Robin Finck: opinions? Is he a good guitarist?

[felixGNR]

On 11/16/2017 at 4:09 PM, Ifdworld said:

i know i do. But you know what? its a matter of personal taste. I Really connect with Robin as a guitar player and songwriter. Live i think he is phenomenal. But everyone can have their own opinion. Its just music, its not suppose to have the same effect on everyone. But whatever axl saw in him i did to. That guy is number one in my book.

what? you are talking about the guy like he is on par with Slash,Frusciante,Cantrell,Thayil,etc,he is  someone that has less songwriting credits than gilby clarke, and this is not an opinion is a fact,

[BorderlineCrazy]

7 hours ago, AxlRoseCDII said:

I play guitar and am in a band and Finck is my favorite Guns guitarist. His bends are great and besides a mistake by going to the scale or playing the wrong note once in a while (which every guitarist, even Slash does) his playing and ability to put together a great solo that sounds well is fantastic. 

I like Slash better in my favorite Robin thing (emotional solos), November Rain alone puts him on top of my list. That said, I think Robin did a hell of a job on CD (see a lot of praising for his solos on This I Love and Better but my personal favorite is Street Of Dreams by far) and I'd put him almost at the same level. In the rockin' songs department is where Slash makes a bigger difference for me, those solos get overlooked IMO (compared to NR, Don't Cry, 1st two in SCOM, Estranged...) but what he did on songs like Don't Damn Me, Locomotive or Nightrain (among many others) put him on a league of his own in my book. The fact that he can rock the shit out of you and also make you cry is probably what I love the most about him. Gotta say, though, that Robin had to share the leads on CD with 20 other guitarists but personally I can't think of a memorable "heavier" solo from Robin that's on par with his soft, beautiful ones.

2 hours ago, felixGNR said:

what? you are talking about the guy like he is on par with Slash,Frusciante,Cantrell,Thayil,etc,he is  someone that has less songwriting credits than gilby clarke, and this is not an opinion is a fact,

Well, I don't believe he's earned a place that high as a songwriter, but as a player I think he's really special. I love Gilby and he's written some killer songs but if I had to ask one of the two to play a solo on a song I had, I would definitely go for Robin.

[DieselDaisy]

On 11/16/2017 at 8:51 PM, axlsnutsack said:

Well technically he was in Mansons mouth which was probably his finest achievement on guitar but that is how all the NIN/Manson crowd seem to get noticed shock vs ability.

Watch Twiggy auditioning with Metallica for a good intro to that....people playing for a year would do a better job.

 

I think the guy is terrible ...the 2001 clip might have been an "anti-statement" out of insecurity.

 

Fair play this is horrific on all parts ...and wtf pulling pop shot faces when the playing is that bad

 

I once tried to search for that on youtube for ages in order to show someone how awful Finck was (I originally had the show on vhs). To be honest he is worse than Ashba from that clip. 

Edited November 18, 2017 by DieselDaisy

[Jeez]

Is he a good guitarist? Obviously. It's just a matter of taste.

[Pishy]

NIN and Manson are both really good, Reznor is outstanding. And NIN for sure does not rely on shock at all, these guys go on stage and play straight through, barely muttering a single word, no explosions or gimmicks, they play like Tool, beginning to end, it is about nothing but the music, the best shows I have ever seen. Reznor is as quiet as an artist can get. Yeah, Manson does some things but he is a talented guy. 

 

Fink was a touring guitar player, he didn't write anything. You cant judge NIN by Fink. But what is more interesting is that this Fink was lead on all of CD, is that correct? Axl wanted to be Trent so bad, Ill never forget the first time I listened to the album and I had not heard a word about the contents and I immediately was horrified by how much axl tried to rip off Reznor, not that Reznor would ever write such lame lyrics or use such sterile and formulaic music, but it was so, cringe, jesus.

How did Axl have Buckethead second to Fink? oh yeah, trying to channel Tent. I like some Buckethead solos on CD.  

[Eric Cantona]

Robin didn't do SoD justice, it deserved a good solo

[Ifdworld]

11 hours ago, felixGNR said:

what? you are talking about the guy like he is on par with Slash,Frusciante,Cantrell,Thayil,etc,he is  someone that has less songwriting credits than gilby clarke, and this is not an opinion is a fact,

well first of all when i like a guitar player its because he or she does something that is quite unique so to put him on a list next 5 other guys that sound nothing like him seems the kind of reasoning a 10 year old would come up with. music is about individuality and what you bring to the table.

 

Robin is an amazing guitar player with a career many would envy. On top of that he is extremely good at a unique classic rock, bluesy sound and also on the industrial side. Its stupid to try and defend him just because some people, like you, dont get it. Its ok, its just like sex, some people get it, some dont. If i can respect the fact that you dont care about him, why is it so difficult to accept that lots of people actually love his work.

Live he was and still is one of the most interesting guitar players i've seen. and i have seen quite a few because playing guitar is actually what i do for a very long time. 

[felixGNR]

9 hours ago, Ifdworld said:

1.well first of all when i like a guitar player its because he or she does something that is quite unique so to put him on a list next 5 other guys that sound nothing like him seems the kind of reasoning a 10 year old would come up with. music is about individuality and what you bring to the table.

 

2.Robin is an amazing guitar player with a career many would envy. On top of that he is extremely good at a unique classic rock, bluesy sound and also on the industrial side. Its stupid to try and defend him just because some people, like you, dont get it. Its ok, its just like sex, some people get it, some dont. If i can respect the fact that you dont care about him, why is it so difficult to accept that lots of people actually love his work.

3.Live he was and still is one of the most interesting guitar players i've seen. and i have seen quite a few because playing guitar is actually what i do for a very long time. 

1.or maybe something a 10 year old couldn't understand, 5 completely different guys, all great songwriters (riffs,licks,etc) what does exactly robin bring to the table? he isn't buckethead (unique and brought stuff to the table) very "unique" songwriting ability and 2 or 3 good solos on songs that not many people is gonna remember?

 

2.  that i can agree with you, career wise ( cirque, NIN, GNR,) all good paying gigs i think, unique at classic/bluesy rock? far from it, industrial side... i dont know north and jhon 5 are  better to my ears, maybe you'll get it or don't , don't care,

3.IMHO i have seen the guy with NIN,GNR, one of the most boring guitar players i have seen live,he is trying too hard, i also play guitar!,  

[Towelie]

Am I missing something here when people are lauding what a great songwriter Finck was? Isn't Better his sole songwriting credit? I mean, it's a good song and all, but one good song doesn't make someone a great songwriter.

[Edward Nygma]

Thought his guitar work on CD was top notch. The Better solo is great, clean and sounds so refreshing, SOD outro is like a rollercoaster ride..awesome! (Or is it Buckethead on the Outro? Either way awesome!)

 

[axlsnutsack]

On 11/17/2017 at 11:06 AM, tremolo said:

Wtf.

I get you don’t have to like the guy’s playing, but going from that to statements such as the shock over ability in the NIN/Manson crowds is ridiculous.

Twiggy is an amazing songwriter, Manson used to be an amazing lyricist and singer. John5 is an incredible guitar player. NIN has had incredibly skilled musicians in its different incarnations (Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Cortini, Freese, Clouser, Dillon, Rubin, etc.), and even Trent Reznor himself has more musical skills and creativity than Axl and gnr could hope for.

 

I can understand how his interpretation of classic gnr songs could upset fans, but I give him a medal for having the balls to do his own shit instead of playing other people’s solos note by note. From that point on is just a matter of taste.

 

And yeah, I do play guitar, and have been doing it for 30 years. But I don’t know how that makes my opinion any more or less valid.

John 5 wasn't original and yes him, Freese and some of the others etc are top shelf players.

But there is a big difference between them and the Twiggys/Fincks of the world.

An Manson isn't a band I would consider strong on the songwriting front by any stretch of the imagination.

A lot of the NIN crowd is talented in the synth world & I forget the name (clouser?)  but you can see that guy struggling big time in the Metallica audition ...(fair play no where near as bad as Twiggy which was just an abomination)

 

I'd take a more talented mood player over 10000 Steve Vai's of the world but Finck and the likes stink bigtime.

 

I'd say if you played guitar for 30 years and thought those solos I posted were good well that would be worrying ...the Brazil one isn't even in key ffs.

[axlsnutsack]

21 hours ago, Pishy said:

NIN and Manson are both really good, Reznor is outstanding. And NIN for sure does not rely on shock at all, these guys go on stage and play straight through, barely muttering a single word, no explosions or gimmicks, they play like Tool, beginning to end, it is about nothing but the music, the best shows I have ever seen. Reznor is as quiet as an artist can get. Yeah, Manson does some things but he is a talented guy. 

 

Uh yeah lets record an album in the Manson house....Closer and Perfect Drug are just about as contrived as Nickelback.

 

[Pishy]

12 minutes ago, tremolo said:

I didn’t say the solos were good or bad. Finck didn’t fit the bill to fill Slash’s shoes. Completely different styles and skills. You could grab a classical piano player and watch him struggle trying to play jazz. You know what I mean? I don’t mean that Finck is an absolute expert ina different style of playing guitar, but I always thought that he wasn’t the right choice to play Slash’s songs, solos and role. Finck is Finck and Finck is incredible at what Finck does, he doesn’t shine doing what Slash does. He did adapt to the requirements of that role, though, his improvement through the years in GNR is undeniable. Axl should have formed his own band and have Finck in there making and playing his own stuff instead of hiring them to be in GNR playing Slash.

And it’s one of the things that really piss me off about the whole Chinese Democracy era: Finck must have written way more music than what we’ve listened to, and based on what we’ve heard on CD, he is very capable of writing good songs, great melodies and play solos with a lot of feel. But all of that must be sitting in a fucking hard drive somewhere to never be released, or to be re-recorded a hundred times by guitarists #3628462 and #3628463.

Twiggy is a great songwriter, listen to Antichrist Superstar, but specially listen to Mechanical Animals. Yeah, he’s not a technical player, but his contributions go beyond playing, it’s all in the songwriting.

A lot of the guys who have been in NIN are multi-instrumentalists. Lohner could play keyboards, bass, guitar, and sing. And I consider him one of the least musical of the bunch that has been in NIN.

 

I don’t know about that audition you mention, I’ve never cared for Metallica, but I can totally understand how Twiggy and Danny don’t fit in there at all, it’s not the style where they can do their thing and shine, it’s not very techincal, but it’s all about speed and precision within that speed.

The fact they sucked playing Metallica doesn’t mean they suck, it only means they cannot play that style (speed) as well as others, but playing fast and being good at playing an instrument are 2 different things, and you don’t need even 2 days playing an instrument to understand that.

No doubt Axl did the same to Buckethead , a treasure of music he tossed aside like molted pennies. Meanwhile,  Axl brainstorming for years to come up with mental midget, kindergarten shite like, " it don't really matter , you'll find out for yourself " and "blame it on the Falun Gong, they've seen the end and you can't hold on now"  are in his mind, lyrics worthy of being carved into the pillars of Persepolis . 

Agree on your assessments of Fink and Twiggy. 

Edited November 19, 2017 by Pishy

[Pishy]

1 hour ago, axlsnutsack said:

Uh yeah lets record an album in the Manson house....Closer and Perfect Drug are just about as contrived as Nickelback.

 

I don't follow these useless tidbits about artists so I have no clue about recording "perfect drug" & "closer" at the Manson house .i don't care what they eat or where they roller skate either. I had general knowledge that  Reznor did some recording work out of new Orleans only because of time I spent in the area. 

Reznor did perfect drug for a lynch film and he was never really big on it, it fit the soundtrack and movie and served its purpose . 

closer isn't a great track either , what's your point ? Reznor has a large catalog of amazing , quality work . Apparently so damn good Axl wanted to impersonate him and failed miserably .

Marilyn Manson is obviously louder with his aesthetics but he brought the music so I don't care if he wanted to wear a jock strap over his face. These guys are not poseurs like Axl was in CD, they delivered quality art .  Apparently you don't know anything about their work or you wouldn't put nickel back in the same sentence with them . 

[axlsnutsack]

9 minutes ago, tremolo said:

I didn’t say the solos were good or bad. Finck didn’t fit the bill to fill Slash’s shoes. Completely different styles and skills. You could grab a classical piano player and watch him struggle trying to play jazz. You know what I mean? I don’t mean that Finck is an absolute expert ina different style of playing guitar, but I always thought that he wasn’t the right choice to play Slash’s songs, solos and role. Finck is Finck and Finck is incredible at what Finck does, he doesn’t shine doing what Slash does. He did adapt to the requirements of that role, though, his improvement through the years in GNR is undeniable. Axl should have formed his own band and have Finck in there making and playing his own stuff instead of hiring them to be in GNR playing Slash.

And it’s one of the things that really piss me off about the whole Chinese Democracy era: Finck must have written way more music than what we’ve listened to, and based on what we’ve heard on CD, he is very capable of writing good songs, great melodies and play solos with a lot of feel. But all of that must be sitting in a fucking hard drive somewhere to never be released, or to be re-recorded a hundred times by guitarists #3628462 and #3628463.

Twiggy is a great songwriter, listen to Antichrist Superstar, but specially listen to Mechanical Animals. Yeah, he’s not a technical player, but his contributions go beyond playing, it’s all in the songwriting.

A lot of the guys who have been in NIN are multi-instrumentalists. Lohner could play keyboards, bass, guitar, and sing. And I consider him one of the least musical of the bunch that has been in NIN.

 

I don’t know about that audition you mention, I’ve never cared for Metallica, but I can totally understand how Twiggy and Danny don’t fit in there at all, it’s not the style where they can do their thing and shine, it’s not very techincal, but it’s all about speed and precision within that speed.

The fact they sucked playing Metallica doesn’t mean they suck, it only means they cannot play that style (speed) as well as others, but playing fast and being good at playing an instrument are 2 different things, and you don’t need even 2 days playing an instrument to understand that.

i agree with some people won't fit in certain bands

The funniest thing is I used Steve Vai as an example but I was listening to PIL some months ago and heard some of the guitar work and thought....even though it was "anti-guitar" you could tell the person could play....I was blown away to find out it actually was Steve Vai lol.

I'd say Fincks strengths are his costumes/stage look, hacking at chords and strange noises which really if you fuck around with enough gear isn't a hard thing to do. (the CD main riff is literally a straight up rip off of "hey man nice shot/ungod" )

He did go through the "blues man" phase with the black crowes look & pulling orgasm faces for work that certainly didn't match the output.

 

Finck had YEARS to learn the songs and still fucked them up, Gilby/Bumblefoot and Matt only had WEEKS. Its like night and day or completely black and white...these guys are true musicians.

They can improvise as well ....I'd love to have seen the nu-guns taken the songs out into deep waters like GNR did in the UYI shows...

 

When I think of great songwriting I think of AIC,STP etc.....there is not one thing I've heard from Manson or Finck that comes even close.

 

 

 

Have a read of the comments if you think I'm in a minority about his ability lol......and it wasn't a fast song it was some beginner shit.

 

 

I mean do you think something like this would ever come out of Slash's mouth?

Guitar World: When they say "I'm really happy now" and "I'm finding myself," that's usually a prelude to "I do yoga and exercise and I don't take drugs anymore."

Twiggy Ramirez: [looking horrified] No. No! That's the last thing I'd say. Feel free to talk about all the drugs you want. It's all about the money, girls and drugs. That's what it all comes down to. Money, girls, drugs and music last. If you have money, you can have drugs and then you can have girls.

Guitar World: So, money first...

Twiggy Ramirez: Well if you have the money, then you have the freedom to be able to do the drugs and get away with it and not be a loser. And, well, girls are always there. And also, if you have money and you're a rock star, no one looks down on you if you're on drugs. You're allowed to. That's one of the status symbols of being a rock star. And I guess if you have all those other things, then you have the freedom to keep on being able to make music.

 

I mean the attitude shows right here.

 

 

I mean at the end of the day I can bitch but they slipped thru the cracks due to having the right hair style & being in the right place and are touring the world etc.

It looks like Twiggy has some bigger struggles than his bass playing these days anyway lol

 

[axlsnutsack]

6 minutes ago, Pishy said:

I don't follow these useless tidbits about artists so I have no clue about recording "perfect drug" & "closer" at the Manson house .i don't care what they eat or where they roller skate either. I had general knowledge that  Reznor did some recording work out of new Orleans only because of time I spent in the area. 

Reznor did perfect drug for a lynch film and he was never really big on it, it fit the soundtrack and movie and served its purpose . 

closer isn't a great track either , what's your point ? Reznor has a large catalog of amazing , quality work . Apparently so damn good Axl wanted to impersonate him and failed miserably .

Marilyn Manson is obviously louder with his aesthetics but he brought the music so I don't care if he wanted to wear a jock strap over his face. These guys are not poseurs like Axl was in CD, they delivered quality art .  Apparently you don't know anything about their work or you wouldn't put nickel back in the same sentence with them . 

Trent is a very talented guy without a doubt ..that doesn't mean some of his image is contrived.

I wasn't talking about those songs being recorded there and I wasn't talking about Marilyn Manson which seems you didn't know the history.

Oh yeah the recording studio in a funeral parlour too......I forgot about that one....certainly impressive shit for teenagers.

NIN is on another level musically than MM .......MM is bottom of the totem pole.

 

 

 

[Pishy]

1 minute ago, axlsnutsack said:

Trent is a very talented guy without a doubt ..that doesn't mean some of his image is contrived.

I wasn't talking about those songs being recorded there and I wasn't talking about Marilyn Manson which seems you didn't know the history.

Oh yeah the recording studio in a funeral parlour too......I forgot about that one....certainly impressive shit for teenagers.

NIN is on another level musically than MM .......MM is bottom of the totem pole.

 

 

 

I thought you meant reznor recorded those songs at Charles Manson's house but like I said , I know nothing about that and don't care for useless details. But it sure seemed to be what you were saying. True or not, what's your point? That you like the hype and personal details of peoole you don't know and therefore are more qualified to assess their artistic abilities ? I find that the people down in the underwear of artists know shit all about their music , they're into the fame aspect or why care, are they your family ? Are you their manager ? 

 

And you were saying NIN and Marilyn Manson were contrived and not good artists . 

Of course NIN is in another category than Marilyn Manson , no comparison but I wouldn't say MM is at the bottom , he is way better than a ton of artists and antichrist superstar is a monumental piece of work compared to CD 

[axlsnutsack]

29 minutes ago, Pishy said:

I thought you meant reznor recorded those songs at Charles Manson's house

 

And you were saying NIN and Marilyn Manson were contrived and not good artists . 

Of course NIN is in another category than Marilyn Manson , no comparison but I wouldn't say MM is at the bottom , he is way better than a ton of artists and antichrist superstar is a monumental piece of work compared to CD 

The songs and the house are separate (even though Closer was probably recorded there that is not what I was getting at)

 

 

You are putting words in my mouth now...I never said anything about NIN (ie Trent) being a bad artist.

Manson song writing wise yet.

 

[Pishy]

5 minutes ago, axlsnutsack said:

The songs and the house are separate (even though Closer was probably recorded there that is not what I was getting at)

 

 

You are putting words in my mouth now...I never said anything about NIN (ie Trent) being a bad artist.

Manson song writing wise yet.

 

I don't care where they recorded . Reznor hardly spoke in the press , NIN is one of my favorite groups and I know next to nothing about their personal lives , which is how I like it. At least he is not a cheesy embarasment like duff who I recently found out did a reality show 

 

You compared them to nickel back! Pretty sure that's not a compliment . 

What Trent is contrived because he wore black pants and a black tshirt ? Because he had a hairstyle ? Should he have worn a potato sack? He was as minimalist as it got .

As far as composing, Axl is not in the same solar system as Trent and that's just a fact . All the good song writing in GnR was because of Izzy and then others contributed . I think CD is proof of that. 

[SWINGTRADER]

He sucks.

[SWINGTRADER]

21 minutes ago, Pishy said:

I don't care where they recorded . Reznor hardly spoke in the press , NIN is one of my favorite groups and I know next to nothing about their personal lives , which is how I like it. At least he is not a cheesy embarasment like duff who I recently found out did a reality show 

 

You compared them to nickel back! Pretty sure that's not a compliment . 

What Trent is contrived because he wore black pants and a black tshirt ? Because he had a hairstyle ? Should he have worn a potato sack? He was as minimalist as it got .

As far as composing, Axl is not in the same solar system as Trent and that's just a fact . All the good song writing in GnR was because of Izzy and then others contributed . I think CD is proof of that. 

 

LOL Axl as a rock star and GNR in general takes a shit on anything having to do with NIN times a 1000.  

 

Nobody gives a fuck about NiN. 100 yrs from now GNR will still be heard, NIN will be forgotten.

[axlsnutsack]

20 minutes ago, Pishy said:

I don't care where they recorded . Reznor hardly spoke in the press , NIN is one of my favorite groups and I know next to nothing about their personal lives , which is how I like it. At least he is not a cheesy embarasment like duff who I recently found out did a reality show 

 

You compared them to nickel back! Pretty sure that's not a compliment . 

What Trent is contrived because he wore black pants and a black tshirt ? Because he had a hairstyle ? Should he have worn a potato sack? He was as minimalist as it got .

As far as composing, Axl is not in the same solar system as Trent and that's just a fact . All the good song writing in GnR was because of Izzy and then others contributed . I think CD is proof of that. 

 

omg.....I give up...

Those people that gave November Rain 900million views might disagree with you as well. (personally I vibe with Estranged much better :D)

Personally I think both Trent and Axl are the top of the food chain at what they do I wouldn't rate one over the other in composition terms.

 

[Pishy]

2 minutes ago, axlsnutsack said:

 

omg.....I give up...

Those people that gave November Rain 900million views might disagree with you as well. (personally I vibe with Estranged much better :D)

Personally I think both Trent and Axl are the top of the food chain at what they do I wouldn't rate one over the other in composition terms.

 

Clearly I like GnR's music but after Izzy left , Axl didn't write anything . That was the end .

gnr and nin are completely different but somehow Axl thought impersonating Reznor would he a good idea .

there are Just as many comments for nin and holding up a casual listener fav like November rain doesn't do much for your argument . Many of those commenting are like the guy next to me at an msg show that got all excited for November rain , then asked me what every song they played was called . That's all people know ! That and  a few tracks from appetite . Can't count the number of people who know nothing about GnR' music that tell me "I love Guns N' Roses too, November rain is one of my all time favorite songs" and they don't even know 3/4 of the song . So this really means little to nothing 

As for the quality of November and estranged, both are very good songs but people here trying to minimize Trent are laughable . That man is a true composer, original , very creative and artistic . NIN shows are pure intensity and power from start to finish and they rely on nothing but the music , as it should be . They're true artists.

and thrn there is body of work . Reznor has a lot.  GnR imploded , Axl couldn't produce anything without the other 4, particularly Izzy . Overall , the music has no overlap and the two are nothing alike . The only reason I would ever discuss these two together is because I put on Cd and was horrified when I heard the cheap Reznor imitation , it's plainly obvious 

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

14 minutes ago, tremolo said:

Trent Reznor is all that Axl wanted to be, and will never ever be.

 

An accomplished musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer, great performer, soundtrack composer and arranger, prolific.

Axl wanted to be to GNR what Trent is to NIN, and he failed at it because he didn’t have the talent, skills and drive that Reznor has.

NIN and TR have been praised by their musical work. Their tours have been very successful and TR has pushed the envelope in terms of visuals and stage/light show way beyond what gnr will ever do. Same goes for music videos. Closer is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in NY.

Trent is a respected musician among his peers and in the industry.

GNR is a band with 4.5 albums Who have been touring a tired stale setlist for almost 2 years. Oh, and the singer can’t even sing. 100% nostalgia act. On the other hand, NIN is crushing it, releasing new material pretty often (8.5 albums, 3 EP (2 of which were released less than a year ago and have been praised by critics and fans)) which gives TR plenty of material to tour on...

As much as I love both bands, they don’t even compare. GNR never made it past their peak, they collapsed. NIN never hit the same peak, but they’ve had a way more successful career. That is undeniable.

Axl was a rockstar, his volatility made him look both cool and like the biggest douchebag with a very bloated sense of himself. Too bad it didn’t last more than 6-7 years.

And yet...GNR endure.   When you stack NIN and GNR up against each other like that NIN comes out the winner, on paper at least.  But who's winning currently in terms of 'brand durability' - Billy Corgan's term.  I'm playing devil's advocate here.

I'm a NIN fan too, just I think your post has raised an interesting question.  What is a successful career anyway?

NIN and Trent can win all the accolades and have all the credibility all day long, but mention Nine Inch Nails/Trent Reznor to the average Jane/Joe on the street and you're going to get a lot of quizzical looks, particularly from the millennials.  Mention Guns N' Roses/Axl Rose and you'd be hard pressed to find a person for whom that name doesn't at least ring a cultural bell; they might not know the music, but they'll know the name.  The name is recognised among both young and old and across various walks of life, as the concert demographics have shown.  That's a pretty big achievement in itself (to the tune of $400 mil) especially when you look at the 'musical' stats.  I'm thinking this is what Billy Corgan meant by brand durability.

So to be considered successful, is it more important to be credible, or to be recognisable? 

N.B. I don't think Axl wanted to be Trent.  Clearly, he admired the guy; he admired lots of musicians and more often then not tried to poach them from other bands to join his. ^^ I don't think he really knew who he was, or what he wanted a lot of the time...

[Free Bird]

6 hours ago, tremolo said:

Trent Reznor is all that Axl wanted to be, and will never ever be.

 

An accomplished musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer, great performer, soundtrack composer and arranger, prolific.

Axl wanted to be to GNR what Trent is to NIN, and he failed at it because he didn’t have the talent, skills and drive that Reznor has.

NIN and TR have been praised by their musical work. Their tours have been very successful and TR has pushed the envelope in terms of visuals and stage/light show way beyond what gnr will ever do. Same goes for music videos. Closer is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in NY.

Trent is a respected musician among his peers and in the industry.

GNR is a band with 4.5 albums Who have been touring a tired stale setlist for almost 2 years. Oh, and the singer can’t even sing. 100% nostalgia act. On the other hand, NIN is crushing it, releasing new material pretty often (8.5 albums, 3 EP (2 of which were released less than a year ago and have been praised by critics and fans)) which gives TR plenty of material to tour on...

As much as I love both bands, they don’t even compare. GNR never made it past their peak, they collapsed. NIN never hit the same peak, but they’ve had a way more successful career. That is undeniable.

Axl was a rockstar, his volatility made him look both cool and like the biggest douchebag with a very bloated sense of himself. Too bad it didn’t last more than 6-7 years.

TR might be all that Axl wanted to be but that doesn't matter. TR is NIN. Axl IS NOT GNR. So it's not only about Axl. As you said correctly GNR is a band. A band of 5 musicians and in a very short amount of time with little output they managed to reach highs that NIN will never reach. These are facts.

And now my opinion. NIN music is garbage to me but I'm more of a classic rock type of guy anyways