Shackler's - a question for real musicians...

[rioaxl]

I am not much of a musician.  I play a little piano and that's it.  My hubby, however, plays exceptional piano, bass and some guitar.  He listens to music for the MUSIC only and always disregards the lyrics.  I like lyrics first and music second.  I am, however, a HUGE G 'n R fan.  That being said, there have been some songs put put by the band that I don't think are that great - so I'm not blindly loyal to all of their music by any means.

ANYWAY - he thinks "Shackler's Revenge" is "uninteresting" musically.  He said that the guitar is just "noise" except for the bridge.  He didn't like it when I played it for him on the CD and he REALLY doesn't like it on Rock Band II.  Personally, I love the song!  It's truly one of my favorites. (Prostitute being #1.)

Now please, DO NOT BLAST MY HUBBY!  I am asking this question sincerely to those who know music.  Is Shackler's Revenge a very good (or sophisticated) song musically?

Your kind, thoughtful responses are appreciated (in advance). 

Luv - Rio

PS - He likes several songs on the CD, IRS being one of his favorites (one of my least favorites). 

[Malakian]

I can only tell you about the guitar and it depends how you look at it. It's not really a melodical song and it is far from written in a traditional or orthadox way. It's a very technical and difficult song to play and in this sense it's very advanced. The solo is amasing and the only reason people would cast it off is because of that lack of melody. Saying the song is uninistering musically is very ignorant tbh. Just because it doesn't sound "pretty" or "pleasent" doesn't devalue it musically, it is how it's supposed to sound. It's a good angry song and the creative and unique riffs/licks used suit it perfectly.

[johndoe]

I can only tell you about the guitar and it depends how you look at it. It's not really a melodical song and it is far from written in a traditional or orthadox way. It's a very technical and difficult song to play and in this sense it's very advanced. The solo is amasing and the only reason people would cast it off is because of that lack of melody. Saying the song is uninistering musically is very ignorant tbh. Just because it doesn't sound "pretty" or "pleasent" doesn't devalue it musically, it is how it's supposed to sound. It's a good angry song and the creative and unique riffs/licks used suit it perfectly.

Exactly! Very well put 

[svdv22]

I can only tell you about the guitar and it depends how you look at it. It's not really a melodical song and it is far from written in a traditional or orthadox way. It's a very technical and difficult song to play and in this sense it's very advanced. The solo is amasing and the only reason people would cast it off is because of that lack of melody. Saying the song is uninistering musically is very ignorant tbh. Just because it doesn't sound "pretty" or "pleasent" doesn't devalue it musically, it is how it's supposed to sound. It's a good angry song and the creative and unique riffs/licks used suit it perfectly.

one of the few good posts here on the forums lately

[gunner22]

I can only tell you about the guitar and it depends how you look at it. It's not really a melodical song and it is far from written in a traditional or orthadox way. It's a very technical and difficult song to play and in this sense it's very advanced. The solo is amasing and the only reason people would cast it off is because of that lack of melody. Saying the song is uninistering musically is very ignorant tbh. Just because it doesn't sound "pretty" or "pleasent" doesn't devalue it musically, it is how it's supposed to sound. It's a good angry song and the creative and unique riffs/licks used suit it perfectly.

Well said.

one of the few good posts here on the forums lately

Indeed.

[adm]

''It's not really a melodical song and it is far from written ''


why do you say this??????

and

heaps of people dont like this song.............

its one of the best songs on the album, and the most melodic. that chours is worth the price of admission alone. the solo, kick ass......the dance feel..............i wish the rest of the album was in this vain (though i love the album) and OMG was included.

conclusion.........shacklers is fuk'n amazing...listen to it on repeat 3 times, and if your not singing to it in your sleep....go listen to some shit like the killers

[Ice Blue]

its all a matter of opinion

one may like it, one may not

[Malakian]

''It's not really a melodical song and it is far from written ''


why do you say this??????

and

heaps of people dont like this song.............

its one of the best songs on the album, and the most melodic. that chours is worth the price of admission alone.

Definition of melody: the perception of pleasant arrangements of musical notes

This is not a melodical song. Take the opening riff for example, the chord is the root note and flat of the root noot. That's about as unpleasent a sound you can make with a guitar. You just hear a horrible clash as the sound waves bounce off of each other.

[badfaulkner]

Definition of melody: the perception of pleasant arrangements of musical notes

This is not a melodical song. Take the opening riff for example, the chord is the root note and flat of the root noot. That's about as unpleasent a sound you can make with a guitar. You just hear a horrible clash as the sound waves bounce off of each other.

I think the songwriters achieved what they set out to with this song.  Dissonance, maybe? Sort of a cold, disconnection, frightful, screechy bit of metal with three distinct time changes (verses, bridge, chorus) to evoke different feelings of a killer. 

It's not for everyone, I guess, but imho, it's a masterpiece. 

What kills me is that if this song had been done by Rage Against the Machine, you'd hear a bunch of laudatory remarks about how cutting edge it was, blah blah blah.   

[rocknroll41]

the theory behind it is decent. bucket and brain are good writers. as axl would say: it's definetily a melting pot. if u listen 2 the insturmental on utube u can hear gr8 bass parts and guitar chords w/riffs that r kinda hard 2 make out on the final mix. also listen to the version w/ only vocals and synth. it helps me realize wat a lyrical and musical genius axl is.  not sure if it'll work 4 ur hubby tho

[eddierose0608]

Its a brilliant song. just a shame the intro is horrible.

[johndoe]

the theory behind it is decent. bucket and brain are good writers. as axl would say: it's definetily a melting pot. if u listen 2 the insturmental on utube u can hear gr8 bass parts and guitar chords w/riffs that r kinda hard 2 make out on the final mix. also listen to the version w/ only vocals and synth. it helps me realize wat a lyrical and musical genius axl is.  not sure if it'll work 4 ur hubby tho

Sadly those have been taken down

[rioaxl]

Its a brilliant song. just a shame the intro is horrible.

Thanks for everyone's responses.  To this poster in particular - what don't you like about the intro?  Is it too different from the rest of the song?  Is it dumb? Unnecessary?  Sorry I'm so curious.  I just like what I like.  Can't usually back it up...

 - Rio

[eddierose0608]

I just find the intro annoying its straight in there and if it comes up when my media player is set to random its annoys me especially if its after a quiet song.

[xxrocketxxqueenxx]

see even though her hubby is a music person rather than lyrics, personally i think this song is mainly about the lyrics, thats not to say the music is bad or anything, i just think the lyrics on this song stand out before the music

[Kov]

Don't diss the intro - it saved my life.

Literally.  I was driving home after my roman law exam, tired as fuck, and I fell asleep behind the wheel at the end of Chinese Democracy. The CD player was on full blast, then it started playing shackler and I just got the car back from the wrong lane, with a truck coming towards me, and stepping on the brakes like hell.

So I LOVE the SR intro. 

[rioaxl]

It is jolting!  Gratz on waking up!  Good choice of music!

[adm]

Definition of melody: the perception of pleasant arrangements of musical notes

This is not a melodical song. Take the opening riff for example, the chord is the root note and flat of the root noot. That's about as unpleasent a sound you can make with a guitar. You just hear a horrible clash as the sound waves bounce off of each other.

the definition of melody that i was going on about was : is it catchy, does it get stuck in your head, do you wanna press rewind and hear it again

[inktvip93]

I see Shackler's Revenge more as a arangement of the same song,
because, the intro is coming back in the song quite a few times, and is used as a outro.
next to all, brilliant vocals, a low bass vocal to lay the underground. a good mid vocal, and to finish it a high vocal of most of the people reconise Axl Rose from.
When the song is performed live, it's even better then it is on CD. (but that's my own opinion)
I really love the song, and I'm hoping that there will be more songs like this from GnR!

[BarbiStolatVonG]

Is Shackler's Revenge a very good (or sophisticated) song musically?

*bump*

In answer to your question yes.

From a singer's point of view, the harmony lines, (in the first verse in particular) if you can call them that, for example, do require a sophisticated ear. The melody moves somewhere between flat and sharp.

In order to make all the "sounds" or "levels" of this one work, "hitting the note" is important (Tommy says!) ... hard to do, because the "centre" is always changing at a rather quick pace...and you have to keep up....


And it can be easy to be waylaid by all the sounds around the one you are supposed to sing. Also, the singer is not really given the first note/root either, in a traditional sense of hearing it in an intro...


Shackler's Revenge..... the key is hidden.......

[King bumb.l.foot II]

i personally don't care how sophisticated it is, it rocks my testicles off

[BarbiStolatVonG]

yeah, all that being said......


It is heaps o' fun to sing!!!! 

[BGFAN]

i personally don't care how sophisticated it is, it rocks my testicles off

So it serves it's purpose perfectly then 'cause I think that the main purpose of a rock song is to make people, respectively testicles, rock