Brain interview (Feb 2015) on the I'd Hit That podcast

[Spirit]

There is a bit about them recording about The Village in Sonica Monica also. It is a snippet anyhow.

Yes, this isn't new. Brain have talked extensively about this in other interviews.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkGsRv1JB1o

[mortismurphy]

I think I am listening to a different interview from the one transcribed up there.

How so?

The transcript omits most of the juicy soap opera details. Quoting from memory (so do not accuse me if I have not got the statements word for word), ''Freese quits because he is bored sitting around for 3 years''. Brain himself quits because he is sick of the concert delays, ''Axl having a fuckin back massage while a riot happens''. The crazy story of how Chinese was being recorded? Feeding tapes between them and pizza delivery boy (why wasn't Axl in the studio with them)? The total chaos of Rio 3 rehearsals.

It is a wonderful interview, it really is, but the picture that emerges is complete chaos and confusion.

Thanks for posting this.  I will actually listen to this interview now, where as before I wouldn't have

The whole story of the making of the album CD is something that really intreages me.  I would love for a book to come out about the whole process

It's really nothing new in the interview about the recording of Chinese except the detail about working on a song for two weeks and then sending a tape to Axl.

But I'm with you, I hope we'll get a lot more details about that process at some point. A book would've been great. Brain actually said that he thinks every member who's been in Guns probably has enough stories to write a book.

But that is about as good a revelation about that album, as any we get.

Hardly a "revelation".

It's a pretty commonly known fact that GNR sends songs, and pieces of songs back and forth to work on, they did it for the Illusions as well.

I disagree. The latter was just Axl and Slash sending demos and talking over the phone. This was the entire band (minus Axl) laying down final studio tracks with Axl, thirty minutes driving distance away. I also get the impression that much of the album was recorded this way. I find it quite revealing.

[mortismurphy]

There is a bit about them recording about The Village in Sonica Monica also. It is a snippet anyhow.

Yes, this isn't new. Brain have talked extensively about this in other interviews.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkGsRv1JB1o

Fair enough but I am scraping the barrel. Give me a break here lol - we are starved!

[TheBaconman]

I will listen to the interview when I get time.    Right now I am booked for the night watchng a stupid blue ray.    The new hunger games    One hour in and half a 40oz of vodka gone.    Brutal movie.   Look for my review in the movie section

I have seen a few Brain interviews on YouTube.  He has talked about his experience in GNR many times.   The one thing I really like about him is.  He says it all with a smile.  The same with Josh as he does his interviews.    Don't ever forget most of the writters/band members of the album CD were just kids     Very youbg guys being employed buy one of the biggest rock stars of all time.   They were all a total cast of characters.    Not ever story will point Axl in the best light.    Who cares.  It's all very cool

[EmilyGNR]

I think I am listening to a different interview from the one transcribed up there.

How so?

The transcript omits most of the juicy soap opera details. Quoting from memory (so do not accuse me if I have not got the statements word for word), ''Freese quits because he is bored sitting around for 3 years''. Brain himself quits because he is sick of the concert delays, ''Axl having a fuckin back massage while a riot happens''. The crazy story of how Chinese was being recorded? Feeding tapes between them and pizza delivery boy (why wasn't Axl in the studio with them)? The total chaos of Rio 3 rehearsals.

It is a wonderful interview, it really is, but the picture that emerges is complete chaos and confusion.

Thanks for posting this.  I will actually listen to this interview now, where as before I wouldn't have

The whole story of the making of the album CD is something that really intreages me.  I would love for a book to come out about the whole process

It's really nothing new in the interview about the recording of Chinese except the detail about working on a song for two weeks and then sending a tape to Axl.

But I'm with you, I hope we'll get a lot more details about that process at some point. A book would've been great. Brain actually said that he thinks every member who's been in Guns probably has enough stories to write a book.

But that is about as good a revelation about that album, as any we get.

Hardly a "revelation".

It's a pretty commonly known fact that GNR sends songs, and pieces of songs back and forth to work on, they did it for the Illusions as well.

I disagree. The latter was just Axl and Slash sending demos and talking over the phone. This was the entire band (minus Axl) laying down final studio tracks with Axl, thirty minutes driving distance away. I also get the impression that much of the album was recorded this way. I find it quite revealing.

I'm sure you have proof positive that nobody in the band except Slash and Axl ever sent copies back and forth, or played and contributed on a song that was sent to someone, right?

In this era of improved programs, digital files and DAWs it is quite possible that bands don't operate in a way you think they should.

"The majority of things are done on the phone, until we actually get in the studio. A lot of things over the phone and sending tapes back and forth. And we've done this for years." (Axl, Rockline, 01/03/94)

 "In the mixing stages, Bob Clearmountain was fired for a covert plan to use sampled drums and Sex Pistols producer Bill Price was brought in, with Slash mailing daily samples out to Axl's house in Malibu for his approval."
http://www.musicradar.com/us/news/guitars/the-story-of-guns-n-roses-use-your-illusion-i-ii-496629


On New music: "All the guys are writing, and we recorded a lot of songs over the years. We'll figure out what we feel best about. Chinese was done in piecemeal with one person here and one there at different times. Appetite for Destruction was the only thing written with lyrics and melody fitting the guitar parts at the same time. After that, I got a barrage of guitar songs that I was supposed to put words to, and I don't know if that was the best thing for Guns. I do want to lean more toward lyrics and melody."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2012/10/30/axl-rose-on-gnr-music-more/1669329/

[jarmo]

This was the entire band (minus Axl) laying down final studio tracks with Axl, thirty minutes driving distance away. I also get the impression that much of the album was recorded this way. I find it quite revealing.

Revealing? That Axl wasn't always present breathing down the neck of the band when they were recording?
And you think he was in the studio watching the the old band when they recorded Use Your Illusion for example?
Ok. Whatever.....


I think the revealing part was that Brain has nothing bad to say about Axl at all!
No matter how you spin it. 





/jarmo

[mortismurphy]

I think the revealing part was that Brain has nothing bad to say about Axl at all!
No matter how you spin it. 

I think this neatly demonstrates our different approaches when listening to interviews such as this. I listened to that and couldn't believe the craziness of the band and the stories Brain was telling. I laughed along at the wacky nature of it all (which is very much Brain and the interviewers mindset also). And yes, this band does seem to be ran in a chaotic manner. I believe most sane people would have listened to it in that frame of mind.

You listened to that and immediately sensed an opportunity to propagandize W. Axl Rose.
 

[jarmo]

Unlike you, I wasn't looking for something in it.
You were looking for something and surprise surprise, found it.

And yes, this band does seem to be ran in a chaotic manner. I believe most sane people would have listened to it in that frame of mind.

So you're saying?

This kind of shit isn't surprising coming from you.



/jarmo

[Spirit]

I think the revealing part was that Brain has nothing bad to say about Axl at all!
No matter how you spin it. 

I think this neatly demonstrates our different approaches when listening to interviews such as this. I listened to that and couldn't believe the craziness of the band and the stories Brain was telling. I laughed along at the wacky nature of it all (which is very much Brain and the interviewers mindset also). And yes, this band does seem to be ran in a chaotic manner. I believe most sane people would have listened to it in that frame of mind.

You listened to that and immediately sensed an opportunity to propagandize W. Axl Rose.
 

Brain emphasized several times that nothing was a slate against Axl and GNR, he loved his time with them. He had nothing against Axl either, he observed the craziness of being in the band and he accepted it for what it is. Jarmo didn't need to twist anything to "propagandize" Axl. Sure being in Guns seems to be a wild ride, but I didn't get the impression that Brain regretted any of it.

I can understand his reasoning for leaving when his girl was born, as he had already decided 10 years earlier that the touring life was not something he would like to do for the rest of his life.

[jarmo]

I can understand his reasoning for leaving when his girl was born, as he had already decided 10 years earlier that the touring life was not something he would like to do for the rest of his life.

Yes, he mentions stating to get into computers and composing before Rock In Rio in 2001.

But of course it's easier to say "he stopped touring because of Axl" because that's what makes sense in one's "sane" mind. 




/jarmo

[mortismurphy]

You lot could spin a skyscraper.

[Spirit]

You lot could spin a skyscraper.

Sure Brain described the experience as somewhat crazy and maybe surreal, but I got the feeling he had a good time. Did you get any other impression?

Do you get the feeling that Brain was regretful of the whole experience with the band, that this was something he rather would be without?

If Brain had anything against Axl or the band, why would he still work for them, making the remix album and even join them on stage a few years ago? Is that a person who rather wouldn't have anything to do with the band or is it simply a man who does what he was set out to do, be a composer and staying off the road?

It's not a spin on my part, I acknowledge that what he described was a surreal and crazy situation.

[jarmo]

You lot could spin a skyscraper.

Get back to me regarding that veiled insult.
Thanks.

Sure Brain described the experience as somewhat crazy and maybe surreal, but I got the feeling he had a good time. Did you get any other impression?

He gets the impression he wants to get, and yet he labels himself sane....

Isn't it telling that instead of answering, he replied with the above nonsense? In addition to the nonsense posted earlier.





/jarmo

[mortismurphy]

You lot could spin a skyscraper.

Sure Brain described the experience as somewhat crazy and maybe surreal, but I got the feeling he had a good time. Did you get any other impression?

Do you get the feeling that Brain was regretful of the whole experience with the band, that this was something he rather would be without?

If Brain had anything against Axl or the band, why would he still work for them, making the remix album and even join them on stage a few years ago? Is that a person who rather wouldn't have anything to do with the band or is it simply a man who does what he was set out to do, be a composer and staying off the road?

It's not a spin on my part, I acknowledge that what he described was a surreal and crazy situation.

I actually totally agree with this, 100%. It was jarmo who introduced the 'saying bad things about Axl' straw man. Brain seems to have walked away from Guns with something like a 90% positive experience overall. He does not seem to have regretted it. But it is chaos which he describes, completely unprofessional, crazy. And he did cite Axl's concert delays as a reason for leaving. That was my point. But then the usual straw mans appeared in order to make you arguing for something you did not even believe in yourself which is the usual HTGTH tactic.

[Spirit]

And he did cite Axl's concert delays as a reason for leaving.

Maybe one of the reasons. Not the sole reason as he already envisioned himself sitting behind a desk not having to travel the world every year.

If touring was his passion in life, I'm sure he would have liked to continued with Guns.

But it is chaos which he describes, completely unprofessional, crazy.

I think the environment is also to blame, they were allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted. A result of being such a big band in that period of time I guess. It seemed like money was never an issue.

[jarmo]

And he did cite Axl's concert delays as a reason for leaving. That was my point.

That's in your mind. He didn't want to keep touring forever. He wanted to get into composing, and then he had a kid.

He hasn't really toured since. Doesn't that tell you something?



By the way, once again asking you to clarify your veiled insult. Since you're free to spin things people say, I can do the same.
Are you sure you want to try to insult members of this board as not being sane because they're not looking for things in an interview like you are?




/jarmo

[TheBaconman]

And he did cite Axl's concert delays as a reason for leaving.

Maybe one of the reasons. Not the sole reason as he already envisioned himself sitting behind a desk not having to travel the world every year.

If touring was his passion in life, I'm sure he would have liked to continued with Guns.

But it is chaos which he describes, completely unprofessional, crazy.

I think the environment is also to blame, they were allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted. A result of being such a big band in that period of time I guess. It seemed like money was never an issue.

I really still have to listen to this interview, so I don't want to comment on too much before that

But

Why is there anything to blame?

If it was a crazy atmosphere and people where total characters    What's wrong with any of that?  

Even if some of the concert delays where one of the reasons brain left....    Why is that a bad thing?  I don't see these things as negatives.   It's actually pretty cool.

[jarmo]

Some like to use it as a reason so they can continue the "It's Axl's fault" routine. It's been that way for decades now.

Don't expect them to change or even acknowledge the fact that Brain actually complimented Axl!



/jarmo

[mortismurphy]

And he did cite Axl's concert delays as a reason for leaving.

Maybe one of the reasons. Not the sole reason as he already envisioned himself sitting behind a desk not having to travel the world every year.

If touring was his passion in life, I'm sure he would have liked to continued with Guns.

But it is chaos which he describes, completely unprofessional, crazy.

I think the environment is also to blame, they were allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted. A result of being such a big band in that period of time I guess. It seemed like money was never an issue.

Lot of bigger bands with more money than Axl do not have that madness. Can you imagine Jagger not showing up for rehearsals before a huge gig, only to turn up in the early morning insisting on a very weary Richards/Watts/Wood to go through everything again before him, sitting there nonchalantly on a chair? Can you imagine Chinese Democracy levels of studio wastage happening with a Springsteen album?

[Spirit]

But

Why is there anything to blame?

If it was a crazy atmosphere and people where total characters    What's wrong with any of that?  

Even if some of the concert delays where one of the reasons brain left....    Why is that a bad thing?  I don't see these things as negatives.   It's actually pretty cool.

Yeah, "blame" was maybe the wrong word, it sounded like they had a pretty good time. I only used the word in context with mortis' comment.