Slash: No GN'R Reunion, No Reply To Christmas Cards, So Onward With Velvet Revol

[jarmo]

Slash: No GN'R Reunion, No Reply To Christmas Cards, So Onward With Velvet Revolver

06.23.2006 6:00 AM EDT

Guitarist says new VR LP, Libertad, could be out by year's end. 
 

If Slash were ever to look at his Caller ID and see Axl Rose's name, what would he do?

"Oh, I'd answer it," the former Guns N' Roses guitarist said recently. "But I know he would never call me. I've actually sent him Christmas cards, just to be cordial, but he never returns anything."

In other words, rumors from last month that Saul "Slash" Hudson would perform with Rose and his new GN'R in New York were just that. In March, just two months before those gigs, Rose filed suit against his former bandmate to confirm his "ownership of his own creative works" in response to an action Slash and former GN'R bassist Duff McKagan had filed over royalties.

"I don't know where [the rumors come] from, but I haven't dealt with Guns N' Roses any more than I have in the last 10 years," which is not much at all, Slash said. "So it's not really a thing with me. I have, in the foreseeable future, no re-involvement with that band whatsoever."

Instead, Slash is fully focused on his multiplatinum new band, Velvet Revolver, and their forthcoming second album, the follow-up to 2004's Contraband.

"We're in preproduction and it sounds amazing," Slash said. "I'm just really excited 'cause hopefully we'll get this thing out before the year's over. The material is amazing and ... we've grown so much as a band."

While frontman Scott Weiland has called the material a concept album and bassist McKagan said the band will record with a variety of producers, all Slash would reveal is that the LP is coming together naturally, and "it's not phony in any way, shape or form, and the band's whole-heartedly into it."

Well, that and the album title.

"I don't want to say [anything specific about] the songs, but the name for the album is Libertad, which is Spanish for 'liberty,' " Slash said. "It's something that we feel strongly about: liberty, freedom, you know ..."

Slash did take a break from writing Velvet Revolver material to pen a song and score some music for the just-released movie "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift."

"It's one of those things where you don't really know what you're doing, but they feed you what you need to see, certain scenes," Slash said. "It's easy to [write rock material] when you're watching cars going on their sides at breakneck speeds."

In the end, Slash reported that he enjoyed watching the film's action scenes, but not quite as much as he enjoyed the footage he saw on TV of Rose getting into a fight with Tommy Hilfiger.

"I thought that was pretty funny," Slash said. "That sounds about right."

? Corey Moss, with additional reporting by Larry Carroll


http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1534896/20060622/index.jhtml?headlines=true



/jarmo

[Genesis]

Nice read. Libertad by the end of this year? I can't wait. 

[mikegiuliana]

sounds very promising, he seems happy and confident.. I hate saying the album name but I just want what's on it..

[kobys]

I actually read once that it's his wife who sends Christmas cards to Axl every year. Anyway, whether it's Slash or Perla it's still a nice gesture. That was a really good interview and I personally think that Mr. Rose would give his seat in hell to have his original band back but I think that he has way too much pride to actually approach them!

[Judge Dredd]

Good ol' Slash

[GeorgeSteele]

I actually read once that it's his wife who sends Christmas cards to Axl every year. Anyway, whether it's Slash or Perla it's still a nice gesture.

Bullshit, it is a phony, disingenuous gesture.  Merry Christmas!  See you in court.

[GNRslaxl]

great news, i'm happy that Slash is happy with VR and the upcoming album, can't wait for Libertad 

[brownst0ne]

Slash is still the man.  I just wish Axl could move on and forget all that shit, it just makes life harder, oh well Slash will keep rockin' with whoever he is with, but I thought he left VR? or did he return? I wasn't sure.

[SADIS]

The funny thing is I always thought I was more eagerly waiting on the new GnR album than VR's. But that somewhat turned around. I more anxious about VR's new album then GnR's. I hope they will kick some fucking ass.

[mikegiuliana]

Slash is still the man.? I just wish Axl could move on and forget all that shit, it just makes life harder, oh well Slash will keep rockin' with whoever he is with, but I thought he left VR? or did he return? I wasn't sure.

he never left vr it was rumours...

[Top-Hatted One]

Slash is still the man.  I just wish Axl could move on and forget all that shit, it just makes life harder, oh well Slash will keep rockin' with whoever he is with, but I thought he left VR? or did he return? I wasn't sure.

I hear ya. We've heard most of Chinese Democracy and the songs we've heard have been pretty good but if the rest of the songs aren't amazing there's a good chance VR could put out a better record which would be funny because they finished it in a year or so as opposed to 8yrs.

I can't stop listening to 'Better' its a great song but I don't think it will have the commercial success that Slither had. The average rock fan is not going to go gaga over it like they did for jungle, sweet child. paradise city and even slither which is still being covered by top 40 cover bands.  I think VR has a better chance at creating timeless songs because they're a more cohesive unit. Axl is amazing but I don't trust the other guys to create hit rock songs just yet.

[mikegiuliana]

Slash is still the man.? I just wish Axl could move on and forget all that shit, it just makes life harder, oh well Slash will keep rockin' with whoever he is with, but I thought he left VR? or did he return? I wasn't sure.

I hear ya. We've heard most of Chinese Democracy and the songs we've heard have been pretty good but if the rest of the songs aren't amazing there's a good chance VR could put out a better record which would be funny because they finished it in a year or so as opposed to 8yrs

I'll be the first to say we don't know how good the record is or will be.. I don't want to get int a cd vr thingy where it becomes a big argument

[Top-Hatted One]

Slash is still the man.  I just wish Axl could move on and forget all that shit, it just makes life harder, oh well Slash will keep rockin' with whoever he is with, but I thought he left VR? or did he return? I wasn't sure.

I hear ya. We've heard most of Chinese Democracy and the songs we've heard have been pretty good but if the rest of the songs aren't amazing there's a good chance VR could put out a better record which would be funny because they finished it in a year or so as opposed to 8yrs

I'll be the first to say we don't know how good the record is or will be.. I don't want to get int a cd vr thingy where it becomes a big argument

Yeah I know that as well as anyone and I don't intend it to be. I'm just saying what I think from years of following these guys and trying to be as objective a critic as possible. If Axl is holding back the big guns then surely CD will become a timeless record

[Drew]

I'm happy Slash spoke about the rumours and reunion concerning GN'R.

[bazgnr]

Slash is still the man.? I just wish Axl could move on and forget all that shit, it just makes life harder, oh well Slash will keep rockin' with whoever he is with, but I thought he left VR? or did he return? I wasn't sure.

I hear ya. We've heard most of Chinese Democracy and the songs we've heard have been pretty good but if the rest of the songs aren't amazing there's a good chance VR could put out a better record which would be funny because they finished it in a year or so as opposed to 8yrs.
 

Wow.  Didn't think of it that way.  How sad would that be?  Still, there's a lot to be said for the power of Axl's voice, which hasn't been heard by the general public in a long, long time.  When GnR fully comes back, I think it's going to be quite a wake up call for many...

[brownst0ne]

Yeah, I think VR's new album will be awesome, considering the fact that it only took a year opposed to eight years as some of ya said, I agree with the fact that you can't trust the other members of G n' R to put out a solid hit record, Axl is still great and sounds amazing but he needs to let things go and forget the past, Slash is one of the most awesome guitarists in the world, I seen him on the tribute to metal concert on VH1 and I was amazed, he was awesome, just no one like him that could ever take his place in G n' R, ever. Some of the new songs are pretty good, but I think they won't get their play as other songs might...I don't know, who knows what will happen, just have to wait and see.....

[Krispy Kreme]

This thread is from VH 1 which is sent for free to anyone who signs up for news about the bands they like....
Finally, the reunion rumors are put to rest so we don't have to read all that bs speculation anymore.

[Origen]

Shame Axl never sent a Christmas Card back 

[codenameninja]

Slash "I've actually sent him Christmas cards, just to be cordial, but he never returns anything."

what an old douch bag Axl is 

[codenameninja]

it appears Axl really couldn't give 2 fucks about his old band members. I would say friends, but i don't think they mean that much to him. I sure hope VR produce a good 2nd album and while Chinese Democracy is sounding interesting from the leaks, i'll probably download it rather then buy it, just out of principle