind almost all of these songs.
I just want to add this: imagine u have melissa reese as backing vocal and you can't find her anywhere in any songs. Axl's is doing all the vocals, even the more subtle ones. I mean u can see him on his laptop doing all the stuff alone with pro tools   . Obviosuly you can find always interesting things in any of these songs because axl is overall a great singer and musican but i've always felt the lack of working togheter with other people (the funniest thing that comes to my mind it's him listening to dave navarro playing his solo on oh my god trough a phone or something like that and say "good"...cmon now  ). Even the slash's contribution is overall good but uninspired, you can feel it, these are not "his" songs.

[DAVE ROCK]

The more I listen to The General and Monsters the more I like them.  Thinking back to the releases since the reunion, all these songs don't sound like collaborations as much as Axl tinkering and added elements by Duff and Slash.  The post-reunion songs have a CD feel--which is fine... but GNR has had 7 years since Duff & Slash returned to release an album of new collaborative music.  7.  I have finally resigned myself to the idea that a GNR album with "new" music will never be released ("not in this lifetime").  

I love Axl as an artist, but I can only assume he releases music when he is damn well ready and that's it.  Everyone else in the band works on other projects and releases music on common industry timetables.

Agree

[Erick]

I thought the songs were amazing, Monster was better because it had a lot of guitar solos. Axl walked some really dark paths, the guy is absolutely a great songwriter

[kyrie]

The General is actually stuck in my head this morning. Didn't expect it to be an earworm but here we are

[Cocaine__tongue]

I'm actually starting to really like these 2 new songs. Although I hope they are actually meshed in one nice long song with a good bridge in between. If the lyrics in The General are more clear in the final version (assuming this one is not the definite version) with less effects, that would be a plus.

Nevertheless, the releases in the last couple of years are really good songs.

[Spirit]

Oh yeah, and the song is definitely Soul Monster. The description of SM by Axl fits Monsters perfectly:

"I think it's our most Black Sabbath moment. Sang it on a Christmas eve. Imo the meanest section of anything I've sung to date. Which having said that I'm sure when it's heard others may disagree but we felt it was a Christmas card of unadulterated venom so to speak. I felt a lot better afterward." (Axl Rose , Here Today... Gone to Hell Forum, Dec. 2008)

Yeah, I think it's pretty clear that Axl found his inner Ozzy when singing Monsters.

[DeN]

both awesome, I prefer The General. but both parts are great.
can't believe these tracks didn't make it on Chinese.

I wonder who made the tracking list for this album, but man, not including these ones, or Perhaps, or Hard Skool...

[Muerto]

I enjoyed them both before the link was removed and I’m looking forward to hearing it (them?) again soon.  That said, the second half / Monsters was more immediately gratifying.
.

well, I found this new url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhv0J0DOvVE, sorry if it's not allowed but I just updated and everyone is talking about this 


It only lasted a few minutes and was already removed.

[SkeletorSerpent]

After several listens, the songs are consistent with the attributes that make GNR great. Ideally, Monsters would just be the outro/coda of The General, consisting of one, complex epic song. Monsters seems like a natural epic outro in classic GNR style. It "shifts the tone" of the song at the end, consistent with past GNR anthems. Musically, it is very haunting and memorable. It makes sense that they released it by Halloween.

If taken as one epic song, it is clearly Shacklers/Madagascar/Oh My God meets Coma/You Could Be Mine. My only complaint is the mix and some of the vocal effects. However, they were just leaked demos, so I'll wait for the studio release.

With that being said, The General/Monsters follows the tried and true, magical GNR formula:

1.Mesmerizing and catchy intro (YCBM, Jungle, SCOM, etc.)
2. Complex and epic coda that shifts the tone of the song and concludes in unforgettable grandeur (e.g. NR, Rocket Queen, Locomotive, Patience, DTJ)
3. Interesting bridges and breakdowns in the middle of their songs that break the predictable formulas (Where do we go now, So far away, etc.)
4. Softer, catchier melodies that blend/mix/interchange perfectly with harder edged rock- GNR always knew how to blend catchy pop melodies with punk attitude, hard rock rasp, and heavy metal riffing. That was their trademark and genius.
5. Axl's vocals on these songs show off his entire five octave range as well as his "different voices." Sweet, ballad voice, as well as rasp, rage, demonic fury, angst, anger, paranoia, disillusionment, alienation, etc.
6. Demonstrates their keen ear for melody and their superb pop sensibility- GNR always had a catchy pop sensibility like the Beatles, Queen, and Stones
7. Slash's sweeping and weeping solo is very melodic and drives the song, especially in the Monsters portion. Slash's soloing in Monster drives the rhythm of the song.
8. Lyrical genius

[Erick]

the great musical thermometer. I showed it to 5 friends who don't even care about Guns n Roses lol. Everyone said "but why the hell haven't they released this yet? it's really good

[Erick]

detail. Monster, I believe it's Finck's famous Steve Ray V. style solo that Axl mentioned

[gcluskey]

The General - Guns N' Roses

Daddy, don't
I swear I won't
I'll be good from now on
And I'm awful sorry
Daddy don't
The hell I won't
I won't be good anymore
And you'll all be sorry

[Refrain]
Can anybody tell me why the pain, it just won't stop?
Can anybody help me?
The pain it just won't stop

[Chorus]
My only regret
Is that I never took the time to forgive
All those unspoken feelings
That were never spared
And those who understand
And lack self respect
And not the sordid meaning

[Verse]
Daddy, don't
I swear I won't
I'll be good from now on
And I'm awful sorry
Daddy don't
The hell I won't
I won't be good anymore
And you'll all be sorry

[Refrain]
Can anybody tell me why the pain, it just won't stop?
Can anybody help me?
The pain it just won't stop

[Chorus]
My only regret
Is that I never took the time to forgive
All those unspoken feelings
That were never spared
And those who understand
And lack self respect
And not the sordid meaning

[Bridge]
Don't know what to tell you now
It's never really what they tell you, now
You oughta know what they tell you now
And not really what they tell you now
Don't know what to tell you now
It ain't really what they tell you, now
Don't go where they tell you, now
It ain't really what they tell you, now

[Chorus]
My only regret
Is that I never took the time to forgive
All those unspoken feelings
That were never spared
And those who understand
And lack self respect
And not the sordid meaning

[Outro]
Is that I never took the time to forgive

[MrMojoRa]

HOLY!! FUCK!! The General is KILLER LIVE!!!


Axl CRUSHED IT!!! Proved he still has the range to get it done even though many doubted him with some speculating a proper release was foregone cuz he couldn't pull it off live. Naysayers sayin nothin now 


Slash adds so much soul to this EPIC!!!!!

[poorlakers]

Have you felt the pain?