Saturday, September 20, 2008

Guns n' Delusions

Some recent web-browsing uncovered another wave of “rumblings” regarding Guns n’ Roses long-fabled studio release Chinese Democracy. Apparently, the album is done (???), and the powers that be are now haggling over royalties, distribution rights, and the omnipresent marketing salvo that is typical to high-profile releases.

Having heard the whole convoluted story line countless times over the past fourteen years (*yes, I said (14) years), I can only imagine what real G n’ R fans are thinking. Will this be “the one”? Will it actually happen? Will they tour behind it? Will Axl be sporting his American flag spandex shorts or his kilt? Better yet - will he self-destruct mid-tour? (*even money says he does!!) And the question of all questions: will it spawn a reunion tour with all of the original members? So many questions . . . so few answers.

Looking back, there’s no getting around the fact that in their heyday, G n’ R was truly a force to be reckoned with. Style-wise - they had it all: the chemical-powered raunchiness of Get Your Wings-era Aerosmith; the punk-ish, shotgun delivery of vintage Ramones; epic, Zeppelin-esque songwriting abilities; the tatoo’ed, bad-boy gaffe; and perhaps best of all, a Les Paul-wielding, Marshall-powered juggernaut of a guitar player who called himself Slash. Stir that drink with an ample dose of hair-trigger egos, add in an insatiable appetite for anarchy – and you have yourself an enticing, but extremely dangerous rock n’ roll cocktail. Indeed, the stuff of legend.

Sadly, the same things that contributed to their success were also harbingers of their eventual demise. Fame often causes individuals to lose touch with reality, and in the case of Axl Rose, it was a very plausible explanation. As put so aptly by fellow Tone Farm contributor James Reetz, “the difference between a great band and a legendary band may be tied to the neurotic nature of the lead singer (VH, Motley Crue, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, STP / Velvet Revolver, Audioslave / Rage Against The Machine ...) I'm sure it takes an enormous amount of chemistry to make something that really kills, but at the same time - that chemistry is too volatile to control for long. The greatest ones are destined to split.” Rock n’ roll Zen, my friends.

However you choose to view the news, you can color me uninterested. The music industry hype machine has long been a sore spot in my book, and the G n’ R situation only adds fuel to that fire. Having weathered similar disappointment with KISS’ Psycho Circus (*which publicity whore Gene Simmons had the gall to compare to the band's seminal, multi-platinum smash Destroyer), I could really care less as to whether or not the much bally-hoo'd Chinese Democracy ever sees the light of day.

My point of this whole bit: fuck Guns n’ Roses. Go out and support your local music scene. Support independent artists / musicians whenever and however you can. There’s a wealth of amazing talent to be found on online sites like Our Stage, Acid Planet (*linked to the right under Back Forty), or any number of web destinations that feature independent artists. If you know of others, by all means, tell us about them. It's about time we give the music / radio industry the collective finger they so rightfully deserve! - - J.

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