Leeds' article concurs that there were indeed roughly 60 separate songs in various stages of completion as early as in the Beavan era ('99). The song creating (I wouldn't use the term 'writing') started by late-night jams, and once there was enough material recorded, Axl would listen it through and pick things that'd sound good for him. What he was basically doing was being the guitar hero without having to master the instrument - just going through the impromptu parts and weeding out the cream of the crop. Then, by adding up and trying out different parts like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, something resembling actual song structures began to form. Remember, this was no garage band. It was Sean Beavan and a room full of seasoned studio technicians and sound engineers. Their job was to connect the dots with whatever Axl's sessions musicians made available to them, creating songs of which they'd have no idea how they'd sound like. Would they sound like radio-friendly hits, would they sound like songs at all? Try recreating 'the traditional GNR sound' by wandering in the dark to such a degree and you'll get an idea of the challenge Axl'd thrown to his crew.

The tragedy of CD is that it's Axl's solo album, the one he's been akin to do eversince the UYI days. But he never wanted that to replace what GNR was and represented to him and to others. Despite whatever difficulties he had with Slash and the others, he always wanted to have GNR to fall back into if the solo album stinks. But before he knew it, he was left alone with a recording agreement and Geffen breathing in his back, requesting the next GNR studio album. While Axl took up the challenge (along with the advance), he didn't have a clue on how to proceed. Slash, Izzy and Duff had always taken care of laying down the foundations to the songs (with songs like Estranged and November Rain serving as exceptions). While Axl undoubtedly had enough talent and experience to handle both the lyrics and vocals for a double-album without a hitch, writing one single GNR album on his own devices from the ground up was simply too daunting.