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Re: Overall feelings on the CD era songs....
O.k. so my feelings are pretty much the same when it comes to all the leaks so I just wanted to sum it up in one thread rather than discussing individual songs.
there's obviously alot of ambition going on here and that's a good thing but I don't think it's stretch to think the ambition has been falsely manufatctured based on EVERYONE'S expectations and the pressure. For me there is WAY too much gooing on in all the CD era songs except Better(which I feel is far and away the best one). There is some amazing things happening musically in these songs but alot of the time its lost in the mess of production and unnessecary additions. For example too much of the drumming sounds artificial. Drum machines? When the guys(whoever it is) kick into some killer guitar solo they're far too often accompanied by some synthesizer orchestra and it takes way from the Gn'Rness of it all. Again trying too hard to be epic when a kickass solo is all the epic you need. Imagine the solo in SCOM being accompanied by some orchestra the way the outro solo in TWAT is? Makes you wanna puke doesn't it. There's nothing organic to these songs. For me they're trying too hard.
Axl voice: now this is a sensitive issue for most so I'll try and be as nice as possible. Obvioulsy I've voiced my opinions on his live voice so hopefully I can be objective in this. Here it goes. Axl's voice alot of the times sounds produced. Yes there's always been an amazing amount of production when it comes to Axl's studio voice but on the past albums I never sat there thinking "wow they've had to tinker with this alot to get to this point". At times he sounds great even awesome but at others he sounds God awful and even worse soudns liek an Axl impersonator. Then there are the times when ambition musically gets in the way of his voice and he becomes barely audible. Bad mixing. Chalk it up to these being demos? It's getting hard to think that. I'll be the asshole to ask it first(I'll get crucified but whatever). Is Axl the weak link in this thing? Vocally and with over ambition?
In the past Axl had great melodies which he carried throughout the song. In the CD era songs Axl has some killer melodies but unfortunately he himself lets them down at various points throughout the songs only to bring it back again and then lose it all over again. Does anyone else notice this? I just find at times when the melody should go "high" he brings it "low". When it should go "right" he goes "left" It's an annoying style in my opinion and it reminds me of Billy Corgen(who's ruined many of his own songs this way in my opinion)
Overall these songs are good and even great to some of us(not me) but they aren't the stuff that makes up a classic album or even a really great album. I don't hear one classic song. I don't hear anything that 20 years from now will be rockin on a jukebox in some dive pub. Maybe that's asking, wanting and expecting too much though. Something I've been thinking about lately too. Does anyone else ever think the reason we like these songs is cause they are representing a time in our lives that we've all waited for. Regardless of the quality of the songs would we not like them anyways based on the experience? I think alot of it has to do with that. I mean CD is a cool song but it's not great but when I hear it I get chills and in some weird way I feel like it's my song as are all the demos cause who do I really share the experience with? Names on a monitor. You guys. No offence 
But nobody else knows these songs so for me it's my songs in a time in MY life that nobody else can share with me. they could be my own personal soundtrack and I think that contributes alot to the appeal whether it's a conscious thing or subconscious thing. Make sense? Is it heresy to suggest that our appreciation for these songs has been manufactured rather than genuine? I mean I hate coldslaw but if I hadn't ate in a few weeks Coldslaw would taste pretty fucking good and there's a good chance I'd have an entirely new appreciation for that salad
To sum up(I could've made this post in one or two sentence ): I think there's too much going on in all CD era songs and ambition/production is simply getting in the way of the songs. There's flashes of greatness, flashes of crap, flashes of forgetableness, flashes of pure genius and flashes of "I have no idea what we're doing". for me it's not enough. hopefully for others it is.
for the record of the newest leaks today I like #2 the best. Better is still the best in my opinion followed by Madagascar.
Re: Overall feelings on the CD era songs....
A friend of mine saidn "too much going on" after hearing Madagascar for the 1st time quite a while ago, so you pretty much hit the nail there.
Like I siad in the chat, Gn'R (Axl) needs to realize that this version of GnR is a Prog Rock band and isn't going to set the world on fire with any of this. People who like it will buy it, and they'll get the added sales out of curiosity/nostalgia.
I think the songs are good, and Chinese Democracy comes out and I'll be there on the first day, but... It's just a rock record. That's all it can be.
Re: Overall feelings on the CD era songs....
I agree that the CD sessions were a mess. In the 2000-04 era, its almost like a case of too much talent and not knowing what to do with it. So many people(and instruments) have to be placed in the song, and then you add in Axl's hard on for orchestra, a real flow never develops in the songs.
Then time has to be factored in. The album has been worked on different times, and from what is known, extremely long periods of inactivity. I don't think there's ever been an album recorded like this.
While I like a majority of all the CD songs, its bloated to the gills and just sounds forced.
I cant even begin to imagine what an 07/08(or later) version of this album is gonna sound like.
Re: Overall feelings on the CD era songs....
I think it would have been a great solo record. For all we know, it may end up that way.:ummm:
I hate to say it, but I agree. There's too many hands in this cookie jar for it to be considered GNR.
There was never a stable lineup for a sustainable amount of time.
Re: Overall feelings on the CD era songs....
madagas wrote:I think it would have been a great solo record. For all we know, it may end up that way.:ummm:
I hate to say it, but I agree. There's too many hands in this cookie jar for it to be considered GNR.
There was never a stable lineup for a sustainable amount of time.
very true. Would it not be a sign of true arrogance if this is released as a Gn'R record knowing how many people have been involved. In a way it's either saying Axl truely belives he and he alone is Gn'R or that he thinks anyone can be a member of Gn'R. Either way he ruins what it was to be Guns N' Roses. The lid has been popped now on an old issue but is it now officially time for Axl to drop the Gn'R name from this project?
Re: Overall feelings on the CD era songs....
. The lid has been popped now on an old issue but is it now officially time for Axl to drop the Gn'R name from this project?
I think this is a question likely to come up soon, maybe even in the mainstream media now that this leak is already getting attention.
At some point, someone is gonna say, "Buckethead, Brain, Paul Huge, Robin Finck, and others are on these songs. Now you already have replacements. How is this GNR?
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Re: Overall feelings on the CD era songs....
I think this material stands up to UYI, is a very worthy edition to the GN'R catalogue. I do sometimes tire of it though, it doesn't seem to have the staying power that all the layering should create. What I really feel CD is meant to be, is like a firmly rock ridden version of NIN's The Fragile. Because of the layering, complexity, and grand production value... but it's not. I often think mixing NIN with Guns would create amazing material. Throwing in Axl and guitar solos to The Fragile like orchestral and acoustic music backdrops, you'd think, would create mindblowing pieces. But for every If The World, there's a Madagascar, which just doesn't get there.
It's not the greatest thing ever.
It's pretty damn great though.
Re: Overall feelings on the CD era songs....
I think this material stands up to UYI, is a very worthy edition to the GN'R catalogue. I do sometimes tire of it though, it doesn't seem to have the staying power that all the layering should create. What I really feel CD is meant to be, is like a firmly rock ridden version of NIN's The Fragile. Because of the layering, complexity, and grand production value... but it's not. I often think mixing NIN with Guns would create amazing material. Throwing in Axl and guitar solos to The Fragile like orchestral and acoustic music backdrops, you'd think, would create mindblowing pieces. But for every If The World, there's a Madagascar, which just doesn't get there.
It's not the greatest thing ever.
It's pretty damn great though.
It's weird how wide ranging the opinions are when it comes to the new material. I'm more of the opinion that for every Madagascar(2nd best CD song in my opinion) there's an If the World that doesn't quite get there. The most truthful thing that Axl ever said just might be when he suggested there will be stuff some people love, stuff that some people hate but there will be something for everyone.
