Brain about Chinese Democracy & BrainBeatz.com

[ShotgunBlues1978]

Perhaps not in the right topic but move if feel like...

Brain on democracy.. (josh freese wrote the drums for Twat)

http://eqmag.tv/index.html?req=1&station=eqtvbrain&video=eqtv/inthestudio/eqtv_l07_braincd
That's a source!!!

Lol, Brain is the modern-day Sorum. (Except he's nowhere near as big as an asshole  )

Brain also has a writing credit on an officially released GnR song

[Ulises]

So is Axl saying Josh Freese is great technically but has no feel?

I don't think so. Did he tell you that?

[CaughtMeInaComa]

Axl recorded things and had things Re-Recorded and Re-Recorded over and over again with different musicans.
I think we all knew that, But WOW.... to hear it from the source is fantastic!

It's all coming together now.

[MrMojoRa]

Fucking incredible story!

Thanks BRAIN for sharing!!

Gives us a small glimpse of how particular Axl was in recording this material and why it took so long.

[Albert S Miller]

That was great!! What a process , and I thought I wanted to be in a rock n roll band, sounds like a great deal of hard work, but in the end it must be so rewarding.

[Jim Bob]

One of the best interviews we've seen so far on the album..

So in the last week, Chris and Brain have both given a little insight into the album..  Hopefully we'll learn even more as we get closer to release and after its released.

[norway]

I dunno, the more I think about that story, the more it sounds like they played a horrible practical joke on Brain.

Haha, I like your thinking

Was very intresting to watch, I sure hope Brain will still be touring with the band.

Does anyone else see this as the "gag order" being letup because the release is upcoming?

Yeah, as this in many ways advertise and promote a product I can see it.

BUT the real question I'm asking to myself here, is Brain didn't feel artistically frustrated or even a bit insulted to redone a work already made instead of doing himself the job ?

I don't think so.
Brain is professional, he can play everything and said so in many interviews.

He think knowing the schoolwork is just as important as having your own feel as suppliments eachother.

And also because this is his work, like any other work. I think he has written a lot of his own stuff on CD tho

[FunkyMonkey]

A transcription...

Drummer Brain Reveals How Chinese Democracy Was Made

by Paul Cashmere - October 17 2008

The long awaited Guns ?n Roses album has taken 15 years to be released. It will finally see the light of day in November.

Drummer Brain has revealed to EQTV how more than $300,000 was spent over a 7 month period on redoing the drum bits note for note after Josh Freese left the band and how he now has the record for the duration that a single drum kit had been set-up in a studio.

?I think I have the record for how long drums were set-up in a studio and I think it was five years that my drums were set-up at the Village Recorders in Los Angeles,? Brain said. ?It was five years and it went through three different producers. It went through Sean Beaven, Roy Thomas Baker and then I guess Axl is the producer now. Five years my drums were set-up.

Brain said his predecessor Josh Freese played on 30 songs and then left the band. Axl Rose liked Brain?s feel but wanted what had Josh played so he had Brain replicate exactly note for note everything Josh had done.

Brain says he spent 7 months putting down the drum pieces in a studio that was costing $2000 a day.

To learn the parts was a chore in itself. The drums pieces for 30 songs had to be transcribed. That job went to a guy at Sony who was handed two CDs of all of the songs and had to transcribe them note for note. ?It was every song written out note for note. Some were seven minute songs including Josh doing solos,? he said.

And remember this was a G ?n R project. The ordinary everyday studio was not good enough for ?Chinese Democracy?. ?It was recorded upstairs in an auditorium that used to be a Masonic temple. ?It had a huge bottomesque sound?.

?Chinese Democracy? will be released on November 22.

http://undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=6580

[SLCPUNK]

Hilarious really.

[RancidPunx]

Freese is having a baby.I doubt he wants back in.I HOPE Brain is still in.

[GNR4L]

I really like Brain I think he's the best drummer for GnR.

[gunns1]

I really like Brain I think he's the best drummer for GnR.

agreed, and I like the story about how all the other band mates were watching cartoons
down stairs whilst he was slaving over the hot ovens up stairs

[veritas55]

Great clip -- gives some insight into just how time consuming this project was, partly because of all the re-recording of parts, with musicians coming and going.

I also can understand why the label would have been pulling there hair out regarding this project -- it does not sound like there was much concern for costs when it came to doing this album.

[Sweet Black Magic]

First...I'm no drummer or ANY other musician, but if I were Brain I think I'd be a little insulted about being brought in to do a note for note "remake" without any input at all.  Maybe the money was just that good?  Seems like a waste of talent...

[Silverchair]

First...I'm no drummer or ANY other musician, but if I were Brain I think I'd be a little insulted about being brought in to do a note for note "remake" without any input at all.  Maybe the money was just that good?  Seems like a waste of talent...

As a drummer myself... being one for over 15 years and playing in many studios/sets for artists... it pisses me off. They sometimes as to do what has been done and I either do it or not depending on the music.

For a chance to be in GN'R... I would do it in a flash. Studio drumming and concert drumming is two different things. I hate the studio. My goal is always... IN and OUT... lol.

Josh's style is usually not that simple. The drumming on CD is rather simple. It's a straight back beat rock sound... pretty standard. Any pro-drummer could do it.

I wish Josh's style shined a bit more. If you listen to his work with APC, Evanescence, or even NIN... Josh is all over the place. I love Josh. He's my biggest influece and is my favorite drummer.
Concert is different... I enjoy it. Feeding off the other musicians and crowd... Live you have more freedom. In the studio you really don't.

I don't think he felt insulted, otherwise he wouldn't of had done it. If he did... and did it anyways, well... I prefer not to say anything.  

[greekmule]

really interesting...

the one thing i do not understand though is why did they want him to record the whole song in 1 take?

[Butch Français]

really interesting...

the one thing i do not understand though is why did they want him to record the whole song in 1 take?

I don't think he meant he could only use one take for each song. I think he meant that he wasn't able to record one piece of the song, stop and do the next one and then piece it together afterwards. Im sure doing the whole song in one go makes it flow better. Im also sure he used more than one take on the songs.

[greekmule]

sorry i am not a musician but thats what i meant. Why did he have to record the whole song from start to finish? I know bands that record their songs "live" in order to improvise or get a better "groove" but if u record just the drums what difference does it make if you record the whole song at once?

[Robman?]

Freese is having a baby.I doubt he wants back in.I HOPE Brain is still in.

You mean his wife is having a baby?


Awesome video, btw

[Butch Français]

even if it's only the drums that's being recorded, Im betting it still has to do with the flow. Im sure most of us wouldn't hear the difference if it was pieces put together or played all the way through, but Axl could probably hear the difference and wanted it done this way.