Cool story of the "new' GNR

[Axls Roses]

Here is something to break the stress of the past few days around here.

Now that that GN'R have completed their European about to start the world tour and there are loads of vids and audio files look at and listen to, I have been doing some reflecting. Reflecting on the old-new GN'R. By that I mean the GN'R of 2001/02 and the GN'R of 2006.

I will never forget the first time GN'R blew back on stage to an American audience. I saw it August 29 2002. I was in the downstairs bedroom of some girls house that was having a party lying on the bed getting ready to get a sweet hummer from a girl who would end up being my girlfriend of three years.
I had already heard the bootleg versions of "The Blues" and "Madagascar", but those were hard to come by on the net, and I never really thought I would ever hear of Guns N' Roses again.

The TV, was on he foot of the bed and the 2002 MTV music video awards was on, but neither of us were really paying attention to it as she took my shirt off and we started making out. Just as we began to lie down I heard that guy who introduced them yell "GUNS N FUCKIN ROSES".

I jumped up from the bed in mid kiss in a flash and yelled "HOLLY FUCK THEY'RE BACK".
The girl had an absolutely priceless expression of bewilderment, confusion and surprise on here face.

"Oh...Yeah" she replied.

But all I could respond with was "It's guns n' fucking roses".

By this time the guitar tease intro had passed and Axl had begun his lung busting holler and I began to take in what I was hearing and seeing. A thousand thoughts went rushing threw my mind all at once.

"He looks like a fucking wanna be thug with braids"
"What the fuck is that thing holding a guitar beside Axl, and drunk astronaut with a Skullet?"
"Does that Buckethead dude have an advertising contract with KFC or something?"

And then Axl starts to sing. Thousands more thoughts come blistering threw my diminished-by-beer-and-bud brain cells.

"Jesus Christ, he sounds like he's out of breath"
"He sounds weak and dying"
"There is no rasp, almost like he sucked in on a helium balloon"
"Fucking Christ, he is out of breath, that?s it, slow down boy, your not as young as you used to be"

But the weirdest thing was, at the same time I was thinking this, I also was ignoring these thoughts and busy convincing myself that he looked good. He just changed a bit. He still sounded good, just a bit...Fuck I dunno...Softer like on Madagascar? Yeah that?s, Madagascar is good, he isn?t embarrassing himself in front of the surprised fans...

By the closing notes of the paradise city part I truly had myself convinced that the new GN'R was a good band that looked and sounded like GN'R should.

I got back into the bed with the girl I was with. I ended up asking her out that night...I called her by the wrong name by mistake, but she still said yes anyways. I always had no problem remembering our anniversary...hahaha.

So as time went on, I hunted down GN'R bootlegs and vids and audio from the RIR III show. I cringed to here Axl's faint voice over the instruments. I ignored the fact that he was a fat man in track pants and a massive Chinese shirt that looked like it came fresh off the Wal-Mart clearance rack.

I paid no attention to the fact that GN'R didn?t really look like a rock band, but more like a circus freak show and I even began to convince myself that Silk worms and Riahd were good songs.

So the years passed and I eventually broke up with that girl who I "left lying on the bed" because of the 02 MTV final performance. (but not before ruining my credit rating and hairline). Buckethead had left the band and GN'R had once again dropped to nothing.

Then came along 2006. The year of the great second return. The year Robin lost his space man theme. The year that secret advertising agent for Kentucky Fried Chicken was replaced by a cool guy named Ron. The year Axl remembered he was white, not black , that tight jeans and leather beat track pants and FUBU shirts when your fronting a rock band and ultimately the year that Guns N' Roses blew us all away.

Now when we go to youtube and type in "Guns N' Roses" what we see is a Rock band that sounds the best they have in years, some say ever. They look good, they play well, they have Izzy and Baz with them. They are a genuine rock band that has aged together, not a freakshow anymore.

Before the recent comeback, if I saw someone post something like this, bashing the 01/02 Guns N' Roses I would Roast them just like Joan of Arc was roasted to the cross. I would bring them to their knees. I would tell them to "get in the ring motherfucker, I?ll kick your bitchy little ass".

Its only because we now have something respectable. Now when I look back at me forcing my friends to watch RIR III vids and insisting they were great...I want to puke.

Now that GN'R are back and REALLY back, I think we can admit they were pretty bad in 01.

Anyone else ready to come to terms with that?

[italysfinest1985]

I enjoyed them in 2001 and 2002 very much. I think they are better now in 2006, but I thoroughly enjoyed the last US tour and the Rio date.

[Gunner17]

Now that GN'R are back and REALLY back, I think we can admit they were pretty bad in 01.

Yes.....After listening to MGS 12/6/06 and some bootlegs now, I can say that Guns is much better in 2006 and I was grasping onto anything I could in 2001/2002.

[Axl4Prez2004]

Quality post axls roses.  I'm sorry you convinced yourself Silkworms was good.   
Seriously though, if you could have seen what I saw may 12th at the first night of the Hammerstein, to see Axl on the stage looking fucking cool again, I can't begin to describe it.  The look was back...and not only Axl, but Robin, god damn!  Then the rasp was back!  I enjoyed Boston's show Dec. 2, 2002, but May 12, 2006 was the best for me ever.   

Tour starts tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Lucky mother fuckers down in Florida.   

[no more patience]

that part of making out and shit was hilarious....
i wouldve thrown her out of my way to watch the tv.......

hee hee hee

 

[The Dog]

Now that GN'R are back and REALLY back, I think we can admit they were pretty bad in 01.

Yes.....After listening to MGS 12/6/06 ....

WHOA...dude, do you have a time machine? hehehe just kidding.

[mojoeye]

Because yours is the finest prose writing I have ever read on the subject, I ask you, dear author, to continue and focus your insight into the bands halcyon days.

[-Jack-]

Yeah its true...

It wasn't all bad though. I honestly think, that outside of Axl's voice.. the vibe of the band was great. The jerseys even looked cool sometime! (Though the Rio shirt was so lame.. lol)

But, yes, it was mostly all bad.

[irgspice]

I agree.  Stuck with the band through the transformation, but it's hard to look back at 1999 through 2005.  I was at the show on May 12th.  When the opening band was performing (Bullet for my Valentine), Robin mixed into the crowd to take a look a the stage.  I was standing right next to the soundboard and realized Robin was directly to my right.  He was standing about 6'3" in several layers of black clothes, with the long beard and glasses.  I recognized him based on the pictures of himself he had on his site (robinfinck.com) - otherwise I would have not known who the hell he was.  He had the "star" look about him.  He was larger than life (literally).  At that moment I knew things had changed for the better since 2002.

At first, Ron was a disappointment.  His appearance and sound on May 12th was not inspiring.  However, he got his act together and in just a few shows he won us over.  I'll take him as a third guitarist - now that I also appreciate how fucking talented Fortus is.

Extremely excited for the tour to kick-off tomorrow night and maybe, just maybe the album.

Hoping they fucking show up,
Irgspic

[Sober_times]

I love this band, the old line-up and new line-up. But your right, 01/02 were not very good years looking back on them. I look back now and realize that when I was listening to bootlegs of RIR III and the 02 tour, I was having to make myself love this band. Make myself get past their "look". Make myself get past the fact Axl's voice was no where near what it use to be.

Maybe it comes with the territory of loving a band. Do you love them so much that you will like anything they put out?? I ask myself that question sometimes now that its years after 02, remembering having my friends listen to bootlegs and telling them the guitars on this kick ass, and axl's voice is ok still, besides this is a bad quality boot. Trying to convince them that this band is great. This "new" GNR is great. I look back and remember the looks on their faces, they thought? i was crazy.

Not anymore, this band now I realize is so much better than 2002. Axl sounds great, the band gels better at shows. I can have my friends listen to Inland Invasion, or rock am ring. Have them listen to the demos. Have them listen to me proclaim this band kicks some serious ass. And they look at me not as if I'm crazy but as if I'm right.

[BumbleFinck]

Another bad hting about the 01/02 lineup was the image. A much as I love buckethead, I'm glad he's not here anymore because with the masked guy with a bucket on his head and then fincks former image, it was kind of a freak show up on stage and now they are back to looking like a kick as rock n roll band. Sound wise, the two versions aren't even comparible, they are so much more tight as a band now. I love it.

[Mattattack]

The biggest difference is that Axl's voice is way fucking better in 2006. I didn't actually mind the freakshow aspect of the 02 band, and musically they were better with Bucket on guitar. They're still the best band out there but they would sound so much better if Bucket was still around.

[Sober_times]

The biggest difference is that Axl's voice is way fucking better in 2006. I didn't actually mind the freakshow aspect of the 02 band, and musically they were better with Bucket on guitar. They're still the best band out there but they would sound so much better if Bucket was still around.

Was that comment about Bucket really needed?? I mean come on, everybody needs to stop turning all these threads into a Bucket is better one. Now next we'll have 2 pages of people arguing Bucket is great, or no he sucks or whatever. I think i speak for almost everyone who has visted this board since he left, that were just getting sick of hearing about Bucket. I love the guy, but he's out of the band. Accept it and move on. Stop trying to instigate an argument. And here comes the Im not instigating anything...ya right buddy. 

[Voodoochild]

I know about his voice, but the original poster seems to care more about the look. For what is worth, some kick ass songs were made by that time: Better, TWAT, IRS...

And I don't need to obligue myself to like Rhiad. Is a kick ass tune that tons of people just diss because there is no good recording of it. Once a studio version or a soundboard is released, I'll see many people changing their minds.

[newgnr]

very enjoyable post to read, thanks! and i agree too.

[gilee7]

I know I'm in the major minority, but I actually preferred Axl's braids when they were longer and he'd let them hang loose. I also kinda liked the jersey look and stuff. But at least with the way he dresses now people can't call him fat anymore.

As for the voice, yeah he sounds a lot better nowadays than he did in 01/02. But, I mean, for certain songs, I really did like the high-pitched, "mickey-mouse" voice (as many of you call it). "The Blues" is one of those songs that sound better with the mickey-mouse style singing than with a rasp.

[JeRrYFaR]

Personally I disagree.. I think "The Blues" and "Madagascar" sound much better with the rasp.  Two reasons I guess.. 1)  It just sounds better, and 2) this is Axl 'fucking' Rose.. we're talking the guy that made raspiness in singing the coolest thing in the world. 

Back on topic though (if there is one):  I was the same way.  I kept telling my roommate at the time Jeff that "Axl sounds really good and I'm excited they're back" to which Jeff would reply "bullshit.. he sounds like shit now.. " so I'd use the same argument to *anybody* when they'd exclaim he sounded like shit.. my argument would be "Well if you listen closely you can still hear the rasp in his voice and he seems to be trying something new.. he didn't lose his voice".. In a lot of ways I still believe that..

At this point it doesn't matter though.. Guns N' Fucking Roses are back and Axl is back at the top of his game.  He sounds phenomenal live and last month's show will be a show I will not soon (or ever for that matter) forget.  I am envious of everyone that gets to go see them tomorrow/tonight.

I didn't really like the jerseys myself, but I didn't mind it because Axl has always had the "if you don't like it, fuck you" attitude, so who's place was it to really say anything back then?  Now all we hear (well I hear anyway) from others is the same thing about how Axl can't sing anymore.. then I pull out my Inland Invasion recording and they're totally blown away.. I just need to get Jeff to realize it now by getting another show in California..

[The Legend]

Here is something to break the stress of the past few days around here.

Now that that GN'R have completed their European about to start the world tour and there are loads of vids and audio files look at and listen to, I have been doing some reflecting. Reflecting on the old-new GN'R. By that I mean the GN'R of 2001/02 and the GN'R of 2006.

I will never forget the first time GN'R blew back on stage to an American audience. I saw it August 29 2002. I was in the downstairs bedroom of some girls house that was having a party lying on the bed getting ready to get a sweet hummer from a girl who would end up being my girlfriend of three years.
I had already heard the bootleg versions of "The Blues" and "Madagascar", but those were hard to come by on the net, and I never really thought I would ever hear of Guns N' Roses again.

The TV, was on he foot of the bed and the 2002 MTV music video awards was on, but neither of us were really paying attention to it as she took my shirt off and we started making out. Just as we began to lie down I heard that guy who introduced them yell "GUNS N FUCKIN ROSES".

I jumped up from the bed in mid kiss in a flash and yelled "HOLLY FUCK THEY'RE BACK".
The girl had an absolutely priceless expression of bewilderment, confusion and surprise on here face.

"Oh...Yeah" she replied.

But all I could respond with was "It's guns n' fucking roses".

By this time the guitar tease intro had passed and Axl had begun his lung busting holler and I began to take in what I was hearing and seeing. A thousand thoughts went rushing threw my mind all at once.

"He looks like a fucking wanna be thug with braids"
"What the fuck is that thing holding a guitar beside Axl, and drunk astronaut with a Skullet?"
"Does that Buckethead dude have an advertising contract with KFC or something?"

And then Axl starts to sing. Thousands more thoughts come blistering threw my diminished-by-beer-and-bud brain cells.

"Jesus Christ, he sounds like he's out of breath"
"He sounds weak and dying"
"There is no rasp, almost like he sucked in on a helium balloon"
"Fucking Christ, he is out of breath, that?s it, slow down boy, your not as young as you used to be"

But the weirdest thing was, at the same time I was thinking this, I also was ignoring these thoughts and busy convincing myself that he looked good. He just changed a bit. He still sounded good, just a bit...Fuck I dunno...Softer like on Madagascar? Yeah that?s, Madagascar is good, he isn?t embarrassing himself in front of the surprised fans...

By the closing notes of the paradise city part I truly had myself convinced that the new GN'R was a good band that looked and sounded like GN'R should.

I got back into the bed with the girl I was with. I ended up asking her out that night...I called her by the wrong name by mistake, but she still said yes anyways. I always had no problem remembering our anniversary...hahaha.

So as time went on, I hunted down GN'R bootlegs and vids and audio from the RIR III show. I cringed to here Axl's faint voice over the instruments. I ignored the fact that he was a fat man in track pants and a massive Chinese shirt that looked like it came fresh off the Wal-Mart clearance rack.

I paid no attention to the fact that GN'R didn?t really look like a rock band, but more like a circus freak show and I even began to convince myself that Silk worms and Riahd were good songs.

So the years passed and I eventually broke up with that girl who I "left lying on the bed" because of the 02 MTV final performance. (but not before ruining my credit rating and hairline). Buckethead had left the band and GN'R had once again dropped to nothing.

Then came along 2006. The year of the great second return. The year Robin lost his space man theme. The year that secret advertising agent for Kentucky Fried Chicken was replaced by a cool guy named Ron. The year Axl remembered he was white, not black , that tight jeans and leather beat track pants and FUBU shirts when your fronting a rock band and ultimately the year that Guns N' Roses blew us all away.

Now when we go to youtube and type in "Guns N' Roses" what we see is a Rock band that sounds the best they have in years, some say ever. They look good, they play well, they have Izzy and Baz with them. They are a genuine rock band that has aged together, not a freakshow anymore.

Before the recent comeback, if I saw someone post something like this, bashing the 01/02 Guns N' Roses I would Roast them just like Joan of Arc was roasted to the cross. I would bring them to their knees. I would tell them to "get in the ring motherfucker, I?ll kick your bitchy little ass".

Its only because we now have something respectable. Now when I look back at me forcing my friends to watch RIR III vids and insisting they were great...I want to puke.

Now that GN'R are back and REALLY back, I think we can admit they were pretty bad in 01.

Anyone else ready to come to terms with that?

Post of the week.

Although a couple of the new songs sound better in 2002 imo, it's weird. I feel the same way. I was dead convinced GNR was back and better than ever in 2002, and looked cooler than ever. But in hindsight, I realize how ridiculous they looked and sounded in 2002.

Unfortunately, there were some great shows that will be overlooked. Rio III, Boston, Pittsburgh, MSG were all great shows. But unfortunately, I think when the GNR legacy is all tied up, the 2001-02 era will be looked at as GNR's 'dark-time' sadly.

[NicoRourke]

This is a great post with some cool stories in it (forgetting the girl's name, priceless )

And I have to say I share the same kind of feelings as you do. Now, in 2006, I just wish we could erase the RIR 3 performance.

What I thought was good in 2001/2002 isn't anymore of what's happening now.

[Elle]

I agree. Although I enjoyed their 2002 performances and did spend a long time convincing myself they were great, they are 1000 times better this time around