GNR - who 'made' them?

[CureTheSane]

So I've always seen Axl as the hero of GNR.

He had the visions, he led the group and he was the star.

Ironically I've read all the GNR members books, but I'm not sure who wrote what.

I'm going to assume that Slash created he own solos, which leads me to the question in the title.

I was watching November Rain and the 3 or 4 guitar solos in that song, and for me, they are what made it.

Then I thought about Sweet Child and obviously the riff and guitar through that song made it what it is.

Then I looked at Chinese Democracy and it seems that a Slashless GNR aren't very well received.

I wonder if he was the biggest X Factor in them becoming what they were?

[Axelinger]

MTV

[simo]

MTV

Exactly

[Mullethead]

 

MTV

Exactly

 

 

This answer works for all bands from the MTV era.

[5150]

Bands with excessive make up, teased hair and spandex made them. Hard rock needed a big kick in the butt at that time. GNR offered something new, unpolished and raw.

 

I remember watching MTV with a friend when they world premiered Welcome to the Jungle. My friend flipped out. I had heard of them before because a girl I was going out with at the time had a cassette of Live Like a Suicide. She got it the summer before at a skate dork shop in Canada on a family vacation. I never listened to them with her. I just assumed they were a skater/punk band.

 

Its funny but they also world premiered White Lion's Wait video. I actually liked that a little bit more.

[Geoff]

All the bios I read seemed to indicate pretty strongly that it was a joint effort in those early "pure" days before it all turned sour. Hard to know who exactly did what unless you were there, and even they probably don't remember.

[Dark]

I'll stick my neck out and say Slash made GnR for me. The guitar work was what drew me to them and kept me listening. I've heard Chinese Democracy twice and have no desire to listen to it again but would happily listen to Slash's solo stuff.

[Geoff]

I'll stick my neck out and say Slash made GnR for me. The guitar work was what drew me to them and kept me listening. I've heard Chinese Democracy twice and have no desire to listen to it again but would happily listen to Slash's solo stuff.

 

To each their own, but in my honest opinion, Slash would have been just another guitarist from the 80s without Axl Rose.

 

I would love to visit a parallel universe for a moment, where Slash was successful with his audition for Poison.

[CureTheSane]

Obviously MTV broke heaps of these bands.

Now when I listen to GNR, what hits me most if the guitar.

Not many bands where I feel compelled to make guitar noises to mimic all the solos when I'm listening.

[Dark]

 

I'll stick my neck out and say Slash made GnR for me. The guitar work was what drew me to them and kept me listening. I've heard Chinese Democracy twice and have no desire to listen to it again but would happily listen to Slash's solo stuff.

 

To each their own, but in my honest opinion, Slash would have been just another guitarist from the 80s without Axl Rose.

 

I would love to visit a parallel universe for a moment, where Slash was successful with his audition for Poison.

 

 

Or he got given a chance with Kiss when he inquired about joining them as a teenager. That would have been interesting.

[All Nights Reserved]

Oops...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxqreCG0htQ

[CureTheSane]

Imagine how much different things would have been if they had lyrics on clips in the 80's and people actually knew what James Reyne was singing?... lol

[martinsane]

My first thought is/was Izzy. As I seem to recall he was the man behind writing the songs.

[CureTheSane]

But did her write the riff and the solos that became synonymous with GNR?

[Nightrain]

Bands with excessive make up, teased hair and spandex made them. Hard rock needed a big kick in the butt at that time. GNR offered something new, unpolished and raw.

 

I remember watching MTV with a friend when they world premiered Welcome to the Jungle. My friend flipped out. I had heard of them before because a girl I was going out with at the time had a cassette of Live Like a Suicide. She got it the summer before at a skate dork shop in Canada on a family vacation. I never listened to them with her. I just assumed they were a skater/punk band.

 

Its funny but they also world premiered White Lion's Wait video. I actually liked that a little bit more.

 

I think it's the right answer. GNR's image is a far cry off Poison and Bon Jovi circa-86 which is quite 'girly' and 'poppish' while they're like a rebellious thing with heavier and raw music, perhaps because of the punk influence, and it's a blow of fresh air to the scene. They did attract many audience during their early sunset strip era including the executives from Geffen.

 

After signing and recording the debut, the record didn't sell much until Geffen convinces MTV to keep playing the video over and over again and surprisingly many people like it and requested it and it's all history.

[martinsane]

But did her write the riff and the solos that became synonymous with GNR?

Can't speak for the solo's, even though I recon Izzy can shred if he needed too, but I would wager that he wrote many the lick/riff/chorus/bridge that became those songs.

 

And I recall seeing this album pushed on the air waves, but this sentiment could ring true for a vast majority of 80's hair bands, without the video and the MTV not many of them would have been as big as they are/were.

[Gibbo]

All the bios I read seemed to indicate pretty strongly that it was a joint effort in those early "pure" days before it all turned sour. Hard to know who exactly did what unless you were there, and even they probably don't remember.

 

Yeah, the five of them made Gn'R what it was ... they all brought something to the table, and the band was never the same once the original line-up fractured.

[simo]

 

All the bios I read seemed to indicate pretty strongly that it was a joint effort in those early "pure" days before it all turned sour. Hard to know who exactly did what unless you were there, and even they probably don't remember.

 

Yeah, the five of them made Gn'R what it was ... they all brought something to the table, and the band was never the same once the original line-up fractured.

 

Except for maybe Steven Adler