Guns N Roses Release Single “Perhaps” – A Midtempo, Piano Driven Song – Perhaps We Like It

“Hey, my sense of rejection is no excuse for my behavior” – Guns N’ Roses, “Perhaps”

Guns N’ Roses released another single in mid-August – nearly two years after their last “new” single, “Hard Skool” – and I’m embarrassed to admit it, I just now found out about it. I don’t know whose working PR down there for GNR, but they need to upgrade. In my defense, this song came out right around the time I had some minor surgery. I spent most of mid-August in an oxy stupor that left me asleep for an entire week. So perhaps I can be forgiven for missing this thing and only now, a month later, hearing the track.

Ever since guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan returned to the GnR fold and began what appears to be a never ending tour, I think we’ve all been hopeful that this reunion would lead to new music. Here we are 7 – seven – years down the road and all we have to date are three singles. “Perhaps,” like “Absurd” and the aforementioned “Hard Skool” are tracks that Axl had worked on during the long and laborious sessions for Chinese Democracy. He’s reworked them and Slash and Duff have come in and recorded fresh guitar and bass parts – and they are exceptional players, as these tracks prove – but those parts are the only thing new about these tracks.

I did not like “Absurd” at all. It was appropriately named. It had an electronica kind of thing going on. Slash put some decent guitar on it, but it wasn’t my kinda GnR. Axl screams like he’s mad at us… and well, when has Axl not been angry? “Hard Skool” was much more to my liking. I still groove on that fabulous opening bass line that Duff lays down. It’s a track that is worthy of the band’s previous work. I can’t believe it’s been two years since that song came out. I’ve been hoping to see these guys break some new ground and write some truly new music… but I’ll take what I can get from this legendary band.

“Perhaps,” like the other two singles, had it’s genesis, as mentioned, in the Chinese Democracy sessions. As such, the drummer on the track is a guy named Brains. Apparently he was temporarily in the band. Axl must have had to install a revolving door on the studio when he was making that album. Slash and Duff both play on the track so clearly it’s been updated. To round out the line up Dizzy Reed plays keyboards and Richard Fortus plays rhythm guitar. Axl not only sings but plays piano.

I have to admit, there’s no “perhaps” about it, I like this song. It’s a piano driven, midtempo track. I think the most surprising thing about it is the opening lyrical salvo – where Axl appears to… apologize? “Perhaps I was wrong… when I didn’t see you… Perhaps I was wrong… when I don’t believe you.” They say time softens all men, perhaps even Axl is not immune from that. Of course later Axl goes on to sing, “My heart bleeds for me…” which seems counter to the previous remorseful emotion. Ah, Axl, a bundle of conflicting emotions. Towards the end there are some vocal effects on Axl’s voice as he screams parts of the chorus that I wasn’t crazy about at first, but it’s grown on me… and he does sing in a normal vocal, “You’re all alone now” in a plaintive way that grabs me. Here’s the song:

I am scheduled to see GnR a week and half from now and I certainly hope to hear this track. I think Guns N’ Roses could have been up there with the Stones in terms of the Rock Pantheon of Gods had Axl not become such a megalomaniac. As it stands, they’re still one of the absolute greatest. I’m still finding myself going back to those bonus live shows on the Use Your Illusions Box Set and marveling at the power and the glory of GnR.

I think “Perhaps” will scratch that rock n roll itch you may be having in these waning days of summer. And who knows, maybe we will hear an Axl/Slash/Duff new Guns album some day soon… well, maybe not soon… Perhaps some day.

Cheers!