Hard Skool IS OUT!

[thomas]

if you are saying Absurd is a leak no it not a leak it was officially release by the band just like hard school was

No, I was referring to the fact that a version of Hard Skool had leaked out awhile back, and I actively avoided listening to in that form.

I know Absurd was an official release.  I liked that too.  I do think Hard Skool is a little closer to what the casual fans would consider GnR.

hard school sound like an old classic gnr song from the 80's or 90's

[kyrie]

if you are saying Absurd is a leak no it not a leak it was officially release by the band just like hard school was

No, I was referring to the fact that a version of Hard Skool had leaked out awhile back, and I actively avoided listening to in that form.

I know Absurd was an official release.  I liked that too.  I do think Hard Skool is a little closer to what the casual fans would consider GnR.

hard school sound like an old classic gnr song from the 80's or 90's

It definitely fits in with some of the Illusions stuff. Perfect Crime, etc. Different enough to show growth but fits in a way Absurd doesn't

[Spirit]

Not the release date.

I didn't say the release date. I said this album has not even been announced at all. No official acknowledgement it even exists yet.

Announcement was 1 month before the release.

Also, define acknowledgement... Here's what you said yourself:

Slash said in January of 2020 that they were basically done with it and figuring out how to release it. Fernando said in some message board that it was targeted to release in March 2020 but then the pandemic hit.

Isn't that acknowledgement?

[D]

WTF does it even mean to recycle an old song? If the song hasn't been finished and released it isn't old....
if people spoiled it cause you listened to some parasitic jackass leaking it, that's not Axl's fault.

[KillYourIdols]

Live version here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bD851YtIFw Not so great IMO, Axl sounds awful.

I think the song is just OK. Doesn't really have a lot going on...sounds like a b-side from years ago. It's better than the demo/leaked version, kind of bummed they kept the same vocals. But honestly, not so sure Axl can sing anymore--his live falsetto sounds awful and doesn't work for me.

I was pretty pumped when they got back together but seeing them turn into a bloated touring mess again is kind of a bummer. Was hoping for some good, inspired new music from them...maybe getting re-energized when they got back together, rediscovered the feeling of the old times. Not sure that's happened, and not sure what adversity 3 ~60 year old multi-millionaires have to write about anymore. If they put out an album I'll buy it...hell, maybe I'll even like it, but I'm not holding my breath.

It's really too fucking bad these people squandered their best years together because of ego. They could have been the next Stones...now we get "Hard Skool" after like 15 years and everyone acts like it's the second coming.

I know this won't be a popular opinion, but man...hard for me not to be cynical about GNR.

[shaundix]

Live version here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bD851YtIFw Not so great IMO, Axl sounds awful.

I think the song is just OK. Doesn't really have a lot going on...sounds like a b-side from years ago. It's better than the demo/leaked version, kind of bummed they kept the same vocals. But honestly, not so sure Axl can sing anymore--his live falsetto sounds awful and doesn't work for me.

I was pretty pumped when they got back together but seeing them turn into a bloated touring mess again is kind of a bummer. Was hoping for some good, inspired new music from them...maybe getting re-energized when they got back together, rediscovered the feeling of the old times. Not sure that's happened, and not sure what adversity 3 ~60 year old multi-millionaires have to write about anymore. If they put out an album I'll buy it...hell, maybe I'll even like it, but I'm not holding my breath.

It's really too fucking bad these people squandered their best years together because of ego. They could have been the next Stones...now we get "Hard Skool" after like 15 years and everyone acts like it's the second coming.

I know this won't be a popular opinion, but man...hard for me not to be cynical about GNR.

This is one of the most accurate posts I've ever read on this forum.

[otgm]

This is a good tune, much better than Absurd. But I can't be the only one hoping for fresh new material and not old songs re-recorded with Slash & Duff? Don't get me wrong, as a GNR fan I certainly feel that it's good to have ANYTHING but this whole comeback still feels a bit underwhelming without fresh new material.

And let me get this straight: I don't think GNR owes anything to fans or anyone, so that's not my complaint here. But this rehashing of old material doesn't feel much more than an easy cash in.

[C0ma]

WTF does it even mean to recycle an old song? If the song hasn't been finished and released it isn't old....
if people spoiled it cause you listened to some parasitic jackass leaking it, that's not Axl's fault.

This and what Pilferk said are the problems with the leaks. Can you imagine sitting back and saying "I can't believe they put those recycled BSide songs Don't Cry and November Rain on UYI??? I heard them when Rick sent out leaked demo cassettes via self addressed stamped envelope, those got left off Appetite for a reason!!"

[KillYourIdols]

WTF does it even mean to recycle an old song? If the song hasn't been finished and released it isn't old....
if people spoiled it cause you listened to some parasitic jackass leaking it, that's not Axl's fault.

This and what Pilferk said are the problems with the leaks. Can you imagine sitting back and saying "I can't believe they put those recycled BSide songs Don't Cry and November Rain on UYI??? I heard them when Rick sent out leaked demo cassettes via self addressed stamped envelope, those got left off Appetite for a reason!!"

I can only speak for myself...

I'm not so much disappointed that they worked an old "vault" song, so much as....that's the best they can do?? I would hope for and want a new song (or album) of original material that has a spark of new inspiration, something that re-captures some of that old magic they used to have. And, frankly, "Hard Skool" is not that song. None of them as individuals have come close to recapturing the magic that they all had when they were Guns N' fuckin' Roses--not Axl and CD, not Slash and Snakepit or Velvet, same with Duff.  It sounds exactly like what it is...a cast of relic from an earlier era, something lazy that Duff could add 3 second bass intro to and Slash could noodle some in the middle. Axl didn't even deign to re-record his vocals. The mixing sucks, the recording sounds like shit...it still sounds like a demo. There's a reason why this song didn't make the cut for CD...it's not very good.

"Hard Skool" is nowhere near the same ballpark as Don't Cry or November Rain, so I dunno why you made that comparison other than yes, DC and NR were started during the Appetite sessions. 


I understanding working old vault songs is totally a normal thing for artists and musicians to do--it just bums me out that they don't/can't/won't seem to write new music together.

This isn't a good song ya'll...you've just been wandering thirsty in the desert for 15 years and think this piss is water. I know this isn't a popular opinion around here...I just had much higher hopes in 2016 whenever they got back together.

[requiem156]

Man GNR fans are the worst. It’s like some of you actually hate the band and just need to air those opinions.

Personally I think it sounds great. Very happy to have it out there.

[reayj2003]

Man GNR fans are the worst. It’s like some of you actually hate the band and just need to air those opinions.

Personally I think it sounds great. Very happy to have it out there.

They are not. The nerds who spend their time posting their negativity all over the internet are the minority. The real fans are at the shows and listening to their favourite band.

[Ali]

Live version here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bD851YtIFw Not so great IMO, Axl sounds awful.

I think the song is just OK. Doesn't really have a lot going on...sounds like a b-side from years ago. It's better than the demo/leaked version, kind of bummed they kept the same vocals. But honestly, not so sure Axl can sing anymore--his live falsetto sounds awful and doesn't work for me.

I was pretty pumped when they got back together but seeing them turn into a bloated touring mess again is kind of a bummer. Was hoping for some good, inspired new music from them...maybe getting re-energized when they got back together, rediscovered the feeling of the old times. Not sure that's happened, and not sure what adversity 3 ~60 year old multi-millionaires have to write about anymore. If they put out an album I'll buy it...hell, maybe I'll even like it, but I'm not holding my breath.

It's really too fucking bad these people squandered their best years together because of ego. They could have been the next Stones...now we get "Hard Skool" after like 15 years and everyone acts like it's the second coming.

I know this won't be a popular opinion, but man...hard for me not to be cynical about GNR.

This is one of the most accurate posts I've ever read on this forum.

OK, see you.

Appa Ali

[C0ma]

This and what Pilferk said are the problems with the leaks. Can you imagine sitting back and saying "I can't believe they put those recycled BSide songs Don't Cry and November Rain on UYI??? I heard them when Rick sent out leaked demo cassettes via self addressed stamped envelope, those got left off Appetite for a reason!!"

I can only speak for myself...

I'm not so much disappointed that they worked an old "vault" song, so much as....that's the best they can do?? I would hope for and want a new song (or album) of original material that has a spark of new inspiration, something that re-captures some of that old magic they used to have. And, frankly, "Hard Skool" is not that song. None of them as individuals have come close to recapturing the magic that they all had when they were Guns N' fuckin' Roses--not Axl and CD, not Slash and Snakepit or Velvet, same with Duff.  It sounds exactly like what it is...a cast of relic from an earlier era, something lazy that Duff could add 3 second bass intro to and Slash could noodle some in the middle. Axl didn't even deign to re-record his vocals. The mixing sucks, the recording sounds like shit...it still sounds like a demo. There's a reason why this song didn't make the cut for CD...it's not very good.

"Hard Skool" is nowhere near the same ballpark as Don't Cry or November Rain, so I dunno why you made that comparison other than yes, DC and NR were started during the Appetite sessions. 


I understanding working old vault songs is totally a normal thing for artists and musicians to do--it just bums me out that they don't/can't/won't seem to write new music together.

This isn't a good song ya'll...you've just been wandering thirsty in the desert for 15 years and think this piss is water. I know this isn't a popular opinion around here...I just had much higher hopes in 2016 whenever they got back together.

Obviously this isn't on par with NR and DC, I'm just using the example of music that was floating around at bootleg record stores back in the day that was from or even before Appetite.

As far as writing new music together... I still don't discount that the beginnings of this song could be from the 1994-1996 time frame starting as "ideas" they had. I still find it way to coincidental that Duff was on Howard Stern in 1996 saying he was supposed to return to LA to record a song for a Jackie Chan movie, and then several years later a song previously known as Checkmate gets confirmed by Axl as having a 'working title' of Jackie Chan. They all worked on more than just Sympathy... There was time to get Slash to work with Paul, there was a Zach feeling out process...

As far as not making CD... there could be a variety of reasons why it didn't. One of them could be that it never got to where Axl thought it needed to be based on who worked on it in the 1999-2008 time frame. The lyrics seem to directly relate to trying to keep the old lineup together, so maybe the "cold" sound of the CD lineup couldn't get it to where Axl wanted. While I do agree that this thing isn't exactly a masterpiece, so you really think Scraped, Sorry, Shackler are world beaters??? There is plenty of crap on CD... there are some great songs, but the vast majority of it is bloated unfeeling garbage. Would this have been worse than half of that album, I don't believe so.

NOW the live performance was crap, and maybe part of the reason that both Hard Skool and Absurd used the original demo vocals was because they don't think they are going to get better out of Axl? The few versions I've heard from last night are some of the roughest vocals I've heard from him in a while. That falsetto just doesn't work. They need to potentially consider dialing back the number of dates, spreading them out, and then seriously analyzing if they want to record new music... if not, then he needs to just abuse his voice like he did in the 80's and 90's because "saving his instrument Axl" can't sing GnR songs. I don't want to hear the in ears thing... Here is where the "no one else is Guns N Roses" people come to answer this question... Why doesn't any other band seem to have the technical difficulties that this band (specifically Axl) has? Every time he sounds like shit, which is more and more common, all you hear is the million things that seem to go wrong only in the circle of this band... Metallica sounds like the record 30+ years later every night they perform, Same with Foo Fighters, and on and on.

I believe part of the reason we aren't getting truly new music, is because they can't record it. Even go back to the Trunk interview in 2006 when he was on with Sebastian... Sebastian was absolutely bashing Pro Tools, and Axl had to jump in and try to defend it because even then he needed it to fix his vocals. I don't think that is anything Slash or Duff are interested in working with after all, Slash's recent stuff is still being recorded analog.

I also have stood by my thought that Axl sounded better in 2016 with AC/DC because he was singing in front of a wall of music and not that in ear/iso cab silent stage stuff where he can only hear what is being mixed and sent to his ears, he doesn't need the power so sing over that music.

[requiem156]

Gotta love the people that decided they’re experts in live and studio music production. Great addition to the conversation.  

[C0ma]

Gotta love the people that decided they’re experts in live and studio music production. Great addition to the conversation.  

As was your comment a great addition... not sure what a message board is for if not to discuss topics. Didn't realize I signed up in the late 90's for a membership to an ongoing digital ball washing of everything Axl does.

Not sure why every one thinks being a fan of a band means that you can't be disappointed in something and share that opinion with other opinionated fans of the same band.

I like the song unlike the other poster above (which is his right), but the first live performance was rough vocally, is that why they used a vocal track from 1999? Who knows, but what else is a message board for if you can't discuss it?

If you just count the most recent launch of the message board by Jarmo in 2002, I've been on here for 6907 days. By your logic should I have just come here daily like a workplace injury tracker and said "6907 days of Axl being awesome!"

[requiem156]

Gotta love the people that decided they’re experts in live and studio music production. Great addition to the conversation.  

As was your comment a great addition... not sure what a message board is for if not to discuss topics. Didn't realize I signed up in the late 90's for a membership to an ongoing digital ball washing of everything Axl does.

Not sure why every one thinks being a fan of a band means that you can't be disappointed in something and share that opinion with other opinionated fans of the same band.

I like the song unlike the other poster above (which is his right), but the first live performance was rough vocally, is that why they used a vocal track from 1999? Who knows, but what else is a message board for if you can't discuss it?

If you just count the most recent launch of the message board by Jarmo in 2002, I've been on here for 6907 days. By your logic should I have just come here daily like a workplace injury tracker and said "6907 days of Axl being awesome!"

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I’m just surprised by the amount of time people spend talking about things they don’t like, instead of things that they do like. But yeah, spend your energy the way that seems constructive to you.

[Ali]

Gotta love the people that decided they’re experts in live and studio music production. Great addition to the conversation.  

As was your comment a great addition... not sure what a message board is for if not to discuss topics. Didn't realize I signed up in the late 90's for a membership to an ongoing digital ball washing of everything Axl does.

Not sure why every one thinks being a fan of a band means that you can't be disappointed in something and share that opinion with other opinionated fans of the same band.

I like the song unlike the other poster above (which is his right), but the first live performance was rough vocally, is that why they used a vocal track from 1999? Who knows, but what else is a message board for if you can't discuss it?

If you just count the most recent launch of the message board by Jarmo in 2002, I've been on here for 6907 days. By your logic should I have just come here daily like a workplace injury tracker and said "6907 days of Axl being awesome!"

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I’m just surprised by the amount of time people spend talking about things they don’t like, instead of things that they do like. But yeah, spend your energy the way that seems constructive to you.

Agreed. The whining is strong with this one.

Ali

[Executioner]

WTF does it even mean to recycle an old song? If the song hasn't been finished and released it isn't old....
if people spoiled it cause you listened to some parasitic jackass leaking it, that's not Axl's fault.

Totally agree I hadn't heard either song or any other leaks  before so for me they are new songs and hopefully it will lead to more new music getting released in the not to distant future I hope they release more EPs or even an album  next year but it's impossible to know what the band's intentions are as they don't reveal too much to the media.

[KillYourIdols]

Obviously this isn't on par with NR and DC, I'm just using the example of music that was floating around at bootleg record stores back in the day that was from or even before Appetite.

Ok, well it was a bad example because NR and DC were/are good songs. HS is not a good song. If HS sounded like DC or NR there wouldn't be an issue. It's not a revelation or anything that musicians work on/off music for years sometimes.

As far as writing new music together... I still don't discount that the beginnings of this song could be from the 1994-1996 time frame starting as "ideas" they had. I still find it way to coincidental that Duff was on Howard Stern in 1996 saying he was supposed to return to LA to record a song for a Jackie Chan movie, and then several years later a song previously known as Checkmate gets confirmed by Axl as having a 'working title' of Jackie Chan. They all worked on more than just Sympathy... There was time to get Slash to work with Paul, there was a Zach feeling out process...

Yeah, I've heard the same thing. That doesn't change anything really. I was hoping for the 3 of them to get together and write some new, awesome songs, hopefully re-capturing some of that feeling that exists only when the 3 of them make music. I don't think that has happened or will happen. I will happily be proven wrong if they release something awesome. I'll be first in line to buy.

But HS is just lazy...

As far as not making CD... there could be a variety of reasons why it didn't. One of them could be that it never got to where Axl thought it needed to be based on who worked on it in the 1999-2008 time frame. The lyrics seem to directly relate to trying to keep the old lineup together, so maybe the "cold" sound of the CD lineup couldn't get it to where Axl wanted. While I do agree that this thing isn't exactly a masterpiece, so you really think Scraped, Sorry, Shackler are world beaters??? There is plenty of crap on CD... there are some great songs, but the vast majority of it is bloated unfeeling garbage. Would this have been worse than half of that album, I don't believe so.

Again, I don't know what you think you are arguing. All you did was write a long paragraph about how HS isn't a very good song and wasn't good enough to be on CD (for whatever reason you speculated)...which was my point. So...thanks for agreeing with me??? I honestly don't know what point you were trying to make here.

I never said Scraped, Sorry, et/all were "world beaters" or anything close to that. You seem to be extrapolating and assuming a lot of information based on one sentence. BUT, I will say I would rather listen to any of those CD songs than HS. Even marginally better is better.

Gotta love the people that decided they’re experts in live and studio music production. Great addition to the conversation.

Lol, didn't know that was required to comment on a new GNR song. Sorry you don't like my opinion.

I don't need to be an expert in music production to hear that Axl sounds horrible live (especially on HS) and the production on HS single ins't great. I have ears.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I’m just surprised by the amount of time people spend talking about things they don’t like, instead of things that they do like. But yeah, spend your energy the way that seems constructive to you.

I mean, what are you doing right now, committing energy to a thread you don't like instead of one you do. Hypocrite.

[Ali]

Obviously this isn't on par with NR and DC, I'm just using the example of music that was floating around at bootleg record stores back in the day that was from or even before Appetite.

Ok, well it was a bad example because NR and DC were/are good songs. HS is not a good song. If HS sounded like DC or NR there wouldn't be an issue. It's not a revelation or anything that musicians work on/off music for years sometimes.

As far as writing new music together... I still don't discount that the beginnings of this song could be from the 1994-1996 time frame starting as "ideas" they had. I still find it way to coincidental that Duff was on Howard Stern in 1996 saying he was supposed to return to LA to record a song for a Jackie Chan movie, and then several years later a song previously known as Checkmate gets confirmed by Axl as having a 'working title' of Jackie Chan. They all worked on more than just Sympathy... There was time to get Slash to work with Paul, there was a Zach feeling out process...

Yeah, I've heard the same thing. That doesn't change anything really. I was hoping for the 3 of them to get together and write some new, awesome songs, hopefully re-capturing some of that feeling that exists only when the 3 of them make music. I don't think that has happened or will happen. I will happily be proven wrong if they release something awesome. I'll be first in line to buy.

But HS is just lazy...

As far as not making CD... there could be a variety of reasons why it didn't. One of them could be that it never got to where Axl thought it needed to be based on who worked on it in the 1999-2008 time frame. The lyrics seem to directly relate to trying to keep the old lineup together, so maybe the "cold" sound of the CD lineup couldn't get it to where Axl wanted. While I do agree that this thing isn't exactly a masterpiece, so you really think Scraped, Sorry, Shackler are world beaters??? There is plenty of crap on CD... there are some great songs, but the vast majority of it is bloated unfeeling garbage. Would this have been worse than half of that album, I don't believe so.

Again, I don't know what you think you are arguing. All you did was write a long paragraph about how HS isn't a very good song and wasn't good enough to be on CD (for whatever reason you speculated)...which was my point. So...thanks for agreeing with me??? I honestly don't know what point you were trying to make here.

I never said Scraped, Sorry, et/all were "world beaters" or anything close to that. You seem to be extrapolating and assuming a lot of information based on one sentence. BUT, I will say I would rather listen to any of those CD songs than HS. Even marginally better is better.

Gotta love the people that decided they’re experts in live and studio music production. Great addition to the conversation.

Lol, didn't know that was required to comment on a new GNR song. Sorry you don't like my opinion.

I don't need to be an expert in music production to hear that Axl sounds horrible live (especially on HS) and the production on HS single ins't great. I have ears.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I’m just surprised by the amount of time people spend talking about things they don’t like, instead of things that they do like. But yeah, spend your energy the way that seems constructive to you.

I mean, what are you doing right now, committing energy to a thread you don't like instead of one you do. Hypocrite.

Why the fuck are you here then? Just to bitch and complain? Are you just blowing off steam and the band is your target?

If you are no longer a fan, that is fine. But, some of us here still are, and your trolling is self-service. Nothing more.

On another note, Shadow of Your Love sounded great. He did a great job with that.

OK, see you.

Ali