Special: Axl Rose and DJ Ashba



Special Guest Guitarist: Bumblefoot

Boy, the people at VH1 Classic really went out of their way to make 11.11.11 (also my Grandma's Birthday) a true Metal Day by going out and getting the biggest fish out there...Axl Rose. The format for this episode is different from what it usually is. Eddie, Jim and Don for years have been trying to get Axl to come on That Metal Show and it never worked out. So, instead of waiting for Axl to come to them, they decided to head to Miami where Guns 'N Roses were performing in the US for the first time in 5 years.

The gang was unsure of how this would all play out and really didn't know if they were going to actually be able to snag an interview with the man himself. The interview itself seemed at bit stiff at the start, but once it got rolling, Axl loosened up and became a fun and jovial, the complete opposite of what I was expecting. I really didn't know what to expect. I'm pretty sure the last "interview" of his that I saw was immediately after the MTV Music Video Awards debacle backstage with Kurt Loder.

Eddie touched on some things that I found interesting, namely the upcoming nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. It was Axl that brought up the situation of who would the Hall be expecting to show up: the original line up or the current line up? I can answer that for you right now. ORIGINAL! Duh! Another interesting thing that Axl talked about was music videos and he hinted at the possibility of making some for Chinese Democracy. I've never heard of a band or singer entertaining the idea of making music videos for an album that's almost 4 years old. Overall the interview was entertaining, but Eddie, Jim and Don really didn't ask the one question that we all wanted to here; Reunion possibility, although they did touch upon his mini-reunion with Duff McKagan and that they are suppose to be doing something in the future together. Interesting.

DJ Ashba was also on the set, but added nothing at all. Why he was there, I have no idea.

Like I said, different format for this episode, so there was no TMS Top 5, Stump The Trunk or the Throwdown. But the biggest omission was that of Jennifer Leah Gottlieb. Call me if your reading this, Jen.

I'm still waiting for the episode to be put up on VH1 Classic. It's always up 2 days after the original air date. So, I'm wondering if there is some behind the scenes issues as to why it's still not up, almost a week after the fact. I will post the episode if and when it's up. The episode I watched was on YouTube and it's already been taken down.

UPDATE:

I'm guessing the reason why the "episode" is posted in the way it is has to do with it not technically being part of TMS Series, but in that it's more of a Special Presentation. So, I have renamed it accordinally.

Special Guest Bassist: Glenn Hughes

First off, I gotta give mad props to Glenn Hughes for sitting in. No disrespect to Billy Sheehan, but Glenn pretty much schooled him in the art of laying down a groove with a melody that makes you want to get up and dance....or bang you head. It's cool to see people come on and rip through solos, but I prefer to see and hear someone bring some ballsy grooves to their playing.

Slash and Sam both were great sitting in for their interviews. Slash touched up on the fact that they may be getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and what could happen as far as who would show up. Sam for those that don't know is the filmmaker behind Metal Evolution, which is VH1 Classic's current documentary on what else, Heavy Metal and all it's sub-genres.

Before I get to the Top 5 List, I gotta mention the start of this episode had a segment devoted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Shame and who the current singers and bands are for this years nominations. It's mind boggling the list of snubs. Yikes.

TMS Top 5 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Snubs

1. Deep Pruple
2. KISS
3. Rush
4. Judas Priest
5. Ronnie James Dio

My Top 5

1. KISS
2. Judas Priest
3. Ronnie James Dio
4. Def Leppard
5. Bon Jovi

Whatever happened to: Blas Elias. Intersting to find out the former drummer for Slaughter has been playing as part of the Blue Man Group in Vegas for the past 6 years. I did not know that. Interesting.

The Throwdown: Which Album is better: Use Your Illusion 1 or Use Your Illiusion 2

Slash and Sam picked UYI1

Eddie, Don and Jim picked UYI2

I picked UYI2

Audience picked the eventual winner: UYI2

Special Guest Guitarist: Warren DeMartini

This was a really odd episode and I lay the blame solely on Eddie Trunk. He needs to conduct himself in a more professional manner. I don't tune in to watch him whine, b*tch and moan about every perceived "injustice" that is leveled against him. He has been doing this more and more lately and it's really starting to irritate the hell out of me. He should know better that Jim and Don are just pushing his buttons regarding his Top 5 candidates. The audience is in on it, but clearly he is not and takes everything far to serious. Also, he needs to stop complaining about the questions he gets wrong during the Stump The Trunk segment. Man up and take your medicine dude. Sheesh.

The rest of the episode with interviews with Dave Mustaine, Vinny Appice and Rex Brown felt flat and uninspired. It just wasn't that good of an episode all around. The Top 5 Music Videos is just weird. Eddie says that it's all the videos out there, and that his definition of what should make it on the list is a video that pushed the envelope. So, by his standards he should be putting Michael Jackson's Thriller somewhere on the list. All his video's that he chose did not in anyway redefine the medium. I get this is a Hard Rock/Metal show. But he needs to set clear specifications for what each list represents so that there is no wiggle room.

TMS Top 5 Music Videos

1. Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It
2. Guns N' Roses - November Rain
3. Megadeth - Sweating Bullets
4. Metallica - One
5. Van Halen - Hot For Teacher

My Top 5

1. Guns N' Roses - November Rain
2. KISS - I Love It Loud
3. Motley Crue - Girls, Girls, Girls
4. Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle
5. AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long

The Throwdown: Which Megadeth Album Is Better? Peace Sells or Rust In Peace?

Dave, Vinnie, Rex and Don picked Peace Sells

Eddie, Jim and audience picked Rust In Peace

I picked my nose.

Special Guest Bassist: Glenn Hughes

Coming off the past couple of shows, this was more like the good old days where guest are happy, articulate and actually have stuff to say that we want to hear. Both Sully and Jesse were good here and had plenty to talk about and they came across like they were having fun being there on the show. That was the good part of the show.

Having said that, this weeks TMS Top 5 was weak or better yet, an EPIC FAIL on all accounts. The topic was which are the top 5 90's hard rock bands that got their start in the 90's. Sorry, but when Jim, Don and Eddie fail to mention TOOL on any of their respective list, they need to turn in their Metal card. Since they did such a horrible job in putting their list together and making excuses for who is in and who is out, I'm gonna do the same here and add NIN to the list, even though their debut was in 1989. Hey, my list...my rules.

TMS Top 5 90's Bands

1. Alice In Chains
2. Marilyn Manson
3. Black Label Society
4. Rage Against The Machine
5. Type O Negative

My Top 5

1. TOOL
2. NIN
3. Stone Temple Pilots
4. Alice In Chains
5. Rage Against The Machine

The Throwdown: Which is the best Iron Maiden album with Paul Di'Anno? Iron Maiden or Killers?

Sully, Don and Glenn picked Iron Maiden
Jesse, Eddie and Jim picked Killers

The audience to my ears was split evenly between the two. So, it's a tie.

Thanks so much! Glad you like the video. Please feel free to share. They were both incredibly nice and besides letting me shoot the whole show from the audience as well as inviting me up onstage, they let me interview them for over an hour. I can put your email on the contact list to see a clip of the interview. Since they split, they don't want me releasing it publicly.
Either way, thanks!

Special Guest Guitarist: John 5

Another fantastic show, which would have gotten a perfect 5 Star rating if not for another round of whining by Eddie Trunk. Why does he think that he has to right to belittle both of Jim and Don's picks as being inferior to his? Don and Jim each week overall have picked better choices than anything he has and all he is doing is embarrassing himself with his little tantrums. Props to both Don and Jim latching onto Eddie's remark about "It took me on a journey...." and making a joke out of it. Funny stuff.

As for the rest of the episode, Paul Rodgers was a very fun guest with lots to talk about from Free, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page and of course his time with Queen. Josh Todd was right in saying they should do the entire show with just Paul. I agree. Although I'm a fan of Buckcherry and they did a good job on the show, I would have been okay with more Paul on That Metal Show.

TMS Top 5 Album Openers

1. KISS - Detroit Rock City
2. Judas Priest - The Hellion/Electric Eye
3. Iron Maiden - Ides Of March/Wrath Child
4. Black Sabbath - Neon Knights
5. Accept - Fast As A Shark

My Top 5

1. Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle
2. AC/DC - Highway To Hell / Hells Bells (Tie)
3. Mötley Crüe - Wild Side
4. NIN - Head Like A Hole
5. KISS - Detroit Rock City

The Throwdown: Who is the best guitar player that Paul Roders has work with? Jimmy Page, Brian May or Paul Kossoff

John 5, Josh, Eddie and Don chose Jimmy Page
Paul and Keith chose Paul Kossoff
Don chose Brian May
I chose both Jimmy and Brian. Can't pick one over the other.

The audience chose Jimmy Page as the winner. It was cool to have John 5 sitting in on the panel for the Throwdown. I can't recall them ever bringing down the Special Guest Guitarist or Bassist to sit in before. They should do that every time if you ask me. FYI, John 5 OWNED it again tonight.  He makes his playing look so effortless.