well I have this for a long time, and finally decided to scan and translate it for you. it's nothing really important, maybe just a bit things we never heard of. my translation is not 100% but oh well. enjoy this czech article from october 1999 :cool:
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Guns N‘ Roses – what’s going on?Rock Report magazine, 10/99
It’s a mystery. Guns N‘ Roses, once one of the most popular rock bands ever, is silent like a depp grave for six long years. The band, which releases AFD and UYI crossed 20 million sold, first argues so bad that just ruins remain, then frontman Axl Rose closes a trap-door, and... silence. Just little messages and news from time to time. Just like now, when the new record is reportedly done and is going to be released very soon. So what’s going on?
InvisibleIn july, about 250,000 people appeared at Woodstock Festival. The list of artists was flawless: Korn, Metallica, The Offspring, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, just to mention the biggest names. One was missing. In april, it was rumored that Guns N‘ Roses will celebrate their comeback at this festival. After six years of silence, they were expected to appear, perform their new songs and make a triumph to the headlines. Then everything vanished. Guns N‘ Roses of the last six years, that is one big mystery, that is stretched almost over a limit of uneasiness. That’s just not natural.
Rise and fall of Guns N‘ Roses is one of the crazy stories of rock n‘ roll. During 1987-1991 the band reached the peak of popularity and success, and they were referred as „the most dangerous band in the world“ . And then, suddenly it disappeared. To be more accurate, Axl disappeared. While the other band members were reported „in“ and then „out of the band“, the frontman just disappeared. He sealed himself in his Malibu villa so well, that no updated photo of him got out in the last six years. If there are some „close sources“ in this case, they always said just that he barely leaves the house. His verified public appearances could be count at one hand’s fingers. In 1996, he appeared at Red Hot Chilli Peppers backstage in The Forum, Los Angeles. „He was close-cut and bearded,“ RHCP drummer Chad Smith remembers, „I couldn’t recognize him.“ In 1998 he visited Radiohead show, and he looked so weird that he had to take a persons search (
dunno if I translated this well). In may 1998 he was identified when watching a Tool show at Hollywood Palladium from a balcony. Other revelations might be faked. In december 1997 he was reportedly seen at home in LA with unknown child and hispanic woman. Some sources say that he was bearded and had black hair that looked like a wig. Maybe some illness?
So the only verified appearance of him is january 1988, when he was arrested at Phonenix airport for disorder. He didn’t arrive to the court and got fined $500 for absence.
Appetite for reconstruction...Details of the new GN’R album are very vague. Noone involved can talk about working methods or content. All we know is this: during 1993-1997 Axl Rose threw aboard all his former companions. First fired was Gilby Clarke, then the dam broke; Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum left. Axl was working with some big names during that era, for example drummer Dave Abruzzese (ex- Pearl Jam), guitarist Zakk Wylde, Chris Vrenna from Nine Inch Nails or former Gunner Izzy Strandlin. During 1994-1998 these variable lineups were rehearsing in Losangeles studio The Complex, and reportedly very hard from dawn to dusk. Around april 1998, Axl got some stable lineup together, including for example keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Paup Huge (who, much to displeasure of the rest of the band, already appeared at Rolling Stones coverversion Sympathy For The Devil at Interview with the Vampire soundtrack), ex- Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck, bass guitarist Tommy Stinson (ex- The Replacements), and Vandals drummer Josh Freese. Production was in hands of Sean Beavan (Marilyn Manson, Pantera...). He was latter fired by Axl and invited Moby and Killing Joke bass guitarist Youth.
During the following 30 months the band reportedly recorded up to 30 songs, that were re-recorded and improved again and again (some titles – Prostitute, Cock-A-Roach Soup, This I Love, Suckerpunched, No Love Remains, Friend or Foe, Zip It, Something Always, Hearts Get Killed, or Closing In On You). Music style? In the beginning Axl was experimenting with techno-industrial rock, just to return to good old sleaze rock. Matt Sorum often talked about Axl’s taste for samples and loops, and Chris Vrenna then refused: „I think that the album will be more Appetite For Destruction style, than anybody expects.“ From that era comes a hilarious story. When Sex Pistols rehearsed in 1996 for their comeback tour, John Lydon reportedly heard something from the next-door studio, some „folk nonsense“. That were Guns N‘ Roses rehearsing. And one more piquancy – it’s rumored that Axl got friends with nigerian NBA star Shaquille O‘ Neal, and he will make a guest appearance in one song! The album reportedly has work-in-progress titles, and the final title should be either Cock-A-Roach Soup, or 2000 Intentions.
Questions, doubts, question marks...It’s october 1999 and everything is in suspicions again. Universal recording group is promising the release until the end of this year, but numerous release dates were announced in the past, and the band reportedly ignored any deadlines. It’s speculated, that Axl forced the band to re-record already recorded and ready-to-be-released stuff three times, and the whole process cost more than 1 million dollars. What’s sure is recent departure of guitarist Robin Finck back to Nine Inch Nails. The guitarist signed two year contract with Guns N‘ Roses, that ended in august. And one more sure thing, the band re-recorded their old hit Sweet Child O‘ Mine, that appears at Big Daddy movie soundtrack. Recently, techno-guru Moby added fuel to the flames, saying that the album is complete and Axl should release it as soon as possible, otherwise he will end at the junkyard of the history.
So, everything is in Axl’s hands now. Hidden in his hacienda at Latigo Canyon, he’s believed to feel some fear of releasing something generic and uninteresting after that years of silence. That reminds me a visionary of then-football commentator Stepan Skorpil, who during World Cup Brasil-Argentina noticed about Maradona: „So what, will he continue sleeping as a turtle at beach, or will he make a genius action and decides the match?“. Ten minutes later, Diego made one of his famous slaloms, passed the ball to Caniggio at golden tea-tray and the match was decided.
Well, the question is, if Axl is a genius too.
original scan see here
http://gnr.zombux.net/rr1999.jpg
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