Steven Adler Interview: Appetite For Rehabilitation

[FunkyMonkey]

Former Guns N' Roses Drummer Steven Adler Now Has an Appetite for Rehabilitation

By Ryan Ritchie
Published on April 15, 2009

Steven Adler is the new Ozzy Osbourne. Each is a bona fide rock icon with millions of fans who worship at their respective altars, but their latest stints in the spotlight have been thanks to reality television.

Osbourne became a sensation with housewives thanks to MTV?s The Osbournes, which detailed the singer?s daily life in an ?are we laughing at him or with him?? sort of way. The same can?t be said for Adler. His stints on the second season of VH1?s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and the subsequent Sober House were lots of things; amusing wasn?t one of them.

Similar to the Prince of Darkness, the man once known only as the guy who wore a TSOL shirt in Guns N? Roses? 1988 video ?Sweet Child O? Mine? has transcended the world of hard rock for a level of fame that made him Monday morning watercooler talk. If you haven?t seen the show, you?re missing some of the most ?real? reality television in the genre?s history. Less than a year ago, the thought of televising a man enduring the effects of heroin-use minutes after taking the drug seemed impossible. But earlier this year, it was a VH1 ratings bonanza.

Even at his lowest, when viewers saw a man who might not recover in time to live on the same planet as the rest of us, Adler remained likable, even charming, when he wasn?t high. Unlike Rehab co-star Jeff Conaway, whose need for intoxicants began to make viewers wish he would just die or get off the screen (whichever came first), the 44-year-old drummer had millions of Americans in his corner, pulling for him to get through it. Publicizing your drug addiction to anyone with cable TV isn?t the way to go for most, but Adler believes it was the right move for him.

?Doing a TV show was the best experience in my life,? Adler says. ?I?ve never given myself a chance to get anything close to being sober. They asked me to do the first season, but I wasn?t ready to do it. Then the next year came and I felt different about doing drugs. They gave me an opportunity, and I grabbed on with both hands and my legs and ran with it.?

Those who know Adler solely from VH1 might not understand his importance to rock music, but there?s a very popular belief that Guns N? Roses never recovered when he left. Although his former group went on to sell out every Enormo-Dome across the world, something was missing, and that something was the swinging vocabulary Adler brought to his instrument. Many?including Adler?argue his replacement Matt Sorum could never fill those shoes.

?Yeah, I know that,? Adler says. ?And all the other guys know that. It?s just Axl doesn?t want to admit it. That?s why the songs work?because of all five of us. Use Your Illusion would have been bigger than Appetite [For Destruction] if it was recorded the way the demo tapes sounded. But every record they did with less members sold less and less.?

I was hesitant to bring up Chinese Democracy, the latest Guns N? Roses record that?s essentially Axl Rose and a revolving door of other guys, but Adler?s opinion of the album is actually pretty spot-on.

?He should have called it ?WAR.? W-A-R. W. Axl Rose. It only went gold, and that?s not Guns N? Roses,? he says. ?They go double platinum in the first week.?

Lest anyone think Adler is positioning himself to become a full-time reality star, the drummer has two products slated for release in the near future. The first is a drum instructional video, while the second is a film called Dahmer vs. Gacy. Adler enjoyed his role in each but says his main focus is his current band Adler?s Appetite. The quintet?Adler, bassist Chip Z?Nuff (of ?80s glam rockers Enuff Z?nuff), guitarists Michael Thomas and Alex Grossi, and singer Sheldon Tarsha?perform material from Adler?s stint in the group, which includes 1987?s ?Appetite for Destruction,? 1988?s ?G N? R Lies,? and the track ?Civil War? from 1991?s ?Use Your Illusion.?

?Axl?s one-fifth of what the band was,? Adler says. ?I?m one-fifth of what the band was. He?s doing it by himself. I can do the same thing. At least I?m showing up for the shows.?

http://www.ocweekly.com/2009-04-16/music/steven-adler

[Bodhi]

I love the balls this guy has to talk shit about "Chinese Democracy", and how delusional he is to think that him being out of the band is the reason the records have sold less since "Appetite"...what a fucking clown.  I really don't have any words for this waste of life anymore..it is sad..you think he would keep his mouth shut after completely embarrassing himself on national television in that stupid rehab show, but now he comes out with this bullshit.  Only Steven Adler could be so useless to not even use his GNR fame to start up a decent band and get some recognition like Slash and Duff did with VR...Instead of that he keeps playing dive bars with shit musicians butchering GNR classics.  You would think with GNR on his resume he would have landed in a somewhat decent band by now.  Fuckin loser...

[AtariLegend]

"It only went gold, and that?s not Guns N? Roses,? he says. ?They go double platinum in the first week.?

Is he talking about "Use Your Illusion 1" & "Use Your Illusion 2"? 

[Albert S Miller]

It seems his statements have changed and are not so nice after Axl had his say publicly, and has mentioned no chance of a reunion. Reality hurts, it is a shame it took Steven so long to realize .

[D]

u guys really read wrong what Steven said.

he said CD only went gold

he didn't say it would've done better with him but the original band.


so i don't see the problem. A new album by the original band would sell a lot more than gold. that isn't a diss on Axl or CD but it just would.

Also, I do agree with Steven's drumming style making a HUGE difference. The drumming on AFD is awesome and I can't understand why people can't give the guy credit.  UYI may have sounded completely different with Steven on drums.

I use to have the "Drummers arent important" attitude until I started playing with different drummers. I then realized how ignorant I was cause it makes a HUGE difference.

[Jim Bob]

Ok D, Credit where its due.  Over 20 years ago, Steven recorded some cool drum parts on AFD.  And I agree UYI would have sounded differently, maybe better, with Steven but he just could not stick it out and do it.

With this said, Steven hasn't been in Guns N' Roses for almost 20 years now.   Next year it will be 20 years since he was fired.     No other ex-member hangs on to this shit as much he does, he reminds me of disgruntled slash fans who still troll these boards all these years later.

[jarmo]

Why was Matt in the band in the first place? Because Steven fucked up.

Does he take responsibility for it? No....

He couldn't record the songs in the studio. Does anybody think he could've managed a tour?



Maybe somebody should refresh Steven's memory a bit.

Remind him of all the shows he canceled over here in Europe. Or about that time when he was without a band and had to tour with a GN'R tribute band...


Do drummers add their personal touch to the songs they play on? Definitely, unless they're robots...

Does that make Adler 1/5 of the old band? Yes in a way, he was one of five guys.

Does it mean he was an equal part of the band? No. He didn't write the music and so on.





/jarmo

[D]

I don't take Steven that seriously though. I take him for what he is. A great drummer living off past accomplishments and I am ok with that because without those past accomplishments he has nothing.

Not everybody can write and make a great album, so whatever he has to do to make a living and have fun, I can't fault him.

I would never say a drummer is as important as a lead vocalist. but really, we don't know exactly how important Steven was to the band.

Izzy and Slash have both gave him tons of credit for how his drumming shaped the style of Appetite, so who is to say what GNR would've sounded like with a different drummer.

I am sure they still would've been great, but AFD is so timeless and awesome for me, partly due to the swing and danceability of it.

Sorum is a great drummer but is very heavy handed and stiff, so AFD would've had an entirely different feel with a different drummer thus maybe it wouldn't have been as great.

so no, i don't think he is equal to Axl but lets not act like Steven wasn't important at all. thats all i am saying.

[Bodhi]

Steven also mentions how much better the "Illusions"would have sold if it was recorded the way the "demo tapes sounded"..I believe it is the general consensus among all the members that Steven couldnt cut it on the tracks anymore and "Civil War" had to be clipped and pasted together..,and didnt the "Illusions" sell a combined 14 million copies in the U.S alone?  Mostly in an age where hip hop and alternative ruled the airwaves?  wow what a failure   There is a reason Steven has not formed or joined another successful band in the past 20 years, well 2 reasons I guess.  1. He is a drug addict who cant get control of his life.  2. He really wasnt that great a drummer or songwriter in the first place.  I think it is a little of both...

[Jim Bob]

1. He is a drug addict who cant get control of his life.  2. He really wasnt that great a drummer or songwriter in the first place.  I think it is a little of both...

He certainly wasn't irreleplaceable.   Matt sucks, but Josh Freese and Brain are so many leagues above Steven you can't even compare.  Frank is a fair comparision, as he has a similar style, except he's not a drug addict and he's tighter.    Steven brings nothing to the table that Frank can't bring..

I think its time for Steven to move on from Guns N' Roses.  Guns N' Roses has moved on.  The fans who aren't stuck in 1987 have moved on.

[Bodhi]

1. He is a drug addict who cant get control of his life.  2. He really wasnt that great a drummer or songwriter in the first place.  I think it is a little of both...

He certainly wasn't irreleplaceable.   Matt sucks

I take the Illusion line up over the Appetite one any day of the week...I thought Matt was a lot better than Steven, imo

[GNR4L]

If he thinks Axl's gonna let him back into the band, he's got another thing coming.  I have a better chance of winning the lottery.

[D]

I just dont agree Jim Bob

if u could point to something awesome/out of this world Brain or Frank has done Id could maybe agree with u, but if u listen to CD's drumming and AFD's drumming...... I am sorry but Appetites pisses all over CD's drumming.

[Jim Bob]

You should have seen the band when they toured in 2006.   Don't miss them next time, then you will be able to see for yourself.

[D]

If they are playing mostly what Steven wrote though................ See that doesn't count.

Just like Brain played most of what Josh Freese wrote.

if u were a musician Jim Bob, u would understand the difference in writing something and playing something already written.

[Jim Bob]

the fuck do you mean it doesn't count?   is Frank not the guy up on that stage playing the drums?   Frank could have just as easily been the guy behind the kit during AFD and nothing would have changed.

My going to a show and enjoying it has nothing to do with who wrote what.     That takes the fun and enjoyment out of just being there and experiencing GnR live.   I don't give a fuck who wrote what.

[Bodhi]

If they are playing mostly what Steven wrote though................ See that doesn't count.

come on we are talking about drumming here..it is one step up from playing the kazoo(thanks Dave Mustaine)..seriously what Steven "wrote"?  come on...

[jarmo]

I just dont agree Jim Bob

if u could point to something awesome/out of this world Brain or Frank has done Id could maybe agree with u, but if u listen to CD's drumming and AFD's drumming...... I am sorry but Appetites pisses all over CD's drumming.

Is that why people like Josh Freese and Brain are in demand drummers?

Because their playing sucks?


Have you listened to the drumming on CD at all?



/jarmo

[IzzyDutch]

If they are playing mostly what Steven wrote though................ See that doesn't count.

come on we are talking about drumming here..it is one step up from playing the kazoo(thanks Dave Mustaine)..seriously what Steven "wrote"?  come on...

I think you're underestimating the role of a drummer.. the drummer delivers a drive that can make or break a song. It's no secret Steven's not a very good technical drummer but he's got a certain groove/style that make your feet tapping along. While the drumtracks aren't considered as part of the writing it is part of the arrangements, which I think is part of Steven's strong points. If you look at AFD, Vain or Adler's Appetite songs the drumtracks don't contain the standard/usual beats you hear everywhere. His beats are tottaly fitting to the songs, not only to the 'famous' ones like Rocket Queen or Mr. Brownstone or whatever. Every song has that something special. Also his cymbal work is quite clever, not the standard stuff. That's one of the reasons why I don't like Matt as a drummer besides that his timing is like a drummachine, Steven came up with much more interesting arrangements. Junkie or not, wether you like Steven or not, you can't deny that he has a great sense of style and sound.

Anyways, even Izzy and Slash have credited Steven's drumming in the band. To quote Izzy: 'The first time we learned what Steven did for us was when he broke his hand trying to punch through a wall'. And 'it was incredible, after Steven left nothing worked'. I recall Matt in a drummer magazine article where he posted a storie about a drummer list, when Steven's name came up he said that Steven had a certain punkrock style and sound that he never had and wasn't interested in and that changed the band's sound alot.

From the new GN'R drummers, I have nothing with Josh Freese or Brain's playing. Frank Ferrer I like. But my favorite drummers still remain Roger Taylor (who according to Steven was also a big influence on him, especially cymbal wise), Taz Bentley and Steven Adler.

[gunner22]

I love the balls this guy has to talk shit about "Chinese Democracy", and how delusional he is to think that him being out of the band is the reason the records have sold less since "Appetite"...what a fucking clown.  I really don't have any words for this waste of life anymore..it is sad..you think he would keep his mouth shut after completely embarrassing himself on national television in that stupid rehab show, but now he comes out with this bullshit.  Only Steven Adler could be so useless to not even use his GNR fame to start up a decent band and get some recognition like Slash and Duff did with VR...Instead of that he keeps playing dive bars with shit musicians butchering GNR classics.  You would think with GNR on his resume he would have landed in a somewhat decent band by now.  Fuckin loser...

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