Axl can't win

[sweetness]

Yes but are people unfairly critical of Axl more often then other rich rock stars?

I don't think so. Axl Rose is in a league of his own, and he's there because it takes him a very long time to get anything done, he has to be pushed and right now it doesn't appear anybody is pushing him in his comfortable little world he's created for himself. I really believe if he was actively putting out albums like most musicians he wouldn't get 90% of the criticism he does. Life is short, people only have such great attention spans, if it was so important for him to continue on with Guns N' Roses despite all the other members leaving him behind you'd think he would have more of an initiative to be a productive musician, but we don't really see that with him. We hear about it, but the body of work is not there to back him up. 14 songs in 15 years doesn't exactly justify breaking up one of the biggest bands in the world, even if he had released only 3 albums since the mid 90's fans wouldn't be nearly as critical as they are now. But come on man, we've seen the same tour for over a decade now, its getting old.

[vaida]

Yes but are people unfairly critical of Axl more often then other rich rock stars?

I don't think so. Axl Rose is in a league of his own, and he's there because it takes him a very long time to get anything done, he has to be pushed and right now it doesn't appear anybody is pushing him in his comfortable little world he's created for himself. I really believe if he was actively putting out albums like most musicians he wouldn't get 90% of the criticism he does. Life is short, people only have such great attention spans, if it was so important for him to continue on with Guns N' Roses despite all the other members leaving him behind you'd think he would have more of an initiative to be a productive musician, but we don't really see that with him. We hear about it, but the body of work is not there to back him up. 14 songs in 15 years doesn't exactly justify breaking up one of the biggest bands in the world, even if he had released only 3 albums since the mid 90's fans wouldn't be nearly as critical as they are now. But come on man, we've seen the same tour for over a decade now, its getting old.

Axl Rose sure is in a league of his own, the Axl Rose league. I wonder what it's like ?

[Guest RonMexico82]

Axl can't win.

If gnr releases a new album, people bitch about him using the band's name.

If gnr doesn't release a new album, people bitch he's neglecting the fans.

If gnr tours, people bitch he's not playing [xyz songs].

If gnr tours, people bitch he IS playing [xyz songs].

If gnr tours, people bitch it's a "cash grab."

If gnr doesn't tour, people bitch that he's wasting time.

If he doesn't do an interview, people bitch he's a recluse.

If he does do an interview, people bitch about his answers.

If he does a reunion gig, people bitch he's de-legitimizing the current band.

If he doesn't do a reunion, people bitch he's being spiteful.

Now of course these are generalizations. Still though, you've seen it on this very board- people bitch a lot. So, I pose the question to you: How can Axl win?

Isn't it obvious? Stop pretending to be GNR.

[The Archer]

Axl's already won> by doing it his way.

[PITBOSS]

He already won. Dude is worth like 200 million.

If he wants to win the fans over?

A: Let go of the old stuff and start cranking out some new classics

or

B: Hang on to the old stuff and reunite with with the old band

[saber_]

A reunion would solve the perceived problems as well as toilet paper would solve a ten foot wide crack in a boat caught in a tsunami, use your illusions.

Bulllllshit!! You see, this is what I'm talking about. Think about it. If there was a reunion, people would bitch about the drummer choice and the lineup in general. Then, if an album were released, there would be widespread bitching about the sound of it (regardless of its sound).

While I acknowledge that a reunion would make a certain percentage of fans happy, I still believe it would open a pandora's box of super epic magnitude. A reunion is not as idyllic as people have deluded themselves into believing.

Isn't it obvious? Stop pretending to be GNR.

It's just a fucking name. That's what you people don't understand. Regardless of Axl's legal ownership of the band's name, each and every member of the AFD and UYI lineups own a piece of the name in the public consciousness. Each and every member own a piece of the sound. Slash has a very distinctive style of playing, especially his right-hand technique. When you see Guns n Roses today, you don't hear it. But if you go to a Velvet Revolver show, you do hear it, but not Axl's voice.

I don't understand why people can't think of GnR as iterations, like Deep Purple. There's Deep Purple mkI, mkII, mkIII, and so on and so forth. When DLR left Van Halen, Eat Em & Smile was definitely more Van Halen-y sounding than 5150, at the time. But DLR didn't own the name. Look, I can understand why people are bent out of shape about the name, but at some point, you either accept it or move on. When I was 12 years old, Use Your Illusion I & II were released. The sound of the band had changed significantly, and at first I was resentful at the "softening" of the band's new sound (remember i was 12). But I still dug it, and understood that the band's sound was evolving and progressing. While I always missed the tuning of Steve's snare drum, I quickly began to love the next iteration of GnR. I learned to accept it as it continued to change (although I still think Gilby is a toolbox). I even learned to accept Matt- and even appreciate his style (despite the fact someone told me he used triggers, lol). So when GnR mkIV came around (I consider mkIII to be when izzy left) in 2001, I accepted that there was a guy in the band with a kfc bucket on his head who could bring a new sound to the band and do justice to the old stuff. I can dig VR and I can dig GnR mkV.

It's just a name.

[Val22]

Yes but are people unfairly critical of Axl more often then other rich rock stars?

I think they are. The only news that shows like TMZ show is when Axl is doing something crazy or what they think is wrong.

Why doesn't anyone print how GNR are giving their fans 3 hour shows and how Axl and GNR came out at every US city and thanked the fans for sticking with them and waiting 20 + years to see them live?

Same with the HOF induction.

No one critized Izzy as much as they did Axl. No one mentioned that John F from The Red Hot Chili Peppers wasn't there. No one bitched about Rod Stewart not being there with the Small Faces.

All the focus was on what will Axl do? Slash and Duff both said they weren't going to go at first. Then they changed their minds. Duff was afraid of all the "drama" that might happen. What fuckin drama?

both Duff and Slash were the ones mentioning drama and problems that might happen and did it happen? NO! Axl was doing them a favor by not showing up, because all the attention would have been on AXL ROSE and not them as much.

He knew the other band members wanted to play, so he gave them an out and stayed away.

Whatever happened those many years ago between Axl and Slash has to have been horrible for it being so hard for Axl to forgive and forget. I get it. I've been in the same situations and you know the best thing you can do is move on and not go back to the same situation you hated being in in the first place.

GNR should go down in history for being a kick ass fuckin in your face don't give a shit rock and roll band, not for all the so called drama that happened 20+ years ago or might happen today.

Now if only Slash, Duff and Steven could keep their mouths shut about Axl and the new GNR and do their own shit, maybe all the drama they seem to be creating will stop.

Axl said he's moved on, so I think we fans should move on with him and stop yearning for the good old days that were over 25 years ago. Sometimes you can't go back. sometimes you need to move forward to grow. I think Axl is doing jus tthat.

Axl and GNR are still in high demand since they are still touring after all these years and I'm sure there will be new music when the band feels its the right time.

No one bitches about the Rolling Stones who take their own sweet time recording and touring, so let's give Axl the same respect.