The General being released (perhaps B-side)

[Mysteron]

Explain why liking what your favorite artist/band releases makes one lack credibility?

Really, guy?  YOU want to go down this road?  You, of all people?

OK.  Here is what I mean.  Since you asked.

We all have favorite bands, favorite shows, favorite directors...what have you.  Not everything is super awesome.  Way of the world.  As I said, no one bats 1.000.

So if a person find themselves in a spot where you can't bring themselves to say anything critical out loud, they lack credibility.  And I am not even talking outright shitting on things.

Look at my last post.  I said I loved 'Perhaps', think 'Hard Skool' was very good.  The other 2 were misses, to me.  I do not consider that out of line.  Nor would I think anyone out of line if they had different opinions on which of the 4 were good and which of the 4 were not.  Different tastes.

But my man, I've known you over 10 years now.  If you were asked to utter even a *mild* criticism such as that with a gun to you head...your brains would be all over the wall.  Because you could NEVER say such a thing.  Never seen ONE thing you didn't defend like your own child.  And chastise the hell out of anyone that dared.

I do not claim a eidetic memory.  But I would feel pretty confident betting green money that no one here could recall a situation where you said something even as mild as "yeah, that one didn't land."  Or, "yeah, not their finest moment."

Flipside is also true.  A guy who says everything is terrible is not a credible person.  Simple law of averages dictates something must have been good.  At at the very least, alright.

Extremes in either direction are not noble.  Finding fault with nothing, as well as finding fault with everything, is simply an illogical way to live life.

It is a thing. i had a female friend who liked George Michael until his death, liked everything he released, no bad songs. One of my school friends was the same, he liked the Misfits, again, there are no bad songs. Conversely, I know lots of people that couldn't name you an album that they like from start to finish by any band. I think you just get different types of people

[gunns1]

Monsters is such a better track than this, , better melodies, more hooks and more punch.

[kunzerd]

Monsters is such a better track than this, , better melodies, more hooks and more punch.

I agree. The verses have a nice funk vibe to them and the chorus goes rock. It still has a ChiDem feel, but its a little subdued. Like a bridge between UYI and CD.

I cant really get into the general, and I realize its because of the bridge. Some of the songs from that era have awkward  bridges and this might be the highest on that list. I love Better, but its got one as well, that last solo is so bluesy and the verses are so solid, I can forgive it.

I think Monsters wouldve made a better single. The general does feel like a b side (so its fitting), with a different bridge, a clearer mix (they really like muddying the waters with these vocal layers lately), and more reliance on real drumming over beats and loops, id dig it more. And if it were just another song on a full album, id let it slide and have less of an opinion because it would just be rounding out a track list, sitting somewhere in between a dozen other songs. Id be able to find something else to hang my hat on. This releasing one at a time makes it harder to just enjoy it, because it forces you to be more judgemental when your focus is on a single piece of work. Also, most of us come from a time when an album was an experience with highs and lows, and you ride out that whole journey. This method forces us to sit in a high or a low for six months at a time.

With all that said... thats just how i internally react to the music. Im sure a lot of us have such a big interest in music generally and Guns specifically because some songs grab you and can change you, even for a moment, on some emotional level. I think  a lot of people on this board are hoping to get back that feeling we had that first time in middle school when we heard something like estranged. But I understand the band can make whatever they want, though im the audience, the song wasnt made for me, its someone else's emotional outlet. They just happen to be willing to share it with the rest of us.


EDIT: When I said the bridge in the general is off putting, i think what i really mean to say is the pre chorus.

[Six Strings]

The song is awesome. And as many mentioned it's wonderful to have 4 totally different songs released so far. What I definitely wouldn't like to see and hear is a copy-paste to the same song with some variations and the fact that The General is different than the other 3 is a huge bonus, especially musically related. This means the band is still exploring and stepping to unknown fields nevertheless majority will say "This is not GN'R". This is great and to me it's all what music is all about. Still, I do believe that Monsters is one of the best tracks they have ever done and I can't wait to see it officially released. Hopefully soon.

[kyrie]

Monsters is such a better track than this, , better melodies, more hooks and more punch.

I agree. The verses have a nice funk vibe to them and the chorus goes rock. It still has a ChiDem feel, but its a little subdued. Like a bridge between UYI and CD.

I cant really get into the general, and I realize its because of the bridge. Some of the songs from that era have awkward  bridges and this might be the highest on that list. I love Better, but its got one as well, that last solo is so bluesy and the verses are so solid, I can forgive it.

I think Monsters wouldve made a better single. The general does feel like a b side (so its fitting), with a different bridge, a clearer mix (they really like muddying the waters with these vocal layers lately), and more reliance on real drumming over beats and loops, id dig it more. And if it were just another song on a full album, id let it slide and have less of an opinion because it would just be rounding out a track list, sitting somewhere in between a dozen other songs. Id be able to find something else to hang my hat on. This releasing one at a time makes it harder to just enjoy it, because it forces you to be more judgemental when your focus is on a single piece of work. Also, most of us come from a time when an album was an experience with highs and lows, and you ride out that whole journey. This method forces us to sit in a high or a low for six months at a time.

With all that said... thats just how i internally react to the music. Im sure a lot of us have such a big interest in music generally and Guns specifically because some songs grab you and can change you, even for a moment, on some emotional level. I think  a lot of people on this board are hoping to get back that feeling we had that first time in middle school when we heard something like estranged. But I understand the band can make whatever they want, though im the audience, the song wasnt made for me, its someone else's emotional outlet. They just happen to be willing to share it with the rest of us.


EDIT: When I said the bridge in the general is off putting, i think what i really mean to say is the pre chorus.

I really do think the plan was to release The General and Monsters together. They really do go together. I wonder if this means it will be Atlas and Monsters next rather than Atlas/SOG. At some point these releases will wrap up, barring stuff in the vault we haven't heard (with vocals anyway). Really wish this all could have been an EP - Absurd, Hard Skool, Perhaps, The General, Monsters, Atlas Shrugged, State of Grace. But I'll take em piece by piece if need be.

[jarmo]

So finally hearing the official audio version of the song. This feels like Oh My God Era GNR like had GNR come out with an album in 98/99 this fits right in with that era doesn't have as much of Chidem era song. First run through im not sure how i feel yet but Im gonna continue listening to it and see how it grows on me. Perhaps at first i was eh on but have since grown to really like that song. Hopefully ill feel the same about this.

Since Chinese was so varied, this could've fit on there. Same way, Street Of Dreams could've totally fit on Use Your Illusion if it had existed back then, or You Could Be Mine on Appetite.

There's this familiar thing about certain GN'R songs, without them being the same as the previously released material.





/jarmo

[Electric Sintar]

Just listened to the four new songs back to back and this would be a very good EP.  Don’t love Absurd, but it fits and the other three are solid and hard to pick a favorite.

[DeN]

Just listened to the four new songs back to back and this would be a very good EP.  Don’t love Absurd, but it fits and the other three are solid and hard to pick a favorite.

in what order?

[MrMojoRa]

Just listened to the four new songs back to back and this would be a very good EP.  Don’t love Absurd, but it fits and the other three are solid and hard to pick a favorite.

in what order?

I have Better in front of the 4 since it flows into The General so well.....

1. Better
2. The General
3. Hard Skool
4. Absurd
5. Perhaps

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

I wish GNR still made big videos.  I could vision a very cool imagery for the General.

[gunns1]

I wish GNR still made big videos.  I could vision a very cool imagery for the General.

Something tells me a music video won't be done for the general... a simple youtube lyric video? sure.. ,  a live show footage compilation? perhaps...

a commercial music video with the band featured in it and some kind of narrative? Severely doubtful.

[kyrie]

I wish GNR still made big videos.  I could vision a very cool imagery for the General.

Something tells me a music video won't be done for the general... a simple youtube lyric video? sure.. ,  a live show footage compilation? perhaps...

a commercial music video with the band featured in it and some kind of narrative? Severely doubtful.

Agreed. What kind of video could you even make for a song about clearly horrific child abuse? I mean it could be done but I don't see it happening. I think the release as a b-side was Axl getting a very personal song released.

[jarmo]

Definitely different from the other tracks released. Not just lyrically.

Hopefully a video is coming. I enjoyed the Perhaps video.



/jarmo

[Electric Sintar]

Just listened to the four new songs back to back and this would be a very good EP.  Don’t love Absurd, but it fits and the other three are solid and hard to pick a favorite.

in what order?

1. The General
2. Hard Skool
3. Perhaps
4. Absurd

[Executioner]

Definitely different from the other tracks released. Not just lyrically.

Hopefully a video is coming. I enjoyed the Perhaps video.



/jarmo

For a band that made such big Blockbuster videos in the 90s to not really doing anything since is a bit strange to say the least,yeah they've put out a few low budget concert clips and yric videos but nnothing really creative, I know the era of  making videos for MTV is over but YouTube is possibly an even bigger platform  so  a big budget video by them would attract a lot more attention to the new music if of course is what they want.

[ITARocker]

Definitely different from the other tracks released. Not just lyrically.

Hopefully a video is coming. I enjoyed the Perhaps video.



/jarmo

For a band that made such big Blockbuster videos in the 90s to not really doing anything since is a bit strange to say the least,yeah they've put out a few low budget concert clips and yric videos but nnothing really creative, I know the era of  making videos for MTV is over but YouTube is possibly an even bigger platform  so  a big budget video by them would attract a lot more attention to the new music if of course is what they want.

Videos are useless in these days, plus gnr are totally irrelevant for the young generations, it really won't change a thing. The gonna have their 5 milions visuals on yt and thats it. They can't even put out songs already written and recorded 20 years ago, imagine a video, cmon now 

[PermissionToLand]

Why would a b-side get a music video?

[jarmo]

Why would a b-side get a music video?

R side.

Maybe you're putting too much emphasis on which song is on what side.






/jarmo

[ItsoEezee]

Just listened to the four new songs back to back and this would be a very good EP.  Don’t love Absurd, but it fits and the other three are solid and hard to pick a favorite.

in what order?

1. The General
2. Hard Skool
3. Perhaps
4. Absurd

I created a double album that is the reunion studio tracks and live versions of unreleased reunions tracks.  Hearing the reunion tracks in an album format positively adds to my appreciation for the songs GNR have released.

I couldn't figure out how to add a photo of the album.  Tracklist:

d- 01 Absurd
d- 02 Perhaps
d- 03 Hard Skool
d- 04 The General / d- Monsters
d- 05 T.V. Eye (live) 13 July 2023 Paris, France
d- 06 Whole Lotta Rosie (live) 29 November 2017 Los Angeles, USA
d- 07 Black Hole Sun (live) 20 July 2017 New York, USA
d- 08 The Seeker (live) 20 July 2017 New York, USA
d- 09 Slither (live) 8 September 2022 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
d- 10 Sorry (live) 20 July 2017 New York, USA
d- 11 Better (live) 29 November 2017 Los Angeles, USA <First 14 seconds drop out - need to edit>
d- 12 Chinese Democracy (live) 8 September 2022 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
d- 13 (Slash Guitar Solo - Live) 8 September 2022 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
d- 14 Prostitute (live) 29 November 2017 Los Angeles, USA
d- 15 Madagascar (live) 29 November 2017 Los Angeles, USA
d- 16 This I Love (live) 29 January 2017 Saitama, Japan

I wanted to add Catcher In The Rye but of all the reunion versions I could find, Axl's voice sounded terrible, so I did not include it.  I titled the album "Not In This Lifetime" and the cover image is the shuttle Challenger explosion.  The back cover has the seven astronauts, their faces replaced with skulls.  A little dark, but wanted to do a call-back to when GNR wanted the Challenger image as the cover to AFD.  

[GNR4L]

I really liked the song, when most rock bands sound generic these days, GnR has really stood out from the others.  Which I think is a good thing, too bad they don't get praised more or get more attention in mainstream media... Then again everyone today likes Pop Country ( not real country music).