Stress Fracture

I’m disappointed for Axl as much as I am disappointed by him. He’s tarnished his legacy but he’s done well not to go full Michael Jackson. Mental health problems, incompetent parasites managing him, the lack of confidence that made him cling to the GNR brand on his own. In terms of the weight, it is out and out body shaming in an age where it wouldn’t be allowed over a female celebrity but it only comes from a place where everyone wants him to be and look better. He’s obviously not happy with it himself but photoshopping and editing side profiles out of live footage isn’t the answer.

I liked Frank’s drumming in this and don’t want to hear exact replicas of Steven or Matt’s work from him. The same with how Robin was always more interesting to listen to than DJ Slashba.

If this is all Billy wants to do with the reunion, he could have paid D’arcy to appear in the promo shots and then keep away from the recording studio too. I know 2020 has thrown up some difficulties for bands but damn.

Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus. 3 minutes and done. This is why Axl never releases anything. He’d spend the next ten years overthinking this song.

I’m definitely not buying one but enjoyed seeing it. It’s the most care and attention that’s been put into something with that name on in quite a while. With it being Slash’s idea, though, it’s weird to have three CD tracks there, and it being dedicated to the current line up only makes the whole state of this band more ridiculous when the original studio tracks are playing over NITL footage. This will not age well when this line up is no more.

I thought the credits in this would finally give away what they did with Shadow of Your Love, but no.

No chance. Only Trump is allowed to go on tour and perform in front of crowds of thousands.

One in a Million was never a part of AFD so not adding it to the AFD box set was an easy call. Taking tracks off UYI is a different matter. The full albums are still available on Spotify so removing material from deluxe editions of them wouldn’t really serve any purpose. It’s So Easy is as problematic as any of the ones mentioned.

The record company really did enable Axl. Axl: We need some money to go in the studio and re-record AFD Exec: Oh cool, something to release Axl: Wut?

Out Ta Get Me is fixed in the new video.

I prefer Estranged.

I wouldn’t mind November Rain being left in. It’s a fun moment from Axl, something that shows how much he’s changed, but obviously it would be a better listening experience if they edited out the broken piano carrying on after the band restarts. That said, my expectation even before the tour started was that they would do another Live Era type of release from various shows.

I imagine trying to find a chemistry with Buckethead would be difficult for anyone but always thought the final line up was a rock solid unit to the point of being boring. Easy to see why Richard would enjoy playing second fiddle to Slash more than third fiddle to Ashba, though. This line up is by far the best it’s ever been for him even if he has had to give up some of the solos he did before.

Re: the adverts. I saw a tip in the YouTube comments section to skip to the end of the video and then hit replay to lose them. It costs them earnings, I guess, but the way the ads have been clumsily placed makes it their own fault. It’s not a coincidence the ads come in after the songs have started or are about to end, it’s a mistake by whoever’s responsible.

I hope Fernando is just being his usual self for whatever reason is going through his head and that this isn’t the best the Houston show can be made to sound.