The Slash autobiography thread

[chineseblues]

What remarkable restraint.

How is it restraint? He wouldn't be allowed to do it anyway as he would have to get everyone who is suppose to be "played" in the movie to sign off on it.

[JimBobTTD]

What remarkable restraint.

How is it restraint? He wouldn't be allowed to do it anyway as he would have to get everyone who is suppose to be "played" in the movie to sign off on it.

He wouldn't be doing any of that...oh whatever. I really can't be bothered any more.

[Ali]

What remarkable restraint.

How is it restraint? He wouldn't be allowed to do it anyway as he would have to get everyone who is suppose to be "played" in the movie to sign off on it.

Would he necessarily need it?  I know that filmmakers generally try to get input from the author of the book on the film adaptation, but the people mentioned in the book?

I honestly don't know.

Ali

[Falcon]

Would he necessarily need it??

Oh hell no, many ways to get around that...

[Trist805]

I've been laughing so hard every time that Slash mentions Axl in this book.  Axl just comes off as such a badass.  It's fuckin cool.  Like writing My Michelle when Slash wasn't sure if it would offened the girl and Axl goes, " Well it's fuckin true."  and "I don't care what she thinks I'm doing it anyways."   

[spaghetti_incident]

Once again, this site was never created to be a VR support site.

If you wanna whine about GN'R and put them down, logout and go to Google. I'm sure you'll find something "useful".

/jarmo

Constructive criticism and being objective are different than arbitrary whining and slander.? Might I suggest you google the word "objective."?

Moreover, whenever you resort to attacking the person rather than the point you've already lost your point.?

There's a difference between pointing out faulty arguments or inaccurate dates in Slash's book and being overtly critical to the point where the entire thread is hijacked into proof that "Slash sucks."? Most of what interested me in the book had little or nothing to do with Guns N' Roses.? His stories of growing up in LA, having David Bowie as father figure, being a kleptomaniac, all of which i found more captivating than the numerous drug episodes or spats with Axl.? But I suppose because his wedding date is wrong that the whole book should be cast aside.

This thread was suppose to be about factual inaccuracies.? That's all fine and good.? But you invite an enormous amount of scorn and reticule when you insinuate capriciously malicious remarks that go above and beyond what's called for in this thread.?

Furthermore, logic doesn't dictate that Axl's biography would be better concerning Guns N' Roses than Slash's account.? Just because he was there a bit before Slash doesn't automatically give Axl the final word.? It would simply be his account; his view of how things went down.? I'm sure my younger brother has a different account of our parents, but is mine more correct because I'm a few years older?? We both are different people, having different upbringings. and hence will have different versions of how things came to be.? ?

Answer me this: you don't think Slash is a perfect human being, but is Axl?? Of course not.? So why such disdain for one and love for the other.? Both were instrumental in getting GNR to become the greatest rock bands in the last 25 years.? It was Slash who wrote the opening riff for Jungle and it was Axl that remembered how great it was and brought back the idea and help making it into a monster of a song.? Both deserve credit.

You ask: Pointing fingers and whining about GN'R, is that positive and supportive in your opinion?? Can ask you something?? What has been worth being positve or supportive about?? Since the tour ended in July, and little to no updates, why should fans be supportive.? We were after all promised new music in 2006.? Oh that's right, never happened.? And there was a tentative release date for March of this year?? Another miss (I know, I know, tentative, not a promise, guarantee, but when you miss your mark by several seasons and what will likely be a year, how sincere was the release date in the first place).? You can accuse me or anyone else of whining, but it's not like we're speaking falsehoods.? Are these not facts??

Finally, I will always adore Axl as an artist, the thousands of dollars I've spent and numerous concerts will attest to that.? I didn't drive from Toronto to NYC in May of 2006 'cause I wanted to boo or was looking for reasons to complain about the show.? He will always be my favourite artist and the man who hooked me into the GNR world.? Moreover, his influence in my own music is an asset I will never be able to repay.? But like I said in my last post, some people can separate the man from the artist.? I suggest you give it a shot.? ?As a person, he's a little hard to defend at times (though I give you credit for hanging tough).?

You can still be a fan and find fault in your idols.

Cheers,

Andrew

Excellent post Andrew!

[AxlsMainMan]

What remarkable restraint.

How is it restraint? He wouldn't be allowed to do it anyway as he would have to get everyone who is suppose to be "played" in the movie to sign off on it.

Would he necessarily need it?? I know that filmmakers generally try to get input from the author of the book on the film adaptation, but the people mentioned in the book?

I honestly don't know.

Ali

When one focuses a large portion of their book on a real life person, I'm pretty sure that they're required by law to have that person sign off on being mentioned so frequently in the book before it can be published. ?

I think copyright laws for books and movies are slightly different, but I'd imagine the specifics would be pretty similar overall.

Since Slash doesn't devote a huge portion of his book to solely talking about Axl or the other band members, I'd imagine that their signatures wouldn't be required for a film adaptation to take place.

[williambailey]

I am referring to him stating that he would've hung in through an industrial record with Axl. ?He says he isn't close-minded and his flexibility is what allowed him to stay in the band as long as he did. ?Jarmo made a post illustrating all the various times he said he didn't like the direction the band was going in musically. ?That's enough for me to completely undermine the credibility of his statement that he would've hung in through an industrial record. ?But, if you look further at what he said in the book, he says that he was vehemently opposed to adding Dizzy Reed because he thought a keyboardist would dilute the band's sound while Axl felt that was an important step in the band's sonic evolution. ?He didn't even want the synth line in "Paradise City". ?If he was so vehemently opposed to adding a keyboardist that merely accompanied the band's sound without changing it, how plausible is it that he would be interested in a shift to having more elaborate keyboard accompaniment with multiple keyboards sequenced and linked through computers, thus making the keyboards more and more the focus of the band's sound? ?Take into consideration the lack of stylistic diversity in his body of work before considering that question, then answer it.

Ali

It's with trepidation that I enter this thread as I feel I might be on a hiding to nothing, but here goes....

Doesn't part of your own argument somewhat disprove the point you are making, depending upon how you choose to interpret the events and Slash's comments?

You? mention that Slash was vehmently opposed to adding Dizzy because a keyboardist would dilute the bands sound.? However, despite that, Slash didn't leave the band, he stayed, they made the Illusions with Dizzy, it was successful .? I dare say Slash may have even looked back on it with hindsight and saw Dizzy's addition as being the correct decision despite his inital reluctance.? I mean he can't really argue with the success of the Illusion albums - at least commercially anyhow.

Therefore, is it so implausible that he had the same misgiving about an industrial record, but would have stuck at it despite this view, just in case he was wrong again and wasn't visionary enough to see the merit? As in the same situation play out as occured with Illusions and Dizzy's inclusion.

Sure, if his attidue was I don't wanna do an industrial record I am sure it wasn't a bed of roses to be around him and try and work with him with such an opposing view.?

I am just offering the suggestion that the example you used of Dizzy, to say Slash would never have stuck it out for an industrial record - could actually be used as an example of how he just might have.

Just a thought... it all depends upon your point of view I suppose and therefore how you choose to interpret what Slash says and his previous actions etc.? I might also add that personally I'm undecided either way whether he would or wouldn't have stayed - I actually don't know, but thought I would offer another persepctive.

The problem with what you're saying is exactly what I closed my argument with: ?look at his body of work and the lack of stylistic diversity in it before considering that argument. ?The addition of a keyboardist didn't change the band's sound from blues-based rock. ?It added a dimension to it. ?An industrial record would be a COMPLETE stylistic shift to a type of music where keyboards/synthesizers are much more dominant and guitars are less dominant. ?

The combination of the lack of stylistic diversity in Slash's body of work and his admitted vehement opposition to keyboard accompaniment to the band's songs leads me to not believe his statement that he would've hung in through an industrial record.

Ali

I understand Slash's body of work since has had no real style diversity from balls/bluesy hard rock.? That's what the guys seems to know and like best, so I see no reason why, and definitely didn't expect, that he would have added an industrial sound to Snakepit or VR UNLESS there was someone in the band driving it in that direction.? That clearly doesn't seem to be a genre of music Slash understands or cares much about, so unless you had someone with the foresight and vision (e.g. an Axl) in Slash's subsequent works driving the music in that direction, it wasn't going to happen.? But with GN'R there was - Axl (obviously), so while Slash might not have liked it, I don't think it necessarily follows that he wouldn't have hung in there, just in case Axl was right again and there was some merit to what he was saying and the direction he wanted to go.

As a side issue personally I believe that if GN'R had released an Appetite or Illusion style of album after TSI? that would have been a mistake (commercially at least) - since the music market had changed.? Sorry if this is off topic now, I just want to make the point the I understand and agree to a certain extent with what Axl appeared to be trying to do, basically he was trying to reinvent the band and keep them relevant - hence the industrial direction.  I'm just not 100% sure that Slash would not have hung around for the ride.

[AxlsMainMan]

I'm just not 100% sure that Slash would not have hung around for the ride.

Slash quit the band.

I think it's safe to say he wasn't interested in sticking around for the ride.

[Ali]

I am referring to him stating that he would've hung in through an industrial record with Axl. ?He says he isn't close-minded and his flexibility is what allowed him to stay in the band as long as he did. ?Jarmo made a post illustrating all the various times he said he didn't like the direction the band was going in musically. ?That's enough for me to completely undermine the credibility of his statement that he would've hung in through an industrial record. ?But, if you look further at what he said in the book, he says that he was vehemently opposed to adding Dizzy Reed because he thought a keyboardist would dilute the band's sound while Axl felt that was an important step in the band's sonic evolution. ?He didn't even want the synth line in "Paradise City". ?If he was so vehemently opposed to adding a keyboardist that merely accompanied the band's sound without changing it, how plausible is it that he would be interested in a shift to having more elaborate keyboard accompaniment with multiple keyboards sequenced and linked through computers, thus making the keyboards more and more the focus of the band's sound? ?Take into consideration the lack of stylistic diversity in his body of work before considering that question, then answer it.

Ali

It's with trepidation that I enter this thread as I feel I might be on a hiding to nothing, but here goes....

Doesn't part of your own argument somewhat disprove the point you are making, depending upon how you choose to interpret the events and Slash's comments?

You? mention that Slash was vehmently opposed to adding Dizzy because a keyboardist would dilute the bands sound.? However, despite that, Slash didn't leave the band, he stayed, they made the Illusions with Dizzy, it was successful .? I dare say Slash may have even looked back on it with hindsight and saw Dizzy's addition as being the correct decision despite his inital reluctance.? I mean he can't really argue with the success of the Illusion albums - at least commercially anyhow.

Therefore, is it so implausible that he had the same misgiving about an industrial record, but would have stuck at it despite this view, just in case he was wrong again and wasn't visionary enough to see the merit? As in the same situation play out as occured with Illusions and Dizzy's inclusion.

Sure, if his attidue was I don't wanna do an industrial record I am sure it wasn't a bed of roses to be around him and try and work with him with such an opposing view.?

I am just offering the suggestion that the example you used of Dizzy, to say Slash would never have stuck it out for an industrial record - could actually be used as an example of how he just might have.

Just a thought... it all depends upon your point of view I suppose and therefore how you choose to interpret what Slash says and his previous actions etc.? I might also add that personally I'm undecided either way whether he would or wouldn't have stayed - I actually don't know, but thought I would offer another persepctive.

The problem with what you're saying is exactly what I closed my argument with: ?look at his body of work and the lack of stylistic diversity in it before considering that argument. ?The addition of a keyboardist didn't change the band's sound from blues-based rock. ?It added a dimension to it. ?An industrial record would be a COMPLETE stylistic shift to a type of music where keyboards/synthesizers are much more dominant and guitars are less dominant. ?

The combination of the lack of stylistic diversity in Slash's body of work and his admitted vehement opposition to keyboard accompaniment to the band's songs leads me to not believe his statement that he would've hung in through an industrial record.

Ali

I understand Slash's body of work since has had no real style diversity from balls/bluesy hard rock.? That's what the guys seems to know and like best, so I see no reason why, and definitely didn't expect, that he would have added an industrial sound to Snakepit or VR UNLESS there was someone in the band driving it in that direction.? That clearly doesn't seem to be a genre of music Slash understands or cares much about, so unless you had someone with the foresight and vision (e.g. an Axl) in Slash's subsequent works driving the music in that direction, it wasn't going to happen.? But with GN'R there was - Axl (obviously), so while Slash might not have liked it, I don't think it necessarily follows that he wouldn't have hung in there, just in case Axl was right again and there was some merit to what he was saying and the direction he wanted to go.

As a side issue personally I believe that if GN'R had released an Appetite or Illusion style of album after TSI? that would have been a mistake (commercially at least) - since the music market had changed.? Sorry if this is off topic now, I just want to make the point the I understand and agree to a certain extent with what Axl appeared to be trying to do, basically he was trying to reinvent the band and keep them relevant - hence the industrial direction.? I'm just not 100% sure that Slash would not have hung around for the ride.

I see what you're saying.  But from my vantage point, you combine his stating numerous times over the years (and Jarmo made a list of the times in a post) that he didn't like the direction the band was going in, his admitted vehement opposition to even having keyboard accompaniment that he says Axl felt was an important step in the band's sonic evolution, and most importantly his demonstrated disinterest in exploring new sounds and styles through his body of work, and it adds up to just not buying that he would've hung in through an industrial record.

Ali

[Limulus]

....an industrial album which was never released in the end anyway, even when Axl hired more industrial orientated guitar players. kinda weird blaming a lot on the industrial direction, huh? the "un"release in this case leads more into "getting rid of Slash" and getting the ultimate 1-man-control-band.

[jarmo]

....an industrial album which was never released in the end anyway, even when Axl hired more industrial orientated guitar players. kinda weird blaming a lot on the industrial direction, huh? the "un"release in this case leads more into "getting rid of Slash" and getting the ultimate 1-man-control-band.

I don't think any of the songs we heard on tour sound like Snakepit or VR.

Just because they don't sound like Throbbing Gristle or Ministry, doesn't mean the whole "industrial album" thing is buried.

Meaning, you can hear elements in the new songs that you might not find in older stuff. Maybe some industrial elements even.

I don't think anybody calls "Achtung Baby" an industrial album just because U2 made a record that didn't sound like anything they had done previously.




Could somebody point out where Slash says he has written diaries like SpiraitDave claims?

That's interesting considering he "remembers" so many things wrong.

Unless the diaries are only itineraries from tours which basically say what city/country you were in at what date......




/jarmo

[SpiritDave]

Jarmo ... I know you felt the need to argue one last time... and I'm glad you got it out of your system.  As you may have read tho, I am gonna stop ... because I feel there's a place for all of our opinions.  Your opinion is valid ... as it's your opinion.  I respect that.  My opinion is valid also, and I think you respect that too.

It's good that you run this forum.  It's a shame that there's so much hate toward both sides of the new and old band members ... and I hope one day we can all just stop the crap.  I'm starting from now.  I just don't have the energy.

Peace x

[jarmo]

Jarmo ... I know you felt the need to argue one last time... and I'm glad you got it out of your system.  As you may have read tho, I am gonna stop ... because I feel there's a place for all of our opinions.  Your opinion is valid ... as it's your opinion.  I respect that.  My opinion is valid also, and I think you respect that too.

It's good that you run this forum.  It's a shame that there's so much hate toward both sides of the new and old band members ... and I hope one day we can all just stop the crap.  I'm starting from now.  I just don't have the energy.

Peace x

Too bad, I just don't feel like re-reading the book to read about the diaries. I thought since you claimed it, you could point out where to look....



I mean, either way, it's interesting.

If they exist, something went really wrong somewhere along the line to get all the errors into the book.

If they don't, then the errors are understandable considering the author's past.



/jarmo

[SpiritDave]

Yeah ... sorry I missed the last post. I'm searchin the net now ... my girlfriend is sleeping in the bedroom so I can't go and rummage through and get my copy of the book ....

It'd be hard ..... but I'm sure near the end he talks about the fact that he'd written a bunch of the stuff down over the time he was in GnR etc ...   ...

I... erm... I don't ... think I made it up... lol.  I'm pretty sure I read it!



I'll try and find it ... even tho I should be sorting images for my band myspace hehe

[sexkitten]

I'm just not 100% sure that Slash would not have hung around for the ride.

Slash quit the band.

I think it's safe to say he wasn't interested in sticking around for the ride.

I think he would have hung for the ride if Axl wasn't so impossible to work with at the time...if you remember, he quit as a very last resort and was very troubled by it for years. He said he couldn't work in an environment where he never knew if his singer was going to show up for shows, practice, recordings, etc. Remember, Axl wouldn't even talk to him directly, he would only speak to him, and the other band members through a mediator.

That was also during the time when axl pressured them to sign the contract stating that he would own rights to Gn'R.

[jarmo]

I'm just not 100% sure that Slash would not have hung around for the ride.

Slash quit the band.

I think it's safe to say he wasn't interested in sticking around for the ride.

I think he would have hung for the ride if Axl wasn't so impossible to work with at the time...if you remember, he quit as a very last resort and was very troubled by it for years. He said he couldn't work in an environment where he never knew if his singer was going to show up for shows, practice, recordings, etc. Remember, Axl wouldn't even talk to him directly, he would only speak to him, and the other band members through a mediator.

That's if you believe Slash's side of the story.

ZAKK WYLDE: Axl called me up and said, "Hey, you want to get together and do some jamming?" I'd say "Dude, did you come up with any lyrics yet?" And he's just like, "Dude, I got people suing me right now." He's on the phone with his lawyers 24-7. He was, like, "I can't come up with any lyrics right now-they'd be about every other lawsuit I got going."

Just some background of what was going on. Is that explained in Slash's book?


This is what I've been trying to say.

Slash can tell the reader his side of the story and what he saw happen, but he might not tell what caused others to do what they did.

Either he doesn't know the background or he just doesn't want to tell that story.


Slash comes in with a bunch of songs, Axl doesn't seem impressed (does this sound familiar? Rick Rubin tells VR to write more songs in 2006?) so Slash takes the songs and records them himself.

I don't know what happened (a clarification to spaghetti_incident: because I'm not in the band), but imagine working together and you want the others to try harder. Instead they just take off and take the work you rejected with them. Instead of trying harder.... Would you be happy? Feel betrayed? Frustrated?





/jarmo

[don_vercetti]

Jarmo ... I know you felt the need to argue one last time... and I'm glad you got it out of your system.  As you may have read tho, I am gonna stop ... because I feel there's a place for all of our opinions.  Your opinion is valid ... as it's your opinion.  I respect that.  My opinion is valid also, and I think you respect that too.

It's good that you run this forum.  It's a shame that there's so much hate toward both sides of the new and old band members ... and I hope one day we can all just stop the crap.  I'm starting from now.  I just don't have the energy.

Peace x

Too bad, I just don't feel like re-reading the book to read about the diaries. I thought since you claimed it, you could point out where to look....



I mean, either way, it's interesting.

If they exist, something went really wrong somewhere along the line to get all the errors into the book.

If they don't, then the errors are understandable considering the author's past.



/jarmo

He says towards the end about how he kept a journal for a while, but then a load of them got stolen, or words to that effect.  So he stopped. 

[williambailey]

He says towards the end about how he kept a journal for a while, but then a load of them got stolen, or words to that effect.? So he stopped.?

Stolen journals - now that could make possibly make some interesting reading if they ever surfaced.

[sexkitten]

I'm just not 100% sure that Slash would not have hung around for the ride.

Slash quit the band.

I think it's safe to say he wasn't interested in sticking around for the ride.

I think he would have hung for the ride if Axl wasn't so impossible to work with at the time...if you remember, he quit as a very last resort and was very troubled by it for years. He said he couldn't work in an environment where he never knew if his singer was going to show up for shows, practice, recordings, etc. Remember, Axl wouldn't even talk to him directly, he would only speak to him, and the other band members through a mediator.

That's if you believe Slash's side of the story.

ZAKK WYLDE: Axl called me up and said, "Hey, you want to get together and do some jamming?" I'd say "Dude, did you come up with any lyrics yet?" And he's just like, "Dude, I got people suing me right now." He's on the phone with his lawyers 24-7. He was, like, "I can't come up with any lyrics right now-they'd be about every other lawsuit I got going."

Just some background of what was going on. Is that explained in Slash's book?


This is what I've been trying to say.

Slash can tell the reader his side of the story and what he saw happen, but he might not tell what caused others to do what they did.

Either he doesn't know the background or he just doesn't want to tell that story.


Slash comes in with a bunch of songs, Axl doesn't seem impressed (does this sound familiar? Rick Rubin tells VR to write more songs in 2006?) so Slash takes the songs and records them himself.

I don't know what happened (a clarification to spaghetti_incident: because I'm not in the band), but imagine working together and you want the others to try harder. Instead they just take off and take the work you rejected with them. Instead of trying harder.... Would you be happy? Feel betrayed? Frustrated?





/jarmo

Yeah, you're right...we don't know what axl was going through and we don't know if slash really didn't get why axl didn't show up for shows and practice and cut off communication with them or if he was leaving stuff out on purpose to make Axl look bad. But, unfortunately we haven't heard the other side of the story.

IMO, I feel like slash truly cares about axl...he said it would piss him off if anyone ever talked shit about Axl and he would always stick up for him...he said the reason HE could talk shit about Axl was because he has known him for so long. It seems like he had his back even when they weren't talking. But again...my opinion.