axl 87-90 vs91-93

[Crashdiet]

I was going through a bunch of my gnr bootlegs this weekend and I couldn't help notice something really went different with axl between 87-90 and 91-93

In the earlier days axl was a leather clad, sunglasses, bandana wearing harding rocking monster. I mean he really look like a snake when he performed his voice was like a razor and he simple looked and performed like a man hungry for something. The last performance that really truly embodied that spirt was the stones and farm aid gigs.

then once the illusions hit you had a different guy. The pre-illusion tour his voice was shot. He started wearing more and more ecentric outfits )the spandex with the sports coats, fur coats,and other eccentric garb). and his performances while still entertaining and engaging were different. he didn't have the same hungry swagger or devilish rocker edge.... it was more contrived and werid.... eccentric...

his voice was for the most part shot and blown and sounded strained... although in the skin N bones leg it got much better (surgery perhaps?
I wonder why this was? has anyone else notice this?

and now we've got a braided jersey wearing axl with way less energy, enthusasm, and a squeaky quiet cat call.


Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to judge... and i'm just point out what I see as a progression of axl's image and performance.

[Spike]

Your right man. I prefer the 87-90 Axl he was better back then  . *sigh* Damn why did he had to change? WHY!?

[WARose]

axl?s cool. ? ? i think the whole gnr thing got a little bloated in 91....that`s all

[Sam]

He sure didn't sound to good on the live DVDs in 92.

[Spike]

He sure didn't sound to good on the live DVDs in 92.

If your talking about Use Your Illusion I and II. Hell Yeah he didnt sound good. The only ones that I thought sounded good was Night Train and Live and Let Die sounded ok.

[kaasupoltin]

I think that '91 was still a great year for Axl Maybe the best one from my view. But something happened in '92..

[Sakib]

anything pre-1991. like kaasu pointed out, something happened in 1992 but i like anything appetite and pre appetite

[GnR-NOW]

i thought axls voice in 2002 sounded higher then any previous performances, could it have been enhancements in the microphone to make him sound that way?

[badapple81]

Your right man. I prefer the 87-90 Axl he was better back then? . *sigh* Damn why did he had to change? WHY!?

Do you look the same and have/wear the same outfits as you did in 1987? 

[mikegiuliana]

Your right man. I prefer the 87-90 Axl he was better back then? . *sigh* Damn why did he had to change? WHY!?

Do you look the same and have/wear the same outfits as you did in 1987??

yes I still wear my lace up crotch jeans

[-Jack-]

I've always liked '85-'90 Axl the most... nothing was wrong with the illusion look though. I just dig the glam/hair/sleaze band look

[Carlos_f_Rose]

mmm I think one of the reasons because Axl changed in 91, was because he became a millionaire,  he gave excellent performances, but it looked like he needed to be hungry to be angry on stage...

[Mr.Bootlegs]

I think it was all going great until Izzy left, if you watch Indiana '91 or the St Louis Riot show he still looks like a man pissed off and hungry, plus he admits they are all still recovering drug addicts during this period, so it's not like he's got too rich for his boots yet. I agree that he got waaaay more eccentric in '91 (one of the reasons Izzy left id imagine), but his voice, particularly in the st louis show, was phenomenal, and many of the bootleg shows ive heard form then sound great. But my theory is after Izzy left, Axl just didn't give a fuck about it all anymore and just decided: OK im going to take a gamble and go completely nuts and see what happens.....

[Carlos_f_Rose]

Izzy with GNR, was terrific, I remember a show when he sang 14 years and Axl danced like a crazy gypsy, that was great.

[Rob]

You think maybe Izzy kinda kept Axl a little more grounded in the early days?  Then when Izzy left Axl's behavior got more and more strange and eccentric.  Izzy always seemed like a really calm, down to earth guy.  Maybe without that influence on Axl he started to change.

[Carlos_f_Rose]

Who knows man, you know maybe he felt something like he was betrayed by his friend his best friend at that moment... certainly only they know. But Im happy that Izzy and Axl talk to each other again -- according to the last Axl Rose statement --  hopefully Axl and Izzy will write (compose) together again and the world will be happy ...

[Albert S Miller]

I was going through a bunch of my gnr bootlegs this weekend and I couldn't help notice something really went different with axl between 87-90 and 91-93

In the earlier days axl was a leather clad, sunglasses, bandana wearing harding rocking monster. I mean he really look like a snake when he performed his voice was like a razor and he simple looked and performed like a man hungry for something. The last performance that really truly embodied that spirt was the stones and farm aid gigs.

then once the illusions hit you had a different guy. The pre-illusion tour his voice was shot. He started wearing more and more ecentric outfits )the spandex with the sports coats, fur coats,and other eccentric garb). and his performances while still entertaining and engaging were different. he didn't have the same hungry swagger or devilish rocker edge.... it was more contrived and werid.... eccentric...

his voice was for the most part shot and blown and sounded strained... although in the skin N bones leg it got much better (surgery perhaps?
I wonder why this was? has anyone else notice this?

and now we've got a braided jersey wearing axl with way less energy, enthusasm, and a squeaky quiet cat call.


Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to judge... and i'm just point out what I see as a progression of axl's image and performance.

When I find out all of the reasons maybe i'll find another way, find another day, with all the changing seasons of my life, maybe i'll get it right next time.  And now that you
ve been broken down got your head out of the clouds, you're back down on the ground, and you don't talk to loud, you don't walk so proud, anymore and what for?  Truly life is full of changes....