What was Axl's vision for newGn'R?

[wasted]

That Slash didn't want to work on Snakepit with Axl and Duff also kind of a stumbling block.

Plus Slash basically saying he wanted nothing to do with Axls ballads.

They were rich enough to do what they wanted so they did.

It's a shame they couldn't find a way to compromise. Even basically solo efforts under the GNR banner would have been ok with the fans probably.

Edited March 29, 2015 by wasted

[Bono]

"The truth is, they didn't want to be here for you at this level. They didn't want to take it farther," says a Strahan jersey and cornrows wearing Axl to a half empty arena in Albany in 2002 just before butchering another song written 1986.

That's the type of shit you look at and think wow is it ever pathetic. He's trying to work the crowd like a pro wrestler with the "They didn't wanna be here for you at this level" trying to imply he's all about the fans. He comes off so weak here. Also the fans don't give a flying fuck what he's saying. They're just a bunch of sheep who cheer when he says "fuck" or when he says "suck my dick". This stuff is so sad and hilarious all in one.

[appetite4illusions]

Contemporary

[Trin9498]

Think Axl knew deep down inside it was over once the Illusion lineup was done?

[tomfriend]

Think Axl knew deep down inside it was over once the Illusion lineup was done?

I really don't. In those interviews from say, '99 up to about 2004 he spoke with the conviction of a man who thinks he has a bold future ahead of him.

How the fuck it came to this, I have no idea. To me the disintegration of the UYI lineup was something of an inevitability. That Guns N' Roses no longer has a future now, however...there's no way that anyone is to blame for that but Axl. He has failed hard.

[Trin9498]

I think the only thing that could salvage it would be opening up the vault. I doubt that will ever happen though.....

[jbhutto]

20/200

[gnfnrs1972]

I kicked your ass just like I said I would. A visionary!

[wasted]

I guess Axls vision for GNR post Slash was just to experiment with sound and styles and not just rest on the hard rock that they became known for. It's really only Axl that had that vision for GNR, the different styles on the record and push for being more progressive. Nobody else cared if Nov Rain or Estranged or Breakdown were on UYI. It's a lot less epic and progressive without Axl.

[Ragnar]

I guess Axls vision for GNR post Slash was just to experiment with sound and styles and not just rest on the hard rock that they became known for. It's really only Axl that had that vision for GNR, the different styles on the record and push for being more progressive. Nobody else cared if Nov Rain or Estranged or Breakdown were on UYI. It's a lot less epic and progressive without Axl.

Yet, ho does exact opposite relies on old material. Go figure.

[wasted]

I guess Axls vision for GNR post Slash was just to experiment with sound and styles and not just rest on the hard rock that they became known for. It's really only Axl that had that vision for GNR, the different styles on the record and push for being more progressive. Nobody else cared if Nov Rain or Estranged or Breakdown were on UYI. It's a lot less epic and progressive without Axl.

Yet, ho does exact opposite relies on old material. Go figure.

I'm talking about the album.

I would say most bands play the hits. New GNR were playing quite a few off Chinese on various legs. I saw a good show with ITW, Shacklers, TIL were debuted. And they played TWAT, IRS, Chi dem, Bettter, SOD.

I think they put on a good show and Chi dem, Better, TIL, SOD are staple. Throwing in Catcher and TWAT towards the end was cool.

I guess also an artists intentions doesn't mean anyone wants to hear those songs live. I think they knew they hadn't made the most accessible album ever.

Edited March 31, 2015 by wasted

[Teroz]

To stick it to the old line up and make nu-GnR the biggest and most popular thing in the world. And to employ hard working and loyal South-Americans to achieve this.

[Intercourse]

I think Axl's only "vision" was complete and total control first followed by some sort of a creative renaissance after that.

The "complete control" part became such a disaster and monster head fuck for all involved that Axl never seemed able to fully get into the head space to drive his creative renaissance after that. He blames Slash for this (the lost years), probably because he's mended his fences and his version of events with the other guys who were in the band and there's nobody else left to blame.

Axl then paid other guys to come in a deliver his renaissance for him - total strangers. Problem with that as that because both Axl and the new hires didn't really know what Axl wanted, the whole fucking pantomime took an eon to wind its way through to the delivery of CD. Robin referenced everything being worked upon from simple one-instrument tunes to walls of synth and all in between. That's not a "vision", that just going at every sound there is hoping one sound will give back to lead the way to some sort of cohesive body of work. U2 had that breakthrough in Achtung Baby with the writing of "One" which opened the creative floodgates and gave the band their trademark sound for the album. CD is such a hotchpotch because that ah-a moment never happened, probably because every face in the studio was a new one and a stranger to the others.

Its the one part of this story I never got, how Axl bailed almost entirely on the new band in the early days- that story of the fuss over trying to get Dave Grohl's kick drum sound just showed that Axl was willing to work twice as hard to stay away than do the easy thing and get down there to sort things out himself.

It told me that Slash etc did far more of the mundane stuff to keep GNR moving forward than Axl is ever willing to admit. There was nowhere to hide with the old band gone and because of that it took him over a decade to have the balls to hand out a statement of his artistry to the public to get judged.

And judged he was...and worse for Axl the reaction overall was lukewarm and slightly apathetic. That must have been some shock for the leader of "the most dangerous band in the world".

I think the lights went out there and then and we have what we have now. A badly managed corporation shovelling out 25 year old music for poker tourists.

[trqster]

Axl is a genius and he could have had a brilliant and prolific music career as a solo act - pretty much as Slash has been doing successfully his own stuff. Problem was, is and always will be when he entitles himself as the the frontman of a band called Gn'R...

[Rovim]

Axl is a genius and he could have had a brilliant and prolific music career as a solo act - pretty much as Slash has been doing successfully his own stuff. Problem was, is and always will be when he entitles himself as the the frontman of a band called Gn'R...

1. Axl is not a genius.

2. Could have, should have. Doesn't really mean anything. Potential ain't worth a shit when you sit on your hands for years until it's too late to even have a chance to reach the same standard or even close to what once was.

3. The problem was not mainly the name, it was Axl's inability to deliver in time.

[moreblack]

Axl's a good singer and writer, a great performer when he's got the gas and the fire for it.

One thing he's never been: a genius.

[Iron MikeyJ]

Someone please inform Webster, the definition of genius has been changed!!!! ?

[Nosaj Thing]

Axl is a genius

[wasted]

Not sure about the solo career. I guess if an album like CD can be a solo record, there's just so many other writers though. Better isnt an Axl solo song. He didn't write the riff for Chi dem. he didn't even write the piano parts on SOD?

I kind of like the idea of Axl at a piano playing GNR hits though. I'd buy that. I doubt he'd be headlining Rock in Rio with that though.

[SoulMonster]

Using an expression meant to signify high intelligence to describe an artist's ability to create music will always be a bit awkward and never fit well, but it we were to accept the usage of "genius" to artists who have an extra layer of depth in their song writing, who adds more of themselves to the art, whose musicianship is on par with the best, and who succeeds at creating a large following, then I don't see why Axl couldn't be called a "genius", too. In this context it is still just a subjective expression.

[trqster]

Using an expression meant to signify high intelligence to describe an artist's ability to create music will always be a bit awkward and never fit well, but it we were to accept the usage of "genius" to artists who have an extra layer of depth in their song writing, who adds more of themselves to the art, whose musicianship is on par with the best, and who succeeds at creating a large following, then I don't see why Axl couldn't be called a "genius", too. In this context it is still just a subjective expression.

Exactly what I meant.

[AppetiteForGnR]

Axl's vision was obviously to f**k over the former members while milking their legacy.

[Rovim]

Using an expression meant to signify high intelligence to describe an artist's ability to create music will always be a bit awkward and never fit well, but it we were to accept the usage of "genius" to artists who have an extra layer of depth in their song writing, who adds more of themselves to the art, whose musicianship is on par with the best, and who succeeds at creating a large following, then I don't see why Axl couldn't be called a "genius", too. In this context it is still just a subjective expression.

Exactly what I meant.

No matter how you slice it, Axl is not a genius.

You can try to explain it and say the word "genius" doesn't really work when you talk about musicians cause the quality of their work can't be judged objectively, but if you do try to apply it cause you're not deaf, it becomes clear that there are far more gifted musicians that can be better candidates to fall under the definition of "genius".

It's almost insulting to all the other artists that influenced countless bands, who were prolific and the shit just came to them like nothing, or at least they've managed to create several albums that are still considered by many to be masterpieces.

Nah...I love Axl as a musician, but try to see him for what he really is: a gifted and talented singer and songwriter, sure, but not a genius.

No one in old Guns was a genius. They needed each other to achieve greatness. Does a genius really needs anyone else to achieve a vision? I don't know.

To me, a genius is someone who has the ability to achieve something truly amazing with some rare ability to do something in their field that most people wouldn't even think of or executed it nearly as well.

When it happens multiple times and it's effortless you kinda know.

Axl released one album in 23 years. What has he done exactly that makes him a genius? nothing.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Rovim

[DieselDaisy]

I reserve 'genius' for your Shakespeares and Beethovens.

[SoulMonster]

I reserve 'genius' for your Shakespeares and Beethovens.

I reserve it for people with IQs in the 2 % percentiles.