TombRaider

Oh, I said "hate Slash" as a general statement. I should've perhaps said You may dislike him.

You know, I feel it's not just a matter of who's a better technical musician, but it's also a matter of who fits where. Dave Murray of Iron Maiden is a guitar hero in my book, but I don't think he'd fit in Dream Theater or in Metallica. Different styles. I don't know. I guess what I'm trying to say is that even if Eddie Van Halen and Satriani are way better than Slash, I wonder if they'd have created the right solos for GnR during the AFD days and the UYI era.

Hate Slash all you want, but it was his style, combined with the musicianship of all those involved in the band, what helped make GnR what it was back in those days. IMO.

Now that you bring that up, I think it'd have been as difficult to me to accept a GnR lineup without Axl as it was difficult for me to accept this lineup as GnR. While I do like Slash's solo stuff with Myles, I think he does no justice to Axl's material. His voice is good, but when I listen to the live version of SCOM or Civil War, I can't help shuddering.

I disagree with Slash on that one. I think the Erin/Stephanie related songs GnR did back in the day were great.

Sorum has no groove.

This.

And Friedman is Friedman and Adrian Smith is Adrian Smith, etc etc etc. But band members are fired or they quit or they die and have to be replaced. So... yeah. Who could play the solos and do them justice? And I don't even wanna get into a whole the current band does them justice or not debate. This is just intended to be a hypothetical question.

Good point, sugaraylen. When I said nailing a solo, I not only mean hitting (almost) the exact notes, but also giving your solo the necessary feel resembling the original as much as possible, while giving it your own personal touch... if that makes sense. I´ll give you an example:

No disrespect to the current band. That's not where I'm coming from. Honest to God. But maybe Zakk Wylde?

Rasp

To be fair, there's just no way Chinese Democracy was ever going to live up to the hype it created. Very few bands, with their original lineup or not, ever manage to release an album worth of their best material after a breakup and a reunion. Or... let me rephrase that, very few bands manage to release an album that pleases most of its fans after a breakup and a reunion or formation of a new lineup. There's always the But it's no the original (insert random musician) thing. Axl had a huge legacy to live up to. Chinese Democracy would've needed near perfect songs to please everyone.

Something similar happened to George Lucas and his prequels. The hype surrounding Episode 1 was huge. It was ridiculous. He'd have needed a Empire Strikes Back-like success to please critics and all fans alike. IMO.

This is gonna be interesting.

I was a casual fan of the old band. But once I heard DJ and BBF play the classic songs.............well, this new band just took all the classic songs to a different level. DJ simply owns Slash in every aspect of the guitar. This current band really does make the old band, who were full of drug addicts and alcoholics, look like grade A rank amatuers.

I'm super glad that the old band split up. Judging from the works of Slash and Duff's solo careers, one can only shudder at what a 1996 album would have sounded like from GnR. The mediocrity and chemical dependencies of Slash/Duff and Sorum would have drug Axl down to embarrassing levels. We are SERIOUSLY lucky as fans to NOT have any music from Axl from the 1993-through-1999 time frame. It all would have been horrible. Especially with the way Slash and Duff bullied poor Axl. They constantly enforced their will on him, causing him to be late to years worth of shows and turning him into an egomaniac prick. All because of they way those two abused him. MAKES me so angry.

Luckily Axl hired an excellent group of musicians to replace the old guys. And that band really created a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the majority of the music world was NOT intelligent enough to understand the complexities of Chinese Democracy. Also, the mainstream media are all biased against Axl Rose. And the label chose to screw Axl by ONLY spending 14 million dollars and waiting over a decade for Axl to finish it. Clearly Axl deserved an 19-million dollar budget and 15 years to complete it. The label was so stupid and biased against Axl.

So the album really never got the credit it deserves. Some people say that the songs just didn't excite people............but we all know that is false. People ONLY dislike the album because Slash is not on it, they are mad the old band broke up, and because they are jealous of Axl. Oh, and because they are too stupid to understand it. And it had no label support.

Luckily times two......Axl got rid of some of the dead weight from that second group. He got rid of the overrated Bucket and just terrible playing Robin, and replaced them with powerhouse BBF and DJ Ashba, who is probably the most talented guitar player on the planet. And not only is he a guitar playing mastermind, but he also designs and sells a top-notch clothing line called Ashba Swag. The man is just an all around legend, delighting us with stories of how much alcohol he can drink and how much ass he has kicked. This guy is pure Rock n Roll bad-ass. (If you don't believe me, just ask him - he'll tell you). Dj also sells cars. And was bullied as a kid. Axl also replaced the drummer.

Around the time that Axl put this true dream super group together, he also made a decision that lifted GnR to heights not yet acheived by any band in history (Or as Gary Busey likes to say, a place 10,000 miles higher than the top of heaven).

SOMEHOW Axl was lucky enough to win the career-lotto of having the most succesful and well known manager in the world choose to work with GnR. She also filled out the management team with her children, who are all no doubt extremely qualified for their positions.

Since snagging the super manager and her family, as well as securing the three latest members of his dream-team..............GnR has continue to rock the heck out of the songs created by the former bands. Playing them at a level that the former bands could only dream of. They have also set trends and reached goals that normal bands can only dream of..........playing for weddings, private shows for fashion designers, putting Axl's face on baseball trading cards along side Kip Winger and the girl from the Cherry Pie video. They have also released a killer concert video and a 3-D blue ray video, as well as several music videos from CD................but unfortunately, all the people out there who are in cahoots against Axl, have prevented those things from being released. Luckily though, being a paid member of the band's fan club has given me a chance to earn a one-size only tour t-shirt from last year, or a beach towel.

The band is excellent live and that is where I believe the majority of current fans have came from. DJ's hulk hogan poses and the way the current band plays all the former band's material...........it is all magical!!!!!!!!!! Again, the common rock fan just isn't sophisticated enough to enjoy the music, and that's why the band attendance numbers aren't that great. But to be honest, Axl could sell out 50,000 seat arenas in the US. He just chooses to play 3,000 seaters instead to give the fans a more personal experience. Slash plays small venues because that's all the tickets he can sell, Axl plays them because he wants to give fans their money's worth. Slash is such a media whore, with all his tweeting and playing the super bowl and winning a grammy and wearing his top hat on stage and releasing new music every couple of years!!!!! He could really learn a thing or two from DJ on how to promote your career without going overboard on the media whoring. Swag up baby!!!!!

We might not hear a new GnR album this year, and all the band members might be confused about when one might happen.......but that is all just part of the Beta and family master plan!!! Trust them, people. Their background in the music industry should calm all your fears and worries. They know what they are doing.

So to answer the question........yes, I'd say that the new band has drawn in millions of fans to the GnR fanbase.

bolded parts are true

LOL.........you are being sarcastic, right?

What part of the track record of recordings from Axl/Duff/Slash and Izzy would lead you to believe their next album would have sucked? Lies? Illusions? Appetite?

And I hate to burst your conspiracy bubble, but the entire world's media isn't out to get Axl. That continues to be one of the most ridiculous things that GnR fans cling to. You guys never stop and think that maybe......just maybe.........people don't like the music Axl has produced post the classic line-up. It can NEVER be that. If a critic gives a poor review, it is ONLY because they can't get past Slash leaving the band. It is so ridiculous that at times I can't tell if people are just saying that to be sarcastic or if they really truly believe it.

CD is not that bad, but I've never met anyone who's not a hardcore GnR fan willing to give it a second chance. It's taken me 6 years to fully appreciate Chinese Democracy, but most casual Guns n' Roses fans I know don't like it as much as they dig the old material.

I don't think there's a conspiracy either. It sounds too much like an Elvis is not dead/9-11 was an inside job/the moon landing was a hoax-type of thing to be true.

Not liking something, regardless of what it is, doesn't necessarily mean you hate it. Back when I wasn't into CD at all, I didn't exactly hate it. I just didn't dig it. But I've always been a GnR fanboy and I knew I'd give it a second chance... eventually, which I did. But a lot of fans out there can't indeed get over the fact that the old gunners are not in the band.

The most expensive cover band you can ever pay to see was the way a friend of mine put it when I asked him if he wanted to tag along when I had just bought tickets to see the band. And he's never listened to CD, because it's not the old band.

Would he like it if he ever did? I don't know. And there are many fans who just won't listen to it.

Is it a conspiracy? Certainly not.

But there is a little bit of contempt for Chinese Democracy out there.

This contributes nothing to the point being discussed, but I always preferred the Lies version of You're crazy .

Would love to participate... but I've never been able to get into VH... but I may have Jump on my iPod, I think.

C'mon... you're telling me you've never made out with a girl while playing a glam power ballad in the back?

Wouldn't that be an example of hair metal or glam? Just curious.

...found the original versions of the songs covered by the band on TSI?

The first time i heard SCOM even though the solo was great i just thought that's one of the most annoying voices i've ever heard and didn't check out to the rest of their songs.

I became a fan after watching don't cry video on youtube. love that song.

So you must be a newbie? Which is fine welcome aboard. I just find it amusing when I hear someone became a fan after watching a music video on youtube. I had to watch that shit on VHS!!! So I guess guns is still bringing in new fans, so Axl must be doing something right.

>Great post.

Thank You!!

You're welcome.

Axl sounds awesome on Human Being (TSI) and Sympathy for the Devil.

Some obscure demo tape recorded by some obscure Norwegian death metal band nobody has ever heard of.

I became a fan after hearing the SCOM solo, like millions of fans I guess, and the Paradise City chorus.

I'm surprise to "read" you say Axl is a better singer than Lennon. What Axl did in the old days was amazing and it fit the music and the spirit of the band, but I don't think he sings stricto sensu. I mean, he does make musical sounds with his voice, but then again Dave Mustaine doesn't sing either, and neither does anyone in metal. But I know what you mean when you say sing. But like I said, it's surprising to hear someone say Axl is a better singer than Lennon.

Great post.

But being an awesome songwriter and being a good frontman are two different things. I´m not bashing Lennon, but he´d only stand there playing guitar, which is what 99.9% of singers do. nothing special there. imo.