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Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles formed in 1985. The classic lineup, as signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. Rose is the only remaining original member, and the current lineup comprises Use Your Illusion–era keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardist Chris Pitman. The band has released six studio albums, accumulating sales of more than 100 million records worldwide, including shipments of 45 million in the United States, making Guns N' Roses one of the world's best-selling bands of all time.
Guns N' Roses' debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), reached number one on the Billboard 200 a year after its release, on the strength of "Sweet Child o' Mine", the group's only single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album has sold approximately 30 million copies worldwide, including 18 million units in the United States, making it the best-selling debut album of all time in the US, as well as the eleventh best-selling album in the United States. The success of the debut was followed by the eight-song album G N' R Lies (1988) which reached number two on the Billboard 200. The twin albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II (1991) debuted at number two and number one on the Billboard 200 and have sold a combined 35 million copies worldwide, including 14 million units in the United States. The cover album "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) was the band's last studio album to feature Slash and McKagan. After more than a decade of work and several lineup changes, Guns N' Roses released the long-awaited album Chinese Democracy (2008) which, at an estimated $14 million in production costs, is the most expensive rock album to ever be produced in music history. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 but undersold industry expectations, despite mostly positive critical reception.
Guns N' Roses has been credited with reviving the mainstream popularity of rock music, at a time when popular music was dominated by dance music and glam metal. Its late 1980s and early 1990s years have been described as the period in which they brought forth a "hedonistic rebelliousness" reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones, a reputation that had earned them the nickname "the most dangerous band in the world". The band's classic lineup, along with later members Reed and drummer Matt Sorum, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, in its first year of eligibility.
In 1984, Hollywood Rose member Izzy Stradlin was living with L.A. Guns member Tracii Guns.[1] When L.A. Guns needed a new vocalist, Stradlin suggested Hollywood Rose singer Axl Rose.[1] Guns N' Roses was formed in March 1985 by singer Axl Rose and rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin of Hollywood Rose, along with lead guitarist Tracii Guns, bassist Ole Beich, and drummer Rob Gardner of L.A. Guns.[2] The band coined its name by combining the names of both previous groups. Rejected names for the band included "Heads of Amazon" and "AIDS".[3] After a short time, during which they reportedly played two or three shows, Beich was fired and replaced by Duff McKagan.[4] Tracii Guns quit the group soon after getting in an argument with Rose, leading to his replacement by Slash.[1] Gardner quit soon after and was replaced by Steven Adler.[5][6] Stradlin, a childhood friend of Rose, had previously played with Slash in Hollywood Rose, while Slash had played with McKagan and Adler in Road Crew.[6]
"We had a singer (Mike Jagosz) that our manager didn't like, so we fired him. So then I asked Axl to join L.A. Guns and he was in the band for about six, seven months. The same manager ended up hating Axl and he wanted to fire him. We're all living together at this point and Axl and I sat down and went 'What are we going to do?' So we both said 'Fuck that', and came up with the name Guns N' Roses, which was going to be just a record label that we'd put singles out on."
In June 1985, four days after the lineup was finalized, the band embarked on a short, disorganized tour of the West Coast, from Sacramento, California, to McKagan's hometown of Seattle, Washington.[7] The so-called "Hell Tour" settled the band's first stable lineup, with McKagan later commenting, "This trip had set a new benchmark for what we were capable of, what we could and would put ourselves through to achieve our goals as a band."[8]
Through their increasing presence on the Hollywood club scene – playing famed bars such as The Troubadour and The Roxy – Guns N' Roses drew the attention of major record labels.[3][9] They were signed by Geffen Records in March 1986, receiving a $75,000 advance.[3] In December of that year, they released the four-song EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, designed to keep interest in the band alive while they withdrew from the club scene to work in the studio. The EP contained covers of Rose Tattoo's "Nice Boys" and Aerosmith's "Mama Kin", along with two original compositions: the punk-influenced "Reckless Life" and the classic rock-inspired "Move to the City." Although billed as a live recording, the four songs were taken from the band's demo tapes and overdubbed with crowd noise. Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide was released on the Geffen subsidiary UZI Suicide, with production limited to 10,000 vinyl copies.[10]
Guns N' Roses' debut album Appetite for Destruction was released July 21, 1987.[11] The album underwent an artwork change after the original cover design by Robert Williams, which depicted a surrealist scene in which a dagger-toothed monster vengefully attacks a robot rapist, was deemed too controversial.[12][13][14] The band stated the original artwork was "a symbolic social statement, with the robot representing the industrial system that's raping and polluting our environment."[12] The revised cover was done by Andy Engell, based on a design by tattoo artist Bill White Jr., who had designed the artwork for a tattoo Rose had acquired the previous year.[15] The artwork featured each of the five band members' skulls layered on a cross.[12]
In the U.S., "Welcome to the Jungle" was issued as the album's first single, with an accompanying music video. Initially, the album and single lingered for almost a year without performing well, but when Geffen founder David Geffen was asked to lend support to the band, he obliged, personally convincing MTV executives to play "Welcome to the Jungle" during their after-hours rotation.[16] Even though the video was initially only played once at 4 a.m. on a Sunday, heavy metal and hard rock fans took notice and soon began requesting the video and song en masse.[17] The song, written in Seattle, was about Los Angeles. The music video took place in New York. According to Rose, the inspiration for the lyrics came from an encounter he and a friend had with a homeless man while they were coming out of a bus into New York.[18] Trying to put a scare into the young runaways, the man yelled at them, "You know where you are? You're in the jungle baby; you're gonna die!"[18][19] The song was featured in the 1988 Dirty Harry film The Dead Pool, starring Clint Eastwood, and members of the band had a cameo appearance in the film.[20][21]
"Sweet Child o' Mine" was the album's second U.S. single, a love song co-written by Rose as a poem for his then-girlfriend Erin Everly, daughter of Don Everly of the Everly Brothers.[22][23] Due to the growing grassroots success of the band and the cross-gender appeal of the song, "Sweet Child o' Mine" and its accompanying music video received heavy airplay on both radio and MTV, becoming a huge hit during the summer of 1988 and reaching the top of the charts in the U.S.[23] Slash later commented, "I hated that song with a huge passion for the longest time, and it turned out to be our hugest hit, so it goes to show what I know."[22] The song was released in Japan as part of the EP Live from the Jungle, which also featured a selection of live recordings from the band's June 1987 dates at London's The Marquee, their first shows outside the United States.[24][25] The song is the highest charting Guns N' Roses song, their only to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[26]
After the success of "Sweet Child o' Mine", "Welcome to the Jungle" was re-issued as a single and reached No. 7 in the U.S. By the time "Paradise City" and its video reached the airwaves, peaking at No. 5 in the U.S., Appetite for Destruction had reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. To date, the album has sold an excess of 30 million copies worldwide,[27][28] including 18 million units sold in the United States, making it the best-selling debut album of all time in the U.S, in addition to being the eleventh best-selling album in the United States.[29][30][31][32]
Guns N' Roses toured extensively in support of their debut album, embarking on the 16-month-long Appetite for Destruction Tour.[33][34] In addition to headlining dates in Europe and the U.S., the band opened North American shows for The Cult, Mötley Crüe, and Alice Cooper throughout the second half of 1987. During the 1987 tour, drummer Steven Adler broke his hand in a fight, and was replaced for 8 shows by Cinderella drummer Fred Coury.[35] Bassist Duff McKagan missed several shows in May 1988 to attend his wedding; Kid "Haggis" Chaos from The Cult filled in.[36] Don Henley of The Eagles played drums for the band during the 1989 AMA show while Adler was in rehab.[37]
The band proceeded to tour the United States, Australia and Japan, while serving as opening acts on North America shows by Iron Maiden and Aerosmith.[38][39] Tim Collins, Aerosmith's then-manager, remarked, "By the end of the tour, Guns N' Roses were huge. They basically just exploded. We were all pissed that Rolling Stone showed up to do a story on Aerosmith, but Guns N' Roses ended up on the cover of the magazine. Suddenly, the opening act was bigger than we were."[40][41]
Guns N' Roses' next album, G N' R Lies, was released in November 1988. It included the four recordings from their 1986 EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, as well as four new acoustic tracks. "Patience", the only single released from G N' R Lies, peaked at No. 4 in the U.S., while the album itself reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The album cover, a parody of tabloid newspapers, was modified before release to remove the headlines "wife beating has been around for 10,000 years" and "ladies, welcome to the dark ages".[42]
The song "One in a Million" raised accusations of racism and homophobia.[43] Rose denied that he was a racist and defended his use of a racial slur, claiming that "it's a word to describe somebody that is basically a pain in your life, a problem. The word nigger doesn't necessarily mean black," although he later conceded that he had used the word as an insult towards black people who had tried to rob him.[44][45] In response to the allegations of homophobia, Rose stated that he considered himself "pro-heterosexual" and blamed this attitude on "bad experiences" with gay men.[44]
Guns N' Roses' late 1980s shows were often eventful for more than just the band's performance. During a November 1987 show in Atlanta, Rose assaulted a security guard and was held backstage by police, while his band mates continued playing with a roadie singing.[46][47] Riots nearly broke out during two August 1988 shows in New York State. At England's Monsters of Rock festival, held that same month, two fans were crushed to death during their set by the slam-dancing crowd.[17][48][49] During the first of four October 1989 dates opening for the Rolling Stones at the L.A. Coliseum, Rose announced that the shows would be their last if certain members of the band did not stop "dancing with Mr. Brownstone," a reference to their song of the same name about heroin.[50] Events such as these helped earn Guns N' Roses the moniker "The Most Dangerous Band in the World."[50][51]
In 1990, Guns N' Roses returned to the studio to begin recording their most ambitious undertaking yet. Drummer Steven Adler was briefly fired from the band over his drug use, but he was reinstated after signing a contract in which he vowed to stop taking drugs.[52] During the recording session of "Civil War", Adler was unable to perform well due to his struggles with cocaine and heroin addiction, and his difficulties in the studio caused the band to do nearly 30 takes.[53] Adler claimed at the time he was sick from taking opiate blockers to try to kick his addictions.[53] Adler was fired on July 11, 1990 as a result, and later filed a lawsuit against the band.[53][54] Adler recalled the reason for the lawsuit and recapped his firing in a 2005 interview:
Doug Goldstein called me into the office about two weeks later. He wanted me to sign some contracts. I was told that every time I did heroin, the band would fine me $2,000. There was a whole stack of papers, with colored paper clips everywhere for my signatures. What these contracts actually said was that the band were paying me $2,000 to leave. They were taking my royalties, all my writing credits. They didn't like me anymore and just wanted me gone. That's why I filed the lawsuit - to get all those things back.[53]
Martin Chambers (Pretenders) and Adam Maples (Sea Hags) were considered for the vacant drum position.[55] The position was filled by drummer Matt Sorum, who had played briefly with The Cult.[56] Slash credited Sorum with preventing the band from breaking up at the time.[56]
In response to an interviewer's suggestion that replacing Adler with Sorum had turned Guns N' Roses from a rock 'n' roll band into a heavy metal one, Stradlin responded, "Yeah, a big musical difference. The first time I realized what Steve did for the band was when he broke his hand in Michigan. Tried to punch through a wall and busted his hand. So we had Fred Coury come in from Cinderella for the Houston show. Fred played technically good and steady, but the songs sounded just awful. They were written with Steve playing the drums and his sense of swing was the push and pull that give the songs their feel. When that was gone, it was just... unbelievable, weird. Nothing worked."[57]
A few months prior, keyboardist Dizzy Reed became the sixth member of the group when he joined as a full-time member.[60] Reed was previously bandmates with Matt Sorum in Johnny Crash.[61] The band fired their manager, Alan Niven, replacing him with Doug Goldstein in May 1991.[62] According to a 1991 cover story by Rolling Stone magazine, Rose forced the dismissal of Niven (against the wishes of some of his band-mates) by refusing to complete the albums until he was replaced.[62]
With enough music for two albums, the band released Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II on September 17, 1991.[63][64] The tactic paid off when the albums debuted at No. 2 and No. 1 respectively in the Billboard charts, setting a record as they became the only group to achieve this feat until Hip-Hop artist Nelly accomplished the same in 2004.[65][66] The albums sold 770,000 units (Use Your Illusion II) and 685,000 units (Use Your Illusion I) in first week sales.[67] Both albums spent 108 weeks on the chart.[65] The two albums have sold a combined 35 million copies worldwide,[68] as well as 14 million sold in the United States.[29]
Guns N' Roses accompanied the Use Your Illusion albums with many videos, including "Don't Cry", "November Rain" and "Estranged", some of the most expensive music videos ever made. The hit ballad "November Rain" (No. 3 US) became the most requested video on MTV, eventually winning the 1992 MTV Video Music Award for best cinematography. It is also the longest song in US chart history to reach the Top Ten, clocking in at 8:57. During the awards show, the band performed the song with Elton John accompanying on piano.[69]
Both prior to and after the release of the albums, Guns N' Roses embarked on the 28-month-long Use Your Illusion Tour. It became famous for both its financial success and the many controversial incidents that occurred at the shows. The tour had 92 dates in 27 countries, with over seven million people attending concerts.[70] It is considered the 'longest tour in rock history'.[70]
The Use Your Illusion World Tour program included a guitar solo from Slash based on The Godfather theme, a piano-driven cover of "It's Alright" by Black Sabbath, and an extended jam on the classic rock-inspired "Move to the City", where they showcased the ensemble of musicians assembled for the tour.[71]
Many of the successful performances during the tour were overshadowed, in the press by riots, late starts, and outspoken rants by Rose. While the band's previous drug and alcohol issues were seemingly under control, Rose was often agitated by lax security, sound problems, and unwanted filming or recording of the performances. He also used the time between songs to fire off political statements or retorts against music critics or celebrity rivals.
On July 2, 1991, at the Riverport Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis, during a performance of "Rocket Queen", Rose discovered that a fan was filming the show with a camera. After asking the venue's security to take away the camera, Rose decided to take it himself, jumping into the audience and tackling the fan. He had a heated confrontation with the fan before physically assaulting him. After being pulled out of the audience by members of the crew, Rose said, "Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home!", threw his microphone to the ground and stormed off the stage. The angry crowd rioted, injuring dozens. Footage was captured by Robert John, who was documenting the entire tour. Rose was wanted by the police for inciting the riot, but police were unable to arrest him until almost a year later, as the band went overseas to continue the tour. Charges were filed against Rose, but a judge ruled that he did not directly incite the riot. In his defense, Rose stated that the Guns N' Roses security team had made four separate requests to the venue's security staff to remove the camera, all of which were ignored, and that other members of the band had reported being hit by bottles launched from the audience, while the security staff was refusing to enforce a drinking limit.[72] As a result, Use Your Illusion's liner notes featured a hidden message amidst the Thank You section: "Fuck You, St. Louis!"[73]
Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin abruptly quit the band on November 7, 1991, after a repeat of the St. Louis incident nearly unfolded during a concert in Germany.[74][75] Stradlin cited a combination of Rose's personal behavior, his mismanagement of the band, and difficulties being around Slash, Sorum, and McKagan, due to his new-found sobriety and their continuing alcohol and substance addictions.[75][76][77] Stradlin later commented, "Once I quit drugs, I couldn't help looking around and asking myself, 'Is this all there is?' I was just tired of it; I needed to get out."[78] Slash commented on finding a replacement, saying, "When Izzy left, we realized that we either had to find a new guitarist in three weeks or cancel a bunch of gigs. I had a piece of paper with about 30-odd candidates listed. Duff was looking around and Axl had his ideas, but nobody seemed right. For a while it looked like Dave Navarro from Jane's Addiction was going to join, but he couldn't get it together, so that never happened."[79] Stradlin was eventually replaced by Los Angeles-based guitarist Gilby Clarke, whom Slash credited for saving the band.[80]
During many shows throughout the tour, Rose introduced Clarke to the audience, and Slash and Clarke would then play "Wild Horses", a Rolling Stones cover.[79] In late 1991, the band added a touring ensemble, which included a horns section and several background vocalists.[81] In 1992, Clarke broke his arm in a motorcycle accident during the tour, and was replaced for several weeks by former guitarist Izzy Stradlin.[82]
In 1992, the band appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, performing a three-song set.[83] Because of the controversial song One in a Million, activist group ACT UP demanded that the band be dropped from the bill, and urged other artists to shun them and the crowd to boo them.[83] Members of Queen dismissed the activists, with guitarist Brian May stating "People seem so blind. Don't they realize that the mere fact that Guns n' Roses are here is the biggest statement that you could get?"[83] Slash later performed "Tie Your Mother Down" with the remaining members of Queen and Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott, while Rose performed "We Will Rock You" and sang a duet with Elton John on "Bohemian Rhapsody".[84] Their personal set included "Paradise City" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". When the band returned to the US for the second leg of the Use Your Illusion Tour, Brian May opened the shows with The Brian May Band.[85] Rose had originally wanted the grunge band (and Geffen labelmates) Nirvana to open their Use Your Illusion Tour, but frontman Kurt Cobain refused.[86]
Later in the year, Guns N' Roses went on the Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour, with American Metal band Metallica, being supported by Faith No More, Motörhead, and Body Count. During a show in August 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Metallica frontman James Hetfield suffered second degree burns to his hands and face after malfunctions with a pyrotechnics blast.[87] Metallica was forced to cancel the second hour of the show, but promised to return to the city for another performance. After a long delay, during which the audience became increasingly restless, Guns N' Roses took the stage. However, the shortened time between sets did not allow for adequate tuning of stage monitors, resulting in members of G N' R not being able to hear themselves. In addition, Rose claimed that his throat hurt, causing the band to leave the stage early.[88] The cancellation led to another riot by audience, with three police officers and 10 rioters injured. Police made at least a dozen arrests related to the incident.[89]
The pyro incident and riot can be seen on video in A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica.[90] In a segment on the video, Hetfield mocked Rose and read his personal tour rider, making fun of various items on the list.[90] Rose responded by addressing the crowd during a later concert, labeling Hetfield a racist for his decision to pull Body Count from the tour, and called him a 'stupid little cocksucker' while bashing the rest of the band.[90] On VH1's Behind the Music documentary about Metallica, Ulrich stated that "We couldn't relate to Axl and his attitude." Other members of Metallica and Rose himself both stated that the two groups 'never really gelled'.[91]
In mid-1993, former drummer Steven Adler's lawsuit against the band was settled out of court; Adler received a back-payment check of $2,250,000 and 15% royalties for songs he recorded.[92][93]
The Use Your Illusion tour ended in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 17, 1993. The tour set attendance records and lasted for 28 months, in which 194 shows were played. The show in Buenos Aires marked the last time that Slash, as well as newcomers Sorum and Clarke, would play a live show with Rose.[94]
On November 23, 1993, Guns N' Roses released a collection of punk and glam rock covers entitled "The Spaghetti Incident?"[95] Izzy Stradlin's recorded guitar parts were replaced by Gilby Clarke.[96] Many of the tracks were recorded during the same sessions as the Illusions albums, which were originally intended to produce 3 or 4 albums.[97] Initially, the band was going to release a covers EP in 1992 or 1993, but decided on making a full album and recorded more songs.[98] Bassist Duff McKagan sings on many of the album's tracks and Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe appears on "Ain't It Fun" as a guest vocalist. Slash described the recording of the album as "spontaneous and unpainted".[96] The title of the album is an inside joke referring to a food fight that occurred between Axl Rose and Steven Adler. During his lawsuit against the band, Adler's attorney described the food fight as "the Spaghetti Incident". The meaning was explained by drummer Matt Sorum in a 1994 interview with Much Music and confirmed by Slash in his autobiography, Slash.
An unadvertised cover of the Charles Manson song "Look at Your Game, Girl" was included on the album.[99] The track was kept secret, and was not included on advance tapes sent out to reviewers.[99] Band manager Doug Goldstein stated "There is a bonus track on the album, but Axl wants it to speak for itself," and that "It wasn't done for the critics or anybody else. It was a bonus for the fans."[99] The inclusion of the song caused controversy, with law-enforcement and victims-rights groups expressing outrage.[100][101]
Rose claimed "the reason we didn't list that song on our album is we wanted to downplay it. We don't give any credit to Charles Manson on the album; it's like a hidden bonus truck."[102] The band considered removing the song from new pressings of the album, and
Guns: "And then I lasted for about seven or eight months in that, and then Axl and I got into an extraordinary fight... and we did two shows after that argument and then I left. It just wasn't fun anymore."
As of September 2008, the album has been certified 18 times Platinum by the RIAA, accumulating worldwide sales in excess of 28 million as of October 2008
Last time he was there in 1987 he brawled with security guards, punched an Atlanta cop and got arrested.
At this point in time we have only been collaborating together. But we have been doing mostly Axl's material.
There's nothing but Slash based blues rock and he stopped it to both go solo and try to completely take over Guns...I was specifically told no lyrics, no melodies, no changes to anything and to sing what I was told or fuck off.
(Rose stated) "Stephanie Seymour, Slash and Duff McKagan did more damage to my ability as a writer. To those three, it was all crap. It beat me down so much. Slash and Duff said, 'You're an idiot, you're a loser.' I didn't write for years.
Huge's presence didn't sit well with Slash, who reportedly has "creative and personal" differences with the latest Rose writing collaborator, which played a part in his decision to leave the band.
My official end was actually at the last show of the last tour," he continued. "Axl was jokingly saying ‘bye’ to everybody, but he was really saying ‘bye’ to everybody. He even came up to me and said, ‘Hey, enjoy your last show.'
...it was a forgone conclusion that Gilby would be in the band ...his picture was included on the big mural on the game... suddenly (he) wasn’t in the band anymore. Gilby sued us for using his likeness on the machine
The album boast strong G n’ R connections: Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan appear as guests (Rose sings backup on the title track), and former G n’ R member Izzy Stradlin co-wrote one of the songs
Guns N’ Roses leader Axl Rose has bought the rights to the name "Guns N’ Roses," and can put out any music he wants under that moniker, played by anyone he chooses
sources say former Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck will be the new primary axe-slinger. Finck is said to be replacing Slash who left the band last year over creative differences
Axl were having some differences in the musical direction. In '97 I got into an argument with Axl about the state of the band. He'd brought in another guitar player, Paul Huge, and none of us really wanted to play with him. Axl really wanted him in the band and we didn't really want to play with the guy. Me and Duff were showing up, trying to be professional and get the work done but it just didn't seem to be going anywhere, and obviously it still hasn't
It could have been one of the most interesting heavy music collaborations in rock history: Zakk Wylde as a member of Guns N’ Roses... And it very nearly happened in the mid-1990s
"Rolling Stone's Random Notes Daily News reports that this is the current GN'R line-up:Vocals: Axl Rose, Bass: Duff McKagan, Rhythm Guitar: Paul Huge, Lead Guitar: Robin Finck (ex Nine Inch Nails), Drums: Chris Vrenna (ex Nine Inch Nails.")
"Believe it or not, it's still a very mutual effort," Slash said of the long process of selecting material. "All things considered, it's as close as we ever got.
Youth and the band are still months away from recording. Rose and cohorts are reportedly still in writing mode with no completed songs at this time.
Sources at Geffen say the company is hoping for a mid-1999 release of the new album
But what sets (Brian) Carroll decisively apart from the pack is the outré "Buckethead" persona he’s so painstakingly created.
Rose hired Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker to help shepherd the album to completion. Only Baker did the opposite — he talked Axl into rerecording all of the songs, in spite of the monumental expense
Speaking briefly with ABCNEWS Radio, Slash said he tried to get in, but couldn't. A security guard confirmed his account, blaming band frontman Axl Rose for the exclusion
Next GN'R move on to Osaka on [Saturday, July 21] to finish off their Japan tour.
The album came out, but the sodamaker's coupon-offering Web site malfunctioned. And though the promotion was extended, Alan Gutman, the band's Beverly Hills attorney, demanded a full-page apology in major daily newspapers and "an appropriate payment to our clients for the unauthorized use and abuse of their publicity and intellectual property rights," according to the AP
Fan: Axl are you still thinking of suing Dr Pepper? Axl: Sure but the actions taken so far had nothing to do with me and I was taken off guard as I had specifically told our team who fucking cares now that we have a record to deal with.
gone were the pyrotechnics of arena shows past which forced the band to play in a more no frills fashion with the focus less on spectacle and more on music.
"Rose Tattoo's influence later became apparent on U.S. rock combos like Guns N' Roses, who covered its track "Nice Boys (Don't Play Rock'n'Roll)".
The first task set to [Zutaut] by [Axl] was to help with the drum sound for the album's title track. Axl had told the studio guys that he wanted the same drum sound as Dave Grohl on Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit
Guns N' Roses are promoting wrong values like sexism and the way they do drugs
World Music Awards:[424]
Revolver Golden Gods:[330]
MTV Video Music Awards:[417][420][421][422][423]
American Music Awards:[417][418][419]
For a complete list of all the songs, see List of songs recorded by Guns N' Roses. For a complete discography, see Guns N' Roses discography.
In October 2009, Ulrich Schnauss's record labels Independiente and Domino sued Guns N' Roses, alleging that the band had committed copyright infringement by using portions of Schnauss' compositions in the track "Riad N' the Bedouins" on the album Chinese Democracy.[411] The band claimed the samples "were provided by a member of the album's production team who has assured us that these few seconds of sound were obtained legitimately."[412] Chinese Democracy was banned in the People's Republic of China, due to perceived criticism in its title track of the Government of the People's Republic of China and reference to the Falun Gong.[413][414] The Chinese government said through the media that it "turns its spear point on China".[415][416]
The band has also been criticized for tardiness and starting shows later than advertised.[407][408][409] Their late appearances and "war" with Reading and Leeds Festivals have been criticized by artists and their peers in the industry.[410]
Guns N' Roses has also received significant criticism throughout the years.[397][398][399] The band received criticism for drug and alcohol use in the 80's & early 90's.[17][398][400] The long periods of time between albums are another source of criticism.[401] Songs such as One in a Million and the cover of Charles Manson's Look at Your Game, Girl were considerably controversial upon release.[402][403][404] In addition, some lyrics have been regarded as sexist.[400][405][406]
Guns N' Roses were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 14, 2012.[393] They are one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide,[394] including shipments of 45 million in the United States.[395] The U.S. release of the PlayStation game Mega Man X5 had the names of the game's bosses changed in honor of the band.[396]
In 2002, Q magazine named Guns N' Roses in their list of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die".[387][388] The television network VH1 ranked Guns N' Roses ninth in its "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" special,[389] and also 32nd on their "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[390] Appetite for Destruction was ranked 62nd greatest album of all time in Rolling Stone magazine's special issue "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[391] In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Guns N' Roses No. 92 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[386] "Welcome to the Jungle" has also been voted "Best Hard Rock Song" out of 100 candidates by VH1.[392]
Guns n' Roses are still an example of how a band can move rock forward. Sometimes you think, "How can you top anything by The Yardbirds, or Zeppelin, or the Stones?" And then you hear Guns n' Roses, and it's inspiring. You can think that it's all been written, but it hasn't"
Guns N' Roses has influenced many modern rock bands such as Fall Out Boy,[375] Avenged Sevenfold,[376][377] Mother Love Bone,[378] Buckcherry,[379] Hinder,[380][381] Manic Street Preachers,[382] Nickelback,[383] Bullet for My Valentine,[384] and Black Label Society.[385]
A heavy influence on both the image and sound of Guns N' Roses was the Finnish band Hanoi Rocks (singer Michael Monroe and Rose have collaborated on various occasions).[6] Rose has stated that the band was massively inspired by groups like Queen,[361] AC/DC,[362] The Rolling Stones,[363][364] Aerosmith,[364] and Rose Tattoo,[365][366] and that the sound of Appetite for Destruction was influenced by AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, Van Halen, the New York Dolls, and Hanoi Rocks.[367] The band was also influenced by the likes of T. Rex[368] and the Sex Pistols.[369] Rose's orchestral-style songwriting on the Illusion albums were influenced by Queen, Electric Light Orchestra, and Elton John, particularly the album Queen II.[370] Rose cited influence of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in recording the title track of Chinese Democracy.[371] Critics noted influences of Queen, Wings and Andrew Lloyd Webber on some songs on Chinese Democracy.[359][372][373][374]
The music of Guns N' Roses is a fusion of punk rock,[347][348][349] blues rock,[350] heavy metal,[351] hard rock,[352][353][354] and hair metal.[355][356] The Illusions albums saw the band branching out into art rock, while "The Spaghetti Incident?" saw them blend hard rock with punk rock.[357][358] Since their 1999 revival, the band has retained hard rock features while also experimenting with Industrial rock and electronic rock.[359][360] In the 1990s, the band integrated keyed instruments (played by either Rose or Reed, and accompanied on tour by Teddy Andreadis) into the band, and for roughly half of the Use Your Illusion tour, added a horn section to the stage.[6]
Guns N' Roses signed with a major label within eight months of their inception, and topped national sales charts weeks after garnering late hours airplay on MTV. Appetite for Destruction is the highest-selling debut album of all time in the United States.[30][344] Their peers in the music industry often spoke highly of the band. Joe Perry stated that they were the first group to remind him of Led Zeppelin.[345] Ozzy Osbourne stated that Guns N' Roses could have been "the next Rolling Stones" if the classic lineup stayed together.[346] Country musician Steve Earle stated in 1989 that "Guns n' Roses are what every L.A. band pretends to be".[17]
On July 27, 2015, guitarist DJ Ashba left the band, citing his commitments to his family and other band, Sixx:A.M.[339][340] Ashba released a statement saying "I have reached a point in my life where I feel it's time to dedicate myself to my band Sixx:A.M., my adoring wife and family, and to the many new adventures that the future holds for me."[341] Several days later, music journalist Gary Graff reported that a 'confirmed source within the band' had told him that Ron Thal was no longer in Guns N' Roses and had left after the 2014 tour. No official announcement from Thal or the band has been made regarding his status.[342] Frank Ferrer then clarified the status of the band, saying "Guns still exist... [They have] a lot of moving parts, and there's a lot of things in the works... everything is moving forward."[343]
Reed mentioned that the next album was 'close to being done' in July 2014, adding it was "just a matter of picking out which songs will be on it" and that the band had a "shitload of songs, enough to make up another record or two".[335] Later that month, Fortus discussed the band working on new material and taking a break from touring.[336] A year later, Fortus discussed a potential 2016 tour and mentioned that the next album "should be out" by then.[337] Reed responded by saying "When will it come out? We just don't know yet. Only Axl knows, and he's very secretive. Be patient."[338]
"We recorded a lot of things before Chinese was out. We’ve worked more on some of those things and we’ve written a few new things. But basically, we have what I call kind of the second half of Chinese. That’s already recorded. And then we have a remix album made of the songs from Chinese. That’s been done for a while, too. But after Vegas, we’re going to start looking very seriously at what we’re doing in that regard."[334]
From May 21 to June 7, 2014, the band returned to Las Vegas for its second residency at The Joint, titled No Trickery! An Evening of Destruction."[333] In an interview in June 2014, Rose commented on upcoming plans:
The band launched a South American tour in early 2014, including playing in Brazil and Portugal.[328] For several shows, former bassist Duff McKagan rejoined the band to fill in for Stinson, who had previous commitments to touring with the Replacements.[329] They headlined the Revolver Golden Gods awards show, with McKagan on bass, on April 24, 2014. During the ceremony, Rose was awarded the Ronnie James Dio lifetime achievement award.[330][331] After the show, Fortus reiterated the band was working on material and mentioned the possibility of releasing new music within the next year.[332]
In August 2013, a new song titled "Going Down" was leaked online.[326] The track features bassist Tommy Stinson on lead vocals, with Rose providing back up vocals.[326] Bumblefoot confirmed the song to be legitimate on his Twitter.[327] Spin described it as "a country-tinged, mid-tempo lighter-raiser with lyrics about how "you've got nothin' good to say / Keep your mouth shut."[326]
On August 13, 2012, the band announced a residency at The Joint in Las Vegas entitled "Appetite for Democracy", celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band's debut album, Appetite for Destruction, and the fourth anniversary of the album Chinese Democracy.[316][317] On November 21, 2012, the band's performance in Vegas was taped in 3D, and was screened across theaters in 2014 before being released as Appetite for Democracy 3D on July 1, 2014.[318][319][320] In October 2012, Rose mentioned that the follow-up to Chinese Democracy would not take as long to be released, stating, "All the guys are writing, and we recorded a lot of songs over the years. We'll figure out what we feel best about. Chinese was done in piecemeal with one person here and one there at different times."[111] In October 2012, Guns N' Roses performed an acoustic set at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit show.[321] The performance was widely panned by critics, and Rose claimed an onset of strep throat hampered his vocals.[322][323][324][325]
Izzy Stradlin once again joined the band for a surprise performance at a wedding in Saint-Tropez, France in July 2012.[313] Also in July 2012, the band toured Israel for the first time since 1992.[314] NME reported that year that the band's tour security said they had been instructed by Guns N' Roses management that anyone wearing a Slash T-shirt not be allowed into the tour venue.[315]
Richard Fortus, being interviewed by the French music website Rock N' Live in June 2012, revealed that the band would not play any more dates for the "Up Close and Personal Tour", as they hoped to spend more time in the studio, hoping to complete the next album by the end of the year.[312] Fortus said, "I'm pretty much focused on GnR right now. We're getting ready to go back in the studio, so that's where my head's at right now, that's all I want to think about until the end of the year, pretty much."[312]
On April 14, 2012, former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, Gilby Clarke, Steven Adler and Matt Sorum all reunited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[305] They performed "Mr. Brownstone", "Sweet Child o' Mine", and "Paradise City" with Alter Bridge and Slash's band vocalist Myles Kennedy in Rose's absence.[306][307] Slash mentioned in an interview that "All things considered, I don't think any of us wanted to be a part of it initially, didn't think any of us were going to go. It was a thorn in everybody's - well, at least a thorn in my side - because I was busy doing other stuff. When it finally came down to the wire at the very, very, very last-minute - I'm talking about the 11 hours and 30 seconds mark - Axl had pulled out."[308] In the same interview, Slash mentioned the prospects of a reunion, stating "It's not even something I like to dwell on. I don't even like to make to make comments because you end up with quotes that sometimes exacerbate the issue. I've got other things going on. I'm very, very proud - endlessly proud - of everything the band stood for and everything that's gone on with it."[308] Slash then stated in a July 2012 interview that "[the classic lineup] will 'never reunite'".[309] In a later interview, former drummer Steven Adler stated that Matt Sorum would not take part in a potential reunion unless Adler was involved.[310] Duff McKagan said in 2015, "[A reunion] could happen, and it could not. And I think it would be wonderful, one day, if we reconciled, first and foremost. That alone would be cool."[311]
On April 11, 2012, Rose released an open letter to "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Guns N' Roses Fans and Whom It May Concern", saying he would not be attending the induction, stating "I respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N' Roses to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame" and calling it a "complicated and awkward situation."[301][302] After the ceremony, Rose released a statement on the band's Facebook page apologizing to the city of Cleveland (where the ceremony took place) and detailing reasons why he did not attend, stating "I still don't exactly know or understand what the Hall is or how or why it makes money, where the money goes, who chooses the voters and why anyone or this board decides who, out of all the artists in the world that have contributed to this genre, officially "rock" enough to be in the Hall?"[303][304]
In an interview, Dizzy Reed supported the hypothesis of the classic lineup reunited in the Hall of Fame, saying, "I know that all the original band is going to be there. I don't know exactly what's going to go down. It's one of those things I'm sure will all come together and be really cool. Honestly, we haven't spoken about it. I don't know when or why or how to bring it up."[300]
In early 2012, the band announced shows in the United States and Europe, titled the Up Close and Personal Tour.[295] The shows themselves varied considerably in comparison to the previous Chinese Democracy Tour. All of the North American shows took place in smaller-scale clubs, rather than a large arena or stadium.[296][297][298] All pyrotechnics were removed from the shows.[298] The European leg of the tour began approximately one month after the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Guitarist DJ Ashba discussed a potential follow up to Chinese Democracy in a 2012 interview, stating "I've written and demoed up probably about 12 songs, I think. And some of them [Axl] has heard, some of them he hasn't yet. But I think when we get a little bit of time off, we're gonna hopefully all get together and piece together what we think is gonna be the next best thing."[299]
On December 7, 2011, it was announced that the classic Guns N' Roses lineup was to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with several other acts, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Faces.[290][291] Commenting on his Twitter, Rose stated "I'd like to thank the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame and our fans. This is your victory".[292] In his That Metal Show interview commenting on the induction he said "I don't know what it means in terms of me with the old band and the old lineup," [...] "If we were to be invited, I don't know what they would ask of me. It's up in the air."[293] Slash also commented, saying, "Thanks for all the R&RHF mentions, It's quite an honor to be inducted. Cheers! Iii|; )"[294] He went on to say, "I have no idea how that's supposed to go. If Axl, Duff, Izzy and myself start communicating, it could go one way. If we don't, God knows."[294]
Guns N' Roses performed at Rock in Rio 4 on October 2, 2011 during heavy rain,[285] playing "Estranged" for the first time since 1993.[286] Guitarist Bumblefoot stated that due to the conditions, it was the 'worst concert he's ever been a part of'.[287] Two months later, during a performance in Nashville, TN "Civil War" also made a return after an eighteen-year absence.[288] On November 10, 2011, Rose gave his first TV interview in years to Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine of That Metal Show discussing his whole career and the band's future.[289]
Former bassist Duff McKagan joined the band on stage for the first time since leaving the band on October 14, 2010 at The O2 Arena, in London, England. He performed four songs with the group, "You Could Be Mine", "Nice Boys", "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", and "Patience".[280][281][282] The appearance was said to be a spur-of-the-moment decision, as he and Rose happened to be staying in the same hotel.[283] Rose told the audience, "There was this guy at the end of my hallway playing all this loud music and shit. What the fuck? Oh — it's Duff!".[283] McKagan later joined Guns N' Roses on part of their tour for two Seattle shows in December 2011, as well as having his band Loaded open for Guns N' Roses.[284]
[279][278] The band returned to the stage an hour later to finish the show.[277] After another bottle was thrown, the band left the stage during the fourth song of the set.[276]" after multiple bottles were thrown on stage, warning the crowd "One more bottle and we go home. It's up to you. We would like to stay. We want to stay. We want to have some fun."Welcome to the Jungle Rose stopped the band in the middle of the second song, "[276] During a concert on September 1, in Dublin, the band was over an hour late arriving on stage.[275] However, two days later they played the final night of the Leeds Festival, coming onto stage 30 minutes late, and cutting part of the encore, with Rose stating to the crowd, "We come here to play for you but the cops and the promoters wanna fuck us in the ass. We would like to play a few more songs for you but we’ll just play one."[274] Guns N' Roses headlined the Friday night at
In June 2009, it was reported that manager Irving Azoff had been 'fired, then re-hired, then fired'.[262] A year later, Azoff's company Front Line Management sued Rose, claiming he "violated an oral agreement to pay 15% of earnings, or nearly $2 million, from a lucrative concert tour", seeking 1.87 million in unpaid fees.[263][264][265] Rose filed a $5 million counter-lawsuit against Azoff, saying that Azoff sabotaged sales of Guns N' Roses' comeback album and lied about a potential "super tour" with Van Halen, a band managed by Azoff, as part of a plan to force Rose to reunite with his estranged former band members.[266] Rose said in his suit that Azoff failed to promote his 2008 album, Chinese Democracy, and deliberately mishandled concert dates, "forcing Rose into a position where he would have no choice but to reunite with the original members of Guns N' Roses for a reunion tour."[266][267] Rose claimed that Azoff "violated the consent decree by coercing and bullying artists to do what he wants" and that "Upon realizing that he couldn't bully Rose and accomplish his scheme, Azoff resigned and abandoned Guns N' Roses on the eve of a major tour, filing suit for commissions he didn't earn and had no right to receive.[265] The lawsuit was settled "to the mutual satisfaction of the parties" in 2011.[268][269] Several years later, Guns N' Roses management, led by Rose's former personal assistant Beta Lebeis and her family, stated that previous tensions led to an ultimatum of "no more managers."[270]
In early March 2009, industry insiders speculated Guns N' Roses would launch a summer stadium tour, which eventually would become the Chinese Democracy World Tour 2009/2010.[256] Later that month, the band announced that DJ Ashba would be the new lead guitarist, replacing a departing Robin Finck, who rejoined Nine Inch Nails.[257][258][259] Ashba had previously played with former drummer Steven Adler in BulletBoys in 1998.[260][261]
I could see doing a song or so on the side with Izzy or having him out [on tour] again. I'm not so comfortable with doing anything having more than one of the alumni. Maybe something with Duff, but that's it, and not something I'd have to really get down into, as I'd get left with sorting it out and then blamed on top of it. So, no, not me.[255]
Rose was however open to working again with Stradlin and McKagan (both of whom he has worked with since the interview took place):
What's clear is that one of the two of us will die before a reunion and however sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is. Those decisions were made a long time ago and reiterated year after year by one man.[255]
On February 6, 2009, Rose gave his first interview in nine years when he sat down with Billboard's Jonathan Cohen.[255] Rose said that there was no chance that he would ever agree with a reunion with Slash:
Former drummer Bryan Mantia mentioned working on a 'club remix' of Shackler's Revenge, stating that Rose planned to put out a remix album of songs from Chinese Democracy.[202] Guitarist DJ Ashba has said that the next album is being discussed, stating that the band "has been throwing around a bunch of ideas" and joked that the next album "won't take as long" to release.[251] On April 20, 2011, Ashba said in an interview at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards that Guns N' Roses have been "working on new songs every day".[252] In an interview with reporter Nui Te Koha on Triple M Melbourne's The Hot Breakfast, Ashba talked about songs Rose has written, stating: "Axl has a lot of great songs up his sleeve. He probably has three albums worth of stuff recorded. The stuff I've heard... I've been up in his hotel room many nights and he just sits down at the piano and plays. I'm like 'this is amazing, people have to hear this song' and he's like "ah, this is something I'm tinkering on'."[253][254]
In an MTV phone interview with Kurt Loder in 1999, Rose said he and the then-new band had recorded enough material for a double album.[148] In an informal chat with Rolling Stone magazine in February 2006, Rose stated the band had 32 songs in the works.[247] While appearing on various fan message boards in December 2008, Rose stated several working titles of songs for a possible future album. Among the working titles were: "Elvis Presley and the Monster of Soul" ("Soul Monster", formerly known as "Leave Me Alone"), "Atlas Shrugged", "Seven", "The General", "Thyme", "Ides of March", "Berlin" (formerly "Oklahoma"), "Zodiac", "Quick Song", and "Down by the Ocean" (co-written by original member Izzy Stradlin).[248] During the chat, he mentioned the bridge of "Soul Monster" as the band's "most Black Sabbath" moment, and referred to it as "the meanest section of anything I've sung to date."[231] In a 2007 interview, Rose's close friend Sebastian Bach stated "The General" had a "heavy" sound with "screaming vocals" and also said it was the sequel to the 1991 classic ballad "Estranged" from the album Use Your Illusion II.[249] Bach also remarked that Chinese Democracy would be the first installment in a trilogy of new albums, and that Rose had told him the third, as yet untitled, album had been slated for 2012, although the year ended without seeing a release past Chinese Democracy.[249] The initial plan for Chinese Democracy in 2001 was to record two albums, release Chinese Democracy, tour for a year or two, then release the second album without having to return to the studio.[250]
Chinese Democracy, the band's sixth studio album and its first since 1993's "The Spaghetti Incident?", was released on November 22, 2008, in Europe and Australia, in North America on November 23, 2008, and in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2008.[238] The album had an estimated $14 million in production costs, making it the most expensive rock album to ever be produced in music history.[187][188][186] It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 but undersold industry expectations, despite generally positive critical reception.[246]
In late August, speculation about the impending release of the album resurfaced, further fueled by separate reports from both Rolling Stone and Billboard about a November 25 release date as a Best Buy exclusive.[238][239] This was finally confirmed October 22 when band management, Best Buy, and Interscope Geffen A&M Records officially issued a joint press release confirming the much anticipated release of the album in the US on November 23 as a Best Buy exclusive.[240][241] Several days before its official release, the band streamed the entire Chinese Democracy album on their Myspace page.[242][243][244] The album was streamed over 3 million times, breaking the Myspace record for most streamed album ever.[245]
Amidst industry rumors in April 2008 that a release was coming soon, nine tracks purported to be from Chinese Democracy were leaked to a website on June 19, 2008, but were quickly removed due to a cease-and-desist letter from the band's label.[232][233] Six of the leaked tracks had surfaced previously in some form, while three were new. The leaked songs were more fleshed out than previously heard tracks.[233][234] On July 14, 2008, Harmonix, in conjunction with MTV Games, officially announced the release of a new song from the upcoming Chinese Democracy album, called "Shackler's Revenge", through their new game Rock Band 2.[235] The entire album was eventually added to the game as DLC in April 2009.[236] The song "If the World" debuted October 10, 2008, playing in the end credits of the Ridley Scott film Body of Lies.[237]
On March 27, 2008, the day after Dr Pepper's announcement, the band announced that they had hired a new management team, headed by Irving Azoff and Andy Gould.[226] The band later condemned Dr. Pepper for the failed promotion.[227] In a letter to Dr Pepper, Rose's lawyer Alan Gutman said "The redemption scheme your company clumsily implemented for this offer was an unmitigated disaster which defrauded consumers and, in the eyes of vocal fans, ruined Chinese Democracy's release."[228] Rose's lawyer also demanded that the company make a full-page apology that would appear in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.[229][230] In a 2009 interview, Rose stated he specifically told his lawyers it was a non-issue and was taken off-guard by their actions, believing they should be focused on the record release.[231]
On March 26, 2008, Dr Pepper announced a plan to give everyone in America – except the band's former guitarists Slash and Buckethead – a free can of Dr Pepper if the band released Chinese Democracy before the end of 2008.[218][219][220] Rose stated he was "surprised and very happy" about the announcement, adding, "As some of Buckethead's performances are on our album, I'll share my Dr Pepper with him."[221][222][223] With the announcement from Guns N' Roses regarding a release date in November, Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper's Vice President of Marketing for Dr. Pepper, announced a free soda coupon campaign for 24 hours on Sunday, November 23, 2008.[224] However, due to "heavy volume" on the server throughout the entire day, it was impossible to submit for a free coupon.[225]
In January 2008, rumors arose that Chinese Democracy had been handed over to Geffen Records, but had been delayed because the label and Rose could not agree on the marketing of the album.[215] Eddie Trunk also claimed Geffen might have the album: "I hear the new GNR CD is actually done, but the delay in release is not the bands [sic] issues but the label. There is so much money tied up in this record that in todays [sic] business it will be virtually impossible to be profitable, meaning the label might want to sell it off but can not [sic] find a buyer since nobody buys CDs anymore. Problem might not be Axl this time around and might keep this CD in limbo for more years to come. Hopefully it gets resolved."[216] However, in a February 2008 interview with Classic Rock Magazine, Rose's manager, Beta Lebeis, debunked Trunk's suggestion and stated the band is "in negotiations" with the record label, and the album had been finished since Christmas 2007.[217]
Also in February 2007, the 'final' version of "Better" leaked online to positive reviews.[208][211] On May 4, 2007, three more tracks leaked from Chinese Democracy; an updated version of I.R.S., The Blues and the title track.[208][212] All three tracks had previously been played live. Guns N' Roses embarked on the 2007 leg of the Chinese Democracy World Tour in Mexico in June, followed by dates in Australia and Japan.[213] The songs "Nice Boys" and "Don't Cry" (appearing as an instrumental Bumblefoot solo) were played for the first time since the Use Your Illusion Tour. The tour ended on the twentieth anniversary of Appetite for Destruction's release date, in Osaka.[214] During this tour, the band featured vocalist Axl Rose, Robin Finck, Ron Thal and Richard Fortus on guitars, Tommy Stinson on bass, Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman on keyboards and Frank Ferrer on drums.
On February 23, 2007, Del James announced that the recording stage of Chinese Democracy was finished, and the band had now moved onto mixing the album, mentioning "After some delays and scheduling difficulties, things appear to be moving along."[207] However, this proved that the March 6 release date would be impossible to achieve, and the album once again had no scheduled release date.[208][209] In a December 2007 interview, Sebastian Bach claimed Rose had planned to have the album released by Christmas 2007: "I know Axl was very serious about putting something out before Christmas.[210] He was talking to me about it. He was talking about finishing liner notes."[210] Bach also said that Chinese Democracy's delay might be because of business problems: "I think there's a lot of business shit that goes on with him. It's just not as easy. It's a little more complicated than people think."[210]
In December 2006, Rose released an open letter to fans announcing that Merck Mercuriadis had been fired as the band's manager.[206] He revealed that the last four dates of the North American tour would be cut so the band could work on post-production for Chinese Democracy.[206] He also set a tentative release date for the album for the first time since the album's announcement: March 6, 2007.[206]
Five warm-up shows before a North American tour were held in September 2006.[200] The tour officially commenced on October 24 in Miami.[201] Drummer Frank Ferrer replaced Bryan Mantia, who took a leave of absence to be with his wife and newborn child.[202] Ferrer had previously worked with Richard Fortus in the Psychedelic Furs and Love Spit Love. Coinciding with the tour, the song "Better" was featured in an internet advertisement for Harley-Davidson in October 2006.[201] Keyboardist Dizzy Reed stated that the release was an accident, with two versions being made, one 'experimental edit' featuring a demo of Better and one with Paradise City.[203] The ad with Better was mislabeled and inadvertently uploaded online for a day before being replaced by the intended ad with Paradise City.[203] That same month, Rolling Stone published an article revealing that Andy Wallace would be mixing the final album.[204] In November 2006, shows in Portland and Maine were cancelled, with the band claiming it was "due to limitations imposed by local fire marshals".[205] Rose later apologized in a statement, stating "We have chosen to take the public heat for these events in order to have another shot at the future today with a new album."[174]
Guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal was auditioned for the band in 2004, after a recommendation by guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, but initially turned down the band.[195][196] Thal then officially joining Guns N' Roses in 2006, replacing Buckethead.[197][198] Thal made his live debut with the band at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on May 12, 2006, the band's first live show in over three years.[199]
In August 2006, Slash and McKagan sued Rose over Guns N' Roses publishing and songwriting credits, which Rose's lawyer claimed were due to a 'clerical error' while changing publishers.[141][193][194]
In February 2006, demos of the songs "Better", "Catcher in the Rye", "I.R.S.", and "There Was a Time" were leaked on to the Internet through a Guns N' Roses fan site.[189][190] The band's management requested that all links to the MP3 files and all lyrics to the songs be removed from forums and websites.[191] Despite this, radio stations began adding "I.R.S." to playlists, and the song reached No. 49 on the Radio & Records Active Rock National Airplay chart in the final week of February.[192]
By 2005, Geffen had taken Chinese Democracy off of its release schedule and pulled funding, stating "Having exceeded all budgeted and approved recording costs by millions of dollars, it is Mr. Rose’s obligation to fund and complete the album, not Geffen’s."[141] Around then, manager Merck Mercuriadis stated that "The ‘Chinese Democracy’ album is very close to being completed".[141] According to a 2005 report by The New York Times, Rose had allegedly spent $13 million in the studio by that point.[141][184] Mercuriadis rejected the budget claims made by the New York Times article and claimed that the newspaper's sources had not been involved with the project for "six to nine years".[185] The $13 million makes the album the most expensive rock album ever produced.[186][187][188]
That same month, Geffen released Guns N' Roses' Greatest Hits, since Rose had failed to deliver a new studio album in more than ten years.[141][179] Slash and McKagan joined Rose in suing Geffen to stop the release of the album, which was compiled without authorization from any current of former band members.[180][181] The lawsuit was thrown out and the album went triple platinum in the US, eventually going on to be the third longest charting album in the Nielsen SoundScan era.[179][182] McKagan and Slash also joined Rose in an unsuccessful effort to prevent the release of The Roots of Guns N' Roses.[183]
The band went on hiatus until they were scheduled to play at Rock in Rio Lisboa in May 2004.[176] However, Buckethead left the band in March of that year, causing the band to cancel.[177][178] Buckethead reportedly left the band because of the "inability to complete an album or tour", according to his manager.[178] Rose claimed "the band has been put in an untenable position by guitarist Buckethead and his untimely departure. During his tenure with the band, Buckethead has been inconsistent and erratic in both his behavior and commitment, despite being under contract, creating uncertainty and confusion and making it virtually impossible to move forward with recording, rehearsals and live plans with confidence. His transient lifestyle has made it impossible for even his closest friends to have nearly any form of communication with him whatsoever."[177]
"Guns N' Roses tour canceled. Typical. And freakishly expected. Haha. Really bad idea. I wouldn't suggest they come back."
In November 2002, the band's first North American tour since 1993 was organized to support Chinese Democracy, with CKY and Mix Master Mike joining. However, the opening show in Vancouver was canceled by the venue when Rose failed to turn up.[171] According to Guns' management, "Axl's flight from L.A. had been delayed by mechanical troubles".[171] A riot ensued.[171] This tour was met with mixed results. Some concerts did not sell well, while shows in larger markets such as New York City sold out in minutes.[172] Due to a second riot by fans in Philadelphia when the band failed to show up again, tour promoter Clear Channel canceled the remainder of the tour.[171][173] Rose later mentioned in 2006, "There are reasons that I have not spoken more about [cancelled shows in Vancouver and Philadelphia] that have been extremely complicated and are not legally resolved behind the scenes to this day and could have possibly jeopardized the future of Guns N' Roses."[174] Rose then apologized to the city of Philadelphia when playing there in 2012, adding "I'm not saying I'm innocent".[175]
The band then played several shows in August 2002, headlining festivals and concerts throughout Asia and Europe, including Pukkelpop, Summer Sonic Festival, and The Carling Weekend.[168][169] At the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards on August 29, 2002, Guns N' Roses closed the show in a previously unannounced performance, playing Welcome to the Jungle, Madagascar, and Paradise City.[141][170]
They played a further two shows in Las Vegas at the end of 2001.[163] Former guitarist Slash claimed that he tried to attend a show and was turned away at the door by security.[164] Due to his frustrations with touring, rhythm guitarist Paul Tobias left the band in 2001 and was and was replaced by Richard Fortus (formerly of The Psychedelic Furs and Love Spit Love).[165] Producer Roy Thomas Baker was fired in February 2002.[166] Drudge Report reported in June 2002 that Chinese Democracy was scheduled for a September 2, 2002 release.[167]
"I know that many of you are disappointed that some of the people you came to know and love could not be with us here today. Regardless of what you have heard or read, people worked very hard (meaning my former friends) to do everything they could so that I could not be here today. I am as hurt and disappointed as you that unlike Oasis, we could not find a way to all get along." — Axl Rose[161][162]
Eight years after the previous Guns N' Roses concert, the band made a public appearance in January 2001 with two well-received concerts: one in Las Vegas and one at the Rock in Rio Festival in Rio de Janeiro.[141] The band played both songs from previous albums and songs from then-unreleased Chinese Democracy. During their Rock in Rio set, Rose made the following comment regarding former members of the band:
Jim Barber, a former A&R executive with Geffen stated that the new album "reminded me of the best moments of Seventies Pink Floyd or later Led Zeppelin. There's nothing out there right now that has that kind of scope. Axl hasn't spent the last several years struggling to write Use Your Illusion over again."[160]
Describing why he continued using the Guns N' Roses name, instead of labeling the upcoming album an 'Axl Rose solo album', Rose stated "It is something I lived by before these guys were in it. And there were other people in Guns n' Roses before them, you know. I contemplated letting go of that, but it doesn't feel right in any way. I am not the person who chose to try to kill it and walked away. It's not an Axl Rose album, even if it's what I wanted it to be. Everybody is putting everything they've got into singing and building. Maybe I'm helping steer it to what it should be built like."[105] Also in the interview, Rose attributed the breakup of the old lineup to drug addictions and 'an effort from inside the band to destroy him', stating "There was an effort to bring me down. It was a king-of-the-mountain thing," and that he "needed to take control to survive".[105] Rose also described the dissolution as "a divorce".[105]
In an interview with Rolling Stone in February 2000, Rose played several songs of the upcoming album to reporters, including "Chinese Democracy", "Catcher in the Rye", "I.R.S.", "The Blues", "There was a Time" and "Oklahoma".[105] Rose mentioned that part of the delay of the new album was him 'educating himself about the technology that's come to define rock', stating that "it's like from scratch, learning how to work with something, and not wanting it just to be something you did on a computer."[105] Rolling Stone described the album as "Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti remixed by Beck and Trent Reznor.[105] Rose mentioned that the expense of the record would be negated by the recording sessions wielding multiple albums, including a record that is "more industrial and electronica-influenced than Chinese Democracy".[105] At that point, the album had gone through multiple producers, including Youth, Moby, Mike Clink, Roy Thomas Baker, Eric Caudieux. At the time, Sean Beavan was producing, but Caram Costanzo and Axl Rose became the final credited producers on the album.[105][125][146] The album had been completely re-recorded several times with varying musicians and producers.[141] In a 2001 interview, Rose described the album as having "all kinds of styles, many influences as blues, mixed in the songs" and said that it was "not industrial".[159]
In August 1999, guitarist Robin Finck departed to rejoin his former band, Nine Inch Nails, on tour.[152] In March 2000, avant-garde guitarist Brian Carroll, more commonly referred to as Buckethead, joined Guns N' Roses as a replacement for Finck.[153][154] Also in March 2000, drummer Josh Freese left the band, being replaced with Bryan "Brain" Mantia (formerly of Primus).[154][155] Mantia, a childhood friend of Carroll's, had previously worked with Buckethead in several bands, including Praxis. Robin Finck returned to the band in late 2000, to complement Buckethead on lead guitar.[156] Queen guitarist Brian May and former Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker worked with the band in 2000.[157] With the album nearing completion in mid-2000, Baker convinced Rose to re-record the entire album, causing further delays.[158]
Band manager Doug Goldstein stated in November 1999 that the band had 'almost finished' recording the music, and the album was due out some time in 2000.[149] Later that month, they released a new song, the industrial styled "Oh My God", which was included on the soundtrack of the film End of Days.[150] The track featured additional guitar work by Dave Navarro and Gary Sunshine, Rose's personal guitar teacher.[151] Rose claimed that former members Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum had 'failed to see the potential' of the song and had no interest in recording or playing the piece.[151]
In November 1999, during an interview with Kurt Loder for MTV, Rose said that he had re-recorded Appetite for Destruction with the then-new band, apart from two songs which he had replaced with "Patience" and "You Could Be Mine".[148] During the interview, Rose announced the title of the upcoming album Chinese Democracy, stating:
A new Guns N' Roses album had reportedly been in the works since 1994, with Rose the only original member still in the band.[141] Moby was reported to be producing with Guns N' Roses in 1997, with work that sources described as "sounding different from the sound you know ... definitely electronic influenced."[142][143] Mike Clink, who had previously produced every Guns N' Roses album, was also attached to produce in May 1997.[125] In April 1998, Moby was replaced by Youth, and the album was still in the writing stages.[144] In July 1998, journalist Neil Strauss indicated that an 'electronica influenced' album by a new Guns N' Roses lineup was due in 1999.[145] Rolling Stone stated that the label planned for the album to be released in late 1999.[146] By August 1999, the band had recorded over 30 songs for the album, tentatively titled 2000 Intentions.[147] September 1999 saw Youth being replaced by producer Sean Beaven.[146]
Geffen released an edited single disc version of the Illusion albums in 1998, entitled Use Your Illusion.[137] In November 1999, the label released Live Era '87-'93, a collection of live performances from various concerts during the Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion tours.[138] Former guitarist Slash described the selection of songs of the album as a "very mutual effort",[139] further adding "the live album was one of the easiest projects we all worked on. I didn't actually see Axl, but we communicated via the powers that be."[140]
Josh Freese was ultimately hired to replace Sorum on drums, joining in the summer of 1997. By the end of 1998, a new version of Guns N' Roses had emerged: vocalist Axl Rose, bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Josh Freese, lead guitarist Robin Finck, rhythm guitarist Paul Tobias, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Pitman.
Rose auditioned multiple potential band members, including Chris Vrenna, Zakk Wylde, Dave Abbruzzese, and Michael Bland.[131][132][133][134][135] Rolling Stone reported in April 1997 that the lineup of Guns N' Roses was Rose, McKagan, Tobias, Finck & Vrenna.[136]
Slash was replaced by Nine Inch Nails touring guitarist Robin Finck in January 1997, who signed a two-year contract with the band in August 1997, making him an official member.[125] Finck was originally recommended by Matt Sorum to Rose a year earlier as a possible second guitarist to complement Slash.[117] Slash's departure was followed shortly thereafter by Matt Sorum in April 1997, who was fired by Rose after getting in an argument about Tobias's inclusion in the band.[126] Sorum later stated Tobias was the "Yoko Ono of Guns N' Roses".[117] McKagan was the last of the Appetite lineup to leave, resigning as bassist in August 1997.[127] McKagan had recently become a father and wrote about his decision to leave in his autobiography, stating "Guns had been paying rent on studios for three years now—from 1994 to 1997—and still did not have a single song. The whole operation was so erratic that it didn’t seem to fit with my hopes for parenthood, for stability."[127] McKagan was replaced later that year by former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson.[128] An actual break-up of Guns N' Roses never occurred, as new players were brought in as the old ones left. Rose reportedly purchased the full rights to the Guns N' Roses name in 1997.[124][129] Slash claimed he and bandmates signed over the name in duress, stating "Axl refused to go onstage one night during the Use Your Illusion tour in 1992 unless the band signed away the name rights to the band. Unfortunately, we signed it. I didn't think he'd on stage otherwise."[130] Rose denied the claim, saying "(it) Never happened, all made up, fallacy and fantasy. Not one single solitary thread of truth to it. Had that been the case I would've have been cremated years ago legally, could've cleaned me out for the name and damages. It's called under duress with extenuating circumstances."[130]
The recording of "Sympathy for the Devil", as well as tension between him and Rose, led Slash to quit the band officially in October 1996.[122] Rose sent a fax notifying MTV of Slash's departure, with Slash responding "Axl and I have not been capable of seeing eye to eye on Guns N' Roses for some time. We tried to collaborate, but at this point, I'm no longer in the band."[123] Slash also stated, "Axl’s whole visionary style, as far as his input in Guns N’ Roses, is completely different from mine. I just like to play guitar, write a good riff, go out there and play, as opposed to presenting an image."[124]
In 1996, Rose, Slash, McKagan, and former member Izzy Stradlin all appeared as guests on The Outpatience debut album Anxious Disease, a band featuring Guns N' Roses collaborator West Arkeen.[121]
Gilby Clarke's contract was not renewed and he was gone from the band by 1995.[114] Slash stated in his book that Rose fired Clarke without consulting anyone, claiming he was only a "hired hand".[118] Clarke was not involved in the recording of 'Sympathy for the Devil', stating "I knew that that was the ending [of Clarke's involvement in Guns N' Roses] because nobody told me about it. Officially I was in the band at that time, and they did that song without me".[119] Clarke also mentioned that before the final show of the Use Your Illusion Tour, Rose came up to him and told him "Hey, enjoy your last show".[119] Clarke later sued the band over the use of his likeness in Guns N' Roses Pinball.[120]
In December 1994, Guns N' Roses released a cover recording of the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil".[114] The song appeared in the films Interview with the Vampire and Fallen. The song was also released separately as a single. Entertainment Weekly stated that the 'note-for-note remake works up a decent lather but seems utterly bankrupt'.[115] It is the final Guns N' Roses track to feature Slash on lead guitar, Duff McKagan on bass, and Matt Sorum on the drums. The song also featured Rose's childhood friend and Hollywood Rose collaborator Paul "Huge" Tobias on rhythm guitar.[114] Tobias's presence on the track and in the band created tension, reportedly Slash had '(both) creative and personal differences' with Tobias.[116] A 2001 interview revealed Slash told band mates in September 1996, "I'm going to confront it. Either Paul goes, or [I go]."[117]
In January 1994, Rose inducted Elton John into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and later that night performed a duet with Bruce Springsteen on a cover of The Beatles song "Come Together".[112] It was Rose's final public performance for six years.[112] Also in 1994, all of the members of the band at the time contributed to Gilby Clarke's debut album, Pawnshop Guitars.[113]
Rose mentioned the material was scrapped due to the lack of collaboration between band members.[109] He later told USA Today in a 2012 interview that he didn't write any music "for years" in the mid-1990s because of criticism from bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan, as well as ex-fiancee Stephanie Seymour.[111]
In May 1994, Gilby Clarke mentioned in an interview that there was "no 'next' Guns N' Roses album" adding, "We started working on one, and it got canned."[110]
"We still needed the collaboration of the band as a whole to write the best songs. Since none of that happened, that's the reason why that material got scrapped."
Interviews with Guns N' Roses band members suggest that between 1994 and 1996, the band sporadically began to write and record new material, most of which, according to Slash, had been written by Rose.[106] Rose has stated the exact opposite in the open letter on the official Guns N' Roses website in 2008, saying that the album was mostly a "Slash album" and Rose was allowed very little input into the album.[107] According to Matt Sorum, in 1996, the band had recorded 7 songs, with 7 more in the writing stages, and intended to release a single album with 10 or 12 songs, with a release date of Spring 1997.[108] Sorum also mentioned that Slash's Snakepit debut album It's Five O'Clock Somewhere "could have been a Guns N' Roses album, but Axl didn't think it was good enough."[108]
The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard charts, and sold 190,000 copies its first week.[101] Despite initial success, "The Spaghetti Incident?" did not match the sales of the Illusion albums and its release consequently led to increased tension within the band.
Despite the statement that the track would be removed, "Look at Your Game, Girl" is still featured on pressings of the album. [102], England, in 1993. Rose explained wearing the shirt as "trying to make a statement" because "a lot of people enjoy playing me as the bad guy and the crazy. Sorry, I'm not that guy. I'm nothing like him."Milton Keynes" and during a concert in Estranged Rose can be seen wearing a Manson shirt in the video for "[105] Years later, Rose said the song would be removed from new pressings of the album, claiming that critics and the media had misinterpreted his interest in Manson.[100] Crime Victims Bureau.Doris Tate Geffen Records released a statement mentioning their share of royalties would be donated to the [104][100].Tate Murders Slash stated that the group intended to remove the song, before they decided to keep it after learning that royalties from the song would be donated to the Bartek Frykowski, the son of Wojciech Frykowski, a victim of Manson during the [103][102]
Guns N' Roses, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Run–D.M.C., Led Zeppelin, Walk This Way
Deli Creeps, Cornbugs, Guns N' Roses, Serj Tankian, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains
Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Michael Jackson, Myles Kennedy, Duff McKagan
Green Day, Iron Maiden, The Clash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters
Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Alter Bridge, Slash (musician), Slash's Snakepit