I admire his talent and songwriting, but that's not the big thing.
What I really admire is his unapologetic nature, and I wish I could be more like that. Axl Rose is concerned with what HE thinks is important, and isn't about to lower his standards for the sake of making others feel validated.
In this day and age, many people seem to feel that there is some kind of moral high ground to be claimed by the act of saying "I'm sorry", and these "apologies" are often couched in various qualifiers...i.e.."to those I offended" or "if anyone took offense." These are not apologies, and they merely put the onus on those who take umbrage to an action or position. There is no real honor in such an "apology", but many people are snowed by them, and many more gain status by issuing such meaningless offerings in the name of PR and the quest to be seen as open-minded or understanding.
Fuck that. Fuck it hard and fuck it till it bleeds.
Axl Rose remains a breath of fresh air for staying true to himself and true to his vision. No other visionaries need apply...there is no room for compromise. And that's a good thing, albeit very rare these days, especially where public figures are concerned.
Stay strong, Axl.
There. Obnoxious rant over. I feel better.
/Mike