1) My CD Walkman died.
2) I went back to using my old cassette Walkman, which I've owned since 1998.
3) Went out for a walk this evening, and before I did, I rummaged through a box of tapes dating back to my preteenhood and general teenhood in general.
4) I used to have a major hard-on for Guns 'n' Roses. Played their records all the time, went to their shows, had the posters and the (god, this is embarrassing) comic book (I still have it) and bought some bootlegs off a guy on St. Mark's.
5) Found one of those boots tonight -- a tape of demos from the Use Your Illusion sessions and presumably some '80s ones as well.
6) I was kinda cheesed out by the Use Your Illusion discs. There were some excellent songs on there, but the production was crap and all in all, there was just TOO MUCH of it. These demos, however, sound like cheapo 4-track, bare-bones versions of same, including a very edgy, passionate "Don't Cry" (Axl Rose edgy and passionate? Nooooooo.) and several tracks that didn't make the final cut.
7) To this day, Axl remains one of my favorite rock vocalists. I wish he hadn't pulled a Syd Barrett -- flipping out and becoming a delusional hermit -- but it only proves Neil Young's burn out/fade away thesis true. I used to mention the "favorite singer" thing to people and they'd be all up in my face like "Axl can't sing!" But the guy actually did have phenomenal control over his pipes.
8) Izzy and Duff were good singers as well, and they've got songs on this tape.
9) Take yer pick: Iggy, Thunders, early Van Halen, early Crue.
10) When (not if, WHEN) Axl gets his head together enough to realize what great shit these demos are, when he puts 'em on a CD and adds some hilariously psychotic liner notes, THE CRITICS WILL GIVE THEMSELVES HERNIAS MAKING HASTE TO REVEAL TO THE LUMPENPROLES (you the listener) WHAT CLASSIC/KICKASS/REALCOOL MUSIC THESE HOLLYWOOD FUCKUPS PUT OUT DURING THEIR SHORT AND VOLATILE CAREER.