I don’t care what year it is, my favorite band of all time is Guns n’ Roses. I have every album, every bootleg, I know every song, I have a Gn’R tattoo on my left arm, no band’s songs make me want to strangle the opposition and get me through my problems more than Gn’R.

And I KNOW they broke up, and I KNOW it’s not the same, and I KNOW you’ll find TONS AND TONS AND TONS of reasons why you should hate the current “Guns n’ Roses” lineup (“it’s a cover band! it’s not the original lineup!”) but I gotta tell ya… there is just something about Axl Rose that grips me.

Outside of the songs, he’s a piece of shit asshole. He’s a lunatic. He’s caused misery to so many thousands of people by bringing the band up 2 hours late. His own idiosyncrasies have spawned riots and deaths and legions of fans turning on him and saying Chinese Democracy was shit because it took X amount of years, etc. etc. etc.

But you know what? I LOVE that.

I LOVE that ONE guy can command so much attention with his bullshit. I mean I worked for Seth MacFarlane, and his bullshit was unbearable and obnoxious, but cracking your mouth and doing the Peter Griffin voice can’t hold a candle to coming out in front of thousands of people and still cranking out CIVIL WAR (my favorite Gn’R song of all time) with the utmost authority.

I don’t know. There’s just a “mystique” behind it all. And I know that that “mystique” is basically just, “I’m a child, and I want to scream and yell and do my thing, and if it doesn’t go my way, I will go into my room!” I KNOW that. But that’s MY thing, too!

I was NOT let down by Chinese Democracy. I actually LOVED it. Axl’s voice is top-notch, and the (layers and layers and layers) of guitar work on that album is — in my opinion — AMAZING.

This is a recent performance of “Civil War.” It sounds weak, until about 1:20, and then Axl BRINGS THE HEAT.

I don’t know. I’m in a minority here. Fuck you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE9lzfkHGag

Posted 15th February, 2012