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Re: This I Love
Axl's vocals on This I Love are perfect for the kind of song it is. You either get it or you don't. He's supposed to sound near tears, and it works, amazingly in fact.
The instrumentals are the problem. The piano work is great. The orchestra is great. The solo is some of the worst guitar work i've ever heard associated with GN'R.
I hope for the day those MOGG files are cracked, so we can completely cut out the guitar, and leave it an orchestra piece.
This I Love could've been new GNR's November Rain, but the needless solo drops it to an 'good' song, not great.
Re: This I Love
I don't have the same appreciation for this song as I did when the album first came out. It's appeal has almost worn off for me I think casue even though Axl souns good in it he sounds kinda like a wuss. Maybe it's the lyrics or the tone but rather than a sad love song it sounds like some guy loathing in self pity. Actually I think it's the chorus I dislike .I'm not sure but it just dosn't appeal to me the way it originally did. I do still think Robin's solo in it kicks ass. Highlight of the song for sure in my opinion.
I agree Bono, about the guitar solo at least. I just don't get the extreme hatred it gets. I think it fits the song perfectly and is one of the best solos on the album. To each his own I guess. I have a hard time believing that the average music listener would despise the song because of the solo though. Maybe I'm missing something, I just can't comprehend.
Re: This I Love
Rarely does the average listener target a song's instruments.
Most casual radio listeners do not listen for beats, licks, and piano work. They listen to vocals, and chorus are what they remember, not riffs.
If Axl's voice is grading to them, complaints i've heard from those I played the album for, songs like Street of Dreams, If The World, Riad N' The Bedouins, and This I Love got complaints because of the vocals, and immediately turned those people off.
Even good vocals. If Sweet Child O' Mine were sung by Axl with his Street of Dreams vocals, alot would've turned it off.
Re: This I Love
Rarely does the average listener target a song's instruments.
Most casual radio listeners do not listen for beats, licks, and piano work. They listen to vocals, and chorus are what they remember, not riffs.
If Axl's voice is grading to them, complaints i've heard from those I played the album for, songs like Street of Dreams, If The World, Riad N' The Bedouins, and This I Love got complaints because of the vocals, and immediately turned those people off.
Even good vocals. If Sweet Child O' Mine were sung by Axl with his Street of Dreams vocals, alot would've turned it off.
Oh I agree, and I actually was a little slow to warm to the song due to Axl's vocals. It's some heavy, emotional, sappy stuff. It was a little hard to take at first. As a big fan though I obviously gave it 1,000 more listens and have grown to appreciate it. Of course the "average" listener isn't going to give it that much of a chance. So I could see quite a few hating it instantly. I do think it could appeal to some right off the bat as well. I played it for a friend of mine and he said he could see it being a hit.
I thought I remember someone posting that the solo would kill the song for the average listener. Maybe not, but if that was said, I don't agree.
Looking back at the previous posts I guess nobody did say that. Sorry, thoughts are starting to creep into my head. It's been a long day, what can I say? Time for bed.
Re: This I Love
Someone probably did say it.
The ironic thing is, the strongest part of the song - the orchestra - is probably what would kill it for the average listener. They'd probably cut back with it being too sappy, too over-indulgent, and gay.
To this day I still hear shit about AIC's I Stay Away, because of the orchestra. Yet the same one's bitching about it, think Rollin' is the greatest rock tune ever made.
Re: This I Love
The guitar solo is unfairly hated in my opinion. At least on this forum. If anything the average music listener will be turned off by Axl's voice on this song. I like his voice but it's very easy to see how it could grade on someone nerves like Axlin mentioned. Also the self pity aspect of the song misses the mark. It doesn't sound like a broken heart as much as it sounds like a dude who's being pathetic. If I'm getting that vibe others will too, it's just law of averages that some people out there will share that opinion.
And Jamester I don't care what or who the song was written for. If I have to have seen a movie to get the context and emotion of a Gn'R song then I think it's very safe to say the song misses it's mark. It wasn't written in the vain of a jingle. I never said anything about dislikeing Axl's voice it's the tone of the song. The vibe it gives off is no longer appealing to me. Like I said it misses the mark for a sad love song about loss and just sounds rather pathetic. Whether it's the lyrics or Axl's delivery or whatever I just don't like it that much anymore. That might not make much sense cause I do like the vocals.
And the guitar is great in my opinion. haha alot of you are bordering on saying if you think the guitar is good you just don't get it and aren't that musicaly in tune. Ummmm...... o.k. than. I dont' get it I guess but the solo is the best on the album in my opinion. It is very Slash like and maybe thats' why most of you hate it. It sound like Slash but obvioulsy it's not and maybe not as good as Slash could've done. Maybe deep down it bums alot of you out cause it's a reminder of how great Slash is. I don't really see how anyone can sit here and bitch and moan how much better Buckethead woud've made it. It'd be completely different so we have no idea although we can see how Slash might've improved on it.
Re: This I Love
I have a hard time believing that the average music listener would despise the song because of the solo though. Maybe I'm missing something, I just can't comprehend.
Its a lengthy solo. The casual radio listener will definitely take notice.
Are you trying to tell me that Hotel California becomes a hit if its Finck creating the solo?
I don't think so.
Re: This I Love
I'm not going along with the "it would've sounded better with ...." argument anymore, I used to think Buckethead would have produced something killer, but now I realise thats beside the point and its unfair.
Should've, would've and could've are irrelevant and are unfairly used as a fantasy gauge to judge the music on the album. It is what it is, end off story.
They are different musicians, and saying someone else would play something "better" is completely subjective and worthless as an appraisal to the next guy.
I get the song now, I'm more inclined to believe its about someone who died than a chick who dumped him, mabye his mother.
I think the solo is supposed to be a representation of the gut wrenching, sickening pain you feel when you lose someone. Mabye Robin's style meant he was the only guy who could pull off exactly what Axl wanted.
He said about Catcher - "The bridge b4 the solo is an artistic interpretation of a institutionalized mind."
Nobody knew that was the intention and you've got to think, what else on the album is artistic interpretation?
Madagascar is a definate imo, I think those vocals are supposed to sound like someone who has been beaten down for a long time and are wearisome but still defiant. Most people think this is Axls responce to all the flack he got about using the "n" word on One In A Million and being accused of being a racist.
I think this song tries to represent the voice of those people who were oppressed and treated as worthless, mindless slaves and for so long.
Given that Axl wouldnt have put the song on the album without the MLK quotes and apparantly personally met with MLK's family to secure the rights to use the quotes, tells you there is quite a deep thought process behind the song.
Its ambiguous as well, it fits perfectly with the fall out from the disintegration of the old band from Axl's persective, and also the listener can relate to it from their own life experiences and feelings.
Re: This I Love
I agree with Bono. I love the solo and think Axl is the weak link here. I think the lyrics are borderline cheesy, but if he used a rasp, or sang it more like November Rain, and maybe lost one of the choruses and focused on the orchestrations (whch are fantastic, btw) it would be killer. His voice really throws me off.
As is, Robin saves the song.
- Mikkamakka
- Rep: 217
Re: This I Love
I think the solo is supposed to be a representation of the gut wrenching, sickening pain you feel when you lose someone. Mabye Robin's style meant he was the only guy who could pull off exactly what Axl wanted.
He said about Catcher - "The bridge b4 the solo is an artistic interpretation of a institutionalized mind."
Nobody knew that was the intention and you've got to think, what else on the album is artistic interpretation?
I agree that musicians can use a lot of 'weird' things, for example cacophony (sp?) for artistic reasons, to express something. But if you use it, use it with professionalism. Dream Theater's often playing in chromatic (like where every note can be played), but it's not the same as Robin's going off-key. I don't know what Axl's intention was with the TIL solo, but it's horrible. Only if he wanted to ruin the song can I accept it as a successful move.
