I'm not one of those people that worships fortus and likes to kiss his ass, but I must say that from watching his solo spots, it's clear he has some technical ability on guitar, and I would guess is actually better than robin is a lot of ways. Maybe Axl was trying to be nice to fink, I mean he already got bucket in to add parts that Robin can't do, getting fortus to play the remaining solos would be pretty rough. Anyway i'm not sure if you were kidding, but I could actually see that resulting in a rendition more acceptable to most old school fans.

I've been thinking more about Robin, and there is something that's always confused me. At first, I assumed the problem was as others have said, that he isn't primarily a blues rock guitarist, he is more industrial, and was basicly out of his league attempting to replicate the sound of one of the most iconic blues rock players out there. But on his solo spot on tour here, he played a full on blues kinda thing...and that made me wonder what his deal really is. I still think it's likely he plays them different intentionally to not show up that he can't play them like slash note for note, so rather than show he is unable he makes it look like he doesn't want to. So he's added a ton of his own style to cover it. Just my opinion.

I'm about to say something controversial. So hopefully this won't shit everyone off too bad. An idea just came into my mind on a related topic. But I think maybe each of the lead guitarists was hired by Axl to be somewhat of a one-trick pony in this band. I know that sounds like madness, but let me explain what I mean.

If you think of the Robin solos...the parts Neemo listed that he hates...they are all pretty similar...massive bends..dissonance....its all very much in the exact same style..and that's what he has added to the old songs too. Love it like guys like JB do, or hate it like Neemo. It's always the same thing when he plays a solo...

Then look at bucket. Sure he has the technical ability to play anything. But what has he been reduced to doing in most GNR songs? To my ears its like the same three things: 1. A sudden burst of insanely hard to play shred - such as his solo in IRS, or when he "tags in" on the latter part of the CD solo.  2. Octive shift peddal madness...such as in Rhiad and his solo in Song #2 and 3. What i call a "spider run" because I don't know the technical term - its the two handed tap thing where he plays upside down on the fretboard using both hands over the guitar. As used to great effect in "Jordan" etc. But you hear him doing this in Better in the short burst, and then again in Rhiad near the end. Bucket is an amazing player and i'm not saying this to knock him at all...i'm just saying its like all they wanted him for in places is a bad ass run for 10 seconds leading up to the choruses and stuff. Mostly he overdubs a solo. Basicly he's been asked to do the same few tricks over and over again.

I dunno, I might be heading up the wrong tree with this whole line of thought. But i'm just wondering if that's what it comes down to. Bucket is hired to add the shred bursts, robin is hired to add the dissonance style industrial solos, and they don't seem to have a lot of chances to really try much outside of that box. People talk about how these songs are written for 3 guitars a lot. But I ask...are they really? or are they written for three different people? each with their own style. How often are all 3 guitars playing a distinct and audible part over each  other...it happens for sure...but if you had a guitasrist that could do all the styles i don't think you'd loose much, like if one guy played robin's bend solo then bucket's shred run. I'm getting way off track, but sometimes i think Axl just hires people who have a distincitive and unusual sound rather than anything else. Think about it...it's not like robin will bust out a dissonance solo and we'll all think that its bucket...and likewise..when bucket plays what he does its pretty damn clear that's who is behind the strings. Likewise slash has a distinctive touch when he was in the band.

Anyway I think robin's playing on the new songs is a love it or hate it kinda thing. I personally think his style suits the new songs ok as they have been written for it. Just like Axl's modern higher voice works in the new songs to me. But I'm not such a fan of the new high voice singing the old songs, and i'm not a fan of robin's interpretation of AFD solos.

Which is the problem i've had with this band for a while now. I like new lineups when they play their songs - which is maybe 4 songs if that a night. But they totally own when they do that. But if I'm going to hear a classic set list - either give me the men who wrote it - or at a minimum people who will cover and  replicate it to perfection - not a bunch of industrial shit blended into the best blues rock album ever.

I think sorum suggested him as the replacment for Gilby not Slash however. He would have been ok on rhythm.

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I've voted for CD. It cool but less cool than the rest.

Maybe the original title of "Shackler's Revenge" was fake..I mean looking at it in the light of day...it is named after a known buckhead track. seems odd for GNR (even with bucket) to make a sequal to his solo albums...