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Re: I have to be honest with you...
I grew up with this band, bought the AFD cassette until I wore it out and then bought another. Bought Lies right after. A few years later I stayed up partying with my best friend (RIP) until the midnight release where we bought UYI I and II.
Then there was silence.
The new band emerged; I accepted and supported that. Followed all the board speculation and forum drama through the wait. Saw the new band over a half a dozen times in as many years. Loved the new music, loved the musicians, and looked forward to the release of CD.
The irony was that when the music finally came is when I started to feel different about GnR. The revolving door of players began to wear on me. For the first time this began to feel more like a solo project then GnR.
No video, no real promotion to speak of, no TV appearances, not much of anything really. Maybe I expected too much? Perhaps I looked back to my younger years for what I thought was supposed to happen: MTV exclusive video, GnR on David Letterman etc. Maybe I was being unrealistic? But ultimately at the end of the day, Axl didn't do jack shit with what he had. He had years to put together a knock out punch and gave us a big ole powder puff instead.
Sure the music was good, but after several listens it was apparent what the problem was. There was no cohesiveness with this album. Clip n' paste, from varying time periods was what I was listening to. It sounded EXACTLY like what it was: Many different musicians, inputs, opinions, rehashes, and tweaks, over an extended period of time. In other words, a solo project.
Yes they are out touring now, yes they are all talented, and yes they sound great live. But nothing they do mirrors a band. The group profile is strikingly absent, from the marketing all the way down to the sound of the new music.
In the long run one must face reality. Nobody sabotaged Guns n' Roses except for one person. What's even worse than that is talent (ie the old band) snuffed out by ego. The reality is Axl made a mockery out what was once a great band, and that's a fucking shame.
Re: I have to be honest with you...
Perhaps I looked back to my younger years for what I thought was supposed to happen: MTV exclusive video, GnR on David Letterman etc.
Perhaps you are one out of many who came to that conclusion a bit to late...?
Sure the music was good
It's great! It's filled emotions, layers of interesting bits of music and produced/mastered to output outstanding quality (if you have the soundsystem for it)
yes they are all talented
Agree!
yes they sound great live
Agree! (most of the time)
Maybe I expected too much?
What do you mean "maybe"?
Re: I have to be honest with you...
I grew up with this band, bought the AFD cassette until I wore it out and then bought another. Bought Lies right after. A few years later I stayed up partying with my best friend (RIP) until the midnight release where we bought UYI I and II.
Then there was silence.
There still is. It hasn't ended.
The new band emerged; I accepted and supported that. Followed all the board speculation and forum drama through the wait. Saw the new band over a half a dozen times in as many years. Loved the new music, loved the musicians, and looked forward to the release of CD.
Me too. That all came to a screeching halt after I saw them live in 2006. Music-wise, they were great, but they were NOT a band. There was no cohesive-ness to their playing. It seemed like Axl and a bunch of soldiers of fortune. It'd be like calling Ozzy Osbourne - "Black Sabbath".
The irony was that when the music finally came is when I started to feel different about GnR. The revolving door of players began to wear on me. For the first time this began to feel more like a solo project then GnR.
Like I said - 2006.
No video, no real promotion to speak of, no TV appearances, not much of anything really. Maybe I expected too much? Perhaps I looked back to my younger years for what I thought was supposed to happen: MTV exclusive video, GnR on David Letterman etc. Maybe I was being unrealistic? But ultimately at the end of the day, Axl didn't do jack shit with what he had. He had years to put together a knock out punch and gave us a big ole powder puff instead.
Sure the music was good, but after several listens it was apparent what the problem was. There was no cohesiveness with this album. Clip n' paste, from varying time periods was what I was listening to. It sounded EXACTLY like what it was: Many different musicians, inputs, opinions, rehashes, and tweaks, over an extended period of time. In other words, a solo project.
Yes they are out touring now, yes they are all talented, and yes they sound great live. But nothing they do mirrors a band. The group profile is strikingly absent, from the marketing all the way down to the sound of the new music.
In the long run one must face reality. Nobody sabotaged Guns n' Roses except for one person. What's even worse than that is talent (ie the old band) snuffed out by ego. The reality is Axl made a mockery out what was once a great band, and that's a fucking shame.
Which is the saddest part of this whole thing. I'm all for a man standing for his principles, but in the process of Axl standing by his stance, he destroyed his own legacy in the process. I'm sure Axl looks at it as, "what does it matter? The world is gonna write their own history, regardless of what I do or don't do. I can't win", and I can't say I blame him. BUT, in this case, the world didn't turn on Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses, he turned on them, which sets an entirely different precedent.
What's even sadder, is Axl still looks at it as "they quit". I don't think the guy thinks he did a single thing wrong. While he has absolutely no credibility at all anymore.
I just hope it dawns on him before it's too late. Getting the band back together would erase all that. It would be the "Batman Begins" or "Predators" moment of the Guns N' Roses story.
Re: I have to be honest with you...
Cramer wrote:Sure the music was good
It's great! It's filled emotions, layers of interesting bits of music and produced/mastered to output outstanding quality (if you have the soundsystem for it)
I post seldom to never....but just have say
Amen !
Re: I have to be honest with you...
I think alot of us feel the same way. It's amazing to see old youtube clips & think back. GnR WAS the next Rolling Stones. An amazing band with an amazing frontman. Axl would be up there as best frontmen/singers in rock history. Ashame it all fell apart. I was showing my cousin a youtube clip, the one where Slash cannot figure out the Jungle intro & needs help. We started browsing around & he says "Gosh whatever happened to these guys" as in 'How did it all go wrong'.
GnR truly was lightning in a bottle. AFD is one of the greatest albums all time, probably best from the 80's. Lies tied us over and 4 great new songs, the live ones were ok older stuff. UYI had some great stuff, but some pretty bad filler that didn't need to be released. I think that shows the battles brewing & egos making it frustrating. Then shortly thereafter Izzy left, so I think that shows you there was alot of disagreement during that process.
Sadly, it's over.
Re: I have to be honest with you...
I'm sure. But, the whole thing just has bad karma written all over it...kinda like Chinese Democracy. He looked like a complete buffoon last night and just made a mockery of sports, competition, and overall respect for others. Can anyone ever scream "I LOVE ME" more than that assclown did last night? What an obnoxious display of vanity.
