The rampaging hard rock beast that was a Live Era Guns N’ Roses showcased their rare sensitive side on 1989’s whistle-happy acoustic power ballad, Patience.
The single, off the band’s lesser-known Lies EP, has been taken to its inevitable 2015 conclusion and given an indie-folk makeover.
Double-teamed by Californian folksters Shovels & Rope and The Milk Carton Kids – in honour of the former band’s new covers record, Busted Jukebox, Vol. 1. – the twangy rendition pulls back the tempo and replaces Axl Rose’s cement mixer pipes with layered, earthy harmonies and a soaring female vocal in the outro.
To put it plainly – and to generalise A LOT – if you identify with this:
Then chances are, you’ll probably dig the hell out of it.
However, if you’re more this way inclined:
Then it’s possible you’ll see this version as an affront to everything you hold dear, and yet another symptom of the growing trend that’s seen heavy music slowly but surely strangled from the popular airwaves and replaced by a wave of quavery-voiced mandolin-strummers.
Still better than Sheryl Crow covering Sweet Child, though.
Plus, The Milk Carton Kids have told the Wall Street Journal they got on board with the cover for one simple reason: “Underneath the elegant façade beat hearts of pure heavy metal”.
And, as Twelve Foot Ninja guitarist Stevic so eloquently put it, we should just “forget about any concept of conforming to an image or ideology in music.”
“It’s okay to like Pantera and the Doobie Brothers. It’s okay to like Meshuggah and Adele.”
Check it out and see what you reckon, below.
Either way, you’re still alright to smile, because it looks like those Guns N’ Roses reunion rumours are a step closer to coming to fruition.
Watch: Shovels & Rope | The Milk Carton Kids – Patience
Watch: Guns N’ Roses – Patience
