Dizzy Reed Talks Guns N' Roses Past, Present + Future (Sep 10, 2015)

[HBK]

ALL In 2016

 

[sofine11]

"Newer stuff" sounds good. I do believe they have been working on some stuff from time to time since 2008, but truth is we haven't heard anything except for some leaks.

"Going Down" is on my playlist, I really like that stuff, hopefully we can hear more soon!

Yeah, agreed.  The bulk of the 'Chinese Era' stuff was recorded from 1999-2004, right? I know Ron & Frank did some stuff in 2006/07 but that was it.  So, technically, if something was recorded in 2009-11 it would be considered "new".

But hell, who am I kidding, if I haven't heard it it'll be new to me. Hopefully all this 2016 talk pans out.

[dmathski]

No info but then again did we expect any. Of corse only one man holds and he's not talking.

[EmilyGNR]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLe7GwvP2CE

"There's newer stuff as well"

Dizzy saying what others have said. There goes that old "they haven't done anything since 2006" theory...




/jarmo

Great! Thanks for sharing!
'Newer Stuff' - guess that will throw a wrench in a few people's preferred narratives   

To be fair I don't think anyone ever said there wasn't 'newer' stuff, just that there has never been any information on when it might see the light of day.  What I would have asked as a follow up is 'ok so there is newer stuff, but has Axl actively worked on any of this newer stuff?'  No offense to the guys in the current band, but I want to hear what Axl has done with the songs not them. 

You are correct in there hasn't been any announcement on a new release-- yet.

I don't see how your inquiry could effectively be answered without going into specifics, which he may have preferred not to mention at this time.

What I am saying is I really don't care if the new guys have been working on their own songs for GNR.  For example when DJ said that he had some songs he was saving for GNR I didn't even blink.  I want to know if Axl has given any creative output.  Frank and Richard can write all the songs they want, but until Axl gets involved I am not even the least bit interested.  I would never buy an album from the GNR of today minus Axl. 

Gotcha, thanks for clarifying. 

[reayj2003]

He doesn't exactly rebuff the reunion question either.

[FunkyMonkey]

He doesn't exactly rebuff the reunion question either.

Yeah, "whatever happens, happens."

[D-GenerationX]

"Going Down" is on my playlist, I really like that stuff, hopefully we can hear more soon!

Agreed.  I dig that one a lot.

[jarmo]

"Newer stuff" sounds good. I do believe they have been working on some stuff from time to time since 2008

I believe the same.
We've pretty much got (at least) three band members saying similar things. One of them is Axl.





/jarmo

[sofine11]

"Newer stuff" sounds good. I do believe they have been working on some stuff from time to time since 2008

I believe the same.
We've pretty much got (at least) three band members saying similar things. One of them is Axl.





/jarmo

I don't get either sides of this argument.  I mean, who cares when the album was recorded? Or if they wrote together since 2008? If we get 12-14 tracks we've never heard, that's a "new" album to me. 

[jarmo]

Yes. I agree.

But for some, it's a real issue. The "they haven't done anything since Chinese was released" is repeated Ad nauseam.





/jarmo

[WAR41]

Yes. I agree.

But for some, it's a real issue. The "they haven't done anything since Chinese was released" is repeated Ad nauseam.





/jarmo

I was only responding to what you said about the being written after 2008.  I agree that in the end I don't care when any music was written as long as it gets released.  But if people are claiming that music has been written post-2008 I don't care about it if Axl hasn't worked on it.  I only want to hear about stuff that Axl has contributed to. 

[D-GenerationX]

I don't get either sides of this argument.  I mean, who cares when the album was recorded? Or if they wrote together since 2008? If we get 12-14 tracks we've never heard, that's a "new" album to me. 

At its base, this is 100% correct.  12-14 songs I have yet to hear is a new album.  No question about it.

So what's the quarrelling about?  Four words : benefit of the doubt

You got your one camp that feels whatever benefit of the doubt Axl ever had, its long used up.  They tend to think, if any new album even comes out, it will be songs from many moons ago.  Doesn't make them any less new to us, of course.  But will lend even more credence to the idea this second straight excessive delay is even more absurd.  Because you will be releasing songs done by guys even longer removed from the fold, and songs that have been done for some time.

Then, you have your other camp.  They don't so much think Axl deserves benefit of the doubt as much as they think even broaching that subject is totally out of line.

It probably doesn't help that both sides have comments from band members that are totally at odds with each other.  And each side tends to put unwavering belief in the ones that support them, and dismiss the ones that refute them.

[D-GenerationX]

I was only responding to what you said about the being written after 2008.  I agree that in the end I don't care when any music was written as long as it gets released.  But if people are claiming that music has been written post-2008 I don't care about it if Axl hasn't worked on it.  I only want to hear about stuff that Axl has contributed to. 

But do you really think any song is going to come out that Axl did not work on?

Is there much chance of a Fortus/Stinson tune on some future album?

[LongGoneDay]

I was only responding to what you said about the being written after 2008.  I agree that in the end I don't care when any music was written as long as it gets released.  But if people are claiming that music has been written post-2008 I don't care about it if Axl hasn't worked on it.  I only want to hear about stuff that Axl has contributed to. 

But do you really think any song is going to come out that Axl did not work on?

Is there much chance of a Fortus/Stinson tune on some future album?

I don?t want to put words in WAR41?s mouth, but for me, when DJ Ashba says he?s worked on 10 amazing songs, I could give a shit less because DJ has never written a song that I remotely enjoy, and he has nothing to do with the Guns N? Roses I grew up on. Same for Fortus, BBF, Frank etc, etc.

If Axl says that he himself worked on 10 amazing songs, well that is another thing altogether.

But from various interviews with ex-members, it seems possible that when Axl says ?we?, he isn?t necessarily involved.
We know that Robin and company were in the studio for days on end with no sign of Axl being present. This goes all the way back to the days of Slash and Duff being in the band.

Axl is the holdover from old Guns, and so Axl is the draw for many still interested today.

To his credit, he gave the other players a chance to showcase what they have to offer.
Unfortunately for me, it didn?t equate to great songwriting. Axl is a man among boys in current GN?R, whereas it was more even in the old band.
They complimented and elevated each other to heights they?ve not since seen.

Nothing on Chinese Democracy made me any more emotionally attached to the players involved.
Though I will say I dig the vibe of Going Down. Sounds more rock n? roll than anything on CD. So points for Tommy on that one.
Axl?s melodies are ace, too.

But yea, I could care less about what anyone in Guns today sans Axl has to say.
I?d prefer Axl put out an album by himself. Piano and vocals. Some acoustic guitar is always welcome.

[sky dog]

according to Brain, Axl is more involved than you think....

that's one thing about Axl, too. He knows his shit, dude. I'll never forget, we were working on a track... I forget the name of the track, I don't know if it even made to Chinese Democracy, but we were working on it for two weeks, maybe even longer.

We would work at Village, which is a studio in Santa Monica. Everything would be dropped off to him. At that point it was, like, giving him CD's. So, there'd be a runner ready to go right when we were done at midnight, to bring it to his house in Malibu, and we'd wait about 35-40 minutes until it got there and get the call. 'Yeah, this is cool', or, 'No, we gotta change something or whatever.'   

We'd been doing that for about 2,5 weeks on this song, let's say. Finally, he loved what we were doing, but we had to change something with the drums. So, I remember replaying the part, but, on the beginning of the second half of the intro, there's a kick drum that I had missed on the final take. We had already figured out all the parts and everything was going great, and producer Roy Thomas Baker was like, 'That was the take.'

But I had noticed that I'd missed one kick drum. One kick drum on the one, on the second half of the intro, OK? We send it there, and I'm not shitting you, he says, 'Everything sounds great, except I think Brain missed a kick drum on the one.'

So, he's fuckin' listening. We thought we were sending this shit and he's literally sitting there like King Arthur with seven chicks on his pipe. He's listening, he's working. After that, I respected... I was like, 'Holy shit! He caught that?!' Yeah, he's listening to every little thing. It was my time on getting the drums right, so he was focusing on that... It's pretty amazing. You'd think someone like that, does he need to care? That one got me. I was like, 'Wow. He caught that.'     

[Sickthings3]

With all this talk and complaints about writing new songs, who is writing new songs, people leaving because there are no new songs, this is my take on one possible scenario.

I think, say DJ, or Bumblefoot, or whoever, works on a song, likes it, and then presents it to Axl. Then Axl will put his touches on it, changes this and this and this around and boom, GnR song. So yeah, I was getting excited when I heard other people were writing songs. I don't see Axl going, "I like that, let's record that as is". Even during CD, there are reports that he wanted to make sure every band member had a say in it.

And as far as the lack of new songs, people leaving, and what not, IF a reunion is going to happen, IF the reports are true about Slash and Axl starting to talk last year, this brings up two things in my mind. A. Bumble could have been pissed about it being possible and that's why he quit before he was asked to leave. Also explains why he "didn't" say anything officially (minus the vague messages and alluding to it) about his leaving. Maybe the reunion wasn't sure, and still isn't sure (that's why no one is talking) and he was going to come back if it fell through. DJ left a year later, maybe talks were still going good and he had a sure thing in SIXX:AM and the talks helped pushed him towards that decision. I honestly believe DJ loved being in Guns and I use the possibility of a reunion as an excuse for DJ leaving. Also explains Tommy's statements.

The other thing is, (bare with me, there are a lot of "ifs" here). IF it's true about Axl and Slash talking and IF I'm correct in my assumption (that I pulled out of my ass) that Axl is a pretty emotional guy and I can't really begin to understand the feelings and emotions rushing through him, I can't really see him being in the mood to write. Or at least write for the public to hear. He may be writing just for himself, to kind of deal with everything going on. I mean, that's twenty some years of hurt, anger, distrust, and everything else that he has to deal with. In addition to everything else he may have on his plate. That is a lot for anyone. And IF there is a reunion being talked about, I highly doubt those talks will go smooth. I don't see (again, just from my limited knowledge of things that may not even be true) Axl allowing Slash and Duff being full time, equal members again. I see it being very hard for Slash and Duff to come back and take a huge "pay cut" (even though they are the ones who left). But then again, Duff did it before, so who knows.

Pure speculation on my part, but to compensate my make believe dilemma about money, it would be cool if VR reunited and did Duff and Slash did double bill opening and then playing with GnR.

Sorry, I realize this post is just a bunch of theories and what ifs and no facts, but thanks for reading, if you did.

[Ginger King]

"Going Down" is on my playlist, I really like that stuff, hopefully we can hear more soon!

Agreed.  I dig that one a lot.

I like it as well, but let me ask you:  does it sound like CD to you?  To me, it doesn't.  Perhaps this song was one of the "newer stuff" Dizzy was referring to?  Tommy created (or helped to create) this song, right?  Any idea when?

[D-GenerationX]

And as far as the lack of new songs, people leaving, and what not, IF a reunion is going to happen, IF the reports are true about Slash and Axl starting to talk last year, this brings up two things in my mind. A. Bumble could have been pissed about it being possible and that's why he quit before he was asked to leave. Also explains why he "didn't" say anything officially (minus the vague messages and alluding to it) about his leaving. Maybe the reunion wasn't sure, and still isn't sure (that's why no one is talking) and he was going to come back if it fell through. DJ left a year later, maybe talks were still going good and he had a sure thing in SIXX:AM and the talks helped pushed him towards that decision. I honestly believe DJ loved being in Guns and I use the possibility of a reunion as an excuse for DJ leaving. Also explains Tommy's statements.

I think this could absolutely be a smoke and fire type situation because I think you could make this exact case the way you did.

What I do not think is in dispute, is that Ron and DJ simply lost patience with Axl.  Now, does that mean reunion?  Does that mean CD II, which barely includes them?  Don't know.  But I think it seems more than likely both men looked a few steps down the line and saw a future that didn't really include them.  And that's on top of whenever the hell Axl decides to get moving on that future to begin with.

[D-GenerationX]

I like it as well, but let me ask you:  does it sound like CD to you?  To me, it doesn't.  Perhaps this song was one of the "newer stuff" Dizzy was referring to?  Tommy created (or helped to create) this song, right?  Any idea when?

No.  Doesn't fit with just about any CD song I ever heard.

Even the other leaks like 'Blood In The Water' and some of the other stuff in that 3 and a half minute medley.  It fit with none of that, I didn't think.

[Will]

I like it as well, but let me ask you:  does it sound like CD to you?  To me, it doesn't.  Perhaps this song was one of the "newer stuff" Dizzy was referring to?  Tommy created (or helped to create) this song, right?  Any idea when?

Like the actual album? No, but I can imagine it being recorded during these sessions, probably between 2006 and 2009 (but I could be wrong). I don't think it's part of the "newer" stuff, but it's really cool and I like Tommy's vibe. I remember Ron telling me Robin wrote some parts on it too, so those parts must have been from 2006-2007 (or even earlier).