themadcaplaughs

I doubt we'll see any changes in the band lineup (they seem to have a good thing going), but it does seem like everything is adding up to a hiatus (which makes complete sense). Not quite the sense of finality at the end of the Vegas 2014 run, but some similarities: the band really going all in on cool set lists, Axl seeming like he's really giving it his all and having a great time (technical issues from this show aside), and thanking the crew (I remember in 2014 he started to thank Caram and the band at various shows and at the Golden Gods Award). The last show in that 2014 run was, if I remember correctly, June 2014 and the band was back in April 2016 for the beginning of Not in this Lifetime: almost two years. I imagine we'll have a similar break here (maybe an occasional festival show since - unlike 2014 - they have a full functioning band). 

Too bad all the people that said they were done with the band and cancelled their vinyl orders won't get to enjoy this fun moment...

Very interesting all around. Can't really say how I really feel after a few cursory listens, but interesting to hear how we have the "different" approach Axl was trying to take GN'R in the 1990s/2000s combined with (particularly in "Monsters") Slash guitar tones that sound like they could have come straight off the Velvet Revolver albums. On one hand, it does all sound very much of its time (as someone else pointed out), but it does make more for interesting listening than the past three songs where it sounds like they are trying to retroactively make it sound like "classic" Guns. 

Can we reinstate Pele so he can admit he was wrong? 

So is the consensus we will get both "The General" and "Monsters" on the "R" side of the vinyl? 

Also, does this officially mean @pele was, technically, wrong? 

So can everyone forgive the band now? 

36 minutes ago, whiny said:

haven't posted in a long time ... and i don't think i ever will again. this is really a low point (in a series of low points) ... so after all that patience for years and a series of "more of the same"-world-tours filled with mostly uninspired, often predictable and sloppy live performances (at least vocalwise) that have turned ax into a parody of himself ... what's left and what the band or management are pulling off right now is nothing short of a failure to communicate, a mean n' chronically disrespectful foolery (at least of the real fanbase), an ongoing waving of imaginary carrots and a logistical bankruptcy (not to speak of the creative one,  when you think of how unloving and unkind they treated a potentially ok song like "hard skool")  ... clinging to this band and still hoping for something interesting or actively supporting them has become like a symptom of a well developed "stockholm syndrom". if i weren't home already, i'd say: "thank you lame ass ..." (well you know the words). this is really it, i think i'm done.

Let us know your thoughts when you get your vinyl in the mail! 

5 minutes ago, Powerage5 said:

Was about to remind people of much of the same - it’s easy to say “lol typical GN’R”, but this has been a problem across the music business for several years now. This delay is very, very likely to be out of GN’R’s hands entirely. 
 

That said, it could (And should) have been communicated sooner than this, because there’s no way today is when they found out they can’t start shipping records tomorrow. 

Exactly! This is a level-headed response. I agree notice even a few days ago would have been nice: particularly when we know there are members of management actively reading the forums who had to know how excited the online fanbase was about this song. 

Again, however, many bands where this issue has happened did not bother to send updates until well after the initial shipping estimate passed (if they even provided one to begin with).

As Gn'R fans we just have to accept this is not a band that releases music regularly, but I can say since the new song started dropping in 2021, they seem much better about keeping their word than they did in the 2000s during the "dark years". 

Look, I understand this band's history and why it has consistently set us up for disappointment and resentment, but come on. I imagine, more than likely, this is the result of vinyl issues. I have seen releases from other bands be pushed MUCH further down the line. I recently ordered some Weezer vinyl that was delayed close to a year due to manufacturing issues. 

I always felt the October release date for the vinyl seemed a little optimistic, but maybe they had clear word that deadline would definitely be met. Things happen. Enjoy some other music. Take a break from Guns N Roses for a while. We'll more than likely get this sooner than later. If we're still talking about this in March or April of next year with no updates, then go ahead and get pissed off. 

I do not mean to sound like a band/Axl sycophant. Any perusal of my posts will show I try to call it like it is, but it just seems people are getting riled up needlessly. Remember, just a few months ago, when "Perhaps" did not drop on the anticipated date, and we heard all this same hyperbole. Again, I admit this feels a little different since we actually had a shipping date in hand (I do not think we'd ever head an official release of "Perhaps" until it dropped), but if we want to judge this band on the same metric we judge other bands, this is happening across the board. 

By early next year, we'll all have likely heard "The General", made our initial comments, and promptly moved back to complaining about wanting more music. 

2 minutes ago, Bansidhe said:

Probably a drunken Baz.

You know, I never thought of that being the case. I know this was a joke, but I'd actually pin the chances of this being the case at above 50%...

Even if the shipper prepare the labels next week, I'd still expect a wait. With the Hard Skool/Absurd vinyl and CD, I think they created the label the day it was supposed to ship (thus triggering an "it shipped" email), but the items did not actually start moving for a few weeks. 

18 hours ago, bumbleslash69 said:

I mentioned it in the General thread. But Tommy is Tommy. He's an old punk rocker showing his age. I wouldn't be surprised if his listening habits are left of the dial of today's mainstream rock. I think he's happy to talk about Guns, but I don't think he cares enough or remembers enough to give too insightful of answers about anything Chinese Democracy related. It seemed very much like it was a gig and far in the rear view when I've seen him and not something he lived and breathed.

While I wouldn't go so far to say he didn't live and breathe it (at least at some point in the history of his tenure), I think this sums it up perfectly. He's been out of the band for almost ten years now, and the last five or so years of the band were really spent just touring. Slash and Duff are back, and he seems to be proud of his accomplishments with the band and happy with how things ended. Like the quote above said, he's happy just doing his own thing and playing these small gigs. Also worth noting is that he gives similar type answers for The Replacements as he does for Guns N' Roses. I think both of them are just a part of his life that ended naturally and he's happy to discuss, but it does not really have any bearing on his present output. 

Also, think of how many years and sessions the dude played on from 1998-2006 (when we assume the bulk of the recording happened). I think it's completely realistic he would not have a great memory of the minutiae and hasn't had the time yet to listen to "Perhaps".  

16 hours ago, Blackstar said:

He said in one of the recent interviews (paraphrasing) that he hasn't talked to Axl, but he's on good terms with the camp. I think he must be still in touch with Fortus, at least.

If social media are any indication, he's the only NuGnR member Beta and Dizzy still follow on Instagram (Beta has liked some of his posts, too). He doesn't follow anyone from GN'R though.

When I spoke to him in similar circumstances at the beginning of 2022, he said he talks semi-regularly and will always be cool with Del James. Frank, and Richard. Said he liked Dizzy and DJ Ashba a ton but has not kept in touch with them as much but no ill will at all. 

1 hour ago, rumandraisin said:

I get the feeling he'd rather talk politely about that era and move on. 

He still talked about it with enthusiasm and did say, without reservation, he'd still love to be there and would be if his family situation hadn't called for him to leave the band. Like @bumbleslash69 said though, so much of the details we are asking about (studio time, song names, who played on what) is just stuff he genuinely does not remember. The fact of the matter is, his actual studio time with GN'R was probably over in 2006/2007 if not earlier and everything since then was just touring. I probably wouldn't be able to remember those kind of details almost twenty years down the road, particularly when he is involved in multiple projects. I imagine, beyond wanting to live in the moment, he's more excited to talk about new projects since that is what he remembers the most and are most "fresh" in his mind. 

Great read and you bring up a great point; for those of us that were really "all-in" when it came to Guns N' Roses and loving all their lineups, the hype of 2009/2010 was almost (if not) higher than the 2016 shows. Between Axl being absolutely on fire with energy and vocals and the marathon set lists, it really was a great time to be a fan. Not having Robin there was (for me at least) a bummer, but they more than made up for it. Add in the surprise shows and Axl still having some of the "old Axl" in him in terms of rants and breakdowns, I would argue the 2009/10 was the closest the band felt to the UYI era since 1993. I can still remember the ridiculousness of the rant against Madison or looking at that video of Axl hitting the photographer at the airport to determine whether or not he still had the braids. 

Also good points all around on DJ. I really do not think it was hatred right off the bat. People had reservations about him from the get-go admittedly, but we also emphasized the positives: he had a much deeper background to hard rock than Robin did, the fact that DJ was as well known as a songwriter as he was a guitarist was a good sign that Axl might be interested in writing new material, and even before he played a show with the band, DJ seemed interested in trying to reach out to fan in a meaningful way. And for his shows in 2009/10, he ranged from "fine" to actually pretty good. Like others said, he seemed more interesting in playing things note for note and his whole "persona" seemed toned down compared to later years. I would argue he played Slash's solos more faithfully than Robin (which is not a rock on Robin, as I liked some his versions of the Slash solos) and, in hindsight, certainly tackled the Chinese Democracy material better than Slash has since 2016. Heading out of 2010, I honestly remember the vibe being very similar to how it was for many people with Robin in 2002; there was a lot of room for improvement but the task did not seem above him to be a great fit in the band. It was when they came back with RiR 2011 that all the negative things about DJ seemed amped up: the showboating on stage, the teenage girl level social media posts, being a walking billboard for other brands (and his own shit), and (most unforgivably), his guitar playing really seemed to just stop improving and, in some cases, get worse than it had been. Say what you will about Robin, but even some of his most ardent haters admitted he really put the work in to improving his playing between 2001/2002 (where I personally thought he still sounded great) to 2006/2007. 

14 minutes ago, bumbleslash69 said:

Fascinating. I've often wondered about the ownership of the music. I was under the impression that "Guns N' Roses" was an imprint for Geffin since Geffin and UMG are still listed on materials and GNR was still on the UMG roster. Is it possible that the the label owns the music and rights while the Guns n' Roses imprint is in place so the band has more control over the distribution of the music? Such as pressing their own records? 

It's all stuff out of my wheelhouse but pretty interesting. Appreciate the insight you shared. 

That could definitely be a possibility, but I do know @Blackstar would know more about the band's status with UMG at this point. My understanding was that they were more or less operating as free agents at this point, but I really have not kept up with the business details the ways some have post Slash and Duff rejoining. 

19 hours ago, djtripp20 said:

So we're home and settled. 2 second review... Highlight of the night was Absurd... It sounded amazing. He had the place jumping. Never in a million years would I think that silkworms would be good... but it was on another level.

Honestly Perhaps was great too. He finally stopped singing the shouts on the chorus and it was perfect.

Melissa was showcased quite a few times with her vocals on various tracks. I don't think I've seen that before (again I don't follow the tour religiously because I want to enjoy the experience).

Didn't expect to hear Pretty Tied Up and Down on the Farm, so that was badass.

Really the only negative was the show felt rushed at the end and we didn't get to hear tracks like Estranged, Coma, etc. The jams during Rocket Queen and KOHD were just forever. 

All in all, it's my 5th GNR show and it was great. Axl sounded fantastic live and that's what it's about. Everyone had a great time and I can't wait until the next one... hopefully without the piss smelling mud haha. 

 

Glad to see I was not the only one who noticed "Absurd" got a big reaction. It really surprised me. "Hard Skool" and "Perhaps" got the typical polite applause you'd get from a legacy band playing new songs, but all the crowd around me really seemed into "Absurd". Admittedly, the last time I saw them play it (Raleigh 2021), it was still a fairly new song, but it was just crickets after they played it at that show. 

11 hours ago, djtripp20 said:

And they're done. No coma, no Maddy, wtf. I'm drunk sorry

I was bummed too, but it's a festival show in the middle of Midtown Atlanta so I am sure they had a strict curfew. My biggest "oh man" was not seeing "Reckless Life". 

On 9/3/2023 at 9:01 AM, Blackstar said:

[After Mr. Brownstone] So, I remember back when we started doing that song and rehearsing it, and I asked Izzy, “What the fuck are you talking about? ‘Get up, wake up around 7?” And he goes, “It's PM, dude. PM”. [Parc Jean Drapeau, Montreal, Canada, August 8, 2023]

[After Pretty Tied Up] You know, the line 'I just found a million dollars that someone forgot'... Well, basically, Izzy had been on an about three-week coke binge and somehow felt he was an accountant. So he may or may not have found an accounting error, but I just thought it sounded pretty fucking cool, that's all - odds are against him, I'll tell you that. [Geodis Park, Nashville, TN, USA, August 26, 2023]

There was another one where he said that the "head and an arm in the garbage can" line in DTJ was a true story, but I don't have the exact quote.

Also this one from a couple years ago:

[Before Don't Cry] This next one is the first song that was written for Guns N’ Roses. I went over to Izzy’s and it was like, I threw some rocks at his window. He came to the window and, I don't know, he was worried I came over there to kick his ass (laughs). We’d been in an argument for a few months. So anyway, you know, it was like the Blues Brothers: "We gotta get the band back together, we gotta get the band together!” We sat down and I go, "Hey, I got some really depressing lyrics." He goes, "Oh dude, I got a really depressing guitar part." I was like, "Perfect, we got it made then.” [Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, Atlantic City, NJ, USA, September 12, 2021]

And at another show that year he said that Izzy wrote the verses to YCBM and they were some "really cold shit", but he (Axl) loved to sing them because it made him feel badass or something like that.

There were also some Izzy mentions in 2017-18.

I was at the Raleigh show where Axl made the You Could Be Mine comment. He said something along the lines of (paraphrasing) Izzy wrote all the lyrics to the verses of "You Could Be Mine" and every time Axl sings them, even to this day, he thinks "that's some cold shit". He said when he sings them now, he imagines being a certain character from The Sopranos (I cannot remember exactly what character he referenced) to get him in the mood of the song.