The "New Album" Thread - Susan McKagan says album is coming

[Free Bird 1,912]

22 hours ago, Towelie said:

To be fair, the only b-grade musician he had was Ashba, as Fortus and especially Ron are world class. But just the fact that they replaced Finck with someone as tacky and useless as DJ Ashba was, in hindsight, a sign that Axl no longer cared and was going through the motions.

Greetings from Pitman and Frank

Edited August 16 by Free Bird

[rumandraisin 106]

Pitman is a very good musician and songwriter judging from If The World which was mostly him and Bucket. 

DJ submitted 12 tracks to Axl but they were rejected I seem to remember. Bumble did the same thing. Fortus too submitted stuff that Axl didn't like. 

[Ralphelmo 1,153]

Normally musicians present stuff to each other on rehearsals, in GNR they have to send a pigeon with CD attached.

[DownUnderScott 330]

16 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

 

At the time, I was excited about DJ joining. I'd seen him with Sixx AM in 2008 and he was good enough, and entertaining. He'd had a big hit on the rock charts the year before, and helped with Motley's relatively successful Saints Of LA album. He was different from Finck of course, but the 2009 lineup did have some great potential. I don't think Axl really started 'going through the motions' until 2011, at which point DJ also started getting a lot sloppier.

I agree. Great post. Saints of LA was pretty good. I guess history, or really Axl, has never given us the opportunity to truly gauge the songwriting or song-contributing skills of Ashba, Fortus, Thal et al...

[jimmythegent 28]

5 hours ago, Free Bird said:

Greetings from Pitman and Frank

Paul Huge says hello

[allwaystired 2,044]

Ashba wasn't really that bad was he?! 

I think him, and Bumblefoot, came across pretty well and both seemed to really want to push the band forwards in terms of both engagement and music. 

 

[Rovim 4,920]

7 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

Ashba wasn't really that bad was he?! 

I think him, and Bumblefoot, came across pretty well and both seemed to really want to push the band forwards in terms of both engagement and music. 

 

I think DJ was always... not a very good guitar player. meh tone, lack of imagination, weak technique that he hides with a couple of flashy looking tricks he knows how to execute well. He does have an ear for melody but there's no depth to his playing. As soon as the solo gets more detailed, he doesn't know what to do. (Patience solo, This I Love, the second half of the SCOM solo that Bumble had to play)

He does have an ability to construct a decent composition given enough time imo but nothing spectacular, he's not very good at improvising and Gn'R is the kind of band that always featured very talented lead players. There was always at least one attribute that made them cool when it came to Robin, Bucket, and Bumble.

Richard has the chops and does the material justice, covering a lot of ground, while Paul has a lot of writing credits and had a hand in writing some of the AAA tunes on Chinese.

DJ had "stage presence". Also found the 2 volume and 2 tone knobs on his Les Paul to be a difficult concept to grasp.

[allwaystired 2,044]

2 hours ago, Rovim said:

I think DJ was always... not a very good guitar player. meh tone, lack of imagination, weak technique that he hides with a couple of flashy looking tricks he knows how to execute well. He does have an ear for melody but there's no depth to his playing. As soon as the solo gets more detailed, he doesn't know what to do. (Patience solo, This I Love, the second half of the SCOM solo that Bumble had to play)

He does have an ability to construct a decent composition given enough time imo but nothing spectacular, he's not very good at improvising and Gn'R is the kind of band that always featured very talented lead players. There was always at least one attribute that made them cool when it came to Robin, Bucket, and Bumble.

Richard has the chops and does the material justice, covering a lot of ground, while Paul has a lot of writing credits and had a hand in writing some of the AAA tunes on Chinese.

DJ had "stage presence". Also found the 2 volume and 2 tone knobs on his Les Paul to be a difficult concept to grasp.

Perhaps you're right on those points in certain songs and I'm remembering things too fondly.

I think he had his place though, and he absolutely wanted to bring new ideas in. Which is something I'll always give him massive credit for, given the total resistance to new things that has always gone on. 

[Rovim 4,920]

18 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

Perhaps you're right on those points in certain songs and I'm remembering things too fondly.

I think he had his place though, and he absolutely wanted to bring new ideas in. Which is something I'll always give him massive credit for, given the total resistance to new things that has always gone on. 

DJ wanted to move forward, he had the right attitude in that regard. Bumble wanted the same. But when you say "his place", what exactly do you mean by that? musically in the band? cause even if I'm glad and thankful DJ quit Gn'R, I believe a good Gn'R album featuring DJ, Bumble, and Richard could have been completed.

DJ said he doesn't really consider himself to be a guitar player. I think in a studio environment he is capable of coming up with some shit that could have worked well in the context of Gn'R.

DJ could have brought a very melodic and catchy side to the table while maybe Bumble could have handled the more wacky and technically complex shit. Fortus could have anchored it in a more classic hard rock place and I can see how it could have gelled together well.

but maybe Axl wasn't interested in using these players as composers cause CD ll was already completed with Robin and Bucket. Personally I believe any other option is better: with the current line up or the 2002 line up cause the players from those line ups had/have better chemistry with each other or their styles are more suited to Gn'R.

[allwaystired 2,044]

14 minutes ago, Rovim said:

DJ wanted to move forward, he had the right attitude in that regard. Bumble wanted the same. But when you say "his place", what exactly do you mean by that? musically in the band? cause even if I'm glad and thankful DJ quit Gn'R, I believe a good Gn'R album featuring DJ, Bumble, and Richard could have been completed.

DJ said he doesn't really consider himself to be a guitar player. I think in a studio environment he is capable of coming up with some shit that could have worked well in the context of Gn'R.

DJ could have brought a very melodic and catchy side to the table while maybe Bumble could have handled the more wacky and technically complex shit. Fortus could have anchored it in a more classic hard rock place and I can see how it could have gelled together well.

but maybe Axl wasn't interested in using these players as composers cause CD ll was already completed with Robin and Bucket. Personally I believe any other option is better: with the current line up or the 2002 line up cause the players from those line ups had/have better chemistry with each other or their styles are more suited to Gn'R.

I mean he had "a place" really. Perhaps handling those solos wasn't it....but as you say, a good GNR album could have been made with him handling the things he did bring to the band. It wasn't all negative. 

[Rovim 4,920]

1 minute ago, allwaystired said:

I mean he had "a place" really. Perhaps handling those solos wasn't it....but as you say, a good GNR album could have been made with him handling the things he did bring to the band. It wasn't all negative. 

agreed, even if I cringe at the thought of DJ ever being a part of Gn'R, it wasn't all bad. He could have contributed some cool shit in his style to a Guns album.

There are covers of the original instrumentals he composed for his solo spot played by better players and I think Ballad Of Death, Mi Amor, and La Bella Vita demonstrate his knack for coming up with basic, yet effective melodic lines and DJ said Axl had asked him to make a studio version of Ballad Of Death and allegedly liked his 12 ideas he composed for Gn'R.

[allwaystired 2,044]

31 minutes ago, Rovim said:

agreed, even if I cringe at the thought of DJ ever being a part of Gn'R, it wasn't all bad. He could have contributed some cool shit in his style to a Guns album.

There are covers of the original instrumentals he composed for his solo spot played by better players and I think Ballad Of Death, Mi Amor, and La Bella Vita demonstrate his knack for coming up with basic, yet effective melodic lines and DJ said Axl had asked him to make a studio version of Ballad Of Death and allegedly liked his 12 ideas he composed for Gn'R.

If they had released something then, I'm sure people would feel differently about that era of the band. It would be seen as a legitimate part of their history, rather than simply a sticking-plaster solution to keeping the band touring. We'd be in the same situation we're in now.....but we'd have had an album to look back on. There seemed to be no reason for that not to happen, as everyone seemed keen......presumably apart from one person! 

[DurhamGirl 339]

Really interesting.

[allwaystired 2,044]

23 minutes ago, Rovim said:

If Axl had released an album with the DJ/Bumble/Fortus line up I think some people would have been frustrated by not getting to hear more Bucket and Robin in Gn'R, but yeah, a good Guns album would have legitimized that lineup.

but Axl once said that the Bucket/Robin line up was the right one for the album and the DJ/Bumble one was right for "this" referring to the touring probably iirc.

Maybe he never had a real intention of releasing an album featuring that line up. The rumor is Axl did try to convince Bucket to rejoin Gn'R so he had to get someone to replace Robin and Bucket. DJ and Bumble were never his first choices. Maybe kinda like a Gilby situation where he had to compromise in order to keep it going.

The same constant come across though to me- a chronic waste of time, talent and ability.

It's desperately sad when you think about it all that way. 

[Tom2112 2,146]

4 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

The same constant come across though to me- a chronic waste of time, talent and ability.

It's desperately sad when you think about it all that way. 

True, but if that opinion is actually fact then what would the point of releasing music with musicians he didn't really believe it? There's no question that Bumble is a great guitar player and very creative! but maybe the ideas he suggested to Axl were completely opposite to what Axl likes? Now... if that's the case you have to wonder why he would have hired Bumble and then put his guitar work all over CD.

My opinion is Axl did intend on releasing a next record (eventually), but it was a continuation record from the CD era... Bumble would be used in that same role again as leads, and beefing up rhythms. Bumble wanted to make a band record and compose together, the boss won the argument and Bumble decided to walk... triggering NITL. But Axl was a fan of Bumbles style.

It could have been a cool record had Axl let the guys of the leash. He could have rented a studio space for two weeks with a mobile recording set up and let them come up with ideas... kept costs down and I guarantee they would have come up some great stuff! It was a waste!

[allwaystired 2,044]

2 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

True, but if that opinion is actually fact then what would the point of releasing music with musicians he didn't really believe it? There's no question that Bumble is a great guitar player and very creative! but maybe the ideas he suggested to Axl were completely opposite to what Axl likes? Now... if that's the case you have to wonder why he would have hired Bumble and then put his guitar work all over CD.

My opinion is Axl did intend on releasing a next record (eventually), but it was a continuation record from the CD era... Bumble would be used in that same role again as leads, and beefing up rhythms. Bumble wanted to make a band record and compose together, the boss won the argument and Bumble decided to walk... triggering NITL. But Axl was a fan of Bumbles style.

It could have been a cool record had Axl let the guys of the leash. He could have rented a studio space for two weeks with a mobile recording set up and let them come up with ideas... kept costs down and I guarantee they would have come up some great stuff! It was a waste!

Possible, yeah. By the time Ashba arrived the idea of 'CD2' might well have been long gone. I think by that point they were firmly a 'touring operation'.

Which is where they've remained and I think will probably stay. I don't think we've seen the last member-change either. The cycle will continue in my view. 

[SlashisGOD 255]

I don’t see Slash walking, neither Duff. If both of them left it’s all over.

[Tom2112 2,146]

16 hours ago, allwaystired said:

Possible, yeah. By the time Ashba arrived the idea of 'CD2' might well have been long gone. I think by that point they were firmly a 'touring operation'.

Which is where they've remained and I think will probably stay. I don't think we've seen the last member-change either. The cycle will continue in my view. 

I could see Melissa going, but the other guys are company men. Down with the ship at this stage.

I think if CD II wasn't really an option for Axl by 2009, then Richard's a complete liar because he said he was in the studio a number of times in the years after that working on songs for the follow up. I think it purely comes down to Axl trying to time the release perfectly, thinking if he got that right, as well a good marketing plan things might turn around. Realistically they would have had to have released an absolute classic for them to ever even get a head out of the the pit they started in. The band started falling apart, and he put his record on hold. He had three options in 2015, release a new record with his nuGuns or call Slash and bury the hatchet or quit. In the revolver interview it sounded like he was working on something that he considered almost finished. Although almost finished to Axl means a min 2 more years re-recording, mixing and mastering😄

But of course, they were definitely a touring operation by 2012 onwards... or whenever that first Vegas residency happened. 

Edited August 17 by Tom2112

[DTJ80 773]

I take it Susan hasn’t said anything further than what was said on the podcast?

[allwaystired 2,044]

2 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

I could see Melissa going, but the other guys are company men. Down with the ship at this stage.

I think if CD II wasn't really an option for Axl by 2009, then Richard's a complete liar because he said he was in the studio a number of times in the years after that working on songs for the follow up. I think it purely comes down to Axl trying to time the release perfectly, thinking if he got that right, as well a good marketing plan things might turn around. Realistically they would have had to have released an absolute classic for them to ever even get a head out of the the pit they started in. The band started falling apart, and he put his record on hold. He had three options in 2015, release a new record with his nuGuns or call Slash and bury the hatchet or quit. In the revolver interview it sounded like he was working on something that he considered almost finished. Although almost finished to Axl means a min 2 more years re-recording, mixing and mastering😄

But of course, they were definitely a touring operation by 2012 onwards... or whenever that first Vegas residency happened. 

I don't think that Richard will have been lying, and don't doubt he was in a studio....but I think the realistic prospect of an album had long fled. My guess is they might have been back to "playing with some ideas" and "working on things" by that stage. "They" being the band, rather than Axl. Perhaps the Ashba demos were done at this point? 

Wow, I'm so much more cynical these days than I was then! Back at the time in question I firmly believed a new album was imminent. Now I lean towards the idea we'll never hear new material again! 

 

 

 

Edited August 17 by allwaystired

[Sydney Fan 1,785]

19 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

True, but if that opinion is actually fact then what would the point of releasing music with musicians he didn't really believe it? There's no question that Bumble is a great guitar player and very creative! but maybe the ideas he suggested to Axl were completely opposite to what Axl likes? Now... if that's the case you have to wonder why he would have hired Bumble and then put his guitar work all over CD.

My opinion is Axl did intend on releasing a next record (eventually), but it was a continuation record from the CD era... Bumble would be used in that same role again as leads, and beefing up rhythms. Bumble wanted to make a band record and compose together, the boss won the argument and Bumble decided to walk... triggering NITL. But Axl was a fan of Bumbles style.

It could have been a cool record had Axl let the guys of the leash. He could have rented a studio space for two weeks with a mobile recording set up and let them come up with ideas... kept costs down and I guarantee they would have come up some great stuff! It was a waste!

Axl should have done and let these players release an album under an axl solo record. There would have been zero pressure for everyone involved, than releasing something under the GNR name. We could have  had 3 albums from 00 to 2014. Hell axl could even let ashba loose with his EDM crap, who knows!.

I can understand why canter said axl wanted each album to evolve, but i would take a bet axl also wants the record to be successful than the one before it. So theres the conundrum. If axl releases a CD2 with whatever lineup will it be embraced like past releases, will it be successful, or forgotten about quickly the way CD was.

Also about gilby joining , axl told slash to find a new guitar player so it was on slashs shoulders to find someone that the remaining band could gel with. Axl from what i read in interviews didnt want to be part of the guitar recruiting process.

[Tom2112 2,146]

2 hours ago, Sydney Fan said:

Axl should have done and let these players release an album under an axl solo record. There would have been zero pressure for everyone involved, than releasing something under the GNR name. We could have  had 3 albums from 00 to 2014. Hell axl could even let ashba loose with his EDM crap, who knows!.

I can understand why canter said axl wanted each album to evolve, but i would take a bet axl also wants the record to be successful than the one before it. So theres the conundrum. If axl releases a CD2 with whatever lineup will it be embraced like past releases, will it be successful, or forgotten about quickly the way CD was.

Also about gilby joining , axl told slash to find a new guitar player so it was on slashs shoulders to find someone that the remaining band could gel with. Axl from what i read in interviews didnt want to be part of the guitar recruiting process.

Leave DJ in the dark with his glow sticks, Monster energy and EDM and keep well away from anything GNR related! 😅

I know what you are saying, but there was pressure to use the name externally and from his point of view he wanted to show the guys who left that they messed up! Had he decided to play under his own name, things would have been easier and he would have played the same size gigs... but he didn't! I'm totally at peace with Axl continuing GNR after Slash and co jumped ship though! But the minuscule amount of music he's released? I'm not so happy with that!

 

[Tom2112 2,146]

2 hours ago, allwaystired said:

I don't think that Richard will have been lying, and don't doubt he was in a studio....but I think the realistic prospect of an album had long fled. My guess is they might have been back to "playing with some ideas" and "working on things" by that stage. "They" being the band, rather than Axl. Perhaps the Ashba demos were done at this point? 

Wow, I'm so much more cynical these days than I was then! Back at the time in question I firmly believed a new album was imminent. Now I lean towards the idea we'll never hear new material again! 

 

 

 

ha! You're so cynical you make me look like an optimist and I am completely lost at sea with GNR right now🤣

[allwaystired 2,044]

59 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

ha! You're so cynical you make me look like an optimist and I am completely lost at sea with GNR right now🤣

I do TELL MYSELF that there won't be anything new because it's easier on myself.....but I suppose I still have hope, otherwise I wouldn't be here so often! Less cynical, more self-protective! 

 

[El Guapo 974]

Who would have thought in 2016 that everything would be SO bad in 2020. 

Can things get any worse at this point?