Will VR album spur Axl on?

[Scabbie]

Now that Rock in Rio is now a non entity GNR is once again lost into the ether, with no visible deadlines ahead for everyone to cling to, I anticipate that the next interesting 'milestone' in the cd saga will be the release of the VR album.

My question is do you think the success of this album will have any affect on the release of CD? Could a successful album actually discourage Axl (after all, it seems like it doesn't take much). Or will it spur him onto release the 'product' and ride the success and take them head on?  

Maybe this could be used as a poll

[Rockin' Rose]

Axl, after hearing Contraband

Fuck... this beats the shit out of CD... Hey boys! Back to the studio!!!

I hope this doesn't happen but only god really knows whats going to happen.

[Naupis]

If Contraband takes off and VR becomes the "It" band of the summer, I defintely think Axl will make a renewed push to get something out. I am sure all of the Axl zealots will give the "Axl does things when he wants and doesn't do anything because of anyone else" song and dance, but the reality is it would eat him alive for VR to become huge and have people's perception be that they, and not he, were the thing that made Guns huge in ther first place. In the eyes of the public it would be too coincidental that VR gets together, records and releases a hugely successful album all in the time it took Axl to figure out whether Bucket had or had not left the band. Fair or not, that is the way people will begin to look at the absurd delay that CD has had to endure.

So to answer the orginal question, it is either going to motivate him to finally get CD released in short time, or it will be the catalyst that begins GNR's final implosion.

[younggunner]

but the reality is it would eat him alive for VR to become huge and have people's perception be that they, and not he, were the thing that made Guns huge in ther first place.

If that was the case Gnr would have released the album right after VR announced that they would be making an album. If Axl was so concerned about VR he would have beaten them to the punch and released cd already

[Naupis]

Not necessarily, because in his mind he probably thinks they have no chance of success without him based on their previous solo efforts. If their album takes off and they become the talk of the music industry, that is when the reality will set in for him. As with the Guns album everything is purely hypothetical until the albums are actually released. I just think you're being very naive if you don't think that VR becoming huge and their members getting credit for Guns success won't push Axl to answer back somehow. If he didn't it would kill his legacy as people would just conitnue to believe the worst about him that the VR members get together and release a hot album, and Axl is still silent. That would be classified as nothing but defeat. He has to release that album at some point, and he will do it if he feels VR has upstaged him with a solid album. Axl has just never had a reason to release the album....this would serve as his reason.

[blues_rock_axeman]

In the eyes of the public it would be too coincidental that VR gets together, records and releases a hugely successful album all in the time it took Axl to figure out whether Bucket had or had not left the band.

Holy shit. I'd never looked at it that way before.

It's almost laughable isn't it? In a depressing way...

[Izzy]

In the eyes of the public it would be too coincidental that VR gets together, records and releases a hugely successful album all in the time it took Axl to figure out whether Bucket had or had not left the band.

Holy shit. I'd never looked at it that way before.

It's almost laughable isn't it? In a depressing way...

It is worrying isn't it......

Axl has admitted listening to the efforts by his ex friends, i'm sure VR's release will have some effect on him, but what that effect will be........

[GNROSAS]

After Listening to the Slither Mp3 Axl will certainly feel a lot more confident for his CD. He will wait few months for contraband to flop after its mediocre sales and then he will bomb the C.D and let everyone realize who  has the real Big Balls!!!!

[younggunner]

Not necessarily, because in his mind he probably thinks they have no chance of success without him based on their previous solo efforts

I doubt that very much. Axl is a smart guy...I really doubt he thinks they have no chance. He has said a zillion times how talented slash is. So it wouldnt surprise him if VR did well.

I just think you're being very naive if you don't think that VR becoming huge and their members getting credit for Guns success won't push Axl to answer back somehow.

Im not saying that he wont look a the situation and then do somethign about it. BUt gnr have their own plans and right now they have to get over 1 big obstacle and that is the bucket situation. Other than that no band will ever get in gnrs way.

After Listening to the Slither Mp3 Axl will certainly feel a lot more confident for his CD.

I agree. I just heard the studio cut. Its ok. Its a lot better than the previous version I heard.

To me its an abover average song. Nothing special. Cool lil rocker i guess but nothing that makes my jaw drop or give me chills. Aside from Set Me Free Silk Worms Vegas version is a lot better than the material I have heard from VR. Nevermind the other gnr songs. Cant wait to hear the album...

[Naupis]

I keep hearing from people on this board (well.....mostly Axl Zealots who know argue that somehow Silk Worms and Oh My God(Did I really release that? ) are better songs, when more than 9 out of 10 people at first listen would tell you Slither is the better song) how Slither is not that good. While I agree it is not as good as most of the GNR epics of the past, or maddy or the blues(the other 4 we've heard are no better or worse that slither), it is a very radio friendly song that will be played alot most likely. THAT is the important part of the equation. None of the songs GNR have shown us that far are as radio friendly is Slither. They might be better songs in terms of layers or complexity or lyrics, but to the ear they are not songs that would see excessive play on a rock radio format. Slither on the other hand was a song written to get radio play. GNR may actually out-think themselves by having an album of songs that are good songs, but don't fit into any particular radio format. Having an epic album is great, but if no one hears the songs to promote the album so people will buy it they are essentially worthless.

[ppbebe]

Haven?t you guys read the press release yet? He has just promised to give us next news in 3months. I don?t know whether he concerns VR in the way you think but if so he has past such a process.Yeah he might have waited for this VR thing to happen just to give you diehard fans pleasure of getting 2albums from GNR families in same year. I dare say he?ll  be glad at the success of his exes and vice versa. In some aspects he is now far mature than you've ever expected(this is what I figured out from the whole BH incidents)

[MadmanDan]

Well I think VR really encouraged Axl in his musical ideas:"Set me free" and "Slither" are two great,but common,un-original rock songs,while Madagascar and The Blues are two beautiful original masterpieces (and not even the"big guns"). That shows that Axl was right in the "artistic differences" that split up the original band

[younggunner]

it is a very radio friendly song that will be played alot most likely

Im not disputing that. It will definately get a lot of air play just like smf initially did. Whether it will get continous airplay is a question. I doubt it because it sounds no diffeent than anything else. The intro to the song is good and slash's solo is good but cut too short. Its a descent song. I like silk worms better though because its something different and it rocks. Slither doesnt come close to OMG.

GNR may actually out-think themselves by having an album of songs that are good songs, but don't fit into any particular radio format.  

I agree a song like Maddy, although a fukin great song would not do well comercially.

Having an epic album is great, but if no one hears the songs to promote the album so people will buy it they are essentially worthless.

I totally disagree. Look at the uyi albums. They werent radio friendly per se. Actaully when you think about it, GNr was never a radio friendly type band. Their classics are obiviously radio friendsly but the songs I love, liek may of you never have been heard on the radio much.

I do not think the album will be full of songs that cannot be played on the radio. Tommy and dizzy have said that there are some pop friendly songs on the album and songs that a lot of different genres can relate too. Time wil tell on that though.

Just because a particular song or album isnt radio friendly doesnt mean it cant be good or a great album.

Well I think VR really encouraged Axl in his musical ideas:"Set me free" and "Slither" are two great,but common,un-original rock songs,while Madagascar and The Blues are two beautiful original masterpieces (and not even the"big guns").

I agree. I have said this many times. VR will be a very good and probably succesful band. There album will probably rock. But it will be reg rock. It wont push the envelop or be somehting different. ANd thats fine.
Gnr on the other hand are doing something different. They are trying to push the envelop. Will it be successful. WHo knows time will tell.
VR will rock but GNR will rock the world.

That shows that Axl was right in the "artistic differences" that split up the original band

Yes it does but it doesnt make him "right" yet. Even me, the biggest new gnr there can be, cannot say that the band has met expectations yet. As a fan they have given me a handful of songs that tell me that they arent lieing when they say they are gonna comeback with a bang. So when those big guns and the album get released i wont be surprised. But you cant declare gnr the winner in the who was right who was wrong debate yet. Lets wait till its released then we can crown gnr

 Till then,let the haters keep thinking the monstrosity will fall

[phaseONE]

I still laugh when u guys bring up the " axl hasnt given us his big guns yet " issue !!

So, he does a "chinese democracy starts now " tour back a few years ago now, plays the old songs ( well, the band trys to play them anyway! ) and 2 or 3 "new" songs which were already heard back in 99`, continues the same setlist never plays any of these supposed big guns, tour gets canned, no explanation, axl goes back to hiding in his house in the hills, releases a statement that their main guitarplayer has walked out on him, and again tells more lies that the record still needs some finishing touches!!!!!

And after all this, all the bullshit axl has been feeding you, u STILL wait for his " big guns "

well people, enjoy your wait, keep looking out for those " big guns " for at least the next 10 years, maybe then, axl will have hired and fired and maybe recorded enough material to have made at least a half hearted attempt at a record, but of course......after more excuses......the big guns will be on the next record!

Nice one axl !!

[estranged.1098]

You need to chill. All Axl said is that the songs they were playing live are not the best of their songs. Somehow you turned that into a "it's been 10 years" discussion.

[Butch Français]

After Listening to the Slither Mp3 Axl will certainly feel a lot more confident for his CD. He will wait few months for contraband to flop after its mediocre sales and then he will bomb the C.D and let everyone realize who  has the real Big Balls!!!!

I seriously doubt Contraband will flop.....Im pretty sure it will me an (almost) gigantic hit album!

[K-Rock]

My question is do you think the success of this album will have any affect on the release of CD? Could a successful album actually discourage Axl (after all, it seems like it doesn't take much). Or will it spur him onto release the 'product' and ride the success and take them head on?  

I do have to say that this is one of the most thought-provoking threads in AGES!!!  Well done Scabbie.

I do think that if Axl feels that Contraband contains better material than he and his fellow band members have produced to date.........then Axl will go back to the drawing board.

I don't think he can handle being proven wrong that the direction he desired to take GN'R, was not as good as what direction Slash wanted to go.

[Skunk]

I think Slither's going to be a very popular song, and the album will do well. STP had more than a few fans of their own too you know, and that's gonna be a big factor (think audioslave).

As far as Axl, i think he's aware of this, and has already considered it. I think he probably prefers letting them go first so to speak, like the opening band. Let Slash and them get back in the public eye, and then people won't be surprised at all by the fact that GNR is all new players. He's planning on topping them. I don't know if he will, but he's been planning CD to be very big from day one, so I don't think anything has changed that.

Will Velvet Revolver motivate him? Yes, I think so, and I think it already has to a degree. But I also don't think he realizes how big they can be. If they achieve that level of success, it will probably add to both his fear and his motivation. Axl seems like the kind of person who responds better to negative motivation. Kind of like "oh yeah, i'll show them."

[Sukie]

I do think that if Axl feels that Contraband contains better material than he and his fellow band members have produced to date.........then Axl will go back to the drawing board.

I don't think he can handle being proven wrong that the direction he desired to take GN'R, was not as good as what direction Slash wanted to go.

I hope you're wrong, K-Rock!  I'd hate to see everything scrapped.  

If you look at it like that, though, you can also argue that pride wouldn't let Mr. Rose go back to the drawing board.  News would get out and people would know that he'd scrapped the material to work on new songs.  To me, if I were wanting to "save face" I would have to go ahead and release it and let the public decide.   I wouldn't want people to think that I'd gotten scared off by Velvet Revolver's success/album.  

Of course, you have to care what others think about you in both scenarios.  I don't know that Mr. Rose has that kind of attitude.  

[Chodem]

Just FYI, I was listening to 98 rock tonight in Baltimore, and they do a cage match or something where they play a challenger vs. the champ and have people call in and decide who wins.  Well it just so happened that they put VR (Slither) against some band I've never heard of called Skillet (Savior) and Skillet whipped their asses like 11-4.  It doesn't seem like most people are going to embrace VR from the radio responses they got.  Most people thought they were just outdated.  Sadly, Slither was a much better song than Savior.