Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Much thanks to Reckless:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt/rockshow/index.shtml (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt/rockshow/index.shtml) Click on where it says "Listen," its the third song played.

Its good, but Im disappointed.  The live version is better... :-\

Gave it a second listen...

The studio version is missing most of the atmosphere of the live version, and that might be due to the production.  Slashs solo is great, but if I recall correctly, the studio version has cut the breakdown (the moody section after the first solo, with Slashs guitar flourishes and Scotts "Ooohhs" - one of the most interesting parts of the song).  Most importantly though, they changed up that crushing finale of the original and its considerably weaker.  I have no idea why they would fuck with it, the original was great as it was.

 :no:

On the bright side, Scotts lyrics are cool and its still a very cool song, but as somebody who has grown to love the live rendition, Im disappointed.  Thats the blessing and the curse of listening to bootlegs.  

yeah good, but not so good as live version...

The solo is good, but other than that, I think it lacks a bit of originality  :-\  I mean, if I heard it on the radio without knowing who it is, it probably wouldn't stand out too much for me. It sounds a bit like tons of those so-called "alternative" bands you hear everyday (except for the solo). I also noticed that Matt's drums sound very different than with GN'R.
I liked Set me free, but I'm a bit disappointed with this one  :(  Maybe it will grow on me with a few more listens....

sounds pretty original to me.

just wait until you get the album and are able to crank it and here the whole song.

Sounds awesome so far!

I'll give it 3 out of 5 at this time, maybe it will grow to a 4.

Yes, I agree with you.  But we see now why it was chosen as the first single - it is radio friendly.  Although, the solo is much better than anything you hear on the radio.  Well, if it encourages new people to become fans, then I'm all for it.

After the song finished, she mentioned they were gonna be giving away GNR GHits  :rofl:

Get well soon Scott!  Your bandmembers need you!

interesting how some where ripping the live version now they are ripping the studio.

I know my Reply is gonna shock Booker....

But hey I actually kindda like it...The solo is pretty good. Wish it was abit longer. It does have a nice punch to it... I still cant make out the lyrics well though... That said, I cant wait to have the album and hear the album version

download the live versiion. The solo is very long...this radio version was cut short. The song is 2min longer.

GunsLova - better change your 'VR LMAO" to something like "VR kickass!"  ;)

Why in the fuck did they mess with the intro??????? in live version it sounds great when the riff kicks off!! now they have replaced that part of the the song!! and Scott's "Heys" could be much stronger and rawer like in live version!

Otherwise it sounds pretty good for me but they should have sticked with the live version scheme!

Good song, But I like Set Me Free better though cant wait to hear the album

Look here: http://www.sleevesmahoney.com/Music/slither.mp3

Got the link at http://www.velvetrevolverforum.com

Reading all the recent articles, I actually began anticipating the album.....I have a new respect for those guys knowing the trials and tribulations they endured making the record (although Scott still receives no sympathy from this end) After hearing the single, it sounds plain mediocre...it could've been any song on Core..I know its hard to assess the production from a stream, but the guitar tone downright disappoints, and the drums sound muddy...There's no flair to this song...it sounds shat out....Scotts vocals are enjoyable though, I'll say that, and the solo section sounds fantastic, I just think if it were any other band, they wouldn't get a second look...I'll listen again
Joe

Well, I like it, but it just doesn't seem that great to me.  I mean, Slash sounds awesome, as always, but overall, the song just barely seems to rise above any average old rock song.  Oh well, I'll keep listening - maybe it'll grow on me.  It's still better than most of the stuff out there.

The only thing I don't like about Slither so far is the drum sound. I miss the Use your illusion sound!

I've listened the song for only twice till now, but I' disappointed. I expected better. The riff sounds like an average Snakepit 2000 riff, the solo is great, but nothing really new and exciting, a routine work from Slash. Now I'm just getting the vocal theme, it's good - but I hope the album will be much better. Slither is too much for today's music market.

I heard it. not so bad. However I don't think it could be a Hit.
so for me: average/good song. neither bad, nor great.

it wouldn't have worked for a Guns n' Roses album. "the blues" still is my favourite new song (VR and GN'R both) by far...especially the Rio version (a masterpiece).

This is great news from RCA's point of view - it will bring in many new fans. Then, they will listen to the rest of the album and hear the wonderful 'You Got No Right'. Hook, line and sinker!

I'm in the same boat as everyone else. What the hell happened to song structure we heard in the live performance?

After listening to radio version I'm convinced Slash's second hypnotic solo is just cut right out, the song just doesn't mess.  
As is the outro solo, which is a shame b/c those 2 factors do the song some much justice.

Lets all hope that "Slither's" album version is a closer recarnation of the live performance than this "radio friendly" verson we have today.

Neverthrless a million thanks to Giblet for hosting it.

Cheers

Blair  

I really dig the studio version. It's not quite as good as the live version, but it's perfect for getting their foot in the door and getting people to take notice. It's not an amazing song by any means, but it's a good, solid, rock track which is exactly what I expected.  :beer:

i never listened to the live version so this is the first time for me. i think its a great rock song, which is what i expected from them in the first place. nothing disappointing here

The song is mediocre, id give it a 6/10,  the song just does not do anything for me. The solo is decent but the melody is boring and the vocals are meh.
If this song is one of the best on the album its going to be a big disapointment.

Btw here is a better version.thx to ozzycat from newgnr

http://home.no.net/jonmarja/images/SlitherOzzysRemix.mp3

ps not sure if this was mentioned but someone said at the bar that the slow part was cut out for the radio edit version.

I think its a vast improvement on the live version and i can't beleive people are calling this ordinary. I'm not blown away by it but i'm rather impressed, its a decent effort and certainly better than anything out there. 8/10

i think the song is rather ordinary, has a good solo, i wasn't that impressed cuz i already know what slash duff and matt are capable of, and this wasn't even the best i've heard from them. i think scott's voice is very poor, at least it doesn't please me that much, no high notes, same kinda voice, notta lot of feeling i guess. dave's parts seem to be very cool, average song that will be on MTV 24/7 t'ill everyone gets tired of hearing it i guess.. i give it a 12/20. and i expect better songs in the cd.

the sound is MUCH better here. oh yeah that song rocks. now that I have a better sound, I love it.

Thanks for the praise on the mix.  I did some 10 band EQ and compression on the track.  But for copyright reasons, we have taken it offline.  Sorry guys.

Well, it is the single...I dont see the problem with putting it up, especially when everybody is making judgements on a less-than-perfect version they already have.  I think youd be doing a service.  But its cool...

Does anyone have a link to the remix Ozzy did? I am dying to hear it but it's unavailable everywhere now. My AIM is brill0227. Thanks.

I think the vocals are too low for the music, but I love the song. Killer riff with the chorus IMO.

Not impressed at all.  I think the recording didnt sound that great, but its an average song, and hopefully not the best song.
I agree, that Set Me Free is 10x better.

This single is not gonna jump out at anyone.  I liked the 30 second clip a lot, but I dont like the chorus.  It totally takes away the flow of the song.  

Damn, I'm too late!!!
This was all over the net only a few hours ago (here and the VR forum) and now none of the links work... D'oh!
And I can't listen to the stream cause I dont have that sh*tty realplayer.

Any chance you could email me the file OzzyCat?
My email address is alex_s@iprimus.com.au

Let me know here how big the file is first. Thanks

Nope, sorry... I haven't had any work in for two months (I'm a freelancer), so have had to cut back... DSL was a cutback... I'm temporarily on Dial Up...

Booker, I wont distribute it BECAUSE it's the single.  Single's are commercially sold on the shelves.  Recording and distributing radio broadcasts is illegal.  Well, it is where I come from.  UK.  And I'm not gonna screw them over like that.

Sorry guys.  I'm sure someone else has it.  But even if I wanted to send it all over the net again, I wouldn't because of my dial up.

Anyone transcribe the lyrics?

I like the song quite a bit, a definate departure for Slash.  Very rhythm and groove orientated.

The vocal mix is a bit too quiet, Scott needs to be heard..

is this actually the song? If it is, holy shit what a let down. This is a run of the mill mid level rock song........hell it doesn't even sound like Weiland and if that's Slash, he's really got to do better than this.

ok, maybe I'm retarded,  but I can't get any of these things to work.   does anyone have the song on their computer that they can post a link of it here please

Weiland comes up with a new voice for every record he does.

Help me out, i'm really looking out for the live verson of this song. Does anyone know where it is?

with every listen I like this song more and more  :beer:

I am probably the biggest fan of Slash and this song is not good. This sounds like the guitar player from STP, Creed, Nickleback. I see this single as pandering to a younger audience who might not get the punk/hard rock image of GNR. I hope the rest of the album is better, but so far both songs released are mediocre at best. At least the riff in Set Me Free sounds like Slash.

isnt this what happend to the St. Anger album too? people said "this is thrash coming back to its basic! meatl is back" and then they got a Queen of the Stone age-copying metallica.....

but they might have picked this song for a first single to make them "hit" bigger with the kids though...

First of all I hate to compare "Contraband" to AFD but you can't help it with Slash in it.  But come on, how long was Welcome to the Jungle falling on deaf ears until Sweet Child O'Mine was released as a single.  That is when the band become the huge act they were.  And does anybody here think that Jungle is just ok, but alot of people did back then.  And didn't we here that the next single is going to be "Fall to Pieces".  The albums start to move when the younger audiences start to like a song.  Which I think is there plan.  The start off with a good rock song then lure the younger audience in, it seems to me to be all about business.

BTW I like the song, especially the chorus, plus Slash's badass solo.

After listening to this song a few more times, i dont think its just a rock n roll song now. i think its really one great fucking song all around. the solo is badass too!

and i love how the guitar sounds like a chainsaw right before the riff kicks in  :hihi:

Chorus is really lame...

Was that Matt who talked about that they wanted to do something fresh/new

well this is from 80s

nah when i think of 80s i think of Poison and skid row doing "I remember you"

Nah the song is actually pretty ok. It's pretty driven as well. The only thing I have a problem with is that Scot doesnt seem to have such an amazing voice or if he does he is not using it here. I mean no screams, no nothing....for instance right before the solo when he goes 'meeeee' oh c'mon...I hope he can do better than that.....


But overall, it's a great song. Btw, who ever was comparing this to AFD and WTTJ success after SCOM.. Sure I can see it working that way..but that said, but this is no WTTJ   ;)

we'll you'll problably never hear scott scream. he's not a metal singer. I recommend the STP greatest hit DVD/CD package. Once you watch the video you see how great a frontman scott is and the many different voices he has.

You can compare them in the sense that Contraband and AFD are both debut albums, but the VR guys arent poor and living on the streets.  Slash as a father pushing 40 is gonna be different from Slash as a drunken rebel in his 20s.  So I think the comparison ends there.

SCOM is a love song.  For a hard rock band to make such a great love song caught many people's attention especially when compared to the ferociousness of WTTJ.
It did its job as a single.

Slither, the single, will catch people's attention for different reasons, a primary one being that VR is a supergroup.  Duff & co want to be heard on modern rock stations, and this will do it.  

"Luring a younger audience" isnt such a sinister thing.  After all, many of us (as youngsters) were lured into GNR by their singles.

Slash's solo puts Slither a cut above most of the radio-friendly songs we hear these days  I've begun to like it more, but SMF is still better.   :smoking:

Finally someone gets it.

The song (guitar wise) is built for modern rock station airplay.  Swrling intro, locomotive riff, stealth solo.

Slash is no longer Joe Perry's bastard son.

I think I am in the minority but I really liked this song.  It wasn't the greatest song I have ever heard but I enjoyed everything about it, especially Slash.

That's a good point.  I really hope that's the case.  I never thought Welcome to the Jungle was that great for Gn'R (I mean, it's a great song, but compared to so many other awesome Gn'R songs?), and I would probably fall into the category that wouldn't be impressed by WTTJ but would be by SCOM, if I had been listening back then.

The more I've listened to this song, the more it's grown on me, which is a good sign.  It still lacks the immediate connection I've felt with New Gn'R songs (sorry to bring up that comparison, but it's a valid one), but reminds me more of how UYIs took a few listens before I started to "get" the songs.  I'm still extremely excited about Contraband.

Edit: Btw, this may be a song intended to get airplay on modern rock stations, etc, but I still think it's possible to do that, while wowing us Gn'R fans - which I think it's fair to say, they haven't done.  I'm still looking forward to the album, and I may yet to be extremely impressed, but to argue this song is lacking the "wow" factor because it's made for modern rock stations is a bit of a copout, imo.

A special thanks to someone (I think at the VR forum) who sent me the link for the mp3, and I have now listened to the whole song, finally!

I'm kinda wishing I didnt hear the live version because I've already got a pre-concieved idea as to how it should sound, but listening without the live bootleg in mind, I think it kicks ass!

The production is a little too polished for my liking, and the drums arent as in-yer-face as I'd like, but this isn't an album quality version I heard, so I wont pass full judgement until I hear it.

But after several listens, it is quite impressive.
It doesnt really sound like GN'R or STP too much, it actually sounds quite modern, which I quite like, and Slash rips out the best solo I think he's played since his GN'R days.
And the chorus is brilliant, I can't get it out of head!

Bring on the album!

Damn Damn Damn!!!!

With each listen this song gets better and better, I love it, the guitar textures, the solo, the chorus, the verses, f**kin everything. It's kinda grown on me like how I was with Set Me Free, which I thought was just ok when I first heard it.

If you have any doubts about this song, just crank it up f**kin loud and rock out! : ok:

I'm surprised at how modern it sounds, I guess Jarmo has been right about Slash trying new things instead of sticking to his old set ways.

Sorry Falcon, but I find out and out "pandering" to a modern rock format or any format for that matter a disgrace and a complete sellout. God knows I hope Axl can come up with a better "sound" than this shit. If the "tone" of the record is like this, then I won't be purchasing it. ANY musical comparisons to AFD are a complete joke.  ;D

there's some great rockin parts, and a real cool groove to the song overall.

but like others have mentioned, the chorus is kinda weak. it just kinda drags on and gets a little boring - which reminds me of some stp songs.

it's probably more like 75% stp and 25% gnr. i'm a big stp fan, but i'd much rather have those percentages reversed.

i do think it's fresh sounding. something about it reminds me ALOT of set me free - the tempo or something is similar.

overall i think it's a very good song. i like it more and more with each listen.

i've heard 2 studio songs.....10 more to go. so far so good, but at this point i'm not blown away by anything.  

SLITHER              

(intro)

oh!   oh!    oh!

When you look you see right through me,
Cut the rope, that fell to my knees,
Boning broken* every single time  
I always keep me under* finger,
That?s the sparkle you want chew me ,my
Seasoned type of flesh*  in my mind

Yeah, here* come to one world*,
Here comes to wash away the sins of you and I
This time, you?ll see

oh!   oh!    oh!

When you seek me you'll destroy me,
Rape my mind and spell those poppies
Born in blood in every single time
I always keep me under finger,
That?s the spot we, you might linger,  might
See some type of pleasure in my mind

Yeah, here* come to water,
It comes to wash away the sins of you and I
This time, you'll see    
Like holy water,
it'll/Till* only punch you back to, then you ever tried
This time, with me

(guitar solo)

When you look you see right through me,
Cut the rope, that fell to my knees,
Bone and blood in every single time

Yeah here come to water,
It comes to wash away the sins of you and I      
This time, you?ll see
Like holy water,  
ill* only punch you back to, then you ever tried
This time, with me

oh!  oh!  oh!

Hey, this is what I got . not very sure.  ???esp. the words with*  .

No need to be sorry, everyone has their owm opinion and you're entitled to yours as well.

However, I find the terms "pandering" and "sellout" a bit premature.  

If they were having "special guest" rappers, a DJ or releasing cover songs as singles (see Bizkits "Behind Blue Eyes) I'd agree with you.

Seeing how this is obviously not the case, I don't hold the same opinion.  

Any idea why the song is called Slither?

I dont think Slash wanted to write a song about his snakes  :P

My guess: It lends to the songs dark, cavernous imagery and feel...and it just sounds cool.

Heres the lyrics to how I hear them...

Hey! Hey! Hey!

When you look you see right through me,
Cut the rope, then fell to my knees,
Born and broken every single time  
I always keep me under finger,
That's the spot where you would soon be might
See some type of pleasure in my mind

Yeah, here comes the water,
It comes to wash away the sins of you and I
This time, you'll see

Hey! Hey! Hey!

When you seek me you'll destroy me,
Rape my mind and spell the poppies,
Bone and blooded every single time
Always keep me under finger,
That's the spot where you might linger might
See some type of pleasure in my mind

Yeah, here comes the water,
It comes to wash away the sins of you and I
this time, you'll see
Like holy water,
It only finds you faster than you've ever tried
This time, with me

When you look  you see right through me,
Cut the rope, then fell to my knees,
Bone and blooded every single time

Yeah, here comes the water,
It comes to wash away the sins of you and I      
This time,  you'll see        
Like holy water
It only finds you faster than you ever tried
This time, with me

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Slither is definitely a grower, I liked it when I first heard it but since I have listened to it a few more times, I gotta say I love it!  : ok:

Its a great tune, better than YGNR although not better than SMF IMO. I just feel that SMF had a more immediate impact and is a different type of song. SMF compares more to YCBM although not as good (YCBM is my fav GnR song). The drums drive SMF along and the riff is better than Slither.

Slither still rocks though although the lyrics dont really impress me that much. The solo is so class though, one of Slash's best for a while.

Roll on the album! :smoking:

cavernous... yeah.  The lyrics are difficult to penetrate, at least for me.  But perhaps the title is meant to be a clue as to how to interpret the song.  

I imagine him writhing in some watery underground as he wrestles with whatever is haunting him.

Kinda spooky, but it doesnt sound like Slash or Duff does it?  I hope they contributed to at least some of the lyrics on Contraband.

I don't know what song some of you guys are listening to, but this one kicks ass! If the rest of the album is anything like this it is going to be amazing. Axl should show his "big guns" or fold.

Well, I feel like I'm being pretty unbiased here, but maybe I'm not.  The first time I heard Madagascar, The Blues, and Chinese Democracy, I was not really a Gn'R fan, but I was almost immediately blown away by them (I think the third listen of Madagascar did it for me).  Slither seems good, but not even in the same class as those songs.  It reminds me more of "Audioslave good" than full-on, perfection in a song Gn'R bliss.

In general, I am biased towards Axl, because the ex-members talk so much shit about him and can never get their stories straight, but I feel like I'm giving the music an honest turn.  It seems good, but not that good.  Slash's guitar is the only part that I really, really like, but the rest just sounds somewhat generic to me.  Scott's vocals just don't do anything for me, and Kushner's experimentation on rhythm is nowhere to be found (unless, by experimentation, they meant what every other modern hard rock band is doing) .  The whole "feel" of the song is cool and expertly made, but there's just hardly anything there for my ears to just soak up and enjoy.

It would be nice to hear a version of it with better audio levels, like, apparently the version OzzyCat prepared.  Did anyone ever get that posted somewhere else?

My version does indeed sound kick ass... but at the end of the day, it wont be long before people can hear the real final album version.  The single on that radio broadcast, no matter how much EQ'ing and compression and shit I did to it, has too many frequencies missing, and therefore people have judged it's levels and tone.  It's crazy that people haven't a clue that these things are affected badly by low bitrate MP3 broadcasts...

Are you sure "kick ass" is the best way to describe a song ripped from a low quality online stream?  :hihi:

If that's kick ass quality, how would you describe cd quality?  :P


I don't know, seems like it sounds too much like STP.  :nervous:

Maybe it's Weiland.



/jarmo

Actually, it sounds like Velvet Revolver.

Musically, it doesn't sound like STP because none of the players have STP influences.  This whole "it sounds like STP" thing is crap.  It sounds like VR.  Get used to it.  GnR and STP are gone.  Old.  Finished (new GnR doesn't count... different band, different sound).

Fact is, who gives a fuck if it reminds you of a previous band... if that band was fucking shit, fine, but STP and GnR are great bands... so who cares!

Pretty good song, about on the level of "Set Me Free."  It's a little dissapointing in that respect, as I was hoping the first single would be better than SMF.  

I don't think it will be a huge hit, but it will get airplay.  Hopefully we'll see a similar pattern to Audioslave.  "Cochise" was a good song, but not a huge hit.  It took "Like a Stone" for them to really break through.

The part where the guitar solo kicks in reminds me a lot of when the SCOM solo kicks in.  Very similar--that's a good thing.

Comparing Slither: a straight-up, no nonsense rocker made for radio to Madagascar which is more personal and emotional (an art song) - I dunno, the comparison doesnt seem fair to either song.  The songs have different intentions.  I appreciate both, but for different reasons.

Well, compare it to Chinese Democracy, or The Blues, or Madagascar.  Each of those songs has a very unique and colorful appeal to them.  They bring out specific feelings and emotions in me.

For all the talk of Axl overproducing his music, the whole feel of Chinese Democracy is much more raw and fresh.

Set Me Free and Slither both give just about the same feeling - two shades of the same color.   The intensity level is there, but it's a lot lower.  Set Me Free caught glimpses of something greater, but it never really made it there. Slither sounds like a calculated hard rock song: it's good, and it's hard rock, which is very enjoyable to listen to, but, it's still something of a letdown.  At least I'll have a better idea where to put my expectations for this album.

Hopefully, Falling to Pieces will blow me away, and maybe I'll "understand" Slither better because of it.  I really like You Got No Right, and I have high expectiations for that song, regardless.

Btw: What is this "made for the radio" shit?  It's a total copout.  This is the approach VR has chosen to make their music, whatever the scheme behind it may be.  My only consideration is whether the music is good and how many times I can listen to it without the song getting old.

 The first time I heard Madagascar, The Blues, and Chinese Democracy, I was not really a Gn'R fan, but I was almost immediately blown away by them (I think the third listen of Madagascar did it for me).


I don't know man. I like CD alot. Maddy is good, but not great. And the Blues I just can't get into. I know some people on this board LOVE "The Blues", but I just don't think it's that good.

Slither seemed like a rocker, and flowed very easy. It helps that I really like Weilands voice.

I'm a huge Axl/old and new band fan. And I can't wait to finally have CD in my hand. But I'm slowly getting more excited about VR. I think having a date, and communicating with their fans makes a big difference for me.

Well, obviously a lot of it comes down to personal preference.  I guess my point is that each of those songs have a very unique, colorful sound to them, even if you don't like them that much.  I love them   Each song is varied and has a sound that's unique only to that song, The Blues is the only song that seems slightly reminiscent of a few other songs I know.


Well, it's definitely a good rocker, and yeah, it flows well.  It sounds like a very good rock song put together by music pros.  I am (was) holding it up to some very high standards, though.  There's just nothing raw or dangerous about the song.  It's so calculated and designed to "get airplay on modern rock stations."  

Set Me Free had a decently memorable riff, but it's not especially great.  Slither doesn't even have that.  Come on, give me some great guitar riffs that I won't forget 3 minutes later!  Give me some lyrics I can sing along too and understand the emotion behind them!


I just had high expectations for the band, something with Gn'R greatness, and I haven't found it with either Set Me Free or Slither.   There's still 10 more songs on the album, so I may still be blown away.

I am real big fan of the new Gn'R songs.  They blow me away.  They are the reason I'm still here and waiting on Axl, despite the lack of communication.  That's how it's always been as long as I've been a Gn'R fan and so I don't expect otherwise.  VR's communication is nice, though.

I dont care much for the Chinese Democracy song, but the other two are impressive in their emotion and style.  But that's why I think it's unfair to compare them to a hard rock song like Slither.  It's somewhat like comparing Its So Easy to Yesterdays.  


See, this is where VR communication helps IMO.  Because I have heard (endlessly) that Axl is just chasing trends, goth/industrial, grunge, etc.  That sounds  more calculated than making a decent rocker for radio!

OTOH, we have a good idea about VR's sound thanks to the songs we have heard so far, and the interviews with the bandmembers in which they discuss their musical preferences and style.


So how many times can you listen to Silkworms?  :P   I dont even know what to call that song.  Was it made for radio?  Nobody knows...

IMO, the record label may have a scheme up their sleeve with regards to promoting VR, but I am confident that the music will just be plain good.

It's So Easy has an awesome, memorable bassline.  The lyrics are easy to understand and fun to sing along to.  Slash's playing is superb as always.  Otherwise, It's So Easy is a fairly typical rock song, but these things, along with the all around good playing, set it above and beyond.  I don't hear anything like that in Slither.  Slash's guitar is the only really unique aspect to it, but even then, it's not enough to push the song to another level.


Well, I don't care what people talk about.  I care about what I've heard, and none of the new Gn'R songs sound like they're "chasing" any sort of trend, unless you're stuck in 1987 and consider any musical advances made since then a trend.  Even Oh My God was unique with it's distorted sound.  AFD is made up of many previously used elements by other bands (Aerosmith, Van Halen, etc).  Industrial and grunge have been around since the UYI days.   That's hardly what I call chasing a trend.

What you call chasing a trend I call experimentation (they definitely aren't copying one stye alone or making any songs that NiN, or Nirvana, or any other bands from those genres would have made), and that's where much of the best, most memorable rock music has come from.  There's something to be said for the AC/DC approach, but I don't think there's many other bands besides AC/DC that have been able to put out the same song 400 times and still keep it sounding fresh and exciting.


No clue, but I don't mind a band performing "unique" stuff like that in a live setting.  As long as it's primarily good songs, a few "out there" songs don't hurt a concert too much.


Just plain good is a very accurate description of how I'd describe the music too.

I disagree.  I don't see anything original in Madagascar or The Blues.  They're ballads that sound like they came out of the UYI reject sessions.  

Well, I can see how The Blues is reminiscent of UYI, but reject sessions?  Okay, maybe you don't like the song, but I think it holds up just fine to any of the great UYI epic songs (Estranged, Novemeber Rain, Breakdown, Locomotive, maybe not Coma) but it's a bit more concise.

Madagascar doesn't sound like anything from UYI.  Lyrically, I can't see Axl writing anything like that in that period, and none of the music from the UYI days sounds similar to Madagascar.

Anyway, musically speaking, I can find no fault in Set Me Free, Slither, CD, The Blues, or Chinese Democracy.  They're all well made songs.  The only thing I can rate them on is how original and fresh they sound to me, as well as the emotional intensity.

Having listened to Slither almost non-stop the last few days  and now I absolutely love the song, I've noticed a few comparisons.

Does anyone esle think there are parts in Slither that sound slightly similar to GN'R's Oh My God?
I think the intro of Slither along with the slow build up part before Slash's solo sounds similar to parts in Oh My God.

Does anyone else notice this?

Reject sessions was a bit harsh on my part.  I actually think The Blues and Madagascar are good songs, with potential to be better.  I'll reserve judgement until I hear the studio versions--but for now, they don't stand up to the UYI balads like November Rain and Don't Cry.


I think Madagascar would fit right in on UYI.  The synth is a bit different, but Axl's vocal melodies (in particular where he holds the "Ahhhhhs") are very reminiscent of various UYI tracks.  

The lyrics are different, but Axl was all over the board, lyrically, on UYI1&2.  As far as I can tell, Maddy is about Axl's isolation from certain things (or people).  That isn't exactly a new theme for him...

Well, to be honest, just from the bootlegs, I really think they do.  I don't know, it obviously comes down to opinion to a certain degree.  I am a relatively new Gn'R fan, and the old songs don't hold any more special place in my heart than any of the new songs do, but I just don't see why The Blues isn't as good as November Rain or Don't Cry.   I actually am not the biggest fan of November Rain (that's a whole other discussion, but quick summary: I love the piano and melody, I love "everybody needs somebody" part of the song, but I can't stand the guitar solos in the middle of the song)


Well, obviously the vocal melodies are going to be reminiscent, but the actual lyrics?  Madagascar is about breaking free and persevering and forgiveness.    To say it's about isolation is missing the whole point of the song, I think.

--

Anyway, my point about Slither is that it's not that different from Set Me Free, which wasn't that different from most of the modern hard rock out there..   I don't really have anything else to add in this regard beyond what I've already said, and if you want to debate the merits of the new Gn'R songs, I believe there are already topics for this in the Gn'R section of the board.  Sorry, I don't mean to be a little bitch, I just figured I'd save jarmo the trouble of telling us to get back on topic.

you can't stand the guitar solos in NR ? No more questions here. :rofl:

Nope, and it's not that I don't think the solos aren't good, I just think they disrupt the flow the song.  I just want to hear the song get back to the piano parts.

Anyway, I'm glad you're able to make up your mind on this kind of stuff based on such little things.  No more questions here, either.  : ok:

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That's all I can really say.


You don't like the guitar solos in November Rain?!?!


Maybe you might be more at home at a...I dunno....Westlife board or something...

Yeah, yeah, I'll take shit for having an unpopular opinion.  :)

Like I said, it's a great solo, but it just doesn't fit in the song for me.  I don't find November Rain to be the absolute perfection so many other people do, or the absolute perfection I find in other Gn'R songs.

Btw, I have no idea who Westlife is, so that insult has no meaning to me.   Gn'R is the only band I've ever had enough interest in to actually post on a message board and become involved with the community.

Each to their own I guess, but coming to GN'R board and saying you don't like the solos in NR is like a public execution! hehe

Part of what made GN'R so great is Slash's guitar playing, but if you dont like it I guess you dont have much basis to judge a song by a new band featuring predominantly Slash's guitar playing... :confused:

Well, agreed on the public execution part.  ;D

I think you're reading too much into what I'm saying.  I love Slash's guitar playing.  I just don't like the solo in November Rain, that's it.  My understanding is that Axl basically spelled out what he wanted from Slash for the solo, and that's how it comes across to me.  I think I would have liked it more if Slash did his own thing, but who knows.

Fair enough, but it doesn't sound that way to me. Just sounds like the beautiful melodic solos that Slash has always played.

Listen to the solo in You Got No Right, its sounds just like the solos in NR, and Axl wasn't involved with that song.

First of all, it's definitely a "Slash solo", as far as it sounding like him, which I didn't mean to suggest otherwise.  However, to me, the feel of the NR solo is just an extension of the feel of the whole song, without any sort of "edge" to it.  Slash solos are usually kinda epic or just blazingly rockin', but there's usually a conflict with the main piece of music that makes it a lot more interesting, and it's quite obvious that more than one musician worked on the song because of it.

I just get so bored listening to the NR solo's; there's nothing surprising about them.  One solo I could forgive, but the second one is so unnecessary.  I think the second part of the song "everybody needs somebody" would sound even cooler if the electric guitar wasn't prominent up until that point either.

I haven't heard a good copy of You Got No Right, and could barely hear the solo.  I just really like the overall feel of that song, I'm waiting for the studio version to make my final opinion.

I think Slash's guitar work sounds great on Slither, because it doesn't quite fit perfectly with the feel of the the song, which is very slick and produced sounding.  It's by far my favorite part of the song.

since this thread started off discussing slither!!
here my .02$
i think its an awesome song....an absolute rocker
despite the fact that we havent heard a great quality version of it ...its still great
most of the reviews here are unnecesarily critical
for one ...this song's  sposed to have a menacing bass line...and the bass on this radio rip is pretty faint
ths slash solo is incredible...i mean hes back babbbyyy!!!
matt's drumming is really good as well
though i don like the "hey's " of scott on this song...i guess thats owing to the fact this is a radio rip and they are not prominent enough
aside from that this a great song from a great band!!!

and it doesnt make sense to compare it to maddy ot the blues...1. those are lyricallly-intense personal ballads
2. weve heard for a looong time now
3.they took a much looonger time to make
4. th guitar solos there suck!!

Great song....First time i heard the live vers i dident really like it because i dident like scotts live vocals...not really very loud of clear...But i really LOVE the studio version....Its a great rocker for sure.. : ok: : ok:
Scotts got an excellent studio voice as well..he can sing in lots of different ways...... : ok:
I hope they make a great clip to help promote the single and new Album........ :peace:

Alright, I have listened to the whole song two or three times now. Pretty good, much better than Set Me Free. I still don't really care for the tone of the guitar's on the main riffing of the song. However, Slash's solo is killer. .....ps Don't tell anybody, but now that Bucket is gone and my enthusiasm for the new band is lukewarm, I would love to hear Slash put a real solo on Chinese Democracy and the Blues. Those two songs are tailor made for his "slash and burn" style. A little more conventional solo on Rhiad and Maddy would be nice as well. ;)