Axl's NEW Post "My homework" (Q&A on page 9)

[Batwin]

We have 3 possibilities.

1,Axl is right

2,Slash is right

2,What we've got here is..failure to communicate.

I think that the truth will be somewhere between this 3 options.Right now I see it like Axl is the better one in this.I never thought that he was the one who broked GNR. I think that problems began with Slash and failure of communicate.And of course too big ego of both.Than Axl did what he had to do but he little bit overeacted and took everything in his hands..that's the reason why Duff left. It seems to me that Axl and Slash hated each other, Axl wanted to put things right but it was too late, Slash was already too big headed and Axl too.

summary Axl is good guy.

[axlsalinger]

Axl has finally spoken out about some of the things Slash went public with in his book, and while we don't have Axl's full side of the story, we as diehard Guns fans have enough to know that we've now been put in a very awkward position.   Before now, it could all be dismissed as musical clashes, misunderstandings, different visions, etc.  But now, we have to face hard facts.  Either Slash or Axl is lying to us.   And to me, that's sad.

The issue of the band name....    I think there's something to each side's story with this one.  Ok, yes it was Axl's band name before Slash was in it, even Slash admits to that.  But while it was just a name at that time, all of the other members worked for years creatively and on the road to make it a household name, Slash especially.   So when you go down to the local arena and it now says "Guns N Roses" on the marquee, well some people are going to buy tickets just because of the name... the name that Slash and the rest of the guys supported for several years on the road, wrote music for, did interviews for, did promotion for, posed for photographs for, designed logos for, etc.   So I actually side more with Slash on this one.  I think that yes, Axl should have the MOST rights when it comes to the band name (ie, veto power over not having his voice be the voice of helicopters going into battle in a movie like "Blackhawk Down" which is just one of the projects specifically Slash and Duff sued Axl over his denying the use of a song, etc.)   If Axl doesn't want his voice to be the backdrop of battles, killing, etc, then he absolutely has that right, regardless of Slash and Duff losing a payday, and doesn't owe them a dime if he turns it down.   But do I think Slash and Duff are owed money when Axl sells out arenas around the world with that name?  Yes I do.  After all, it's because of the old Guns music that 99% of the people are showing up, music they all wrote together.  If they just played Chinese Democracy songs that's one thing.  But I saw them on Halloween in 06 and they played 90% old Guns songs. 

I think with issue to the name, Axl is right and legally has all the rights he claims, but that the old Guns are certainly not without rights and due compensation over money earned with that name.   Without them, the name wouldn't be worth very much, let's face it. 

As for Axl refusing to leave the dressing room until they signed...  well, if it's a lie by Slash then it's a good one.  Because Axl has certainly done this kind of thing before and his childish tantrums and behavior over things like that are well-documented.  Yet it could certainly be a situation like Slash and Duff promised to sign for weeks and weeks and just didn't do it because the Illusions tour seemed to be one big party for everyone except Axl (and Izzy before he left) and Axl may have just been fed up and said that to get them to sign.  I can easily see that happening.  Axl hasn't elaborated on his side other than to say "That never happened."  I guess my question to Axl would be "Why wait 15 years to tell us that it didn't happen?"


The issue of Snakepit, next Guns record, and the Complex.   Slash has always said Axl never liked the Snakepit demos, back when Snakepit was first released he said as much.   Axl is now claiming that Slash delivered the songs to him done WITH lyrics and melodies and told him to sing them or "fuck off."   I don't know.  That doesn't make a lot of sense and I'll tell you why.   Why would Slash do that?  He knows that's not the way Axl operates.   Slash wrote the songs with another singer, the Jellyfish dude, and wanted Axl, probably the greatest hard rock singer/songwriter at the time, to re-sing and record another dude's words and melodies and vocals?   Cmon now, that's either Slash being a psycho or Axl lying about it now.  This one just doesn't make sense exactly as it's been told to us.  I'm guessing each side is massaging the truth a little on this one and giving their own spin.   I don't blame Axl one bit for refusing that, but I also find it hard to believe it went down just that way.   Especially given what we KNOW about Axl being very reclusive during that time and bringing in Tobias without Slash's ok.  Slash has always claimed that Tobias being brought in without him having a say in the matter, and then Axl mixing in Tobias solo copy over Slash's as a weird echo solo was the straw that broke the camel's back with old Guns breaking up.  I mean, Tobias was brought in without Slash's ok and that solo that was mixed in sounds stupid as all getout and not at all Guns, that we KNOW for a fact.   We also know that Slash was very bitter at the time, had a failing marriage, was trying to deal with life off the road, and was inebriated around the clock.   I think this one is a draw.   I think Axl started to take control around this time and Slash got a chip on his shoulder and began fighting back in his own way.   Snakepit was the beginning of it.  Sympathy for the Devil seems to be the end.  What went on in between seems to be Axl trying to make sure that the band was preserved and not in the hands of people who were inebriated around the clock and didn't always make good decisions, and in doing that Axl did some things that were just flat out WRONG.  Like the Tobias stuff.  Yet Axl makes a good point backing up his claim that he wanted to get out a blues-rock album, and not the expirimental synth stuff, with his bringing in Zakk to try out with Slash.  That's not someone you bring in for an industrial expirimental sound, let's face it. 


Bringing in Coma as a finished song....   Well, this one is weird.   Axl is now saying Slash never brought it in as a finished song, yet what Slash claims is that he wrote all the music for it and that Axl came up with the lyrics.   Axl himself has said something very similar in the past.  He called it "Slash's baby" at one point and that Slash had nicknamed it "Girth" cause it was such a long and complicated arrangment.   I have to side with Slash on this one.   I think Slash wrote the music and arranged the breakdowns and whatnot and that Axl wrote the lyrics to it.   It's probably one of the top 3 Guns songs, so I guess that's why the animosity over writing it.   Amazing, amazing song. 

Slash and Axl's late night visit in October 05....    Well, this is really the one that hurts.   One of the guys is just outright lying their fucking ass off about this one and it really annoys the shit out of me.   Slash claims he was drunk and he and Perla just handed a note to some assitant of Axl's at the door and that he never saw or spoke to Axl.   Although, he also admits he was very drunk and that Perla had to drive.  Axl's side is that Slash talked to him about VR and said those derrogatory things about Scott, Matt, Duff, etc.  Tough one to sort out, but I have to go with the sober one here.  Axl, while a known pothead, has never been known to get overly inebriated or to have any drug addictions or really tell any flat-out lies whatsoever.  This is why Scott, Matt and Duff believed Axl over Slash and nobody spoke to Slash for awhile because of it.   I think Slash probably did say those things and regretted it, and may even honestly not remember saying much of what he said because he was wasted.  Remember that Slash's drunk is not your or my "drunk."   Slash used to get fucked up, with a capital F, by his own admission.  But at the same time, it may be a lie he has to tell to save the band he's in now.  Because no matter how drunk he was, he wouldn't forget talking to Axl for the first time in ten years if it happened.   These boards are a sea of rehashed questions and whatnot at the moment, so I don't know if anyone asked Axl to clarify this or not, but it'd be nice to get his updated take on it since he's talking again. 
 

So for now.... Axl seems to have the best memory of anyone in the band, so I will side with him when I can.   For instance, Slash's book is full of little things here and there that we as Guns fans know are not true, like how Axl ran offstage in St Louis and the rest of the band kept playing and didn't know what was happening and went over the side of the stage to talk to Dougie and THEN stopped playing when Axl wasn't coming back.   Well that's not what happened.  2 minutes of your time and youtube.com can tell you that, if you don't have the bootleg.   Lots of little things like that in the book.  But they are for the most part, minor.  Axl did waste a lot of money and become more grandiose and lavish in his wants and needs on the Illusion tours, and his perception of things is not always what happened, either.   But on the cut and dry stuff, I have to side with Axl.

This was a really well thought-out post, sums up a few of the thoughts I have had about the situation.

I have no doubt Axl came up with the GNR name, and legally owns it, but when a band gets as big as Guns did, the situation becomes completely different than when they were kids picking and "owning" band names that never amounted to anything. The Guns name means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and is worth a lot of money. Who came up with the name originally is no longer relevant at that point, IMO. That being said, those other guys left and Axl stayed, and decided to carry on under the GNR name. That was simply the reality, and I accepted that way back when I was anxiously waiting for "2000 Intentions" to come out. As for the alleged backstage demand, I thought that this probably happened, but I always felt there was more to the story and that Axl would eventually provide an alternate version of events. Now Axl has said that it simply never happened, and his explanation of the why and how actually does seem plausible to me, so I'll accept his version. Will be interesting to see how Slash responds if someone asks him about this.

I don't know what to say about the Snakepit story. Slash's version makes sense to me and seems to mesh with what others have said, and we know that Axl was rather volatile during that time period, but at the same time we never got much information about exactly what was going on behind the scenes. So who knows. Hopefully Axl will elaborate on this issue some more.

As for Coma, meh. It happens a lot, where band members remember a song's creation differently. There are at least 2 Beatles songs where McCartney and Lennon's accounts of who wrote what can't both be true. I don't really care about this.

As for the Slash/Axl meeting in 05, I'm really interested in hearing more. Has anyone asked Axl about this during the last few days? I don't recall seeing any reference to it, unless I missed something. Very interesting point about Slash having been inebriated, I forgot about that. I tend to believe Axl's version of events to begin with, so mix in a drunk and freaked out Slash, who knows how much he actually remembers. And I found it weird and telling at the time that Scott, Duff and Matt seemed to believe Axl over Slash.

I do really hope that Dexter will continue to post over the next little while.

[Axsalute]

Axl... Dude...
READ ME!    arrrrrrrr!
Fuck these Slash dudes... no..I love Slash!
and we know why you do... but..

I also know how pussy sloshed he is...
and he is and always has been.

[Axsalute]

Muuuuuahhhhh!

[shotgunbluesXXX]

I believe Axl, because Slash has completely contradicted himself repeatedly and been caught red-handed flat out lying about the visit to Axl's house

Slash was also a bonafide alcoholic and drug addict throughout much the early-mid 90's when this stuff went down.  He admits he was drinking a half gallon of vodka a day and shooting speedballs daily as well, how reliable can he really be?

As far as Snakepit songs and what not, let's just say that it's known that Axl wasn't the only one against doing those songs in that form.  Duff was against it as well, for the same reasons.  Axl's accounts of Slash's behavior at the time seems fitting of someone pulling a power play.  Slash claims Axl was never around.  Axl says he wasn't around because Slash refused to let anyone else have input.  If you believe Axl's side, Slash's actions seem right in line with someone trying to gain the upper hand by refusing to cooperate or compromise in effort to sabotage the band, to the point where he either broke it up or gained control

[Axsalute]

All I can say is ....this is all GOD's will!

I really like VR stuff!

[IRISH OS1R1S]

If Axl does come to answer more questions, i would like to know more about that time Slash apparently called to his house and was turned away. From what i read Axl didnt speak with him but does Axl know what Slash wanted and why did he deceide not to meet him. 

BTW Thanks Dexter/Axl for everything u da MAN. 

[aintitfun22]

we love you axl!!!!

[camaro126]

Did you see all of the jackasses at Blabbermouth??!

Someone should have asked Axl, "What do you say to all of the people who will read this and say it's Axl complaining again and it's always everyone else's fault to him" so the jackasses wouldn't have anything to say about that...

[shotgunbluesXXX]

Did you see all of the jackasses at Blabbermouth??!

Someone should have asked Axl, "What do you say to all of the people who will read this and say it's Axl complaining again and it's always everyone else's fault to him" so the jackasses wouldn't have anything to say about that...

Who cares about those douchebags?  They think everyone and everything sucks

[another.raisin.for.peace]

The issue of Snakepit, next Guns record, and the Complex.   Slash has always said Axl never liked the Snakepit demos, back when Snakepit was first released he said as much.   Axl is now claiming that Slash delivered the songs to him done WITH lyrics and melodies and told him to sing them or "fuck off."   I don't know.  That doesn't make a lot of sense and I'll tell you why.   Why would Slash do that?  He knows that's not the way Axl operates.   Slash wrote the songs with another singer, the Jellyfish dude, and wanted Axl, probably the greatest hard rock singer/songwriter at the time, to re-sing and record another dude's words and melodies and vocals?  

Axl gave almost exactly the same story about the Snakepit demos when that album was released. Slash brought in "finished" songs and insisted the band record them, Axl didn't think the songs were right for GNR as they were and wanted the band to work on them. Slash ran away and started Snakepit. Axl's story hasn't changed one iota, so I'm not sure what you're taking issue with.

And let's not pretend that we believe Slash was or is concerned with "the way Axl operates." That doesn't even enter into the equation.

Finally, Rose stated the reason for not sharing his side of the story publicly. More than once. If you're still confused as to why he didn't address it until now, I don't know what to tell you.

[deanna]

Hi Axl
excuse me for my bad english. I'm from Italy and I thank you for have give us answer at our questions. I think that you have an enourmus quantity of people that love you sincerly and that hope all the best for you.  Chinese democracy is a beautiful  album.KISS AT THE best voice of the CENTURY! Dea

[crqnewport]

I have to say i very much enjoyed reading the latest post by Mr. Rose! I belive it was a very sincere and from the heart and that made it more appealing. Not only did it answer questions about the past but brought to light the truth about the real situation within G n R.

Its easy to judge when you only are pumped with the narrow mindness of the media and indivduals looking to keep the spotlight. And of course paint themsevles as something they are not. Also dont forget the lawyers and all the people looking to get paid they manipulate too!

As far as Chinese Democracy is concerned i think it is an incredible piece of work. It is so complex with its sounds and intrumentals but never makes the listener feel confused and it all makes sense. The thing i really like is every note, vocal melody, and guitar solo are calculated perfectly.

Axl next time your in Sedona hit a brother up! Thanks for the great music.

CQ

[horsey]

hey axl,wanna mud wrestle ?
it's dirty i know but why not huh.