This is a good thread, i agree with the original post, sometimes it really sucks to see the stuff thats out there.
My stepfather is a big classic rock fan, in the 70s he used to see Zep, The Who, The Stones, etc. I think U2 is the only band he's paid attention to since the 70s. Well last week I was talking to him about GNR and i couldn't believe what he said to me: "I don't understand how Axl Rose still gets such a reaction and why people still talk about him so much when he didn't do much. What did he have two albums? They weren't around very long. I think it's just that he's a drunk drug addict asshole and people want to see what he's going to do next. It's not about the music, it's just about being part of an event."
Obviously it upset me, but i realized he's not a fan, and all he knows is he remembers WTTJ and Patience and probably a few others and what he heard or read on the news. He remembers riots and arrests, he remembers manson shirts and controversial lyrics, and he remembers a band that was famous for their lifestyle as much as anything -- now he hears about Axl sometimes, and as far as he knows its the same guy but now he's older and people make fun of his hair and his weight and they say he's crazy his band is broken up and sometimes he doesn't show up to his shows - whatever. It just struck me how its such a shame that people would have those perceptions, and it sucks too because GNR might be the only other band i could see my stepfather enjoying if he cared to pay attention.
dude the sex pistols were a formulated commercial gimmick. they did what they were told my malcom and made a fucking fortune pretending to not want to make a fortune.
the sex pistols had no musical integrity, vicious was a hack he couldn't play bass and was hired only for his image.
they are the exact opposite of what they were advertised as standing for.
THAT is exactly why you cannot touch the sex pistols.
because no matter what you say, they say fuck you.
you see, it's so far in the irony and the ridiculous, that it blows your mind and is free at the end.
no matter what they do, and how ridiculous they are, and how you can "obejctively" destroy them and argue agains their integrity, in the end, they win, cause they don't care and they're the sex pistols.
it's a cycle.
just like punk. punk is what ever you want. and fake punks, punk posers, are so punk yuo cannot even undertstand it.
and the more we try to prove the sex pistols didnt have integrity, the more they have it.
same with axl.
you cannot touch him.
why ?
cause he does not care. and these past 10 years have proven that.
i'm sick of waiting, it's annoying.
he is an asshole sometimes
but in the end, he did what he wanted to. and that's cool
GREAT post!
I think that's part of why you see young kids who are GNR fans (the other thing is of course the music is that good). Kids who were just born when Illusions came out. Being a GNR fan is always cool in a timeless way.
I think the criticism that's out there now is because it's that time when typically Axl should be a joke - so much time has passed and kids are supposed to have new rock stars now. There's supposed to be all kinds of cool that he can't touch, but the fact is, you can't take away that kind of do-what-you-want cool. There's a great appeal in that and it always wins out. Axl Rose does what he wants, and the reason he can, is because he's Axl fucking Rose. It leaves you with only two choices, you can be pissed by it, or you can be in awe of it. Get on board or fuck off.
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