What band do you compare mostly to Guns n' Roses (NOT MUSIC-WISE)

[MikeB]

The first one that comes to my mind is Van Halen. They both parted from their frontman because of ego problems.Fans seemed to like Slash/Eddie Van Halen better than DLR/Axl. Scott Wieland seems to be following Sammy Hagar's footsteps how Axl-fans bash him. Although both Velvet Revolver and "Van Hagar" became succesfull with thier work, fans of the older bands put them down all the time. Although it happens more with Van Halen but I know the most disappointed Gn'R fans that know of VR and don't like them at all.

Ever saw the movie Joe Dirt? Remember when the radio dj asks him what bands he likes, Joe replies "AC/DC, Skynyrd, Def Lepard, Van Halen ... not Van Hagar." 10 years from now people will say "my favorite band is Guns n' Roses ... not Velvet Revolver."

That's just my opinion, I know people like August 18 are going to say" What ? David Lee Roth is not talented as Axl!"   But remember I said

NOT-MUSIC WISE

[AxemanOnFire]

Like Led Zeppelin, everyone 'in the know' (music press, VH1 etc - notice the inverted commas, these guys probably don't know shit) reckons they'll have to reunite 'some day', but they refuse, no matter how much money is shoveled at them. Unlike Zep, I don't personally believe they will for at least a decade and a half. Zep are aging guys, they will surely wanna go out with a bang, and my bet is the 40th anniversary of Led Zeppelin I (that is, spring 2009). The Stones released their greatest hits and did the Forty Licks tour in '02, Cream reunited this year for a few gigs - the 'Big 40' is big business for bands formed in the 1960s.

Like Motley Crue, when/if (big 'if') they reunite, they'll get flack bbecause people will say it's just for the money. They may have good reason. It is my belief (and please don't let this ruin the discussion, Axl-fans or VR-fans) that Axl will never release Chinese Democracy, and while I feel Velvet Revolver will go on to have great successes, they'll probably never do as well as GN'R did. Slash, Duff and perhaps Matt (if the bridges have been burnt completely with Steven) will want to recapture some of the glory, and unless VR are still a going concern (with all the band members at 50-55 years old in 2010, when I feel any reunion will happen, I don't feel it's likely) GN'R will be the answer. Unlike Motley Crue, the intervening years will not have destroyed their reputations as rock stars (providing Axl can bury the Chinese Democracy hatchet).

Wow, lot of 'ifs' and 'maybes' there. And, of course, if Axl does actually release Chinese Democracy, the whole thing goes out the window. I wouldn't imagine Slash, Izzy, Duff and Steven/Matt would want to reunite when 'Guns N' Roses' have been touring/releasing material without them for so long.

[nesquick]

Oasis

Like GN'R, when they arrived they became the biggest Rock band in the world and no one could touch them.

[Izzy]

Boston

Realeased a devestating debut album, managed to follow it up - then went totally to bits taking 8 years for album no#3 and another 8 for album no#4 losing the rest of the band in the process.

Both are testimony to one mans genius/insanity - both Tom Scholz and Axl eventually achieved total control over the band, both simply couldn't tell when enough was enough, their perfectionism eventually prevented them doing anything and despite so much effort led to a poor return.

Axl is working hard to replicate Scholz's achievement of taking so long to release their next album that upon its release few reamin that still care, both dragged their band through the mud and were unable to let go of a band name that had long since ceased to mean anything

[Smoking Guns]

GNR, Led Zep, AC/DC, and Aerosmith, and the Stones are all very similar to GNR.

Led Zepplin because the could could go soft and hard.  You had a great front man and guitarist.  Nov. Rain is the Stairway of the nineties.

AC/DC because you had Angus and Malcom like Slash and Izzy with a real screamer in Axl.

Aerosmith because they looked a like them.  Major influence to them.  GNR are much more talented then Aerosmith though.

The Stones are because Mick and Axl are two of the greatest front men ever.  Keith and Izzy are a lot alike.  Slash and Mick Taylor (the stones greatest guitar player) sound a lot a like.  GNR would have been the next rolling stones had they kept it up......

[Vicious Wishes]

Boston

Realeased a devestating debut album, managed to follow it up - then went totally to bits taking 8 years for album no#3 and another 8 for album no#4 losing the rest of the band in the process.

Both are testimony to one mans genius/insanity - both Tom Scholz and Axl eventually achieved total control over the band, both simply couldn't tell when enough was enough, their perfectionism eventually prevented them doing anything and despite so much effort led to a poor return.

Axl is working hard to replicate Scholz's achievement of taking so long to release their next album that upon its release few reamin that still care, both dragged their band through the mud and were unable to let go of a band name that had long since ceased to mean anything

Great analogy. I actually liken GnR to a Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison. Obviously all these people died, thus ending their careers, and they all died because of their addictions. GnR also died because of an overdose. Too much ego, in their case. Axl may yet rise from the ashes like a phoenix, but that remains to be seen.

[Rob]

Although theese guys weren't quite as good, and didn't have the level of popularity of GN'R, I think Skid Row were very similar.  They were only together long enough to release a few albums, but the stuff they did was excellent.  Then they were broken up mainly because of the egos of their singers.  Neither band did enough with the talent they had.

[Mikkamakka]

GNR, Led Zep, AC/DC, and Aerosmith, and the Stones are all very similar to GNR.

You are damn right about the first one.

[GnrPersia]

Black Label Society

[vicarious existence]

Although theese guys weren't quite as good, and didn't have the level of popularity of GN'R, I think Skid Row were very similar.  They were only together long enough to release a few albums, but the stuff they did was excellent.  Then they were broken up mainly because of the egos of their singers.  Neither band did enough with the talent they had.

Skid Row didn't break up. Sebastian Bach was just kicked out as far as I know. I think they actually have a new album due out soon.

[jameslofton29]

I think The Four Horsemen were similar to AFD era GNR. They just didn't give a fuck about anything. But unfortunately, they didn't have staying power. Their music wasn't as good as GNR, but attitude wise, practically the same.

[N.I.B]

GN'R and Nirvana

Both had some mediocre debut work (Bleach and Live like a Suicide). They toured some small clubs and had thier share of crowd boos. GN'R had an amazing debut album "AFD" and Nirvana's sofimore album "Nevermind", both rocked and revolutionized the current area that they were in. Where GN'R's "bad-boy" attitude with drugs, getting arrested, and swearing,the sex; typical bad-boys. Nirvana deals with a more minor bad-boy attitude, with the drug problems, some sex, and more notbaly, thier fame for destroying thier stage equipment durring thier shows. Both had rough endings ot thier careers, with the bitter GN'R break-up and Kobain's "suicide" Although they had different suituations, both had a similar run through thier carrers.

[Rob]

Although theese guys weren't quite as good, and didn't have the level of popularity of GN'R, I think Skid Row were very similar.? They were only together long enough to release a few albums, but the stuff they did was excellent.? Then they were broken up mainly because of the egos of their singers.? Neither band did enough with the talent they had.

Skid Row didn't break up. Sebastian Bach was just kicked out as far as I know. I think they actually have a new album due out soon.

Yes, I know they didn't actually break up.  But they're not the same band without Bach.  Johnny Solinger, his replacement, isn't fit to soundcheck his microphone.  Without Bach most fans have ceased to care about Skid Row.

[AxlFink]

comparing gnr to van halen is gay.  van halen never made music that was art.  axl did.  VH's songs are on the level of a 13 year olds mentality. 

[AxlFink]

and there is no band to compare to gnr. 

[Rob]

Fuck art...I like rock music. ?Art belongs in a museum. ?Some of you people crack me up. ?What exactly qualifies a song as art? ?If its more than 7 minutes long with piano and a string section its art? ?GN'R is my favorite band of all time, but if you're gonna consider some of their songs art then you'd have to consider Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing art too. ?You can totally hear the classical influences in his playing. ?Eruption...if any rock song is art, then that's fucking art.

[MikeB]

comparing gnr to van halen is gay.  van halen never made music that was art.  axl did.  VH's songs are on the level of a 13 year olds mentality. 

Hey buddy, didn't tou read the thread title? Did you miss the words Not Music-Wise? I meant a band that had attitudes like GN'R,, not if their music sounded alike. And I didn't stereo-type Gn'R as VH-alikes, everyone has thier choices of opinion in this thread.

David Lee Roth/Axl Rose-both egotistical frontmen
Eddie Van Halen/Slash- both fan's favorite member of the band, mostly
Sammy Hagar/Scott Weiland-both pissed off the fans for replacing their favorite band's singer

That makes me think they're alike with their music put aside, just my opinion.

[Lineker10]

I dont think people are pissed off at Weiland for stealing Axl's position. Velvet Revolver are a seperate band from Gn'R - Weiland has noting to do with Gn'R apart from the connection of his band mates. He didnt exactly 'replace' Axl. I think in 10 years time if CD has been released youll probably have people saying "I like Gn'R.......old school Slash/Izzy/Duff/Axl era Gn'R".

[mrlee]

comparing gnr to van halen is gay.  van halen never made music that was art.  axl did.  VH's songs are on the level of a 13 year olds mentality. 

theres no way you can say the guitar playing by van halen could be done by a 13 year old.

[Johnnyblood]

For Appetite-era GNR, I think early Motley Crue is actually the closest thing in terms of mindset. It's the whole greasy LA thing, girls and drugs, cool riffs, glam. All that. Of course, Guns did it best, but people who were listening to rock way back in 1982 can remember how exciting it was to hear Live Wire, and later, Looks that Kill, come screaming out of a cheap boombox.

As for UYI era and beyond, I'd have to go with Elton John, ELO, and Queen, with the more Stonesy and Aerosmith-y sounds added by Slash and (for a little while) Izzy.