Here Today... Gone To Hell!

i keep thinking about what's going on behind the scenes
what if what tommy said last year hasn't changed
and buckethead's parts remain on the new music
but buckethead does not return (which to date seems to be the case)
forget how they will play the parts live or if they are re-recording them with another guitarist etc.
regardless of how they play the parts live or if buckethead's parts are re-recorded by another guitarist
they will still be BUCKETHEAD'S PARTS

how would you feel about this?

please - this is not another "who is going to replace buckethead" or "are they keeping buckethead's parts" thread
there are COUNTLESS threads like that

for this thread we assume the following:
1) Buckethead is not/does not return to the GN'R lineup
2) Bucketheads parts remain on CD (and any followups) whether they are his original recordings or re-recordings
3) These parts are presented live (whether they are done by another guitarist or pre-recorded/programmed in)

how would you feel about this?

and YES we know we all "just want the album"...? ?but would you prefer with or without Buckethead's parts under these circumstances (him not ever being in GN'R again)




My thoughts have been:? Damn, it would be so great to hear what Buckethead contributed while in GN'R

BUT....

we have enough 'ghosts' on stage with GN'R don't we?? :-\

I for one hope to high hell Buckets parts stay on the album. I would be very disapointed for B if his 3 plus years of work isnt used. If the guy doesnt want to be in the band anymore then thats fine .. he has reasons. But the fact remains that he DID want to be a part of this album and the music and worked very hard to record music for Axl & Co.

Theres elements of his playing style that I've heard on some new songs , Rhiad for example features one passage of of tapping thats just classic Buckethead.. theres no mistaking it , as a B fan you just identify it with Bucket. I dunno how they will reproduce that live.

Buckethead has written some things on his solo albums that I simply adore , to the point of if he has put down stuff for democracy even half as good as some of the things you can hear on colma , electric tears , population overirde (just to name a few) then leaving his work off the album would be an injustice to B , to the album and too us , the fans.

Now I dont wanna swerve off topic eva , but if you dont mind let me say this .. not only will/would I miss hearing what Bucket could have brought to the album but I WILL really miss what Buckethead brings to the "cast" of GNR .. the visuals. It's a shame he wont be involved in the press with GNR .. seeing him and axl doing photoshoots! Videos! Interviews with herbie .... *sigh* ... I dont know why it fell apart but I wish there was a way to mend the bridges and bring Buckethead and Axl back together again.

After seeing two Bucket live solo shows, I want him on the record. The guy can simply do it all. Axl has gone through so many musicians at this point that it really doesn't matter. Finck was in then out then in, Tobias, Fortus, Bucket, Freese, Brain-what the fuck, it is Axl's album. If Bucket's parts are good, they should stay. I would hate to see some real incredible stuff erased. As far as playing live, I don't care if it sounds just like the record. I like live shows that mix it up. Hearing the songs played the same way as the record is just boring to me. You don't need all the studio musicians to be in the live band. Good examples of this are NIN and Wilco. The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to make a great record THEN figure out how you want to present it live. :hihi:

My reply on this must be so pissing predictable, but Hell Yay!!!!! I would be very happy.

Everything is for music. Music must rule. When it fits for the sounds, it should be there. Art for art's sake.
Tommy said it's 8 men's work.

 (off topic, I second Saul! Come back Mr. bucket you chicken!! Boo!!! :rant:)

I would like to see his parts remain, even if they re-record them with another guitarist. Axl was looking for a sound and Bucket must have been able to give that or he would have been ask to leave long ago.
On the other hand it isn't very fair to the possible replacement.
I just hope that Axl doesn't go in and totally change everything because of Bucket. I like Buckets sound, but it doesn't sound like he fit in very well, on a personal level. If that is the case it is better that he left when he did, then waiting tell the middle of a world tour. I am confident that whoever gets the part is worthy of it! Can't wait to here who it is!!!

Since there is a chance that we'll (will? ???) hear even Josh Freese on CD, there is a chance that we'll hear BH, too. BTW as someone mentioned earlier (I don't remember that if it turned out to be fake) that he/she 'met the man who wrote the song Chinese Democracy', and it was Freese. Is it true that Freese wrote the song? It'd be strange if any on the tracks on the 'forthcoming' album were written by someone who's out of the band for 5+ years. And it'll be the title track...  :-\

Bucket's shit better be all over CD. How would I feel? Fuckin hardcore .

I hope t hey keep his stuff because he is such a amazing guitarist. The songs wont be as good if he is not on them . I want the songs to be the best they can be, and see what Axls vision really is, because when Axl made the new band he had BH in mind, thus his parts i hope will still be on t here.

thanksfor sharing your thoughts guys? : ok:


no you're not 'off topic'...? the things you mention here... not being involved in GN'R press, interviews, promo shots or videos....that's all part of not being in the band.

and that's what we gotta realize/ keep in mind..? ?
all we will have is his parts on CD...

which I guess I could consider accepting like UYIs sans Adler & Stradlin... (Adler not recording drums except for Civil War and Izzy not being part of the band afterwards)
but because, as you mention, he has such a 'signature sound'... i really don't know how i will feel if his 'signature sound' is heavily featured on the album... the album which will define who GN'R is.

i'm not sure...
you all make good points about his parts remaining...
i just wonder if anyone else has thought like i'm thinking? :-\

Buckethead leaving GnR was a very dark day for me. I hope we can hear his parts but it will be a sad reminder of what could have been.

If they cut out all BH's parts or have someone else simply cover what BH input'ed into CD then that would be plain awful.

I'm glad he's out. That guy is a very talented guitar player but he's a freak and in no way a rock n' roller. As far as his work on CD is concerned I don't care if it remains there or if it's re-recorded. Don't think it'll be dropped.

Hope it stays, wish he would have.......

For some reason a three guitarist band really doesnt sit well with me. Neither does having his parts in and not having him in the band. But then again they did it with Izzy on the UYI cd's.

So maybe Axl will or has hired someone to play Bucketheads parts. But to be honest I wouldnt care either way, unless of course I was Buckethead ?:peace:

Not sure how I feel about this, I'm seeing BH live next month and I'm sure I'll have a better educated answer then.

Until then, I guess it makes no difference, just whatever scenario leads the redhead to letting go of the record quicker...

I agree that BH has a style of his own, the last thng I want to see is Axl hiring someone to redo BH's parts in BH's style but maybey if they did it in their own style it'd be okay, it will be hard to find someone to redo the nunchuk thing though ?;D

Yeah, I'd prefer just a Rhythm and a lead guitarist? :)

 :smoking: Izzy ?:smoking:

I kinda indiffer in all three questions.  I just want the band to come tour again and to release the album. 

As long as they give him credit, I don't have a problem with keeping Buckethead's work on the album and ditching him.  He's been paid, but if they keep his work on the songs, he deserves the acknowledgements

oh definitely... he'll be credited for his compostions and/or performances on CD if they are to remain

some interesting views


edited to include:


that's a thought... hm.  i guess the way matt's style was different than steven's... matt playing in his 'style' on UYI parts he did not compose



guess i'll have to be prepared for whatever will be...

its just going to be so wierd hearing him on CD, especially if his sound is prevalent, and then him not being in the band.? :-\

I wouldnt be surprised if his parts were left on the record. For the mere fact that I believe he will be in the band and tour with them.  Say what you want but its my opinion.    U can quote me on this too.

another reason I'd like to see buckethead stay on the album AND in the band is because of the way he treats his fans ... really , he goes out of his way for his fans. he'll go out and buy toys to hand to them during concerts , you write him a letter and he'll write back etc etc .. he may seem like a really strange person who's really indifferent but you catch the guy after a show and by all accounts he's a really nice sweet person , he'll sign an autograph , pose for a picture ..damn , he'll pull hair out of his own head and give it to you.

he's a great guy who's a kid at heart.  :love:

Keep in mind that Izzy didn't leave the band until two months after the Illusions came out.  Also, his parts were generally rhythm parts that could be re-done rather easily by any solid guitar player (not criticizing Izzy, but his parts weren't all that complicated, although they added a lot to Gn'r music).  With Bucket, he would have been out of the band for well over a year at least, and I would assume a lot of his parts are lead with solos, etc.  That might be very hard to duplicate live.

The thing with Buckethead is that he works great as a session guitarist or a solo performer. I saw him live in 2004 and his solo stuff is great, but his head is in a completely different realm that what GNR should be. I llove that Finck is in the band he has a great quality to him and still rocks..same with Fortus...Buckethead I thought never fit in and I really hope that he wasnt a big part on the album.

I just cant understand or accept that at all. I have videos of every show from the 2002 tour that was filmed and Buckethead did his job just as well as anyone onstage and IMHO better then Finck when it came time to solo. The fact is you had 3 guitar players onstage fighting to play parts of a song that was recorded with only two guitars.

If you think Buckethead is at best a session or solo player you really need to see video of him playing in Giant Robot , a power trio , or Praxis , or GR2 or the deli creeps even ... when Buckethead is given the room to play and actual parts to play he works well in any sititation you put him in. Regardless if he's behind a vocalist or leading a power trio himself .. Buckethead is at his best live onstage with a band.

It seems to me that most people just cant get over the bucket and mask image which leads most to just ignore what he can do with the guitar , which is a shame. I for one am glad bucket isnt your usual leather clad "rocker" ... mask and bucket be damned .. I'm just glad that when Bucket bends a note on the guitar he bends it in pitch , unlike another guy who shall remain nameless.  ;D

I don't care of buckethead. I never did, and I never will.

I really hope Bucket stays on the album. nu-GN'R needs a virtuoso guitarist to be taken seriously. That's just the truth... Finck and Fortus are great professional guitarists- but they're not LEAD GUITARIST OF GUNS N' ROSES material.

I agree with you blasphmer. Just because Bucket was a major pain in the a$$ for Axl 1.5 years ago when the album was nowhere near a release date does not mean that he can't come back and be a touring member when Axl is actually ready to put CD out and tour.

My personal prediction is also that Bucket's parts will remain AND he will return to the fold when it's time to tour.

I agree with you too Eva... too many "ghosts" on the GN'R stage as it is. It gets to the point beyond parody when a replacement is replicating another replacement's guitar parts. I really think Bucket will be back- if Axl was actually going in a different direction with the lead guitar position- we would have caught wind of it by now.

I really would like to see buckthead in the band if his parts are going to be on CD.  I saw them in Vegas and loved him with the band but if he is gonna be a dick i'd rather have fortus and fink take over and redo everything.  They dont need Buckethead.  They dont need his parts either.  He image in gnr is tainted in my mind.  I dont think I can be happy about hearing a solo he did knowing he dicked Axl over.  I also really like Robin Fink's guitar playing and think he could be a guitar god in GnR.

I still think BH will be back when the album drops, even if he doesnt, his parts still i would hope would be all over cd.

I really don't think bucket is coming back. Personally, I believe he left because he needed to commit to other projects and couldn't be on call anymore, waiting for what would probably turn out to be lost years. I suspect also the flap in Philly didn't sit too well with him. As Saul said, bucket is great to his fans and is the consummate performer. If bucket was unhappy with the situation in gnr, then the band must have been in a state of utter chaos or intolerable malaise. Regarding Bucket's comments about CD, he seemed to be geniunely eager for the world to hear the album. I hope B gets the credit that he deserves when this drops.

so you're sort of the opinion like i'm struggling with... ?better off without his parts on CD if he's not around
another thing! ?how are Robin and Fortus going to feel possibly (if his contributions are/remain major) playing 'second fiddle'... er.. second guitar to a guy that is not even there?
or how would they feel at that point not only having to cover Slash and Izzy's stuff (on the old/classic material that will to an extent still be performed live)...
but on top of that ALSO having to cover Buckethead's stuff?

oi vey *smacks head*

the more i think about it the more i think: ?no buckethead in band = no buckethead in material

but *sigh* IF its been incorporated in such a way that Finck and Fortus are the leads (and i don't really see any way around that!)....
then i guess it could work ? :nervous: ?:crying: ????

geez.. my head hurts! ?:confused:
wonder how Axl and the guys must feel about this fiasco! ?:(

buckethead's parts should stay, he's an oddball, but he's got the gift, i'm pretty sure we'll here buckethead on chinese democracy when we get it


rock n' roll

I'm suprised so many people want Buckethead's parts on the album that much.  I'm undecided on what I think of the whole situation... I mean, would you want Axl to include a riff that Slash recorded in 1995 on the album?

With each band member that leaves it just feels more and more like this album is being pieced together with duct tape.  Chinese Democracy is certain to go at least 3 times platinum if everyone who's ever worked on the album buys a copy.

Are you talking about the traitor Buckethead ?


I can't believe it ! :nervous:

I strongly feel that if a lead guitarist such as Buckethead leaves the band, as talented as he is, his parts should be re-done by someone else currently in the band (in their own style of course). Otherwise it would be kinda awkward for me... I don't know. Like someone else said it was different with Izzy cause he left after the album was released (not a year before) and he was the rhythm player.

That being said though, I could live with his parts remaining on the album as long as they are breathtaking  : ok:

I've never seen Buckethead as a leading force of the new GN'R, but rather as an additional guitar player. A guy who made some guitar solos there and then, and that's it. 75% of the guitar job was made buy the duet Fink/Fortus. Look, BH didn't even play at all on "the blues". Go to gunsnroses.us, download "the blues boston Live 3 cam" and watch the video: There's no Buckethead on stage and the song sounds as good as the other ones. Finck did the first solo and Fortus the outro, that was perfect. Believe me: 2 guitars + 2 keyboards are way enough. Buckethead is not indispensable at all.

If Buckethead is not in the band, I don't want to hear him on Chinese Democracy.  Axl told us why Buckethead was in GNR, basically to promote is solo work.  Therefore, Buckethead should not be on CD.  Buckethead is obviously a very talented guitarist.  He is very fast.  But I don't hear any real emotion in his solos.  It's kind of hard to explain, but the guitar solos in Coma and Slither take you on an emotional journey when you hear them.  I never got that feeling from BH.  Leave him off CD and either have Robin do it all, or someone who will stick as a member of Axl's band.

There is only one solution, Axl takes 7years to learn to play guitar Bucket style? : ok:
I don't think BH will be back with Gn'R again? :no:

 :smoking: Izzy? :smoking:

well, on one hand i don't care if bucket is on the album or not... but i think he'll be on CD (and under the assumption that there are albums - he won't be on the other 2) and hopefully i'm not too offtopic, that's a possible reason, that CD isn't out yet. redoing or better changing stuff on a lot of songs.
anyways... we'll see.

roflmfao! I love it when you well informed buckethead fans grace us with your knowledge. Hey lookie lookie , Buckethead can play fast and only fast and he doesnt play with emotion!

 ::)

I've said it before , I'll say it again , Buckethead can play fast enough to melt your face , then in a blink of an eye can play with enough emotion to melt your heart.

If you dont think Buckethead can play with "emotion" then I URGE you to listen to Bucketheads albums colma , eletric tears and even population override. Then come back and tell me bucket has no emotion in his solo's.

Damn straight! I have never heard a piece of music more emotional than I Love My Parents. Colma has so many great songs, filled with as many chicken hearts as the Colonel could conceivably grind up into tenders in a year's time. Anyone who thinks Bucket only shreds hasn't heard enough Buckethead.

If they take BH's stuff off the album then I don't know that there will be an urgency (for me) to buy this album...although I do really like Richard Fortus...it's hard to say because all we really have is these guys doing all this really old material (with the exception of about 5 songs which can basically be considered "old" stuff now) ...I'll still buy it, but I'll definitely wait for a sale :P
Just My Two Cents:
I don't think BH will come back to the band...obviously (at least at this point in time) it's not about money for him, or else he wouldn't have left in the first place...and like someone said, he is really cool to his fans and I don't think the whole "fuck you, fuck you, fuck you" attitude\actions of GNR appeals to BH that much...it was fun while it lasted I'm sure... ;D

I dont mind.... Just release it. : ok:

Killingvector and Saul, please keep in mind that Philly Riot thinks the solo in Slither is an emotional journey! Not to be a jerk, but that pretty much sums up his musical taste. A generic cock rock Slash wah wah solo is an emotional journey! Granted, the solo is pretty good, but to say it is an emotional journey is quite another matter. Guys like Philly Riot are actually bored by REAL emotional pieces of music. Buckethead is simply way over his head. :-\? Also, I laugh my ass off everytime someone says that ex bandmembers should have their parts erased. If that was the case we will NEVER get an album! People have come and gone consistently for the past 14 years. I'm betting someone else leaves before Axl finally let's go of this opus.

I dont think it makes buckethead very happy either when shows get cancelled , without explanation , and kids are hurt during the ensuing ensuing riots.

Another thing to think about is maybe upon hearing the lyrical content buckethead made a decision that the material/lyrics werent something he wanted to associate himself with.  :-\

But again , I will/would feel really damn good if Bucketheads parts remain regardless of the fact that he may not return. GNR should try make an effort to put forward the best music possible regardless of who playing and what his/her status is in the "touring" band .. release the best music possible and worry about how to present it live afterwards.

peace all!  :peace:

I think it appeals to none of the current members, if I understand what you're implying correctly. It's rather some fans' attitude\actions. :P
And didn't BH's side say it was the inactivity of the band and no release of the album that made him leave?

I agree with you on many points otherwise.

Judging by the IRS solo, I'm not so sure whether they should leave all his parts in.