Here Today... Gone To Hell!

...the episode recently aired on HDNet and is essentially a 30 minute interview where Scott and Matt discuss their musical interests and beginnings, STP, GnR, and of course, Velvet Revolver and the making of "Libertad."

I know that none of this is essentially new information, but still, it was an interesting interview to watch.

In discussing GnR, Matt said the following:

-He was originally called to GnR to record the Illusion albums only, and then Steven would resume drumming duties.
-The Spaghetti Incident was recorded while waiting on Axl to do Illusion vocals.
-Most of the Illusion sessions involved Matt jamming with Slash and Duff.? Izzy would be there infrequently and play "basic chords" for Slash to do leads over.? Matt also said how Izzy was an exceptional songwriter and contributer to GnR material.
-It was Axl's idea to sell the Illusion albums separately.? Since all double albums were kept behind the counter at the time, this would allow kids to actually get their hands on both albums and look them over, and essentially put them in their reach.?
-He plays on all of the live tracks except for three from the "Live Era" CDs, and that Axl intentionally left him out of the credits and photos.? Although it "sucked," he has no hard feelings about it.
-Axl thought that Matt was mad at him, but during their NYC meet up, Matt made it clear that he had a great time with Guns n Roses.
-"Since I Don't Have You" was recorded in Boston during a massive snowstorm on virtually no notice other than Axl saying "I want to do this tonight," with no crew around and setting up their own instruments.
-While he had a great time with both The Cult and GnR, Velvet Revolver has been the greatest / most rewarding musical experience of his career.

And more stuff like that.? Again, not much in the way of new information, but fun to watch nonetheless.

sounds cool, is there any way I can watch it?

he called izzy an exceptional song writter? is he smoking crack?

I always thought his drumming sucked   :hihi: stevens better

What's so funny? Izzy is an exceptional song writer.

Thank you for this :yes:


I can't even imagine how many material GN'R has recorded while waiting on Axl to do Chinese Democracy vocals :peace:

Sorry, no harm attented. God knows I love the band and Axl. ;)

U are a GNR fan? ::)

so that's what matt and scott did when slash and duff were with adler and izzy :hihi:

thanks for posting, this was a cool read  :beer:

since i love steven and don't really care for matt i must say it was a damn shame that steven couldn't concentrate himself and continue with the band.. if matt would have only been a studio musician and steven did the touring i think the future of the band would have been very different (love the current band to death though : ok:)

I still have the episode on my DVR.? If people would actually be interested, I can type up direct quotes on some of the answers rather than paraphrasing based on memory...like Matt saying, "Then Izzy would straddle in...(laughter)...Izzy Stradlin...(laughter)."

Yes, he really said it like that.

it would be cool if you did man :D

Good enough.  I'll see what I can do.   Also, I find it a bit odd that Scott and Matt did the interview together, as the various media, interviews and articles - including the new RS - make it seem like they don't really like each other all that much.

Here's bits and pieces in transcript form from Matt on his time with GnR:

On the whole experience:? "It feels like watching someone else's movie, now that I think about it."

Joining GnR:? "When I joined the band, I'd just gotten off a really long Cult tour...I originally went into Guns n Roses to play on the album only, and Steven was gonna come back...that was the idea, and I was gonna continue to play with The Cult."

"Once I got in the room and started playing with Slash and Duff...it was mainly always me and Slash and Duff - Izzy would kind of straddle in (laugher) - Izzy Stradlin - he would show up occasionally and do his thing.? You know, he was a very predominant songwriter in that band, Izzy.? He would have these very simplistic chord changes that Slash would? put the riff on and it turned into something."

Recording the Illusion albums:? "Those songs on those Illusion records - we reahearsed that stuff for, I don't know, maybe about a month, and a lot of it was written in the room.? I remember when we recorded it, we were gonna make one album , but you know, (smiles), Axl came in one day with his Axl-idea and said, "Oh, we're gonna put out a double record!"? We all looked at each other like, 'Oh no...this is gonna take a while."

"But the idea of those two records was pretty genius on his part.? In those days, a double album had to be behind the cash register, if you remember, if it was over a certain amount of money.? So Axl said, 'Well, what if we split the albums in two, and have the same peice of artwork but make 'em two different colors so they can be in the bin.? So kids can go up to the bin, pick the record up, look at it...so that was the concept.? I would've never even thought of that one."

The Spaghetti Incident:? "Was actually recorded while we were waiting for Axl to come sing the vocals on the Use Your Illusion Records.? That was sort of Duff's idea...let's just jam some punk covers!? Which was very pre-Green Day and...you know, those kinds of bands.? We did that, you know, that was the early 90s.? That record went down kind of funny like that...and then Axl threw that one 50's song - "Since I don't Have You" - which, we're like, 'this isn't a punk song."

"So we recorded it anyway...I remember we were in Boston during that huge Blizzard.? It was crazy, it was like, the whole town was snowed in, and a CD came under my door - it said 'Since I Don't Have You,' and, you know, Axl's assistant brought it over.? And [I was like], 'When do you want to record it?" [As Axl] 'Well, I want to record it *tonight' (laughs).

"So we went to this funky little studio in Boston and it was the best time.? The crew wasn't even like around 'cause they were like in some bus, snowed in somewhere.? So we set up our own gear, and it was the best time."

On Live Era:? "I don't know if a lot of people know this, but I'm not on the credits and I'm not in the pictures because Axl got - Axl didn't - wasn't happy with me at the time (laughs).? I actually played on the entire album with the exception of three tracks.? But he took all my photos off of it, and I think a lot of the fans know that, but that was kind of a little bit of a bummer.? ?But, you know, I was there."

On seeing Axl in NYC:? "I ran into him in New York, and you know, he thought I hated him.? I was like, 'Dude, I don't hate you, man - I had a great time...on the private jet and everything. (laughs)? They always got me my own car, I had a suite, you know?? Eating $30 cheeseburgers at the Ritz-Carlton...I was perfectly happy.? I really was.? All in all, it was a great time."

yeah I am..I've always loved Izzy's songwritting.. lol

and matt cant drum for shit : ok:

Thanks for your work. Was an interesting read.

thanks man,, really cool of you to write that all down  :beer:

Glad to do it.? For the most part, everybody around here - especially the pre-'06 crew - have been awesome to me since I officially signed on.? I'm glad to contribute for a change, even if it's only something minor, you know?? ?:beer:

I've always wondered if the listing of Gilby and Matt as additional musicians was completely an intentional slight to them, or was it more to honor the Appetite lineup.  After all, while Axl may have had his personal grievances with Matt Sorum, I never heard of any with Gilby.  Plus, in the credits, Steven's nickname "Popcorn" was used.

Ali

Thanks for transcript,bazgnr !! :)

http://www.hd.net/soundoff_epguide.html
Velvet Revolver
Episode Number: 408
Synopsis: Matt chats with lead singer Scott Weiland and drummer Matt Sorum of Velvet Revolver
about their successful musical history, formation in 2002, and their latest album entitled Libertad.

Not sure how it was intended, but I remember reading at the time that Matt took it as an intentional slight.  He claimed that he complained and Axl threatened not to release it at all with different credits (I think this was in the 2000 RS "expose" on Axl).  Gilby and Matt have no songwriting credits on Live Era tracks but neither does Dizzy and he was listed with the rest of the band.  :-\ 

Learn something new everyday, I never knew matt was only their for that until steve came back..

Yeah I thought that was interesting too. First time I ever heard that. I guess they figured they would clean Steven up and it never panned out.

Thank you very much for typing that up.

It's a far cry from the crap written up in the rolling stone interview isn't it.