GnR Chris

If GNR do the Sphere, it could be cool. But they'd have to update their graphics. I don't wanna see two skeletons fornicating during "Rocket Queen."

I enjoy GNR as a live act, or a legacy act, whatever. They've now spent over eight years together not recording a new record, so I've pretty much given up any hope it'll actually happen. Part of me was dumb enough to think covid really did cause a delay in plans. But once they came out of quarantine without any studio time, I realized this is all it will be. As far as Axl's "new GNR." I still think the Bucket/Finck era band could have been something special in the early 2000s. It is what it is though. "Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years."

Sometimes it’s really not that serious. I enjoyed hearing newly recorded Axl vocals. I look forward to the day GNR get in studio to record. It doesn’t need to be what once was. Michael Jordan played for the Washington Wizards. It didn’t tarnish what he did with the Bulls.

Eh, we're allowed to like what we like. That isn't "coping." It's nice to hear Axl on something newly recorded. Whether it compares to his vocal performances from 20 years ago is irrelevant to me. The song seems to mostly be getting favorable blurbs from folks outside of this bubble who are talking about the record.

"Rock the Rock" was recorded after Slash and Duff returned, wasn't it? Also, goddamn, this was a brutal assessment of the song. lol I'm looking forward to the day (if it ever comes) where we have new GNR or Axl songs with newly recorded vocals. I just hope they hire a professional to mix and master.

Unfortunately, a lot of songs are put through the ringer these days in post. I love "Ordinary Man," by Ozzy (featuring Elton John), but holy moly, the pitch correction or auto tuning or whatever the hell it is is very apparent. All the tech in the world, and they can't mix it better?

I've listened several times in a row now and I like it. lol.

I don't love this song in general. But it's nice to hear Axl on it. The vocals do sound a little over processed in moments. I'm probably not using the correct terminology. I'm here for the croaky old-man "Madagascar" style though for sure.

I’m excited even though “The General” is just ok. And it’s because what we long believed was “The General” was actually “Monsters” and that song is great.

With all these musicians showing up, it'd be cool to see Axl and Slash at the DNC playing the coda to "November Rain." lol

Timeline is all fuzzy to me now. I know in 1998, I was still putting GNR on mix tapes for girls I liked. But it was only a couple years removed from Slash quitting. I wasn’t really thinking about “what are they doing now?” Fast forward some years to 2002. I was on vacation and someone happened to throw on the VMAs. I had no idea GNR were gonna make an appearance. I was, as I’m sure many were, flabbergasted by the lineup. But also fascinated. To that point, I hadn’t seen Axl on stage since the Bruce Springsteen appearance in 1994. I knew nothing about the new lineup. When Fallon introduced the band, I probably even for a moment thought Slash was back (until of course I saw the circus-act look of the lineup). I distinctly remember everybody asking, “what’s up with the fucking guy with the KFC bucket?” And the way Finck looked? This was all very, very different. I was excited to see Axl again, slightly dismissive about the look of the new lineup, but also lowkey mesmerized. So in the next couple of years, with the internet in its infancy (I didn’t get broadband till 2002, and YouTube didn’t even exist yet), I started trying to hunt down info on GNR. A friend at the time sent me some songs from Live Era via AOL Instant Messenger. It just reminded me again how fucking amazing GNR was. I think people forget how the internet today has made everything so accessible. Back then, if you missed something on TV, like a new episode of your favorite series, you’d maybe catch it in reruns years later. If you missed a live performance of a band at an award show? You could only read about it. To quote Chuck Klosterman from his book The Nineties: “It was a decade of seeing absolutely everything before never seeing it again.” I almost went to the 2006 Rosemont, Illinois show, but regretfully missed it due to a work obligation thing the next day (I feared the band would hit the stage way too late). It’s weird ‘cause it says I joined this forum in 2010. I must have been a longtime lurker ‘cause I was definitely in here before then (I’d say 2005). I remember downloading live leaks or leaks of some GNR tunes from Limewire. “Madagascar” and “IRS” stand out. The Chinese Democracy recording sessions, that lineup era, and the release of the record will always remind me of a mysterious, exciting time period for me as a fan. While many were split into team Axl or team Slash camps, I was always a fan of both (although never really into Velvet Revolver). And in many ways, Axl was the last big rock star from the last era where rock music mattered in popular culture. It just took him too long to return. But maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, and GNR could never be what it had been, even if Slash had returned in 2000. Another excerpt from Klosterman’s book: ”There would be hundreds of consequential rock albums recorded in the wake of Nevermind, yet none would approach its nonmusical importance. The dominance of Nirvana’s paradoxical aesthetic ended the dominance of rock as an ideology. But it would take fifteen years for most people to detect this.” TLDR: I didn’t like Bumblefoot and Ashba. I did enjoy the Bucket/Finck era and how radical of a departure it was from classic GNR. I think time has been kind to that version of Guns, and it isn’t as ridiculed now as it may have been back then. I wish they would have done more. And sadly, I think we’ll all say the same about GNR after Slash and Duff returned. I wish they would have done more.

I fuckin’ hate AI.

That photo of Slash with the Owen Hart book is real? I assumed someone photoshopped the book cause you see trash ads similar to that all the time on Facebook.

Sorum might be more recognizable than Adler to a lot of people as the GNR drummer, because, yes, GNR were hugely popular in the early '90s and embarked on the world tour. And Sorum had the stupid perm. Also, yes, Sorum was a very good drummer for GNR. But no, Sorum is not responsible in any way, shape or form for the success of Guns N' Roses. He didn't add some distinct flavor that people instantly recognize as "GN'R." In fact, I'd say the opposite. This is what Izzy had to say way back when: "Adler's sense of swing was the push and pull that give the songs their feel. When that was gone, it was just... unbelievable, weird. Nothing worked. I would have preferred to continue with Steve, but we'd had two years off and we couldn't wait any longer." Let's be real. It could have been any competent drummer that GNR used once Adler was fired. Nothing changes in regard to the success they would have had on the Illusions tour.

Yeah, we just don't know what the actual plans were. Maybe since they were only initially talking Coachella, they considered doing classic lineup reunion. But then as they talked further about an actual tour and all that, guest spots for Adler and Izzy started becoming more realistic. We still don't know if the "loot" comment was in regard to a share of tour profits or if Izzy wanted back in the GNR agreement, or what. We never will know. I don't think Izzy would have ever been down for a world tour like the one the band embarked on from 2016 through today. And Adler couldn't handle it. So I really don't think Fortus spot was in jeopardy. If anything, probably would have just been an additional guitarist. It's all so fascinating the way the reunion came together. I really hope we get some details eventually of what happened and what almost happened.