Former Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven revealed some surprising news about the new Guns N’ Roses album on a new Rock Talk with Mitch Lafon. Niven claimed that Slash told him a few months ago that Axl Rose is in ‘isolation’ going through Chinese Democracy leftovers to put on the new GNR album, and that he didn’t seem thrilled with the news. Alternative Nation reporter Mike Mazzarone transcribed Niven’s comments.
“Well, it isn’t so much ‘my take’, it’s what Curly [Slash] said to me the last time that I saw him which was when he came through Phoenix here just a few months ago. He told me that basically Axl [Rose] was in isolation, going through stuff that was recorded, but not used, on Chinese Democracy. You know, if I’d been making the comment, the next record might as well be called Chinese Leftovers.
I’m not just trying to be cynical, taking a poke at him, though obviously I am in a way, but out of Slash’s mouth that is what’s going on, and he didn’t seem too thrilled about it. Also, you know Duff [McKagan], love him to death, is this Duff the accountant we’re listening to, Duff the PR guy, or Duff the rock and roll bassist? Can he contribute to something new and wonderful?
Some time ago he and Izzy [Stradlin] were doing some writing together, and I’ll stand by the position that I’ve made clear many times. If you are going to do genuine Guns N’ Roses as opposed to Velvet Conspirators, you’ve got to have Izzy in the creative mix. Izzy is the critical atom that makes that molecule hold together and work. If you’re not working with Izzy, then I don’t think you are making Guns N’ Roses music.
Asked by host Eddie Trunk “how real” the potential is for a new Guns N’ Roses record by Eddie Trunk last month, Duff McKagan said, “Oh, it’s real. But the fun part and the cool part about Guns N’ Roses is we don’t really talk about it, and what happens next just happens. It’s never been that band that there’s a direct schedule of how we do things.”
“I’ve heard some magnificent stuff that Axl [Rose, vocals] has — really cool stuff he’d been working on. So I’m excited about the possibilities with that, of course. I don’t mean to get anybody rabid. [A new Guns N’ Roses album] will happen when it happens, that’s for sure.”
