smoke

This shit's amazing. Rocket Queen totally falls apart at the end, but it's awesome to hear it before they hashed it out. Great post!

Though I really just want anything at this point, I hate the thought of anything less than a full album. The album as a concept might be dead or dying, but I still prefer music in the context of one. I think Axl is better suited for it, too.

-GNR has been my favorite band since around '87, but I didn't get into post-breakup GNR til around 2005. Before that, I used to check forums from time to time to laugh at retards who thought any facet of the new lineups were better than the classic or UYI lineups. I was wrong, but still can't grasp how anyone could be a GNR fan and NOT love those lineups.

-I firmly believe I could talk sense into Axl, though not as strongly as I did in 06-08.

I'm all for Axl pulling it together and having a kickass second half of his career, but we'd be fucking idiots to give him money towards an album. Millions of dollars weren't enough to get CD out in a timely fashion- forget about whose fault it was because it sounds like there's blame all around. But OUR money certainly wouldn't be enough to overcome those types of road blocks when the record company's money couldn't.

And his middle name is Bruce so that suggests he is a sweaty. It would explain the bad temper as well. I wonder which part he comes from, he's never stabbed anyone to my knowledge so that rules out Glasgow.

Has he ever headbutted someone though? That could put Glasgow back in the running right?

I voted CD2 leftovers followed by current lineup new album. I'd love either or both.

So what's kind of odd also is that the Best Buy sticker made it on the Red Hand cover. Maybe part of the sales pitch? I'd love to know the full scoop on the cover that actually made it out as well. Assuming the cover was "blessed" so to speak, but the insides got rushed and an unapproved version went to press.

So did Slash know he was meeting Bootsay that night, and vice-versa? Did someone "call" tophat? In a touring situation, would that need to be ironed out in advance, you think? Or maybe, fuck it, stick a tophat on the drummer and be done with it, right?

Does anyone here feel Bootsy is ripping off Slash's look?

Slash is shorter by any measure, I think he would need to put a small radio tower on the top of his hat to claim height victory.

One thing I've never understood are how the How Are You? grenade and the Red Hand covers made it out into the public. If there were just one or two copies floating around, I could understand that maybe someone in the camp or the studio passed it on to someone else. But aren't there accounts of the alternate covers showing up in retail?

So, do we know how a few of these things got out? How many were likely pressed, for those with general industry knowledge? I can't imagine they just made a dozen of each right? So is there a warehouse full of these things somewhere? How would onesies and twosies somehow slip out into different retail outlets, or am I making the wrong assumption?

Can anyone explain how something like this happens in generic industry terms, if not specifically in CD terms?

Who was in on the ego ramp war? Axl/Slash, or GNR/Cult?

I wouldn't fire anyone. Axl has had management from the topmost end of the spectrum down to first timers, and really none of them have been able to make him to anything he doesn't want to do. TB is as good as anyone in Axl's dysfunctional world.

For long time fans who were alive/listening to GN'R in 1990, how did you react to Civil War when it came out or when you first heard it? I imagine it must've seemed a radical departure for GN'R. And for fans in general, do you view the jump from AFD/LIes to Civil War as being a big jump, musically speaking?

Was it a good song for GN'R to come out of their hiatus with, to promote the then upcoming UYIs with? The first GN'R single of the '90s--Was it a good choice to release?

I was VERY impressed when I first heard CW. To me it showed a ton of depth across the board from everyone in the band.

It must've been shocking though. I mean, GN'R were known beforehand for their aggressive sort of "sex, drugs, and rock n' roll" type songs, with the exception really of Patience and SCOM...For them to come out with a half acoustic, half electric, deep sort of 60s/70s esque protest song, including piano, it must've been sort of like, "what the hell?" but in a good way.

Well, not really for me. To be honest, Lies was the shocker. I was stunned by the acoustic half of the album. I liked it, but I was stunned by it. I remember buying it on cassette of the the "lock up cage" at a Perry Drug Store btw haha.

CW seemed more or less like a perfect mix of what they did on AFD and Lies to me.

Totally agreed. When Civil War came out it just blew me away, but it wasn't jarring or anything. Side R of Lies though, I couldn't even wrap my head around it at first. I couldn't believe Axl could sing like that. I especially couldn't believe they'd made You're Crazy into an acoustic version (of course the truth is the other way around, but I didn't know at the time.)

I guess ultimately Lies had already provided the weirdest GNR experience to date, so CW wasn't as divergent as it might have been with no Lies.

"TSI?" > Lies imo

If I was Joseph Stalin I would take away your opinion.

All out of likes for the day or I'd give you one for this

Guns N' Roses - The Calm Before The Storm

The first song being called Beautiful Sunrise and each song would become more and more heavy and more up tempo. The closing song would be called Perfect Storm and it would be on the epic scale of Coma but with the catchiness of Jungle.

This would be great, and should end with the sounds of a punch up in studio.

It's very possible to like Guns N' Roses without loving DJ. Poll is shit.

I've thrown this album away and rebought it at least 3 times. I keep thinking it can't suck as much as I remembered, but it always does. I've saved myself some money by ripping it and putting it on the cloud in case I go getting any ideas again.

I came here in 2007 to try and answer questions about Reckless Road and then I saw all the fighting AXL VS Slash so I thought I would stick around and try to break it up.

That's a heck of a long term investment there.

I'd buy multiple formats as well. A CD to rip (and to "own", which is why I don't just buy it as an MP3) and at least one vinyl, maybe more depending on the price. Possibly multiple CDs to hand them out to people I think would like it but wouldn't have bought it otherwise.

I love the smell of Apathy in the.... bah, nm.

Guns N' Roses got as big as a band can possibly get. They're the biggest and most influential band of the last 30 years. They were the only band since the 80s to manage to put themselves on the "Rock N' Roll Gods" league. And they did that in a record time. Which was not a good thing... As has been said before, they went Physical Graffity to soon.

Where is their influence?

That statement always goes unchallenged, but not by me. Who came after them with heavy GNR influence?

I'm with you on this one. I think I posted a similar question either here or on another board. For as awesome and huge as they were, have we really identified anyone who is clearly directly influenced by GNR? I'm talking output, not just giving them a nod as being an influence or being a fan. It seems bizarre to me that they HAVEN'T been more influential.

As I said (and must stress) my timeline is all conjecture, but I base it off of three things.

1. In the chats, Axl clearly had no ill will against Buckethead, and seemed to place ALL of the blame on management at the time.

2. Quite awhile before the press release from Axl, the sings were there that Buckethead was out. He took out all of the Guns N' Roses related material from his site.

3. Axl worked to get Buckethead back into the fold until the last possible minute. It was written in Ron's contract that he could be replaced by Buckethead at anytime prior to that first show in 2006. I.e., if Buckethead had shown up to the Hammerstein with guitar in hand 5 minutes before Axl took stage, Ron would be out (I'd guess still paid though).

As for the original posters question, I would guess Buckethead singed a two year contract when he joined on. It was probably in the process of being renegotiated when he left.

How do you know this part?

Did they specify that it would be a band member? If not, then my $ is on Del...

Hopefully TB will have another 3 hour meeting to discuss, possibly, sometime in the future, discussing- having a moderator for the next chat. Sounds like BBF put up with a lot of (undeserved) crap from a bunch of morons.

OOoooh, now that's a thought. I've since deleted the email, but I don't think they actually said it was a band member. I think it was just "the next victim". It'd be interesting if it were Del or someone like that.

I hope they bring Paul. Interesting to hear his two cents.

Funny you should mention. Has Paul been up to anything since leaving GN'R? I've honestly never looked into it.

Yes, Paul Tobias now works in the financial world, and lives in Indianapolis. He still talks to Axl and they still exchange x-mas/birthday gifts

sure.. Where do you get that?

From his uncle.

Get In the Ring is at its heart a great punk song. Take out the spoken word nonsense and it's awesome. I think it would be even better with Duff singing lead and Axl singing high harmonies and backup.

Obviously fucking around people. Didn't think I'd need smiley faces for a comment that over the top.

Mostly because they're raised on beer and centuries of inbreeding.