How Much Easier Would Axl's Life Have Been if He Went Solo?

[BangoSkank]

Going forward with GN'R was a very big move and, regardless of opinion on it, you have to give props for the balls it took to do it.

I used to back it fully, thinking it was one of the wildest moves in rock history. Like Tommy said in an interview once "I joined the band because it was the most punk rock idea ever. This is Guns N' Roses, whether you like it or not." I'm paraphrasing and he probably also did it for a paycheck. But still, Axl was determined to make challenging music and he had an insanely stellar line up to help.

Things slowly fell apart. Band members left, the public backlash became intense, lawsuits came constantly from former members. Now, it seems like Axl isn't interested in recording with this band (ex: trying to get Brain to drum on the CD songs & keep Frank for AFD ones, having not recorded since 06 at best, etc.) and may just want to tour. You could blame him for as much as you want, but it's understandable for anyone to feel worn down in this scenario.

With the state of things being what they are, I wonder what things would look like if the 01-02 lineup was called something besides "Guns N' Roses."

This topic comes up a lot, but whatever, it's pretty interesting when you realize how much more wide open things could have been.

[Rovim]

I think you're missing the point. Axl's goal was to write new Guns material. A true Guns album he said. He talked about it and how if he went solo it would be mostly instrumental music or some shit.

His job as he saw it imo, was to keep Gn'R alive, rebuild it, and base it more on his musical influences, but still keep the Guns elements you can't fuck around with. (as much as possible or needed)

So you gotta have the name Gn'R if you're trying to make a Gn'R record.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Rovim

[ludurigan]

Axl Rose releasing music as "Guns n' Roses" is a joke.

A bad one.

Axl knows it.

Axl may be crazy, but he is also very smart.

[EvH]

God, the overuse of the word "punk" to qualify/justify everything really gets grating.

[DieselDaisy]

I think you're missing the point. Axl's goal was to write new Guns material. A true Guns album he said. He talked about it and how if he went solo it would be mostly instrumental music or some shit.

His job as he saw it imo, was to keep Gn'R alive, rebuild it, and base it more on his musical influences, but still keep the Guns elements you can't fuck around with. (as much as possible or needed)

So you gotta have the name Gn'R if you're trying to make a Gn'R record.

Anyone can try and make a 'Guns' record - me, you, johnny schmuck! We can all sit down and try and write a GN'R song. That does not mean that it makes the end product legitimately, 'Guns N' Roses'.

[GivenToFly]

hindsight is 20/20

[WhazUp]

I think you're missing the point. Axl's goal was to write new Guns material. A true Guns album he said. He talked about it and how if he went solo it would be mostly instrumental music or some shit.

His job as he saw it imo, was to keep Gn'R alive, rebuild it, and base it more on his musical influences, but still keep the Guns elements you can't fuck around with. (as much as possible or needed)

So you gotta have the name Gn'R if you're trying to make a Gn'R record.

But I think the underlying problem was/is that GNR was larger than life, the music being a culmination of the writing and performances by very specific people who made up the Appetite and Illusion lineups. It doesn't matter at that point what a band is called, or Axl's intentions - if those elements that defined the band isn't there than it just isn't the same band.

I do think that a solo brand would be more fitting for Axl's post-1994 musical ventures personally, and if anything Chinese Democracy is proof that he himself can't assemble a different group of guys that can do things only a specific assembly of guys were able to do

[DieselDaisy]

I do not even know why he bothered to obtain the name? All we have for the New gnr period is one stinky album which tanked and a bunch of cash grab tours, spanning the whole period, 2002-14. Yes, some of those tours were good (e.g. 2006) but they were still, inherently, pointless cash grabs. If he bought the name to sink it in the dirt, then he has truly succeeded.

[Val22]

Even if Axl did a solo career, he would still need a band to tour with. It would be interesting to see if Axl would write songs alone, or with other song writers?

Might be interesting if he collaborated with some other amazing musicians. Would love to see Axl write more songs with Izzy again.

[AxlsMainMan]

Considering he said in the online chats that any solo material he'd come up with would be largely instrumental and heavily influenced by soundtrack scores, Chinese Democracy is far more in line with classic Guns' than his solo material ever would have been.

[tomfriend]

I do not even know why he bothered to obtain the name? All we have for the New gnr period is one stinky album which tanked and a bunch of cash grab tours, spanning the whole period, 2002-14. Yes, some of those tours were good (e.g. 2006) but they were still, inherently, pointless cash grabs. If he bought the name to sink it in the dirt, then he has truly succeeded.

A good tour with good shows is pointless?

Do you actually like music?

[DieselDaisy]

I do not even know why he bothered to obtain the name? All we have for the New gnr period is one stinky album which tanked and a bunch of cash grab tours, spanning the whole period, 2002-14. Yes, some of those tours were good (e.g. 2006) but they were still, inherently, pointless cash grabs. If he bought the name to sink it in the dirt, then he has truly succeeded.

A good tour with good shows is pointless?

Do you actually like music?

I like bands which release music, yes.

[username]

Going forward with GN'R was a very big move and, regardless of opinion on it, you have to give props for the balls it took to do it.

I used to back it fully, thinking it was one of the wildest moves in rock history. Like Tommy said in an interview once "I joined the band because it was the most punk rock idea ever. This is Guns N' Roses, whether you like it or not." I'm paraphrasing and he probably also did it for a paycheck. But still, Axl was determined to make challenging music and he had an insanely stellar line up to help.

Things slowly fell apart. Band members left, the public backlash became intense, lawsuits came constantly from former members. Now, it seems like Axl isn't interested in recording with this band (ex: trying to get Brain to drum on the CD songs & keep Frank for AFD ones, having not recorded since 06 at best, etc.) and may just want to tour. You could blame him for as much as you want, but it's understandable for anyone to feel worn down in this scenario.

With the state of things being what they are, I wonder what things would look like if the 01-02 lineup was called something besides "Guns N' Roses."

This topic comes up a lot, but whatever, it's pretty interesting when you realize how much more wide open things could have been.

There's some pros and cons.

For example, he wouldn't fill the same venues. Or achieve the same exposure. On the other hand, what he does would be accepted easier by many and he wouldn't be under such a magnifying glass. The pressure of being GnR wouldn't be there either.

To me it'd be a step back that you need to take to move forward. But that's in retrospect.

[tomfriend]

I do not even know why he bothered to obtain the name? All we have for the New gnr period is one stinky album which tanked and a bunch of cash grab tours, spanning the whole period, 2002-14. Yes, some of those tours were good (e.g. 2006) but they were still, inherently, pointless cash grabs. If he bought the name to sink it in the dirt, then he has truly succeeded.

A good tour with good shows is pointless?Do you actually like music?

I like bands which release music, yes.

I think we both know I was talking about live music.

[jekylhyde]

Much easier. He could've had Ozzy-like solo career.

[magisme]

I think I'm gonna write a Hemingway story. You can't tell me it's not Hemingway.

[GUNNER PT]

Axl chose the ropes, the hard way ... and that's so GN'R.

[Gackt]

The new incarnation of GnR should have been given a new name to get rid of the baggage. Oh My God could have been released under Axl Rose, while everything from the VMA's forward would have been a new identity.

The problem is the band would need to release more than one album's worth of new material for itself than rely on the old hits to get by..something Axl seems incapable of doing.

[wasted]

I don't feel Axl has the mainstream appeal, loveable addict persona to sell. It's harder to sell the new Elton John. He would still be the guy that destroyed GNR to go solo and do piano electronica instrumentals.

I guess he worked to get to that point with GNR. So why waste the advance money and position. It's very hard to get to that point again.

Slash isn't that successful he doesnt headline Rock in Rio like Ozzy might. There's no Slashfest or Livin with on Hudsons. Or even really one album as good as Ozzy solo. I doubt Axl could do it either. He'd just be fucked.

To me Slash leaving was like a challenge he couldn't turn down. It's like an ego macho thing too?

Edited October 26, 2014 by wasted

[DieselDaisy]

I do not even know why he bothered to obtain the name? All we have for the New gnr period is one stinky album which tanked and a bunch of cash grab tours, spanning the whole period, 2002-14. Yes, some of those tours were good (e.g. 2006) but they were still, inherently, pointless cash grabs. If he bought the name to sink it in the dirt, then he has truly succeeded.

A good tour with good shows is pointless?Do you actually like music?

I like bands which release music, yes.

I think we both know I was talking about live music.

If you are playing live with no album and relying on the hits to grab cash from Vegas, then you can basically fuck off in my eyes - unless you are Chuck of course.

[darknightfan]

Hes been solo since 1993. Hasn't worked out too well.

[niceguy]

GNR and Axl would've been much better off had Axl done a few solo records.

He could bring in Paul tobulias, DJ fish, Robin funk, Ron, and all the other shitty guitarists that no one cares about. Then he could have Pittman add some moronic sub bass, have dizzy play some honky tank saloon piAno, and have beta manage the entire effort, with her Wall Street economics and toilet cleaning skills.

After getting all that out, he could've come back Nd collaborated with the people who made him famous.

Instead, we get to hear Ron jerk off a million mikes an hour on the guitar while DJ makes hulk hogan ears and beats up house plants at hotels.

Go GNR!

Edited October 26, 2014 by niceguy

[Snowmass]

GnR broke up in 1993. No one told Axl. He just listened to TB...and here we are. No Guns in 20+ years....what a waste over a stupid pissing match between Axl & Slash.

[Ant]

By keeping the name GNR and working within that entity he also got access to millions of dollars of Geffen funding that otherwise wouldn't have been available. Pretty cushy gig, going to a studio whenever you want to dick around with someone else footing the bill for 14 years.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Ant

[wasted]

CD wasn't a solo record at all.

Freese, Finck, Bucket, Tobias, Tommy, Pitman wrote the songs.

Axl just has lyrics and vocal melodies on the songs.

Only This I Love is written by Axl.

So even if he wanted to call it a solo nobody would let him.

It's basically the same as UYI with different musicians contributing songs. So unless UYI is a solo album, CD isn't either.