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- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Dj Ashba and Dizzy Reed: "We're working on a new album"
I think I feel the exact opposite.
To me bucket is an amazing player, but he's underutalised in GNR, sure he added some kickass shreds here and there, and a couple of great solos overall, and granted something like Shackler sounds like it's his baby.....but it's not like he's churning out hundreds of song structures and riffs that made the album. If you think about what Izzy and Slash did for AFD, I don't think Bucket has done that role on CD. Don't get me wrong - i wouldn't change a note he plays - and I'd leave ever second of what he's done on there it's great - but mostly - much like bumble did next - he's adding to existing stuff.
I don't see why there is no viable songwriting unit. Axl's written some of the best songs ever, bumble is great at adding that crazy shit over the top to an existing structure (which he already showed he did on CD) and DJ has a pretty solid songwriting background. Also - while Paul isnt in the band on a touring basis - there's no reason to assume he doesnt write songs with Axl when at home. Who knows what other songs are around from people not in the stage line up. Axl even hinted at that izzy track.
To me it's like FUCK 2002. What did it do for us really? It was clearly always disfunctional, bucket didn't get on with the band, and while he gave us some great solos it's not like he was pulling out "soothsayer" quality stuff all over the shop. Axl was NOT in form and clearly unhappy back then. Robin played some good stuff on the album, but to many fans DJ plays the majority of the old stuff in a way that's more acceptable.
2002 is everything that's wrong with new GNR. Axl's voice was wierd, robin taking sone of the greatest and most respected guitar melodies of all time and putting them in the spin cycle, bucket standing around playing an open D chord for 30 mins when he's 100 times the player of pretty much anyone in 100km of him, an aborted tour and no album for fucking 5 more years or something. And don't start me on the visuals. 2002 was what buttfucked new GNR's chance with my friends...they just were not excited about a forthcoming album from "a gothic clown, a wigger and some guy in a jason mask". FUCK 2002 
This band isn't a cover band of the cover band, it's the evolution of Axl's new GNR project into something that's vaguely workable. Bumble can play bucket's stuff yet is easy to deal with, and he add's cool stuff of his own. DJ is playing slash's stuff with respect. Axl sounds fantastic again. We're getting a mix of classic songs and new songs. the tour seems to be going well. Everything is actually getting workable and good at the moment. This isn't the moment to drop the new-era to me. Although I love the old guys as much as anyone. But to me things are just getting intresting. It's taken like 15 years but for the first time to me it seems like Axl has assembled a viable line up. I think a new album would be pretty exciting.
Re: Dj Ashba and Dizzy Reed: "We're working on a new album"
The problem here with GNR version 3 (or 4 or 5) is that all bands are measured by the amount of musical output they release. Does anyone think that Axl will release anything new in the next 2 or 3 years? By new, I mean material written by the guys currently in the band and not retreads/retooling of the Bucket era cd stuff. Axl is close to fifty and I just don't see him having the drive to get out an album relatively soon. He has a very small window to do this or just reunite with the original band.
If you go by the current reports that Axl's energy has waned and the shows are on autopilot, I wouldn't be surprised if after the current tour ends GNR goes back into a dark/inactive period again.
Re: Dj Ashba and Dizzy Reed: "We're working on a new album"
To me it's like FUCK 2002.
To say that is to say "fuck Chinese Democracy", and you rave on the album. Cant have it both ways...one leads into the other. Take away 2001-02, you don't have an album and Axl is still sitting on several 1999 turds in his vault waiting for someone to walk in and polish them.
Does anyone think that Axl will release anything new in the next 2 or 3 years? By new, I mean material written by the guys currently in the band and not retreads/retooling of the Bucket era cd stuff. Axl is close to fifty and I just don't see him having the drive to get out an album relatively soon. He has a very small window to do this or just reunite with the original band.
No I don't see him doing anything from a creative standpoint, and that is a huge disappointment. Chinese Democracy did not blow my mind, but the guy is loaded to the gills with talent and its a shame that he just cant properly utilize that and unleash a monstrosity on the masses. I know GNR fans hate when this is brought up, but I really think an outside songwriter would do wonders. Yes I know Axl has written some great songs in the past, but someone else coming in to either write it all for him or just a collaboration could turn things around immediately.
I know you guys are expecting my daily Cornell reference, so I wont disappoint..... 
Let's say the two meet somewhere in Los Angeles and Cornell invites him over for a few hours. Cornell can sit with a guitar and write a killer tune on the spot. Maybe Axl chimes in with a vocal line here and there and voila....a song is born. Maybe such a situation would inspire Axl in a different direction or god willing make him see that he can do more with his career than just lock up everything in his vault.
You're right though....the window is small. It's why we're seeing a Soundgarden reunion, and Axl's window is the same size so either unleash a killer album or go tour the hits with the original band and write GNR's final chapter.
I want unheard material. Fuck off with the reunion unless he's incapable of bringing a killer album to the table.
Re: Dj Ashba and Dizzy Reed: "We're working on a new album"
Let's say the two meet somewhere in Los Angeles and Cornell invites him over for a few hours. Cornell can sit with a guitar and write a killer tune on the spot. Maybe Axl chimes in with a vocal line here and there and voila....a song is born. Maybe such a situation would inspire Axl in a different direction or god willing make him see that he can do more with his career than just lock up everything in his vault.
You're right though....the window is small. It's why we're seeing a Soundgarden reunion, and Axl's window is the same size so either unleash a killer album or go tour the hits with the original band and write GNR's final chapter.
I want unheard material. Fuck off with the reunion unless he's incapable of bringing a killer album to the table.
I've got no problem with them using outside writers at all. Provided they don't go the Desmond Child/Dianne Warren route. The main problem is and always will be Axl and his total control over the project. He'd want to tweak it and make adjustments or whatever to it and that would kill whatever momentum this project would have.
It's really too bad he doesn't have any producer he can trust. Someone who can tell him to just sing the vocal track (and write lyrics) and leave the production to us. Don't bother with the rest. Just sing and relax afterward. I think Tom Zutaut during 2001 was the closest he's ever gotten to that. Too bad that ended up the way it did otherwise Axl would have been a lot more productive.
Re: Dj Ashba and Dizzy Reed: "We're working on a new album"
the most active the band has been in 17 years.....they actually released an album a year and a half ago and have begun what appears to be a huge tour....constant internet contact with fans....and this board continues to jump on to Fantasy Island. But hey, maybe David Byrne will do a Talking Heads reunion next year...yep, heard Gilmour and Roger are back full on. Plant is cancelling his solo stuff this year. Zep is back for a XMAS release.
It's over and ain't happening again. Sorry....but that is the real truth. Tommy was a prophet...get on board or fuck off. Honestly. I don't think the band wants fans that just aren't interested. The old school Gnr fan is meaningless to them. They seem content to do things their way come Hell or high water.
Re: Dj Ashba and Dizzy Reed: "We're working on a new album"
the most active the band has been in 17 years.....they actually released an album a year and a half ago and have begun what appears to be a huge tour....constant internet contact with fans....and this board continues to jump on to Fantasy Island.
Yes, and I haven't bothered much with these debates, as they are turning in the wrong direction IMO. Sad to say.
Re: Dj Ashba and Dizzy Reed: "We're working on a new album"
and they don't need a fucking outside writer. Tommy writes Faces/Stones stuff just like Izzy. It isn't hard. Axl made this record for himself. His lyrics only because he wanted to make whatever statement he wanted to make. It was his album and it lived up to his brilliance and his weaknesses.
Re: Dj Ashba and Dizzy Reed: "We're working on a new album"
A new album, with material written by the current band, and I will fully concede the 2009-10 aren't GN'R, and aren't the real deal.
Right now, they're exactly what I said. A cover band of the cover band. I don't have some personal grudge against these guys. Sure GN'R has seen it's better days, but life goes on.
But right now, they're nothing. Nada. They're just some jokers who have the GN'R brand name behind them doing shows. It's like Menudo coming back with Ricky Martin. Nothing more.
That's weak potatoes. Anyway you look at it. If they start cuttin' records, my entire point is defeated, and i'll be glad.
I do agree with the opposition, that they do NOT need outside writers. I know James loves Cornell, and Cornell was a great writer and THE great writer of Soundgarden's genre. But he and Axl are on an even plane as writers. Always have been. I can see brilliance in the lyrics of Use Your Illusion, no different than Badmotorfinger. Neck and neck. I can see brilliance on Chinese Democracy. I just think the reason CD fails to really be a "deep album" is because it's so melancholy and filled with ballads. Write a ballad, I dare you. Even if it's well-versed and brilliant poetry, it has a bad tendency to be low-style, cliched and sappy. Been there, done that. That's the reason I think CD is probably Axl at his least lyrically.
But an album full of rockers, dark songs, new Coma's & Locomotive's, and i'm sure Axl will shine once again.
Axl also doesn't need a Cornell, when you have Tommy Stinson (madagas), as well as being buddies with Izzy Stradlin, and still at the same time being Axl Rose.
All i'm saying is that if they are not going to record and release NEW material, this NEW band is completely and totally pointless. I could care less how amazing Axl is live. I would rather reunite, have a huge world tour, and then have the entire band fade away into the annals of rock n' roll history, because if they are not going to record new material, there is no point in continuing, and i'm pretty sure the FIRST guy to agree with that statement would be W. Axl Rose.
And FYI, releasing CD in 2008, an album that was probably near completed in 1998, does not count as "releasing an album in 2008" madagas. In my opinion, in a 17 year drought since their last studio album, GN'R released an EP in 2008.
Wow, let's give them a hand, aaaaaaaaaa, alright. Amazing. 
Come on, where's the next album, let's go. Axl had two decades off, as far as i'm concerned there should be an album a week for a year.
Re: Dj Ashba and Dizzy Reed: "We're working on a new album"
the most active the band has been in 17 years.....they actually released an album a year and a half ago and have begun what appears to be a huge tour....constant internet contact with fans....and this board continues to jump on to Fantasy Island. But hey, maybe David Byrne will do a Talking Heads reunion next year...yep, heard Gilmour and Roger are back full on. Plant is cancelling his solo stuff this year. Zep is back for a XMAS release.
It's over and ain't happening again. Sorry....but that is the real truth. Tommy was a prophet...get on board or fuck off. Honestly. I don't think the band wants fans that just aren't interested. The old school Gnr fan is meaningless to them. They seem content to do things their way come Hell or high water.
Not sure if this is directed at certain people or just a general statement, but I'm not clamoring for a reunion. I had posters of these guys on my wall when I was 12 and I was over it a LONG time ago. I was "on board" many moons ago, and if old school GNR fans are meaningless to them, stop having everything revolve around that era. Shove a new era down our throats. Some will move on, some will stick around, and maybe they'll even gain a new generation of fans.
Wanting new material is "Fantasy Island" only in the GNR world.
My point regarding a reunion is if he is incapable of truly moving on and reestablishing himself and the GNR brand and instead plays a nostalgia based set with a revolving door, just go balls deep and do it proper.
I'll take Chinese Democracy II and a new album by a 2010-11 line up any day of the week over a reunited GNR. Like you, I saw the old line up in its prime. Yes... they kicked ten tons of ass and to this day is still my all time favorite concert, so I don't have this insatiable desire to go down that road again.
Wouldn't mind it happening as the final chapter to the band as one final trip down memory lane, but hopefully he has a few more chapters before we get to that final chapter.
Honestly, if he can pull a Cornell and actually be prolific for a few years and do something(which would end in his mid 50s), I can live without a reunion ever taking place.
By the way, I wouldn't mind a Talking Heads reunion.
and they don't need a fucking outside writer.
They may not NEED one, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. 
I would like to hear him do some songs that will kick my fucking teeth in, and so far he isn't up to the task. Before someone throws out the line "he doesn't OWE me that", no shit. I would just like to see him do it at some point.
I know James loves Cornell, and Cornell was a great writer and THE great writer of Soundgarden's genre. But he and Axl are on an even plane as writers. Always have been. I can see brilliance in the lyrics of Use Your Illusion, no different than Badmotorfinger. Neck and neck.
WAS a great writer?? He still is. Besides, you and I had a great debate on this exact subject in a thread in the Slash section a few weeks ago. I mean no offense to you as I enjoyed that debate, but I'm not wasting this lovely high(just scored some Oxy about an hour ago) defending Cornell's songwriting abilities again.
edit:
Yes, and I haven't bothered much with these debates, as they are turning in the wrong direction IMO. Sad to say.
I think I can speak for everybody(and if not I'll just speak for myself) and say I enjoy reading your contributions to the board, whether in this section or the off topic sections. Its easy to steer a discussion in a different direction, and I'm sure you're quite capable of doing that. 
