I agree with a lot of this, especially regarding Absurd.

Classic GN'R was modulation per excellence. They would always get a basic structure down, then do something different at the end of the song to wrap it up with variation. This is sorely missing from most of the CD songs. They tend to go nowhere. At times Axl hasn't even bothered to write a second verse. It suggests he was struggling with creativity, and his complete lack of new material for 20 years seem to confirm that notion.

The songs that do have this tend to have other problems. Better for example has a great outro and a very good verse, but the chorus and the bridge are a mess. The first half of TWAT is passable but not really great.

In Perhaps the saving graces for me are the piano and synths, and actually the little additions from Axl do help it also. Otherwise the song feels aimless with no punch to it. Slash is a major disappointment, definitely phoning it in here. I don't get any impression from Duff at all.

I think the reception is mostly down to the money put down on marketing. The youtube comments are a stark difference from Hard Skool. On the latter it was dominant approval, on Perhaps I sense about 50% of the reactions are "this is shit".

Yes, definitely. I would actually pay more for a bare bones, digital release than an actual box set, because that would likely mean more actual songs to listen to.

I made a new dish that has been really successful. One of my regular places took it off their menu and I didn't have the recipe, so I just threw in what I knew was there then took a chance on the rest. It tastes almost identical to the restaurant.

Pasta Creole

Pasta is supposed to be Linguini, but I have just been using Tagliatelle.
1 glass of generic pasta sauce (will be adding spices myself so I use the most basic I can find)
1 Chorizo sausage
200 grams of sliced chicken
1 onion
A little bit of Cayenne pepper
Garlic pepper
Generic spice mix

Chop up the sausage and the chicken into small pieces. Put the chicken in the pan first, season it with garlic pepper and the generic spice mix. Then put in the sausage (chorizo doesn't need any seasoning). Fry them together in the pan while you heat up the pasta water.

When the water starts to boil (time it right and the frying pan will also be done) I put in the pasta, then add the tomato sauce to the frying pan and sprinkle some cayenne pepper on it. Add sliced onions.

When the pasta is ready I take some of the water from that pan and add it to the frying pan. Then throw the pasta in the frying pan to let it mix with the sauce. 1 minute, and then you're done.

I can make this dish for about 6 dollars and it tastes great. I could sell this if I had my own restaurant.

Song is okay but essentially filler. The piano is a nice core to base a song on but I don't think they have been very successful at it. I don't even recognize Slash on this track. The guitar feels slightly generic.

I know why Axl chose his cleaner vocals but it's still a mistake. We want the classic, raspy Axl voice, even if it is not perfect anymore. I feel Axl sounds generic here, boring even. There is just nothing to suggest one of the greatest vocalists of all time recorded this track. It's the type of tune I would put as a b side to another single. Not album worthy imo.

Hard Skool has to be the "Jackie Chan" track that Duff talked about back then.