Which is, objectively, complete bollocks.

ITFOCS features some of Slash's best guitar work. If anything, it's a worthy piece of his discography.

Surely, it has three would-be Guns songs from Slash/Gilby/Matt. Axl would like many enough to further produce them.

Historically, Snakepit mk 1 is also a key moment for Slash, as it was his first time out from Guns. He loved it.

Too easy to complain Axl messed around in a soundcheck.

A soundcheck is different from a rehearsal. All show up and the sound levels are adjusted, so that everybody gets a pocket in the front of house and can hear themselves in the monitors. Come showtime, the band will sound right on cue. It's mostly a formality, but a necessary one, as every venue has different acoustics and PA.

A rehearsal is a completely different beast. Sure, Ax prolly skipped a few in his time - and his did sound horrid at times at the VMA's.

But do refrain from equating soundchecks with rehearsals. Apples and oranges

Different eras. TWAT and IRS were crafted in around '98-'99 by Sean Beavan. He used the bits and pieces Axl had taken fondness into. Those bits were made during the 'midnight jams', which comprised of a loose group of players over the years. Filling the space for the principals, Paul and Dizzy, had been Krys Baratto / Billy Howerdel (bass) and Sid Riggs (drums).

Axl never promoted these people upwards. He just replaced them with players he wanted in Guns. Tommy was a big win. He anchored the sound and went on to provide stability (what, 16 years?) next to half a dozen guitar players. Tommy likely also worked a lot on arrangements. His title as 'musical director' may carry the notion that Tommy was making sure impartial ideas gelled into actual songs.

The Josh Freese / Robin -era saw through most of those songs, with vocals. They had around 30-35 tracks, enough to polish up and release. After they floundered to and fro for a year or so, Bob Ezrin still felt the album was lacking. He moved Guns from Rumbo to Village, for improved overseeing. Only he got kicked out, crazy drum rigs got installed on the attic and the rental bill went through the roof.

That's the event horizon for The General and other Bucket/Brain era songs. They should've been CD2, a new album by fresh people and clean slates. Another thing is that the orchestrations by Beltrami and Buckmaster were recorded, to some old and new songs, in this era. To me, they imply a shift in Axl's idea of the album sound.

The funny thing is, both of them seem to have gotten in after RTB and Zoot, with Axl as the producer. Now, imagine that. Axl calling all the shots. Means everything takes a bit more effort.

Far superior to the Better live video, anyway.

We call them hoarders.

They are a strange people, who cling on to rare things they have come to possess. They themselves feel special because of the attention their prizes bring.

Alas, someone else made those things and the hoarders have only the possession itself to hold on to. They think sharing those things devalues their person.

That's why some paintings are so expensive; some rich saps need an ego boost. Unreleased Guns songs fill a similar void.

Feeling big because they have other people's art under lock and key. Too bad.