I'm riding home from my lady's place last night.  I'm flipping through the channels on Sirius when I see Guns N' Roses on the display screen.  But I don't recognize the song title.  it's something called "Better".  The 12 year old boy in me climbs to the surface with anticipation.  Is new GN'R material surfacing after 14 years?

The song starts off with backup singers, boring white-girl backup singers.  Then Axl starts doing his thing.  There are glimpses of the old serpentine in his vocals. But there's some difference.  I'd almost say he'd matured if I didn't know he was bat-shit crazy.  His singing will be acceptable for those of us with a penchant for nostalgia.

The band sucks.  The bad really sucks.  During the instrumental portions of the song I wasn't able to differentiate it from any other band the kids think are cool these days.  So, naturally, the Hot Topic youths that were too young for Guns N' Roses the first time will love it.  But the GN'R sound is gone, replaced with the flat uninspired tones of the Axl Rose Experience.  Somewhere, Duff McKagen & Slash are giggling like guys who found out their ex-girlfriends have gotten fat & ugly.

R

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