The General (Guns N' Roses song)

The name for The General came from drummer Brain, who named it so when the band was eating General Tso's chicken "but when [he] turned it in to Axl he thought it was called ‘The General’ because [he] was kind of making fun of Tommy [Stinson] as Tommy was, the band, you know, kind of like the MD [...] and he thought, like, you know, I was like poking fun at Tommy as being, like, you know, like a general... and I was like, ‘No, dude, it was because we ate general's chicken.’{{Cite web|url=https://www.gnrevolution.com/viewtopic.php?id=16159&p=14|title=Brain again Others have mentioned this but here is the full quote|first=Claude|last=F|date=27 August 2023|website=gnrevolution}}

"The General" was initially recorded during the sessions for Chinese Democracy. Parts of the orchestral arrangements in the song were played as an intro at the band's shows during the 2000s.{{Cite web|url=https://www.a-4-d.com/t7987-the-general|title=The General|website=www.a-4-d.com}} The song features former Guns N’ Roses members Brain and Chris Pitman as well as composer Marco Beltrami and guitarist Marc Haggard.{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/guns-n-roses-the-general|title=Guns N' Roses release anguished yet epic new recording of The General|first=Fraser|last=Lewrypublished|date=December 8, 2023|website=louder}} Before the song was released, the band performed it live for the first time at the Hollywood Bowl on November 2, 2023.{{cite web|title=Watch: GUNS N' ROSES Perform 'The General' Live For First Time|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/watch-guns-n-roses-perform-the-general-live-for-first-time|website=Blabbermouth|date=3 November 2023|access-date=3 November 2023}} It was later released on streaming platforms on December 8, 2023,{{Cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/guns-n-roses-the-general-to-be-released-digitally-on-friday|title=GUNS N' ROSES' 'The General' To Be Released Digitally On Friday|date=December 6, 2023|website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}} and a partially AI-generated music video for the track was released on January 24, 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/guns-n-roses-releases-cinematic-a-i-generated-animated-music-video-for-the-general|title=GUNS N' ROSES Releases Cinematic A.I.-Generated Animated Music Video For 'The General'|date=January 24, 2024|website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}} Of the song, Sebastian Bach said:

{{Blockquote|"I was at a Christmas party at [Axl Rose]'s house last year and he played me all of Chinese Democracy - Four Albums - worth of material. The heaviest song is called The General. It’s so demonic and evil. I’ve never heard Axl sing as high as he does on that - except for maybe on my record."{{cite magazine|title=Axl Rose Penning Autobiography, Sequel to "Estranged"?|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/axl-rose-penning-autobiography-sequel-to-estranged-184435/|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Greene|first=Andy|date=25 June 2008}}}}

Bach also said that Rose told him the song is a sequel to Use Your Illusion II's "Estranged", and so part of the group consisting of "November Rain", "Don't Cry" and "Estranged".

Slash said of his contributions to the song "Basically, the material was there, and I just got in there during covid and re-did the guitars, Duff did the bass, and we went from there and just put it out."

==Reception==

Billboard described it as "bombastic".{{cite magazine|title=Guns N' Roses Welcome You To Their Animated A.I. Nightmare in Trippy 'The General' Video|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/guns-n-roses-animated-ai-video-the-general-1235588512/|magazine=Billboard|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|date=24 January 2024|access-date=24 January 2024}} NME described it as "slow-burning [and] soaring".{{cite magazine|title=Listen to Guns N' Roses soaring new single 'The General'|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/listen-to-guns-n-roses-soaring-new-single-the-general-3556059|magazine=NME|last=Aubrey|first=Elizabeth|date=8 December 2023|access-date=8 December 2023}} Louder Sound called it "epic" and described it as "a slow-burner" featuring "one of Axl Rose's more anguished vocals"{{cite magazine|title=Guns N' Roses release anguished yet epic new recording of The General|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/guns-n-roses-the-general|magazine=Classic Rock|last=Lewry|first=Fraser|date=8 December 2023|access-date=8 December 2023}} Stereogum described the song as "Other than Axl Rose’s instantly recognizable voice, “The General” doesn’t sound much like classic GNR. The verses match some spindly arpeggios and sitar that remind me of Abbey Road-era The Beatles with something like a trip-hop beat.”{{Cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2245079/guns-n-roses-the-general/music/|title=Guns N\' Roses Share New Single \"The General\": Listen|date=December 8, 2023}} Metal Injection described the track as having "Korn-esque clean/FX'ed guitars in the verse […] a big, angular chorus with a completely blown-out vocal track", calling it "out of the ordinary for Guns N' Roses".[https://metalinjection.net/new-music/guns-n-roses-new-single-the-general-is-far-from-bluesy Metal INjection]

While ranking all 84 Guns N’ Roses songs from worst to best, Ultimate Classic Rock ranked “The General” second worst, at 83rd.[https://ultimateclassicrock.com/guns-n-roses-songs-ranked/ All 84 Guns N’ Roses Songs Ranked Worst to Best]

Credits per Apple Music[https://music.apple.com/us/song/the-general/1717743586 Credits - The General - Guns N' Roses]

Guns N' Roses

• Axl Rose – vocals, production
• Richard Fortus – guitar
• Slash – guitar
• Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals
• Dizzy Reed – keyboards
• Chris Pitman – keyboards
• Brain – drums

Additional credits

• Marc Haggard – guitar
• Marco Beltrami – strings, composition
• Caram Costanzo – keyboards, production, mixing engineer
• Eric Caudieux – additional engineering

{{reflist}}

{{Guns N' Roses}}

Category:2023 singles

Category:Guns N' Roses songs