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Hard Skool

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Hard Skool
EP by
Guns N' Roses
ReleasedFebruary 25, 2022
Genre
Length15:52
Label
Producer
Guns N' Roses chronology
Appetite for Destruction: Locked N' Loaded
(2018) 		Hard Skool
(2022) 		Use Your Illusion Super Deluxe
(2022)

Hard Skool is a single and the fourth extended play by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. The single was released on September 24, 2021, with the EP following on February 25, 2022.[7] The EP consists of two recent singles and two live tracks, and is their first EP release with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan since they rejoined the band in 2016.

Background

The tracks "Absurd" and "Hard Skool" were initially written during the Chinese Democracy sessions.[8] "Absurd" (known previously as "Silkworms") was performed live four times in 2001, before leaking online in 2018.[9][10] A snippet of "Hard Skool" was posted online in 2006, with the full version leaking in 2019, under the working title "Jackie Chan".[4][11]

A reworked version of "Absurd" was performed live for the first time on August 3, 2021.[12] It was released as a single three days later, marking the group's first release of new material since the release of Chinese Democracy in 2008.[13][14] It was also the first new Guns N' Roses track to feature guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan since the release of 1994's "Sympathy for the Devil".[15] "Hard Skool" was performed at soundcheck by members of the band on September 16, 2021.[16] It was then released as a single on September 24.[17] The track peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.[18] The official lyric video of the song debuted on Good Morning Football on December 3, 2021.[19]

The Hard Skool EP was announced on September 25, 2021.[7] Exclusive to the band's online store, it features live versions of "You're Crazy" and "Don't Cry", songs originally released on 1987's Appetite for Destruction and 1991's Use Your Illusion I, respectively. The EP became available on CD, vinyl and cassette on February 25, 2022.[20] A second 7-inch vinyl version was released June 2022 to the Nightrain fan club. It features "Hard Skool" and a new live version of "Shadow of Your Love".[21]

Reception

Classic Rock's Stephen Hill gave "Absurd" a positive review, noting how the track makes the band "sound genuinely pumped up, aggressive and full of boisterous energy".[22] However, Loudwire noted a divide among audiences, with some "digging the track" while others "don't seem so into it".[23] "Hard Skool" was more well received, with several publications describing it as "vintage" Guns N' Roses.[4][24][25]

Track listing

CD, cassette
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hard Skool"Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Robin Finck, Josh Freese, Tommy Stinson, Paul Tobias[26]3:41
2."Absurd"Rose, Dizzy Reed, Slash, McKagan3:23
3."Don't Cry" (live)Rose, Izzy Stradlin4:24
4."You're Crazy" (live)Guns N' Roses4:24
Total length:15:52
7-inch vinyl
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hard Skool"Rose, Slash, McKagan, Finck, Freese, Stinson, Tobias3:41
2."Absurd" (live)Rose, Reed, Slash, McKagan3:40
Transparent vinyl
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hard Skool"Rose, Slash, McKagan, Finck, Freese, Stinson, Tobias3:41
2."Absurd" (live)Rose, Reed, Slash, McKagan3:40
3."Shadow of Your Love" (Live)Rose, Stradlin, Tobias2:55

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Hard Skool"
Chart (2021–2022) Peak
position
Hungary (Single Top 40)[27] 25
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)[28] 13
Japan (Oricon)[29] 18
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[30] 9

References

  1. ^ Reilly, Nick (August 6, 2021). "Guns N' Roses release explosive new track 'Absurd'". NME. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  2. ^ Horsley, Jonathan (August 6, 2021). "Guns N' Roses release high-octane new single, Absurd". MusicRadar. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Hill, Stephen (August 6, 2021). "Our first reaction to the new Guns N' Roses single ABSUЯD". Classic Rock. Louder. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Rolli, Bryan (September 26, 2021). "Watch Guns N' Roses Play 'Hard Skool' Live for the First Time". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  5. ^ published, Guitars (September 24, 2021). "The 'new' Guns N' Roses song Hard Skool is a rocking return". MusicRadar.
  6. ^ "Guns N' Roses Release New Song "Hard Skool"". September 24, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Guns N' Roses To Release 'Hard Skool' Four-Song EP In February". Blabbermouth.net. September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  8. ^ Lewry, Fraser (August 6, 2021). "Guns N' Roses release new single ABSUЯD". Classic Rock. Louder. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  9. ^ Irwin, Corey (August 3, 2021). "Watch Guns N' Roses Debut New Song 'Absurd'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  10. ^ Buchanan, Brett (June 11, 2018). "Newly Leaked Guns N' Roses Song Sounds Like Nine Inch Nails & Linkin Park". Alternative Nation. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  11. ^ Richards, Will (September 24, 2021). "Guns N' Roses return with new song 'Hard Skool'". NME. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  12. ^ "Guns N' Roses Performs 'New' Song 'Absurd' At Boston's Fenway Park (Video)". Blabbermouth.net. August 3, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  13. ^ "Guns N' Roses Officially Releases Studio Version Of New Song 'Absurd'". Blabbermouth.net. August 6, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  14. ^ Kohn, Daniel (August 6, 2021). "Guns N' Roses Release First New Song in 13 Years". Spin. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  15. ^ DiVita, Joe (August 6, 2021). "Guns N' Roses Release Official Studio Version of New Song 'Absurd'". Loudwire. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  16. ^ Schaffner, Lauryn (September 17, 2021). "See Video of Guns N' Roses Rehearsing 'Hard School' Before Show". Loudwire. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  17. ^ "Guns N' Roses Officially Drops New Song 'Hard Skool'". Blabbermouth.net. September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  18. ^ "Mainstream Rock Airplay - The Week of November 27, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  19. ^ "GUNS N' ROSES Shares Official Lyric Video For New Song 'Hard Skool'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. December 3, 2021.
  20. ^ Richardson, Jake (September 26, 2021). "Guns N' Roses to Release New EP 'Hard Skool' in 2022". Loudwire. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  21. ^ Triscari, Caleb (September 28, 2021). "Guns N' Roses announce new four-song EP 'Hard Skool'". NME. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  22. ^ Hill, Stephen (August 6, 2021). "Our first reaction to the new Guns N' Roses single ABSUЯD". Classic Rock. Louder. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  23. ^ Trapp, Philip (August 6, 2021). "Fans React to Guns N' Roses' New Studio Recording of 'Absurd'". Loudwire. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  24. ^ Peacock, Tim (September 24, 2021). "Listen To Guns N' Roses Exhilarating New Track, 'Hard Skool'". Yahoo!. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  25. ^ "The 'new' Guns N' Roses song Hard Skool is a rocking return". MusicRadar. September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  26. ^ https://www.umusicpub.com/us/Digital-Music-Library/song/483002/guns-n-roses-hard-skool [bare URL]
  27. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  28. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of August 24, 2022". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  29. ^ "週間 シングルランキング 2022年08月29日付". Oricon. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  30. ^ "Guns N Roses Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
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