I still think AFD could use a fresh look, and have some audio boosting. Just bring everything up a bit. NO NOT THE LOUDNESS WARS. Not overly compressed and overly amplified, but just bring up and spit shine a great mix for 2015. Chinese had a great mix, because Axl decided to go with an old school mix, as opposed to the loudness wars gimmick which were options 1 & 2. Axl chose 3, which shocked them all.

I knew alot of diehard rock fans that hated Chinese for what it represented, but said they loved its mix and the stand Axl took against the loudness wars.

But yeah, ALL GN'R albums at this point could use a fresh look and some Special Edition Deluxe Re-Releases.

Yeah I REALLY am sick of this guy now. He's continuing to do new interviews, there's another one out there right now, where he backpeddles on his previous comments about not being welcomed by the band, and then basically blames the media for not wanting to talk about his charity work, but only the negative stuff.

RON BROUGHT IT UP

The hell?

You made this bed -- again. You talked shit, but you didn't name names, and now that people are asking you to name names, he's wanting to back peddle. He should've just laid ALL his cards on the table, regardless of his state in the band or in or out.

Regardless, i'm over this guy.

Because Axl doesn't think that way. Izzy said so himself. And I don't think that's a slight on Axl, I think that's just the hand he was dealt in life, pre-dating Guns. I can personally speak for myself, that there are certain people I have tons of history with that I don't talk to, nor will ever talk to again. Yet we have mutual friends, family, co-workers, etc. I am not going to do it, because there's nothing in it for me. I don't say that as a selfish statement, I say that as something I have to do to protect myself from negative people, who are cancers. Axl is a person who doesn't forget. He just can't. He's the type of guy that can remember an argument he had in Kindergarten, and exactly what it was about and why it pissed him off so much. I can relate. Axl can't forget, which is why he struggles to forgive, solely MY opinion, with due respect to him, based on statements of past band members.

Axl seems to be fine being cordial and loving towards Izzy & Duff, and has performed with them in Guns mutiple times since 1996. Axl also hasn't spoken ill of the replacement players such as Gilby & Matt, either. Axl was friendly towards Steven, but even back in the day Axl & Steven were NOT friends. Even then they were simply co-workers, and the real friendship was always between Slash & Steven, not Duff or Izzy either. So that's not exclusive to Axl.

Everybody is cool to each other, including Slash, when he is asked about Axl (it wasn't always that way). Axl is in a different role than Slash though, and this is by his own doing. Axl wanted GN'R. The band, the name. So Axl has a responsibility to the GN'R brand, something Slash doesn't in 2015. If Axl as a representative of that brand, speaks ill of Slash, it hurts his rep. If he speaks really well of Slash, suddenly the media and the business fuel reunion rumors.

He's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, something Slash doesn't have to deal with. Steven, and this is NOT Axl's fault, has a BIG fuckin' mouth, and will talk to anybody who has a fucking pocket recorder. Steven has pushed for years for a reunion, even going as far to slam the current Guns, despite the fact he's met them and been backstage in the past, and they were all cordial to him.

Again, Axl has to be the representative here, and protect the brand, as well as his band. Steven is a liability, in more ways then one. So Axl doesn't talk about him. Slash is "The Big Gun", and any discussion of Slash has to be handled with with the upmost care (this is something Del and management has failed at in the past). So Axl just doesn't speak of him.

I pretty much see everything the way that it is in 2015, as being GN'R being in the best shape they've been in nearly 25 years. Hell Slash even has performed/recorded with certain members of the new Guns, and Axl has slowed his role with bashing Slash, which is always a good thing. This isn't counting the fact that Duff is practically in the band again, Slash's best friend, and Axl has been a-okay with that. It would put Duff in a very precarious position if Axl were to speak ill of Slash in 2015, and vice versa, and both of them have refrained from doing that, only to make sure people know they (or Axl) has no current or future plans for a GN'R reunion with Slash.

It is what it is SG. Like many have said in the past. Whatever Axl's issue with Slash is, IS PERSONAL. This goes behind your typical band autobio. Axl has personal beef with Slash, which is why this has all been so deep of a cut, and so nasty in the past.

My feelings have always been Axl knows EXACTLY the parts that broke his bond with Slash, and he wants to have it out with him over it, and Slash knows more than he lets on (aka plays dumb). Whatever it is, IF it ever gets settled, will be handed privately, and whatever public affection they show for each other will have to be displayed over a slow, extended period of time until the two of them begin to trust each other again.

Frankly, where were at right now. Old Guns are probably in the best shape they've been in years emotionally and spiritually with each other.

Absolutely fascinating stuff. THIS is the kinda stuff that keeps forums and fanbases going, just to hear all the stuff we don't know.

The crazy thing about the Chinese period is that its another just as complex and insane period in the history of Guns N' Roses, just as nutty (if not more so) than the original Guns. The story just hasn't been told. Kudos for Chinese Whispers, but having the actual men tell the story just adds to it.

The stuff about Brian's introduction to Guns, parallels Tommy's. The lack of interest, the past negative history of GN'R (alot of the guys Axl recruited were not apart of that scene), nobody wanted in, then suddenly the weirdest, eclectic group all wanted in.

Brain and the Bucket story is so fascinating, because Axl found in Bucket what in some ways seems like a kindred spirit, and yet Bucket somehow manages to come across crazier than Axl. I also think in some ways Axl wanted to break him. To bring him into his fold, when no one else could, and it worked. For awhile.

The "Bucket loved Guns more than anything" deal shocks me. Bucket's behavior, as Brain describes was misunderstood foolishness. Ruthless, and greedy lawyers (aren't they all?) treated Bucket as a roadblock to their percentage more than anything. Eventually Axl just delegated everything to Brain, and when Brain became a bit lost to it all, Axl threw in the towel. Instead of Axl breaking Bucket, Bucket broke Axl.

In hindsight, knowing what we do now, Axl was far more non-judgmental in his Press Release in 2004 looking back than he could've been. The only thing was the record deal thing that most Bucket fans, including several on this very board called out as bullshit for years. I always felt that last bit was Merck poisoning Axl against Bucket, and based on Apex's research, it basically confirms it.

But to go back and have Brain say Bucket loved Guns, and loved it so much he wanted it all to go perfectly, and just be about the music, wow... it's a shame Axl didn't man up to save him from Universal. All it would've taken was Axl threatening to disintegrate the band, and i'm sure with Chinese still lingering over their head that would've held SOME weight, but at that point Axl had exhausted so much good will at Universal, plus with all the changing over with Geffen & Sanctuary, Axl was out of time, owed a shitload of money, and had no album to back it up. He was probably facing his own legal action daily, let alone getting into a scuffle over his 3rd-4th lead guitarist in the history of GN'R.

It's a shame, you almost wish Axl would've pulled a "Bucket or me" move, if what Brain says is true.

But at the same time, Bucket overplayed his hand with the transient lifestyle, lack of communication, and speaking to the world through a puppet. There's time for fun n' games, and there's time for business. Axl actually understands this, but Bucket just didn't understand that world whatsoever. He had never seen the mountain top, GN'R was it, and he was amazed, then so blown away that he didn't want off the mountain, he just froze in fear.

I never thought about that angle, but Brain bringing it to life brings another fascinating angle into the Bucket drama.

It also makes it incredibly sadder, because Bucket was easily the most talented guitarist to ever associate himself with Guns N' Roses, and his ability would've put GN'R in a role of producing music that Axl really wanted to do in the new era, like no other.

But at the same time, like all things Guns N' Roses, Brain's interview just brings more questions. When it all goes down, that 2000 Intentions/early-Chinese period will be the more fascinating period in the history of GN'R than the original band.