Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Ugly Phil of Australia's long-running rock station Triple M spoke to L.A. GUNS guitarist Tracii Guns about the recent antics of GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose, a former bandmate of Tracii's in the pre-GN'R outfit HOLLYWOOD ROSE and the very early days of GUNS N' ROSES.

"I kind of equate Axl almost to a Jim Morrison type ? almost," Tracii said. "[But] they're obviously very different.

"The thing about [Axl] is that he wants to do it his own way," added Tracii. "He goes by his gut and he has a weird spiritual thing with psychics. In his mind, he's expanded to a higher level."

He continued, "I think if [Axl] had a solid partner ? music partner ? in his life that not only that he listened to but somebody that he truly respected musically and somebody that he had a great time with and somebody he believed in, I think that it could go more the way of the rock that the fan base would prefer, I think. But you can't do it on your own and a lot of people in Axl's position think they can do it on their own. And that's the only thing I can criticize about him is that he doesn't have that great partner. Elton John's got a partner, McCartney's got a partner, Lady Gaga's got a partner, everybody's got a partner. I've got Jizzy [Pearl, L.A. GUNS singer] and Jizzy's got me. And that's the only thing missing from Axl's life ? a great partner."

Video fotoage of Tracii Guns talking about Axl Rose in the studios of Triple M can be viewed below.

In a January 2007 interview with the South Wales Echo, Tracii stated about his early years as a member of GUNS N' ROSES, "If I had stayed with Axl, I don't know if GUNS N' ROSES would have been any better or worse but I think it would have been a very different band. We would have had a bit more fire. But the key to that band's success was Axl because at that time his singing really connected with people on a social level."

He continued, "I haven't spoken to Axl since 1988, but we still have a lot of mutual friends. I don't wish him ill, but it's hard because he never stops saying bad things about me. He was on my MySpace page doing that very recently.

"Axl's problem is that if people don't support him 100 percent in what he's doing, he just doesn't want to know them any more. He's so talented but that talent comes from being a nervous wreck and some place in your head you need to be happy, which he isn't."

The same could be said about the alumni in general.
Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff are all talented enough to produce their own quality records, but the days of truly great records are likely over for them.
Cliche, but the whole is greater than the sum of it?s parts couldn?t apply more to classic GN?R.
They all complimented/elevated each others styles/abilities to heights that no other writing partners they?ve found since have managed.

I think Axl and Slash have both shown flashes of brilliance since the split, but they are both currently in bands where the surrounding talent is inferior to their own.

I know it's an old interview but I was reading it and I think that he is right in every single way.

Tracii stated "If I had stayed with Axl, I don't know if GUNS N' ROSES would have been any better or worse but I think it would have been a very different band. We would have had a bit more fire.

Well Tracii has great sense of humor. He left the band because he didn?t wanna go to Seatle, going to Seatle was not Axl's idea. And Tracii priority was L.A. I don't blame him. At that time L.A. Guns seemed to have a bigger chance than GN?R. They all were still in their other bands except Duff.

Tracii, Rob, and Ole left because they didn?t believe GN?R had a future. Nor they care to fight to get a future in GN?R. There is no other explanation.