Was Buckethead marginalized by his GN'R 'bandmates' to the point of leaving?

[Jakey Styley]

I remember reading something about band-members feeling negatively about Buckethead, not sure where.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Jakey Styley

[stonegunner]

i have nothing against Buckethead... but Buckethead was not GNR. I dont like that he added to what people called "the joke that is new gnr".

Nothing against the guy personally, but if your gonna be in GNR, ditch the bucket and the mask.

[wasted]

Taking this into account you can see why Tommy doesnt want to do Bucket matetial for next record.

[Tyler Drama]

Taking this into account you can see why Tommy doesnt want to do Bucket matetial for next record.

Oh yeah.

[dalsh327]

GNR has always had personality differences. I'm sure they all have complaints about each other, even if it's minor stuff. I'm sure personalities clash from time to time.

[Nosaj Thing]

Buckethead was never as important to the band as some might have you believe.

Absolute nonsense. Buckethead's solos enhanced the record immeasurably. Much like Appetite wouldn't have been anything without Slash. Take TWAT for example, genuinely one of GN'R's greatest ever songs, and why? Primarily the guitars of Bucket.

And yes the record we have was essentially completed pre-Bucket, but you're forgetting the fact a second and possibly third album were put down much later on in the process. Tom Zutaut said himself, Bucket was recognized by everybody in the camp as NEW GN'R's Slash guy.

The fact is everything was incredibly ordinary about the 2002 live shows except the tandem of Bucket and Brain.

Definitely. You gotta be really delusional to think like that.

[bacardimayne]

Buckethead was never as important to the band as some might have you believe.

Absolute nonsense. Buckethead's solos enhanced the record immeasurably. Much like Appetite wouldn't have been anything without Slash. Take TWAT for example, genuinely one of GN'R's greatest ever songs, and why? Primarily the guitars of Bucket.

And yes the record we have was essentially completed pre-Bucket, but you're forgetting the fact a second and possibly third album were put down much later on in the process. Tom Zutaut said himself, Bucket was recognized by everybody in the camp as NEW GN'R's Slash guy.

The fact is everything was incredibly ordinary about the 2002 live shows except the tandem of Bucket and Brain.

Definitely. You gotta be really delusional to think like that.

What on CD did Bucket do that was truly irreplaceable? Aside from the TWAT solo and maybe the ITW solo. That's two solos. Hardly the heart and soul of the band.

[axlrosefan1]

Shackler's Revenge too Bacardi. Just from my perspective, a lot of people think Shackler's Revenge and TWAT are the two best songs on CD(obv. can be argued) and Bucket was a huge reason why. Not to mention that there is likely a bunch of Bucket material we haven't heard yet. Bucket had the perfect blend of songwriting and technical skill.

You have to look past what was done and also take into account what could have become. Robin was also very important. That was a great tandem. It's unfortunate because I really thought the early 00's(fortus or Paul) lineup could have done big things. Still holding out on the current lineup as we haven't heard anything but I haven't really been wowed by anything. RIR was a great example of how powerful that early '00s lineup was.

Edited April 5, 2013 by axlrosefan1

[Black Roses]

Shackler's Revenge too Bacardi. Just from my perspective, a lot of people think Shackler's Revenge and TWAT are the two best songs on CD(obv. can be argued) and Bucket was a huge reason why. Not to mention that there is likely a bunch of Bucket material we haven't heard yet. Bucket had the perfect blend of songwriting and technical skill.

You have to look past what was done and also take into account what could have become. Robin was also very important. That was a great tandem. It's unfortunate because I really thought the early 00's(fortus or Paul) lineup could have done big things. Still holding out on the current lineup as we haven't heard anything but I haven't really been wowed by anything. RIR was a great example of how powerful that early '00s lineup was.

[jekylhyde]

Well, if you need Disneyland trips and chicken coops to be happy to be in a band, then... uhm... I don't know. It just sounds weird. If some guy needs special treatment like that, then I would actually be happy to see them leave. No matter how special they'd be.

[DieselDaisy]

I thought the Buckethead written songs on CD were crap but Buckethead's guitar solos such as TWAT and Sorry were great.

[ColdHeartBreaker]

The sweet revenge for Bucket is his solos in some form will probably be still apparent on any future release.

[bacardimayne]

Shackler's Revenge too Bacardi. Just from my perspective, a lot of people think Shackler's Revenge and TWAT are the two best songs on CD(obv. can be argued) and Bucket was a huge reason why. Not to mention that there is likely a bunch of Bucket material we haven't heard yet. Bucket had the perfect blend of songwriting and technical skill.

You have to look past what was done and also take into account what could have become. Robin was also very important. That was a great tandem. It's unfortunate because I really thought the early 00's(fortus or Paul) lineup could have done big things. Still holding out on the current lineup as we haven't heard anything but I haven't really been wowed by anything. RIR was a great example of how powerful that early '00s lineup was.

I don't deny the potential of what they could have done together. Just saying Bucket isn't the "dominant sound" of CD or the "heart and soul of the band" like some believe. He had the ability to be, but based on what we've heard, he wasn't. Edited April 5, 2013 by bacardimayne

[Guest NGOG]

Buckethead was never as important to the band as some might have you believe.

Absolute nonsense. Buckethead's solos enhanced the record immeasurably. Much like Appetite wouldn't have been anything without Slash. Take TWAT for example, genuinely one of GN'R's greatest ever songs, and why? Primarily the guitars of Bucket.

And yes the record we have was essentially completed pre-Bucket, but you're forgetting the fact a second and possibly third album were put down much later on in the process. Tom Zutaut said himself, Bucket was recognized by everybody in the camp as NEW GN'R's Slash guy.

The fact is everything was incredibly ordinary about the 2002 live shows except the tandem of Bucket and Brain.

Definitely. You gotta be really delusional to think like that.

What on CD did Bucket do that was truly irreplaceable? Aside from the TWAT solo and maybe the ITW solo. That's two solos. Hardly the heart and soul of the band.

Take Buckethead's solos and rhythmic parts out of Chinese Democracy and a chunk of the album's quality is gone.

"...While Rose is the unquestioned leader/visionary of the current incarnation of GNR, he is not the true star of Chinese Democracy. That honor falls to the avant-garde guitarist Buckethead. My long standing complaint about Buckethead was that his skills were being wasted, as he released solo album after solo album of material that pleased his fans to no end, but never enlightened a wider audience on his amazing skills. On Chinese Democracy his playing is magnetic. He unleashes a devastating array of riffs and solos that are thoroughly modern, with a hint of classicism to them. His work during There Was A Time is one of the finest musical moments of this decade, drawing comparisons to the legendary solos of Comfortably Numb or Stairway to Heaven...."

[AndreCC]

'What if we build a chicken coop in the studio for you to record your guitar-parts"

Who the hell needs a chicken coop to record songs?! How can you deal with someone who believes his own fucking gimmick and lives it 24/7 in his own life?!

That says it all about Buckethead! The guy is a lunatic! Good musician, but fucking sick in the head!

Edited April 5, 2013 by AndreCC

[Guest NGOG]

Shackler's Revenge too Bacardi. Just from my perspective, a lot of people think Shackler's Revenge and TWAT are the two best songs on CD(obv. can be argued) and Bucket was a huge reason why. Not to mention that there is likely a bunch of Bucket material we haven't heard yet. Bucket had the perfect blend of songwriting and technical skill.

You have to look past what was done and also take into account what could have become. Robin was also very important. That was a great tandem. It's unfortunate because I really thought the early 00's(fortus or Paul) lineup could have done big things. Still holding out on the current lineup as we haven't heard anything but I haven't really been wowed by anything. RIR was a great example of how powerful that early '00s lineup was.

I don't deny the potential of what they could have done together. Just saying Bucket isn't the "dominant sound" of CD or the "heart and soul of the band" like some believe. He had the ability to be, but based on what we've heard, he wasn't.

He is the domimant sound on Chinese. Simply because he isn't plastered on everything like Finck (and I dig Finck) doesn't mean he isn't the prevailing force when you listen to the album. Nowhere on Chinese Democracy, or perhaps even most of GN'R's song history, do you find a more magical moment than his TWAT guitars.

And no, you weren't merely downplaying his predominence on Chinese, you labelled Buckwt nothing more than a 'session musician'. The inspiration of TWAT alone disputes that, as well as his grip on the live aspect of things and unquestionable influence on latter day songs (by all counts there could have been another record dropped in 'O4, the first Chinese was largely the '99 click, the second is where Bucket and even Fortus were said to feature).

Edited April 5, 2013 by NGOG

[Guest Gunns]

'What if we build a chicken coop in the studio for you to record your guitar-parts"

Who the hell needs a chicken coop to record songs?! How can you deal with someone who believes his own fucking gimmick and lives it 24/7 in his own life?!

That says it all about Buckethead! The guy is a lunatic! Good musician, but fucking sick in the head!

is it a gimmick though? if, as you said, is such a big part of his life? its a persona that he believes in and is very successful.

I say that he's more original then a certain member doing gimmicky unoriginal hulk hogan moves/running man etc...

Edited April 5, 2013 by Gunns

[AndreCC]

'What if we build a chicken coop in the studio for you to record your guitar-parts"

Who the hell needs a chicken coop to record songs?! How can you deal with someone who believes his own fucking gimmick and lives it 24/7 in his own life?!

That says it all about Buckethead! The guy is a lunatic! Good musician, but fucking sick in the head!

is it a gimmick though? if, as you said, is such a big part of his life? its a persona that he believes in and is very successful.

I say that he's more original then a certain member doing hulk hogan moves/running man etc...

Dude, it's ok to do it on stage... just like Marilyn Manson or others do their thing... but to continue with his gimmick in private moments, whether in the studio or his private life... that is not a normal behavior at all...

Would you sit around your wife with a kfc bucket on your head and a mask on you?

Can you imagine yourself inside a chicken coop in your own bedroom in front of your wife for example?

I mean stage clothes and stage personas are ok and good. Do have that on your normal daily life.... that's not normal...

[bacardimayne]

Shackler's Revenge too Bacardi. Just from my perspective, a lot of people think Shackler's Revenge and TWAT are the two best songs on CD(obv. can be argued) and Bucket was a huge reason why. Not to mention that there is likely a bunch of Bucket material we haven't heard yet. Bucket had the perfect blend of songwriting and technical skill.

You have to look past what was done and also take into account what could have become. Robin was also very important. That was a great tandem. It's unfortunate because I really thought the early 00's(fortus or Paul) lineup could have done big things. Still holding out on the current lineup as we haven't heard anything but I haven't really been wowed by anything. RIR was a great example of how powerful that early '00s lineup was.

I don't deny the potential of what they could have done together. Just saying Bucket isn't the "dominant sound" of CD or the "heart and soul of the band" like some believe. He had the ability to be, but based on what we've heard, he wasn't.

He is the domimant sound on Chinese. Simply because he isn't plastered on everything like Finck (and I dig Finck) doesn't mean he isn't the prevailing force when you listen to the album. Nowhere on Chinese Democracy, or perhaps even most of GN'R's song history, do you find a more magical moment than his TWAT guitars.

And no, you weren't merely downplaying his predominence on Chinese, you labelled nothing more than 'session musician'. The inspiration of TWAT alone disputes that, as well as his grip on the live aspect of things and unquestionable influence on latter day songs (by all counts there could have been another record dropped in 'O4, the first Chinese was largely the '99 click, the second is where Bucket and even Fortus were said to feature).

In terms of what we've heard, he was a session musician. Yes, his work on TWAT is amazing, but the fact is a demo of that song already existed before he even joined the band. His work on that song (and basically everything but Shackler's) is a solo that he added on after the song was already done. Session musician. I'm not taking anything away from him, I think he's a great guitarist and I'd love nothing more than for him to come back, but the fact is he had very little to do with the composition of the songs, and his work with the band can likely be summed up in a few studio sessions laying down guitar solos.

[Guest Gunns]

'What if we build a chicken coop in the studio for you to record your guitar-parts"

Who the hell needs a chicken coop to record songs?! How can you deal with someone who believes his own fucking gimmick and lives it 24/7 in his own life?!

That says it all about Buckethead! The guy is a lunatic! Good musician, but fucking sick in the head!

is it a gimmick though? if, as you said, is such a big part of his life? its a persona that he believes in and is very successful.

I say that he's more original then a certain member doing hulk hogan moves/running man etc...

Dude, it's ok to do it on stage... just like Marilyn Manson or others do their thing... but to continue with his gimmick in private moments, whether in the studio or his private life... that is not a normal behavior at all...

Would you sit around your wife with a kfc bucket on your head and a mask on you?

Can you imagine yourself inside a chicken coop in your own bedroom in front of your wife for example?

I mean stage clothes and stage personas are ok and good. Do have that on your normal daily life.... that's not normal...

what's not normal about it?

I have a custom built chicken coop inside my house that I kick back and relax in

maybe its different over there in brazil?

[wasted]

People accept heroin before KFC.

[Guest Gunns]

People accept heroin before KFC.

kfc isn't rock n roll enough, it needs some hot sauce and wine mixed with fanta , that would add the flare it needs

[AndreCC]

'What if we build a chicken coop in the studio for you to record your guitar-parts"

Who the hell needs a chicken coop to record songs?! How can you deal with someone who believes his own fucking gimmick and lives it 24/7 in his own life?!

That says it all about Buckethead! The guy is a lunatic! Good musician, but fucking sick in the head!

is it a gimmick though? if, as you said, is such a big part of his life? its a persona that he believes in and is very successful.

I say that he's more original then a certain member doing hulk hogan moves/running man etc...

Dude, it's ok to do it on stage... just like Marilyn Manson or others do their thing... but to continue with his gimmick in private moments, whether in the studio or his private life... that is not a normal behavior at all...

Would you sit around your wife with a kfc bucket on your head and a mask on you?

Can you imagine yourself inside a chicken coop in your own bedroom in front of your wife for example?

I mean stage clothes and stage personas are ok and good. Do have that on your normal daily life.... that's not normal...

what's not normal about it?

I have a custom built chicken coop inside my house that I kick back and relax in

maybe its different over there in brazil?

I'm not from Brazil, i'm from Portugal. Brazil is in South America, Portugal is in Europe. Brazil adopted the portuguese language who was created by portuguese people years and years ago, when we went there and helped them out.

Buckethead's behaviour is not normal... anyone can tell you that. The thing is, if that was a behavior that he had to create a character around himself for showbiz. That is great, it's creative and it distinguishes him from everybody else, while it also gives him a lot of charisma.

However if Carroll is Buckethead in his real life too... to me that shows a psychological disorder!

[Rovim]

'What if we build a chicken coop in the studio for you to record your guitar-parts"

Who the hell needs a chicken coop to record songs?! How can you deal with someone who believes his own fucking gimmick and lives it 24/7 in his own life?!

That says it all about Buckethead! The guy is a lunatic! Good musician, but fucking sick in the head!

is it a gimmick though? if, as you said, is such a big part of his life? its a persona that he believes in and is very successful.

I say that he's more original then a certain member doing hulk hogan moves/running man etc...

Dude, it's ok to do it on stage... just like Marilyn Manson or others do their thing... but to continue with his gimmick in private moments, whether in the studio or his private life... that is not a normal behavior at all...

Would you sit around your wife with a kfc bucket on your head and a mask on you?

Can you imagine yourself inside a chicken coop in your own bedroom in front of your wife for example?

I mean stage clothes and stage personas are ok and good. Do have that on your normal daily life.... that's not normal...

what's not normal about it?

I have a custom built chicken coop inside my house that I kick back and relax in

maybe its different over there in brazil?

I'm not from Brazil, i'm from Portugal. Brazil is in South America, Portugal is in Europe. Brazil adopted the portuguese language who was created by portuguese people years and years ago, when we went there and helped them out.

Buckethead's behaviour is not normal... anyone can tell you that. The thing is, if that was a behavior that he had to create a character around himself for showbiz. That is great, it's creative and it distinguishes him from everybody else, while it also gives him a lot of charisma.

However if Carroll is Buckethead in his real life too... to me that shows a psychological disorder!

Musicians have their own quirks sometimes. Would you say Jimmy Page was a well adjusted man back in the day?

With his fascination with the occult?

I think some people just have a very wild imagination and sometimes they like to live in their own head so it comes off as weird to people who are not like that. those people are usually interesting and creative imo. It's a harmless way of inspiring yourself with what you like really.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Rovim

[wasted]

People accept heroin before KFC.

kfc isn't rock n roll enough, it needs some hot sauce and wine mixed with fanta , that would add the flare it needs

The perils of hot sauce chicken wings washed down with a wobbly pitman cocktail cant be underestimated.