Slash Interview
Canada
January, 1994
by Kristy Knight

We're back, 97.7 HTZ-FM, pleased and proud to have on the phone with us... Slash from Guns N' Roses. Hey Slash!

Hello

Thanks for calling in, man!

What's going on?

Oh, same old song and dance, my friend. How you've been?

What song and dance would that be anyway?

Aerosmith's "Same Old Song And Dance", friend.

It's gotten to sort of cliché at this point, I don't even known what "the same old song and dance" means anymore.

Oh no?

No.

Well, I give your head a shake then. Well, I guess you had your head shaken up a little bit. We're you in the quake?

Yeah, I was there. That was intense. Of all the intense things I've been through in my life, that was one of them.

Where were you? Were you sleeping?

Actually I just gotten done recording and come down the stairs, and was getting in bed and kiss the little woman goodnight, kind of thing. And all of a sudden: "Bam!", and the TV popped out across the room and that's when it started. The whole house blacked out and it was pretty much one of the most violent things I've ever been through.

Any damage?

Aah, the house is fucked! [laughs] Everything living in the house, my pets and my wife and my cousin-in-law are all fine. All things considered, I could give a fuck about the house.

Thank god for insurance, huh?

Yeah, that too.

How many pets do you got now? You got a bunch, don't you?

We got about 50.

Oh my god! You got a zoo.

It is pretty much a zoo at the house. Not to mention all my friends. [laughs]

You got a lot of snakes, don't you?

A lot of reptiles in general. A lot of cats. We have a mountain lion.

You have a mountain lion?

Yeah.

Oh, can I come see it?

No, he's over at someone's house right now.

Oh yeah?

Yeah.

What's his name?

His name is Curtis.

Eats a lot, huh?

Yeah. He probably eats more, you know, financially-wise in one day than I do in one week.

Oh my god. Too much. Oh, I guess we should talk about business here, Slash. Let's talk about... well, I guess this new little you got out, Spaghetti Incident.

... new cigarette tax.

Oh yeah? Don't tell us about that in Canada.

Yeah, I know.

Nah, nah, nah. So why the album of cover tunes? What made you wanna do that?

It wasn't a pre-planned kinda thing. It was to leviate the pressure that we were dealing with in making the last record. Which was the Illusions records. To warm up, we would jam old tunes we're familiar with.
   And we recorded four and thought they sounded pretty good, so we thought "At some point we'll put an EP out". And that was the end of it. And then we recorded some more, you know, during the tour. After the tour's over, we recorded even more than that. And we thought: "This is twelve songs of material. We might just make it a record. And we put it out, and that was that.

So, when you're on the road and recording yet another album, don't you loose your mind?

Well, actually it's more grounding. Because the tour is something that's set up where it's just gigs and hotels and chaos the whole time. And, you know, one of the great ways for the guys in the band to have any kinda sense of reality, and for us to bond is just to go into some studio on the road and just jam.

Really?

Verbally, I don't think I can express what it fells like to be just, running the gauntlet for two and a half years on tour. You know, everybody's staring at you, and everything's being scrutinized. The shows gotta be... It's a little bit too professional after a while.
   So, it's cool to just like, you know, personally call up a studio and go: "Yeah, this is Slash from Guns N' Roses. I need such and such a time booked. And we'll be down there." And then we show up, and... And show up, and just get together with the guys and record some material. And get a little more down-to-earth than the environment that we're in most of the time, as far touring is concerned.

So, did you all get to pick a track on this album?

What?

Did you all get to pick a track?

What do you mean "pick a track"?

Well, I mean, you got so many cover tunes on here. Didn't you get into a fistfight: "No, I wanna do "Since I Don't Have You." "No, I wanna do that. I wanna do this." I mean, did you all get your individual pick?

It's the exact opposite. We didn't set out to make a record. There was no arguing at all. What we did was like: "I wanna record "Buick Makane" and I wanted to do this song and that song." Axl wanted to... So, we just like recorded the stuff without knowing that we were gonna make a record at all. It's a very cohesive kind of collaboration between the guys in the band. There's no hierarchy that says what we're gonna do and what we aren't gonna do.

What about Michael Monroe? Where did you dig him out of the ashes?

Dig him out of the...? He be insulted if he heard that.

Sorry, don't tell him I said it then.

No, Mike's a cool guy. We've known him for a long time. And Stiv Bators died. And we're like, I don't know, hanging out somewhere in LA or New York, or something. And we thought, "Let's do a Dead Boys song". And that was that. Everybody fucking thinks about this shit way too much. It's not that complicated.

Yeah, I was thinking about that when I was getting my interview together, I thought: "I don't wanna get into... well: "why does you say "ugli-bugli" on the b-side of..." You know, you might just pull your hair out sometimes.

Like, over-analyze and... It can be a pain in the ass, but at the same time I understand... You know, trying to look at it from an outside perspective, I can understand why people wanna understand where the fuck we're coming from.

So... I hate to talk about the "new" record. Is this just rest-time, right now for you?

Is what?

Is this rest-time for you right now?

No, as soon as the tour was over, was when we went and finished the material for Spaghetti. And it's sort of, what you call, post-road syndrome. If you've been on the road for two years, or more than two years, as in our case, you get used to a certain pace in life.
   So, when you... when the tour is over... I mean, literally, the last day means you're getting on a plane to go home. Not really had any foundation, as far as home is concerned, in the last nine years or so, and especially for me. I was probably about 16 when I started to hang out at chick's houses, or whatever. I haven't really had any firm foundation. So, when you get... when you get done off the tour, it's like "go home!". "Where is that, exactly?"
   And what you do is go straight back to work, so... One thing I don't wanna go through is another whole drug-binge, like I did last time I came back... We finished recording "The Spaghetti Incident?", then I went in the studio and mixed it, and mastered it with Bill Price and this guy in New York that I mastered... George... George something.
   Anyway, so that was set and done and I built the studio in my house. And started recording material for the next record. So we got about 14 or 15 songs for the next record.

Take a rest buddy! Anyway, let's take a break here. We'll come back and I wanna talk about, you know, how you're dealing with the road and get into a couple of personal things I wanna ask about... Little, tiny things. Just little trivial things, but let's take a break. Here is "Ain't It Fun". Guns N' Roses, on 97.7 HTZ-FM.

We're back 97.7 HTZ-FM. We're talking to Slash of Guns N' Roses. I guess you don't really have to say "Slash of Guns N' Roses" anymore, you know...

You know, I never give it any thought, actually. Kristy, you're funny. [laughs]

Why?

You're crackin' me up.

It's almost like you've turned into this character of rock n' roll. I mean...

Seems like you're almost a parody of yourself, you know, it's like...

You could have a Guns N' Roses cartoon on Saturday morning, you know.

Yeah, right.

Yeah.

Oh no, no. We wont do any of that Kiss-shenanigans. We are doing a pinball machine, though.

Oh, no way!

It's almost done. I've been working... Actually, to tell you the truth, when the earthquake hit, I'd already planned on going to Chicago to work with the Data East Company, who make awesome pinball games. And I came out to Chicago to work on the artwork for it. So, it's sort of like, my little project, that I'm working with them. And it should be out in the summer.

So, do you have samples of your tunes there, or something?

We have to use samples, but we're using real guitars and real drums for it.

But of Guns N' Roses tunes?

Yeah, there's like 13 songs on it.

Like what?

Huh?

Like what?

Well... It opens up... I can't tell you. You'll see when it comes out.

Aah...

Almost caught me there.

[laughs] So... where did you grow up Slash?

Where did I grow up? I'm a Hollywood kid.

Are you really?

Born in England, but I moved to LA... Actually, to tell you the truth, what's really funny is, in 1971, my first visit to the States was at my grandma's house in Los Angeles. And it was the exact day of the 1971 earthquake.

Oh, great.

So this is my second big one.

"Welcome to America".

Yeah, well, you know what? My wife's cousin Greg, his first visit to LA, right. He comes to my house, he had to sleep in the room where all the cobras are. And so, he got a little nervous, 'cause the cobras get up at night and start moving around. So he moved into my wife's office. And he had Curtis to deal with and all that, and all of a sudden the earthquake.

[laughs]

So he's pretty frazzled. He got about 20 years of stress in about ten minutes [laughs].

"You gonna stay for free, you gotta stay with the cobras.

Right.

So do you have a room for them?

All over the house.

They don't stay in the cages?

No, they stay in the cages. But there's cages all over the house.

Really?

But I keep most of them separated. Like... you know, I have one room, which is my office that has all the dangerous snakes. You know, the poisonous ones in that room and then there's a couple of rooms in the back of the house... When we bought the house, there's a maid's room. I don't have a maid so I put... that whole room is filled with cages. And then there's a, what do you call it? A maintenance room in the garage, and then there's a couple of big cages in the main part of the house.

So does Renee like them or not?

She's... I mean, anybody that can deal with me as a husband, you know... Snakes really aren't that kinda big deal.

Yeah, I kinda sensed she probably got her hands full. Yeah, I can see that. So, tell me about... I mean, when you came to see your grandmother in 1971, and you came to Hollywood, your name wasn't Slash. Who called you Slash? Where did the name Slash come from?

You know, it's funny when you say Hollywood. Do you know who Seymour Cassel is?

No.

He's an actor. Did you ever see "Dick Tracy"?

Yeah.

Ok, he was Sam Katchum in "Dick Tracy".

Ok, right on, I got it.

That's one of my best friends from Junior High School's dad. And we used to... All the bad kids in Junior High... You know, all the pot-heads and all that kinda stuff. We all used to have our own clique. And so we hung out at Matt's house, because Seymour was a druggie himself at that point, and that's we're we used to hang out.
   And I was always... 'Cause I asked him this the first time... we were on tour. So this was like a year ago, in Europe. I said: "why did you actually call me that? Where did it come from?" And he said it was because I was always in fuckin' such hurry and running around the house and so on.

Really?

So, he called me Slash and it's just stuck after that. After a while all my friends started call me that. My mom even calls me that at this point.

[laughs]

Except for when she's pissed off at me, she goes "Saul Hudson, come here!"

Still?

Yeah. No. I mean, she doesn't really have the chance to do that anymore, but...

You don't see her a lot?

...it's happened a couple times.

Do you see your mom a lot?

Do I see her a lot? I keep in touch with her. I see her, like, for the major holidays, when I'm not touring. So, I see her every so often.

Is she one of those moms that calls up and says [in mock-accent] "I just saw your new video on MTV"?

Cool. My mom is very, very cool.

Really? Here's what, what about the top hat? Where did you get it?

I bought it on Melrose. I was walking around on Melrose and went into this shop, which isn't there anymore, and I saw a top hat. I tried it on and I bought a concho belt and I was sitting around with Axl, and I put the concho belt on the hat, took it apart and put it on the hat.
   And then we had a gig that night at the Whisky. There's a picture of it on the innersleeve of "Appetite For Destruction". There's a picture with me with no shirt on, playing a BC Rich and that's at the Whisky. Stoned out of my mind [laughs]. In those days, right. And wearing a top hat. And that's the first time I ever wore one.
   It was just like, cool looking, and at this point I can't wear it on the street anymore.

Oh, no doubt.

'Cause everybody recognizes you.

Well Slash, put it this way, if I was walking down Melrose with a top hat on, people would think I was Slash.

You know what's really stupid about the whole thing, is every Halloween, I have to deal with all these people doing that whole imitation.

Yeah, I know.

I mean, think about it. It's so like comic book. It's not even funny.

[laughs] Do the comic book! You're doing the pinball machine. So to ??? come on.

We don't. Other people have done comic-books.

Yeah, Ozzy's got one out right now too, huh?

What?

There's an Ozzy comic book out.

Oh, bunch of them. There's Kiss ones, Ozzy... I'm sure they'll come out with the Nirvana one at some point.

Ok, they have to do that one.

Yeah, and then there's us, and some other rock n' roll bands around.

Yeah? So, are you the super-hero in your comic book?

I'm always buffed out. [laughs]

[laughs] Slash flying high again, so to speak. Anyway, let's take another break here and we'll come back and chat more with Slash of Guns N' Roses. This is an honor talking to you, man!

Oh, come on!

Well, I know. But I gotta say that. We'll take a break here. More Guns N' Roses. We'll be back with Slash on 97.7 HTZ-FM.

We're back, 97.7 HTZ-FM. We're talking to Slash of Guns N' Roses. Once again, thanks for calling in today, man. Appreciate this.

I was actually making crank calls and just happened to stumble across your number.

[laughs] The first time you met Axl Rose.

Uhu.

What did you think and where was it?

Let's see... The first time I met him was at an apartment. They'd had an ad in the paper. Him and Izzy had an ad in the paper for a lead guitar player. Now, I'd already met Izzy, without knowing that's who I was calling back, and I went down and met Axl.
   And he was on the phone talking about himself for... for the entire time that we were... He was talking to some chick. I don't know what was going on, but that was when we first met. And nothing came out of that. And somewhere down the line, he was mutual friends with Tracii Guns, who's somebody I grew up with. From LA Guns?

Yeah.

And so when Tracii had a falling out with Axl, they called me up and I came down and that's where Hollywood Rose started. Then Izzy quit, because... That whole guitar player syndrome, you know, like... I don't wanna have to... Izzy is the kinda guy that don't want somebody else making his decisions for him. And so when I came around...
   I'm sort of like a power-freak too, I guess. You know, I'm sorta like: "this is what we should do here". You know, and so we got into conflict. So he quit. Me and Axl carried the band on for a while. And then Axl and I had falling outs, until the point where we separated for a bit. And the Guns N' Roses started. And... It's a long story. [laughs]

[laughs] Go ahead.

I could go on...

Go ahead! I wanna hear more.

I met Duff in Cantner's, you know, when me and Axl were in a band together and had an ad in the paper for a bass player. And that's how I met Duff.

So, what about when... I mean, you finally all got together, and you're playing for, maybe the first time, I don't know, someone's basement. Did you feel something?

One thing about this band is, even though, you know, we're considered a very street-wise band, which I would imagine in LA we are. But there's something very naive and innocent about the whole way we approach everything. So we just do what we do and then take the repercussions afterwards. So we had idea what we were doing.

Really?

Or where we were going. Or where we were headed. I don't think anybody ever fucking talked about it, you know. You just do one gig and then you move from Monday, opening for some band in a club, to a Friday, headlining, you know. Step by step, like that. So, we never went backwards to the point where we're at now.

So let's spin your bran for a minute here. From those basement days and opening for bands and stuff, down on the strip. Now, people have called you and you can say you guys are the Plant & Page of this generation.

Oh god! That's... You said it, I didn't.

Yeah, but it's true, Slash. I mean...

That's so... cliché, you know.

Yeah, it's cliché, but, I mean, everybody's gotta put a mark on something and you guys are out there, and you're influencing a generation.

Well, a good example of how cliché that is, is when this record that we just came out with was released. Everybody said: "That's Guns N' Roses punk record". Which it's not, at all. It's just like, some of the bands were icon punk bands at the time. Like... the late 70's, when we're heavily influenced by that kinda stuff. But then, you know, T-Rex is not a punk band. Nazareth is definitely not a punk band.

No.

There's all kinds of different types of music on it. But all it is, is really us playing all these different kinds of songs. You know, after the fact, when you think about it, it's just goes to show that there's no such thing as, you know, putting labels on music. It's all about a certain type of attitude. It has nothing to do with... You know, punk and heavy metal and, you know, just rock n' roll in general. All the good stuff is all synonymous.

Yeah, but you have to put on labels on things...

Yeah, you need a name for something. Otherwise it's fuckin'... It doesn't... It's not conducive to conversation, I suppose.

Yeah. Well, people have to understand it. Therefore... We have to understand what red is, so therefore we call it red.

[laughs]

You know, it's kinda like that. But, I mean, doesn't it... Do you ever... The time ever come where you realize: "Oh, this band is big and it's almost out of control." Well, it is out of control-big. How do you ground yourself? Like, you personally. That little Saul Hudson guy, that Slash guy. How do you say: "no". Lke you're saying: "No, it's a cliché"?

It's constant. Trying to keep yourself grounded and... You know, 'cause you still get up in the morning and take a piss and everything, you know... is more or less normal, as far as your life is concerned. But, as soon as you walk out the door, then all of a sudden you're this character.
   You know, you go down to Tower Records in LA and it's like, everybody stares at you. And you gotta get to a point where the band is as big as it is, it goes with the territory when you're on tour. But when we're at home and trying to write and so on, the main thing that helps us grounded is the relationship that we have with each other.

That's cool.

You know what I mean. That's the only... You know, that and some close friends and that's about it. 'Cause everybody else treats us like we're fuckin' weird or something.

I was gonna ask you, does it gotten to the point... Sometimes, though. I mean, do you still say: "Hi Axl. Do you wanna go rent a video?" Are you friends, or is gotten to be business associates? Do you see so much of each other on the road, you don't wanna see each other?

That's what I was trying to get out. That's the only thing that keeps us from being completely whacked out, is that we're all still really close friends.

It's nice to have that family, huh?

We just jam a lot, you know. We just get together and play and all our musical roots and all that kinda shit are still intact. You know what I mean. So, like... We've been working on songs for the next record and all we do is like, jam up at my house. Well, up until the earthquake. The studio is now down. [laughs]

Really?

But, we've got 14 songs done, at this point and as soon as I get back to LA from Canada, I'm gonna rent a place to live next to the rehearsal studio and then we'll just go in there and start jamming. And that's how we hang out. That's what we do.

That's a good thing. What's this about I hear you playing with Carole King?

Yeah. Carole's a good friend.

Wow! I mean, you got such a list now. There's Kravitz and Jackson and... You like the side-work, don't you?

Well, it's good experience, is what it is. It's like, a lot of these people I know. Michael was the one I didn't know at the time. But, a lot of these people I just gotten to know. Either from the business, or people I went to school with. Or... people that were friends with my parents. You know, stuff like that. And so we just get together and play. It's really not that big a deal.
   But, at this point, it's great to work in other people's environment. You know, I'm a pretty decent studio guy at this point. I can deal with any situation in any studio, just because I've worked with so many people.
   And it's how I keep active. Otherwise I'd fuckin'... I don't wanna be a complacent, fat, you know... Sitting around in a house somewhere doing nothing, because of, you know, I was successful with, you know, a couple of records. I mean, it's like good to keep working, and knowing that you still have the groove happening and your chops are still together and so on.

Just a couple of more questions, 'cause we're running out of time and I know you gotta go.

... come on, come on. [laughs]

Ok, two more. One thing, it's the shiest question, but I'm gonna ask it anyway 'cause people wanna know. You've got certain members doing the solo thing. What about you?

I don't... At this point, you know, as we speak, I don't have any interest in it. 'Cause what would I do? Like, some dumb guitar record?
   So, I don't need to do that. I play with enough people and I got enough freedom within the confines of what it is all about. We don't really have any confines. Because everybody freaks out. [laughs] And, anyway. So, no I don't have any interest in doing it.

All right. Now, the Estranged video. When you come up from the water, you gotta tell me about doing it.

Oh, it was... You know, when you see the video, it's not anything close to as hectic as it was, at the time. I got down to... We did it at Universal Studios, and I figured it would be in some sort of tank or something like that.
   And I get there and it's the "Jaws" set, right. Which is a huge lagoon, man-made lagoon. And they had... guys on jet-skis, huge hydraulic fans making the storm happen. That whole sky behind me, the backdrop. And the water was like, some, I don't know, ten below zero. I had to stand in it from eight in night to eight in the morning. All right, it's three lousy seconds out of the video. [laughs]

[laughs]

I had like paramedics checking me for hypothermia and all that stuff. It was a nightmare.

Right.

And then, you know, the video comes out and it's like, you pop out of the water and there you have it... guitar solo bit. And then it's over.

Oh, it's worth it, though. What a great shot.

And all of Axl's shots in the water were either in Miami or in 92-degree water tank.

Well, that's Axl for you.

[laughs]

You got more balls.

No, I wouldn't go as far as saying that.

[laughs] All right. Listen buddy, thanks for calling... Buddy... I'm calling Slash buddy, hello! Thanks for calling. I really appreciate it. A lot of people out there have been looking forward to this interview. So, thanks a lot.

Take care. This is fun.

All right. Here's Estranged. Guns N' Roses. Thank you Slash!

See you.

97.7 HTZ-FM.

Axl & Slash On Rockline
California, USA
January 3, 1994
by Steve Downs

Steve Downs - Axl, good to have you.

Axl - What's happening?

Steve Downs - Not much. And Slash. Fresh from a'¦ An invigorating game of pinball, I understand.

Slash - Yeah, something like that.

Steve Downs - It's somewhat of a rarity to have the both of you in the same place at the same time.

Axl - I don't know'¦

Slash - Someone asked me: "Are you both guys gonna be on the radio?" I was like: "Yeah!" It's been a couple of years since we did an interview together.

Steve Downs - And you Axl were telling me that when you guys write, it's actually done over the phone.

Axl - The majority of things are done on the phone, until we actually get in the studio. A lot of things over the phone and sending tapes back and forth. And we've done this for years.

Slash - I just delivered my last tape to Axl. My latest tape to Axl.

Steve Downs - Just minutes ago.

Axl - I've been eagerly awaiting.

Steve Downs - Really? Well, we'll eagerly awaiting a chance to hear it some point down the line. Tell me about "The Spaghetti Incident?". How did this thing come together, and what did you want to do with this?

Slash - I think the easiest way to'¦ It wasn't supposed to be taken that seriously in the beginning. It was a'¦ Seriously, in the beginning , it was a'¦ some songs that'¦ It started out with some songs that we were jamming that we were gonna make an EP out of. And then we started adding more songs into it, and eventually it turned into a 13-song record which obviously is the result on the CD.

Axl - We had an idea of this going into the first album'¦ that there were some songs that, what we called "punk" to us, or whatever, that we wanted to record a long time ago, that we wanted people to hear, that we liked a lot. And there's songs that Izzy and I liked, there's songs that Slash and I liked, there's songs that Duff and Izzy liked. Things like that, and then it turned into'¦ We had a collection over about nine years of over ten songs that we really liked and we realized we could make an album instead of just a little EP and throw out there.

Steve Downs - Would you say that what is on "The Spaghetti Incident?" is fairly representative of what the influences were to Guns N' Roses in the early days?

Slash - It's a coup'¦

Axl - Some.

Slash - It's'¦ A drop in the bucket, you know.

Axl - Some, but the energy of the songs and stuff, but it's a'¦ It's some'¦ Some of the influences that I don't think mainstream radio, and a lot of like, I don't know'¦ Mid-western and things like that, people haven't really heard.

Slash - The funny thing about it though, is that when we started doing this, it was just to levitate the pressure of making the Illusions records. [laughs]

Steve Downs - [laughs] Really?

Slash - I mean really, when it comes down to it, we were jamming stuff in the studio on off-time and that's how it started.

Axl - I was like, going: "Well, jam on these songs". Kinda like steer it into a project for later.

Slash - [laughs]

Steve Downs - The first song we're gonna play tonight is "Hair Of The Dog", which I guess was a part of the early GN'R repertoire, right?

Slash - Actually, that goes back to Hollywood Rose.

Axl - Yeah, we played it only a few times a very long time ago. When we were in the studio, finishing up the recording of the song, Slash is going: "This is cool!". 'Cause he's the one that brought it to our attention to do it for this album and Duff reminded him'¦ He goes: "Remember the old days? This was cool." Duff reminds him: "You hated this song".

Slash - [laughs]

Axl - Slash goes: "Oh, yeah". Which was very strange when he brought it to us: "We gotta do this song." I was like: "You hated it". I was confused for months.

Slash - [laughs]

Steve Downs - "Hair Of The Dog". Guns N' Roses on Rockline

______________________________________________________________

"Hair Of The Dog" is played

______________________________________________________________

Steve Downs - We're back. Just getting underway with a full 90-minutes with Axl Rose and Slash from Guns N' Roses. The phones are lit up so let's get to 'em right now. We're gonna take our first stop at Muscatine, Iowa. Beth is listening to us at 97X in Davenport. Beth, you're on with Axl and Slash.

Beth - Hi Axl, hi Slash. Happy new year.

Slash - Happy new year.

Axl - Happy new year.

Beth - Thank you. I'd like to know what it was about punk that influenced, or attracted you. You know, was it the scene or the sound. Also, you guys have been credited so many times with breathing new life into rock n' roll, and with this success of the new CD doing covers of old punk, and old-time metal or rock n' roll, do you feel you're helping metal make a comeback? Or more importantly, are you helping punk comeback?

Slash - The main thing'¦ We didn't do what we call a punk comeback or anything like that. We just took a bunch of songs which I thought represented where we came from'¦ Had a certain amount of attitude. I mean, punk didn't last'¦

Axl - Energy.

Slash - '¦all that long. It's all about a vibe and about a certain attitude directed towards... I don't know. It's the way that the band plays and there's a lot of different types of music that forms the way we sound. So'¦ that's really what it's all about.

Steve Downs - Thanks Beth for the call'¦

Slash - That was short. [laughs]

Steve Downs - Got to the point. I'm not sure metal needs a comeback at this point.

Slash - No, it's'¦

Axl - It's got nothing to do with that'¦

Slash - It's the attitude.

Axl - It's just like, we like the energy and the defiance that punk rock had and that it'¦ It didn't really hit the mainstream all that much. And we are, whether we like it or not, in some ways in the mainstream. So we gotta bring certain songs to people's attention.

Slash - Yeah.

Axl - For me, it was like, some of those songs I liked, I got ridiculed and criticized for at the times those songs were out. So, it was kinda like, well, now maybe some of those people will listen to it

Slash - It's a crime that a lot of the band that we did cover and other bands that we didn't cover, that if we had all the time in the world to do, didn't'¦ They're almost forgotten now. I mean, completely'¦ Out-of-print and out-of-mind.

Axl - Can say we wanted to call the record "Pension Fund". 'Cause we're kind of paying some'¦ Helping these guys pay some rent.

Steve Downs - There you go.

Slash - Yeah, Cheetah Crome's happy.

Axl - Yeah.

Steve Downs - We're gonna go to Louisville, Kentucky now. Jan is on 95.7 WQMF.

Jan - Hi Axl, hi Slash. How you doing?

Axl - Hi.

Slash - Doing great.

Jan - Great. Over the years you've taken a lot of criticism over music. And now all of a sudden, I'm hearing a lot of empathy coming out. Over the last couple of years'¦ Like this new video I just recently saw, with the whales and dolphins. That's beautiful.

Axl - Thank you. And yeah'¦ In some areas there is a different vibe coming and that's really nice.

Jan - Do'¦ Are you going to keep going that way?

Axl - You know'¦ What? Trying to get people to like us, but still doing what we want? Sure.

[everybody laughs]

Jan - Keep progressing, you know, the criticism will stop and they will understand, you know, that the music is for what you make it.

Slash - The two don't often meet on the same ground. We'll always do what we want. 'Cause otherwise we'll get seriously bored and the critics will always have something bad to say about it. It's just'¦ It goes with the territory so we just gotten used to it. As long as it doesn't affect what we do as a band then we're fine.

Axl - I think there's a level of'¦ You know, level of people out there, the so-called "moral majority" and things like that, that will always have a problem with certain things in the media. But then again, these people can be won over in other ways and maybe that'll happen. I guess it depends on how politically correct we are with our incorrectness.

Slash - [laughs] Where do we fit in?

Steve Downs - Jan, thanks for the call. We're gonna go from Louisville to Augusta, Georgia. Carl's on 96 RXR in Augusta. Carl, you're on Rockline with Guns N' Roses.

Carl - Axl, Slash. It's great to talk to you.

Axl - What's happening?

Carl - You have such an incredible sound when you're live. I'd like to know, when do you plan on releasing a full-length live album?

Axl - We recorded every single show we did and there is a'¦ You know, we've talked for a long time about compiling something out of that. I have no idea'¦ I mean, then again, it could sound like crap. [laughs] We don't know.

Slash - Basically'¦

Axl - We haven't had the time to go back and listen to everything yet, but'¦

Slash - Basically we're just waiting to find somebody who has the patience to sit trough it. [laughs]

Axl - We'd like to make a movie. We filmed everything that we did on the road for the last few years, and we'd like to make a documentary movie and put out a soundtrack to that.

Steve Downs - That'd be hot. We're gonna'¦ Carl, thanks for the call. We're gonna play another track now from the album "The Spaghetti Incident?". This is the Steve Jones/Sex Pistols tune "Black Leather". A caller earlier was talking about punk and the fact that this album is certainly shedding new light on that era again. And most people think of the Sex Pistols as the'¦ Sort of the, you know, the star of the era, if you will.

Slash - Like I said, the whole punk thing'¦ There was only a handful of bands that were, what you call, really good rock n' roll bands. And as far as the style of music goes, it doesn't matter. It was like a real heart-felt kind of rebellion thing that we picked up on.

Axl - Some of these songs are more obscure than others. Like the Sex Pistols songs that we did. It was a b-side that I just thought was one of the coolest songs they did and thought other people might like to hear it. I mean'¦ You know, we have our version of it, but then again, I like listening to the original better. It depends on what mood people are in. What they want to hear. I mean, I've heard criticism about: "Well, a punk record shouldn't have drums this heavy." And this and that. But we do it GN'R-style.

Slash - That's exactly it. It was GN'R doing all these songs of ours the way that we play 'em. I mean, there's no changing that. So, we're not exactly "the best sounding punk band"'¦ technology and decent marshals at work.

Axl - We just be paying some respect.

Steve Downs - Sounds something like this. GN'R. "Black Leather".

______________________________________________________________

"Black Leather" is played.

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Steve Downs - Guns N' Roses. "Black Leather" from "The Spaghetti Incident?". Back to the phones we go. Blaire is in Robertsonville, North Carolina, listening to WRDU 106 in Raleigh. Blaire, you're on with Axl and Slash.

Blair - Hi! I'm a fan of you. I had a question. Are you planning on pulling the Charles Manson track from the album?

Axl - At this time, no. But, we've also been notified by a fan that if we do pull the song, he'll sue us and Geffen Records for one dollar per album sold, as of the date that we pull the song. You know, he'll file s in federal court. But we don't have plans of pulling it as of now. And'¦ You're in Raleigh?

Blair - Yeah.

Axl - Oh, okay. Cool. Hi Jennifer!

Steve Downs - [laughs]

Slash - [laughs] There was a time when we were planning on pulling it because of the fact that it was'¦ I don't know'¦ the messages were all crossed. As far as to what we were really doing. I mean, basically, all we did was do a track that had something to do lyrically with the band. Or'¦ you know.

Axl - I like the lyrics of the song. I also thought it was something that people hadn't heard and was a missing part of the puzzle. And almost everything about Charles Manson has been public, but this was something that wasn't public really, on a big scale, to my knowledge, and just thought that people would be interested in hearing it. But'¦ you know, even the'¦ One of the'¦ The victim's son whose getting money supposedly, was talking about people worshipping Charles Manson and I was like, getting a vibe that people were trying to paint a picture of me worshipping Charles Manson now. It's exactly, for me, the opposite of that.

Slash - It's sort of a parody almost, you know. [laughs]

Axl - He's a pop-cartoon-icon of absolutely how far off the edge you can go, which'¦ I don't have any desire to go that far.

Slash - It's really weird because when the song was done and it was recorded and released, there was no attention drawn to it, and all the attention that's been given it so far has come from the media that's been opposing it.

Axl - 'Cause the make the bucks off that.

Slash - And it's ridiculous. At this point it's like: "Screw you, whatever." You know, it's typical, we've been going through this since we started. So, I'm not faced.

Steve Downs - And as Axl mentioned, the'¦ I guess the royalties to this song go to the son of one of the victims of the Manson murders. They don't go to Charles Manson.

Slash - Right.

Axl - Yeah, but then I did hear also about someone else saying that Charles doesn't have the copyright on that. He does, and he wants the money. So'¦ you know, as long as Charlie's not getting it, that's cool.

Steve Downs - It sounds'¦

Slash - We don't know what this guy's all about.

[everybody laughs]

Steve Downs - It is an unlisted track on the album. You won't find it, but it's at the very end. It's called "Look At Your Game Girl". Guns N' Roses on Rockline.

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"Look At Your Game Girl" is played

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Steve Downs - There you go. That's Guns N' Roses from "The Spagehtti Incident?"

Slash - I have to call Carlos and ask him what that last chord was.

Axl - [laughs]

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Commercial break

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Steve Downs - We're gonna go to the Rocky Mountain state, as a matter of fact. Colorado Springs is where we're headed. Nick'¦

Axl - Who wrote that Rockline riff?

Steve Downs - Who did write that? Forget who wrote that. Um'¦ Dana Strum from'¦ from'¦ I'm sorry'¦ from Slaughter wrote that riff. Many, many years ago.

Slash - Yeah.

Steve Downs - So, there you go. [laughs]

Axl - Just wondering. That says it all.

Steve Downs - Colorado Springs is where we're headed. Where was I? Kilo, that's where I was. Nick, you're on with'¦

Axl - Kilo?

Steve Downs - How appropriate.

Slash - [laughs]

Steve Downs - Nick, you're on buddy.

Slash - Kilo, Colorado. No way! [laughs]

Nick - Hey, how's it going guys?

Axl - Kilo, Colorado. I like that.

Nick - Yeah, it works, it works.

Axl - What's happening?

Steve Downs - What's your question Nick?

Nick - Yeah, I was wondering, since Duff did his solo album and Slash, you worked on that Jimi tribute album, is anyone else gonna do any solos or work on any other albums?

Slash - Um'¦ Tell you truth, Duff's solo album'¦ Gilby's doing one, it's pretty much finished. That's basically it. I don't have any plans to do'¦ I don't think Axl'¦ You do have one.

Axl - I'm hoping to'¦ I'm trying to put a project together that is kind of a top-secret weapon right now.

Steve Downs - Oh, really?

Axl - Yeah.

Steve Downs - Cool. We'll look forward to that. Gilby Clarke, of course the second guitarist from Guns N' Roses. Thank you Nick for the call. Jeff is in St. Louis, listening to KC 95. Jeff, you're on Rockline.

Jeff - Hey Axl, Slash. What's up?

Slash - Hey.

Axl - What's happening?

Jeff - First I would like to say the that you did in St. Louis, the last show was the best show I've ever been to and my question is'¦

Slash - [laughs]

Axl - Wow!

Jeff - I've heard some rumors that'¦

Slash - Where were you when we needed you?

Jeff - '¦ maybe Izzy would be brought back in to help record things. Is there any truth to that?

Slash - Nothing, no.

Axl - None at all!

Slash - Especially not to help record things.

Axl - Never again! No, not at all. We brought Izzy back in Europe when Gilby had hurt his arm. And then we kinda got blackmailed and we haven't'¦ We really don't wanna have anything to do with Izzy ever since then.

Slash - In all honesty, it was cool to get him back. When the idea came'¦

Axl - And it was cool when he went away! [laughs]

Slash - We thought it was a good idea to, you know, call him up and see if he wanted to come down and hang out and do a couple of gigs. And then it turned sour at the end so'¦ It took us right back to square one.

Axl - It was nice while it lasted.

Steve Downs - Nice to be back in St. Louis, by the way?

Axl - Um'¦ Yeah. I was back there recently and actually it was'¦ It wasn't bad. It was'¦ It worked out real nice and there was a whole different vibe about things once people got a different side of the story.

Slash - Yeah, I wanna go play there. [laughs]

Steve Downs - Jeff, thanks for the call. Mike is in New York City, listening to 92.3 KROC. Mike, you're on with Axl and Slash.

Mike - Hey Axl and Slash. How you doing, guys?

Slash - Hey, how are you?

Axl - What's up?

Mike - Pretty good. I just like to tell you, man, you're music is fantastic. You're the greatest rock n' roll band in the world to me. Just like to let you guys know that.

Axl - Thanks.

Slash - Thank you.

Axl - We're embarrassed. [laughs]

Slash - Yeah. [laughs]

Mike - '¦ in England. And I was wondering why you didn't put Queen songs on "The Spaghetti Incident?"?

Axl - One, I don't know of a Queen song I can really do the caliber of Queen, you know. That's part of it for me and it just didn't really fit into the project that we were doing at this time. And to pick a Queen song is rough one.

Slash - Yeah. One thing about "The Spaghetti Incident?" is that all the songs are like, pretty spontaneously picked. It was about two or three minutes decision on any of the songs. It just didn't come up. That would have taken thought and planning. [laughs]

Axl - We may work with Brian May on a project upcoming'¦ We don't know'¦ And we're hoping to pull that one off. We get along with Brian really well.

Steve Downs - He opened for some of the Guns N' Roses shows last year.

Axl - Yeah. And Slash and Brian did a pretty amazing job on'¦ When we did "Heaven's Door" live somewhere in Europe. And I've never seen two guitarists get along like that, the way they played together, complementing each other, in my life. It was pretty magical. But the rest'¦ The whole band, we were all kinda waiting: "When is the solo gonna end."

Slash - [laughs]

Axl - After five minutes we're all running around and we're getting tired and these guys are still soloing.

Steve Downs - [laughs]

Axl - It was pretty wild. It was great.

Slash - He's one of the most unpretentious rock stars of his caliber that I've ever met and'¦ You put the two of us together onstage playing guitar, and it basically free rain. [laughs]

Axl - "Dead On Time" would have been a good song to put on this album. "Dead On Time" would've been great.

Steve Downs - Yeah, that'd be good.

Slash - Metallica did a Queen song.

Steve Downs - Yeah.

Axl - "Stone Cold Crazy".

Steve Downs - "Stone Cold Crazy", yeah. Going back to "The Spaghetti Incident?" You did a Dead Boys tune, the band out of Cleveland originally, with Stiv Bators, called "Ain't It Fun", which is a real kicker on this record.

Slash - Yeah. We were talking about it earlier, that the lyrics to that song pretty much sum up where we come from as a band. Like, you know'¦ Especially on the surface.

Axl - Or things that we've been through, stupid mistakes we've made.

Slash - And when I hear it, I just go: "Yeah, ok, check, check". [laughs]

Steve Downs - That's right.

Axl - It was also a tribute to Stiv. And Mike Monroe, who guest sings on the song, from the band Hanoi Rocks, was a really good friend of Stiv's and'¦ He turned me onto a bunch of Dead Boys stuff. I already knew the song, and it was a song I liked and he got me all these tapes and things. And then I was like: "Why don't we just play it?". And it was kinda like a tribute for him, 'cause it was really hard on Mike and'¦ And other people in his life when Stiv did pass away.

Steve Downs - "Ain't It Fun". Guns N' Roses.

Axl - For Cheetah.

______________________________________________________________

"Ain't It Fun" is played.
______________________________________________________________

Steve Downs - "Ain't It Fun" from Guns N' Roses off "The Spaghetti Incident?". You quoted that line at'¦ I think it was in the liner notes to "Use Your Illusion I", right at the end of everything it says: "Ain't It Fun - Stiv Bators".

Slash - Yeah.

Axl - Yeah, that's why it was on the end of Use Your Illusions, kinda like a hint. 'Cause we did that on the first album too. We gave a hint from "You Could Be Mine".

Steve Downs - Right.

Slash - Yeah, a lot of people been talking, over the last couple of years about the way that Use Your Illusion sounded and how it was'¦ You know, a different kind of direction for us, and I'm going: "No, it wasn't." We do whatever. And we recorded this stuff, which is really raw and they go: "Oh, that's a great departure." [laughs]

Axl - We did it at the same time, it's just different songs.

Steve Downs - Right. We're going back to the phones now. Albany, Georgia is where we're headed. Kelly is listening to us from Rock 104 in Tallahassee, Florida. Kelly, you're on with Axl and Slash.

Kelly - Hi Axl, hi Slash. How's it going?

Slash - Hey.

Axl - It's going great.

Kelly - I've been a fan for quite some time now and I really love you guys.

Slash - Ooh.

Axl - [laughs]

Kelly - I heard that you all were making a home video, explaining the trilogy and other past videos. I was just wondering what it contained and when it'll be released.

Slash - That'¦ that's expensive.

Axl - We released a making of'¦ One for "Don't Cry" and one for "November Rain" and we're making one for "Estranged"'¦ Actually "Estranged" isn't'¦ in some ways a part of the trilogy. It's more like part four. Part three was a mutual self-destruction of the couple that was in "November Rain". And'¦ well, someone had other plans and we were in a position, where something we had worked on for five years had to be rewritten to kinda transcend it. So, it's a video about transcendence of a real life situation, that didn't have a whole lot to do with the story that was intended. And actually I'm kinda glad we made this video instead of the one we were going to make. To know about the story that was in "November Rain", you have to wait on Del's book. It's a story called "Without You".

Steve Downs - Cool. Look forward to that. Thanks for the question Kelly.

Axl - "The Language Of Fear".

Slash - [laughs]

Steve Downs - Philadelphia is where we're off to. 94 YSP is the station and Phil, you're on Rockline with Axl and Slash.

Phil - Hey, what's up guys?

Slash - Hey Phil.

Axl - Talking to you.

Phil - What was the inspiration behind "Civil War" and how did it end up on the benefit album, "Nobody's Child"?

Slash - Umm'¦

Axl - It ended up on the benefit album 'cause Tom Petty called me and asked me, which was really weird, asked me if George Harrison could call me.

Slash - [laughs]

[laughs]

Axl - And then George Harrison called me and we we're talking, and all of a sudden he started talking about his wife flying to Bangladesh'¦ It just'¦ All of a sudden my mind was like, boom'¦ hyper-space, I'm talking to a Beatle. And he was very Beatle-esque talking about Bangladesh. [laughs]

Slash - [laughs]

Steve Downs - Yeah, of course [laughs]

Axl - It was pretty wild. They asked for the song and the inspiration was'¦ A friend asked me to write a song about just how crazy the world is and certain things and'¦ I just thought it was an interesting subject and just'¦ Slash had this music and it exactly fit what I'd written.

Slash - There's something very unnerving about having George Harrison around, let me tell you. [laughs]

Steve Downs - Oh, I can imagine.

Slash - He came to my house once when I was'¦ I was like: "Whoa". I should have brought the picture with me that he left. This Indian picture, it's hilarious. But, it meant a lot to him to leave'¦

Axl - Plus, I was trying to be the fifth Wilbury.

Steve Downs - Fifth Wilbury! That's right. There you go.

Axl - I was working.

Steve Downs - Alright. Phil, thanks for the call. ______________________________________________________________

Commercial break
______________________________________________________________

Steve Downs - We go back to the phones now. Lancing in Michigan is where we're headed. Q106 is the station. Shannon, you're on Rockline with Guns N' Roses.

Shannon - Hi Slash.

Slash - Hey.

Shannon - Hey Axl. I almost love you.

[everybody laughs]

Axl - Almost?

Shannon - Almost. Well, I don't know you in person, so'¦

Axl - Don't love me. People that do usually cost me lawsuits.

Slash - [laughs] That's true.

Axl - [laughs]

Shannon - Well, I won't do that.

Axl - I don't wanna be loved. [in a mock accent]

Steve Downs - What's your question Shannon?

Shannon - I just wanted to know, in what musical direction maybe we can expect their next CD, or CDs may go.

Slash - Umm...

Axl - I'm about to hear it tonight. [laughs]

Slash - Well, that's too much pressure. Musical direction with the band really has to do with what the band'¦ you know, what we do as a group or as an organization of people. You know, the six of us, constitutes.

Axl - And then I throw in the'¦ [inaudible]

Slash - [laughs] No'¦ I mean, it's really simple and it's a lot less complicated than most of the public thinks.

Axl - How about it's like, compared to the "Illusions", the direction will be a shorter direction. [laughs]

Steve Downs - There you go. Shannon, thanks for the call. Sarah'¦

Slash - It was no answer.

[everybody laughs]

Steve Downs - It was close enough.

Slash - It'll be what we think is good at the present, that's all.

Steve Downs - Well, it's been three years, almost, since the last original material.

Slash - Yeah, but we weren't dicking around. We did tour for two and half years.

Axl - [laughs]

Steve Downs - That's true.

Slash - Just to set that straight.

Steve Downs - You did have a real job. Sarah is in Woodstock, Connecticut listening to 107.3 WAAF in Boston, Massachusetts. Sarah, you have a question for Axl or Slash?

Sarah - Yeah. Actually both of them, whoever wants to answer. I'd like to know what you guys like to do in your like, spare-time? When you're not in the studio recording.

Axl - Slash feeds snakes.

Steve Downs - You have quite a pet collection?

Slash - Yeah.

Steve Downs - I don't know if you call them pets, but'¦

Slash - To tell you the truth, most of the time I spend, as far as free-time is'¦ Just working with Guns stuff. It's a never-ending thing. He would say the same thing. It's like'¦

Axl - Yeah, it's like, we'¦ There's no real split between business and personal things, so it's still Guns N' Roses. I mean, I don't know when we'll go out again. We're aiming at '96 and we'll probably be doing a lot of recording, and trying to put a lot of things between now and then. But, we're still trying to move ahead as'¦ And just keep this moving as hard as we can. So, there's not really a whole lot of free-time. I mean, now and then you kick back watching a movie or something.

Slash - [laughs]

Axl - Other than that, it's just trying to keep your life together. And people from taking it away.

Slash - It hasn't been any nude horseback riding or'¦ [laughs]

Steve Downs - None of that, huh?

Axl - Damn!

Steve Downs - Damn!

Slash - I'm really working on my boogie-boarding-style.

[everybody laughs]

Steve Downs - Sarah, thanks for the call. We were talking about George Harrison earlier and'¦

Axl - I wear drag. [laughs]

Steve Downs - '¦ and we're gonna play the Paul McCartney tune "Live And Let Die", that you recorded. It's funny 'cause you were talking about'¦ Axl, when you met Paul and'¦ you know'¦

Axl - He came up and'¦ It's like, some guy goes: "Are you gonna get another tattoo made?" And I wasn't feeling very good and just kinda like: "Oh, great. Another'¦" Ok, "jerk", I'll use that word. And I looked up and it's Paul McCartney. I was like: "No way!".

Slash - [laughs]

Axl - And I was like: "You look pretty relaxed". And he was like, there up until two minutes before the show. Then it hits.

Steve Downs - Here it is. Guns N' Roses. This is from "Use Your Illusion 1". "Live And Let Die".

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"Live And Let Die" is played
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Steve Downs - "Live And Let Die" from Guns N' Roses, who we are spending 90 minutes with on our first show of the 1994 season here on Rockline. We're gonna take it down to Memphis, Tennessee. Shaun is listening to us on ROCK 103 in Memphis. Shaun, you're on.

Shaun - Hey.

Axl - Hey Shaun.

Slash - Hey Shaun.

Shaun - Hey'¦ Man, I'm tripping here.

Steve Downs - Okay.

Axl - Really? Are you really?

Shaun - My question is for Slash. I was wondering what kind of an influence Joe Perry had on you.

Slash - Oh'¦ In the days when I really started playing and like, getting into the whole thing, amongst other guitar players, Aerosmith and Joe Perry and Brad Whitford were definitely an influence. They're just the coolest, most screwed up band in the world. [laughs]

Axl - [laughs]

Steve Downs - And they're still here to tell the tale, man.

Slash - They love to tell you about it. [everybody laugh]

Steve Downs - Thanks Shaun for the call. We're gonna go to Wheezie. Wheezie is in Austin, TX listening to KLBJFM 94. Weezie, you're on with Axl and Slash.

Weezie - Hey, what's up guys?

Slash - Hey.

Axl - What's up, homes?

Weezie - Listen man, on "The Spaghetti Incident?"'¦ 20 years ago I found myself a big Marc Bolan/T-Rex fan. 20 years later I'm listening to Soundgarden and then boom, I buy the disc and you guys have put a Soundgarden and a T-Rex song together. Whose idea was that and how did that come about?

Slash - Well'¦

Axl - That was mine.

Slash - Yeah, 'cause I got a phone call'¦ I got a phone call'¦

Axl - And I played it for him.

Slash - In the middle of the night over the phone. The song was already recorded and Axl was singing the Soundgarden thing. And I was like'¦

Axl - 'Cause the riff was very similar, if not the same. And I just thought it added something to it and'¦ Plus, we really like the Soundgarden guys, and that particular song is, I think, a song that'¦ I just consider a cult classic, whether it is or not. And it fit together with the T-Rex thing. And when we put the album together, Slash was a big fan of that particular T-Rex song, and I remembered that and I asked if he wanted to that on here as one more song. 'Cause I thought that would balance things out. And get something else out of the closet that was waiting to be recorded.

Slash - So I had to sing it. [laughs]

Axl - [laughs] Yeah, so you had to sing it.

Steve Downs - Yeah, you two guys sing together on that.

Slash - But the combination of the two songs and all that was'¦ The song was more or less done and then Axl sang just real naturally over the end of it, and put the Soundgarden vocals there.

Axl - It's a real sexy song and the end gets kind of aggressive. And so an aggressive sexy song on top of that.

Steve Downs - Aggressive would be an understatement. It pretty much cuts to the chase.

Axl - Cuts right to the chase.

Steve Downs - Absolutely. Alright, we're gonna go to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ROCK 100.5 The Cat is the station. William, you're on with Axl and Slash. What's your question?

William - Hi guys. How you doing?

Slash - Good.

Axl - I'm doing alright.

William - Umm'¦ Hi from Amy. I gotta make this quick.

Axl - Hi Amy.

William - How did you come about to the song "Since I Don't Have You"? I really like that one.

Slash - That's a good one.

Axl - That song, for some reason'¦ When we started rehearsing, living in a little craphole on'¦ Craphole, like that?

Steve Downs - Yeah.

[everybody laughs]

Steve Downs - We can use that one.

Axl - Off Sunset and Gardener. It was just a song for some reason I wanted to do & Slash wanted to do a long time ago, and we don't really know'¦ we felt indicated'¦

Slash - No, the reason why was 'cause I heard you singing it when you were living at my house.

Axl - Oh.

Slash - And since you sang it with so much'¦ [inaudible]

[everybody laughs]

Axl - I don't know why I really liked that song, I just did and then'¦ We were on the road, we had three days off in Boston, and the song just fit things at the time and we had some time so we went in and did it without having any clue of what it was gonna sound like musically. Because it's a completely different string arrangement and everything in the original. And we went in and just had fun with it.

Steve Downs - Originally done by a group called the Skyliners, out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 1958. Here it is, from Guns N' Roses.

Axl - Punk rock at its finest.
______________________________________________________________

"Since I Don't Have You" is played
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Steve Downs - Nice little groove towards the end of that and'¦

Axl - Voodoo, or something.

Steve Downs - Yeah.

Axl - We don't know what, or how that happened.

Slash - There's a good story going behind that song because I think that was one of the first songs that really started to turn this "Spaghetti Incident" thing into an actual album.

Steve Downs - Really?

Slash - And we did it on off time on the road and recorded it in Makeshift studios in Boston. Brought rental gear down there 'cause all our gear was on the track. And that was how badly we wanted to do it. We just'¦ you know, pulled out whatever we had. And talking about Gilby's guitar'¦ We used his practice guitar and we used rented gear and this and that. We couldn't find a guitar store in Boston.

[the rest of Slash's sentence is cut out by a jingle]

Steve Downs - '¦ 90 minutes tonight with Slash and Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses. Lots of phone calls. Let's go to Houston, TX- Actually ??, TX and Christine is listening to in Houston, on 101 KLOL. Christine, you're on with Guns N' Roses.

Christine - Hey guys! What's up?

Slash - Hey.

Axl - Not a whole lot. How's Texas?

Christine - Not a whole lot here either.

[everybody laughs]

Christine - I just wanted to let you guys know that you're my favorite band and I just want to know, are you planning on making any videos off "The Spaghetti Incident?"

Slash - We're talking about it.

Axl - Yeah, we're talking about "Since I Don't Have You", and Slash is working on project for "Hair Of The Dog", actually. I have no idea'¦

Slash - [laughs]

Steve Downs - We'll look forward to it. Christine, thanks for the call. Moses is in Texas also. El Paso this time, listening to 95.5 KLAQ. Moses, you're on with Axl and Slash.

Moses - Hello Axl.

Axl - Moses, what's happening?

Moses - What's up guys? Quick question, why the release of the "Estranged" video with "The Spaghetti Incident?" album coming out?

Slash - There was'¦

Axl - It was just planned to make that video for a long time, and it was just the time to put the video out. We got it done and we wanted to put it out, and we also had "Spaghetti Incident" and'¦ Plus, it's Guns N' Roses and it's confusing to everybody'¦

Slash - I was gonna say the same.

Axl - It's confusing for us and we wanted everybody else to celebrate and join in the confusion.

Slash - [laughs]

Steve Downs - I'm confused. You talked about the video for the song a little bit earlier. Originally, if I understood it correctly, it was supposed to be part of a trilogy and it didn't necessarily end up that way, or did it?

Axl - Umm, my friend Del James wrote a short story called "Without You", that was influenced by me and my ex-wife, in some ways. And then I ended up writing a song that fit that story, which was "Estranged". And so'¦ You know, that was about, I don't know, four or five years ago and'¦ The story started, then a couple of years later the song came about and then we started working on this project. And then in the middle of the project, or two thirds into the project, real life kind of changed all the plans. And we had to make something else and figure out how to rise above'¦ As an artist, I had to figure out how to rise above my own creation that meant a lot to me. That I was kinda stop dead in my tracks and had to figure out how to make something else and'¦ Like, write a whole new thing on top of something I'd been living to make, that I liked even more. And it was a really hard challenge and myself and the director, Andy Morahan was involved in this whole thing all along. And so was Del James and the band and'¦ For all of us, it was a really hard challenge to rise above. Plus, we've spent 2.5 million dollars and we had to put it out.

Steve Downs - Had to do something. [laughs] From "Use Your Illusion II", "Estranged". ______________________________________________________________

"Estranged" is played
______________________________________________________________

Steve Downs - We're back live all over the United States and Canada with Axl Rose and Slash from Guns N' Roses. We got time for one more call. We're gonna head back to Raleigh, North Carolina, to WRDU 106 in Raleigh. We have Arleen, or is it Arlene? Listening to us in ??, North Carolina. You're on with Axl and Slash.

Arlene - Good evening Axl and Slash.

Slash - Hi.

Axl - Good evening.

Arlene - And my name is Arlene.

Steve Downs - Arlene.

Axl - Arlene in Raleigh.

Arlene - Yeah. My question is'¦

Steve Downs - Hi Jennifer.

Axl - Yeah. [laughs]

Arlene - If you could change a myth, or any of the myths the public may have of Guns N' Roses. What would it be?

Slash - There's too many. Really, when it comes down to it.

Axl - Change one myth? Uuh, wow that's a'¦

Steve Downs - Something the public perceives of you and the band that is not true.

Axl - I don't know'¦ When Use Your Illusions came out, I actually read a review that said we should have titled the albums "Our Hitler", meaning me, or something. And I would like to change the myth that we want to control the media, and control people. That's not'¦ You know, there's some people that believe that, or something. It's like, I don't wanna control the media, I just want things to be accurate. It's the only control that we want, is that it's accurate and the things that we say and do are there as we say and do them. Not changed around or taken out of context or distorted. A lot of times we don't get an opportunity, or chance to rectify things without having to go through a whole lot of trouble that opens up a whole new can of ones.

Steve Downs - Right.

Slash - Yeah, the main thing about'¦ What I've been seeing since we've been off the road is'¦ The simple fact that the media is the one that's really backwards and very twisted. And I think it's actually sicker what they do than anything they even try to make us out to be. And it's a drag because when it comes down to it'¦ We've been together for a long time and I know these people and it's like'¦ be taken that seriously for one and then, from a completely wrong direction is just'¦ you know, it's a drag and you don't have any control over it. After a while you have to take a'¦

Axl - We've been working on a book since we started as Guns N' Roses, with Del James. We've been doing interviews for this book for a very, very long time, to try to get an accurate picture with all our own personal mistakes and our own personal nightmares. And actually it's very exposing. But, we wanna show, like, an accurate picture of who we are and where we've been. It's not necessarily favorable for us in some places. It's a lot of times: "I said that? What an idiot! I can't believe I said that." But we're gonna put it all out.

Steve Downs - Well, hopefully'¦ And also to have you in a venue like this is hopefully an opportunity to sort of set the record straight.

Slash - A venue?

Axl - This is what? Third time Rockline? Or is this fourth?

Steve Downs - I think this'll be number four altogether.

Axl - Four, wow.

Slash - Everybody's up at my house right now, so I have to say hi. I'm late. [laughs]

[now Steve Downs thanks the crew and talks about upcoming shows]

Steve Downs - '¦ and finally to our guests tonight. Axl Rose and Slash. It's great to have you guys here, and especially to have you together.

Slash - It's been a great time.

Axl - It's bizarre that we're here together. It's a good thing.

Steve Downs - Bizarre in a good way.

Axl - Yeah.

Slash - Yeah, absolutely.

Axl - Yo, Beta.

Steve Downs - It's been great.

Gilby Clarke - A "Pawned" Rocker

Heavy Mental
June, 1994
by Martin Carlsson

Gilby Clarke succeeded with something that everyone failed with this year - gather the whole Guns N' Roses on album. Axl, Slash & Co. participate on Gilby's soloalbum "Pawnshop Guitars". And while the future of Guns N' Roses continues to be uncertain Gilby starts a solo trip.

As a true rocker he took his Harley-Davidson to meet Martin Carlsson in Beverly Hills.

- Sorry I'm late. Took my Harley today.

Gilby Clarke is, as usual, late. But you can't do anything but forgive him. He always has so cool excuses. Last time we met in London Gilby was an hour late. He had gone a few hours out of London just to buy a cool guitar he had heard about. And now the reason is a Harley-Davidson. In super-stylish Beverly Hills, besides. Can it be more rock n' roll?

- I love my Harley. It's a "panhead" from 1965 which has been featured in the American magazine Hot Bike, he says happily laughing.

Gilby Clarke is just about to launch his solo debut "Pawnshop Guitars". The love for his Harley shows in the song "Johanna's Chopper".

- Yep, this is Johanna, he laughs and pats gently the tank of his black beauty.

He would never give up his bike, even though he broke his wrist in a motorcycle accident in May last year. But as he says:

- I was driving offroad then, so it doesn't count.

Rock N' Roll as said. Disregard the love for his bike and baseball, that he plays in Guns N' Roses and the fame that's unavoidable. The human Gilby Clarke is one of the nicest ones I've met in the often false and treacherous rock-business. A musician with distance and a never-ending smile.

Why did you pick the title "Pawnshop Guitars"? It reminds me of the pawnshops in Hollywood and all the struggling musicians that visits them.
- That's true, but it's not the signification just because I'm not a struggling musician.
- Think that the title sums up that I'm a guitarist that writes songs and sings. That's how I look at myself.

When I spoke to Duff McKagan last winter he said that you asked him to put bass on one song when you were in New York but that it ended up with him doing everything. You were said to been too lazy.
- [laughs] Well, you know Duff'¦ We were in New York and were doing a song by Clash. It was obvious that he was going to play bass, but I was really impressed by Duff's drumming style on his solo album so I had him play drums also.

- Duff and I played in the studio and when the drums were recorded I said "fuck it, why don't you do the guitars too'¦ by the way, you can sing too!". But only the bass and drums came on the album because Frank Black who was in Pixies came down and did the guitar.

The first song "Cure Me'¦ Or Kill Me'¦" is hard and not very representative for the album. It sounds like a typical last-minute song that's being added to an album.
- I swear to God, it was exactly what happened! The album was completed when I wrote the song. Damn, so funny you noticed it!

It's a new song and I have more songs in that style, but I didn't put them on. Thought I needed one more rock-song.

The following song "Black" is a straight opposite and reminds not so little of Beatles' "Strawberry Fields".
- It tries to be "Strawberry Fields" too. As a musician you have your influences that you put in a bowl of soup and take ladles from. You hear that I have my Beatles and my Stones on the album. Ever since I was a little kid Beatles and Stones have been my two favorite bands.

- We did "Black" and I started to think on the mellotron in "Strawberry Fields" that sounds incredibly good. I dug up a mellotron and asked Dizzy (Reed, keyboardist in Guns N' Roses) if he could play on it.
- I try to do every song as good as possible without making it too nice. Never sacrifice my guitar for something else, but in this case the mellotron works.

Throughout "Black" is there a guitar-riff that sounds exactly like Slash but it's you that plays. Have you picked that from him?
- It's Slash's sound. A positive thing with my entrance in the band was that Slash finally got a rhythm guitarist whose style he likes to play with. Slash plays that way and I've always done that.

- I did use one of his secrets though - the sound that borders to noise. You know, his howling feedback.
- Live you get that sound all the time, but in the studio it's almost impossible. I've been near him a long time and we have the same guitar technician so I went to Adam and asked, "Adam, how the hell manages Slash to create that sound?". He showed me and now it's on my album.

So Slash has been a big influence on you lately?
- Yes, a big influence. I played far down on a Les Paul before Slash started playing guitar. But while I'm from a classical blues-school and had Beatles and Stones as mayor model Slash mixes blues with metal. That side I've always ignored but Slash has brought the hard-rocker inside of me to life. If I had done this album three years ago my solos would have been a lot bluesier.

It's a lot of pop on "Pawnshop Guitars".
- Pop'¦ I can't escape it. I think there's pop in all good bands from Guns N' Roses to Metallica. When you pick the song from these bands that you like most, it's one where the pop shines through.

- The pop is more noticeable in my music though, because I love melodies. In hard rock it's almost only the vocals that are melodic, but I want the music to be melodic too.

It's quite repetitive music.
- Yep, that's pop! I have a formula for songwriting that I've used during a long time. It comes from Beatles and 70-tiesbands like Sweet and Slade.

You don't stand out like a traditional hardrocker.
- No, I'm not. But I like hard music and noisy guitar solos. Like to take old pop songs and blow them apart with a loud guitar.

Have to say that your poppy side is better then the bluesy.
- Really? I lost the blues totally for a while when I was depressed. It can be hard to believe, but it's true. Then Beatles and pop came in my life again and it's not until lately that the blues has returned.
- Don't listen especially much on blues, it's more my way of playing that is blues.

How did you manage to get a guy like Frank Black to play on your album?
- I've known Frank since he was in Pixies, but can't remember how we met. He has always said "I'm going to do a solo album and then you're going to play guitar" which I thought sounded really cool. He liked me because I was unknown, so when I joined Guns N' Roses he said "I can't have you on my album". When it was clear that I was going to do an album I said "Frank Black is going to play guitar".

So you should have played on his album?
- Yes, and it was thought that I was going to participate on his second album which he's just finished. I haven't had enough time lately though. But the reason that I didn't play on his debut was that I was in Guns N' Roses. You know, if you're famous.

You're not "cool" if you're in Guns N' Roses.
- Exactly, you're mainstream.

- Do you know Material Issue? I played on their second album that was recently released and that was fun. Have to do something with Frank Black again.

Everyone from Guns N' Roses participates on "Pawnshop Guitars". Was it hard with the contracts to get Geffen's permission for their participation?
- No, one cool thing with Guns N' Roses is that everyone can do things on their own. If Axl wants to sing on an album Geffen is not likely to say "sorry, you can't". The funny thing was that everyone wanted to play with me and didn't feel forced to.

- I don't know why Axl didn't play on Duff's album, but he was easy to work with on mine. He came down to the studio, wasn't terribly late [laughs] put down the vocals and the result was good.

I was surprised that you chose Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers", since Axl always tried to escape comparisons between Guns N' Roses and Stones.
- We did "Dead Flowers" in Milton Keynes in England last year and after that we did it occasionally. Axl and I sang it together and I really wanted it to be on my album. My version is a bit tougher then theirs though.

- Axl came down, played piano and when he was ready he said "do you want me to sing too?". I was surprised and answered "and I thought you didn't want to".

Do you have any apprehension about how your album will be looked upon?
- It feels strange, because I don't have a clue. "First Izzy, then Duff and now the next guy from Guns N' Roses that does a solo album" is probably the first that people are going to think.

- You have to remember that we're only a small part of Guns N' Roses because Axl is of course the leader and after that comes Slash. It is true that the rest of us is contributing with material, but if you are a productive songwriter like myself it's impossible to give them all compositions.
- I gathered all my songs and did it. The result was good, but it's so different that people might be frightened. It's not a hard-rock album, it's rock with pop-melodies.
- People will probably check it out because of my connection with Guns N' Roses, but hopefully I can also reach out to a totally different audience. There's such width here.

How did you come to Virgin? I heard that an old pal signed the contract with you.
- True. Danny Goodwin on Virgin has worked with me in six years and my old band Kill For Thrills had a publishing contract with him.

- When I decided to do an album a lot of record companies popped up and screamed excited "Guns N' Roses!". It was hard to see which was honest and believed in me apart from my participation in Guns N' Roses.
- Virgin had a cool adjustment and another plus was that Keith Richards is on Virgin. If Keith can be in Stones and be a solo artist on Virgin I can do the same thing [laughs].

But wasn't Geffen the first choice?
- No, I have no contract with Geffen but a contract with the band (Guns N' Roses). It's the same thing with Dizzy and Matt (Sorum, drums) who also has been contracted by the three original members of Guns N' Roses.

- Axl, Slash and Duff is what remains of Guns N' Roses and the rest of us is just hired members. They have a hundred dollars and we ask "can we also have a hundred dollars?" and they give us a hundred dollars when they feel like it [laughs].
- Geffen tried to get me, but I let Guns N' Roses take care of that part.

Will Virgin use the name 'Guns N' Roses' in their marketing and put a colorful label like "Axl and Guns N' Roses participates" on the cover?
- [laughs] They can't do that. Guns N' Roses is on Geffen and I'm on Virgin and Geffen wont allow us to do things like that.
- You can't stop it in the press, but it's OK. Guns N' Roses is a big part of what I do.

You had a motorcycle-accident last year and Izzy Stradlin replaced you for some gigs in Europe. Where you worried that he had come back to stay?
- Yes, the accident came like a serious chock for me. It happened on a day-off and I was in a fucking hospital with a broken wrist when we were going the next day!
- The whole Europe leg was left and it included a lot of important places that we hadn't visited yet. All the arrangements were done and there was no way that we could reschedule the tour.

- Someone wondered "how will we find a replacer? Are we going to do it without Gilby?" and someone else came up with the idea "we'll ask Izzy, he knows all the songs". I went totally'¦ "What? Can't you get someone else but Izzy? I have several pals that can learn the songs in no-time".
- It was a chock. To be totally honest I was so gone due to all the analgesic medicine that I took, so I wasn't thinking entirely clear. That's why it didn't take me so hard then.
- After having rehearsed with Izzy for a week in Israel Slash called me and asked, "when will you come back? Are you sure you can't come a little earlier?".

- I think Izzy had fun during those weeks but it wasn't his thing really. They thought it was good that Izzy was there, but they didn't feel comfortable with him.
- I talked with Izzy on the phone all the time. I even played with him later on-stage in England.

Didn't it feel strange?
- Yeah, really. I came out of the hospital late after having went through a surgeon operation. Couldn't even look at the band, but had to stay in a hospital in USA.
- I came to Izzy's last gig in Milton Keynes in England and I sat by the side of the stage. I thought "but what's happening here. This is my part!". Even though it was Izzy's from the beginning. He used all my old equipment too, so it felt very weird.

- Then I went on-stage and sang a song with the band. I didn't notice I sang it on my own! We never rehearse and Axl came to me and said, "we do a cover of Rolling Stones. Izzy knows everything with Stones" and so we played "Dead Flowers". Axl said, "hit it!" and I thought we were gonna sing together. There I was in front of 50,000 people and sang [laughs].
- It felt good that Izzy and I could talk. We hadn't been talking with each other since I took over after him.

What happened then with the relationship with Izzy? A week later in Stockholm Axl told Izzy to fuck off.
- Since I couldn't play it was intended that Izzy was going to take my place for the first five shows and then stay if he was needed. We didn't know if I could play, because I held a guitar for the first time exactly before my "first" gig.
- Izzy had promised to stay with us, but after Milton Keynes he said, "I call to see if you need me" and went off. Axl was really pissed.

- This is not my opinion, but what the others have told me - there was a lot of bad blood between Axl and Izzy and when they then sat down and talked everything was cool. They had fun together but as soon as Izzy had made his money he left. And now there's bad blood again.

And you were completely gone after all the medications you had taken?
- Yes, I was totally fucking gone [laughs]. Man, I don't remember much of the first three, four concerts!
- I had come from an operation a week earlier and was already playing guitar. Not so good though, if I remember correctly.

Has the accident affected your guitar playing?
- Yes, to a certain extent. It's going back to normal, but during a long period I was slower then usual. Some stuff I could do fast before goes a little slower today.
- Not that anyone might notice it, but as a guitarist you develop all the time and the accident has delayed my development with one year. Do you see the scar there? (Gilby pulls up the sleeve and shows a wrist that's apparently has had a bump)

Do you dream of being a star of your own?
- You know what, I'm not in this business at all to be famous and make money. I was just as happy before I joined Guns N' Roses as I am now.
- Several pals of mine has released good albums that hasn't done anything, but I usually say to them "the most important thing is that you're satisfied and can say that it's your songs that actually got released".

- When you reached success the thought "what am I going to do now?" almost immediately comes. I know that many sighs when they hear me saying things like that, but it's actually a really hard situation to deal with.
- But of course I want the album to sell. I asked if they wouldn't give me ten percent off just so that more kids could afford it [laughs].

I imagine you as a guy who walks around in town with a guitar on the back.
- [laughs] I don't know if it's correct with the guitar, but I walk around a lot. Often go to record stores and forgets everything else. Stands there and picks records and suddenly some kids comes and say "but isn't it you that'¦?". I haven't really understood this yet.

Do you live for rock n' roll?
- Rock n' roll is an important part of my life, but if music was taken from me I wouldn't fall to pieces. I would probably work with motorcycles if that happened.
- The success hasn't changed me. If you come home to my house you'll se guitars thrown everywhere and posters with Beatles on the walls. Just like before.

And now you're going out to promote "Pawnshop Guitars"?
- Yes, I will do everything. There will be some videos ("Tijuana Jail", "Cure Me'¦ Or Kill Me'¦", "Black" and "Skin & Bones" is the four he chooses from) and I will tour the whole world. First the States and then Europe, Australia and Japan.
- Now when the album is ready and I'm satisfied with it this is my priority. I will work hard for it!

Do you know about Buckethead? KFC headgear, raised by chickens? The surface aspects of the character he presents has resulted in a lot of attention, but there is a phenomenal talent underneath the bucket. I heard his debut album Bucketheadland (still only available as an import in the US) back whenever it came out, eight years ago or so, and I'd never heard anyone play guitar like that. Shredding on a guitar is one thing (and a fairly mundane thing it had already become by the time Bucket hit the scene), but Buckethead's arpeggios are more than just jawdroppingly fast, they are severe, surprising, zigzagging designs in the air, rollercoasting madness which can alternately terrify you and prompt hysterical laughter. Inspired by theme park rides and monster movies, his vision of the purpose of guitar music is like none other; he is a unique figure in the world of modern guitar music.

I met him in 1996 when he was a guest performer at two shows by a band which Henry Kaiser and I were in called The Mistakes. Before the second show, Buckethead (while not in character) showed me a guitar he was especially fond of; he was about to use it on a recording project with Shawn Lane and he was very excited about it. During the show, while in character, Bucket became agitated and destroyed the guitar. Afterward in the dressing room I saw him regarding the torn and forlorn instrument as though someone else had performed this dastardly act, slowly shaking his head and saying "...no...no..." I pretty much knew then that he was a remarkable person.

This email interview was conducted on the occasion of the re-release of the formerly-unavailable-in-the-US Giant Robot on the Cyber Octave label. Buckethead has also recently become a member of Guns 'n' Roses.

(interview conducted nov 2000 for NoneForYouDear)

B: Not totally but getting happier.... It is an honor to be asked these questions from you Mike Keneally, you are such a talented person and it means a lot coming from you.

- http://www.noneradio.com/interviews/buckethead1.html