Tommy Stinson Explains Chinese Democracy's Delays

[FunkyMonkey]

Q&A

Tommy Stinson of Guns N' Roses and The Replacements: "A [Replacements] Reunion Is About As Likely as an Original Guns Reunion."

Dec. 16 2011

What's the secret? Not a lot of people have stayed in the band like that.

Tommy Stinson: You know, it's been a good gig for me. it's been fun, and you know, it's served me well in a lot of ways. Axl and I get along pretty good, and now is kind of the time to stick it out if we're going to make another record. The lineup is working, and the camaraderie is good; it's a good fit for me.

I thought about asking if GN'R was going to do another record, but I thought that might be the worst question in the word considering how long people asked about Chinese Democracy.

You know, I just see us making a record much quicker, because, in hindsight, a lot of what happened with Chinese Democracy, we could get around now. Mostly what happened with that record, why it took so long, was we just had no help from the record company whatsoever. [Axl] got zero fucking help from anyone outside the band to fucking do it. You know, it just got stupider and stupider as the record company kept throwing bad A&R guys [at us], or producers like Roy Thomas Baker who, you know, he made things sound better, but that wasn't' what we needed. We needed someone to help us fucking sow it up, and he came in fucking re-recorded everything five fucking times with every amp in the country. I just don't think that was something that was really important to making a record, that could have been taken care of in the mix.

In the time between when Axl started talking about that album and it actually came out, the whole music industry changed.

Oh yeah, tenfold it changed. Sadly, the help that was needed to try and capitalize [on] what could have been the biggest record of the fucking end of the industry as we know it, they just squandered it. Interscope didn't really get on board, and recognize that shit's changing pretty fast, and we can't really keep up with it. [They should have thought] We've got this record over here, the must anticipated record in fucking forever, and we should really be helping this guy out to get this thing together. Never happened. That shit happens every day to lots of band. But if you're Guns N' Roses, do something before everything really hits the shitter, I think you'd want to take advantage of that, especially considering the amounts of money they could have made.

The stupid thing was, it was pulled out of [Axl's] hands. He was already ready to give it up, but there were a few minor things that meant a lot to him artistically, but they pulled it out of his hands anyway. What was another couple fucking weeks waiting for the artwork? I mean really? That's what it came down to. That's just too bad.

The whole thing is a disappointment, considering how much time everyone put into it. But I still think it's a great record. I think it will go down as being a great record down the line. Compare it lyrically to past GN'R records, where his head was at and what he was trying to get out with the record, [and] I think there's some significantly deep, thought-out stuff. Down the road people will see that.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/2011/12/tommy_stinson.php

[HBK]

Great !@ Thanks

 

[slashsbaconpit]

Kinda explains why Axl didn't promote it ... I wouldn't have either if they took my baby away from me!

Anyway, great read. I think his take on the lyrics is the exact same feeling about them I've had from the get go. CD shows great growth and depth to the lyrics of GNR.

[SirTed]

You know...that was an incredibly thoughtful response.

Through the years, Axl and really, everyone has always said responded to questions like these with your typical boilerplate answers. It's not his fault of course - that's kind of the way you would have to respond when you're in the thick of it.

Anyway - I think that his answers weren't exactly groundbreaking, but at the same time it adds perspective. I think the fellas, especially Tommy who's been around the longest - have a lot of sympathy for Axl and all he went through, to put this record out.

Anyway - neat interview, thanks for posting.

[gnr85]

Nice read, Thanks for posting

[Jbat81]

Wow, about time we heard some of this stuff. Great read. Tommy sounded angry huh? lol

[BurningHills]

Great read. Gotta love Tommy.

[JDA]

Q&A

Tommy Stinson of Guns N' Roses and The Replacements: "A [Replacements] Reunion Is About As Likely as an Original Guns Reunion."

Dec. 16 2011

What's the secret? Not a lot of people have stayed in the band like that.

Tommy Stinson: You know, it's been a good gig for me. it's been fun, and you know, it's served me well in a lot of ways. Axl and I get along pretty good, and now is kind of the time to stick it out if we're going to make another record. The lineup is working, and the camaraderie is good; it's a good fit for me.

I thought about asking if GN'R was going to do another record, but I thought that might be the worst question in the word considering how long people asked about Chinese Democracy.

You know, I just see us making a record much quicker, because, in hindsight, a lot of what happened with Chinese Democracy, we could get around now. Mostly what happened with that record, why it took so long, was we just had no help from the record company whatsoever. [Axl] got zero fucking help from anyone outside the band to fucking do it. You know, it just got stupider and stupider as the record company kept throwing bad A&R guys [at us], or producers like Roy Thomas Baker who, you know, he made things sound better, but that wasn't' what we needed. We needed someone to help us fucking sow it up, and he came in fucking re-recorded everything five fucking times with every amp in the country. I just don't think that was something that was really important to making a record, that could have been taken care of in the mix.

In the time between when Axl started talking about that album and it actually came out, the whole music industry changed.

Oh yeah, tenfold it changed. Sadly, the help that was needed to try and capitalize [on] what could have been the biggest record of the fucking end of the industry as we know it, they just squandered it. Interscope didn't really get on board, and recognize that shit's changing pretty fast, and we can't really keep up with it. [They should have thought] We've got this record over here, the must anticipated record in fucking forever, and we should really be helping this guy out to get this thing together. Never happened. That shit happens every day to lots of band. But if you're Guns N' Roses, do something before everything really hits the shitter, I think you'd want to take advantage of that, especially considering the amounts of money they could have made.

The stupid thing was, it was pulled out of [Axl's] hands. He was already ready to give it up, but there were a few minor things that meant a lot to him artistically, but they pulled it out of his hands anyway. What was another couple fucking weeks waiting for the artwork? I mean really? That's what it came down to. That's just too bad.

The whole thing is a disappointment, considering how much time everyone put into it. But I still think it's a great record. I think it will go down as being a great record down the line. Compare it lyrically to past GN'R records, where his head was at and what he was trying to get out with the record, [and] I think there's some significantly deep, thought-out stuff. Down the road people will see that.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/2011/12/tommy_stinson.php







Totally agree Tommy. Great record and it will get it's praise in time.

[FunkyMonkey]

GUNS N' ROSES Bassist: I See Us Making The Next Record 'Much Quicker' - Dec. 18, 2011

Jason P. Woodbury of the Phoenix New Times recently conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES bassist Tommy Stinson. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Phoenix New Times: You've been in GUNS N' ROSES 13 years.

Stinson: Shit, I think it will be 14 by the time fuckin' May rolls around.

Phoenix New Times: What's the secret? Not a lot of people have stayed in the band like that.

Stinson: You know, it's been a good gig for me. it's been fun, and you know, it's served me well in a lot of ways. Axl [Rose, lead vocals] and I get along pretty good, and now is kind of the time to stick it out if we're going to make another record. The lineup is working, and the camaraderie is good; it's a good fit for me.

Phoenix New Times: I thought about asking if GN'R was going to do another record, but I thought that might be the worst question in the word considering how long people asked about "Chinese Democracy".

Stinson: You know, I just see us making a record much quicker, because, in hindsight, a lot of what happened with "Chinese Democracy", we could get around now. Mostly what happened with that record, why it took so long, was we just had no help from the record company whatsoever. [Axl] got zero fucking help from anyone outside the band to fucking do it. You know, it just got stupider and stupider as the record company kept throwing bad A&R guys [at us], or producers like Roy Thomas Baker who, you know, he made things sound better, but that wasn't what we needed. We needed someone to help us fucking sow it up, and he came in fucking re-recorded everything five fucking times with every amp in the country. I just don't think that was something that was really important to making a record, that could have been taken care of in the mix.

Phoenix New Times: In the time between when Axl started talking about that album and it actually came out, the whole music industry changed.

Stinson: Oh yeah, tenfold it changed. Sadly, the help that was needed to try and capitalize [on] what could have been the biggest record of the fucking end of the industry as we know it, they just squandered it. Interscope didn't really get on board, and recognize that shit's changing pretty fast, and we can't really keep up with it. [They should have thought] "We've got this record over here, the must anticipated record in fucking forever, and we should really be helping this guy out to get this thing together." Never happened. That shit happens every day to lots of band. But if you're GUNS N' ROSES, do something before everything really hits the shitter, I think you'd want to take advantage of that, especially considering the amounts of money they could have made.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=167368

[westcoast_junkie]

Q&A

Compare it lyrically to past GN'R records, where his head was at and what he was trying to get out with the record, [and] I think there's some significantly deep, thought-out stuff. Down the road people will see that.

That's right Tommy. Give it one, two, five or ten years and people will realize it....

[HBK]

GUNS N? ROSES WILL MAKE NEXT RECORD ?MUCH QUICKER? THAN PREVIOUS RELEASE

Good news for Guns N? Roses fans who are anxious to get their hands on a new album. From the sound of things, the band will have new music out sometime within the new year. One thing they know for sure is the turn around time won?t take quite as long as it did with their last album, ?Chinese Democracy.?

?I just see us making a record much quicker, because, in hindsight, a lot of what happened with ?Chinese Democracy,? we could get around now,? GN?R's bassist Tommy Stinson tells Phoenix News Times. ?Mostly what happened with that record ? why it took so long ? was we just had no help from the record company whatsoever. [Axl] got zero f?ing help from anyone outside the band to f?ing do it. You know, it just got stupider and stupider as the record company kept throwing bad A&R guys [at us] or producers like Roy Thomas Baker who made things sound better, but that wasn?t what we needed.

?We needed someone to help us f?ing sew it up,? Stinson continues. ?He came in f?ing re-recorded everything five f?ing times with every amp in the country. I just don?t think that was something that was really important to making a record, that could have been taken care of in the mix.?

The time spent working on the album and talking about its release was such a lengthy process that the band noticed many changes occurring around them within the music industry.

?Sadly, the help that was needed to try and capitalize [on] what could have been the biggest record of the f?ing end of the industry as we know it, they just squandered it,? Stinson says. ?Interscope didn?t really get on board, and recognize that sh??s changing pretty fast, and we can?t really keep up with it. [They should have thought] ?We?ve got this record over here, the must anticipated record in f?ing forever, and we should really be helping this guy out to get this thing together.? Never happened. That sh? happens every day to lots of band. But if you?re Guns N? Roses, do something before everything really hits the sh?er, I think you?d want to take advantage of that, especially considering the amounts of money they could have made.?

The end result of ?Chinese Democracy? wasn?t what the band was hoping it would be, but at the end of the day, it?s still their work. ?The stupid thing was, it was pulled out of [Axl's] hands,? Stinson says of their previous collection of tunes. ?He was already ready to give it up, but there were a few minor things that meant a lot to him artistically, but they pulled it out of his hands anyway. What was another couple f?ing weeks waiting for the artwork? I mean really? That?s what it came down to. That?s just too bad. The whole thing is a disappointment, considering how much time everyone put into it.

?I still think it?s a great record,? notes Stinson. ?I think it will go down as being a great record down the line. Compare it lyrically to past GN?R records, where his head was at and what he was trying to get out with the record, [and] I think there?s some significantly deep, thought-out stuff. Down the road people will see that.?

Next week, Guns N? Roses will wrap their tour dates for 2011 with stops in Arizona and Nevada. Click here to see a complete list of those dates, as well as where the band will be performing in the new year.

http://loudwire.com/guns-n-roses-make-next-record-much-quicker-than-previous-release/

[HBK]

Guns N? Roses Album Won?t Take Half A Century To Make Like The Last One Did, Bassist Says

OK, so, imagine yourself in this scenario: You?re working at an alternative newsweekly in Arizona, and you get the opportunity to speak with Guns N? Roses bassist Tommy Stinson.
The current bassist, not Duff. Sorry.

Anyways, so, you?re going to get to talk to the dude by phone. What questions would you ask? If you answered, ?I?d ask about the next GN?R album,? you?re lazy.
Me? I would try to piss Tommy off. I?d deliberately just ask questions about Axl Rose. Or DJ Ashba ? even better.

?So, Tommy, what?s it like working with DJ Ashba? Do you guys ever kid around and call him DJ Assbag? What?s DJ Ashba?s favorite cologne? Does DJ Ashba read? Is he an avid reader? Does DJ Ashba like fishing??

The last thing I?d ask is when the new GN?R record?s coming out because ultimately, Tommy has no idea when the new GN?R record is coming out. Only Axl knows that answer. So I?d fuck with him.

Continue...

http://gunshyassassin.com/news/guns-n-roses-album-wont-take-half-a-century-to-make-like-the-last-one-did-bassist-says/



GUNS N' ROSES BASSIST CALLS 'CHINESE DEMOCRACY' A DISSAPOINTMENT; TALKS NEW ALBUM

Long-time bass player Tommy Stinson has been a part of Axl Rose's Guns N' Roses unit for almost 14 years and recently revealed his thoughts on why 'Chinese Democracy' didn't live up to the hype as well as plans for another 'quicker' record.

After fans waited decades for the long awaited 'Chinese Democracy' record from lone original Guns N' Roses member and front man Axl Rose, it seems unlikely that another album is in the pipeline. According to bassist Tommy Stinson, he feels that the follow-up won't take as long now that the hurdles have been taken away. "You know, I just see us making a record much quicker, because, in hindsight, a lot of what happened with 'Chinese Democracy', we could get around now," said Stinson. "Mostly what happened with that record, why it took so long, was we just had no help from the record company whatsoever."

Continue...

http://www.dailyblam.com/news/2011/12/19/guns-n-roses-bassist-calls-chinese-democracy-a-dissapointment-talks-new-album

[HBK]

Could Guns N' Roses Release a Follow-up to Chinese Democracy Sooner Than Later?

It took him 15 years, but Axl Rose did it. Whether you loved it or hated it (general consensus leans toward the latter), Guns N' Roses released Chinese Democracy, the band's long-awaited follow-up to The Spaghetti Incident, in 2008.

And though the record didn't exactly tank (614,000 units sold as of April 2011), it didn't perform as expected.

Bassist Tommy Stinson, Guns N' Roses' third-longest-tenured member, as well as a founding member of The Replacements and current member of Soul Asylum, sums the record up as "disappointing."

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2011-12-22/music/still-loaded-could-guns-n-roses-release-a-follow-up-to-chinese-democracy-sooner-than-later/

[gnrjanus]

at least they are promoting a new album already....
that's good news...
this is more news then we'd had since 1999 and all that from just one interview with tommy Stinson