Here Today... Gone To Hell!

It is now very clear that Axl has his mojo and swagger back. Even though he was chair ridden, he was exuding energy, eagerness, confidence, rhythm, and groove. It was like he was a wild beast being chained down-- if the leash would have snapped, all hell would have broke loose. In his last two shows Axl appeared younger, happier, and more confident. He seems ready to take on the world again and to fully embrace the classic and traditional GNR sound and image.
Below are the six reasons why I think Axl Rose has his mojo back, has returned to his classic sound and image, and is more confident being Axl.


1. The dismantling of competing sub-cultures and sub-genres in rock music. For example, mainstream rock radio now plays all rock together and no longer compartmentalizes rock music. They play everything from Zeppelin and Sabbath, Foreigner and Journey, to Green Day and Nine Inch Nails. There is no longer the "alternative" vs. "mainstream rock" or "indie" vs "corporate rock" battle going on like in the early and mid nineties, e.g. the war between underground/alternative Nirvana vs. corporate, mainstream Guns N Roses. In the past Axl had to work hard to prove that he was a raw, underground act-- a "glorified garage band," so to speak, as Slash once said. This is evident in his famous rant about GNR and Metallica being "alternative" bands because radio wouldn't play them originally. It really bothered him watching the underground rock music emerge to supplant mainstream rock. Axl knew in his heart that GNR were really part of the revolution, but could be mistaken as a hair band and be buried alive by the grunge revolution. In addition, he did a lot of show his love for alt rock and was cognizant enough back then to try and "separate himself and GNR from 80s hair bands." As a result, the 90s was Axl's experiment with sub-genres (nu mental, prog rock, rap rock, industrial, grunge, trip hop, etc.) because he felt pressured to remain "relevant" with music. As he saw blues-based rock losing its "cool" factor with youth, he was trying too hard to remain on the "cutting edge" of rock music; hence, the pressure to over produce Chinese Democracy. BUT, the walls have been torn down. There are no longer separate rock stations (postmodern, alternative, punk, etc. VS. mainstream rock). This egalitarian view of rock can be seen in the great success of retro acts like AC/DC and Iron Maiden. Axl SEEMS very relieved by this fact and the "pressure is off" him to be cutting edge. He can just make his kind of music. Good rock doesn't need labels and or categories! I think Axl senses the leveling of the playing field. In the mid-nineties, Axl felt pressure to make his grand comeback/return as an "up to date act." Any remnant of the 1980s glam metal would have been a career killer and made Axl appear dated, cheesy, and out of touch with youth and real rock. In the 90s, anything remotely connected to the 80s was ALL HAIRSPRAY METAL and the antithesis of cool. Today this no longer applies. In fact, the entire 80s rock thing had a strong retro resurgence in the past decade. He has absolutely no fear of being himself and projecting his classic and vintage vocal sound and image, e.g. aviators, bandannas, cowboy hats, leather jackets, etc.

2. Age, he has become a living legend, and he is embracing his rugged age instead of fearing it-- He has realized there is no reason to be "trendy" or resort to Hollywood style botox, etc. He is the rock veteran and mentor who is admired and idolized by younger acts for who he is-- this wasn't so much the case in the late 90s and first couple of tours, e.g. 2002 and 2006. There was always a subtle sense of insecurity and trepidation in his "dancing," "singing" and in the way he "felt" the music and expressed himself in his famous stage moves. Society sees him as a living rock legend, so he has embraced the role. His dancing is much more loose, relaxed, natural, and groovier. Now we only need that pending biopic movie to mythologize and memorialize the Gnr legacy!!!!

3. reuniting with Duff and Slash-- seems to have given him a "shot in the arm" and "wind in his sails"-- he is holding nothing back now-- he is unleashing years or trepidation and tacit singing. He can unload his raw, natural sound because he has his Appetite line up to back him up.

4. The poll that came out last year ranking him the "greatest singer" of all time (within pop music) due to his amazing five octave range-- although flattered he responded humbly, but nonetheless, this had to be a big ego booster and confidence builder

5. The recent poll in LA Weekly ranking him the 3rd best singer of all time

6. Axl received the Revolver Golden Gods award in 2014-- this cemented his image as a true legend and icon of rock. He now had the respect of the establishment and younger acts.

He's only human.  So he has to be enjoying this unbridled adulation.

Like it or not, he is seen as "doing the right thing" with this tour.  That's the perception that's out there.  And since many people who think that also thought he'd never relent on this, EVER...they appreciate it.

But on a more basic level, he is giving many people the chance to see, as they define it, the real deal Guns N' Roses they have only ever seen on YouTube.  Or if they were lucky to see it live, it was many moons ago.  And never thought to return.

The vide is just really good right now.  If I take you guys out of the mix, I hardly ever talk about Guns N' Roses during my days and nights.  All changed the past 5 months.

I think he's riding that wave.  How happy does he look up there the past 3 shows?  This is basically his redemption campaign.  He's seen as an elder statesmen of sorts.  And "Axl the asshole" morphs into "Axl the one of a kind".  Perception changes.  Everyone is digging him again.

How could he not feed off of that?  You are better at your job when you love what you do.

D-GenerationX,
Thanks for the insightful comments. Over the years I've always appreciated your thoughtful comments and observations.
You made some great points!

Can't disagree more...Axl always had high intensity during his career...Evem though Bu,bl effort and company are gone I refuse to diminish the high quality of performance those "eras" of GNR provided...As far as drifting away from "blues based" rock music, Axl stated early on how it would have npveen too easy to record AFD 2 and due to integrity he wanted to drift creatively I.e like Queen for the follow up...

I refuse to say his confidence is 100% back until he brings back the bike shorts.  :rofl:

In all seriousness, I think his swagger is back because he's reunited with his lifelong friends brothers. Through all the decades of posturing, bitterness, and trash talk I believe deep down inside these guys wanted to be a team again. Now that they are it's like a weight off all of their shoulders. It will be even better if Izzy and Steven can take part.

Good point EvilSmurf!
My original post didn't say that Axl wasn't talented or singing "great" a lot of the time. I also didn't say that the other line-ups lacked talent, quality, or chemistry. I think Axl poured his heart into the other line-ups. But, as Waylon sings, he was "looking for a feeling" that he lost when he lost his "brothers," and he wasn't able to find it. It is like drug addiction, he get a huge high and then you come crashing down. You spend all your time and money "seeking" that high again. Yet, you won't find it.
Al worked his ass off this last decade and a half. For the most part, he sounded great and CD is the most underrated album of the last thirty years. In fact, since the reunion I actually think critics and fans will be kinder to the album and start to give it a second chance and be much kinder to its brilliance!

BUT . . . in the final analysis, the other line-ups couldn't fully capture the vintage GNR magic.

He has his wicked, raspy demonic, bluesy, gravelly, scratchy growl BACK! His high notes are strong and raspy, instead of sounding like Elmo high on Helium.

THIS!

At no time in the history of GNR has Axl ever given a performance that gave any indication of lost confidence or loss of 'vintage singing'.

Pick any show in the 2014 Vegas residency as proof positive that Axl was, as he is now, at the top of his game!!!

In London in 2006, he literally collapsed off staged during a show he was performing while ill because he was all about giving his everything to every performance.


Slash's return has made some of you delusional.
 

I was gonna say I've seen very few clips from the last 14 years where I could point to Axl really being off and the Vegas DVD was pretty phenomenal.

Quote of the day:  Merry someone that looks at you the way Axl looks at Slash.  :hihi:

(https://scontent-gru2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12524165_1040739285993161_6984363007722108812_n.jpg?oh=6a2bb693c15cbae979f09b75d5f57870&oe=577412C4)

Not only did Axl look at Ashba exactly the same way, he used to wear Ashba swag clothes, too!!!

Haha! I think some of these people are high on Slash Fumes  :hihi:

Based on the increase of traffic on this site, the intense press coverage, and recent selling out of stadiums, it appears that quite a few people are high on Slash Fumes.  :rofl:

The Vegas shows were great, just joking with Gypsy  :peace:

Everytime they go on tour there are threads about how awesome his voice sounds.
He sounds great now, he usually does
I think it has more to do with not running around and being throned

I agree he HAS to hear Slash playing his style and get sentimental and proud that they've put the crap behind them because Slash is the f*cking man

And don't you think the same can be said about Slash hearing Axl's singing and Axl's style and just the fact alone that IT'S AXL!!! ?

It's human nature that there be some sense of warm n' fuzzy for BOTH men.

Doesn't mean, as the the thread subject line suggests that Axl had ever at any time over his years of performing without Slash lost confidence or his vintage singing style.

Nostalgia.... Ain't Life Grand.  ;)
   

In Troubadour he wasnt running around, but not sitting either and sounded great. :)

All I have to say is that these 2 Las Vegas show were EPIC! Right up there with David Bowie's masterpiece and parting gift the musical LAZARUS!

Not lately.

Why do you have to be so negative? Axl always sounds great but these last 2 shows were mind blowing!

Are you huffing paint?

I have comments all over these threads about how he's sounded good.  How he crushed 'Coma' both nights.  How he even did a good YCBM, which has been a trouble spot.

Get some facts and get back to me, sweetheart.  But not until then.

The fact is that I am NOT your sweetheart.
What was the point of the not lately comment?

That there were not all these threads about how amazing he sounded in Spring 2014 or Winter 2012.

Thus, the claim "there are always threads about how he good he sounds at the beginning of tours" is not accurate.

He sounds pretty good in the clips from both the Troubador and Las Vegas.  But that hardly makes the previous tour's vocals retroactively awesome.  What sense does that make?

DX, as hard as it is man, sometimes you have to sit back and watch the world burn...

And yes DX and myself have been praising Axl largely. SO chill it.

Everybody seems happy.

I can only think of a literal few dissidents.  And even they aren't fully committed to hating on the current situation.

It's an amazing time to be a GNR fan.  And for a change, that's not sarcasm.

That's good. :beer:

Yeah Slash and Duff, along with the great long standing of Axl, Rich and Frank and DIzzy have infused the band it looks like.

Without a doubt my brother - didn't mean to suggest otherwise

Small stage  ;D

But yeah - he sure did sound great

Read the original - he usually does : ok:

Not true
You could go back to the last few years - everytime they hit the stage again - people get amped (for good reason) and talk about how great his voice sounds

My point was that his voice usually sounds great but that it wasn't totally because of playing with Slash

 :peace:

 I agree that Axl always interacted with all band members of all eras. But being together with Slash is something else. Just look at the Axl twitter about his broken foot. He said he was doing something he hasn't done in 23 years

And you don't think Slash feels the same about working with Axl again?  ::)

Axl tweeted he broke his foot on day one of being on a stage with Slash again after 23 years and you read it as Axl expressing his undying love for Slash??  :hihi:

I think Slash feels the same way. But the thread is about Axl. I think he is expressing he was doing things he hasn't done in 23 years  :)

Please show me where in this tweet Axl implied anything beyond he broke his foot while onstage with Slash after 23 years.

I would like to see that as well, it is always amazing to see the bizarre ways that some people interpret and translate any communication coming from the band.

So you think Axl just broke his foot because, poor Axl he just has very fragile bones? You don't think he was doing any effort to make a great show?

Now if you believe this Axl is exactly same Axl we had two or three years ago. Fine, believe what you want but that's not the case. We have seen three shows so far as pretty strong evidence that things has changed for the better.

WTF??  Axl fell onstage, landed awkwardly on his foot and broke it.

To quote Jennifer Marlowe of WKRP:  Accidents are Accidents.  That's why they call them that!

DYNAMITE reference from one great show.

Big ups!

Not to mention, there's a clip on youtube that's almost 7 minutes long of Axl falling on stage... so it's not like he was falling for Slash or anything like that lol. He just gets into the shows/music/performance and loses his footing. Makes me realize he's human.