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- FlashFlood
- Rep: 55
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
I think in Duff’s book he mentions something to the effect that Axl thought Slash’s new (Snakepit) material was too southern rock, and that Duff sided with Axl.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
Yeah - terrible decision - 5'Oclock Somewhere was packed with AFD style Slash playing - give it some Axl melodies and it would have been a killer return to rock form after the softer UYI.
I love that his solution to Slash making the band too southern was to try and hire Zakk too....hahah...
- FlashFlood
- Rep: 55
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
Yeah but to be honest, and I’ve made the comparison before, if GNR releases what they feel is AFD 2 in 1995 it goes over quite poorly. I compare it to Subhuman Race by Skid Row...just terrible timing.
It’s not like 5 oclock set the world on fire (realized the pun as I was typing it but not changing it).
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
It's hard to say.
I mean the world was pretty into grunge and all that then. With most bands I would agree...
But then again - AFD2 would be a long way less 80s than Skid Row. Also...People were hanging on a new GNR record to bring rock back a bit. I remember my record store was absolutely nuts about TSI - selling shirts for it, posters everywhere. They were playing "Since I don't have you" on the radio. It got an insane amount of attention for something that's a throwaway covers album.
I think an AFD2 based around 5'oclock would actually have gone pretty nuts, it would have been the antidote to the people who felt the Estranged and November rain GNR had lost touch with it's rock roots and was too MTV like. With Axl lyrics it would have come off less glam rock like and more like solid hard rock. I think it would work.
In any event - even if it didn't go totally gangbusters it would have done a lot more for the band's reputation than a couple of decades in the wilderness did.
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
Who knows what the truth is. What we get publicly is 99% bullshit and spin which is why I believe Axl more often than not.
Eh, I don't care much for Slash's solo work. Very Skynard. UYI I has a southern rock style to it on Izzy's songs.
Even if they do AFD 2 style and do it perfectly, it's not contemporary, like Flash said.
And a Skynard style album in an era of industrial post gen-X malaise? They'd be laughed out of the room.
Slash and Axl are opposites. Slash is Lemmy and a leather jacket. Doesn't change for shit. Just does his thing. Axl is high art high fashion. Change constantly. Who is right and who is wrong is merely a matter of happenstance and the changing of the seasons.
- dalethirsty
- Rep: 20
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
by '95, grunge was dead.
if guns brought thyeir kick-ass energy back with a huge rock n' roll album, it may have actually went over really well. after years of listening to kurt, layne and scott whine through the whole woe is me routine, a bunch of songs about drinkin' beer and kickin' ass could have been a refreshing change of pace. like stone cold steve austin coming out at the end of a shitty monday night raw to raise some more goddamn hell!
with the stripped-down skin n' bones tour, it seems the band may have already been heading in a "back to basics" direction anyway. axl got his yayas out on the illusions, with the massive ballads and theatrical stage shows. maybe he wanted to get back to that classic aerosmith vibe that united the band in the first place. years later, he warmly reminisced on the stuff slash was putting together at the time, calling it modern day versions of some of aerosmith's best stuff.
five o' clock somewhere wasn't good enough to be the new guns album... by itself. take the best songs, throw in some izzy tunes and put axl's melodies, lyrics, ideas and own songs on top, and ya got yourself a winner.
but honestly, i think guns n roses could have released anything in the mid to late 90s and it would have been massively successful. they were still massive at the time, and even had some nice mystery going about them. everyone in the world wanted to know what was going on with guns n' roses.
- FlashFlood
- Rep: 55
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
But then again - AFD2 would be a long way less 80s than Skid Row.
I disagree with this. Go listen to Breakin’ Down off of Subhuman Race. It’s the quintessential alternative 90s song but did nothing.
I don’t want to harp on the Skid thing too much but there are solid comparisons to be made. In a lot of ways I consider Slave to the Grind to be the AFD2 we all talk about...they released videos for virtually every song and it never made the splash it should have.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
I see what you mean.
I just think Sebastian Bach = 80s to most people. And I'm a huge fan of his - love his voice - just think he has a distinctive sound that evokes that kinda period.
I guess in a way Axl does too - but I see Axl are more changeable than Baz.
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
Axl reinvented himself.
He ditched the sha-na-na's, hey hey, and extended nasally notes. He sang with his natural voice and it sounded great and genuine. He sounds the worst on songs he's faking it on. It's a shame he didn't skip the excessive overdubs but hey, progress.
The wall of sound, computer samples, real samples, patchwork song structure, not bad ideas in and of themselves. It's a solid exploration if not marked progress.
The difference between Axl and Baz is Axl has a stronger mental game, had proven himself as a diverse artist, and well Subhuman is merely average. Chinese was a tasty dish, it just got to the table far too late, and that spoils the experience for everyone.
Re: The Chinese Democracy Sequel References Thread
I was spelunking through the When's Album thread and came across this gem:
Once the tour is over, Guns N' Roses will turn their focus to working on a seventh album. Despite dozens of songs in rough form, the band are in no hurry - but there won't be another decade-long delay. "It won't be another Chinese Democracy but then again we're in no rush to make a bad record," says Ashba.
The "rough form" line stuck out to me. It'd be interesting to know how much was finished. Axl's comments seemed to suggest CD II was finished.
Also Axl mentioned 32 songs in 2006, Tommy mentioned 22 remaining in 2011, so that leaves 4 new songs written/assembled 2006-2011.
We don't know if Silkworms or Oh My God are included in the bunch but they probably are.
...but there won't be another decade-long delay.
