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

[D-GenerationX]

Look, I get Azoff is on the Antichrist list because he suggested what any remotely competent manager would suggest to Axl.

Going by the accounts of Axl, it wasn't just a 'suggestion to Axl' as you say. It was a scheme to make it happen, forcing him in a position to do it.

Well...yeah.

[D-GenerationX]

Giving credit to Azoff???  Someone's jonesing for a Karma point reduction...

Hey, hey, HEY!!  That's enough out of you, mister.

[Spirit]

But we were nowhere on getting that album out before him.  Axl had been diddling for YEARS.

So shit on the guy if you want, and I'm not going to go all out lauding him as some great man.  But he succeeded for us where countless other failed.

I might be mistaken, but I think the recording sessions had ended a couple of months before Azoff was hired. They were already in release talks with the record company when he arrived.

So think of it like a Governor or a President with job numbers.  You get credit when things are good, and take heat when they are bad. 

I'm just saying that they seemed to be closer to a release than ever at the time of Azoff's arrival. He probably helped speed up the process further, but I think it would have come out anyway.

[Ginger King]

Yeah, its never going to change.  We all know that.

But I wonder if the people "sick of hearing about it" might be more accurate phrasing it "I'm sick of trying to have to put a good face on this".

Even the people supposedly bitching about this all, to a man, concede its how it is and will never, ever will change.  So its not about some sort of preposterous assertion anyone is trying to get Axl to change his ways.  They are just pointing out some drawbacks to the approach, which are very real world.

So isn't what "people are sick of" is having to address those points, and they'd rather they just not be brought up?

Just a theory.

I think your theory is spot on.  There?s not so much an argument for it as there is a justification for it, which usually falls into one of two camps.  The ?it?s always been like this? camp (note: are you still acting the same way you were 20+ years ago???), and the artistic integrity camp (it takes time for Axl to get ready), which has the not so subtle ?you?re an asshole for wanting Axl to do things on your schedule.?

[D-GenerationX]

I'm just saying that they seemed to be closer to a release than ever at the time of Azoff's arrival. He probably helped speed up the process further, but I think it would have come out anyway.

Yeah, but when?  2011 would qualify for "came out eventually" too, no?

[D-GenerationX]

I think your theory is spot on.  There?s not so much an argument for it as there is a justification for it, which usually falls into one of two camps.  The ?it?s always been like this? camp (note: are you still acting the same way you were 20+ years ago???), and the artistic integrity camp (it takes time for Axl to get ready), which has the not so subtle ?you?re an asshole for wanting Axl to do things on your schedule.?

The "it takes time for Axl to get ready" bit is the part I find the goofiest.

What people are actually telling you is not that Axl needs a certain amount of prep time, but actually that its literally dependent on a clock.  The prep can't start until a certain time.

If you tell me that he needs 3 hours to get ready, fine.  So why can't you start that process earlier?  Why do you not get rolling on that until 8-9PM?

Is the argument seriously being made that its not a conscious decision on Axl's part when he chooses to start this prep of his?  Of course it is.  And its not bound by anything other than his personal choice to do it that way.

[Spirit]

I'm just saying that they seemed to be closer to a release than ever at the time of Azoff's arrival. He probably helped speed up the process further, but I think it would have come out anyway.

Yeah, but when?  2011 would qualify for "came out eventually" too, no?

Impossible for me to know.. All we know is that they were further in the release process than ever before. Take 2006 as an example, we all thought it would come out then. We later learned that they weren't done with the recording sessions at the time they said 'it would come out that year'. In the beginning of 2008 the recording sessions were done.

[D-GenerationX]

Impossible for me to know.. All we know is that they were further in the release process than ever before. Take 2006 as an example, we all thought it would come out then. We later learned that they weren't done with the recording sessions at the time they said 'it would come out that year'. In the beginning of 2008 the recording sessions were done.

All true.

But, just for examples sake, let's take 2 guys and start them at the same point, when recording was done.

The two guys are Merck and Azoff.  You have a lot of confidence Merck gets the same good deal, as favorable, as quickly?  I don't.

I'm not putting Azoff up for sainthood, but he does deserve some credit.  He's a guy with a lot of clout in the business that gets shit done.

[Spirit]

Impossible for me to know.. All we know is that they were further in the release process than ever before. Take 2006 as an example, we all thought it would come out then. We later learned that they weren't done with the recording sessions at the time they said 'it would come out that year'. In the beginning of 2008 the recording sessions were done.

All true.

But, just for examples sake, let's take 2 guys and start them at the same point, when recording was done.

The two guys are Merck and Azoff.  You have a lot of confidence Merck gets the same good deal, as favorable, as quickly?  I don't.

I'm not putting Azoff up for sainthood, but he does deserve some credit.  He's a guy with a lot of clout in the business that gets shit done.

I'm not denying that Azoff probably was the catalyst for getting CD out at the time it did come out. Merck... I don't know. I guess he never got to show his negotiation skills with the record company about the release itself, as Axl needed to complete the recording first. Merck might have had great success in dealing with the record company about the release strategy if he had stayed and been given the chance.

Azoff never dealed with completing the recording sessions.

[Ginger King]

Don't worry, its about time for the old name debate to come back. Soon... Or is it time for the setlist discussion?

 

/jarmo

Ugh, what don't you like about the setlist now, Jarmo? 

[D-GenerationX]

I'm not denying that Azoff probably was the catalyst for getting CD out at the time it did come out. Merck... I don't know. I guess he never got to show his negotiation skills with the record company about the release itself, as Axl needed to complete the recording first. Merck might have had great success in dealing with the record company about the release strategy if he had stayed and been given the chance.

Maybe I make too much out of this, but I will never get over the whole "13 Tuesday lefts / it could just show up in the store" debacle.

Just such a preposterous statement to make for a manager of a big time band.

[Spirit]

I'm not denying that Azoff probably was the catalyst for getting CD out at the time it did come out. Merck... I don't know. I guess he never got to show his negotiation skills with the record company about the release itself, as Axl needed to complete the recording first. Merck might have had great success in dealing with the record company about the release strategy if he had stayed and been given the chance.

Maybe I make too much out of this, but I will never get over the whole "13 Tuesday lefts / it could just show up in the store" debacle.

Just such a preposterous statement to make for a manager of a big time band.

Not very smart I agree.

[jarmo]

I might be mistaken, but I think the recording sessions had ended a couple of months before Azoff was hired. They were already in release talks with the record company when he arrived.

The recording was completed in early 2007. It was posted on gunsnroses.com in February 2007.

Axl announced the management thing in March 2008.

Ugh, what don't you like about the setlist now, Jarmo? 

Haha!

Don't worry, it's coming.
We've already went from the topic of the thread into late starts into how amazing Azoff is.

Soon, somebody will bring up how upset they are regarding the album's promotion.....




/jarmo

[The Wight Gunner]

I think your theory is spot on.  There?s not so much an argument for it as there is a justification for it, which usually falls into one of two camps.  The ?it?s always been like this? camp (note: are you still acting the same way you were 20+ years ago???), and the artistic integrity camp (it takes time for Axl to get ready), which has the not so subtle ?you?re an asshole for wanting Axl to do things on your schedule.?

The "it takes time for Axl to get ready" bit is the part I find the goofiest.

What people are actually telling you is not that Axl needs a certain amount of prep time, but actually that its literally dependent on a clock.  The prep can't start until a certain time.

If you tell me that he needs 3 hours to get ready, fine.  So why can't you start that process earlier?  Why do you not get rolling on that until 8-9PM?

Is the argument seriously being made that its not a conscious decision on Axl's part when he chooses to start this prep of his?  Of course it is.  And its not bound by anything other than his personal choice to do it that way.

  Being a vocalist I'd imagine is a whole different ball game to playing an instrument. I suppose those that play instrument, have some degree of warming up but its their "digits" that ultimately earn the wages, along with being in the zone mentally. With Axl, its not just his vocal cords that need to be right, his preperation is as a frontman, andnot like Liam Gallager of Oasis, who just stands still, Axl has to be in the zone in regards to be physically right.

 Does Axl still get stage fright? I'd be shocked if doesn't have some kind of trepidation to work through, and loads of the top acts all go through that. Again that's another part of the act that to a large degree, goes un-noticed, or at least un remarked upon. If Axl trips up he's there to be shot at, no ifs, no buts, Axls role if far more intense than any other band member....And as such, deserves that time to deliver a 180 minute kick ass show.

[D-GenerationX]

Being a vocalist I'd imagine is a whole different ball game to playing an instrument. I suppose those that play instrument, have some degree of warming up but its their "digits" that ultimately earn the wages, along with being in the zone mentally. With Axl, its not just his vocal cords that need to be right, his preperation is as a frontman, andnot like Liam Gallager of Oasis, who just stands still, Axl has to be in the zone in regards to be physically right.

Agreed all around.

I just don't buy the argument this process simply cannot start before, say, 8 PM.  It doesn't start until then because that's when Axl chooses to start it.

That's all.

[sky dog]

Yeah, its never going to change.  We all know that.

But I wonder if the people "sick of hearing about it" might be more accurate phrasing it "I'm sick of trying to have to put a good face on this".

Even the people supposedly bitching about this all, to a man, concede its how it is and will never, ever will change.  So its not about some sort of preposterous assertion anyone is trying to get Axl to change his ways.  They are just pointing out some drawbacks to the approach, which are very real world.

So isn't what "people are sick of" is having to address those points, and they'd rather they just not be brought up?

Just a theory.

Hot shot, I got know skin in the game either way and am not here to address any points negatively or positively. I am simply stating what the facts are and will leave all bullshit "theories" to loudmouth, knucklehead, Yankee smartasses like yourself.

[jarmo]

I just don't buy the argument this process simply cannot start before, say, 8 PM.  It doesn't start until then because that's when Axl chooses to start it.

He could start the so called process the day before and it still doesn't guarantee the show to start at your convenience!

Educate yourself. Read some articles. Don't just sit there thinking you have a clue.

You probably assume this is like warming up for a game. Run for X minutes, stretch, done, ready. If it was simple like that you could assume your logic works. But it's not.
Wake up with a sore throat versus not. See, that alone makes the schedule different.




/jarmo

[D-GenerationX]

Yeah, its never going to change.  We all know that.

But I wonder if the people "sick of hearing about it" might be more accurate phrasing it "I'm sick of trying to have to put a good face on this".

Even the people supposedly bitching about this all, to a man, concede its how it is and will never, ever will change.  So its not about some sort of preposterous assertion anyone is trying to get Axl to change his ways.  They are just pointing out some drawbacks to the approach, which are very real world.

So isn't what "people are sick of" is having to address those points, and they'd rather they just not be brought up?

Just a theory.

Hot shot, I got know skin in the game either way and am not here to address any points negatively or positively. I am simply stating what the facts are and will leave all bullshit "theories" to loudmouth, knucklehead, Yankee smartasses like yourself.

Have we even met?

Is there anything in that post that addresses you specifically in some way?  When I direct posts at specific people, I quote a post of theirs as an introduction to my response.  Did that happen?

You need to chillax, soldier.

[D-GenerationX]

Educate yourself. Read some articles. Don't just sit there thinking you have a clue.

I read that article when it came out.

Shit, you and I have specifically talked about that very article, several times now.

[jarmo]

Shit, it seems like you read things and either don't understand them or ignore what's said.



/jarmo