Do you consider 'Civil War' a deep cut?

[Tom2112]

As far as a GNR set list is concerned it's one you really can't not play (1994-2010???). As far as asking 10 people to name 5 songs, it ain't gonna be making those lists. Deep in comparison to the hits but still relatively well known and always gets a great reaction live.

[trqster]

In terms of popularity on youtube Gn'R is almost a two-hit wonder band! Like there's November Rain & SCOM as the mega-hits and then just the rest for (almost) connoisseurs... It's very obvious whenever I play Gn'R for a younger audience (early twenties) these are the only Gn'R songs they usually can recognise as being familiar...

Edited February 11, 2018 by trqster
.

[The Dissident]

If a song is on a single disc greatest hits where you can easily identify songs missing that should be on the same disc, then it isn't a deep cut.

[ludurigan]

4 hours ago, IncitingChaos said:

CW is something that is typically rediscovered or most commonly heard on greatest hits now.

said who?

the fact that this situation happens/happened around you is meaningless

It doesnt change the fact that Civil War was "typically discovered" in the early 90s when GNR was the biggest band on the planet.

For a few years after Lies was released 89/90/early 1991 and before the Illusions albums were released there were 2 "NEW" Guns n Roses songs available on radio

it was Civil War and Knockin on Heavens Door

Those songs received lots of airplay on radio, specially Knockin on Heavens Door

but the world started in 1999, right?

Or was it 1997?

4 hours ago, EvanG said:

How can it be a deep cut when they've played it so many times and it was even released as a single?

 

apparently whoever asked this question and whoever considers civil war a "deep cut" ()...

...wasnt alive when GNR and GNC played Civil War NON-STOP for 2 years on the UYI tour

...has no idea that it was released as a single

...has no idea that the song received decent airplay on radio (when people actually listened to radio!)

...has no idea what is the definition of a "deep cut"

...has no idea the world didnt start in 1999!

 

[IncitingChaos]

4 minutes ago, ludurigan said:

said who?

the fact that this situation happens/happened around you is meaningless

It doesnt change the fact that Civil War was "typically discovered" in the early 90s when GNR was the biggest band on the planet.

For a few years after Lies was released 89/90/early 1991 and before the Illusions albums were released there were 2 "NEW" Guns n Roses songs available on radio

it was Civil War and Knockin on Heavens Door

Those songs received lots of airplay on radio, specially Knockin on Heavens Door

but the world started in 1999, right?

Or was it 1997?

apparently whoever asked this question and whoever considers civil war a "deep cut" ()...

...wasnt alive when GNR and GNC played Civil War NON-STOP for 2 years on the UYI tour

...has no idea that it was released as a single

...has no idea that the song received decent airplay on radio (when people actually listened to radio!)

...has no idea what is the definition of a "deep cut"

...has no idea the world didnt start in 1999!

 

You’re looking for a definite in a subjective answer. What defines a hit, or a deep cut isn’t an exact science. 

People discover things at different times. Because something existed in 87 doesn’t mean everyone’s journey in that discovery began there. Some people discovered gnr in 86, some in 91 some in 2002, some in 06, some in 08, 11, 13 or any year for that matter. How people go about hearing the band, what album they start on is all different. Growing up in the 90’s and being a fan would lead you to think of CW as a staple, a hit, or whatever you’d have heard it being a fan then. But as new fans come about the band they might start somewhere else and come to cw later. It’s not WTTJ, or SCOM popular but it gets its fair due. 

No the world doesn’t revolve around my timeline, but it doesn’t revolve around yours or anyone else’s either. What’s true for one person may not be for someone else. 

[dontdamnmeuyi2015]

So glad I got to see GNR perform this song live. It's still relatable to what's happening in today's world. I think most of GNR songs are still relatable to what shape the world is in and that's very sad. But these songs rock.

[janrichmond]

I bought the Civil War EP in '93 and it was played a lot  on the radio. The covers are numbered as a limited edition and the plastic case has Guns N' Roses printed on it in silver. It is definitely not  a deep cut to me. 

[double talkin jive mfkr]

most CD SONGS are not deep cuts absurdly enough 

like CD, BETTER AND This i Love lol 

[h2sublime]

Not a deep cut at all. Especially when GNR were the hottest band on the planet. When Civil War came out on Nobody’s Child it was huge on rock radio. Still to this day I hear it on rock stations all the time.

[trqster]

13 hours ago, double talkin jive mfkr said:

most CD SONGS are not deep cuts absurdly enough 

like CD, BETTER AND This i Love lol 

It's funny when people diss TIL since it's hugely popular on youtube without even having an official video for it!!

Like 7 million views for a lyrics video....respect!! I can only imagine how hugely popular TIL with a proper official single and video. Missed chance.

 

[WhazUp]

I would say there are three categories of cuts:  big hits, deep cuts, and songs that people who know a little more than just the hits would know.  I would say Civil War is one of the most known "non-big" hits of GNR, especially since it gets radio play as well

[Order of Nine]

7 hours ago, trqster said:

It's funny when people diss TIL since it's hugely popular on youtube without even having an official video for it!!

Like 7 million views for a lyrics video....respect!! I can only imagine how hugely popular TIL with a proper official single and video. Missed chance.

 

Yeah, I'm think it's either the top song on CD or second. And for me it's at least in the top 10 best GNR songs ever. Awesome solo by Robin, and I really think the string/synth arrangements are very well done. 

I prefer how it sounds live to the studio version. I think the tone of the guitars on the live version just don't have the right amount of clarity. And I actually prefer Frank's drumming to the studio version as well, especially during the build up before the last chorus after the solo. 

For some reason people either love it or hate it. I think it holds it's own against the other Piano heavy GnR songs like NR and Estranged. 

And oddly, I think Robin did a superb job at coming up with a very Slash Esq solo, idk if that was the intention or not, or of it was pre meditated. Slash has done some pretty good improves over it live but for that song less is more and Slash seems to always over play on that one.

Edited February 13, 2018 by Order of Nine

[Order of Nine]

As for Civil War I think it's definitely a staple. I think it has the best lyrics written for any Guns song. The verse wah wah solos are perfect and showcase Slash at what he does best, playing simple melodic melodies that serve the song instead of serving the guitarist.

The song has a great balance of mood due to the relative major switch durring the chorus. The song is in my top 5 songs by Guns, I have no idea why it was left out of the set list for so long.

[ludurigan]

On 11/02/2018 at 6:41 PM, IncitingChaos said:

You’re looking for a definite in a subjective answer. What defines a hit, or a deep cut isn’t an exact science. 

People discover things at different times. Because something existed in 87 doesn’t mean everyone’s journey in that discovery began there. Some people discovered gnr in 86, some in 91 some in 2002, some in 06, some in 08, 11, 13 or any year for that matter. How people go about hearing the band, what album they start on is all different. Growing up in the 90’s and being a fan would lead you to think of CW as a staple, a hit, or whatever you’d have heard it being a fan then. But as new fans come about the band they might start somewhere else and come to cw later. It’s not WTTJ, or SCOM popular but it gets its fair due. 

No the world doesn’t revolve around my timeline, but it doesn’t revolve around yours or anyone else’s either. What’s true for one person may not be for someone else. 

as far as i can tell a deep cut is somewhat an obscure song that usually is forgotten or neglected or not promoted (usually by not being played live) by a band

urban dictionary is more articulated than me

===

Urban Dictionary: Deep Cut

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Deep Cut

A song by an artist that only true fans of said artist will enjoy/know. True gems that are found later in an album, a b-side. Rarely if ever played on the radio.

===

Yeah.

Civil War is not a deep cut.

It was released BEFORE the Use Your Illusion albums and got a lot of radio airplay because GNR was on somewhat of a loooooong (today seems very short) hiatus and people were SO FUCKING HUNGRY for GNR like you CANT IMAGINE. To give you an idea, you think Axl solo album was heavily/anxiously antecipated? Guess what? GNR NEW ALBUM(S) in 1991 were MUCH MORE ANTECIPATED. Like you CANT IMAGINE.

Then AFTER the albums were released, CIVIL WAR was released as a single, kept on being played on the radio (it gets played to this day in some countries) and was performed basically EVERY FUCKING NIGHT in the HUGE TOURS of 1991 and 1992 and 1993.

Wikipedia tells me "It was released as a single in 1993 in several regions. Several regions in which the single was not released instead saw the release of The "Civil War" EP"

Are you seriously telling me this is a deep cut?

You werent there, but i can tell you that this song got famous to the point that A LOT OF CASUAL FANS of GNR knew the song.

You werent there, but i can tell you that this song got famous to the point that even people who didnt like (or actually DISLIKED) GNR knew the song.

Because it was played a lot on radio, in people's houses, parties etc etc

YEAH, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE were (and keep on being) exposed to that song

Wikipedia tells me this:

===

Reception

"Civil War" reached number four on the Mainstream Rock chart in Billboard magazine.

===

Then, as we know, the song got included on an album called "GREATEST HITS"

Are you kidding me? For fuck sake!

The fact that you (and your entire generation) were not much (or at all) exposed to the song doesn't change the facts that MILLIONS OF PEOPLE were exposed to it so many times that it cant possibly be a deep cut.

its a pretty well known song and pretty well known songs are not deep cuts!

This is not my opinion, its a bloody fact!

[IncitingChaos]

@ludurigan

if you check my list of where I put CW and any of my comments I made sure to not say CW is a deep cut. Just posed the counter argument that it’s not a SCOM, WTTJ type hit. It falls in the middle. I think one of the odd things is it feels like a disrespected hit Bc it’s so good and yet a casual fan won’t list it on songs they know the band has. I’ve come across this problem far too much. 

Only gnr can have a song like this and have it feel like it’s on a second tier to the music video hits. 

Imo it’s their best song, so possibly by that measure in my mind it feels like it doesn’t get it’s due to the point that it gets overlooked now. 

But your argument is fine. Gnr on iTunes has Civil War ranked ahead of Dont Cry,  nightrain, and YCBM. So it’s longevity is still there. Maybe not in the same way that Jungle, SCOM, PC, NR, KOHD and Patience have done but as you’ve said and many others, it doesn’t belong in the Deep cuts section 

[AXL_N_DIZZY]

Not sure if “deep cut” is precisely defined anywhere- but always considered it to mean a “non-featured” album track that you pretty much have to mine out on your own to appreciate. “Don’t Damn Me” immediately comes to mind for me...

“Civil War” as a released single, an EP and  Greatest Hits track seems anything but a deep cut. It was just buried for a while (as was “Don’t Cry”- perhaps even more incredibly).

Great tune though. One of those tracks that flashes virtually all the many talents the band has...

[SlashisGOD]

Not a deep cut at all. Deep cuts would be songs like

 

Bad Apples

Breakdown

Locomotive

Don't Damn Me

Get in the Ring

Shotgun Blues

 

Essentially, a lot of the UYI songs.

[Nikki_Sixx]

Released as a single.

NOT a deep cut.

If you claim otherwise, you have no idea what a deep cut is.

[The Real McCoy]

No. It still receives a lot of rock radio play to this very day