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Re: To Bucket, GNR is a 'dirty word'
UGO: How was it working with Buckethead?
Greg Hampton: We had some sessions locally here, but primarily, the optimum way of writing with Buckethead - they would send me over large amounts of ideas and see what I liked, and what worked together. And I would take certain things that I thought would be the most appropriate parts to fit together. I would arrange the songs - adding parts and deleting parts. Some things I would work from scratch over here. There was really no method. There were nine different versions of some songs! Buckethead had done some funny things, where he had done some dialogue in the studio - one of the tracks that we didn’t use, he had done some dialogue with a Michael Myers-type mask. He’s a funny guy - he’s a shy guy, but the times I’ve been around him, he’s hilarious. Even his body language - he’s got like ‘a silent film star comedy,’ that’s basically emoted from his body language, because he doesn’t speak to the press or the audience at all. He’s actually a brilliant bass player - people don’t give him enough credit. He’s played with Bootsy Collins, Les Claypool, and some of the better people on the planet, so he’s going to have some influences. But the guy can play some funky slap bass. The guys is from another planet, I think. Wherever the ability came from within him is anybody’s guess - the guy’s a mystery to everybody. As far as his playing, he did some amazing solo work on “At Any Cost” and “I See Rockets.” The crazy guitar he put on the end of “L.O.A.F.” is really crazy and cool. The guy can play pretty much anything musically.
UGO: Did you happen to discuss his experience with Guns N’ Roses?
Greg Hampton: No - that’s ‘a dirty word’ to him, so that’s something you don’t really talk about. I never actually discussed that, but from what I heard from other people in our camp, on a personal level, it was a very unpleasant experience for him.
http://musicblog.ugo.com/index.php/musi … _faxtion1/
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I've already known he isn't coming back to GNR, but let me offer this as the proof.
Re: To Bucket, GNR is a 'dirty word'
it was a very unpleasant experience for him.
If he'd cleaned up the dog shit he might have found it slightly less unpleasant 
Axl gave him a huge audience to show off his talents, built him a chicken coop in-studio to make him feel comfortable, and generally gave him free reign musically on Chinese Democracy as far as we know.
I'm not bashing Buckethead, there's no doubt plenty of shit we don't know that made it unpleasant for him, but from what we do know I fail to see why it was unpleasant.
- shotgunblues1978
- Rep: 11
Re: To Bucket, GNR is a 'dirty word'
bigbri wrote:it was a very unpleasant experience for him.
If he'd cleaned up the dog shit he might have found it slightly less unpleasant
Axl gave him a huge audience to show off his talents, built him a chicken coop in-studio to make him feel comfortable, and generally gave him free reign musically on Chinese Democracy as far as we know.
I'm not bashing Buckethead, there's no doubt plenty of shit we don't know that made it unpleasant for him, but from what we do know I fail to see why it was unpleasant.
Not knowing a ton about the situation but hearing certain comments from band members and other people who know something about the situation, I would say that the unpleasantness on a personal level was unrelated to Axl, Richard, or (obviously) Brain
- shotgunblues1978
- Rep: 11
Re: To Bucket, GNR is a 'dirty word'
Are you saying you think its related to the other members? Or the unpleasantness of having all of this extra media and fan attention cast upon him?
I have a feeling it was related to other members. I don't really know the details but I know that Tommy made some uncomplimentary comments about working with him a while ago after he left the band and I heard rumblings about other people in the band who weren't exactly sad to see him go
The reason I specifically mentioned Richard is because he said that Bucket is an amazing guitarist and would love to work with him again. Brain obviously is good friends with him and has toured/recorded with him since the GnR departure. The fact that Axl has left the large majority of his guitar work intact on the final album speaks volumes.
There is a guy who posts on another GnR forum who has contact with Bucket and his people. Earlier this year he said something along the lines of "I wouldn't wish that on Bucket" when commenting on Bucket rejoining GnR. But after the Dr. Pepper comment from Axl about sharing his Dr. Pepper with Buckethead, he said that he wouldn't rule out Bucket and Axl working together again in some capacity in the future
Re: To Bucket, GNR is a 'dirty word'
I would guess being in a band with lesser talents, take Finck for instance, would get old very quickly for an elite talent like Bucket.
While there had to be other reasons, that's a good point. Standing next to Finck and Fortus had to make him chuckle, especially if he read fan forums and saw GNR fans shitting on him while calling someone who didn't do jack shit a guitar god.
I wouldn't come back if I was him either.
GNR fans have to eat crow now that they see he was a dominating factor in the Chinese Democracy sessions. He's been gone almost five years, yet he's all over the record.
GNr fans also have to eat crow regarding all the hatred towards Paul Tobias over the years.
Its impossible to like this album without acknowledging the talents and contributions of Buckethead and Paul Tobias.
- shotgunblues1978
- Rep: 11
Re: To Bucket, GNR is a 'dirty word'
Yeah James, it is really pretty hilarious the amount of shit that was hurled at Tobias just because Slash didn't like him
Then they come to find out that he co-wrote some of the most well received songs on the album, and what is probably the most "old GnR" sounding rocker on the album, but again not surprising since he co-wrote Back Off Bitch and Shadow of Your Love
Re: To Bucket, GNR is a 'dirty word'
It's because Axl never wanted to release music. Bucket releases like three or four solo CDs a year and is featured on several others. In 2007, the total was 27 CDs.
It's also because, ironically even though he doesn't talk, he is all about the fans. He tours every spring and fall, keeps his ticket prices low, interacts with fans (without speaking, yes) and respects them. He doesn't cancel shows. He doesn't show up after midnight (occasionally he does), he doesn't make fans wait for hours. Axl canceling shows and sparking riots must have broken Bucket's heart.
Also, after he was there a bit, he probably realized, as most of his fans do, that it wasn't really a perfect fit. Some here complain about his work being subpar to what's expected of a GNR guitarist. But I feel he was just underutilized or not allowed to work at his full potential. Fans like me who have heard virtually all of his stuff know how amazing he could have sounded in GNR. Somehow, it didn't work out that way.
Bucket has been in many, many bands with people more talented than himself and lesser talented than himself, and an ill word has never been spoken of him. I doubt seriously he had a personal problem with anyone in GNR. At least, any problem we would hear about.
