Popular Post Gibbo Posted May 14, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 14, 2019 During an appearance on SiriusXM, Moby remembered briefly becoming the producer of Guns N' Roses back in the '90s, saying that Axl Rose apparently still hates him for something he said back then. The musician explained how he was invited to produce what became 2008's "Chinese Democracy" back in February of 1997, saying (transcribed by UG): "I went to LA and I spent a couple of days in the studio with Axl and whoever was in the band at that point. "He played me some things and I couldn't believe it. My life was odd at that point anyway - this was in '97 - but I'm, like, in the studio, in Los Angeles, with Axl Rose, he's asking me for my opinion on the things he's playing." Focusing on the point that had severely damaged his relationship with the singer, Moby added: "And I asked the question I'm never supposed to ask. I asked, 'Oh, this is great, but where are the vocals?'. And everyone got very uncomfortable. They've been working on the record for six years and they hadn't done any vocals." Asked if the material he was presented with was the "industrial incarnation of the band," Moby replied: "Yeah, I think so. And then I just realized, like, 'Look, I'm not a producer. I can make my own records, but I've never produced a rock band in my life.' "And I just didn't think that my first job as a rock producer should be producing Guns N' Roses. So I had to excuse myself from being the producer of 'Chinese Democracy.'" He added: "And then I made [the massively-successful 1999 album] 'Play' and Axl still hates me. He won't talk to me. I don't know why 'cause I actually found him to be kind of, like, an endearing, interesting character. "Like, one of the things that made me sad about not producing 'Chinese Democracy' is that it meant the end of my weird friendship with Axl. Even now, I'll see him out and he won't talk to me. "But everybody else in the band - not that they were involved [with 'Chinese Democracy'], but Slash, Duff, Matt Sorum, and I saw Izzy the other night, and they're all great. Humble, sober, wonderful human beings. I'm sure Axl is also wonderful, he just won't talk to me." Last year, drummer Chris Vrenna - the former member of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson - who was drumming for Guns N' Roses in 1997 when Moby came into the picture, confirmed that Axl was indeed planning on adding industrial and electronica elements to GN'R at the time. He said: "When I was there, Moby was going to produce. Axl didn't come in very often; he'd show up about once a week. So sometimes we jammed. Sometimes me and Moby just sat and drank coffee and talked about music. Moby was rad. "Can you imagine a Guns N' Roses record with [guitarist] Robin Finck and me and Moby producing? And Axl really wanted it to have an electronic element. "He kept referencing the Passengers album that U2 did ['Original Soundtracks 1,' a 1995 collaborative effort of U2 and Brian Eno released under the pseudonym of Passengers] - 'It's wonderful. It's so good.' That and Nine Inch Nails." https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/moby_talks_gnr_hiring_him_to_produce_chinese_democracy__how_he_angered_axl_with_question_he_was_never_supposed_to_ask.html 3 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNRfanMILO Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 So he started the Chinese project back in 1991? Something doesn’t make sense here, or I’m reading it wrong 😑 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombux Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I guess he just counted years since the last record was done - and in 1997 it was 6 years since UYI was recorded, so that's it. I'd not try to see more in it than what there is 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom2112 Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 (edited) According to most sources gnr didn't start studio sessions until 95/96. And I don't think work started in earnest until Slash and Duff had quit, and Matt was fired. I'm sure things were thrown around though but as far as fully formed songs, they were years away! It would be interesting to hear the demos moby heard though! But his timeline in this interview is a bit off. Edited May 14, 2019 by Tom2112 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombux Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 10 minutes ago, Tom2112 said: According to most sources gnr didn't start studio sessions until 95/96. And I don't think work started in earnest until Slash and Duff had quit, and Matt was fired. I'm sure things were thrown around though but as far as fully formed songs, they were years away! It would be interesting to hear the demos moby heard though! But his timeline in this interview is a bit off. yes, but understand that Moby had no idea how things were in he GNR camp, he just jumped in to help with the current state of things. so he probably assumed that they were working on stuff for some time already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towelie Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I don't agree with Eminem on most things, but I do agree with him when he said Moby was a prick. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
default_ Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 So, he was fired from expecting the singer to sing? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarpatch Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 8 minutes ago, default_ said: So, he was fired from expecting the singer to sing? Think Axl had some serious writer’s block at the time. I remember a quote where he claimed all of his ideas were too depressing and focused with what was going around him personally. He wanted to free himself from that mindset. Going in a different direction musically perhaps could have jolted his creative spark. In the end, I’m not sure if we got anything different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiguns Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 (edited) I think you will find a history of Axl laying down his vocals as the last piece of the recording process. He did it during the illusion process and he will do it again moving forward. In this case Moby would have gone into the situation with very little information and probably was unaware of Axl's vocal process. At that time to Moby, it was a strange process. In today's world, it's not a strange process, it's common with the members of Tool and Maynard James Keenan able to manage doing things differently than others. Edited May 14, 2019 by kiwiguns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNR 1991 Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Tired of these same old tidbits. Weren’t you there for more than a conversation about vocals Moby? Say something else about the experience! We’ve heard this story a million times.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RussTCB Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 1 hour ago, default_ said: So, he was fired from expecting the singer to sing? If so, that's so Axl lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t-p-d-a Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Axl has problems with himself. no doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaskingApathy Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Anyone catch the bit where he mentions that he saw Izzy recently? Wonder where/when that was. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackstar Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 3 hours ago, default_ said: So, he was fired from expecting the singer to sing? He didn't say he was fired. He said that he decided he didn't want to produce a GnR album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackstar Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 He said Axl hates him and doesn't talk to him (another one in the list), and wonders why. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because he had talked to the press quite a bit and Axl doesn't like that. I don't think he had said anything bad really, but he had made some kind of personal comments. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post EvanG Posted May 14, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 14, 2019 Moby's a good egg, I don't get why people hate him. Just like when Eminem was hating on him back in the day... it's like all the schoolyard bullies picking on the nerdy kid. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXL_N_DIZZY Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Hadn’t ever truly focused on the fact that Moby was entering his Play-era when the Guns opportunity came along. Guy was on fire at the time. 18 and Hotel were great too. Would have been interesting as hell IMHO (and perhaps wildly successful) had he produced the ‘99 version of Chinese... BTW- I love Axl, Moby, & Eminem! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RochelleRochelle Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I remember Moby telling Rolling Stone that Axl "seemed like a beaten dog". I wouldn't be thrilled with someone saying that about me either. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratam Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 3 hours ago, MaskingApathy said: Anyone catch the bit where he mentions that he saw Izzy recently? Wonder where/when that was. yes i read it too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratam Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 3 hours ago, Blackstar said: He said Axl hates him and doesn't talk to him (another one in the list), and wonders why. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because he had talked to the press quite a bit and Axl doesn't like that. I don't think he had said anything bad really, but he had made some kind of personal comments. He said too that Axl look's like a beat dog, bit harsh says it. Maybe Axl annoy it too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todreamofwolves Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 9 hours ago, default_ said: So, he was fired from expecting the singer to sing? In Axl's defense, this was back before he was on the right psych meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitchisback Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 16 hours ago, GNRfanMILO said: So he started the Chinese project back in 1991? Something doesn’t make sense here, or I’m reading it wrong 😑 This was 20+ years ago now. Everybody's memory becomes a bit hazy when describing something that happened so long ago, you know? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rayno Posted May 15, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 15, 2019 11 hours ago, MaskingApathy said: Anyone catch the bit where he mentions that he saw Izzy recently? Wonder where/when that was. Maybe it was Richard :-) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXL_N_DIZZY Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 17 hours ago, default_ said: So, he was fired from expecting the singer to sing? Actually, seems Moby fired himself at the end of the day. Thought Guns was too big a gig to be the first rock album he ever produced... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Cnut Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 13 hours ago, EvanG said: Moby's a good egg, I don't get why people hate him. Just like when Eminem was hating on him back in the day... it's like all the schoolyard bullies picking on the nerdy kid. Em' disliked him initially because he made some kind of comment about Em' being a homophobe or some such shit so Em' made a little reference to him in a song, it wasn't Em' that started that. And he's was hardly a wilting wallflower in the situation, he made a point of standing up and booing Eminem when he was recieving some sort of award, dunno if it was a VMA or an EMA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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