The band that once took 15 years to release a new album hasn’t been doing too shabby of late with new releases. “Perhaps” we should say new/old releases (see what I did there?) because all four of the new songs released by Guns N’ Roses since Chinese Democracy have been re-worked outtakes from that era. Since Duff McKagan and Slash have returned to Guns, we’ve had four new tracks: “ABSUЯD” & “Hard Skool” were released on a previous single, and now we have “Perhaps” and “The General” to go with them.
The “G” side of this new single contains “Perhaps”, which is immediately reminiscent of Use Your Illusion era Guns, via the prominent piano line. Of any song released since, “Perhaps” sounds the most like a song that would have come out on a new GN’R album in 1995. Slash’s guitar solo sounds perfectly vintage, but it’s Dizzy Reed on piano, whose flourishes recall “November Rain”, that brings it all back to the glory days. “Perhaps” wouldn’t have been a big hit in the 90s, but it certainly would have been a solid album cut.
On the “R” side is “The General”, a song we’ve heard whispers about from those in Axl’s inner circle. This track is the most disappointing, without any notable hooks. It sounds more of the Chinese Democracy era, and is purely B-side material. It has a haunting quality that might come from Axl’s love of Alice Cooper, but it’s anything but memorable and the technical flourishes don’t do it any favours, except to obscure the lack of catchy melody or riff.
One good song, one throwaway. That makes the score pretty clear.
The 90s were a weird time. For all intents and purposes, one of the biggest bands in the world was gone: Guns N’ Roses. We had to settle for solo albums from Duff, Slash, Gilby and Izzy.
Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan teamed up with Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols, and John Taylor from Duran Duran, to form the punky supergroup Neurotic Outsiders. They made one album. One and done! But what an album it was. We’ll be discussing all this and more tonight on Grant’s Rock Warehaus!
It’s very easy to be cynical about any new Ozzy album since about Down To Earth and onwards. Corporate constructions. Special guest writers and performers. “Here Ozzy, sing these new songs we wrote for you.” Prior to that, it felt like Ozzy had a band, and that band took different directions on each album. Now Ozzy has Andrew Watt and a slate of big-namers. It’s been this way a while. This time the difference is, the process resulted in a pretty decent album. Sure it’s still Watt at the helm, with special guests in big letters on the back cover and front stick. Jeff Beck! Eric Clapton! Tony Iommi! Zakk Wylde! Of course without a real band, you don’t get that cohesive band sound, but what you do get ain’t bad indeed.
Each track (except for “Darkside Blues” which is either a new version or a new mix of the Japanese bonus track from Ordinary Man) has credits by Andrew Watt and professional songsmith Ali Tamposi. She’s more known for Kelly Clarkson, Nickelback, and a slew of Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus hits. She also co-wrote most of Ordinary Man so there’s a formula at work here. Other co-writers include Ryan Tedder, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, Robert Trujillo, Tony Iommi, Chris Chaney, and the late great Taylor Hawkins.
Ozzy falls into his comic horror persona a bit too much. There was once a time when he was trying to shed that “crazy madman” image but he’s really leaned into it again for the last couple decades. As such the album opens with silly “insane asylum” sound effects that only delay us getting to the good stuff. The opening title track is over seven minutes long with that nonsense attached. It’s also one of the poorer of the new songs, overly formulaic and modern with robotic hooks. Jeff Beck’s unconventional and slippery solo work makes it worth a listen (Watt and Wylde play the rhythm and fills).
Things really get moving on track two, “Immortal” featuring Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Duff on bass. Good riffing and grooving going on here, and the first memorable chorus. The Hawkins co-penned “Parasite” is another grooving highlight, featuring the Foo Fighter on drums. The chorus is really solid and just moves like a ‘Vette on the highway. That’s Zakk on lead guitar, but he’s instantly recognizable. Former Ozzy bassist and currently Metallicer Rob Trujillo on bass.
What’s really amazing is that with the help of Tony Iommi, this hodge-podge of creators managed to write a seriously Sabbathy dirge called “No Escape From Now”. You’d swear it’s Geezer Butler on bass, but it’s not. It’s actually Watt. It’s as Sabbathy, if not more so, than most of the 13 album. It feels a bit “token”, like, “Oh hey Sabbath fans, here’s a song with the riffs and time changes that you like.” Yet it’s one of the songs you’ll keep returning to, and probably for those reasons. Of note, this is the only song without Andrew Watt on rhythm guitar. It’s all Tony and only Tony which is the reason it feels heavy as a bloody brick.
In a throwback to Ozzmosis, “One of Those Days” with Eric Clapton really sounds a bit like “I Just Want You”. Clapton really adds a touch of class. One could imagine that the chorus will upset certain people with it’s refrain of “I don’t believe in Jesus”, but it is one hell of a chorus – pun intended. Unfortunately the ballad that follows, “A Thousand Shades”, is a throwaway, aside from the brilliant Jeff Beck guitar solo. One of the Hawkins co-penned tracks called “Mr. Darkness” takes a minute to get going, seemingly a song about fan letters that Ozzy once received. It and the next two songs all feature Zakk Wylde on guitar. Dull verses, but awesome chorus, with an awesome Sabbathy change towards the end. The only dumb part is the silly ending where Ozzy speaks, “You don’t even know my name you asshole.” Just…no.
“Nothing Feels Right” is another ballad, very Ozzmosis-y. Decent song, good chorus, with all the production bells and whistles. It really smokes during the solo section. Another Sabbathy sounding riff emerges on “Evil Shuffle” and it really seems clear that Andrew Watt is trying to channel Geezer Butler’s bass playing on this album. Not that it’s a bad thing. Then it’s the much-hyped “Degradation Rules” with Tony Iommi, a song about masturbation, but not as good as the prior Iommi song. The main hook here is Ozzy’s harmonica playing, a great throwback to “The Wizard”.
“Dead and Gone” is a deep cut highlight, with a latter-day Priest-like groove and lots of Zakk Wylde chunk. An album highlight buried way in the back end. Finally, “God Only Knows” is the last proper song, but unfortunately sort of a last gasp rather than a late highlight. Kind of a ballad, with lush backing vocals, but not a “Road to Nowhere” kind of late album winner.
The outro music, “Darkside Blues”, appears to be a remix of the original version from Ordinary Man‘s Japanese release. You can compare the waveforms below. It’s a swampy track with more of Ozzy’s harmonica, just a coda to the album.
It’s pretty amazing at this stage of the game that Ozzy is still cranking out new music, but of course he has a huge support team behind him. This time, the team produced an album better than the last one by a pretty fair margin. They could have cut two tracks and made it a more engaging and concise listen. It’s always a balancing act between giving the listener added value, or a streamlined experience. A minor quibble at the end of the day.
GUNS N’ ROSES – Hard Skool (2022 Geffen 7″ Nightrain club clear vinyl EP)
Back in February, Guns N’ Roses released the Hard Skool EP (or single, or whatever!), containing the first two new Guns songs since 2008’s Chinese Democracy. With five tracks total (two studio, three live) over three separate formats (CD, cassette, 7″), it was already a pretty good listen. Axl’s voice has adapted to singing these demanding songs, 35 years after. But there was always the promise of more in June 2022, and now it has come.
Members of the Guns N’ Roses Nightrain club received a brand new Hard Skool release on clear vinyl, with one exclusive live track added. The cover art colour has been changed from red to dark charcoal grey, and a “Nightrain Limited-Edition Clear” notation has been added to the front. This wasn’t cheap, costing $60 Canadian ($45 US) dollars to join. There are other perks but really, the truth of the matter is I paid $60 for one song.
They had better not reissue this track!
The new exclusive song is “Shadow Of Your Love”, a recent live version recorded with Axl, Slash, Duff, Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer, and Melissa Reese. If you cast your minds back to the recent Appetite For Destruction super deluxe edition, “Shadow Of Your Love” was released as a single and it got a bit of airplay. Live with the new version of the band, it does recapture that Appetite vibe and let’s face it, the song was possibly superior to a couple tunes that did make the final album. You can hear Melissa on backing vocals, a touch that isn’t on early live versions of the song. That backing vocal part is present on the studio version from the third disc on the Appetite box, but not the others included. It’s cool that they’ve brought it back. This version is just as fast as the old ones too. It’s awesome to hear Frank Ferrer playing the drum part originally recorded by Steven Adler. As for Axl, he adapts. This is one of the most high and raspy of the original Guns repertoire. Axl delivers it smooth without the rasp and still manages to get his voice way, way up there. Say what you want about Axl Rose, he’s sounding better than many of his contemporaries. Of course the real treat is just hearing Slash wail on it, as he should.
As for the other songs on the single; we’ve discussed them before so we won’t spend much more time on them. “Hard Skool” is a Chinese Democracy outtake that has been reworked with Slash and Duff McKagan. The duo have writing credits on “Hard Skool” along with Axl Rose and former members Robin Finck, Josh Freese, Tommy Stinson and Paul “Huge” Tobias. Formerly known as “Jackie Chan”, this song comes closest to capturing the classic Guns vibe – think Illusions era GN’R. Slash imbues the riff with his trademark snakelike style, and Axl is in full-scream mode on the powerful chorus. The cowbell brings us back to the 80s a bit, but the experimental solo section is more modern. The other new/old song “ABSUЯD” is much more Chi-Dem, and more divisize. Formerly known as “Silkworms”, Guns started playing “ABSUЯD” live after a 20 year absence last year as a surprise. Axl’s voice is pretty strange here, sounding a bit muppet-ish. (The screaming portion sounds like tape.) This live track will take some getting used to. It’s not that Axl’s voice is bad just…different than what you’re used to.
Both vinyl releases came with a sticker. This fan club edition also comes with a Nightrain 2022 pin. The pin comes packaged in a little mini-folder. It is made of metal and heavy for a pin. Made for a jacket, not a shirt. For a higher tier, you could sign up for four pins and a hoodie. But I really only wanted to shell out for the exclusive track.
You can’t blame Axl for wanting to get some of these old songs out since he laboured for years over them. It’s fitting that only now with Slash and Duff back in the band, the songs are “finished”. Keep the releases coming guys. It doesn’t have to be an album. It just has to be Guns.
4/5 stars
All cautions made Every chance was given No effort spared to save what we had All in good faith I would not hesitate To extend myself and lend you my hand
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
As tempers fade And lies forgiven No cause embraced could break what we had In its place A storm is lifting I would’ve thought you could be more of a man
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
You had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
You had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
The first new physical music from Guns N’ Roses since 2008’s Chinese Democracy has finally arrived in the form of an EP! Good enough; we’ll take it. Beggars (and hangers-on) cannot be choosers. Considering how scarce new Guns music has been since the early 90s, the new Hard Skool EP almost feels like manna from the gods.
To the disappointment of some, the two new songs are slightly old: Chinese Democracy outtakes that have been reworked with Slash and Duff McKagan. The duo have writing credits on “Hard Skool” along with Axl Rose and former members Robin Finck, Josh Freese, Tommy Stinson and Paul “Huge” Tobias. Formerly known as “Jackie Chan”, this song comes closest to capturing the classic Guns vibe – think Illusions era GN’R. Slash imbues the riff with his trademark snakelike style, and Axl is in full-scream mode on the powerful chorus. The cowbell brings us back to the 80s a bit, but the experimental solo section is more modern.
The other new/old song “ABSUЯD” is much more Chi-Dem, and more divisize. Formerly known as “Silkworms”, it was largely enjoyed by those who knew it from live bootlegs but thought it should have been on the album. The keyboard intro has been axed, the riff emphasized and the lyrics slightly modified. The main hook “What can I do, with a bitch like you?” has been replaced with a refrain of “Absurd!” The words are otherwise just as angry. “Listen motherfuckers to the song that should be heard!” bellows Axl on the opening line. “Parasitic demons sucking acid through your heart!” I wonder who this was written about? Vocally, Axl’s in the faux accent he utilized on “Down on the Farm” and you’ll love it or hate it. Interestingly former keyboardist Chris Pitman, who was credited with songwriting on the original “Silkworms” version, no longer has a credit. It is now credited to Axl, Slash, Duff and Dizzy. Presumably the Pitman parts were chopped. At the time of its writing, Pitman said: “It ended up being this incredible track that sounded like Guns N’ Roses 10 or 15 years in the future. It was so far removed from our other songs that we had to put it in this other place. Concept-wise, it didn’t fit with Chinese Democracy. We hope we will have other songs that match that kind of futuristic sound. It’s a really exciting track because it morphs into this crazy sound, but it was out so much in the other direction that we have to let time catch up with it.” While that was true of “Silkworms”, the version known as “ABSUЯD” is more guitar-oriented.
The live songs commence with “Don’t Cry”. Slash and rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus sound great together on this, but Axl struggles when the singing gets high at the end. It’s a demanding song, and 1991 was a long time ago. “You’re Crazy” on the other hand is really good. Using the slower Lies arrangement, but played on electric, this version is like brand new. A real cool addition to your GN’R library.
The third live track is exclusive to the 7″ vinyl: “ABSUЯD”. Not only do we get new songs on this EP, but we already get one in a live version. Guns started playing “ABSUЯD” live in 2021 as a surprise before it was released on iTunes. Axl’s voice is pretty strange here, sounding a bit muppet-ish. (The screaming portion sounds like tape.) This live track will take some getting used to. It’s not that Axl’s voice is bad just…different than what you’re used to.
The 7″ vinyl came with a sticker while the cassette and CD versions come with no extras. The CD is packed in a slipcase, and the cassette in a cassingle cardboard sleeve. This got crushed a bit in the mail; a jewel case would have been better.
The cover artwork includes an interesting visual clue. On a school locker door, the classic Guns N’ Roses logo is stickered overtop a graffiti style logo reminiscent of Chinese Democracy. Almost a metaphor for what these new songs are.
It’s encouraging that Guns N’ Roses have finally released something new, even if the songs are just reworked tunes from 20+ years ago. Perhaps they’re clearing the decks before working on truly new material. It’s all but certain that we will see more, and hopefully a longer release next time. While some moments on the live tunes are shaky, and the new tunes were not as warmly received by some, the Hard Skool EP is wonderful to hold in hand. New physical music from GN’R! About time.
4/5 stars
All cautions made Every chance was given No effort spared to save what we had All in good faith I would not hesitate To extend myself and lend you my hand
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
As tempers fade And lies forgiven No cause embraced could break what we had In its place A storm is lifting I would’ve thought you could be more of a man
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
You had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
You had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
SLASH’S SNAKEPIT – It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere (1995 Geffen)
Somewhere in the multiverse is an alternate reality where Axl Rose did not reject Slash’s songs for the next Guns album. In that version of history, the new Guns N’ Roses was not titled Chinese Democracy; perhaps it was called Back and Forth Again. And it would have sounded a lot like It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere, the debut album by Slash’s Snakepit that we received in our reality’s year 1995.
As it went down, Axl said “no” to the songs Slash had finished, so Slash put them out as his first solo album. And then Axl wanted them back. In 1994, on the VHS The Making of Estranged: Part 4 of Trilogy, you can hear Guns working on one of these songs. In the background, the music that would eventually become Slash’s “Back and Forth Again” is playing with Axl whistling overtop. In the alternate reality, somebody’s listening to it right now as a Guns N’ Roses song. In ours, it will only be Slash’s Snakepit.
Although Slash was enthused about his new music, and was eager to make a raw bluesy rock n’ roll album, Axl had other plans. Who was right in the end? It’s hard not to see Axl’s point of view. Slash’s 14 songs had just one hit and 13 fillers. Most of the best GN’R tracks were not written by Slash; they were written by Izzy Stradlin. Left to his own devices, Slash’s batch of songs here lack memorable hooks.
Let’s start on a positive note at least — the lead single “Beggars & Hangers-On”. Written by Slash n’ Duff with lead singer Eric Dover, this is a song that any band from Skynyrd to the Crowes to Zeppelin to Guns N’ Roses would have been proud to play. Check out that riff — it’s as regal as the blues gets. Powerful and soulful aching vocals from Dover. The chorus roars, bright and bold, and you could only imagine what Axl could have done with it. Matt Sorum’s drums splash at all the right moments, in his trademark fashion. It’s a damn perfect song. And it made people really excited for the album that was to come, Guns or no Guns.
Well, there were some Guns. Slash had been working with Matt Sorum and the recently fired Gilby Clarke. On bass was Mike Inez from Alice in Chains. Though not in the Snakepit lineup, Slash also imported Dizzy Reed and Ted “Zig Zag” Andreadis from GN’R. With those players, it sure sounded like Guns. Only Dover really differentiates them. Dover…and the songs.
There are fragments of brilliance through the whole record. The acoustic intro to “Neither Can I” for example. The circular snaky riff to the manic “Be the Ball” (not to mention Slash’s lyrics, which seem to be his personal life philosophy). The boogie-woogie of instrumental “Jizz Da Pit”. The wicked Inez bass on on Gilby Clarke’s “Monkey Chow”. The Aerosmith vibe to “I Hate Everybody (But You)”.
And it’s a long album. 70 minutes of solid rock without a lot of variation. Which is one reason why Slash’s 14 songs wouldn’t have cut it for Guns in 1995. Appetite for Destruction had a variety of different songs on it, even if all shared a go-for-the-throat ferocity. Slash did get the straightforward live sounding rock album he desired. The guitars sound absolutely thick and offer a hint of what Slash and Gilby would have sounded like together on an original Guns studio album (like naturals).
It’s just a damn shame Slash’s solo debut is so disappointing. It bears witness that Axl might not have been wrong. You could make a hell of a GN’R album* out of the best tracks its members came up with. But this isn’t it.
“Listen motherfuckers to the song that should be heard!” bellows W. Axl Rose, cocky as ever.
Guns N’ Roses like to drop bombshells and they did this week when “Silkworms” returned to the setlist after an absence of almost two decades. It had been reworked and retitled “Absurd”, now augmented with Slash n’ Duff’s involvement. In another surprise bombshell, they just released a studio version. The first new Guns N’ Roses music since Chinese Democracy and first with Slash and Duff since 1994.
“Silkworms” is am interesting choice to release as the first new song with the old legends back in the band. It’s always going to be associated with the Chi-Dem era. The version I knew had Robin Finck and Buckethead on guitar. Brain on drums. Tommy Stinson on bass. A lot has changed! Slash is audible but more Slash-y sounds would be have appreciated. Duff sounds brilliant. Why not an actual new song? I don’t know…but at the same time, I’m glad “Silkworms” finally got a release as “Absurd”. It was always deserving of a proper studio release.
Axl sings in that punky “Down on the Farm” character, and the lyrics are as venomous as they were in 2001. “Parasitic demons sucking acid through your heart!” He sounds quite good; better than the concert versions we’ve heard thus far. The vocal is mixed to sound like a megaphone because, hey, it was the Chi-Dem era. There’s a disorienting quiet section in the middle that also hearkens back to that quaint time.
Good tune, but those of us who have craved “Silkworms” for 20 years are biased to a good impression. Those who didn’t like it won’t be turned, and those who want something more like Appetite and Illusions won’t get it this time. If you love Chinese Democracy, add a mark to my score. If you hate it, subtract one or two based on your level of venom.
“November Rain” was played live for the first time by Guns N’ Roses on this day in 1991.
GUNS N’ ROSES – Dramas & Traumas (Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN, May 29 1991 – Deep Records bootleg CD)
The market is littered with live Guns N’ Roses bootlegs from the Use Your Illusion tour. The band’s own official Use Your Illusion World Tour Live in Tokyo VHS tapes are an ideal source of live music from their biggest tour. But what many fans seek is an earlier show, before Izzy Stradlin went his own way and was replaced by Gilby Clarke. Nothing against Gilby, but Izzy only lasted about six months and has been missed ever since. This bootleg is from the seventh show on the tour, when the material was new, unheard, and rough. Some of the songs were dropped or rarely played later on.
Audio is average as far as bootlegs go; it’s an audience tape job with some occasional issues. The set is complete. “Double Talkin’ Jive” is unlisted, hidden within the larger “Patience” track. It is also the historic live debut of “November Rain”. Opening with “Right Next Door to Hell”, which was dropped by the start of ’92, the energy is high. Axl takes no mercy on the demanding song, giving 100%, especially on the obligatory “fuck you”!
Guns wisely played familiar songs mixed in with the new stuff. The albums would not be out for over three months. Axl asks if the audience wants to go dancin’, which means “Mr. Brownstone” is up next, a low energy version comparatively. It might be too easy to blame the new guy Matt Sorum, but you do notice the lack of Steven Adler when you think about it. Back to new tracks, it’s the bluesy “Bad Obsession” which Axl explains was written long before “Brownstone”. Slash rips out the slide guitar and Axl gets distracted by a hottie. It’s the first audible appearance of another new member — keyboardist Dizzy Reed on piano. Later on, Axl makes a big point of announcing that Dizzy is, contrary to some media reports, “a goddamn a-fuckin’ official member of the band!”
Regarding live debut of “November Rain”, Guns didn’t have a setlist. Axl just called out the songs, feeling out the crowd. According to Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan in a later interview by Dan Gallagher of MuchMusic:
Matt – “Axl said ‘November Rain’, and we hadn’t played it since we recorded it…in July! In front of 20,000 people, we’re going, ‘Uh, do you remember how that goes?’ Damn near a year ago we cut this track.”
Duff – “And he has this grand piano, that raises up out of the stage. And all of a sudden the piano raises up and we’re going, ‘What the hell is that…’“
You can almost hear the fear. Sorum tentatively taps the cymbals, but doesn’t miss his cue when it’s time to come crashing in. Axl mentions he can barely remember the words, but only flubs a couple. Slash’s first solo nails most of the big hooks, while the second is more improvisational. They all struggle a bit on the outro, but damn — they did it!
After “November Rain”, a microphone catches Slash saying, “A fucking curve ball, man!”
The two most significant tracks are the two sung by Izzy that were necessarily dropped when he left: “Dust N’ Bones”, and “14 Years”. Both feature raspy, Keef-like lead vocals from the guitarist. These two tracks are very good reasons to want an early set like this.
There are long solos, intros and outros, and all the stuff you expect from a Guns N’ Roses show. The solos had yet to evolve into the forms they would take by the time they hit Tokyo, though the “Godfather” theme has its place. They play a bit of Rod Stewart’s “I Was Only Joking” as part of the “Patience” intro, and of course “Only Women Bleed” before “Heaven’s Door”. The “Voodoo Chile” lick always works well going into “Civil War”. It’s also interesting to hear how the songs started out early on tour. “Civil War” seems a bit shaky in the start, but goes nuclear by the end.
The main set ends on “Perfect Crime” and the encores consist of “Estranged”, “Sweet Child”, “Jungle” and “Paradise”. A pretty slam-dunk way to send ’em home. Unlike “November Rain”, “Estranged” was already humming like a well-tuned car by this time.
The two bonus tracks are interesting curiosities from the 1989 MTV music video awards. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers performed “Free Falling” and “Heartbreak Hotel” with Axl Rose. They are here as a little bit of added value, but make no mistake — it’s just Axl from the band, nobody else.
As mentioned earlier, there are some sonic anomalies of the type that usually come with bootlegs. The disc goes silent for very brief moments during “Right Next Door to Hell”. Not a deal breaker considering the rest is very listenable.
Use Your Illusion wasn’t even out yet, but Guns N’ Roses were two solid weeks into a tour chock full of new and old music. MuchMusic’s Dan Gallagher talked with Duff McKagan and new member Matt Sorum before their show on June 7 in Toronto. Was there an album really coming?
MuchMusic was into adding strange visual effects to their videos in the early 90s. That choppy visual is not mine. That is from the source broadcast.
Axl Rose had hurt his ankle and was giving the injury a stretch, riding around backstage on a bike. Stay tuned to the end! I hope that was gum.
Topics discussed:
“Popping the question” with Matt Sorum.
The broad appeal of Guns N’ Roses.
Unexpectedly playing “November Rain” for the first time in a year in front of 20,000 people.
OZZY OSBOURNE – Ordinary Man (2020 Epic Japanese import)
Expectations were low at LeBrain HQ for a new album by Ozzy Osbourne. In that regard, Ozzy delivered. Ordinary Man is an ordinary album. It is Hard Rock 2020 distilled down to 50 minutes. Nothing on this album comes close to challenging anything from the first six Ozzy albums. It’s most comparable to 2001’s Down to Earth, an overly-modern affair put together by suits.
This time out, the suits assembled a band consisting of Duff McKagan (GN’R) on bass, Chad Smith (RHCP) on drums, and Andrew Watt (California Breed) on guitar. These guys, plus a smattering of strangers, are responsible for the songwriting. The melodies are very deliberate and calculated rather than natural sounding. While things with Zakk Wylde were getting stale, at least Zakk tried to keep Ozzy on track. I’m not sure Ozzy is on track here. “I’ll make you scream, I’ll make you defecate.” Who wrote that?
The glossy production covers up some pretty stellar playing. Watt is fantastic when soloing, but sounds a bit like he’s trying to ape the Zakk vibe. In the vocals department, you can hear some telltale signs of autotune, which I guess is OK now in 2020. If Paul Stanley can lipsynch live and get away with it, then Ozzy can autotune his albums. I suppose.
Some of the better tracks include the ballads, and the surprising “Scary Little Green Men”. This one features some awesome lickity-licks from Tom Morello. Slash appears elsewhere, not sounding at all like Slash. The single “Under the Graveyard” is not bad. The worst track has to be “It’s a Raid”, possibly an outtake from Blink 182’s Neighborhoods CD.
Elton John sings on one track, and it’s not bad at all, sounding like a classic Ozzy ballad from the 1990s. I didn’t recognise Reginald Dwight’s voice at first. It’s deeper these days. Regarding Post Malone, he’s fine, has a decent voice albeit also autotuned. I don’t know what the guy sounds like without enhancement, but he sounds like he’s probably a better singer than Ozzy recently. I could do without his song “Take What You Want”, but at least the Japanese edition of the album ends on a better note. A blues track called “Darkside Blues” is brief, but actually sounds like something more real, more genuine.
Think about your favourite Ozzy albums. How often to do you spin Blizzard, Diary, or Tears? Now think about how often you play Down to Earth, Black Rain, and Scream. In two years’ time, you’ll be spinning Ordinary Man about as often as Black Rain, but you won’t be getting Wylde.
GUNS N’ ROSES – “Perhaps” / “The General” (2023 Geffen 7″ single)
mikeladano.com 