GUNS N’ ROSES Guitarist BUMBLEFOOT Talks ‘Chinese Democracy’
I Heart Guitar recently conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
I Heart Guitar: Who were you rehearsing with today?
Thal: I have a new band that I'm starting up. I don't want to say anything about it until the line-up is exact. We're just waiting to see who our bass player is definitely going to be, but it's going to be heavier than a lot of the other stuff I've done. It's gonna be interesting. A lot of fretless guitar. I'm really looking forward to recording and touring and getting it out there really quick.
I Heart Guitar: Is it going to be under your name, or are you gonna do a CHICKENFOOT?
Thal: It's gonna be a different one. Actually, I saw CHICKENFOOT last night. I got to hang out with Joe Satriani a little bit and catch up. They have such a great vibe, so down to earth and just having fun. Picture the Hagar-era VAN HALEN
with Chad Smith, CHILLI PEPPERS grooves and impeccable, ass-kicking guitar every time. It's just a great thing.
I Heart Guitar: Let's talk about "Chinese Democracy". Production-wise I think that was one of the best-sounding albums to come out last year.
Thal: Mastering was such a big issue and they were so meticulous about everything about it to make sure it stayed clear and the vision was realized. Mastering was a big part of making that happen. I think it was the first album of hopefully a lot more to follow that decided that quality was more important than the volume war — it would rather be not as loud and in-your-face, but something that keeps its dynamics and bandwidth. It's such a full recording. There's so much going on in it, so much information to be processed as you listen, that it needs to be clear and pulled back so you can really get it without it being just this giant square wave. So I'm hoping that with other albums that follow, people will start realizing, "Hey, we can just turn up our stereo, turn up our iPod…"
I Heart Guitar: What are your favorite moments on "Chinese Democracy"? For instance, my favorite track is "Better". What's going on there?
Thal: There are little things I added to it. Besides the rhythm track I put in, there were some little bluesy riffs at the end of the second verse, just little things like a five-beat break after the Buckethead solo, then there's the loud, screaming part going on… after all of that there was a break that was just keyboards and I just put in a simple thing with my fretless guitar. Just little things where, knowing I contributed something of value. But there are so many little things where you can go through it and find something that's so interesting about the production, or musically, or performance-wise.
I Heart Guitar: Are there any plans for more GN'R touring?
Thal: There have been a lot of plans, it's just that when it comes to battling the economy… there are so many variables that could make it not work. I'm guessing at this point that if something is confirmed, management would let everyone know. So at this point, if I said anything it would be premature, so I should just wait for them to say anything.
Read the entire interview from I Heart Guitar.
source: blabbermouth
Bryan “Brain” Mantia Talks Chinese Democracy
Brain gets asked to do a lot of interesting things these days, like playing time on a wagon wheel while recording with Tom Waits in an abandoned country church, or keeping a drumkit set up for six years in a haunted Masonic hall while working on Guns N’ Roses’ long-awaited latest album, Chinese Democracy. “Those situations are kind of opposite, but in a sense they’re the same,” the drummer suggests. “They’re different scenarios, but they’re both overblown. Somehow I feel comfortable in those situations. I don’t do too many studio sessions where I just show up with my set and read a chart. I’m used to getting involved and being part of the production and the ridiculousness of whatever it is. I just gravitate more toward that.”
Mantia was born in 1964, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Cupertino, and was first alerted to the skins by stickmen like John Bonham and the drummers of James Brown. He got serious in high school and cemented some chops at PIT in Hollywood, and in the late 1980s he played in the popular San Francisco party band Limbomaniacs. In the ’90s he hooked up with producer Bill Laswell for several interesting projects and did a stint with his longtime pal Les Claypool in Primus. Brain now lives in the Oakland hills with his wife and two-year-old daughter, near his recording space at Studio 880, where he spends time on turntables and traps.
Today Brain is developing a new funk project called SociaLibrium, and he hopes to be on the road this summer with Guns N’ Roses in support of Chinese Democracy.
MD: I’ve never heard anything quite like Tom Waits’ Real Gone album.
Brain: Yeah, it was Mark Ribot, me, Larry Taylor, and Tom. We recorded in this old…it was kind of a cross between a church and a barn. Tom says, “Show up at this place, this is where we’re going to do it.” I’m like, “Okay, is there a studio there? Should I call the studio owner?” He says, “Aw, no, nobody’s really there, there’s no phone service.” “Okay, is there a bathroom? A kitchen? Anything?”
Basically he just brought the studio in there. The producer kind of set it all up and made it pretty comfortable. We sat around and just started jamming. He’d come in with an idea and go, “Okay, so maybe it goes like….” He basically told me, “Don’t bring a drumset, don’t bring anything that you can buy at Guitar Center.” So I went to some pawnshops and some junkyards, grabbed whatever sounded cool, and brought it. And he has his own stuff. We’d make a drumkit out of, like, a manhole, a carburetor, maybe a traditional cymbal that was broken, a 1930s Ludwig 26" kick drum…. The snares were old, vintage, whatever was lying around. The other thing was, he asked me to bring hard leather-soled shoes. There was a bathroom that had a really nice-sounding ambience, and the tile on the floor sounded really good when you stomped on it. Most of the backbeats on that album were done by stomping on the bathroom floor.
MD: It definitely doesn’t sound like a traditional kit on Real Gone.
Brain: Tom had given me a cassette of him making all of these percussion sounds in his bathroom at like four in the morning. I took the cassette, blew it into Peak, which is a two-track editor, chopped it all up, and exported the WAV files. I have this program called MPC Maker, which allows you to create the programs on your Mac to put onto your MPC 3000. And so I just grabbed them, dragged and dropped them, threw them on the zip drive, and put them in my MPC. So when you hear [makes beatbox sounds] and all those weird vocal sounds, that was Tom. Next to the kit—which could have been me playing a log with a piece of metal in one hand and a mallet in the other—I also had the MPC 3000 with all those sounds set up. So that hip-hop-based beat stuff was me playing the MPC live—no programming—just live on the pads with his voice cut up from the cassette.
MD: It must have been quite a switch going from doing two takes per song with Tom, to the Guns N’ Roses album, which took about ten years to make.
Brain: [laughs] I think I have the record for my drums being set up for the longest time in any studio. I think they were set up at Village Recorders in Santa Monica for six years. Six years. That was another process entirely.
MD: How did you get into that situation, and what was that process like?
Brain: The Guns album was in the works for fifteen years. Matt Sorum started it, thenJosh Freese did it for four or five years, and then Josh quit. Then [guitarist] Bucketheadgot in there, and he and I have been friends forever. He told me that Josh had quit and said, “Axl’s an awesome dude. You should come check it out.” So I went in there, and I didn’t hear back from them for a while. And then one day I remember Axl calling me and saying, “You know, if you want the gig you can have it, and you can still be on other stuff. You can still do Primus or whatever you want to do.”
MD: What were some of the more memorable things you recall about that session?
Brain: [Producer] Roy Thomas Baker drove us around L.A. in his Rolls Royce to try to find the exact drums that we wanted for the recording. We went to every company, and it wound up being a mash-up of all the best drums we could find around L.A. We pretty much gathered the most ridiculous kit you could ever have, to rerecord Josh’s parts. Josh had come up with some pretty good parts for the album. Axl was like, “Hey, I like what Josh did, so could we start out by you doing his parts, but with your feel? Because your feel’s different.” So I went over to Sony Music and found the dude who did their orchestrations for films and asked if he could transcribe the drums on the thirty songs. He’s like, “All right, yeah, I’ll let you know when they’re done.” He would do about six a month—literally these six-page drum transcriptions of what Josh had played.
So we brought all those drums into the main studio at Village, where Fleetwood Macrecorded Tusk. I set up and started playing, and I was like, “Wait a second, man. We’re doing Guns N’ Roses here.”
I talked to Jeff Greenberg, the owner, and said, “Jeff, man, we gotta have something better than this. I mean the room sounds great and this is cool, but you just had, like,Kenny G in here. We gotta get a vibe.”
He tells me there’s an old haunted Masonic temple upstairs where the Masons would give their speeches, and nobody ever goes up there. It was a theater. So we go up, he opens the door, and I’m thinking, We’ve got to set up here. We found the sweet spot and I set up the drums there…and that’s where they stayed for six years.
This was a Guns N’ Roses album—it had to be overblown.
I wasn't going to just sit in the studio. I was kind of coming from the school of Tom Waits. One of the best studios I ever recorded in was Bill Laswell’s Geenpoint Studio, just an open cement building, and the only baffling that he had were these little foam pillars, and it sounded amazing. We recorded the first Praxis album there, with Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins. Bucket, and Ali from The Jungle Brothers, and it was the best -the drums sounded killer. I was using Steve Jordan's Yamahas, and they just sounded incredible. It sounded so much better than the studios I had worked in, which were built for acoustics. So going into the Guns thing, it just felt like we had to do something better that what you'd normally get in a studio that's built to sound good. All of a sudden them was a vibe, and it clicked. I got the album then. I started getting what the drums should sound like. Josh's drums were kind of tight and precise, and we loosened it up. The sound became a little bigger, a little sloppier. And that became more of what the album is now.
MD: What were you guys listening to while you recorded your stuff?
Brain: We listened to some prerecorded tracks that Josh had already played on. Sometimes we did some stuff all together, but most of it was done when there were already bass and guitar tracks. And whatever feel that we put on it, maybe they'd go back and re-record to that. I took one song at a time, learned each as an orchestra piece literally note for note, every fill, every crazy thing. I replayed it with my feel and the new sound in the new building. And that process happened for a few songs, so it took a while. After that was done Axl said, “Okay, that was cool, now do your thing.” So I went in, forgot all of what I'd just done, and did my thing, and I think it became a combination of both. In the end I redid it again by kind or doing half my thing and some of what I remembered from Josh's original drum parts. We were also writing as a new band with me and Bucket. We had some songs that we started from scratch, where I just recorded myself without charts.
MD: It sounds like some different kits were used on Chinese Democracy
Brain: It was a constant sound thing. Each song started from scratch, so it was like. "Okay. here's 'Madagascar.' This DW 13” tom, a Timeless Timber model that my drum tech had - sounds huge. And it sounds really great with this Gretsch floor tom. And this aluminum DW snare sounds great with this particular setup...." Then, next song… “Okay, this is a tighter kick drum, let's use this one.” And every cymbal would change. That was fun. Like I said, I’m kind of a studio tweaker, and it was fun to be able to do that. We had the budget, so I was like, lets just do this. When am I ever going to get a chance to do this again?
At one point I probably had four snares lined up on the ground...twenty different kick drums…cymbals just thrown all over the place - it was insane. But then I’ve got pictures of the Tom Waits thing, and it's the same thing, but it's just junk. All of the great albums that I’ve been lucky enough to play on have always had that kind of overblown type of tweaking. I feel comfortable and at home when it's like that. I was a chameleon or every song, just like on the Tom Waits stuff. Every song I was like, Okay, now I'm this, now we're in this situation.
MD: And like you said, by nature a Guns N’ Roses recording has to be over the top.
Brain: Yeah, it's that rock 'n' roll thing, which I guess everybody wants to live at one point. I figured that was my chance to live it. But I'm studio geek, so I had to live it in the studio. I'm not really a rock star in that way, you know. l'm not going to go pose in front of a plane – I’m just going to tweak on fifty different snares.
MD: You must have recorded to a click with Guns N’ Roses.
Brain: Oh, yeah, we definitely used a click, and even live on some of the new songs I'll play to a click. We don't really have any backing tracks - though if there's something that we can't re-create they might add that. "Riad N' the Bedouins” and “Madagascar”
are done with clicks Iive because they start with loops. In the studio I think everything was done to a click.
Now, with Tom Waits, if you ever mention that, I dont think he'd be in the room. There's no such thing, ever. And if they‘re going to splice something together, it's done with a razor blade. I don't think Pro Tools is allowed with him.
MD: You always manage to make a groove swing, even on a driving rock tune like “Shackler's Revenge” off Chinese Democracy.
Brain: Yeah, I’ve always been a fan of Mitch Mitchell and John Bonham. Then there’sBernhard Purdie, I’d listen to a lot of R&B, a lot of Stax recordings. My dad was heavy intoCurtis Mayfield and Shuggie Otis when I was growing up, and he'd play those records all the time. He took me to the Keystone Korner to see Tony Williams when I was really young, and I think I gravitated toward that kind of swing and groove. I think [Josh] Freeseis the precise, technically proficient, perfect kind of punk drummer - I saw him with Nine Inch Nails recently and it was incredible. He was killing it. But my style is a little looser, and I've always had that kind of swing to my feel, even if it's rock. I just hear music that way. I think that’s what Axl heard and thought. Okay, Brain puts the pocket in a different slot, a different place.
“Shackler’s” was a song that Bucket and I wrote a Iong time ago, just jamming. Axl asked if anybody had any songs or grooves, so we brought that in. It was a riff that we'd been jamming on since the Praxis days with Bill and Bootsy and Bernie. Axl loved it and put some lyrics to it, and it became “Shackler's.” That one might have more of a swing because it came more from me.
MD: The tune “Better,” and several others, list you and Frank Ferrer as the drummers. How did it come about that you now share the drum chair in Guns N' Roses?
Brain: I was having a baby girl at the beginning of a tour in ’06, and l told them before I started that I would have to leave early. I got Frank Ferrer, who had played with [Gunsguitarist and bassist] Richard Fortus and Tommy Stinson, to fill in, and that was cool. When I got home, I was kind of diggin’ being home. The album wasn't out yet, and Frankwas doing a great job and I was getting a lot of production gigs just staying home. I'm really into computers and music, and I have my own studio. I rent a room at Studio 880,and I built this MIDI studio with all these MPCs and outboard gear, and I just started doing production - commercials for TV, that kind of stuff. And I kept getting more and more gigs and making almost as much money doing that as I was from touring and being a drummer. I also started taking theory lessons, piano lessons, ear training, computer and music lesson, going that route.
When I left I was only supposed to be gone for two weeks, and then that turned into a month, and then that turned into three months, because I was getting a lot of studio work. "Hey, can you do this Gatorade commercial?” “Hey, we’ve got this Best Buy commercial." Write the music or make the beat for this...." I do a lot of work with Bootsy Collins on that side of things, the commercials and stuff. “Hey Brain, can you put a beat to this?” We're working on a Gatorade commercial right now. I’ve been a Bootsy fan for years, so I'm just honored to be working with him on any level. Anyway,
I started doing more of that, so I was like, “Hey Frank, I’m kind of doing this and they're digging your playing. Would you mind hanging out and staying?”
He was thrilled - "Oh, man, this is the greatest gig in the world. I’m so happy, this is awesome." And nobody else in the band was complaining, though they were like, "Well, are you ever coming back?" I told them, “Well, yeah, we’ll see what’s going on, but right now letFrank do it" Frank is more rock. He's more like the original Guns N' Roses drummer [Steven Adler], which is more like straight-up rock, open hi-hat bashing, hitting as hard as you can.
So I think Axl wins like, “Hey. Frank plays this way, let him play the chorus to 'Better,’ because that's supposed to be open. Let’s see what it sounds like.” So I think it's me playing all the way up to the chorus, then it's Frank in the chorus, and then it goes back to me. We never actually played together. It was all done after the fact. I asked the engineer how much Frank is on it, and he said, “It’s mainly you, with Frank playing a chorus here or a bridge there.” So that’s why I'm listed first on those tracks.
MD: I like the way it goes to the toms on the chorus.
Brain: That song was brought in after Josh and was written by the band. It was Robin Finck's song. We jammed it for a couple weeks, and then went into the studio and recorded it. So that tom part was kind of written by me more than Frank, but it could beFrank playing it because he plays more bombastic. Or … oh, who knows.
MD: The tune "Scraped” is a vicious groove, and it sounds like you’re playing of the guitar a lot as well as staying with the bass.
Brain: That's another Buckethead song, I was keying off the guitar riff- we've been playing that style for years, so when he came in with the riff I knew what to do. Bucket and I have been playing for twenty years now. Before I was even in Primus, Joe Gore, the editor ofGuitar Player, turned me on to him. We've been playing together since Bill Laswell andPraxis. So to get into that song was so simple - right away I hear his style, and I know what to play and what to feel.
MD: I love the groove where you're playing quarter notes with your right hand and there's other stuff going on with your other limbs. It feels slow, but fast at the same time.
Brain: Yeah, that’s based off some Zeppelin-type licks. I noticed with Bonham that he’ll play something straight up top and then it'll be kind of busy underneath. But that straight thing in the hi-hat kind of keeps it together, holds it back and makes it bigger sounding than it really is. From the beginning, the reason I played music was from watching [the Led Zeppelin concert movie] The Song Remains the Same, and that Bonham style was one of my first influences. And that song in particular and that feel are kind of based on that.
MD: "Madagascar" is another tune with some great grooves.
Brain: Yeah, it’s got that Bonham thing too, the big long fills. The loop at the beginning I just created from the MPC. Then we went into the main parts where Axl comes in, and that's when we added the drums, played live. It was the first we we had the drums set up in that theater, and it just sounded really Bonham-esque. In the spoken-word section we took away the baffles and had it completely opened up because we wanted it bigger. That’s totally my style and the way I like to play. I was just biting off Bonham the whole time on that track.
MD: You've brought Guns N' Roses up to the minute with these drum tracks, like the break-beat intro before the big grooves come in.
Brain: Axl is really interested in having everybody bring what they do into the picture. I just did a remix of "Shackler’s,” - made it kind of more club. And I think he wants to put out a remx album of some of the other songs we did. The great thing is he lets you do what you do. He still has the final say and wants it to work as a Guns N’ Roses cut. But he definitely will let you stretch it out in that way, and I think that’s where my influenes come in. I listen to a lot hip-hop and R&B. I listen to all of Questlove's productions. Every time aRoots album comes out I'm in line at the store, I’m still a fan that way.
MD: I’ve never seen three people credited for a drum arrangement before on an album.
Brain: I think Axl really went back and thought about who added what where, and gave people credit for it. It's incredible. He wants me to add what I know about modem music and what I'm into. I’m not just a rock dude. Somehow I get the rock gigs, but I really listen to every style, and I'm on top of of whatever's happening in hip-hop and R&B.
MD: That leads to me the topic of your new funk band. SociaLibrium, with Bernie Worrell, T.M Stevens, and Blackbyrd McKnight.
Brain: Blackbyrd is the closest thing to Jimi Hendrix that you're going to run into. AndBernie is the Jimi Hendrix of the keyboards. I don't know who's heavier than Bernie as musician, or anybody that I could pick right now, other than Prince that I'd like to play with. We did a gig in San Francisco and we were learning some old songs and revamping them. Everybody brought in some jams that they had played before, some Praxis ones that Bernie and I had played, T.M. brought in some, Blackbyrd brought in some of his stuff. We listened to it very quickly and decided: Let's make this a band. Don't copy... don't learn "Super Stupid" or “Red Hot Mama" the same way they were played on the albums. It would be more about, which way would you play it, what is your favorite beat right now, or what are you listening to? Just play a beat.
So we just made up new grooves, and then those started morphing into more jamiming, almost like the band-jam thing, but more Miles-y. I love the’70s miles stuff. Agharta - I’m a huge fan of that. Al Foster. I love the open hi-hat rawness, and the fact that it’s these jazz people trying to play rock and twisting it in a weird way. So anyway, it started to get more into that, and I can't tell you how awesome it's been. Musically, I’ve been so happy … I hope we can make an album and continue it. Because I really see this thing stretching into that Miles side, and that's my favorite stuff.
MD: You’re also into selling your own beats these days.
Brain: I started the web site BrainBeatz.com and before that I made a beat DVD with Big Fish Audio, Pro-tools 24-bit. I just went to a studio, played all my grooves, and did a deal just selling it for producers, people who just want to have the tempo. Now with time stretching and stuff it can pretty much he any tempo, but back when I made it I had specific tempos and specific grooves. Now, I am trying to do that on my own through my site, just because I have a whole HD Pro-tools rig in the studio and a place to play the drums. So every time I get bored I just make a new beat. I flip it, do some weird stuff to it, and then try to sell it. I'll probably make another DVD set. hopefully through Big Fish and try to sell that to producers and stuff. I'm really trying to get more into the production side.
My heroes in drumming have been the John Bonhams, the Keith Moons. the Tony Williamses. But in terms of longevity and having a career it's been more about Stewart Copeland and Narada Michael Walden, the people that have gone from drumming into production...and into doing soundtracks and writing songs. So during that whole Chineseperiod I was studying up on technology, reading evert music magazine that I could get my hands on that had to do with Iogic, taking private lessons, and just learning everything I could about that stuff.
I'm just starting to do what Questlove is doing, but I really enjoy that. I enjoy tweaking on a kick drum for six hours, playing with sounds and synths and learning how synthesis works. After taking the two years off front play ing live since my kid was born, I kind of miss playing now. The SociaLibrium thing was kind of like, "Man! -- you know, getting that rush, that kind of Zen feeling of being on stage and just being comfortable in what you're doing. I don't know if I just want to be a road dog for the rest of my life. Doing a little bit of both is where I'm trying to head.
By Robin Tolleson
Source: moderndrummer.com
Ex-Guns N’ Roses Drummer Defends Axl Rose
Nearly 10 years after leaving Guns N' Rosesto become a founding member of A Perfect Circle, drummer Josh Freese is still involved in the maelstrom with Axl Rose. And, as Freese tells it, that's a good thing.
During an extensive Spinner Q&A, Rose said that Freese was one of the easiest drummers to work with -- and friendliest. When Spinner spoke to Freese, he took the time to return the compliment. "Everyone always baits me to give them a crazy Axl story," he admits. "I don't really have any. I spent two years in a studio with him [and] I never saw any mood swings. He was never not cool to me. So, I am always quick to defend the guy, even though I know his reality is different than mine. Then again, everyone has a different reality."
Freese auditioned for the Axl-centric Guns in 1997, albeit a little reluctantly. "I was pretty busy at the time, so I didn't really need the job necessarily," he says. "Then I decided that I should go down there because I wanted to meet him. At the time, no one had seen him for a couple of years and there were all these rumors. He had become the Howard Hughes of rock 'n' roll and I wanted to see it. I went down and I liked him. He wasn't the monster that was painted of him."
The two spent the next two years in the studio, working up new songs including the Rose/Freese composition that became the 'Chinese Democracy' title track. "That's a wacky feather in my cap," Freese says with a laugh. "After 10 years I was ready to see [the song] have eight different writers on it, but it didn't get convoluted and f---ed up."
In fact, for all the reports of Rose's endless tweaking, Freese says the song is very close to the original. "I think they made the intro longer," he says. "I'd have 'em cut right into the thing. It's a simple bonehead rock song with a big riff that I'm assuming will be perfect for 'Guitar Hero' one day."
Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson talks ‘Chinese Democracy’
Here are a couple of excerpts fromt the Bass Player magazine interview:
Bass Player: How did you get the gig with GUNS N' ROSES?
Stinson: My friend Josh Freese was playing drums with the band. I ran into him in a Hollywood rehearsal hall, and he mentioned that Duff[McKagan] had quit, then he asked if I knew any bass players. We just kind or laughed about it, because it sounded like a funny thing for me to go audition for GUNS N' ROSES. GUNS N' ROSES were never my thing when the band first came out — they just weren't my style. I thought at least it would be fun to play with Josh. But I learned five or six songs for the audition. We basically just jammed, and it was pretty fun. They seriously needed a bass player, so they asked if I'd do it.
Bass Player: Why do you think you were the right guy for this gig?
Stinson: The only thing I could grasp at is that I have the kind of punk-rock attack that Duff did. He wasn't really a metal guy — he had punk roots. On the other hand. he's got sensibilities that are different from mine. I couldn't place exactly what they are — they're unique to each one of us.
Bass Player: Do you and Duff know each other?
Stinson: I met him a few years back, and he seemed like a really sweet guy. He didn't seem to have any issues with me — I don't think he wanted the gig anymore.
Bass Player: Describe the writing process for "Chinese Democracy".
Stinson: I came in around '98 when the band was still writing the record. It was Paul Tobias and Robin Finck on guitar, Dizzy Reed andChris Pitman on keys, Josh on drums and me. Everybody was just slowly starting to bring in ideas. We were set up at Rumbo Recorders, a big studio out in the middle of nowhere. A funny thing — Captain & Tennilleown it. The whole thing looks like a boat. Anyway, we all just started hammering ideas out. Essentially it was eight guys collaborating. To be thrown into that kind of environment — eight guys from very different walks of life — was very crazy, I'd never worked in that way, but it was cool. There were guys who'd never ever made a record putting out their ideas. At first, those of us who'd actually made records thought their ideas sucked, but there were also some good ones.
Bass Player: How did you work out your ideas in a civil way?
Stinson: We each had to give reasons for liking or disliking something — you couldn't just be bull-headed. We had to function as a democracy or we'd end up hating each other. Collaborating was good for that. I think every one of us learned a lot from it.
Bass Player: "Street of Dreams" stands out for having a lot of cool, counter melodic bass work.
Stinson: That's definitely one of the places where I tried to play melodically. Axl (Rose) had the majority of that song written, and I brought in the bridge bass line and progression.
Bass Player: It has a few licks that seem to reference Duff's playing. Was that intentional?
Stinson: When I started hammering out those GUNS N' ROSES songs, I started to really dig into what Duff was doing — I really liked the stuff he played. I'd be lying if I said his playing didn't seep into my subconscious — like the way he uses grace notes. And I wouldn't be afraid to say I stole some of his stuff.
Bass Player: Josh Freese left GUNS N' ROSES in 2000, and was replaced by Brain Mantia. What did that mean for the tracks you recorded with Josh?
Stinson: I had to redo them. I probably ended up completely re-recording each part five or six times over the years. It was tough. What really happened was the record company stood back and left Axl to his own devices. Axl had all these ideas, and he needed somebody to help interpret what he wanted. He had to basically produce himself, and that's not what he went into this wanting to do. There are a lot of reasons the album took so long to make, but I think the record company really dropped the ball on this one.
Bass Player: What do you see as the root cause for that?
Stinson: I think everything changed when Geffen merged withInterscope. When that happened, Axl was told that [A&R executive]Jimmy Iovine would play more of a role in making the album happen. What Jimmy did instead was throw other people into the mix who weren't very capable.
Bass Player: What happened when producer Roy Thomas Baker was brought in?
Stinson: He wanted to re-record everything, because he felt he could get better tones. In my opinion, he wasted many years and many millions of dollars trying to get us better sounds that we could have addressed in the mixing stage. I'm not a proponent of his style of producing. I think Iovineput Roy Thomas Baker in the producer seat because he didn't think the raw sounds were good enough. Then Roy came in and would try everyMarshall guitar amp in a five-state area to find just the right guitar tone. And he wanted to do that for every single part on the album.
source: blabbermouth.net
Ex-Guns N’ Roses Drummer, Steven Adler: “Axl Rose likes to blame people”
Chris Mautner of The Patriot-News recently conducted an interview with former GUNS N' ROSES and current ADLER'S APPETITE drummer Steven Adler.
The Patriot-News: How did the current [ADLER'S APPETITE] tour come together?
Adler: It was something I've wanted to do for the last two years, but I was on drugs so I wasn't capable of doing any of these things. I got an opportunity to do "Celebrity Rehab" and I took it for everything it's worth and got everything I could out of it.
The Patriot-News: Tell me about the band lineup.
Adler: We've got seasoned veterans of the touring circuit of the world. I've got Michael Thomas (of FASTER PUSSYCAT) on guitar, Alex Grossi (of QUIET RIOT) on guitar, a young guy named Tarsha [on vocals]. And of course I've got the famous Chip Z'Nuff (of ENUFF Z'NUFF) holding the rhythm down. It's a great bunch of guys.
The Patriot-News: When you look back at those days in GN'R —
Adler: Oh, those were great days. It was a great time. It's a shame that Axl [Rose, GN'R singer] put me through all that ... he did. He likes to blame people, like everything's Slash's fault, that's why we're not going to do a reunion. What did Slash do? He didn't do anything.
The Patriot-News: Well, that's what I was going to ask. With all that bitterness, does it tarnish your memory of those early days?
Adler: Oh, those memories are tarnished. They've been tarnished for a long time. But I survived it, and am a better person and stronger person for it.
The Patriot-News: You talked about your recent appearance on "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House". What was that like?
Adler: I was lucky that it worked for me. I had strangers coming up to me like they were best friends, saying "We're praying for you. We want the best for you." It's been a really, really wonderful experience.
The Patriot-News: Is it fair to say being on the show was what sobered you up?
Adler: Oh yeah. I went in to rehab eight days before I started the show because I wanted to do the show properly and I didn't want to go through withdrawals like everyone else did.
source: blabbermouth.net
Axl Rose Insists Original Guns N’ Roses Lineup Is Dead and Buried
Axl was interviewed by old time pal and rock journalist Del James. Here's what he had to say:
Since releasing the long-awaited Guns N' Roses album 'Chinese Democracy' this past November, Axl Rose has said very little about it, taking to message boards and e-mails for the few comments he has made. But if there's one person who could get him to break his silence it's Del James, Rose's longtime friend, road manager and the man whose short story, 'Without You,' inspired the epic clip for 'November Rain.'
James, a music journalist who has covered G N' R for years, dating back to his days at metal mag Rip, as well as in several Rolling Stonearticles, spoke with Rose and is sharing the results of that one-on-one exclusively with Spinner. Yes, here he is, W. Axl Rose, letting loose on Slash, answering whether he was trying to make the best album ever and waxing philosophically on when the original G N' R lineup really died.
Del James: As reported, were you, either in your mind or otherwise, trying to create the "best album ever made"?
Axl Rose: No. That's f---ing ridiculous and more negative media nonsense. We were all just trying to do our best for the fans and ourselves.
At any point did you feel or say either you or the band had to make a "masterpiece"?
Of course not -- more unaccountable nonsense. Obviously, media, elements of the public, fans and our detractors had all kinds of things going on such as high hopes, expectations, pressure, naysayers, etc. I don't think anyone would mind discovering a diamond mine and I don't think anyone in any competitive field would get very far if they didn't have dreams, aspirations or simply hope to do well. That said, these types of comments are more from our detractors, pulled out of their ass if not thin air.
Do you feel that your alleged sense of perfectionism has delayed the release of the album?
No. Guns in any lineup wasn't going to release anything all that great any sooner. And no matter how any of us tried, that didn't happen, and often while any number of us were pushing to try and do so with whatever we had going at the time. In regard to so-called perfectionism, I feel that has a lot to do with your goals or requirements with whatever one's doing or creating. Different levels may be required for different objectives. If you're making brakes for a vehicle, what's required? It's all relative, right? You try to make the best calls you can at any given moment and go from there. Generally, when this term is used by others in regard to me or how I work, it's said in a negative way or as an excuse for their shortcomings -- and again by my detractors. Whether they are open about such or not, some people love putting others in a negative light; helps them feel better about themselves. Too many ears and too many stupid comments have proven that.
Did you break up the old Guns?
It is my belief that the commitment to end old Guns came long before the band started in the heart and soul of one man. After that, it became more visible sometime before/during [the 'Use Your Illusion' albums], when the others opted for personal reasons to change our approach, styles and methods of working together. At the time, I unwittingly chose as a means of what I felt was both my own and Guns' survival to adapt, and threw myself into whatever I could get out of that to support and promote our efforts.
The group shot of the band in front of the piece 'Dead' was not a coincidence but not something I felt could be talked about openly, and something I hoped would change. I couldn't reach Izzy [Stradlin] and couldn't manage or curtail Slash and his personal objectives to take over Guns anymore than I did at the time, and I'm lucky to have survived, got what we did out of it and some still enjoyed the results. But for all intents and purposes, the 'Appetite [for Destruction]' lineup and approach was already dead, and with the addition of Matt [Sorum], the end of the then-lineup and what Guns wasreally about was only a matter of time. Only heartfelt choices by the others could or would change that. Unfortunately, nothing did.
I'm generally blamed for the time it took to release 'Illusions,' but again the reality of my fault would be in not finding a way to manage Slash complete with his addictions and bring both him and Izzy together either similar to 'Appetite' or in some other progression more conducive to Guns than how 'Illusions' was accomplished. Unfortunately, that never truly happened, and both Guns and the public suffered for it. I'll take the responsibility in the sense that had I known how to achieve those goals we would have made what I feel would've been a more effective and powerful album at the time.
See? There's the catch, right? All this time, most thought I changed the direction with 'Illusions.' A lot of nonsense theories, speculation and complete nonrealities put together by others, based on Slash and others' crap and off one interview taken out of context I did with Kurt Loder where I said I hated 'Appetite.' That sentence has been used and twisted in every conceivable way since to vilify me and purports to prove my guilt and responsibility, when I wasn't speaking to the music itself but the overwhelming and at that time seemingly drowning success of our record.
My statement was in specific response to the feelings I had listening to DJs at the L.A. hard rock station KNAC at the time complaining about having to play the entire record for the umpteenth time for fans. I simply wanted to make another record and have it be as good or better. If you don't think I would've liked to have five 'Appetites' and been living like the Stones at the time, you're high. With that, any other avenue I hoped to pursue musically would more than likely been available as well. This was something I could never get through to the others with. Personal need to dominate in Guns was very important to them. Izzy has to be in charge or he's not comfortable, same with Slash. Duff [McKagan] tries convincing himself he's equal partners with Slash. Each to their own.
Why didn't you write 'Appetite'-style songs yourself then?
Part of what destroyed Guns was the battle between those guitars that works so well for 'Appetite.' I have no concept how to duplicate that with either the old guys or anyone else. I liked it then but can't say I truly understood their nature as I feel I do now. Make no mistake: That was a war and the efforts of one man to "successfully" remove another in his path between him and I. Neither player wants to deal with each other in those ways again. Those battles have already been fought, both sides went their prospective ways. Regardless of if they were to work together or not, the true dynamics of back then aren't something Izzy has an interest in or would allow himself to actually be in to such a degree other than for appearances, if that. Also, anything I had written I felt was in similar directions then, during and after the 'Illusions' tour was more than rejected by both Slash and Duff at a time, which greatly helped destroy whatever confidence I may have had at the time.
Why so many guitars on 'Chinese Democracy'?
Why not?
Seriously, past Guns records have only two. Why did you feel the need for more on this endeavor?
I understand it's for whatever reason a bit of a challenge for most people to feel comfortable in their minds with any band having more than two guitarists, but technically, as far as our recording goes, we're a bit more alike with the older recordings than one might think. On the older records, though, it's very distinct that there are generally two guitar parts -- each part is actually performed and recorded twice, giving a fuller sound, so in effect you have four guitars. Leads and fills are another pass, and often songs were originally written and demos were done with other guitarists as well.
On 'Chinese,' instead of having the same player double his part, we chose to add another voice and either each player's own take on the part or their take of another's, then there's leads and fills which vary from one person or a few on a track. Also on this record, though, you may have one player playing more than one part in a section; they generally tend to be two distinct parts and not overdubs or harmonizing with their own leads or fills. No way is better than another; it's just whatever works for what you're trying to do, what you personally want or for whatever reason you feel you either need, choose or like.
For this record, I wanted a blend of different-style sounds and approaches; some at least a bit unique to the individual players and their takes on these songs. I feel the different personalities and techniques give the material its own sense of originality. Live, I prefer the more solid approach of the three guitars now, especially as the performances with the rhythm are more energetic, consistent and reliable. It was fun having Izzy on board a bit adding yet another voice to the mix and seemed to work better for the songs this way, as opposed to having him by himself.
Would you consider a reunion with the 'Appetite' or 'Illusions' lineups?
No.
Why not?
A lot more reasons than I'll get into here now. Different reasons for each version and each individual. The Izzy bit was fun -- and also fun because we didn't have to rely on him in any way, which is how he prefers things and works better for everyone. That said, you never knew if Izzy would be there or not or if he'd remember the song or decide to leave early. It didn't cause any problems, because we were doing our show regardless and didn't have to depend on anything, but it did open everyone's eyes a bit and blow minds.
He called, asked to come out and negotiated a deal with management that it's probably best that none of us knew about or the fun would've seemed a bit more like being used or taken advantage of spoiling the moment. As it was, we had a great time.
It'd be highly doubtful for us to have more than one of the alumni up with us at any given time. I suppose Duff could play guitar on something somewhere, but there's zero possibility of me having anything to do with Slash other than by ambush, and that wouldn't be pretty. He wrote that whole bit about not having his guitar in Vegas, I'd assume, to save face. I was told by both the Hard Rock and different Guns industry people who had come out to be supportive of the new band and were a bit surprised to see him there, especially guitar in hand, but just assumed it was a surprise for the show and we were in on the arrangement.
Steven [Adler] brings assorted ambulance-chasing attorneys and the nightmare of his mother. One gig, or even a couple songs, could mean years of behind-the-scenes legal aftermath.
Wouldn't you make more money?
If the music was there, meaning new music, I can't say for sure right now -- and there have been market surveys, and various promoters have put together different projections and analysis that in areas where there could be more, it's not enough to sell your soul and live in hell the rest of your life for, that's definitely certain. But that's the catch, right, the music? If I believed in that as a reality which, no offense meant to anyone, I haven't seen anything in all these years to convince me or we'd be doing this interview under different circumstances of some sort, to say the least.
It's not some place I want to be or have any interest in being. If I believed in it in regard to the music, not in direction so much but in how it feels and to what degree, then maybe it'd be another story. I'm in no way trying to be offensive to anyone here, and I'm allowed to have my own feelings in regard to what inspires me, not someone else. Other than a one-off or something, I don't really do songs because someone else likes them.
There is the distinct possibility that having his intentions in regard to me so deeply ingrained and his personal though guarded distaste for much of 'Appetite' other than his or Duff's playing, Slash either should not have been in Guns to begin with or should have left after 'Lies.' In a nutshell, personally I consider him a cancer and better removed, avoided -- and the less anyone heard of him or his supporters, the better.
Didn't you say you loved him in what -- '06?
No. I said "loved," as in past tense. It was a misquote by a writer I mistook as a fan.
Do you think he can play guitar?
I prefer listening to others in general, especially those who both push their talents and infuse them with a level of energy that I've seldom heard in his efforts over the years. I'm not taking anything away from the man that are his to claim for his past efforts; it's just that for whatever reason for me, whether the approach, style or basic hands-on technique is there, the passion and true dedication to the art of guitar in his chosen area other than being, in my opinion, a whore for the limelight has generally seemed absent or lacking with most efforts for a long time. To me, it's sad. I don't get it. Where does it go? Is it a choice? Sometimes it's there on covers; I think Clive [Davis, legendary record executive] fell for that.
It wasn't there with me on 'Sympathy [for the Devil]' or ['The] Spaghetti [Incident?'] and it took years for me to get there again, in my opinion, and in the ways I wanted it to be. Will I keep it? Who knows? I'd like to, but who can say?
Who's your favorite drummer you've worked with?
I've liked elements that each brought in. Josh [Freese], [Brian] "Brain" [Mantia] and Frank [Ferrer] have been the easiest to work with and get along with, as well as it being fun to hang out with any of them. I do feel that all three were the right drummers to make this album. The rehearsals with [Dave] Abruzzesse and Pod as a duo were really cool; it was a shame then that it didn't work out but seemed for the best once we found Josh. In regard to old Guns, I don't listen much and for different reasons -- more because of the drums than anything else.
With 'Appetite,' for me the parts, playing, etc., timing flaws, whatever, are perfect, and as a moment in time for me, the whole record is. That said, the sound of the drums, which at the time in our niche of the woods was a bit of a bold statement and a somewhat successful effort to change things from the current flow at the time, and so may have been necessary but for me sound the most dated of anything there sound-wise.
With 'Illusions' several years ago, something came on the radio and I realized how the energy in the drums, though solid and consistent, brought me down in a way I feel damaged the material in the long run, if not from the get-go. Maybe it's there with some, most or all of us in ways, but I specifically notice it more with the drums. And when listening in that sense of analyzing how something feels to me in regards to its involvement or inclusion in the song, whether anyone disagrees I'm somewhat capable of removing myself and events from the picture.
For m,e it's more about certain energies and feel, and I'm not into what we did there for a good bit in regard to the drum work. To actually have a drummer that could play at the time, though, was a bit too overwhelming. The public has no idea what went into Steven's parts and the notion of getting through songs in rehearsal if ever, with no exaggeration, was unfortunately a nightmare that neither I or Izzy could take, and eventually the others as well, though they lasted longer for other reasons.
What do you think of Steven being on the VH1 rehab show?
I wish Steven the best; unfortunately Steven's given us the spoiler for that. I hope people are able to find answers and get the help they need; other than that, I'm not the biggest fan of the show.
Who's in the band?
I think we'll go with a combo of who's around and who's on the album for now and worry about that when we get ready to tour.
Is Robin [Finck] in the band?
Last I was aware, he had some interest in touring, though I can't say what that means until then. In our opinion, he's made things a bit awkward publicly, but that's just his way.
Is Brain in the band?
Last I checked. Brain works on several things with Guns either from his home or in the studio.
So you have two drummers? Will they both tour?
Yes, and who knows?
When's the next album?
Have no idea and don't care. Hopefully, we'll be working 'Chinese' for a good bit. Of course there's the same idiots that have been around forever already demanding release dates.
How much material is there?
Not as much as Baz [Sebastian Bach] thinks he heard! Really, it doesn't matter. If things go well enough, we'd like to get another out at some point in our lifetimes.
Is anything finished?
Depends how you look at it.
How do you look at it?
Not something we've focused on.
You're not saying much.
You got that? What I can say is if you don't like this, then you probably won't like that. Same people, lots more approaches, bit meaner in places and darker in some. Robin does a really great Stevie Ray Vaughan-type solo on one track.
Slash has said that the sessions they did with Izzy before Velvet Revolver were the best Guns album ever. What do you think of that?
Politics.
In what way?
Old Guns promotion.
What happened between you and [photographer] Robert John?
Hmmm ... I don't know anyone who knows. Last I heard he was allegedly doing a lot of meth and sleeping on his mom's floor. Anyone whose opinions I trust seems to thinks he lost his mind, lives in a fantasy world and knows everything.
What's that about, if you don't mind me asking?
Have no idea. This is a guy that I got in the business, got him gigs, paid and treated well, promoted, etc. Helped him get a house, helped him keep his house, bought his photos, and when Merck [Mercuriadis, former G N' R manager], for whatever reasons took forever to pay him, Robert sues me ... but I didn't know anything about it. Next thing, I'm the Antichrist because I didn't like some photos. F--- if I know.
I called Robert out of the blue back when, because I felt I knew something was wrong. Finally, he says he was gonna kill himself. I put up about 60-something-K on the mortgage, got a couple payments, but that wasn't where the trouble started. It was that the bank was foreclosing on that money, so he was pissed at our accountant, who kept on him trying to sort out what we should do and Robert avoiding him -- who was the others' accountant as well. I only learned of any of this near the end. He and Robert knew each other for years. He's one of the guys who allegedly saw Slash with his guitar in Vegas. And it seems genuine because he didn't know anything was going on. He's like, "Why was Slash there with his guitar?" And the Hard Rock people -- what did they have to lie about? They deal with all the bands ... friends, enemies, whatever, so it's just business. As far as I know, we're all good with that.
source: spinner.com
Billboard Q&A: Axl Rose Speaks. His first official interview since “Chinese Democracy’s” release
It's been nine years since Axl Rose gave a substantial print interview. For all that time and more, he's been working on the album "Chinese Democracy," which finally arrived in late November.
It was an arduous process, to say the least. Guns N' Roses haven't released a new song since 1999 or an album since a 1993 set of covers. Since then, Rose has toured sporadically, worked with a rotating cast of musicians -- he owns the Guns N' Roses name, according to his attorney, Laurie Soriano -- and recorded numerous versions of the same new songs. According to a 2005 article in the New York Times, Universal Music Group had spent $13 million on "Chinese Democracy" by then.
The album came out in the United States as a Best Buy retail exclusive and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 261,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. To date, it has sold 537,000 copies in the States, far fewer than the 1.3 million that Best Buy bought upfront, according to the Wall Street Journal. But the album has sold 2.6 million copies worldwide, according to Universal -- a number that counts only retail purchases -- and the company plans to start promoting another single soon.
Some industry executives have blamed the album's disappointing sales on Rose, who hasn't made a video, announced a tour or given interviews. Others point to Best Buy, claiming the chain didn't make the album as visible as last year's other major retail exclusive, AC/DC's "Black Ice," which was sold only at Wal-Mart. Until now, Rose himself has remained silent, except for a series of postings on some Guns N' Roses fan Web sites.
That doesn't mean he doesn't have plenty to say -- about his new album, his former bandmates and his label, Interscope, a subsidiary of Universal. (The label declined to comment.) Rose answered two series of questions via e-mail, in which he discussed for the first time the events surrounding the release of "Chinese Democracy" and his frustrations with Interscope.
In a separate phone interview, longtime Guns N' Roses (and former Replacements) bassist Tommy Stinson echoed Rose's sentiments. Rose's answers appear here almost exactly as he sent them, edited only for grammar, length and clarity.
The obvious question: Why talk now? Rose says he "felt it was a good time to address some of these issues publicly."
Some people thought "Chinese Democracy" would never come out. Were there times during the making of the album when you felt that way yourself?
Axl Rose: Not so much that it wouldn't come out but that we could in some way legally be forced to release it either incomplete or with so many business areas unresolved that the beginning would be the end as well.
Without sounding presumptuous, what took so long to get the album out?
And without sounding facetious, what didn't? There aren't too many issues of the hundreds [we ran into] that happened as quickly as anyone would have preferred, from building my studio; finding the right players; never did find a producer; still don't have real record company involvement or support; to getting it out and mixed and mastered.
All that aside, it's the right record and I couldn't ask for more in that regard. Could have been a more enjoyable journey, but it's there now. The art comes first. It dictates if not the course [then] the destination artistically.
For me, once the real accompanying artwork is there with a few videos and some touring, the package was achieved and delivered.
And to do so at this level in terms of quality, both artistic and performance-wise, both on record and live, is something that's a miracle at minimum and something that wouldn't have happened, no matter how anyone tries to convince others, with old Guns, regardless of anyone's intentions. It was just as ugly in old Guns, regardless of our success.
What were your expectations in terms of what Best Buy would do to promote the album?
Best Buy has been great. Going with Best Buy was a way to work out a deal with Universal and we were fortunate enough to work with Irving [Azoff, as manager] and deal more directly with Universal. I've asked for information regarding their role in working the record but that hasn't come yet so I'm not able to tell what Universal has or hasn't done, although Zach [Horowitz, Universal Music Group president/COO], or whoever's behind the international efforts, is doing great. It's more than appreciated and a welcome relief.
Unfortunately [going with Best Buy] didn't change us having to rely on Interscope as much as we'd hoped. The opinions expressed or "jumped" on publicly regarding promotion seem to be [about] my or our involvement with mainstream media -- talk shows, rock magazines and dot-coms -- which have generally held negative public stances toward myself or the band for years, [and they] unfortunately have not been resolved. Efforts are being made to understand the relationships and evaluate how best to proceed.
Our focus was in getting the record deal done while finishing the album, which hit many an unexpected bump or sinkhole in the road right up until the actual release. We never intended a huge public rollout, especially without resolving certain issues, and no one ever suggested us doing so, though Interscope's communications with Best Buy in these areas may not have been as clear as anyone would have preferred.
Our approach, for better or worse, has always been to work the record over the course of the following tour cycles, with attempts to forge new or better and hopefully redefined relationships with the different forms of media that may be interested along the way. In regard to our promotion, it was based around certain agreements with Universal, Interscope, our management and legal [teams] that unfortunately never happened. I won't get into specifics but am beginning to address some of those issues in my own way as opposed to "working together," and we'll see how that plays out.
What are your thoughts on how Universal has handled the album?
Unfortunately I have no information for me to believe [that] there was any real involvement or effort from Interscope. I'm not saying there wasn't. But in my opinion, without [Interscope Geffen A&M chairman] Jimmy Iovine's involvement, it doesn't matter who anyone talks to or what they say -- virtually nothing will happen from their end.
I do know [that] I've been asking for a marketing plan for over five years and still haven't got anything. We've asked for a complete breakdown of promotion expenses and efforts from all parties but unfortunately I've received very little information, if anything, so far. On another note, the draft booklet leaking and, I believe, the early shipping of preorders and the inclusion of the early draft booklet for the release was through involvement with Interscope, which was a mess. That's not to say they don't work for other artists and make things happen. I feel they work very hard for whatever it is they truly want to sell, whether it's good or ...
I can say how the band feels, and that is that to a man they hate the record company other than Universal International with a passion. And that's with me talking with them about the record company negatively hardly ever, if at all. They're not blind: They hear the talk and see the results. Our involvement with Interscope has been more than frustrating for them. It's not like anyone here wants to have any negative views, impressions or opinions. They don't go around bitching about things all the time and they don't let it get in the way of whatever they're supposed to do here, but it is what it is.
Here's how things worked until they were no longer involved-that is, until recently. Jimmy [Iovine] and whoever would come down to the studio. Things would be good for a month. Then, according to whoever was involved at the time from their side, someone above Jimmy would start putting pressure regarding us on him, Jimmy would start pressuring others at his label [and they] would begin doing the same with us. We get that it's just how business -- and perhaps especially this business -- tends to work, but after a month of this the whole thing would get ugly and extensively interfere with getting anything productive done, and near the middle of the third month we'd arrange for Jimmy to come down again. They'd go away happy and the entire process would repeat itself over and over and over.
[Former Interscope Geffen A&M president] Tom Whalley brought in Roy Thomas Baker to produce and [A&R executive] Mark Williams suggested Marco Beltrami, among others, to play strings on the album. And Jimmy had an idea for low guitar in a track and the EQ on a drum part. That's it as far as I'm aware. They were all good things, but in all sincerity, that's it. Now, what efforts were made to help keep Universal or Vivendi off us for as long as possible could very well have been extensive, and in that regard either would have been or would be most appreciated. I like Jimmy, but I've never understood him in regard to us or this album. Everything's always been, "That's easy," or "We can fix that, no problem," but unfortunately rarely added up to any kind of reality for us until [he found] Bob Ludwig for mastering.
We'd love to have their and Jimmy's support after this. But to continue at this juncture feeling as we do, keeping things so behind the scenes, unfortunately feels like the same 'ol same 'ol for all of us and, at least momentarily, a bit much to digest. Jimmy did point us in the right direction for mastering, and I believe he's sincere in his appreciation of our record but still for whatever reasons gave up pretty early in those areas.
We feel that, unfortunately, we've never been really anything all that much more other than a throw it at the wall, see if it sticks, no real ground work, something to take advantage of, last quarter, cook the books, write-off, fuck this headache, hoping to get lucky scam. And, unfortunately, for all their nice words and assurances, nothing that's happened since the week or so before the release has shown us much of anything to the contrary. So at least in regard to the U.S., for the most part I don't look at it like we have a record company -- I look at it for the most part like we have friendly but otherwise cutthroat loan sharks, and we were lucky to get what we got but feel we could have done more if they were at least, especially with some of their backgrounds, a bit more involved creatively. So in light of pirating and the mess the major labels are in, I have no sympathy for the record companies, based on our experiences in the U.S.
The last time Guns N' Roses had a new album out, the Internet was barely a reality. What was your response to the nine-song leak this summer?
Having someone jeopardize your efforts so cavalierly is pretty much a nightmare. I don't know that it hurt us though, at least as one might think. Hard to say. That's not to imply leaks don't hurt artists, but that they were earlier roughs and the level of sound quality is much higher with the finals. That said, you have those who become emotionally attached to how the leaks sound, which, for better or worse, usually isn't so great to contend with. And it seems that those who often do so and complain publicly, oddly and coincidentally, have a history of basically being detractors as well even if they're somehow considered part of a "fan" base.
What's your take on the media response to the album?
It's been a mixed bag. Some has been great, others a blood bath. That said, most of the nonsense has been from the same or the latest batch of negative idiots, so it was to be expected and really doesn't mean much. [I] did see some jump ship, and that's always funny. Watching some douche waving a flag and then being the first punk in the water's always great.
Observers are interpreting some of the songs on "Chinese Democracy" as being about the process of making the album. Is this valid?
I'd say there's a lot in the lyrics regarding the journey to make the album, even if not in so many words.
Can you give an example of a song that the band nailed on an early take and didn't change that much?
The basic concept of most songs stayed the same. "Riad [N' the Bedouins]," "Sorry," "Better" and "Prostitute" are probably closer to their original demos in ways than others.
How many other songs were completed and considered for "Chinese Democracy"? There are rumors that there are two full albums done.
We'd like to get another album out at some point, but for now our focus is on "Chinese."
Some artists like to test out their new songs in their car stereos or invite friends to the studio to hear playbacks. How did you listen to the album when it was a work in progress?
My studio, car stereos, a CD Walkman, computers and different speaker setups, clubs, iPods. Actually, our first leaks were from using a sound system in a strip club in the early hours when it was basically empty. I went there to play the tracks for someone I was interested in working with. I'd gone there with a guy who worked band security, who was allegedly somehow related to the owners, feeling it was a bit more of a protected environment than it turned out to be.
Are you planning to tour?
No plans, but there's talk. Management and our promoters are really excited with the offers coming in both here and worldwide.
Are you planning to make videos?
We're finalizing a video for "Better" and writing a couple others now. Over time different ideas have been tossed around, written up or submitted but that was then. Nothing we had come up with -- or at least the approaches so far -- felt right. We have been discouraged from making a video all along by Interscope, up until Best Buy requested one after the release, and in a manner by Interscope then of, "So where's the video?," taking everyone more than off guard.
There was talk of a "Guitar Hero" or "Rock Band" download of "Chinese Democracy." Is either going to happen?
There is talk about a "Rock Band" release, and they felt the record-based on the nature and complexity of the depth of instrumentation-deserved a bit more attention and some more involved elements than they've generally dealt with. I have no idea what that means but it's my understanding they were very enthusiastic. We're looking at a Feb. 28 release, according to [executives at MTV responsible for] "Rock Band." ["Rock Band" has since changed the release date to spring.]
Is there any chance you'll work with the former members of Guns N' Roses in the future?
I could see doing a song or so on the side with Izzy [Stradlin] or having him out [on tour] again. I'm not so comfortable with doing anything having more than one of the alumni. Maybe something with Duff [McKagan], but that's it, and not something I'd have to really get down into, as I'd get left with sorting it out and then blamed on top of it. So, no, not me.
In regards to Slash, I read a desperate fan's message about, what if one of us were to die and looking back I had the possibility of a reunion now, blah blah blah. And my thoughts are, "Yeah, and while you're at the show your baby accidentally kicks a candle and burns your house down, killing himself and the rest of your family."
Give me a fucking break. What's clear is that one of the two of us will die before a reunion and however sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is. Those decisions were made a long time ago and reiterated year after year by one man.
There are acts that, once committed between individuals, they are what they are. To add insult to injury almost day after day, lapsing into year after year, for more than a decade, is a nightmare. Anyone putting his own personal entertainment above everything else is sickening.
This is the first interview you've done in a long time. Why have you been so reluctant to do press now that the album is out?
Lots of reasons I've gone into elsewhere, but I can say why I'm doing this one. First, because in all this time it's one of the first actually formally presented: I was asked to consider it, I liked the questions and I felt it was a good time to address some of these issues publicly. Also, because it's my understanding that these answers may be "considered" for use with Billboard.com and Reuters [with which Billboard has a syndication deal] and this seemed like a wonderful opportunity to express myself accordingly.
With Reuters, I get their reach. That said, they've been particularly ugly toward me and this band for years, with nearly everything they've written being condescending or negatively judgmental with the cute little press trick of using negative adjectives across the board whenever they've written anything. In our regard they're one of the media outlets that appear to continually attempt to set a tone for a negative mainstream public perception regarding either us or myself, at least in the United States, if not the world.
I get freedom of the press, but I'm not clear in regard to their writers or those who choose to run their spin, why someone who no one's ever heard of with so little "real" information is deemed qualified -- let alone allowed so much corporate backing -- to promote negative and often completely inaccurate and purely opinion-based (at best, if that) shots in forums with so much exposure at the public's and our expense.
Billboard.com has generally taken a pro-Slash and -old Guns position as well, and I don't recall having been particularly negative toward them previously either. In my opinion it seems a bit less professional than tabloid in nature. This is an attempt to begin sorting these things out when more than shots across the bow have been taken by both of these organizations -- but obviously much more so with Reuters -- if not a deliberate public stating of both position and intention, in my opinion.
Kurt Loder Recalls His Most Amazing Axl Rose MTV Moments
MTV has had quite a lengthy and, um, interesting relationship with Mr. W. Axl Rose — one that has spanned decades, musical genres (metal, pseudo-industrial, sorta rap-rock) and, of course, cornrows.
Our cameras have been there at basically every step of Rose’s career: from Guns N’ Roses’ first appearance on “Headbangers Ball” in 1987 to their ascent to legendary status in ‘91 and then through the bevy of beefs, arrests and in-band bickering that eventually led to their demise. And, for the most part, one man has been in front of (or beside) those cameras: Kurt Loder.
So after combing our vaults to find the most Awesome Axl Moments on MTV, we decided to sit down with Kurt to get his take on the man himself — and luckily, he also had more than a few truly excellent Axl stories to share with us before the release of Chinese Democracy.
On Axl, The Man:
“Well, I think Axl is a little out of control, which is the way you should be if you’re going to be a big rock star with the limos and all that,” Loder said. “You should be out of control, and you should never know what’s going to happen next, so I thought that was great. That doesn’t happen at that level any more, because I think bands arrive at that level with all kinds of attorneys and handlers and stuff. They sort of pose as rebels, but they’re not dangerous. Nothing’s going to happen around them. Whereas with Axl, you never knew. Because I think he was on drugs or something, I don’t know. He was a very talented guy. He could be very, very nice, and he could all of a sudden be prickly. So, it was always interesting to be around him.”
On Axl’s Post-Bail Limo Trip In 1992:
“Oh yeah, it was totally prearranged. Totally corny, totally prearranged. All set up in advance. [Axl] was inside signing autographs for the cops; they loved him. He had started a fight a year earlier, outside of St. Louis, and there was a fugitive warrant out for him, so he was arrested when he arrived at JFK Airport in New York. They brought him down to the jailhouse and kept him there overnight or something, so we went there, got the limo, he got in and we talked to him. It was all preplanned, of course. But he was in a jolly mood, you know? And then he went on to start a tour. … He also started wearing a lot of Versace [around then]. Maybe it was the Elton John period.”
On Axl, The Myth:
“It’s a shame that people who claim to be revolutionary and dangerous today, they just aren’t. I’m sure there are a million bands at a lower level, but when you reach the big chart level, you’re not going to endanger anything. Whereas Axl Rose can take 16 years to make a record, still keep his record label, after 16 years of having various studios on hold around the clock, and make it work. He’s finally put the record out. Who else could do that? Nobody.” [Editor's note: If there's a band working that angle these days, it's Hinder — check out what they have to say about Chinese Democracy here.]
On Axl’s 1992 VMA Performance With Elton John, And His Backstage Beef With Kurt Cobain:
“Axl had that song ‘One in a Million’ … and he tried to explain that ‘n—–’ didn’t necessarily mean ‘black person,’ and he tried to explain the ‘f—-t’ thing, so he got together with Elton John. You know, Elton John got together with Eminem. He’s there to save souls, I think. So, the two of them up there, with the pianos — it was a little weird, you know? The backstage thing was the most interesting, because it was Courtney [Love] and it was Kurt [Cobain] and it was Axl. It was like two worlds colliding. That was sort of an important moment in the way fashions changed, and you really saw the culture of music going in a slightly different way. But it didn’t last, did it? The guys in the flannel shirts started buying Gucci too.”
On Axl’s 2002 VMA Performance:
“Well, nobody knew about it. Really nobody knew about it. And then [MTV Executive VP] Dave [Sirulnick] came to me and said, ‘You should really come over to see this.’ It was the night before the show, and they were doing a rehearsal, and it was Axl. And you just thought, ‘Where’s he been? What decade are we in?’ And he had this big band — and they were a great band, you know — but he was doing Guns N’ Roses material, and they were great. It really was a surprise. And when he came out, it was like the Pee-Wee Herman moment.”
On Axl, The Legend … And The Dinner-Party Host:
“I think, even as eccentric as Axl seems, he really is who he is. It’s not really an act or anything. I think maybe he had some problems with kind of … keeping it together in public, which would be storming off the stage or jumping into the pit to wrestle cameras out of fans’ hands. But that’s just the way he is. He’s not at all pretentious. And it’s good to have him back. I think Sebastian Bach was telling me that he thought Axl should get out of the house more, because he spent years just giving dinners — he had a big long table and people would come eat. But I had heard that Sebastian told him ‘Axl, you’re Axl. Why don’t we go out occasionally?!’ And he started getting him to go to nightclubs occasionally, which was probably a good thing.”
BUMBLEFOOT: Video Footage Of Paris Masterclass, Interview Available
GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal took part in a masterclass and interview with the Guitars-Attitude.com web site during his recent promotional visit to Paris, France. Watch it in five parts below.
Part 1:
[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_DeqR4gZ8qY[/youtube]
Part 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uAZF31khIQ[/youtube]
Part 3
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLaHIr6-oeA[/youtube]
Part 4:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA0JjvZYT9w[/youtube]
Part 5:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOn9wJTvkVY[/youtube]
source: blabbermouth.net
BUMBLEFOOT Interviewed In Germany (Video)
Germany's Zoomer conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES' Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal on December 15, 2008 when the guitarist made appearance at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Berlin. Watch the four-minute chat below (overdubbed in German translation).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf0Y-prQE8A[/youtube]
