gnrjanus Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.al.com/life/2021/12/tommy-stinson-talks-t What’s a track or two from “Chinese Democracy” you’re proudest of? Or maybe enjoyed playing live from that record the most? Boy, that’s a tough one. Because I haven’t seen or heard that record for ages. But I mean, the title track was always fun to play and we never did “Riad” (“Riad N’ the Bedouins”) live … “I.R.S.” is a cool one. That one’s alright. What’s it, “Street of Dreams”? That had a nice bit to it. But without seeing the song titles, it’s a little hard to pull out. But a lot of the stuff we never got around to playing live, which is kind of unfortunate. But we did play enough of it to make it make sense, at the end of the day. Actually, I think they’re still playing the same songs that we played back when we were playing that record. [Laughs] 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kever20 Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 Obviously 20+ years on, but I think it's interesting he doesn't remember playing Riad live, or the thing about rehearsal for joining the band, when that all has been mythologized in numerous interviews over the years. Tommy seems like a cool guy. There was a podcast of some sorts I came across months that was a lot of fun to listen to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxlRoseCDII Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 They literally played the whole album live while Tommy was in the band, granted it’s a long time ago so it’s forgivable to forget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackstar Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 11 minutes ago, kever20 said: Obviously 20+ years on, but I think it's interesting he doesn't remember playing Riad live, or the thing about rehearsal for joining the band, when that all has been mythologized in numerous interviews over the years. Tommy seems like a cool guy. And Brain doesn't even remember the 2001 House of Blues show (or at least that it was before Rock in Rio). He's been always saying that RIR was the first show the band played with Axl. People's memory can be subconsciously selective through complicated mechanisms, so it may be deceptive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTJ80 Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/guns-n-roses/2009/kyoucera-dome-osaka-osaka-japan-bd70d1e.html Pretty much played the whole album at this gig. Pity Riad wasn’t played though - I’m in the minority but I think it’s a cracking tune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coma16 Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 (edited) 2 minutes ago, DTJ80 said: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/guns-n-roses/2009/kyoucera-dome-osaka-osaka-japan-bd70d1e.html Pretty much played the whole album at this gig. Pity Riad wasn’t played though - I’m in the minority but I think it’s a cracking tune. It wasn't played that night because Rose plans on changing the name and re-releasing it at some point. Edited December 26, 2021 by Coma16 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CubanSkies Dummy Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 2 minutes ago, Coma16 said: It wasn't played that night because Rose plans on changing the name and re-releasing it at some point. What? Really? Why he would re-release Riad N' The Bedouins?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coma16 Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 (edited) 1 minute ago, CubanSkies Dummy said: What? Really? Why he would re-release Riad N' The Bedouins?! The CD version isn't up to par for the amazing song that it could be. Edited December 26, 2021 by Coma16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pele Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Coma16 said: The CD version isn't up to par for the amazing song that it could be. The song opens up with a cringy, laughable verse and loses the listener right from the start. High pitched, autotuned wailing of a shit tune, then: Riad N' The Bedouins Had a plan and thought they'd winBut I don't give a fuck 'bout them 'Cause I am crazy!!!!!! There's no coming back from that really. Then that detailed essay of Riad Everly which had absolutely nothing to do with anything, but was way more interesting than the song itself! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denin Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, Blackstar said: And Brain doesn't even remember the 2001 House of Blues show (or at least that it was before Rock in Rio). He's been always saying that RIR was the first show the band played with Axl. People's memory can be subconsciously selective through complicated mechanisms, so it may be deceptive. Yeah, but Mantia can be excused for his brain fart by the fact that RIR3 was, at the time, the biggest single show of his life (he said). A club show in Vegas is small potatoes in comparison and got mixed up, in his mind, with the years-end shows at the Joint, likely. 1 hour ago, Pele said: Then that detailed essay of Riad Everly which had absolutely nothing to do with anything, but was way more interesting than the song itself! Much like Axl's story about Dalai Lama leaving Tibet says more about Chinese Democracy than the lyrics ever will. Edited December 27, 2021 by denin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pele Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 15 minutes ago, denin said: Much like Axl's story about Dalai Lama leaving Tibet says more about Chinese Democracy than the lyrics ever will. Exactly. He wanted to write a profound song about Dalai Lama leaving Tibet. Instead, he came up with the average, non-descript lyrics for Chinese Democracy (backed by Josh Freese's riff) and pretended that was it. He wanted to write a song about the mysterious, super-spy, government insider, arms dealing Riad Everly. Instead, he came up with the average, non-descript lyrics for Riad (with music credited to Stinson/Reed/Tobias/Finck) and pretended that was it. That's why I'm skeptical about Oklahoma being about a court case with Erin etc. I think he wants it to be.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 I've a lot of love for that mans contributions to Guns N' Roses, along with his output as a solo artist. Tremendous songwriter and has produced the best material out of all the GNR members past and present with their solo efforts, to my ears. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadcaplaughs Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 (edited) 18 hours ago, Blackstar said: And Brain doesn't even remember the 2001 House of Blues show (or at least that it was before Rock in Rio). He's been always saying that RIR was the first show the band played with Axl. People's memory can be subconsciously selective through complicated mechanisms, so it may be deceptive. This. All the various members of GN'R have seen more faces, venues, and locations than 99.9% of the population. Memories get even foggier when lots of partying occurs. Understandable that things get jumbled in your brain. Not different from how Slash seems to mix thigs up occasionally (see his recent comments about a 1989 concert being in the UYI box set). Honestly, I've always admired that Axl seems to have the best memory of all of them for those type of things. I remember back in the chats, he remembered specific details about individual shows when fans mentioned them. In Brain's case, I would imagine it was a mix of the above, combined with the fact that the HOB show got added at the last minute, it seems all the rehearsals prior to that show had been "full" rehearsals to test all of the pyro etc. from a festival show, and that the band played two more shows in Las Vegas at the end of that same year. Also, I've noticed Tommy seems to really like "Riad". He's mentioned it in numerous interviews and podcasts over the years more than any other song on the album. Edited December 27, 2021 by themadcaplaughs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underhardy Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Anyone else think this is just a guy acting dumb to avoid much more follow ups about GNR lol we never get honest interviews 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToonGuns Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Brain might simply consider the HOB as warm up shows and not “full” gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kozydogg Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 5 hours ago, Underhardy said: Anyone else think this is just a guy acting dumb to avoid much more follow ups about GNR lol we never get honest interviews Exactly my thought. No way in hell he doesn't remember song names. I think he's just playing dumb because he's bitter about how GNR ended with him and is trying to make it seem like GNR wasn't a significant part of his life or career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovim Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 7 minutes ago, kozydogg said: Exactly my thought. No way in hell he doesn't remember song names. I think he's just playing dumb because he's bitter about how GNR ended with him and is trying to make it seem like GNR wasn't a significant part of his life or career. Tommy seems to be no bullshit, honest kind of guy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXL_N_DIZZY Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 (edited) Highly doubt Tommy is bitter about making way for Duff’s return as part of one of the most successful regrouping/reunion tours of all-time. Heck he had reunion shows w/the ‘mats going at nearly the same time. There’s a mutual respect there w/Duff too- and it’s not like he got canned for some rando. Edited December 28, 2021 by AXL_N_DIZZY 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pele Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, kozydogg said: Exactly my thought. No way in hell he doesn't remember song names. I think he's just playing dumb because he's bitter about how GNR ended with him and is trying to make it seem like GNR wasn't a significant part of his life or career. This seems a theme with nearly all of them. Brain, Tommy, Josh etc - all seem to forget songs they played on. I actually think it shows how little there actually was. Josh described his time there - said he was isolated in a studio with a few guys working on instrumentals and barely saw Rose. Left because he knew he was wasting his time. Fink said similar - working on instrumentals without Rose over and over. I think the touring work for Tommy was a significant part of his career. I think the studio work after 2001 was very sporadic, almost non-existent. For us, it's still fresh. For those guys, they were instrumentals they worked on over 20 years ago which eventually got finished by Axl. They have appeared on all sorts of projects in the meantime. Josh even formed A Perfect Circle in 99 when he was involved in those GNR sessions, because GNR was going nowhere. These 'epic' songs that we all imagine, live 'Seven' in reality are just instrumentals created by Brain and his DJ friend Xtract, likely in a day. "we were trying to sample stuff that reflected that. We were looking for old school, crazy shit and I think we sampled Ben-Hur, chopped it up, cut it up and that became a jam, I think we called it ‘Seven’." It's likely titled Circus Maximus on The Village Sessions. It's probably untouched by Rose. Edited December 28, 2021 by Pele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulMonster Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 34 minutes ago, Pele said: Brain, Tommy, Josh etc - all seem to forget songs they played on. I actually think it shows how little there actually was. Classic Pele. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pele Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 3 minutes ago, SoulMonster said: Classic Pele. I know you disagree SM - but the songs just aren't appearing are they? You may think Seven is an epic song, great verses, strong chorus', pure rasp, deep lyrics. I think it's an 'instrumental sample of Ben-Hur, chopped up, cut up that became a jam.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulMonster Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 14 minutes ago, Pele said: I know you disagree SM - but the songs just aren't appearing are they? What are you talking about now then? I was laughing at you concluding Tommy must have forgotten the names of the songs because there were so few of them. I suppose to you, anything can be used to support your pet theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pele Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 8 minutes ago, SoulMonster said: What are you talking about now then? I was laughing at you concluding Tommy must have forgotten the names of the songs because there were so few of them. I suppose to you, anything can be used to support your pet theory. I'm not saying Tommy is forgetting - I'm just saying there seems to be a lot of that. Tommy forgetting songs. Brain saying "I think we called it Seven" Josh not remembering if HardSkool was one of the few he wrote. The sessions were so long ago, and so unfruitful, that these guys have moved on and seemingly forgotten a lot. Brain likely submitted 'Seven' and never heard it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post themadcaplaughs Posted December 28, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted December 28, 2021 Tommy did numerous interviews, particularly around the time of the last Bash & Pop record, where he specifically stated he loved the GN'R gig, it was cool to be a part of that world, he was proud to have been a part of Chinese Democracy, and that the only reason he left was because his divorce meant his obligations to his daughter prevented him from being able to tour consistently with GN'R. He saw the band multiple times on the Not in this Lifetime tour and said it brought back nothing but good memories. I even remember he spoke very positively of Axl fronting AC/DC. It has been almost eight years since he was in Guns n' Roses and played those songs with them. I think we can forgive him if he forgot the name of a few of them. Also, as others have pointed out, Tommy remains a no-bullshit kind of guy, and he has specifically stated there is a definite "back half" of Chinese Democracy that was ready to be released. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumandraisin Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 On 12/27/2021 at 3:59 PM, themadcaplaughs said: This. All the various members of GN'R have seen more faces, venues, and locations than 99.9% of the population. Memories get even foggier when lots of partying occurs. Understandable that things get jumbled in your brain. Not different from how Slash seems to mix thigs up occasionally (see his recent comments about a 1989 concert being in the UYI box set). Honestly, I've always admired that Axl seems to have the best memory of all of them for those type of things. I remember back in the chats, he remembered specific details about individual shows when fans mentioned them. In Brain's case, I would imagine it was a mix of the above, combined with the fact that the HOB show got added at the last minute, it seems all the rehearsals prior to that show had been "full" rehearsals to test all of the pyro etc. from a festival show, and that the band played two more shows in Las Vegas at the end of that same year. Also, I've noticed Tommy seems to really like "Riad". He's mentioned it in numerous interviews and podcasts over the years more than any other song on the album. I think, lyrics aside and vocals it's a fucking cool song. Going from the early versions with the toms high and heavy in the mix and the chunky bass, I can imagine them round the console in the mixing room thinking... This is somethibg pretty rad. Those old comments about Zep mixed by Beck. I can see it. Then 8 years of layering and tinkering before removing all the bass. Shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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