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Re: Big Brain Interview - 'Who's going to clean up the confetti?'
Great stuff and also fairly depressing about Bucket's lack of contact. He's clearly become super-isolated, he lost both of his parents in a span of a few months last year and he's had his own medical issues. Thus he hasn't toured in several years. He used to tour every spring and fall. The only positive out of it is that he's holed himself up and released about 120 albums in the past two years.
Would love to hear a lot more about the CD era from these guys.
Re: Big Brain Interview - 'Who's going to clean up the confetti?'
The only positive out of it is that he's holed himself up and released about 120 albums in the past two years.
I have to wonder if he's playing his heart out to work through his loss, or if he's burying himself in his work as a means to avoid dealing with his loss?
Still, it's an amazing contrast to compare the amount of Bucket's solo work to the amount that Axl has released. Axl's got one album out in the last two decades, while Bucket's been averaging an album or two every week.
Re: Big Brain Interview - 'Who's going to clean up the confetti?'
Lots of info. For years during the CD saga I was always intrigued by the real CD lineup and what occurred before it all fell apart. Having said that, the more information I read, the less interesting the story gets. Absolutely no offense regarding compiling the info of course.
It just reinforces the fact that so much time was wasted on absurdities with too much talent in the band. Boggles the mind that during this ENTIRE fiasco no one just stands up and demands that the lineup go into the studio Soundgarden style and whip up an album within a few months and just throw it out there.
One thing that does still intrigue me is the Bucket-Stinson relationship. Stinson flip flopped on this subject over the years(2004-05-"glad he's gone", blah blah blah) to post CD release comments indictating Bucket's departure was essentially the moment the train crashed.
Wish Tommy or even more Bucket would go into much greater detail than what is known.
- A Private Eye
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Re: Big Brain Interview - 'Who's going to clean up the confetti?'
One thing that does still intrigue me is the Bucket-Stinson relationship. Stinson flip flopped on this subject over the years(2004-05-"glad he's gone", blah blah blah) to post CD release comments indictating Bucket's departure was essentially the moment the train crashed.
Wish Tommy or even more Bucket would go into much greater detail than what is known.
Perhaps a case of better the devil you know for Tommy.
Whatever his issues with BH (and you can see why some people would have them) I think Tommy saw, certainly after he'd left, that BH seemed to really inspire Axl and was the best chance of a meaningful forward moving band. Axl went through the motions once BH had gone, indeed how much meaningful studio time can we actually attribute to GNR post BH's departure? Tommy probably saw, once it was too late, that the opportunity to be anything except a nostalgia act went out the door with BH.
Re: Big Brain Interview - 'Who's going to clean up the confetti?'
Bucket went to lengths with his playing and wore people out, much like Axl.
I guess the first year ('99-'00) was good. He got in through his BBF drummer, Josh, and brought in his other BBF drummer, Brain. If I'd have to say where it went south, it was when Robin came back. This is because Bucket apparently took an immediate dislike to Robin. Another quirky artiste, the original replacement. Axl's boy. The made men group were the Beavan boys, Robin, Tommy, and Dizzy. It was their songs.
Aside Brain, I think Bucket really clicked with Dan Monti, the Village Studios' engineer at the time - and maybe Pitman. The guy would always walk in wearing a mask of some kind and stay silent. All communication went through a puppet. After Rio, Bucket was fed up with RTB, sick of redoing his stuff. He quit, Zutaut brought him back, built him a chicken coop in the studio. Then, Bucket wanted to watch porn while he played. Axl saw it and gave Bucket a talking to. Bucket quit. Axl took Bucket to Disneyland again. Bucket came back. His new contract was 3 days / week in the studio. Axl's dog pooped into the chicken coop. Bucket wanted it to keep it there. RTB & co were inhaling dog turd odors for a week or so. The way Brain tells it, it was Bucket's way to dealing was a stressful situation, by asserting a degree of control over it with his antics and absences.
Looking back, I'm a bit amazed he lasted four years.
Re: Big Brain Interview - 'Who's going to clean up the confetti?'
indeed how much meaningful studio time can we actually attribute to GNR post BH's departure?
Only thing I remember are the so called interludes that Tommy mentioned him and Fortus working on(mentioned in 2005) which are clearly rotting in an Al Capone vault and of course Ron wanking over finished material in 06-07. Pretty sad for that to be the only work on the album during a four year span.
Tommy probably saw, once it was too late, that the opportunity to be anything except a nostalgia act went out the door with BH.
Hindsight proves this to be 1000% true. A few of us "haters" started pointing this out years ago. It started with the uninspired, lazy setlists of 2006 and just went downhill from there. I realize the 01-02 set lists weren't CD heavy either but at least at that point in time they had a chance.
The guy would always walk in wearing a mask of some kind and stay silent. All communication went through a puppet. After Rio, Bucket was fed up with RTB, sick of redoing his stuff. He quit, Zutaut brought him back, built him a chicken coop in the studio. Then, Bucket wanted to watch porn while he played. Axl saw it and gave Bucket a talking to. Bucket quit. Axl took Bucket to Disneyland again. Bucket came back. His new contract was 3 days / week in the studio. Axl's dog pooped into the chicken coop. Bucket wanted it to keep it there. RTB & co were inhaling dog turd odors for a week or so. The way Brain tells it, it was Bucket's way to dealing was a stressful situation, by asserting a degree of control over it with his antics and absences.
Bucket's behavior a bit wacky obviously but I don't really fault him for this. Look at the situation(and info posted in this thread). I think he's just 'taking the piss' at that point. It's obvious at this point to any band member paying attention that the project went from something resembling an ambitious yet quirky lineup ready to rock n roll and talented enough to fuel any revenge fantasies Axl may have had towards the old band to just being an irrelevant circus that's becoming a money pit.
I wish this info had surfaced way back then. The silence by Stinson, Fortus, Dizzy,etc. and when they did open their mouths it was just smoke like "it's mindblowing".etc. makes sense now. If even a sliver of truth had leaked out, the whole thing would have imploded on itself.
Just like Hitler's last stand in his bunker full of sycophants. Everyone had to pretend everything was peaches and cream just to keep the house of cards propped up as long as possible for their master.
Looking back, I'm a bit amazed he lasted four years.
So am I. His perfect exit stage left moment would have been the 2002 tour implosion. I would have walked away immediately.
Re: Big Brain Interview - 'Who's going to clean up the confetti?'
Absolutely fascinating stuff. THIS is the kinda stuff that keeps forums and fanbases going, just to hear all the stuff we don't know.
The crazy thing about the Chinese period is that its another just as complex and insane period in the history of Guns N' Roses, just as nutty (if not more so) than the original Guns. The story just hasn't been told. Kudos for Chinese Whispers, but having the actual men tell the story just adds to it.
The stuff about Brian's introduction to Guns, parallels Tommy's. The lack of interest, the past negative history of GN'R (alot of the guys Axl recruited were not apart of that scene), nobody wanted in, then suddenly the weirdest, eclectic group all wanted in.
Brain and the Bucket story is so fascinating, because Axl found in Bucket what in some ways seems like a kindred spirit, and yet Bucket somehow manages to come across crazier than Axl. I also think in some ways Axl wanted to break him. To bring him into his fold, when no one else could, and it worked. For awhile.
The "Bucket loved Guns more than anything" deal shocks me. Bucket's behavior, as Brain describes was misunderstood foolishness. Ruthless, and greedy lawyers (aren't they all?) treated Bucket as a roadblock to their percentage more than anything. Eventually Axl just delegated everything to Brain, and when Brain became a bit lost to it all, Axl threw in the towel. Instead of Axl breaking Bucket, Bucket broke Axl.
In hindsight, knowing what we do now, Axl was far more non-judgmental in his Press Release in 2004 looking back than he could've been. The only thing was the record deal thing that most Bucket fans, including several on this very board called out as bullshit for years. I always felt that last bit was Merck poisoning Axl against Bucket, and based on Apex's research, it basically confirms it.
But to go back and have Brain say Bucket loved Guns, and loved it so much he wanted it all to go perfectly, and just be about the music, wow... it's a shame Axl didn't man up to save him from Universal. All it would've taken was Axl threatening to disintegrate the band, and i'm sure with Chinese still lingering over their head that would've held SOME weight, but at that point Axl had exhausted so much good will at Universal, plus with all the changing over with Geffen & Sanctuary, Axl was out of time, owed a shitload of money, and had no album to back it up. He was probably facing his own legal action daily, let alone getting into a scuffle over his 3rd-4th lead guitarist in the history of GN'R.
It's a shame, you almost wish Axl would've pulled a "Bucket or me" move, if what Brain says is true.
But at the same time, Bucket overplayed his hand with the transient lifestyle, lack of communication, and speaking to the world through a puppet. There's time for fun n' games, and there's time for business. Axl actually understands this, but Bucket just didn't understand that world whatsoever. He had never seen the mountain top, GN'R was it, and he was amazed, then so blown away that he didn't want off the mountain, he just froze in fear.
I never thought about that angle, but Brain bringing it to life brings another fascinating angle into the Bucket drama.
It also makes it incredibly sadder, because Bucket was easily the most talented guitarist to ever associate himself with Guns N' Roses, and his ability would've put GN'R in a role of producing music that Axl really wanted to do in the new era, like no other.
But at the same time, like all things Guns N' Roses, Brain's interview just brings more questions. When it all goes down, that 2000 Intentions/early-Chinese period will be the more fascinating period in the history of GN'R than the original band.
Re: Big Brain Interview - 'Who's going to clean up the confetti?'
Absolutely fascinating stuff. THIS is the kinda stuff that keeps forums and fanbases going, just to hear all the stuff we don't know.
But at the same time, like all things Guns N' Roses, Brain's interview just brings more questions. When it all goes down, that 2000 Intentions/early-Chinese period will be the more fascinating period in the history of GN'R than the original band.
^This.
The CD chapter is 100% in line with the legend of Guns, if you look at it so. Great potential, painstaking execution, coming off the rails gloriously.
Big points for Axl and the gang for the effort alone, it's monumental, dialing in on the 'Biggest Band in the World' level. 15 years is the karma of the ever-late rock star. Axl could've done different. He could've buckled down, gone, 'This is the album. Lock down and master it. Fuck Universal, we'll tour behind it, non-stop, until our demands are met. We'll get back, finish the next album, repeat.'
The middlemen screwed things up. Axl would've done well to have a listening party with the band on a weekly basis, to go through the stuff he liked and the stuff he wanted to work on. Plus, sing a song or two with the band while there, to keep all eyes on the endgame.
As Brain said, times have changed. Today, even the re-united Guns wouldn't get the carte blanché that CD commanded. The other album is Axl's ace in the hole. He can use it as his plan B for artistic redemption, if he cares to. Slash would be good to have there, on three songs, even, but seeds of songs are good enough, provided Axl stays open about the fact and gracious towards it.
Hell, he may just as well start churning out stuff as 'Stay of Execution' and tour with Guns as an SOE cover band.
THAT would be something!
