Tommy on wanting to record new album, possible future tour plans

[Damn_Smooth]

Shit, Canada and Brazil slaughter that weak sauce.

[cheesecake]

Beats me why the employees of GNR had to express their wish of wanting to record a new album through interviews, why can't they tell Axl & his management this to their faces? I doubt Axl & co actually read any of the interviews.

[Damn_Smooth]

Beats me why the employees of GNR had to express their wish of wanting to record a new album through interviews, why can't they tell Axl & his management this to their faces? I doubt Axl & co actually read any of the interviews.

I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here and say that they say it in interviews because it responds to the questions that they're asked. Who would've thought? I know.

[maynard]

Lol, their excuses are more and more pathetic. Seriously, they have no idea whats going in the band, they just pickup the phone when Besta is calling them to tour probably. Funny stuff from the guy who has been in the band for almost 20 years and has no voice, no input, no power...

[Patience 4 Axl]

I wonder why Axl doesn't want to record with these guys. Most seem willing and able. Maybe the disappointment with CD made him realize that they're only good as a touring band and not good enough to make another album with. I suppose if they weren't paid they might feel a bit insulted. It's easier to come up with the excuse of being scattered all over the country as opposed to admitting their boss doesn't think their good enough to put out quality recordings.

[Guest NGOG]

Not exactly a riveting translation by the interviewer. I have to say, it is a bit concerning that they are still dropping that years-old line of "We want to do an album".

However, they have been known to cupcake the online community by being deliberately inaccurate. At the end of the day, Axl and Caram are probably the only people that will be aware of release plans.

[Amir]

I wonder why Axl doesn't want to record with these guys. Most seem willing and able. Maybe the disappointment with CD made him realize that they're only good as a touring band and not good enough to make another album with. I suppose if they weren't paid they might feel a bit insulted. It's easier to come up with the excuse of being scattered all over the country as opposed to admitting their boss doesn't think their good enough to put out quality recordings.

I don't think it's a lack of confidence in his band so much as in himself. He poured his heart and soul into ChiDem and most people really didn't care for it or give a shit. There's a quote from a '90 interview which I think sums up his feelings (especially the last line):

"The main thing about the next record is this is our dream, to get these songs out there into the public. Then once we get out there we’ll fight for them with the business side and stuff. But at this point that’s not what’s important. What’s important is the recording of the songs. If the business comes down on us really hard in a weird way, then we’ll make our choices - do we wanna deal with this, or do we not wanna fuckin’ deal with it? The record will sell a certain amount of copies the minute it comes out anyway, and we could live off that for the rest of our lives and record our records on small independent labels, it doesn’t matter. I mean, that’s not in the plans, but...ultimately, it just doesn’t matter, you know? It’s all down to what we want to deal with. Do we wanna give everything that we feel we have inside of ourselves, to do the shows to our top potential? Yes, we do. But I don’t choreograph things. I don’t know when I’m gonna slam down on my knees or whatever. It’s like, you have to ask yourself, do I wanna give all that, and have someone fuckin’ spitting in my face? Does it mean that much to me? No! I dig the songs. If you don’t want ‘em, fine. But I don’t have to give them to you."

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?/topic/204198-interesting-bits-from-an-axl-interview-april-1990/

Also, this bit from the USA Today interview in 2012:

"All the guys are writing, and we recorded a lot of songs over the years. We'll figure out what we feel best about. Chinese was done in piecemeal with one person here and one there at different times. Appetite for Destruction was the only thing written with lyrics and melody fitting the guitar parts at the same time. After that, I got a barrage of guitar songs that I was supposed to put words to, and I don't know if that was the best thing for Guns. I do want to lean more toward lyrics and melody."

I get the impression that it's a case of Axl trying to perfect the CD-era material he's been working on for a decade or so, partly out of perfectionism, partly out of fear of a critical drubbing. He worked on November Rain from '83 to '91.

[username]

From HTGTH:

But there are eight guys (in the band) in several cities and it is hard to gather them all.

1/ Book some rehearsals

2/ Assemble at those rehearsals

3/ Write and jam together

4/ Record an album

Seems to work for other bands!

Wow DeiselDaisey should be the manager of all the bands in the world.

According to him everything is a piece of cake

You mock this all you want. But the fact of the matter is that for almost every band that wants to make an album, it really is this easy.

Which is why I sincerely doubt Axl's desire to release anything at all. And that mentality is very disappointing to me as a fan.

Because at the end of the day it comes down to this: All signs point to this band (and particularly Axl) seems to be ok with playing material that almost none of them created tour after tour. As a fan, that's a big disappointment.

Edited February 15, 2014 by username

[Andrew07]

ugh all talk makes guns a dull band, glad to see tommy wants a new album but i guess ultimately its all up to axl.....

[Chainsforalice]

Almost had enough of this band.... No wait i love the band & have been a huge supporter of Axl for so long but seriously this is bullshit!! Guys from Guns should all just fucking quit, Dizzy & Richard to Dead Daises fulltime, DJ to Sixx Am, Bumble back to solo work, Frank back to Dead Daises, Tommy back to Replacements and just leave Chris brown nosing Axl. It's been so damn long since we've had an official studio release or anything, the fact that this forum including myself get so excited when something as small as axl tweeting is blatantly obvious that this whole thing is so fucked up. What other fan base gets treated with so little respect ?!? None. I can only speak for myself but if there is no new material this year and it's a deja vu of the past 4 years but with even weaker vocal ability, i'm fucking done.

[wfuckinga]

I honestly believe that's why Tommy has looked so bored onstage. He wants to do new stuff, get another record out, play more new songs and fewer old ones. Hell, he had been in the band for 10 years before CD was released. 10 years without an album. In 10 years, Mötley Crüe had put out their entire classic catalogue, toured them all, and released a Greatest Hits album with new songs on it. I know most of you don't like Crüe, but you can't deny the get shit done. What did Guns for for 10 years? Toured. And after CD was finally released, nothing happened. The tour didn't even start until late 2009, a year AFTER the record came out. I think it frustrates the hell out of Tommy.

[DR DOOM]

It's probably best for the guys in Axl's band just to not say anything regarding new music at all.

I cant say I feel sorry for them as nobody is forcing them to be in GNR and they get paid, but I think so many people in the (at least online) fanbase are sick to fucking death of lines like the ones Tommy sprouted in this interview and are just hostile about it.

edit: I don't get the whole "Tommy is an artist" shit...the guy takes a good paycheck to sit on his hands- like he gives a fuck about a new album besides getting publishing/songwriting credits on it?

Stinson is so fucking overrated in GNR...

Edited February 15, 2014 by DR DOOM

[Rovim]

It's probably best for the guys in Axl's band just to not say anything regarding new music at all.

I cant say I feel sorry for them as nobody is forcing them to be in GNR and they get paid, but I think so many people in the (at least online) fanbase are sick to fucking death of lines like the ones Tommy sprouted in this interview and are just hostile about it.

edit: I don't get the whole "Tommy is an artist" shit...the guy takes a good paycheck to sit on his hands- like he gives a fuck about a new album besides getting publishing/songwriting credits on it?

Stinson is so fucking overrated in GNR...

Alright, but what do you want him to do? as a band member/employee he can't do very much without Axl's consent.

He leads rehearsals, he wrote songs and was a big part of the album (most evident in the multitracks) and if he doesn't give a lot of fucks it's at least understandable with how shit went down with new Guns.

It's not his call to say "hey why don't we just do this and that?" he knows better then that I think. He knows Axl and he knows Axl ain't gonna do shit if he doesn't want to. (in most cases anyway)

It's not like he's not doing his job. Plus, we don't know about everything he brings to the table musically. He's a fine bass player, he never left, and the quality of performance live sometimes rivals Axl's. He's a pro and I don't think new Gn'R will be the same or as good without him.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Rovim

[DR DOOM]

Well if I had to choose something for him to do, it would be don't talk about a new album with GNR.

I'm not blaming him for shit, it's Axl's band and none of the other guys have a say in it at the end of the day.

It could be Joe Six Pack playing the bass onstage for all it really matters...Tommy's so wonderful he gets to play nearly a whole show of Duff's basslines.

[Axl_morris]

I wonder why Axl doesn't want to record with these guys. Most seem willing and able. Maybe the disappointment with CD made him realize that they're only good as a touring band and not good enough to make another album with. I suppose if they weren't paid they might feel a bit insulted. It's easier to come up with the excuse of being scattered all over the country as opposed to admitting their boss doesn't think their good enough to put out quality recordings.

I wonder why Axl doesn't want to record with these guys. Most seem willing and able. Maybe the disappointment with CD made him realize that they're only good as a touring band and not good enough to make another album with. I suppose if they weren't paid they might feel a bit insulted. It's easier to come up with the excuse of being scattered all over the country as opposed to admitting their boss doesn't think their good enough to put out quality recordings.

You not like going down?

I thought this lineup could come up with great things.

[Rovim]

Well if I had to choose something for him to do, it would be don't talk about a new album with GNR.

I'm not blaming him for shit, it's Axl's band and none of the other guys have a say in it at the end of the day.

It could be Joe Six Pack playing the bass onstage for all it really matters...Tommy's so wonderful he gets to play nearly a whole show of Duff's basslines.

First 2 lines sure. but Tommy being wonderful or not as a musician (I'm guessing you meant talented) has nothing to do with the fact he plays mostly Duff's basslines. You can chalk that one up to Axl's inability to release more then one album every 20 years. (so far)

There are at least 18 unreleased Chinese songs waiting in Axl's vault. Tommy's basslines are probably on every one of those. If Axl released albums like most bands/normal musicians, there is a good chance he would have played many more new songs. It's not like he doesn't want to, he's not allowed to do so.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Rovim

[Amir]

I think Tommy's been close to quitting a couple of times; those cryptic tweets before the Dec '10 Abu Dhabi gig come to mind (I'm not sure how much credence can be given to that supposed email from the alleged flash drive ).

I liked this bit from a Feb '09 interview he did:

AVC: Chinese Democracy took all of 10 years to make. What was the recording process like? I mean, you couldn’t have been working at it every day for 10 years.

TS: At first we were in there a lot. We were working on the writing aspect of it, but it just kept going on. We had [interscope Chairman] Jimmy Iovine intervening in a not-so-productive way, and we had other guys coming and going with nutty ideas. My summation of the whole thing is that Interscope, when they took over Geffen, really led Axl to believe that Jimmy Iovine would be involved, and would help get this record done and make it happen. But basically what he did was let it completely fall apart. Then he had this great idea to bring in [producer] Roy Thomas Baker to make it sound better. All he did was re-record everything three or four different times, trying to make it sound like something it didn’t need to sound like, and spend $10 million in the process. My two cents on the whole thing is that I really think Jimmy Iovine fucked the whole thing up.

It was a bummer. Most of the songs that are on the record now were done 10 fucking years ago. But all the talking heads in the mix were saying, “Make ’em sound better! Make ’em sound better!” So we kept redoing this and that. And it ended up coming back down to the same fucking songs that they were 10 years ago, except that now they were a super-dense mishmash of a bunch of instrumentation. That whole era pretty much sums up what happened to the record industry. Those kinds of people, making those kinds of decisions and not really helping the artist.

I think Tommy's bass on CD is great, especially on Better and Riad, but unfortunately buried in the mix.

[DR DOOM]

Well if I had to choose something for him to do, it would be don't talk about a new album with GNR.

I'm not blaming him for shit, it's Axl's band and none of the other guys have a say in it at the end of the day.

It could be Joe Six Pack playing the bass onstage for all it really matters...Tommy's so wonderful he gets to play nearly a whole show of Duff's basslines.

First 2 lines sure. but Tommy being wonderful or not as a musician (I'm guessing you meant talented) has nothing to do with the fact he plays mostly Duff's basslines. You can chalk that one up to Axl's inability to release more then one album every 20 years. (so far)

There are at least 18 unreleased Chinese songs waiting in Axl's vault. Tommy's basslines are probably on every one of those. If Axl released albums like most bands/normal musicians, there is a good chance he would have played many more new songs. It's not like he doesn't want to, he's not allowed to do so.

I'm not saying he isn't talented or cant play or anything, in fact I'm not "anti Tommy" but I just reckon the guy is massively over rated in GNR because besides the 2 times you can hear his bass on CD, what is there?

I'd love for more music to be released and Tommy kicks ass all over it.

Odds are his bass will be inaudible and have Ron and DJ's "improvements" on decade old music layered all over it.

[Rovim]

Well if I had to choose something for him to do, it would be don't talk about a new album with GNR.

I'm not blaming him for shit, it's Axl's band and none of the other guys have a say in it at the end of the day.

It could be Joe Six Pack playing the bass onstage for all it really matters...Tommy's so wonderful he gets to play nearly a whole show of Duff's basslines.

First 2 lines sure. but Tommy being wonderful or not as a musician (I'm guessing you meant talented) has nothing to do with the fact he plays mostly Duff's basslines. You can chalk that one up to Axl's inability to release more then one album every 20 years. (so far)

There are at least 18 unreleased Chinese songs waiting in Axl's vault. Tommy's basslines are probably on every one of those. If Axl released albums like most bands/normal musicians, there is a good chance he would have played many more new songs. It's not like he doesn't want to, he's not allowed to do so.

I'm not saying he isn't talented or cant play or anything, in fact I'm not "anti Tommy" but I just reckon the guy is massively over rated in GNR because besides the 2 times you can hear his bass on CD, what is there?

I'd love for more music to be released and Tommy kicks ass all over it.

Odds are his bass will be inaudible and have Ron and DJ's "improvements" on decade old music layered all over it.

Again, you can listen to the multitracks, and his playing is great imo. I think he was a big part of Street Of Dreams, and Riad. His bass sounds fucking mean on Oh My God, and his abilities as a songwriter are not too shabby. (Village Gorilla Head)

For the record, I didn't think you were anti Tommy, I just think that we don't know the full extent of what he did musically in Guns.

[Patience 4 Axl]

I wonder why Axl doesn't want to record with these guys. Most seem willing and able. Maybe the disappointment with CD made him realize that they're only good as a touring band and not good enough to make another album with. I suppose if they weren't paid they might feel a bit insulted. It's easier to come up with the excuse of being scattered all over the country as opposed to admitting their boss doesn't think their good enough to put out quality recordings.

I don't think it's a lack of confidence in his band so much as in himself. He poured his heart and soul into ChiDem and most people really didn't care for it or give a shit. There's a quote from a '90 interview which I think sums up his feelings (especially the last line):

"The main thing about the next record is this is our dream, to get these songs out there into the public. Then once we get out there we’ll fight for them with the business side and stuff. But at this point that’s not what’s important. What’s important is the recording of the songs. If the business comes down on us really hard in a weird way, then we’ll make our choices - do we wanna deal with this, or do we not wanna fuckin’ deal with it? The record will sell a certain amount of copies the minute it comes out anyway, and we could live off that for the rest of our lives and record our records on small independent labels, it doesn’t matter. I mean, that’s not in the plans, but...ultimately, it just doesn’t matter, you know? It’s all down to what we want to deal with. Do we wanna give everything that we feel we have inside of ourselves, to do the shows to our top potential? Yes, we do. But I don’t choreograph things. I don’t know when I’m gonna slam down on my knees or whatever. It’s like, you have to ask yourself, do I wanna give all that, and have someone fuckin’ spitting in my face? Does it mean that much to me? No! I dig the songs. If you don’t want ‘em, fine. But I don’t have to give them to you."

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?/topic/204198-interesting-bits-from-an-axl-interview-april-1990/

Also, this bit from the USA Today interview in 2012:

"All the guys are writing, and we recorded a lot of songs over the years. We'll figure out what we feel best about. Chinese was done in piecemeal with one person here and one there at different times. Appetite for Destruction was the only thing written with lyrics and melody fitting the guitar parts at the same time. After that, I got a barrage of guitar songs that I was supposed to put words to, and I don't know if that was the best thing for Guns. I do want to lean more toward lyrics and melody."

I get the impression that it's a case of Axl trying to perfect the CD-era material he's been working on for a decade or so, partly out of perfectionism, partly out of fear of a critical drubbing. He worked on November Rain from '83 to '91.

I take Axl quotes with a grain of salt. Even when he's putting pressure on himself, he ultimately blames others for that pressure he feels. I never get the impression that Axl lacks confidence in himself, and if he does, it's someone else's fault.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Patience 4 Axl

[Padme]

It's probably best for the guys in Axl's band just to not say anything regarding new music at all.

Sorry I disagree. We have had pointless chats with band members. Fans expecting an update about the album during those chat and nothing relevant was said. Axl only talking about giraffes. And finally he have Tommy talking about album. Unfortunately fans are disapointed with Tommy´s comments. But at the same time he kinda confirmed what many fans fear. Besides there was speculation the record company was blocking the album. Well Tommy says nothing about the record company being to blame. So we know that´s not the problem.

[DR DOOM]

No problem dude (Rovim), as I said I'd be all for him getting to show us what he can do.

Unfortunately, we are relying upon the organ grinder, not the monkey.

edit: (Padme) it's probably best for them not to say it, hehe

Edited February 15, 2014 by DR DOOM

[Amir]

I take Axl quotes with a grain of salt. Even when he's putting pressure on himself, he ultimately blames others for that pressure he feels. I never get the impression that Axl lacks confidence in himself, and if he does, it's someone else's fault.

I think the whole CD saga is a good indicator of how Axl can lack confidence in himself. Moby said he was like a "beaten dog" when he met him. And I think it's a mix of external and internal pressures. On the one hand, there was the pressure from the label, the public, etc. (which he joked about in the TMS video interview), on the other hand, there's his own desire to make great music. Yeah, he blamed Slash and Duff for his songwriter's block in the USA Today interview, but I think a lot of it is his own (occasional) insecurity. I think the lyrics of Scraped give the best insight into how he feels (sometimes he's up, sometimes he's down).

[Amir]

Not trying to say Axl's not to blame, he for sure shoulders most of the blame. But besides Dr.Dre, everybody seems to hate Lovine. A lot of people have blamed him for a lot of stuff. The general feeling is that he is a huge s.o.b.

It's weird how Trent ranted about Iovine in interviews as recent as last year, but ends up becoming the spokeperson for Iovine's new online music service.

[Patience 4 Axl]

It's probably best for the guys in Axl's band just to not say anything regarding new music at all.

Sorry I disagree. We have had pointless chats with band members. Fans expecting an update about the album during those chat and nothing relevant was said. Axl only talking about giraffes. And finally he have Tommy talking about album. Unfortunately fans are disapointed with Tommy´s comments. But at the same time he kinda confirmed what many fans fear. Besides there was speculation the record company was blocking the album. Well Tommy says nothing about the record company being to blame. So we know that´s not the problem.

This.

These guys are musicians, they've been in other bands, recorded albums, they know what the normal process is and how it's supposed to work. Musicians talk about music, it's right there in their fucking title. While their comments ultimately serve in making the fans feel down about the band and provides little hope for the future, one could just imagine how frustrated they all must be with this as well.