1995.01.DD - Hit Parader - Guns N' Roses At The Boiling Point

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GUNS N' ROSES
AT THE BOILING POINT

BY HENRY ARMSTEAD

The rumors continue to swirl around Guns N' Roses like the epicenter of one of those legendary Kansas, Toto-transporting, trailer-park-levelling twisters. Depending on whom you talk to, and at what time of day you communicate with them, the G N‘ R boys are either; finishing up a new album, about to enter the recording studio, about to change members, or on the verge of breaking up. The fact is that there's more than a bit of truth in all these rumors— and a bit of misinformation as well. We figured now would be the perfect time for Hit Parader to put on our best investigative reporter hats and seek out the truth (and nothing but the truth) concerning the current status of rock's most notorious band.

First off, the fact is that there's no way in hell that Guns N' Roses have even begun to work on a new album. For the better part of the last six months, vocalist Axl Rose's main focus has remained on the courtroom where he’s involved in no less than three on-going legal battles— one with his former wife Erin, one with his former girlfriend Stephanie Seymour, and one a civil suit involving actions taken during the band's 1993 tour, In the mean time however, members of the Top Gunners have certainly been busy. Guitarist Gilby Clarke (himself the center of many rumors— but more on those shortly), recently released his Pawn Shop Guitars disc, which features a guest star stint from none other than Axl. And Slash is currently hard at work on an album with his new band Gak, which features, among others, former Little Caesar vocalist Ron Young, Alice In Chains bassist Mike Inez and the aforementioned Gilby. The Slash album, in particular has fueled the rumors that G N' R is in big trouble because the guitarist only last year stated a reluctance to step out on his own— at least as long as Guns N' Roses was operating in high gear.

"I'd like to keep my focus on the band," he said. "I don't mind doing some guest appearances on other people's albums, but I don't want my attention to be anywhere except on Guns N' Roses. As long as Axl wants to keep working, I'll be there and ready to go."

Ahh, but there's the problem. Apparently Slash has begun to question Axl's long-term commitment to Guns N' Roses. He knows and understands the mercurial vocalist better than anyone, and perhaps he has sensed that the single-minded focus Axl once brought to the band is no longer there. If Axl and Slash were to go their separate ways— even temporarily— it would not speak well for the future of G N' R. It is already known that Axl himself has been tooling around with solo material on-and-off over the last year, and that he would also like to release an album of his own by mid-1995. If that schedule remains true, it is unlikely that Guns N' Roses— with their notoriously slow work habits in the recording studio— could even consider releasing a new album prior to 1996! That's a heck of a long time for Slash and the boys to wait.

"There is a real problem within the band at the moment," a spokesperson at the band's label, Geffen Records, stated. "People shouldn't make too much of it, but they do seem to be drifting apart. Maybe that's healthy. Maybe they'll all join forces again and make the best music of their lives. But for guys who used to live, eat and breath the same musical thoughts, too much time apart can't be good news.”

While the various band members wonder about their future, the strange fate of Clarke remains very much up in the air. Just as the rumors concerning the band's future reached a fever peak early last fall, his fate became more and more apparent. It was last spring when word first started filtering out of L.A. that Axl was unhappy with Clarke's reluctance to save some of his better songs for G N' R's next album. Clarke had already committed those tunes to his solo disc. Axl then supposedly asked the guitarist if he wanted to contribute any material to the band's new album and was apparently rebuffed. (However the guitarist insists he offered the songs to Axl, who not-so-politely refused them.) That action sent Rose into one of his trademark hissy-fits, causing him to tell friends that he had fired Clarke from the band and had contacted current Red Hot Chili Peppers axe master Dave Navarro (whom Axl has admired since his days in Jane's Addiction) about joining G N' R. When Navarro ever-so-politely refused the offer, preferring to stick with the Peppers, the Clarke situation went from boiling to simmering. But by working with Slash in his new outfit, Clarke has apparently not alienated himself from everyone in the band.

"To the best of my knowledge I'm still in the band," Clarke said. "I've heard all the stories, and I've been asked the same question by everyone, so maybe there's something to it. I honestly don't know. But I'm working with Slash on an almost daily basis, and don't you think he would have mentioned something to me if I wasn't still in the group?"

With Slash and Axl not on the most communicative basis at the moment, however, who even knows if the dreadlocked guitarist is aware of Axl's fiery edit in regard to Clarke? It may well be that to one he's still in the band while to the other he's out; that is, of course, if there still is a Guns N' Roses to be kicked out of. Unfortunately it seems that this issue won't be answered in the near future. With Slash's album due out in early '95, and a possible Axl solo disc due by mid-year, any direct questions regarding the ins-and-outs of Guns N' Roses may well have t wait until the band decides to gear up again in late '95.

One must remember, though, that with these guys involved anything is possible. Just for kicks, Axl may put out the call tomorrow for everyone to drop whatever they're doing and join him in the studio. And you know, if that call goes out, everyone invited will come running as fast as their little legs will carry them.

"It should be fascinating to see what happens next," an insider revealed. "It's like a game of human chess at the moment. Everyone is battling for position waiting to see what the other guy's next move will be. But the tunny part is that beneath everything else, Slash and Axl still have a great deal of respect for one another. No matter what else goes on around them, they still want and need to work together. It’s kind of like they're the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the '90s. I think they both realize that no matter what they can accomplish on their own, it'll never match what they can do when they work together."