What's your viewpoint on a reunion?

[LongGoneDay]

If we were playing make believe, it would be great if Axl and Slash were to reconcile, the AFD lineup, plus Matt (I could take or leave Dizzy) reunited to tour and release another great album.

But reunion albums seldom turn out the way people hope.
I think it?s fair to say that artists, and moreso bands have a prime, and it very rarely lasts more than 10 years.
Probably half that.

I?m not sure there is enough evidence to suggest GN?R would be any different.
And it?s not the end of the world if they put out a lackluster album, every band does it, but it?s sort of cool that they haven?t yet.

I do consider Chinese as lackluster, but like most people I know, I don?t consider it a true GN?R record.
Sort of like how my Celtics never lost a playoff series with a healthy starting 5 of Pierce, Garnett, Rondo, Allen and Perkins.

So more realistically, maybe the best case scenario is a reunion tour, as I am confident they could still put on a killer live show.
Then hope it paves the way to releasing some classic era B-Sides, outtakes, rarities, live recordings etc.
Every band has them, and I?ve been happy with a lot of what I?ve heard(Stones: Plundered my Soul, Faces: Behind the Sun).
Sadly it seems it?s our best shot at ever hearing any new (old) rock n? roll music again.

[jarmo]

Why is Matt so important to some?




/jarmo

[ckgent]

Matt is a solid drummer. He kept the backbeat for that illusions tour and did a damn fine job. In that respect he is important to me as i got to see them twice back then and loved it. Saying that, i have seen them with a range of drummers since 2002, and each has been as important. Every member has been vital in keeping Guns alive and a touring entity. People get to pick their ultimate bands, dead or alive etc and its just a game.... People will always have their dream Guns line up, and i guess some want Matt...

Personally, if the reunion happens, i will be delighted... if it doesn't happen, then i will still go see Guns with whatever format they tour... Maybe a mixture of all line ups would be a great way to do it.

[faldor]

I don't get your logic at all.

Yes, that's apparent.

At its base level, here it is.  If they patch it up, the obvious question is going to be why he's still fucking around with a bunch of dudes that have nothing to do with Guns N' Roses when you have the opportunity to be working with one of the main reasons the band's legacy is what it is.

Robin Finck, Buckethead, Ron Thal, DJ Ashba...these were the first choices of no one.  They were alternatives forced on us, that we convinced ourselves to accept because the preferred option was not on the table.  Once you show the preferred option can be done, people are going to be less tolerant of fill-ins.

Why the hell do you think he didn't got the Hall Of Fame?  Because the second he takes the stage with the line-up everyone knows and loves, they are going to ask him why he keeps putzing around with whoever the hell else.

That's how I see it.  If you don't agree, you don't agree.  It ain't no bad day.

Slash hinted at this himself, but making amends is much different than working together again full speed ahead. It's great if they're on better terms again. But that doesn't mean they can put aside all their differences, write, work, tour, and deal with each other in a business and personal sense on an everyday basis. That's an entirely different animal, and not nearly as easily accomplished as you are making it sound.

If they get back together, enjoy it for what it is for however long it may last. If they decide ahead of time to do it for a limited time to prevent their relationship from possibly regressing again, I don't think we can fault them for that. You don't have to like it, but it shouldn't be viewed as an all or nothing situation.

[D-GenerationX]

Why is Matt so important to some?

I see it more as an anti-Steven vibe than I do super pro-Matt.

People just want a good, professional job.  Matt is your better bet.

Hell, for that matter, Frank would be too.

[LongGoneDay]

Why is Matt so important to some?

I see it more as an anti-Steven vibe than I do super pro-Matt.

People just want a good, professional job.  Matt is your better bet.

Hell, for that matter, Frank would be too.

Maybe for some on these boards, but no, overall I do not agree.

It?s only natural to want to see the band that created the songs you love performing them on stage.
As far as drummers go, in GN?R, that person is essentially Steven.
He is the most important drummer in the bands history, and it?s not even debatable.
He had a hand in all of GN?R?s most successful albums.

Matt stepped in late, and did an admirable job filling in live as far as I?m concerned.

He has a different style than Steven, so by default, he put his stamp on the Illusions, however minimal or significant they may have been.
He played on three of GN?R?s five albums of that era, and was a part of the very successful Illusions tours, so he deserves to be there as well.
Plus he would make a good insurance policy should Steven not hold up his end of the bargain.

Frank would make zero sense, as he has less than nothing to do with that era and his presence would only confuse people.

[JAEBALL]

Why is Matt so important to some?

I see it more as an anti-Steven vibe than I do super pro-Matt.

People just want a good, professional job.  Matt is your better bet.

Hell, for that matter, Frank would be too.

Maybe for some on these boards, but no, overall I do not agree.

It?s only natural to want to see the band that created the songs you love performing them on stage.
As far as drummers go, in GN?R, that person is essentially Steven.
He is the most important drummer in the bands history, and it?s not even debatable.
He had a hand in all of GN?R?s most successful albums.

Matt stepped in late, and did an admirable job filling in live as far as I?m concerned.

He has a different style than Steven, so by default, he put his stamp on the Illusions, however minimal or significant they may have been.
He played on three of GN?R?s five albums of that era, and was a part of the very successful Illusions tours, so he deserves to be there as well.
Plus he would make a good insurance policy should Steven not hold up his end of the bargain.

Frank would make zero sense, as he has less than nothing to do with that era and his presence would only confuse people.

I have never understood how any GNR fan would PREFER any member over the people who created the music to be on stage.

That's just how I see it.

As far as the drummer seat.. would like to see Steven and Matt both be involved for this hypothetical tour.

[Wooody]

Why is Matt so important to some?

I see it more as an anti-Steven vibe than I do super pro-Matt.

People just want a good, professional job.  Matt is your better bet.

Hell, for that matter, Frank would be too.

Maybe for some on these boards, but no, overall I do not agree.

It?s only natural to want to see the band that created the songs you love performing them on stage.
As far as drummers go, in GN?R, that person is essentially Steven.
He is the most important drummer in the bands history, and it?s not even debatable.
He had a hand in all of GN?R?s most successful albums.

Matt stepped in late, and did an admirable job filling in live as far as I?m concerned.

He has a different style than Steven, so by default, he put his stamp on the Illusions, however minimal or significant they may have been.
He played on three of GN?R?s five albums of that era, and was a part of the very successful Illusions tours, so he deserves to be there as well.
Plus he would make a good insurance policy should Steven not hold up his end of the bargain.

Frank would make zero sense, as he has less than nothing to do with that era and his presence would only confuse people.

I think that's a matter of perspective. The people who remember that GNR era ( between 1987-1993) mostly just remember Axl and Slash, the blonde Duff was recognizable, but when Gilby came up some people thought he was Izzy. As a kid I remembered I noticed Matt was suddenly there, and not Steven, but did I know them by name back then? NO. Did I care? No. If Slash had stayed in the band all these years I think most people would not have cared about the rest of the band members, some wouldnt even be talking about a reunion.

So, if you had Axl and Slash and Frank on drums?. I don't think most people would even notice, some would notice and wouldnt care (Like I did with the Matt -steven situation) and the hardcore music fans would already know the whole story, and if you know the whole story you have nothing to be confused about.

I would take Frank or Matt, but I wouldnt care that much.
However I will say, that the drums on the illusions are awesome, and its part of why I love the illusions more than AFD.

But the drums on CHinese are from Brains?

I think, we can all agree, that we just don't want steven

[dmathski]

[/quote]
I think, we can all agree, that we just don't want steven

[/quote]

I disagree there. I think a lot of people would want Steven. I'm not suggesting if Matt or even Frank was on drums they wouldn't see out arenas or even some stadiums but if it's the appetite 5 it would be even more huge.

[LongGoneDay]

Why is Matt so important to some?

I see it more as an anti-Steven vibe than I do super pro-Matt.

People just want a good, professional job.  Matt is your better bet.

Hell, for that matter, Frank would be too.

Maybe for some on these boards, but no, overall I do not agree.

It?s only natural to want to see the band that created the songs you love performing them on stage.
As far as drummers go, in GN?R, that person is essentially Steven.
He is the most important drummer in the bands history, and it?s not even debatable.
He had a hand in all of GN?R?s most successful albums.

Matt stepped in late, and did an admirable job filling in live as far as I?m concerned.

He has a different style than Steven, so by default, he put his stamp on the Illusions, however minimal or significant they may have been.
He played on three of GN?R?s five albums of that era, and was a part of the very successful Illusions tours, so he deserves to be there as well.
Plus he would make a good insurance policy should Steven not hold up his end of the bargain.

Frank would make zero sense, as he has less than nothing to do with that era and his presence would only confuse people.

I think that's a matter of perspective. The people who remember that GNR era ( between 1987-1993) mostly just remember Axl and Slash, the blonde Duff was recognizable, but when Gilby came up some people thought he was Izzy. As a kid I remembered I noticed Matt was suddenly there, and not Steven, but did I know them by name back then? NO. Did I care? No. If Slash had stayed in the band all these years I think most people would not have cared about the rest of the band members, some wouldnt even be talking about a reunion.

So, if you had Axl and Slash and Frank on drums?. I don't think most people would even notice, some would notice and wouldnt care (Like I did with the Matt -steven situation) and the hardcore music fans would already know the whole story, and if you know the whole story you have nothing to be confused about.

I would take Frank or Matt, but I wouldnt care that much.
However I will say, that the drums on the illusions are awesome, and its part of why I love the illusions more than AFD.

But the drums on CHinese are from Brains?

I think, we can all agree, that we just don't want steven

I understand what you are saying, but that really just boils down to being young and ignorant.
I was in the same boat. I thought the drummer looked different in the Illusions booklet, but didn?t give it much thought until a bit later.
Probably something to do with being 9.

But if you give people options, what do you think they would prefer?
To see the guy who was there, that helped create that music you love?
or that guy that doesn?t look familiar, that you never heard of, and have no emotional attachment to?

I get that Axl and Slash are the focal point. I?m not in any way disputing that.
But they need a drummer. They need a rhythm guitarist.
If people have their pick of who those players are, I think it?s a safe bet to assume they?d choose the creators over the nobodies.

I was a fan of some of Brain?s work with Claypool, and Freese from the Vandals, but the drumming on Chinese does nothing for me.
Some of it is just fine. Some of it sounds cheesy and dated to my ears.

Steven and Matt are the obvious and only logical choices in my opinion.

[D-GenerationX]

I consider the drums the least significant part of this band's music, by a good margin.  It's probably why I don't have much of a dog in this fight.

Its not like The Who or Led Zep where it was a driving force.  This band has always been about Axl's voice and the guitar work.

[EmilyGNR]

I don't see where it makes any sense whatsoever to even consider Steven would be capable of fufilling the position, staying sober on tour, and keeping his idiot mouth shut.

It would involve a huge risk, and would be a ridiculous decision business wise when there are other more stable and capable choices.

His recent interview did nothing to promote him as a realistic choice and his comments about harming himself or others were unacceptable on every level.

[LongGoneDay]

I don't see where it makes any sense whatsoever to even consider Steven would be capable of fufilling the position, staying sober on tour, and keeping his idiot mouth shut.

It would involve a huge risk, and would be a ridiculous decision business wise when there are other more stable and capable choices.

His recent interview did nothing to promote him as a realistic choice and his comments about harming himself or others were unacceptable on every level.

It makes a lot of sense ?if" you are promoting a reunion tour, because Steven is 1/5, 1/6 of of said reunion.
Being sober typically isn?t a requirement in rock n? roll(though yes, on a human level, it would be nice if he could maintain his sobriety).
Freedom of speech allows him to say what he wants. I don?t think speaking will hinder his performance.

Not really a risk at all in this hypothetical, as Matt would be there to fill in should he slip up.

[D-GenerationX]

Do all of you so militantly devoted to this being an AFD line-up affair also think Dizzy should not be involved?

[LongGoneDay]

To put it another way.
I?d like to see Elvis rise from the grave, and play a set with Slash, Izzy, Duff and Steven.
Why? Because Elvis is fucking King.
But that?s not necessarily the ideal lineup for a Guns N? Roses reunion.

[LongGoneDay]

Do all of you so militantly devoted to this being an AFD line-up affair also think Dizzy should not be involved?

Think he deserves the invite no question, but I'd be cool with or without him.

[jarmo]

Do all of you so militantly devoted to this being an AFD line-up affair also think Dizzy should not be involved?

Yeah. Dizzy's been in the band longer than Matt Sorum, yet people are clamoring for Matt's return.



What about the horn section and the back up singers?

 



/jarmo

[JAEBALL]

Do all of you so militantly devoted to this being an AFD line-up affair also think Dizzy should not be involved?

Yeah. Dizzy's been in the band longer than Matt Sorum, yet people are clamoring for Matt's return.



What about the horn section and the back up singers?

 



/jarmo

I had a severe crush on both Tracy and Roberta back in the day..

As for Dizzy... they can play the songs without a keyboard player (most of them)... they can't without a drummer..

But there is a definite anti Dizzy bias on the forums.. there are a few reasons for that, some fair, some not.

[Ginger King]

I don't see where it makes any sense whatsoever to even consider Steven would be capable of fufilling the position, staying sober on tour, and keeping his idiot mouth shut.

It would involve a huge risk, and would be a ridiculous decision business wise when there are other more stable and capable choices.

His recent interview did nothing to promote him as a realistic choice and his comments about harming himself or others were unacceptable on every level.

No argument there.  He certainly hasn't helped his chances with his latest comments.

[JAEBALL]

I don't see where it makes any sense whatsoever to even consider Steven would be capable of fufilling the position, staying sober on tour, and keeping his idiot mouth shut.

It would involve a huge risk, and would be a ridiculous decision business wise when there are other more stable and capable choices.

His recent interview did nothing to promote him as a realistic choice and his comments about harming himself or others were unacceptable on every level.

No argument there.  He certainly hasn't helped his chances with his latest comments.

Well the argument is.. do you want to see the Appetite band play or not? If he's not there... then it's not complete.. for some.

We all agree that he is borderline insane.