The "lost" Gn'R album??

[Eternal Flaming Sword of Death...]

Wasn't the album referred to as "Back to Basics"?    I am certain that it is talked about in the liner notes of one of the industrial tributes to GNR. I believe that "This I Love" was originally recorded during this time.

There was talk for a while of Izzy returning. I think that he even worked with them for a while.

Steve Jones from teh Sex Pistols was also rumored to have joined or considered it during this time.

[misterID]

If this album really exists, we will only see it after Axls death. Something like Nirvanas unreleased songs, every Greatest Hits or The Best of, they put one or two unreleased.
 

If it exists Geffen can release it no matter what Axl says. ie: the Greatest Hits

That is NOT true since the GHs songs were already released. If that were true then Geffen could have released CD 4 years ago.

Dave, Geffen owns the rights to ALL GNR music. It's their money that's been burned? to record GNR's albums since 1987 to right now.

It was my understanding that Geffen were the ones who stopped CD's release in 1998 and told Axl to go back and "touch it up."

Where did you hear that?

Yeah I have definitely NEVER heard about that.? Maybe the poster could show us a source???

Axl said it in one of his interviews. There aren't many since the Loader interview in 99 (it may be that one) so you can find it.

[sic.]

I figured I'd bump this one up, since I just stumbled upon yet another quote. Helps construct the timeline.

The more you crossreference Slash's and Matt's interviews, the weirder it gets. Slash interview was done just before the Pepsi Island Festival in Hungary (August 14th). Matt's interview was done when Neurotic Outsiders played in France (September 23rd ). Matt said a lot of songs had been worked on. Meanwhile, Slash had been out doing Snakepit. Once Slash arrives, Duff and Matt almost simultaneously release their album and leave to tour behind it. Matt feared his touring with Snakepit would jeopardize the band, whereas touring with Neurotic is OK. And who did these seven songs? Slash was not around, not until late September


"I haven't rehearsed with them, or even been in the same room with them, since before the Snakepit record came out (in ?95)." - Slash, 96 <= Namely Axl; Slash shared the stage with NO in late '95.

"I had a nine-hour rehearsal yesterday (not GNR). Tonight, I've got to go home, pack and get on a plane to Hungary."
"The plan," announces Slash, "is for Duff (McKagan, bass) and Matt (Sorum, drums) to take off their band, Neurotic Outsiders, for a while., leaving me and Axl to write stuff." - Slash, 96

H.R.: Guns N' Roses is supposed to be in rehearsal and you're in Paris. Not really convenient?
Matt: Axl is real cool with the Neurotic, he loves the album and he doesn't say it to be polite.

Matt: Right now, [Axl]'s playing guitar and it's like he plays that instrument for 10 years. [...]
H.R.: Since Axl is playing guitar does that mean there won't be any replacement for Gilby?
Matt: No, there's someone, but I can't tell you his name.
H.R.: Is he well-known?
Matt: No. He's unknown. But I can't tell you his name because I don't know if he will tour with us. - Matt, 96

--

Q: Are Guns N' Roses back together in the studio as a band, or are you recording your various parts separately?
Slash: At this point in time we have only been collaborating together. But we have been doing mostly Axl's material.


Q:? Is Axl going to be the permanent rythum player? Or is that classified information?
Slash: As far as I know, Axl's intention is not to be the rhythm guitar player. - Slash, 16th Oct. '96

Duff interview, dated August 30th, 1996

Guns N' Roses is back working together again, according to bassist Duff McKagan. [...] "We've been in for two weeks as a full band with Slash and Axl (Rose) and me, and we go from midnight to five in the morning," McKagan said from L.A. "With Guns, there's no problems with material. The problem has always been getting us in the same room. So now that we're in there, it's rockin'."

The record will be all up-tempo rock songs ("No ballads," McKagan said firmly) and it will be just 12 songs, with a release planned for next spring. A summer tour would likely follow."

On Neurotic Outsiders/Axl: On this tour we're doing, Matt and I fly back from Toronto (NO played there on Sept. 8th) and then we do four days with Guns (recording) and then we go back out, so Matt and I are playing every single night with one or the other (bands) in September," McKagan said.

Keyboard player Dizzy Reed is also back in the GN'R lineup, but there's been a big change up front: Rose is now playing rhythm guitar. "For the last couple of years, he started to go, 'Okay, I'm going to play guitar and actually learn what these notes are.' It's an innocent guitar, not unlike Izzy (Stradlin, ex-GN'R guitarist) was, but Axl's got a lot more musically than Izzy ever did.''

---

So, the 'lost' sessions with the UYI lineup (sans Gilby) lasted from mid to late August, with a possible additional week in early September. That would explain Slash's comment on being in the band for three weeks - he didn't go back to the studio between early September and his firing in late October, probably. Paul Huge was involved at some point, possibly working as a song writer. So having seven songs at some stage of completition sounds feasible.

By September 1996, Slash was so miserable that he swore, "I'm going to confront it. Either Paul goes, or..." A month later, Rose announced that Slash had quit the band. - Q Mag, 2001

Looks like the sessions didn't go too well when Duff and Matt left to tour, leaving Axl, Slash (and possibly Paul) to their own devices.

[Neemo]

thanks sic. 

[slashisvr]

cool stuff, its been a great day for old articles.

there was a time (lol) where they could have got back together one feels, but there still was arguments over the "we're playin mostly axl's material"

could the band have worked it out for a moment?

[sic.]

there was a time (lol) where they could have got back together one feels, but there still was arguments over the "we're playin mostly axl's material"

could the band have worked it out for a moment?

They had 7 songs, most of that material written by Axl and Paul. The band steps in, recording their respective parts. This likely includes Slash's trademark guitar solos and Axl doing the rhythm guitar (could this be his response to the STFD incident, not getting Paul in with Slash?).

But when Slash and Axl should've written the additional half a dozen songs together, things got sour. I can only imagine it would've been better with Duff and Matt present. That way Axl might've not had had to rely on Paul to give in his two cents. I guess that's the problem: Slash liked the material they had done up to that point.

Maybe it wasn't Paul's writing, but the fact that Slash saw him stepping in as a permanent (studio) rhythm guitarist, or atleast someone who'd have a huge (pun intended) impact on the GNR sound, having already written half the album with Axl. So he might've seen it as a control issue on Axl's part, where he [Slash] wouldn't have as much to say on the music as he did before.

[TrixAreForKids]

If this album really exists, we will only see it after Axls death. Something like Nirvanas unreleased songs, every Greatest Hits or The Best of, they put one or two unreleased.

Based on Axl's comments (among others), This I Love is a post-UYI track, which they might've originally recorded during that time. I think it's the one song from the old band that has a chance to survive from the vault. Of course, don't expect to hear Slash and Duff on it if it's included to CD.

Yes, This I Love was recorded during the UYI era, and expected on CD.

[sic.]

I wrote and recorded a new love song that I want on the next record called This I Love, that?s the heaviest thing that I?ve ever done. Other than that, we?re not even sure how we?re gonna approach writing for this next album. Last time Slash would write his songs, I would write mine and Izzy would write his, and then we?d put ?em all together. Well, this time there?s no Izzy, and Slash isn?t writing just his songs ? it?s gonna be more of a collaboration thing. - Axl in Hit Parader, 1994

"This I love" is actually an old GN'R song that the original GN'R wrote and recorded for the "Illusion" records. I like that song a lot.. it took a couple of weeks to find all the tapes because they finished recording "Use Your Illusions" on the road and one tape was in Paris another in London and another in Sydney I believe. - Dave Dominguez in Sp1at, he worked with GNR as an engineer back in '98 or so.?

Dominguez might be a bit lost here, the song was recorded on tour, but was probably never intended to be included for UYI.

Since they had to track down the tapes, it's possible This I Love was not intended for the 'lost' album either, since the band was doing a different thing and it might've not fit in (think Don't Cry/Nov. Rain and AFD).
 

[nesquick]

Maybe it wasn't Paul's writing, but the fact that Slash saw him stepping in as a permanent (studio) rhythm guitarist, or atleast someone who'd have a huge (pun intended) impact on the GNR sound, having already written half the album with Axl. So he might've seen it as a control issue on Axl's part, where he [Slash] wouldn't have as much to say on the music as he did before.

VERY TRUE.

In my opinion, Axl brang Paul Huge in the band (Paul Huge = 3rd guitar player, with Slash and Gilby) to reduce Slash's influence in Guns N' Roses.
I've always though Axl was getting jealous of Slash because he was getting as popular as him. Axl had a big ego, he didn't like that, he wanted the FULL control of the band so he decided to hire Paul Huge to "eliminate" Slash. To force him to leave.

For me Axl still continues to do it to a certain extent when he decided to hire Bumblefoot 3 or 4 days before the 2006 Tour starts because Axl doesn't want a new Slash in GN'R again, he doesn't want a new real popular guitar player. That's why he hired a 3rd guitar player, The Slash/Gilby and Paul Huge thing is repeateating again with Finck/Fortus and Bumblefoot. Bumblefoot was imposed by Axl to the band.

[sic.]

In my opinion, Axl brang Paul Huge in the band (Paul Huge = 3rd guitar player, with Slash and Gilby) to reduce Slash's influence in Guns N' Roses.

This I love. 

Gilby was gone, gone, gone before Paul got in.

No three guitarist in the mid-90's. Just Axl (vox, rhythm guitar), Slash (lead guitar), Duff (bass), Matt (drums) and Dizzy (keyboards). How many guitars is that?

[nesquick]

no, no basically there were 3 guitar players by the time "Sympathy For the Devil"? was released ((mid-late 1994): Slash, Gilby and Paul Huge.
YES, Paul Huge played on this song.
Gilby said a short time after he would never agree to play in a 3 guitar players band. He hated that idea. Slash hated that idea too.
I tell you, Axl brang SHIT in the band when he hired Tobias.?Both Slash and Gilby really didn"t like that freaking idea (epecially Slash). They both said it in interviews back in the days.
That's why since day one, i've never liked this 3 guitar players thing: I'm afraid the History can repeat itself with this new line-up. You know... I think it's a bad idea. It creates ego problems.

[jarmo]

You know... I think it's a bad idea. It creates ego problems.

Reading your posts is a bad idea. 

"Ego problems" exist in most bands. They existed in your old dream band as well. They exist in Oasis too.


Stop thinking your ideas are always correct, that you're the spokesperson for all GN'R fans and that you know what's going on.



/jarmo

[Lucky]

if Slash felt indangered by Huge, than he was an idiot.
1st, huge never could compare to Slash
2nd, Huge didnt want to play for the band at all, as matt said, and as proven in 2002.

[nesquick]

You know... I think it's a bad idea. It creates ego problems.

Reading your posts is a bad idea.?

"Ego problems" exist in most bands. They existed in your old dream band as well. They exist in Oasis too.


Stop thinking your ideas are always correct, that you're the spokesperson for all GN'R fans and that you know what's going on.



/jarmo

That's not "my" ideas. It doesn't come from my mind!
All those things were said by Slash and Gilby themself, and i read it in some French musical magazines back in the days (1995/96). There was even a TV reportage on french Tv in 1995 or 1996, it was called "Rock express" and Slash said he hated Tobias and he was one of the reason the old-band broke up. he said it. That's not "my" ideas.

[madagas]

Gilby sucked......

[Neemo]

You know... I think it's a bad idea. It creates ego problems.

Reading your posts is a bad idea.?

"Ego problems" exist in most bands. They existed in your old dream band as well. They exist in Oasis too.


Stop thinking your ideas are always correct, that you're the spokesperson for all GN'R fans and that you know what's going on.



/jarmo

That's not "my" ideas. It doesn't come from my mind!
All those things were said by Slash and Gilby themself, and i read it in some French musical magazines back in the days (1995/96). There was even a TV reportage on french Tv in 1995 or 1996, it was called "Rock express" and Slash said he hated Tobias and he was one of the reason the old-band broke up. he said it. That's not "my" ideas.

gilby ruled and I'm pretty sure he was fired before sftd...

[jarmo]

That's not "my" ideas. It doesn't come from my mind!
All those things were said by Slash and Gilby themself, and i read it in some French musical magazines back in the days (1995/96). There was even a TV reportage on french Tv in 1995 or 1996, it was called "Rock express" and Slash said he hated Tobias and he was one of the reason the old-band broke up. he said it. That's not "my" ideas.

Read what I said.

I didn't mention Paul. You were babbling about the current line up again.


Many people here are getting tired of your constant whining about "too many guitar players" and "all fans want Slash back".



/jarmo

[madagas]

Gilby ruled at being Slash's mime....he ruined the only album he played on..

[Lucky]

That's not "my" ideas. It doesn't come from my mind!
All those things were said by Slash and Gilby themself, and i read it in some French musical magazines back in the days (1995/96). There was even a TV reportage on french Tv in 1995 or 1996, it was called "Rock express" and Slash said he hated Tobias and he was one of the reason the old-band broke up. he said it. That's not "my" ideas.

Read what I said.

I didn't mention Paul. You were babbling about the current line up again.


Many people here are getting tired of your constant whining about "too many guitar players" and "all fans want Slash back".



/jarmo

well, I kinda agree that most people(note- I didnt say "fans") want slash back.
they just are not familiar with the new lineup, and there's always the fear of the unknown.
but the point is, that it's not up to people or fans to decide, but up to Axl. his head is on the line, and there's no turning back.

[Neemo]

Gilby ruled at being Slash's mime....he ruined the only album he played on..

whatever, they had/have amazing chemestry together, check out pawnshop guitars & it's five oclock somewhere they both play on both those disks, they were a great guitar tandem, i've been thiinking recently that Slash wanted Gilby and Axl wanted Huge and that was a big part in the "Creative Differences" compare cure me or kill me and monkey chow to back off bitch and oh my god....


I dunno about you but I'd rather have the first two if i had to choose