Well obviously those who like it will be the ones commenting going on 5 years after it's release. Those who don't like it aren't even bothering to look the songs up. You could say this exact same thing about any band. The comments on the videos are pretty much always overwhelmingly positive years after cause those who don't care for it aren't listening anymore.

Well I don't take it for much. I haven't posted on a U2 forum in over a year and I'm much more "rabid" U2 fan than Gn'R fan and have way more dedication to U2 than Gn'R. Posting on an "Axl" site is about the debate, the conversation, the opinions. Axl is a cluterfuck of drama. I like Slash's material better but I don't need to go to a forum to discuss things case the wheels stay in motion with Slash, just like they do with U2. I know Slash is doing his thing, like U2 and I like it and aside from that, that's all that matters.  There's no doubt many people posting on a  Gn'R forum are doing so based on the car crash type drama. To sugest that a person's activity or inactivity on a  forum is a measure of how touched they are by the music is a tad ridiculous.  You're in essence saying that somone like me is more touched by Axl's music than u2's. Not even remotely the case. If my being here was based on my love for CD I'd have stopped posting in 2008.

You make it sound as though Slash's productivity is a bad thing. I'll sure as hell take his approach over Axl's 1 album ever 20 years approach.  I agree in that I think Slash has done a lot of songs that sound like they coud be good Gn'R songs. What they're missing is a certain voice and that's it really.  BUT I hear songs on CD that would've been good if they weren't so Axlized. Terrible production, too many layers, Songs that never go anywhere special, guitar solos that remind you how sorely missed Slash is, songs with no identity,  going for the extra mile way too often numerous times in indvidual songs to the point they sound like "try hard" songs. CD with a regular band of singer, drummer, bass, guitar(Slash) and keys would've been great. Slash's stuff with Axl's vocals would be great. They are both missing something BUT in my opinion Axl misses Slash WAY MORE than Slash misses Axl. Slash still makes music I enjoy. Axl not so much.

As for rising above and trying something more.... AFD is a straight ahead, kickass rock record. Simple, powerful, amazing. Leave the forced epics at the door and do what you do. Axl forgot that long ago and it's showed in his inability to recapture the imagination of the public and half his fanbase.  At least Slash is trying. If rising above and trying to be something more means doing nothing than fuck that noise.