Who in GN'R besides Axl defines their sound?

[Gilbyfan]

Ok so I was thinking as Axl is the lone original member of GN'R left this would be a good question to ask fellow fans and see what they feel. And there is no right or wrong answers as it comes down to individual opinions.

So my questions are these. Which two musicians in the original GN'R other than Axl contributed most to the bands unique sound. And which two besides Axl in the 1999 to present lineup help retain that unique sound and move it forward?

My two from the old days would be Duff and Izzy. Duff because as with Flea in the Chili Peppers his bass playing style is all his own. Whatever genre style Guns were playing Duff could adapt to but still keep it sounding like him if that makes sense. And Izzy because whilst I prefer Gilby as a guitarist. No one can deny that either as co writes or by himself he contributed so many classic Guns tunes. And Izzy's true to what he believes in. He could have stayed in the then worlds biggest band and made a lot more money. But he wasn't happy with some aspects so left. That takes balls. And he still seems on good terms with everyone.

My two from 99 to present are Dizzy and Tommy. Dizzy not just because he's (besides Axl) the only musical link to the old band. He just seems to have taken the sound of piano and keys from Illusions and evolved it on Chinese Democracy in a way that the songs sound like theyre new and fresh but not some 17 years after Illusions. And Tommy for same reasons as Duff. He's got his own unique style. But his playing and feel he gives the songs is not a million miles away from Duff's own playing.

[Dead N' Bloated]

1987 - 1993: Slash

1999 - Present: Bucket/Brain/Robin/Bumble.

I Know you said "two", but being a completely different band than what it was in 1999, I couldn't stop at just Bucket and Brain.




 

[D-GenerationX]

The classic band is obviously Slash. 

But post-classic band, I think Buckethead.  I know he's long gone, but when I think of the stuff on the album I think really stands out, its him.

[GnR-NOW]

I think Richards presence lately has been enormous. During the 06 tours Robin had a commanding presence, from what I've seen in 2011 US Tour Richard had the most commanding presence. I felt during the Vegas run BBF had the strongest presence. I think it all depends on the tour. They all get a chance to shine !

[LIGuns]

Slash for the original lineup..
As far as CD/current it's hard to say.. CD, as great as it is,was pieced together in many aspects..Different guitarists and drummers playing throughout individual songs often complimenting what another has played makes it hard to decipher who's sound is who's..

[Gilbyfan]

The classic band is obviously Slash. 

I know I said that theres no right or wrong answers. But it's interesting that you say picking Slash is obvious. If I were going solely on sense of groove and feel I'd pick Gilby. If it was based on who played lead guitar and got all the solos it would be Slash. I picked Izzy more because his song writing and co writes to me contributed to the bands sound at least as much as any guitar solo.

No disrespect to Slash. but something I like about Chinese Democracy is not all the guitar solos are played by any one member. I hope that when the new album arrives that the guitar solos are shared again and Richard gets some this time.

[bad_apples]

Mostly Izzy back in the day..Buckethead was deff my favorite when it came to sound defining

If anyone chooses Ashba im going to hang myself

[One.In.A.Million]

87-93 Slash and Duff / 1999-onwards Robin Finck and Buckethead. 

[ITARocker]

Izzy/Duff/Slash/Axl (it depends on which song you pick, but generally there was a lot of cooperation)

Finck/Axl until 2002 and from then on Axl  (who noticed that the industrial things didn't work and that's probably why finck left the band in 2007...it was the end of the guns n roses' sound restyling project)

[One.In.A.Million]

To be honest I'd whittle it down even more to just 1 per era. I'd choose Slash for 87-93 and Finck for 1999-onwards. I think both eras were defined by the bands lead guitarist and this is backed up by how much the sound has changed again since Finck's departure.

[LIGuns]

Lets not forget B-Foots overdubs , to make it as he stated dirty like a GN'R album should sound..

[reayj2003]

The classic band is obviously Slash. 

I know I said that theres no right or wrong answers. But it's interesting that you say picking Slash is obvious. If I were going solely on sense of groove and feel I'd pick Gilby. If it was based on who played lead guitar and got all the solos it would be Slash. I picked Izzy more because his song writing and co writes to me contributed to the bands sound at least as much as any guitar solo.

No disrespect to Slash. but something I like about Chinese Democracy is not all the guitar solos are played by any one member. I hope that when the new album arrives that the guitar solos are shared again and Richard gets some this time.

Hang on??  ''If I were going solely on sense of groove and feel I'd pick Gilby'' How on earth can Gilby be attributed to defining the sound in any way? He plays on no album apart from SI.

[D-GenerationX]

The classic band is obviously Slash. 

I know I said that theres no right or wrong answers. But it's interesting that you say picking Slash is obvious. If I were going solely on sense of groove and feel I'd pick Gilby. If it was based on who played lead guitar and got all the solos it would be Slash. I picked Izzy more because his song writing and co writes to me contributed to the bands sound at least as much as any guitar solo.

No disrespect to Slash. but something I like about Chinese Democracy is not all the guitar solos are played by any one member. I hope that when the new album arrives that the guitar solos are shared again and Richard gets some this time.

Hang on??  ''If I were going solely on sense of groove and feel I'd pick Gilby'' How on earth can Gilby be attributed to defining the sound in any way? He plays on no album apart from SI.

Yeah, what is that based on?  Gilby's playing on concert bootlegs from 1992?  Was his rendition of 'Wild Horses' really a game changer?

[Dok]

I wonder how Jarmo will twist this into "DJ defines GNR's sound since 1987".
Go ahead dude, suprise me!

[jarmo]

Correct me if I'm wrong (which I doubt), but didn't Dj invent sound? Before him, there was just silence.
Hence the song The Sound Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel...

Surprise! 


/jarmo

[Gilbyfan]

The classic band is obviously Slash. 

I know I said that theres no right or wrong answers. But it's interesting that you say picking Slash is obvious. If I were going solely on sense of groove and feel I'd pick Gilby. If it was based on who played lead guitar and got all the solos it would be Slash. I picked Izzy more because his song writing and co writes to me contributed to the bands sound at least as much as any guitar solo.

No disrespect to Slash. but something I like about Chinese Democracy is not all the guitar solos are played by any one member. I hope that when the new album arrives that the guitar solos are shared again and Richard gets some this time.

Hang on??  ''If I were going solely on sense of groove and feel I'd pick Gilby'' How on earth can Gilby be attributed to defining the sound in any way? He plays on no album apart from SI.

Yeah, what is that based on?  Gilby's playing on concert bootlegs from 1992?  Was his rendition of 'Wild Horses' really a game changer?

I said "IF". And thats why despite my respect for Gilby, I went with Duff and Izzy for the early years instead of one of them and Gilby. Yeah Gilby didn't get to play on an album of original Guns material. Not his fault, shit happens. But on Spaghetti, Live Era and the shows he played 91-93 he played his ass off and had a remarkable sense of groove. OK.

[reayj2003]

The classic band is obviously Slash. 

I know I said that theres no right or wrong answers. But it's interesting that you say picking Slash is obvious. If I were going solely on sense of groove and feel I'd pick Gilby. If it was based on who played lead guitar and got all the solos it would be Slash. I picked Izzy more because his song writing and co writes to me contributed to the bands sound at least as much as any guitar solo.



No disrespect to Slash. but something I like about Chinese Democracy is not all the guitar solos are played by any one member. I hope that when the new album arrives that the guitar solos are shared again and Richard gets some this time.

Hang on??  ''If I were going solely on sense of groove and feel I'd pick Gilby'' How on earth can Gilby be attributed to defining the sound in any way? He plays on no album apart from SI.

Yeah, what is that based on?  Gilby's playing on concert bootlegs from 1992?  Was his rendition of 'Wild Horses' really a game changer?

I said "IF". And thats why despite my respect for Gilby, I went with Duff and Izzy for the early years instead of one of them and Gilby. Yeah Gilby didn't get to play on an album of original Guns material. Not his fault, shit happens. But on Spaghetti, Live Era and the shows he played 91-93 he played his ass off and had a remarkable sense of groove. OK.

Still makes no sense. "If I were going on a sense of groove I'd pick Gilby as defining GN'R's sound"??  Nonsense... If he's not on the albums he can't be attributed to anything.

[Rainfox]

With new Guns it's definately Finck and Bucket. Maybe more Finck in terms of songs also, and more Big B in terms of soloing and guitar parts as opposed to songs, but both have majestic contributions to the Guns legacy. The guitarwork on Better, SOD, TWAT, Sorry and TIL is simply stunning.  Also in the loop is Brain. Check out the drum track on Shackler's. Also TWAT and Prostitute. Brain has such a charismatic sound - and feel.  Hard to say about Goose and Paul Tobias; the latter has a hand in a lot of the writing for Chinese. Speaking of "sound" - check out Tobias on that big clunky (and ugly) guitar as he starts strumming Paradise City at Rock in Rio III in 2001. That sounds so unbelievably cool.

[One.In.A.Million]

With new Guns it's definately Finck and Bucket. Maybe more Finck in terms of songs also, and more Big B in terms of soloing and guitar parts as opposed to songs, but both have majestic contributions to the Guns legacy. The guitarwork on Better, SOD, TWAT, Sorry and TIL is simply stunning.  Also in the loop is Brain. Check out the drum track on Shackler's. Also TWAT and Prostitute. Brain has such a charismatic sound - and feel.  Hard to say about Goose and Paul Tobias; the latter has a hand in a lot of the writing for Chinese. Speaking of "sound" - check out Tobias on that big clunky (and ugly) guitar as he starts strumming Paradise City at Rock in Rio III in 2001. That sounds so unbelievably cool.

GREAT post, and I agree 100%. Thanks also for reminding everyone how great Tobias played the Paradise City intro, his tone for that was perfect as well as his technique.

[JAEBALL]

I think this topic is pretty silly.... i feel everybody contributed in all eras

the people that recorded all songs prior to Chinese Democracy clearly all shaped the sound of those songs....Slash stands out but that probably has a lot to do with just his image more than anything else... but certainly he alone doesnt define the sound

and obviously all the people who helped make Chinese shape the sound of those songs....Buckethead, Brain and Robin.... while dont do anything for me performing songs previous to Chinese.... recorded some amazing tracks on that album and its a shame we dont get to see them perform them anymore



not to knock some of the newer players... but aside from ron redoing some parts on Chinese.. these people have never recorded any  Guns N roses releases

and Chinese was Axl's baby regardless of how much or how little input other players put into it.. so id say he really is the driving force behind its sound