Axl will never be the one to reach out; his pride and his ego will get in the way of that
I disagree. I believe he would avoid this for the sake of protecting himself.
"3) Slash has lied about nearly everything and anything to nearly everyone and anyone. It's who he is. It's what he does. Duff's support for the man though understandable in one sense in regard to his circumstances, is inexcusable, and furthers my distance from the two of them. For me Matt doesn't figure into the equation and for as much as I was a friend to him he was incapable of reciprocating and life is much better without such an obvious albatross. Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking anything away from the alumni in regard to their prior performances on record or touring to support the albums. I know how I was treated and more importantly I know how they treated others during both of these things, it's not a way anyone should be forced or even asked to work. And for the record I'm referring to Slash and Matt in regards to their actions and behavior, Duff played more of a supporting role (for reasons I've never understood). For the fans to attempt to condemn me to relationships even only professional with any of these men is a prison sentence and something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I'd say my parole is nearly over. I'm practically a free man and if you don't like it you'll have plenty of time to get used to the idea." - Axl gnronline statement 8/12/02.
Axl Speaks regarding former GN'R members - 11/27/2002 Pepsi Arena Albany, NY, United States
"Now I was uh, perusing. I was reading all about my integrity, cause that's what I'm known for I guess---selling out my integrity. That's why I'm here with you now, cause I don't give a fuck I guess. Yeah, that's why we worked real hard at this, that's why these guys worked real hard at being in a band that they can get abuse for, because "they're the guys in the way of getting the old band back together." That's horseshit. I'm not trying to bum anybody out, but, you know, I was thinking about it. I'm pretty blunt so people get real pissed. And I haven't done a lot of talking on this tour. Ill shut up real soon don't worry.
Y'know, I tried acting nice and that just ends up fucking me right up the ass. in the same 'rant' regarding fan's claims that "The other guys, they have gotten over it and they're his friend now and they're willing to be his friend and he just needs to grow up."
Axl's reply:
" I'm sorry. I'm a little bit more blunt. I mean Slash may sound like a De La Hoya, but he's the fuckin Vargas. That's just how it is. And just because he's got a bunch of guys agreeing doesn't mean shit. The truth is that they're a bunch of bad cops and I'm the fuckin Serpico and they can 'suck my dick'!
IMO he's hurt.... and anyone with a basic understanding of how human emotions work knows that is the root of anger... the anger you hear expressed in his above rant.
Regardless of what anyone outside of the situation thinks or assumes - Axl has answered this age old question outright (in his words
bluntly). I believe they have been a hinderance to his moving on with Guns N' Roses.. with his life's work. Remember what he said at RIRIII? "Regardless of what you have heard or read, people worked very hard, meaning my former friends, to do everything they could so that I could not be here today. I say f*ck that. I am as hurt and dissapointed as you..."
The lawsuit, I believe, was in the works and expected for some time. There were legal wranglings behind the scenes long before which we would not be aware of. Why would he reach out? He's never denited their musical talents I do believe he knows what they would be capable of together - but realizes that their potential could never be reached because what he felt was a short-sightedness of vision and a lack of effort on Slash' part. He's referred to this in the Burning Hills statement (the 'dive in and find the monkey' comment), and the gnronline statement (you can only do so many pullups). So even though he's aware of the great potential, he feels it could not be reached with Slash.
In the gnronline statement he said that Slash left because Slash wanted control... and 'damn skippy' yes he himself wanted control. In the RS interview, in the vein of a ship can't have 2 captains, he explained that there could not be two drivers in one car... and reiterated that he was always the one held responsible and basically that he would have to be the one in control. Slash not being willing or feeling able to continue under this condition, left. And for at least this, Axl was dissapointed and hurt.
Would this ever change? Would Slash ever feel able or be willing to create anything with Axl with Axl being the one in control? Slash has in the past said that he would be willing to re-unite. But has he ever meant that he would work with Axl being the one in control? I don't think so. He has made statements such as "if Axl got his head together..." being the only condition under which he would consider it. Is Slash a bad guy for wanting to be in creative control or for not wanting to be in a band where he is not the one in control? No. Its a personal decision and one he made when he decided to stop working with Axl and left Guns N' Roses. Of course, even if that be his right as a musician, one could understand Axl's feeling dissapointed, hurt, and angry that Slash made that decision.
Further adding to this would be Slash's reaction/ replies regarding the breakup in various public statements and comments in which he's painted Axl as the 'only one to blame' for the breakup.
Its obvious with common sense to see that with both Axl and Slash wanting control of GN'R that neither is to blame fully and both are to blame equally
if it's a given that either was as equally suited to be in control as the other.
However, IMO, one who has more creative ambition and vision would be preferable as the captain than one who wanted to keep doing what they been doing since they were fifteen years old... I'd rather someone who wanted to continue to creatively progress.
It's known that Slash objected to implementing an 'industrial sound'...
Read what Slash said in the Metal Edge Interview "The inside story of Velvet Revolver" Dec. '04 (link:
http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/articles/showarticle.php?articleid=133:
"ME: There have been so many bands that people have thought would ?bring back rock? over the past few years, and now the same is being said about Velvet Revolver. Do you feel that responsibility, knowing how neutered the music industry is right now?
S: How neutered the music industry is is probably one of the reasons we exist today in the first place. It was just getting to be really tough, but for me,
I never really changed throughout the years. I refused to conform to any of the industry?s standards, and
when anybody tells me what I should or shouldn?t do, ever since I was fifteen and played guitar, I?ve learned to not listen...."
Funny thing is in the writing and recording process of AFD Axl has spoke about all various muscial influences he drew on.
Mike Clink speaking about AFD sessions: (great article btw. link:
http://www.gunnertemple.com/index.php?act=39&code=12&view=40)
"How would you describe the sound they were after?
They wanted it to be raw, and they enjoyed the interplay of two guitarists, which is something that I've always loved. They would also talk about the records they liked, especially Axl. Axl came to rehearsals with cassettes--he listened to music constantly, and one of the bands he loved was Metallica. And Izzy was a Dixie Dregs guy. Slash was a Rolling Stones guy. Duff was a Misfits-style punk guy. and Steven enjoyed all of the above."
A quote from Axl included in the Rolling Stone's 50th anniversary of Rock issue demonstrates this:
(link:
http://heretodaygonetohell.com/news/shownews.php?newsid=1070)
"G n? R survived on the kindness of strangers (even after deciding to sign with Geffen Records, the band met with A&R execs from other labels just for the free meals) and starting in the summer of ?86 labored seriously on Appetite.
?In one year I spent over $1,300 on cassettes,? Rose told ROLLING STONE, ?everything from Slayer to Wham!, to listen to production, vocals, melodies, this and that.? For the recording of ?Sweet Child o? Mine,? he noted, ?I went out and got some old Lynyrd Skynyrd tapes to make sure that we?d got that down-home, heartfelt feeling.?"
So Axl listened to Metallica and Skynard and "everything from Slayer to Wham" and tapped into them for various influences - yet AFD doesn't sound like an imitation of anyone does it? Nor would the post UYI GN'R album
be NIN.
No more than AFD was Metallica or Skynard or Slayer or Wham or ELO (another band Axl has mentioned listening to and garnering from.)
One in creating music has huge vision and the other just wants to jam / rock out. The thing is IMO only one of these visions would have
excluded the other.*sigh*
sorry for the long post - but what the hell...! There is just so much that answers the eternally asked question about Axl and Slash's differences... why the split... And about whether they could/would work together again.
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