SLASH in new Rolling Stone interview

[PermissionToLand]

Well if not Slash, it would have still had a guitarist adding parts to it. Who knows what that would have looked like, though.

And I like Axl's lyrics.

[NaturalLight]

Slash got totally boned on 'Estranged'.

We have all heard the original piano demo.  It's not a remarkable song until Slash weighed in with those riffs. 

The riffs are the song.  Not Axl's "woe is me" lyrics.

Not true at all

Really?

So if Slash never adds the guitar parts, and it's released as a piano ballad we hear in that demo, the song is held in the same regard by GNR fandom as it is today?

"I'm not sure I agree 100% with your police work there, Lou."

It might not be held in the same regard but I disagree about your thoughts on the lyrics. Those are powerful lyrics. That said, I think he should have received more credit than an “atta boy - thanks for the solos.”

[sky dog]

Ali can probably correct me if I am wrong, but ASCAP credits Axl Slash Duff and Izzy on all Illusion songs. The credits on the album pamphlet aren’t the real credits for songwriting. It seems they were more credited to the main writers. I am pretty sure this is correct.

[Bridge]

Slash got totally boned on 'Estranged'.

We have all heard the original piano demo.  It's not a remarkable song until Slash weighed in with those riffs.  

The riffs are the song.  Not Axl's "woe is me" lyrics.

Agreed.  "Estranged" is Slash's finest hour in GNR... and rock n roll.  Those are the most amazing solos I've ever heard in any song.

The lyrics in "Estranged" are good, although I always felt Axl's vocals in the first half were barely audible.

Ali can probably correct me if I am wrong, but ASCAP credits Axl Slash Duff and Izzy on all Illusion songs. The credits on the album pamphlet aren’t the real credits for songwriting. It seems they were more credited to the main writers.

Slash addressed this in his book.  The core members did indeed receive a portion of everything (and the splits were weird numbers, like 12.2%, according to Slash), but the songwriting credits in the booklets are accurate in terms of who wrote and put together the songs.

So in the case of "Estranged", Slash did receive a small portion of the publishing, but not nearly as much as he would've if he had received a writing credit.

[Nytunz]

Slash got totally boned on 'Estranged'.

We have all heard the original piano demo.  It's not a remarkable song until Slash weighed in with those riffs. 

The riffs are the song.  Not Axl's "woe is me" lyrics.

Not true at all

Really?

So if Slash never adds the guitar parts, and it's released as a piano ballad we hear in that demo, the song is held in the same regard by GNR fandom as it is today?

"I'm not sure I agree 100% with your police work there, Lou."

Did i say that? You said "the riffs are the song". How? The song is the song the way it is, with the guys playing on it.. why try to imagine something else

[sky dog]

It’s Axl’s “woe is me” lyrics that added another dimension after AFD. By forcing the band to do his epics, he enlarged their audience and took them to mega stardom.

[D-GenerationX]

Well if not Slash, it would have still had a guitarist adding parts to it. Who knows what that would have looked like, though.

And I like Axl's lyrics.

Oh, I like the lyrics too.  'Estranged' is firmly entrenched at #2 on my all time GNR Top 10.

I just always chuckle at "woe is the rich rock star" type stuff.  Guess I see their lives in a more 'Life's Been Good' by Joe Walsh sort of way.

Lucky I'm sane after all I've been through
(Everybody say, "I'm cool, " "He's cool")
I can't complain but sometimes I still do
Life's been good to me so far

[D-GenerationX]

It’s Axl’s “woe is me” lyrics that added another dimension after AFD. By forcing the band to do his epics, he enlarged their audience and took them to mega stardom.

No doubt, no doubt, no doubt.

I think the best song by leaps and bounds on 'Chinese Democracy' is 'There Was A Time'.

When we got those first batch of new tunes at RIR III, it was 'Madagascar' that really impressed me the most with its grand sound.

[jarmo]

I just always chuckle at "woe is the rich rock star" type stuff. 

Kurt Cobain, Prince, Chris Cornell etc. are just some examples of how misguided your reasoning is.

It's 2022. I thought people knew better than to think that just because someone has financial independence, all worries in their lives must've magically disappeared.



All great artists write about life. Sometimes from their own POV, sometimes from someone else's. All the GN'R songs you mentioned come from that same place. Even though they were written during different phases.




/jarmo

[sky dog]

Vedder? Come on, all great classic rock bands can say the same thing.

[sky dog]

It’s Axl’s “woe is me” lyrics that added another dimension after AFD. By forcing the band to do his epics, he enlarged their audience and took them to mega stardom.

No doubt, no doubt, no doubt.

I think the best song by leaps and bounds on 'Chinese Democracy' is 'There Was A Time'.

When we got those first batch of new tunes at RIR III, it was 'Madagascar' that really impressed me the most with its grand sound.

For the record, I think the same thing…hands down the best 2 songs on the album.

[Bridge]

When we got those first batch of new tunes at RIR III, it was 'Madagascar' that really impressed me the most with its grand sound.

Funny, I was just listening to that version on the way home tonight.  I actually prefer the Rio 3 version of "Madagascar" to the studio release.

[axlroses]

Rock in Rio 3 was a very special show.  They played the new stuff with so much energy.

[jarmo]

Vedder? Come on, all great classic rock bands can say the same thing.

Not sure if this was a reply to my post. Anyhow, my point was, I only mentioned people who were successful and still left us way too early. Which is why I don't buy the logic that just because you're rich and/or famous, you can't have problems which could influence the music you create...




/jarmo

[sky dog]

I was backing your point…just pointing out Eddie Vedder has quite a few classic “woe is me” songs! I love my tortured rock stars! 

[cineater]

I was backing your point…just pointing out Eddie Vedder has quite a few classic “woe is me” songs! I love my tortured rock stars! 

It can all apply to your life.  Money is a pain in the ass whether you have a lot or none.  Trying to be just you, whether it's in front of the world or just with the people you know, is a struggle for everybody.  Everybody wishes they were somebody else with a little less trouble, even rock stars.

[jarmo]

I was backing your point…just pointing out Eddie Vedder has quite a few classic “woe is me” songs! I love my tortured rock stars! 

Yeah, and fortunately he's still here.





/jarmo

[sworrm]

Yeh Vedder and Axl are the best , Ironically Vedders new solo album is very upbeat and positive, really needed in these dark times

[D-GenerationX]

When we got those first batch of new tunes at RIR III, it was 'Madagascar' that really impressed me the most with its grand sound.

Funny, I was just listening to that version on the way home tonight.  I actually prefer the Rio 3 version of "Madagascar" to the studio release.

I prefer the live versions of 'Madagascar', 'Chinese Democracy' and 'The Blues' (as it was known at the time) to the album version.

Now, I think part of that was the 1,500 or so times I listed to those versions before Axl got around to releasing the studio versions.

However, I think 'Chinese Democracy' works best a a tight 3 minute rocker, sans hokey into and double tracked vocals.  Also thought the earlier version of 'Street Of Dreams' was more up tempo and bouncy.  And better off for it.

[NaturalLight]

When we got those first batch of new tunes at RIR III, it was 'Madagascar' that really impressed me the most with its grand sound.

Funny, I was just listening to that version on the way home tonight.  I actually prefer the Rio 3 version of "Madagascar" to the studio release.

I prefer the live versions of 'Madagascar', 'Chinese Democracy' and 'The Blues' (as it was known at the time) to the album version.

Now, I think part of that was the 1,500 or so times I listed to those versions before Axl got around to releasing the studio versions.

However, I think 'Chinese Democracy' works best a a tight 3 minute rocker, sans hokey into and double tracked vocals.  Also thought the earlier version of 'Street Of Dreams' was more up tempo and bouncy.  And better off for it.

During Street of Dreams I still hear “never mind” hahaha. I guess he was talking to the sound person. I liked it tho.