Slash makes everything better.

[Ginger King]

I know people (mainly people here) are fighting the good fight for the prior lineups, but, in every sense of the word, this lineup (call it reunion, regrouping, whatever) is better.  Hands down (IMO, of course). 

It?s weird that, whenever people are talking about how great this tour is, someone has to interject with, ?well yeah, but, technically speaking, from a musical proficiency standpoint, the prior lineups were better.?  That?s akin to Slash and Duff weren?t ?original? members of GnR?as in, no one gives a shit.  Praising the current lineup isn?t a knock against the old ones.  Why do people need to defend the prior lineups?  They were good.  They kept GnR somewhat relevant, at least, relevant to us diehard fans.  But they can?t hold a candle to this lineup now.

This band, right now, looks, sounds (Axl included) and feels like Guns n Roses.  The proof is in the pudding?sold out stadiums and tons of positive press.  The prior lineups never got this sort of buzz?not in ?02, not when Axl was killing it in ?06?not the Vegas residencies?never.  And it?s because Axl, Slash and Duff are back on the stage.  They make everything better.

[D-GenerationX]

It comes down to what you value and what you prioritize.

The whole time Slash was gone, the end of 'November Rain', or 'Estranged' in its entirety, never sounded right to me.  Not bad, per se, but I was very aware that I was listening to someone cover the classic songs I came to love.

So when someone tells me that they are now having that same feeling about Slash on 'This I Love' or 'Better', I get it.  You are basically making the same argument I am, so I understand the stance.

But that is where the priority comes into play.  I'll trade the classic songs that made GNR household names and legends in the game sounding on point again if the cost is the CD songs sounding, perhaps, a bit off.

[Nikki_Sixx]

Why would anyone want perfect re-creations of the CD solo's ?  It's not like we got perfect re-creations of the AFD or UYI solo's in the past ?!

[Ginger King]

It comes down to what you value and what you prioritize.

The whole time Slash was gone, the end of 'November Rain', or 'Estranged' in its entirety, never sounded right to me.  Not bad, per se, but I was very aware that I was listening to someone cover the classic songs I came to love.

So when someone tells me that they are now having that same feeling about Slash on 'This I Love' or 'Better', I get it.  You are basically making the same argument I am, so I understand the stance.

But that is where the priority comes into play.  I'll trade the classic songs that made GNR household names and legends in the game sounding on point again if the cost is the CD songs sounding, perhaps, a bit off.

Yeah, I guess that is technically accurate?but how many people does that speak to?  How many people got into GnR through Robin Finck and CD, and then were like, ?wait, they have a whole back catalog of stuff, I gotta check that out too!? 

[alcapone_dudu]

Slash is just a fucking classic act. Really love the guy but two things have bothered me (this is not a particularly thing to Slash): I didn't like what they've done to TIL and Better.

The intro for Better sounds like the band missed a cue or something before the song begins. It's not tight.

And This I Love's solo is just a masterpiece. You cannot mess with that. Just like NR or SCOM.

[C0ma]

If you only focus in the music (not the image, not the money, not the fanbase, not the critical response, not the overall ''good vibes'' surrounding this tour and reunion), it's impossible to say this band sounds better or at least at the same level than any of the previous lineups.

I agree. I dont really care much about how many t shirts are they selling at the moment. I too think that musically the band has downgraded quite a lot from 2014.

They have one guitarist less than before, it makes a big difference on the chinese tracks. Yes Slash can be sloppy, putting Richards guitar low on the mix does not help. Smaller drum kit, ect.

They are still good, but not as good as they used to be imo.

I'll begrudgingly give you the 'fact' that the CD tracks could be missing something with out the extra guitar, BUT the Guns N' Roses tracks that 50k+ people are there to see sound much better. I've seen pretty much every version of this band live in person (minus the few Paul Tobias shows) and the classics sound as good this tour as they have ever sounded. Part of that is Axl sounds as good as I have heard him sound since the 90's but alo of that is also Slash and Duff. you can claim and of the previous 4 lead guitar players are more technically proficient, but Slash plays classic GnR songs better than they do, and BTW I just listened to the best live version of TWAT that I've ever heard, so there's that too...

[sky dog]

It's never ending around here....probably their most professional and successful Us Tour ever. They sound incredible. If you want to listen to the album versions of the songs, stay at home and listen to them.

[D-GenerationX]

It's never ending around here....probably their most professional and successful Us Tour ever. They sound incredible. If you want to listen to the album versions of the songs, stay at home and listen to them.

I've started to wonder if, on balance, this is the best GNR tour.

Look, cards on the table, no tour from 2001-2014 is even in the running for this title.  If that makes me a bad guy, so be it.

So its down to AFD tour, the UYI tour, and the NITL tour.  All very solid, but here is why I say what I say.

The AFD tour has a number of great shows and the band sounds great.  But its so early in their career, not much diversity of material there, obviously.

The UYI tour was the height of their popularity.  But you had Axl's never ending drama and bullshit that did cast somewhat of a pall over a tour with a number of great shows.  Yet you also had nights where either through serious substance abuse (Slash & Duff) or a dogshit unprofessional attitude (Axl) that shows suffered.

The NITL tour has no glitches.  Slash and Duff have it together musically and Axl is as professional as he's ever been.  I also have not seen one show that got poor reviews.  There was an undeniable feelgood vibe to Guns N' Roses this summer, unmatched in anytime prior.

At least, in my opinion. 

This has been probably my favorite summer of GNR fandom, narrowly edging out 1992.

[C0ma]

How many people got into GnR through Robin Finck and CD, and then were like, ?wait, they have a whole back catalog of stuff, I gotta check that out too!? 

Not nearly as many as you would think... sure a fair number have found it that way, but entire sections of this past tour have no idea what they are listening to when CD tracks start up. it's not a huge draw...

In a very unscientific study (pure conjecture) I would imagine that the number of people who have their panties in a bunch over the TIL solo and Better intro are greatly out numbered by the people who have stayed as far as possible away from GnR since the early 2000's because of the VMA's, the failed 2002 tour, the Bridge School benefit, the Out of Tune SCOM at the Golden Gods, etc... because that is what made the news and various music blogs. They didn't see years and years of successful touring, they saw the shitiest clips available because that is what media focuses on.

[C0ma]

It's never ending around here....probably their most professional and successful Us Tour ever. They sound incredible. If you want to listen to the album versions of the songs, stay at home and listen to them.

I've started to wonder if, on balance, this is the best GNR tour.

Look, cards on the table, no tour from 2001-2014 is even in the running for this title.  If that makes me a bad guy, so be it.

So its down to AFD tour, the UYI tour, and the NITL tour.  All very solid, but here is why I say what I say.

The AFD tour has a number of great shows and the band sounds great.  But its so early in their career, not much diversity of material there, obviously.

The UYI tour was the height of their popularity.  But you had Axl's never ending drama and bullshit that did cast somewhat of a pall over a tour with a number of great shows.  Yet you also had nights where either through serious substance abuse (Slash & Duff) or a dogshit unprofessional attitude (Axl) that shows suffered.

The NITL tour has no glitches.  Slash and Duff have it together musically and Axl is as professional as he's ever been.  I also have not seen one show that got poor reviews.  There was an undeniable feelgood vibe to Guns N' Roses this summer, unmatched in anytime prior.

At least, in my opinion. 

This has been probably my favorite summer of GNR fandom, narrowly edging out 1992.

I would agree and add to that even in their heyday they never headlined a full US stadium tour (without a co-headliner). They are doing it better than ever and on a bigger stage.

[D-GenerationX]

In a very unscientific study (pure conjecture) I would imagine that the number of people who have their panties in a bunch over the TIL solo and Better intro are greatly out numbered by the people who have stayed as far as possible away from GnR since the early 2000's because of the VMA's, the failed 2002 tour, the Bridge School benefit, the Out of Tune SCOM at the Golden Gods, etc... because that is what made the news and various music blogs. They didn't see years and years of successful touring, they saw the shitiest clips available because that is what media focuses on.

Spot on.

I'm not sure what alternate dimension some people insist on calling home, but the overwhelming amount of the general public has not paid attention to this band in years.  Now, they do.

Of course, bring that up and you get told that that the 5-10 people sitting around someone at a UCAP show sure seemed to be having a good time, so....yeah.

Point may have, may have I'm saying, been lost in translation there.

[D-GenerationX]

I would agree and add to that even in their heyday they never headlined a full US stadium tour (without a co-headliner). They are doing it better than ever and on a bigger stage.

I'm happier with the lack of incidents or drama than probably anything.

Face it, it would have only taken one for the "same old Axl..." narrative to once against rear its ugly head.

I had a number of people say they would never go again because of his history.  Yet I have had even more that have since seen the Youtube clips and read the reviews and lament they should have gone.

I had very few takers for this tour.  If there's a next one, I have about 20 people that want to come with.

[Nikki_Sixx]

It's never ending around here....probably their most professional and successful Us Tour ever. They sound incredible. If you want to listen to the album versions of the songs, stay at home and listen to them.

I've started to wonder if, on balance, this is the best GNR tour.

No.  Not a chance.  Nothing can ever beat 1991.  For starters, there's only 3 GNR members in the current line-up, and they're 25 years older.

This might be the best tour they've ever had in terms of behaviour and critical response.  That's about it.

[sky dog]

1991 was great because it was so chaotic. If riots, cancellations, late starts and Izzy quitting is what you are after, then it was the best year ever! 

[Nikki_Sixx]

1991 was great because it was the last great line-up and they were on top of the world.  It was also the year of the best setlists, the longest and most passionate shows, the craziest antics ( and the best wardrobe  ), even the St. Louis riot was better than the lame Montreal, Vancouver or Philly riots 

[D-GenerationX]

No.  Not a chance.  Nothing can ever beat 1991.  For starters, there's only 3 GNR members in the current line-up, and they're 25 years older.

This might be the best tour they've ever had in terms of behaviour and critical response.  That's about it.

But, in reality, if you saw them in 1991 you got a show that started around midnight, featuring only a handful of songs you know and the star of the show in ridiculously bad spirits.

[Nikki_Sixx]

No.  Not a chance.  Nothing can ever beat 1991.  For starters, there's only 3 GNR members in the current line-up, and they're 25 years older.

This might be the best tour they've ever had in terms of behaviour and critical response.  That's about it.

But, in reality, if you saw them in 1991 you got a show that started around midnight, featuring only a handful of songs you know and the star of the show in ridiculously bad spirits.

What would some of you pay now to have them play only a handful of songs you know ?

[Wooody]

1991 was great because it was the last great line-up and they were on top of the world.  It was also the year of the best setlists, the longest and most passionate shows, the craziest antics ( and the best wardrobe  ), even the St. Louis riot was better than the lame Montreal, Vancouver or Philly riots 

 I would say it will always be their best year because thats what GNR was, danger, the music cuts slaps and punches you in the face, so obviously the people doing te music where going to be a reflection of that, or rather the source. Axls spinning like a posessed demon, channeling the energy of the music is something great to behold, also i  the 90's the audience used to move with the music as well  now they are zombies. Just look at the live footage from paradise city

[McKenzie]

I'm loving this tour and this moment more than any other, but people should stop listening with their eyes. Does a song sound wrong just because there's another guy playing it, even if he's doing it right note by note? Does a song sound right just because its creator is playing it, even with mistakes? Since this tour started, I've been reading people bashing Frank for playing "wrong" or "fast" (even on songs started by Slash or Duff) and praising Adler, even when he's playing faster than Ferrer did the night before. Have they ever watched to Ritz 88, with speed up and out of tune songs? "Hired hands" can play it right! Classic members can make mistakes too!

What I love about the current line up is that we have Slash's playing without losing Fortus' amazing rhythm playing and Frank incredible additions to the classic tunes. Not to mention Duff's powerful chorus bass. Playingwise, I'd pick 2016 band over 1985-1993 band anytime.

The whole time Slash was gone, the end of 'November Rain', or 'Estranged' in its entirety, never sounded right to me.  Not bad, per se, but I was very aware that I was listening to someone cover the classic songs I came to love.

Bumblefoot used to play NR last solo exactly like the studio version, note by note. Not even Slash does that. He also nailed Estranged every single night. Actually, Slash misses the last section of NR first solo every gig.

It's never ending around here....probably their most professional and successful Us Tour ever. They sound incredible. If you want to listen to the album versions of the songs, stay at home and listen to them.

I've started to wonder if, on balance, this is the best GNR tour.

No.  Not a chance.  Nothing can ever beat 1991.  For starters, there's only 3 GNR members in the current line-up, and they're 25 years older.

This might be the best tour they've ever had in terms of behaviour and critical response.  That's about it.

I think Slash and Duff are playing better now than 25 years ago. Not to mention Axl's 1991 Donald Duck voice.

[Walapino]

Best tour so far, Slash has brought attention and excitement to the CD songs, he has been nailing TIL and TWAT, CITR and Sorry were great!! 

No complaints from me!!