Bobbo

2 minutes ago, Rovim said:

Or fully rerecord a couple of tunes with Slash and Duff that they like and compare it to existing versions. They can just add their parts to some songs and completely rerecord others.

But we don't even know how Axl's vault material sounds like. If it's similar to Chinese like Axl said, it will be varied enough I suspect to serve as at least a start.

Personally, I think there's a good chance the material is strong enough to only benefit from Slash layers and some Duff arrangements cause Axl said it was completed for some time now. I didn't think Chinese copy/pasted approach ruined the album.

If they'll go for more organic and rerecording from scratch everything they're gonna use, it may take 40 years with Axl's need to tinker.

I guess it depends on why one would believe Axl took so long to tinker. Personally I think a lot of it had to due with Axl's own insecurities from fear of how people were going to take a Slash-less (and co-less) gnr that sounded drastically different. I think another big part of that had a lot to do with establishing chemistry and cohevisiveness with all these new guys. Especially with them all coming and going like fucking square dance partners.

I personally believe, as long as they keep their dumb fucking egos at bay, the chemistry between Axl, Slash, Duff, and God willing, Izzy, is so natural and effortless, that it wouldn't take nearly as long coming up with some amazing stuff. But at the very least, they need to rerecord what they (Axl) may have from the CD era, so it doesn't sound so fucking murky and confused.

1 minute ago, James Bond said:

I think the only problem with Slash and Duff adding to already existing tracks is that it will feel just as "cut and paste" as CD did. Vocals recorded in 1999, a solo from 2004, half the drums from 2006 and the rest from 2007. IRS literally has the exact vocal track from the '99 "demo" version. It adds to an inorganic feel.

There's nothing wrong with using Axl's material - it's all songs he'd be bringing to the table anyways. However, they'd naturally sound better if they were re-recorded from scratch. No need for ten guitarists on the same track. I always laughed at how many playing credits the song Chinese Democracy has for such a simple riff and song structure.

Get Slash, Duff, Richard and Frank (or Izzy or whoever is in the band) together in a room. Get the arrangement of Atlas Shrugged or whatever down. Record it with just those players and add the overdubs (solos, etc...) after. Put a killer new Axl vocal on it and there you go. No excess, Axl still gets to use his song, and it'll sound fresh. None of that "this was pasted together from ten years of recording" feeling.

Exactly what I've been saying for months now. Couldn't agree more.

Written sure? But it's not like Slash and the others were slopping on overdubs for November Rain's 1983 recording. The recording we got was fully representative of the band we had then.

Having Slash and Duff adding stuff on top of guys who they've never met, who haven't been in the band in a decade plus, and who they have no chemistry with, leading to an incohevise mess is a horrid idea. Which was the biggest complaint about CD by even people who loved the record.

Plus having your next record sounding a lot like the last record that everybody (fair or not) regards as a failure is a horrible idea commercially.

Horrible idea all around. Don't do it.

8 hours ago, NicoRourke said:

I pray to whoever for this to be true!!

I pray for the exact opposite.

Horrible, horrible idea. 

God that's who that was! Was driving me crazy.

Regardless if he's working with Tool or his actually side project, it's pretty telling that he's still neck deep in side projects while Dizzy and Fortus flat out quit theirs to solely focus on guns. I think it adds more credence that he's out, at least for touring.

the bottom line is that if his position in the touring band was secure, no way would he be throwing those hissy fits. My guess is he "apologized" (in a third person approach mind you) to at least secure his job potentially working on shit with them in the studio.

35 minutes ago, Billsfan said:

How about a petition to fire pitman?  

Surprised no one has done that yet lol

Please and thank you!!!!

Not sure if this was asked already...but downliner, can you possibly try to find out why he's not joining in? It may be a long shot, but you're the best shot we got at at least knowing why he's not doing it (yet).

The only thing I find odd about what Izzy's doing is that he would go as far to make a Twitter out of nowhere to say he's out, but not even bother to state why. Then again, maybe it's as simple as him just not having been asked. I don't know. Fuck

If Izzy can tell us he's not in at this point, I only wonder why he won't say why. What a cock tease

Everything this band does even with "proper" planning always, always, always, finds a way to go awry. That doesn't mean shit to me

theres just no way I believe they not only negotiated terms with Slash in less than six months, but then actually went ahead and announced it to the public in less than six months as well. This operation has never run that smoothly, and I just can't bring myself to collect the logic to believe they magically became competent enough to handle something as grandiose as that in such a short time frame. No fuckin way. This was in the works way before Ashba said "fuck this noise". How, when, where, and why? No idea. But I know there's more to it than they'll ever admit.

I realize that the mods/admins here were told by the higher ups that this "reunion" with Slash was put into motion after Axl was dumpster babied by Ron, Stinson, and, finally Ashba in the July of 2015 (the very end of July too, mind you). And while I believe that's what they were told, there's no way on God's green Earth that I believe that's how shit actually went down. We're talking about an operation that took months  and months of delays to release a god damn beach towel as a prize, but they somehow accomplished something as miraculous and epic as a reunion with Slash in less than six months? Unexpectedly, straight on a whim?

Jesus Christ, give me a break

21 minutes ago, ksks12 said:

A few things. First of all good effort and great topic.

 I Just want to make some observations. Just giving someone 25% by default by writing a solo is way way too much. Axl 'cowrote' by putting one verse in even though the song was written completely by someone else (for most parts Izzy).

Contributing on a song by someone else is something, coming up with a song is something else. And here is why Izzy was the main force. All of them were great together on making things work songs wise, but you still needed that first riff and chorus. 

Btw I'm not denying Axls talent, he wrote Estranged wich says a lot, but to put him on the front in songwriting process in gnr is just not right.

Please all jmho.

I will go to my grave believing Slash was dicked out of that writing credit for Estranged. Those guitar melodies pretty much drive that entire song.

5 hours ago, Billsfan said:

I'd bet the apology confirms he's still in. I'd think if he was out he could care less about apologizing

Feel this is worth putting here as well

But another possibility I haven't seen anyone mention is that maybe he's still involved with the band in a studio capacity, like Tobias was, but, for whatever reason, is done touring with them. And maybe that rubbed him the wrong way because it wasn't his choice? Just maybe? 

Obviously something happened internally that pissed him off. And honestly, if Slash and Duff really do have any  say in band decisions, I just can't see them wanting the guy in. At least not for live shows. Especially Slash. Shit, Slash didn't even have a keyboardist for his own shows for songs like Civil War and such. I can't imagine him vibing with a guy adding fucked up, B-rated porn noises to Jungle and Rocket Queen for no apparent reason. Even if they do play 1 or 2 CD songs, then what? And even then, Dizzy can do that shit just by the press of a button. The guy's utterly useless for these shows. I just don't see the point.

And they probably didn't either.

Maybe he's still involved with the band in a studio capacity, like Tobias was, but, for whatever reason, is done touring with them. And maybe that rubbed him the wrong way because it wasn't his choice? Just maybe? 

Obviously something happened internally that pissed him off. And honestly, if Slash and Duff really do have any  say in band decisions, I just can't see them wanting the guy in. At least not for live shows. Especially Slash. Shit, Slash didn't even have a keyboardist for his own shows for songs like Civil War and such. I can't imagine him vibing with a guy adding fucked up, B-rated porn noises to Jungle and Rocket Queen for no apparent reason. Even if they do play 1 or 2 CD songs, then what? And even then, Dizzy can do that shit just by the press of a button. The guy's utterly useless for these shows. I just don't see the point.

Your data is pretty much what I've been saying on here for years over and over (and annoyingly, I know :lol:). Axl, Slash, and Izzy have always been the essential trifecta of what made GNR so defined as...well GNR. Everyone else, while carrying some degree of importance, were expendable.

Axl's singing, lyrics, and melodies, along with Izzy's co writing contributions, and Slash's complimentary guitar tones complimenting both Izzy's guitar playing and Axl's contributions incredibly were always the main ingredients for their success. Everything else was icing. But as long as you had those three at the forefront, you had all you needed for true blue GNR.

Which is why I'm so down about Izzy having no involvement. Yet.

I still believe he's not privy to being treated as an underling to Axl, Slash, and Duff along with hanger ons who've contributed next to nothing creatively to the gnr name. Nor does he deserve it. But technically with the legal partnership between the "big 3" (assuming that's what they're now currently operating under), it's just fucking messy.

Only reason that makes any logical sense as to why he's not touching this with a ten foot pole. And probably why he's following none of them on Twitter (and vice versa).

Regardless, depressing as fuck :(.

The only saving grace you have when you aren't attractive is to be funny.

The original three were funny. These women aren't. That's why it'll bomb.

57 minutes ago, Subtle Signs said:

It sucks if he doesn't play. I know he was never promised or advertised and all we had to go on was the word of our GNR-insiders (TM) but most of us have never seen the real deal live. Even many of us old timers only saw the UYI post Izzy/Steven shows. I'm sure the shows will be awesome but if it comes out that they wouldn't pay Izzy what he wanted,I think there will be a big backlash. If you read the comments on the GNR Facebook page or Ultimate Guitar,many of them are clamoring for Izzy/Steven so it isn't just Forum nerds that want them there.

Exactly I think there was a method to his madness. The general public wants as much as the Appetite five as humanly possible. Maybe this is Izzy's way of making that more clear to the guys. It does seem like from the context of his posts that he's at least open to playing with them again. Hopefully the guys take him up on that.

Maybe this could bring a good thing. A lot of people are clamouring for the guy. Now more than ever. Maybe that'll make the camp put in an extra effort in getting Izzy on board. At least for these shows. It ain't over till it's over.

I gotta wonder why he's not a part of it. Does he just not want to? Why? He was always friends and played with all them throughout the years. Something get fucked in negotiations? Seems pretty telling he's following none of them on Twitter (suspending my disbelief that this is actually really him). Maybe he felt boned?

Would be sucha god damn bummer if he never takes the stage or works in the studio with them again. And fuck, if Pitman's there instead of Izzy I'll be fuckin ill.

I ideally rather have it strictly just about what Axl, Slash, and Duff did together, but it does make more sense than playing CD tripe. From a commercial point of view, there would be more demand for the VR hits than anything from CD. The general audience is more prone to know (and like) Slither and Fall to Pieces than, again, anything from CD.

Yes, CD is technically a "gnr" album but it's also technically by a different legal entity. It's a black sheep: No one really really wants to hear those songs, and no one really respects it as a genuine GNR album. That's just facts of life. Why force feed us stuff when there's next to no demand for the songs?

Personally I wouldn't mind hearing a couple VR songs, maybe Anastasia too. But that's it. If the rumors of Dave Kushner being the third guitarist for the tour are actually true, I don't think it'd be too far fetched Axl would actually be willing to the play the songs. Also would show something of a united front if they played a couple nu songs and a couple VR songs. Four songs out of the set list instead of lifeless covers? Fine by me.

13 minutes ago, bigpoop said:

People in the twitterverse say Steven wasn't there. Don't know how accurate that is but there are no pics of him so I'd guess he wasn't.

 

 

Yikes. Not the most promising sign for things to come if true...

13 minutes ago, RussTCB said:

Confirmation of what? Whether he's in GN'R or not? My guess is he doesn't even know himself currently.

Fuck that noise. I'm calling bullshit that they don't know who's in the regular lineup at least by now.

We Nancy Drewed Slash's guitar pic on Instagram that he was at the same spot nu guns were rehearsing the year prior. That was nearly two months ago. They've been rehearsing. He was either there or he wasn't. He's either been there since or he hasn't. There's no way I believe they don't have a concrete, regular lineup a month away from these shows. No fucking way.

I'm fully on the bandwagon that they're purposefully doing this to dupe people into buying tickets on the premise this is the real deal reunion. And they're doing it in the shitty way that they can have an alibi later "oh we never said it was a full reunion! Where on earth did you get that idea from?". But they know full well what they're doing here and it's fucked up. I can understand that maybe they don't know how they're going to incorporate Izzy and Steve's possible guest appearances yet, but any competent (hmm...) management team would know how to word around that in an official press release. They know who's in the concrete touring line up now. And I think it's shitty they're asking for these ludicrous deluxe whatever bullshit prices without at least having the decency to tell us who we're getting on the regular.

Is it really too much to ask to get confirmation on their most useless member, who makes Dizzy Reed look like he invented electricity in comparison? Jesus