Without those guys, there’s not an exec in the world that would give him fifteen years and a seven-figure budget to release something like Chinese Democracy. He never says he doesn’t want to be inducted, he just wants to go in on his terms.Īs a fan, I feel it’s a terrible disservice to the guys who wrote the music that his band now plays. I might not dig the music Plant is making these days, but I sure as fuck dig his groove.Īrt, that’s a good point about wanting to put the focus on his current stuff instead of his old stuff, and if that were the case, I’d respect his decision, but he says that his prob with the RRHOF is essentially that they nominated who gets inducted. He’s recording with other artists, doing what he wants, and when given the opportunity, showing grace and appreciation for his legacy. Robert Plant’s not running around saying that no one gets him. We paid for the albums, went to the concerts, bought the t-shirts and while many of us are scraping to pay the rent these days, he’s showing his appreciation out on the road by showing up two hours late for work (when he shows up at all).
He reached the top of the mountain, so there’s no whining about being an underdog, or misunderstood. Three decades later, that shit doesn’t fly. They were the dark horses because they weren’t playing glam, they weren’t doing rock ballads (not then), and their prodigious drug habits made them volatile often violent. They did exactly what they wanted, which is what made them so appealing and gave them a punk rock sheen that followed them through their covers record. Anyone who drops a “Seals & Crofts” on my plate is all aces and eights in my book.Īgree that when they were lean and hungry, their delivery was unrivaled. OK, I’m gonna crank some Seals and Crofts. One damn night! Do it for yourselves, your legacy, and more importantly: your fans.Īnyhow, you get the idea. As a music dude it’s sad to see such a great influential band not get their act together for a night. Still, I found their attitude, their tone (in their day) second to none. I like them and owned most of their stuff, but they weren’t a favorite. Your way blows large peckers and then some. You know, the best thing I’ve learned in the rooms of therapy and recovery is this: Don’t be yourself. As a musician and a listener (and your reader) I trust your insight, your street cred! Really. I thank you for your exhilarating contributions to the soundtrack of my life. To all members of Guns N’ Roses, past and present, congratulations on this achievement. Anyone know what Scott Weiland or Corey Taylor are up to on the 14th?įor those of you interested in the letter in which Axl spells out his decision, I have taken the liberty of color-coding the text for expedited review of his comments ( see below). Ironically, with Axl now out of the way, maybe we’ll see the original members get together and revisit a classic or two from Appetite for Destruction. Axl’s absence will have zero impact on the festivities. That left only the possibility of an awkward exchange at the podium, with a scattershot of thank yous from the original lineup and perhaps a smattering of paranoid innuendo from the singer. There would never be a reunion–that much was clear from an abundance of comments from present and former members of the band. The ceremony had long been destined to be as anticlimactic as Geraldo Rivera breaking into Al Capone’s secret hideout. Once again, the singer is flaunting his untamed nature like an eight year-old boy sticking his thumb to his nose, saying, “Hah, hah! You can’t make me!” In fact, such attention will only buttress Axl’s view of himself as a tragically-misunderstood, well-meaning, regular guy, constantly fending off the unprovoked attacks of the media and his former bandmates (the ones who made the music that he sings).Īnyone paying attention to the last twenty years understands that Axl’s narcissistic unpredictability is as surprising as the tide coming in. This is simply pointing out the obvious with a sense of discovery. People will come at him from all sides, triumphantly pointing out the Orca-sized holes in his arguments and decrying his ongoing megalomaniacal delusions. Unfortunately, this announcement will be confused as news.
Specifically, he has declared that he will not be attending this weekend’s induction ceremony, and via a letter to the RRHOF, he is requesting that he not be inducted in absentia.
Guns N’ Roses mercurial frontman Axl Rose has pulled the ultimate deke on the music industry–he has decided to take a pass on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.