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Re: Thoughts On "Excuses"
But the fact is the ship HAS SAILED. Axl waited too long and the iron cooled. The time to strike was 2001-02. He blew it. He had a slight... shot in 2006, which was his last good will, and he butched that one six ways to sunset.
You know, if the album came out in 2002 and it still showed the same numbers you would have said "it came to early" or "it's too late, it should have been out in 98".
You're simply putting out a "I know better now" and that's the easiest thing in the world to base an opinion on.
There's nothing to do with a cooled iron or anything. The US tour of 2006 was much more successfull than the 2002 tour. The sales in 2001 in Europe was less than in 2006 too..from what I remember anyway.
If anything, it should have come out prior or just after the 2006 tours when they had some press.
However, if this thing sells better or not than The Killers....seriously..I don't really give a shit. Judging from what Axl does, I doubt he gives a shit too. If he gave a shit he would be all over the press talking about the album and bad mouthing his former band mates to stirr up some controversy and make people check out the album. He doesn't. For better or for worse.
The album jumped in on the Norwegian charts in nr 5 with one day of sales. It topped in Finland. Pretty good for a band that haven't done shit album wise since 1993 and got only one remaining member left.
- estrangedpaul
- Rep: 5
Re: Thoughts On "Excuses"
Ha Ha!
Money, money, money, moneeeeee-eeeeee-yyyyyyy
I have to agree with Neemo that a reunion wont happen anytime soon. But along with the other mentioned obsticales (Beta, Del...) I'd throw Perla into that, too.
Now that would be a train wreck no amount of money could fix.
I think if anything Perla would support a reunion - in her most recent interview she left no doubt what her favourite band her husband has been in is and even praised Chinese Democracy. Plus shes a woman, and woman love money haha.
I don't think a reunion will happen for a long time. I think from Slash's point of view its more likey than ever - VR have broken up; he is working on a solo album but he's still a band guy - he seems to have tired of the search for a new fulltime lead singer and probably doesn't want to start a new band. With Axl having released CD, he must see it as the best opportunity. That doesn't mean he wants to, but for him its the right time.
As for Axl, there is no way he wants a reunion now. I just don't see it.
- mickronson
- Rep: 118
Re: Thoughts On "Excuses"
vr have hardly broken up.. only weiland is broken up..
they are takin a hiatus on things to persue other things, and im liking it.
VR as a band isnt the be all and end all for them, which is refreshing...
Re: Thoughts On "Excuses"
vr have hardly broken up.. only weiland is broken up..
they are takin a hiatus on things to persue other things, and im liking it.
VR as a band isnt the be all and end all for them, which is refreshing...
thank you mickronson...that the most intelligent post I have read about VR in a long time...*karma* 
Re: Thoughts On "Excuses"
But the fact is the ship HAS SAILED. Axl waited too long and the iron cooled. The time to strike was 2001-02. He blew it. He had a slight... shot in 2006, which was his last good will, and he butched that one six ways to sunset.
You know, if the album came out in 2002 and it still showed the same numbers you would have said "it came to early" or "it's too late, it should have been out in 98".
You're simply putting out a "I know better now" and that's the easiest thing in the world to base an opinion on.There's nothing to do with a cooled iron or anything. The US tour of 2006 was much more successfull than the 2002 tour. The sales in 2001 in Europe was less than in 2006 too..from what I remember anyway.
If anything, it should have come out prior or just after the 2006 tours when they had some press.
However, if this thing sells better or not than The Killers....seriously..I don't really give a shit. Judging from what Axl does, I doubt he gives a shit too. If he gave a shit he would be all over the press talking about the album and bad mouthing his former band mates to stirr up some controversy and make people check out the album. He doesn't. For better or for worse.
The album jumped in on the Norwegian charts in nr 5 with one day of sales. It topped in Finland. Pretty good for a band that haven't done shit album wise since 1993 and got only one remaining member left.
This isn't about "hindsight bias", or this and that. There was a HUGE buzz in 2002, one that dwarfs the one in 2006. Sales were lower in 2006, because once again... Axl wasn't doing press. Nobody other than the internet knew about it.
Axl obviously has an obsession with being THE BEST. Not with 2nd or 3rd place, but #1. The best. He's rock n' roll's rebel outlaw who "doesn't give a fuck", but at the same time is obsessed with perfection & acceptance.
I don't see how a perfectionist, who labored over this album for 15 years, would suddenly just go "300k, and 2nd place in the U.S. is pretty good". He was under enormous pressure on this whole thing.
I can't sit back, and have you say to me "you would've said this, you would've said that", and I wouldn't do that to you. The reason for that is, because NONE of us knew how this would go down - 'til the deed was done. Same for Axl. We're now seeing how it's going down, and like James said, "Joe & Jill Public have spoken. They don't consider Axl to be GN'R".
Eventually Axl's going to hit a brick wall. Drive GN'R into 'Rockalohoma Oblivion', performing along side legendary acts as Poison, Britny Fox, Ratt, Sebastian Bach, Cinderella, Warrant, Faster Pussycat, White Lion (two other bands with just the lead singer surrouned by new guys)... you know, the real bad asses of rock n' roll. 
Or he can sign a document, putting him back on a dual headline ticket with Metallica. Not literally, but in size and appeal.
I really don't think Axl is that stupid. I also don't think his own ego would allow it. He'll eventually choose the fame & fortune & love involved with the other option, versus the train wreck he's turned the brand name GN'R into. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but some day.
Re: Thoughts On "Excuses"
There was a HUGE buzz in 2002, one that dwarfs the one in 2006.
Not the way I saw it. The sales were poor and it ended in a disaster. And if there was a buzz, Axl stopped the buzz with that MTV disaster. I love the 2002 line up and the whole deal, but it didn't go off well.
The 2006 version was welcomed in a much better way.
It's easy to be smart after it went down and give out all the ideas and opinions of how it should have been done. Anyone can do so.
And problem being with the Joe Public not accepting it, it seems like Heikki Public of Finland says "this is Guns N Roses" while Joe Public of USA says it's not. That goes for many countries. The theory doesn't really hold up.
Axl obviously has an obsession with being THE BEST. Not with 2nd or 3rd place, but #1. The best. He's rock n' roll's rebel outlaw who "doesn't give a fuck", but at the same time is obsessed with perfection & acceptance.
But, he got a sense of reality we all got. Axl haven't been in a time capsule since 1991.
Re: Thoughts On "Excuses"
I guarantee one thing. The 06 tour would have been an absolute flop if not for this:
Guns N'Roses - Greatest Hits
GNR were dead in europe until this, it completely reignited interest in the band. In 2001 the Glasgow gig for the aborted tour barely sold a ticket, in 2006 it sold out in a day. Nothing Axl did to promote the band did this, it was the Greatest Hits album that stormed the charts all over europe and still sells well.
I listened to GNR throughout 1996 to 2004 and and all the parties I threw and attended GNR were not popular, I was often mocked. After Greatest Hits Guns N Roses exploded back into popular culture.
Re: Thoughts On "Excuses"
And problem being with the Joe Public not accepting it, it seems like Heikki Public of Finland says "this is Guns N Roses" while Joe Public of USA says it's not. That goes for many countries. The theory doesn't really hold up.
Considering the fact the album is falling in behind Kanye, The Killers & Nickleback in most European countries, not just the U.S., shows that this is a worldwide issue. Axl has nowhere to run now for acceptance. It's no longer an 'America only' issue.
That's what's troubling.
Guys, rock is back. It's back. It's one of the biggest sellers right now. It's not 1995/96 when it was kind of "out". Rock is in, in a big way. Rock acts, even the 'novelty' act ones have been very strong. Interest is high and there.... but not for GN'R.
When do you finally just admit, that it's because it's not the right GN'R? I'm a freakin' Axlite, and used to cuss people out on boards for saying what i'm saying right now. Axl isn't going to do press. That's Axl. Okay, then get the biggest guy on the planet that loves to have a red light in front of his face, and loves running his fucking mouth - 
Somebody has to be the face of this band, and with Axl refusing to do so, and being the only original member, it CRIPPLES the band's potential. Cripples it.
How many sponsors are they going to continue to get for 20,000-seat arenas, that can only draw 9,000 people in major cities?
I love the man, but he's squandering the potential of the GN'R name. Period.
He either needs to get his ASS out there and start promoting it, or he needs to forget it. It feels as though he's raping himself.
Re: Thoughts On "Excuses"
When do you finally just admit, that it's because it's not the right GN'R?
Right for who?
Me, you, the public, Axl?
Of course it doesn't sell as good because it's not the original GNR. Of course they draw less people. Of course to all that! It's to be expected! Did anyone really think GNR now could top the GNR of the past? If anyone was that bloody naive I'd have them up against the wall and shot.
Axl knows this just as well as anyone else. The band members knows it to. Everyone knows it.
And bloody hell mate, the GNR tour of 2006 was so successful in Europe they added more dates to several cities, including Oslo and Helsinki. That never happened in 2001. It wasn't even sold out when the last cancellation happened before the December dates of 2001 in Oslo. I know. I called and checked. This for me, based on a one original band member band with no album for 13 years or so are amazingly impressive all things considered.
He either needs to get his ASS out there and start promoting it, or he needs to forget it. It feels as though he's raping himself.
It's easy to say that. It's easy for me to agree. Of course he should. Fucking hell mate, I was the first guy to ask the question on this board before or during the release of the album. Where is Axl? Shouldn't he speak? However, you can't put such a demand on the guy. He does this thing the way HE wants too, not the way we wants it to be. If he wanna throw away 300k of sales because he got no working band atm or just don't wanna speak to the press then that's something I have to respect. I cannot even begin to judge it because I have no fucking clue what's going on in the GNR world or in Axl's world.
I've stepped into that trap way to many times with this band, coming up with all kinds of opinions and crap when in reality I have no clue what's going on with anything. The way this promotion has been run makes absolutely no sense to me. It's like a huge monster campaign with nothing inside. Where's Axl? Where's the core? It's like promoting a ghost! No one denies it. But we are not sitting on all the pieces of the puzzle. How many times did people make fun of Chris Pitman or Paul Tobias? The super funky techno beats guy who danced to Madagascar at RIR3 and Tobias the Pizza delivery guy? Look at the writing credits on the album. I'm ashamed I laughed at those jokes and how bloody wrong I was for thinking they were just fragments in the puzzle. Nothing is what they appear to be with this band. And I may voice my opinion as you may voice yours, but in the end we should be very careful about putting out hard facts here when we're not close to having even one piece of the puzzle. It may annoy the fuck out of you and the fuck out of me, but that's the way it is and it won't stop any time soon.
