This is a good article and helps place a few pieces of the puzzle together. However, I would like to know why Niven(and others) waited so long to speak publicly on the matter. This type of information should have come out years ago when it might have had a chance at making a sliver of an impact instead of waiting to the point where pop culture no longer cares and huge chunks of the original fan base have moved on. It would be like dropping the atom bomb on Japan years after World War II ended.

Its cool of Niven to speak out on the subject and luckily he has an outlet interested in printing it, but in my opinion its a case of too little, too late.

"Axl: There's a few reasons and none of them all that big and definitely not in spite or to slight anyone.

1st off obviously I knew people liked the song but the Brian appreciation really only showed up in force publicly after we had moved on in Guns. In fact Not many seemed to care and most comments were aimed at why Slash in their opinions should be here.

Brians solo itself is a personal fave of mine and I really couldn't understand as he's such a rock legend why it wasn't openly appreciated more at the time.

In actuality all that feel and emotion referred to now had a lot to do with Sean and I and the parts I chose out of Brian's different runs, versions, practice runs etc to make sure we had those elements in one version. It's entirely constructed from edits based around one specific note Brian hit in a throw away take. And though Brian seems to have warmed a bit to it at least publicly he was unfortunately none to pleased at the time with our handiwork.

I remember looking at Brian standing to my left and him staring at the big studio speakers a bit aghast saying "But that's not what I played."

Sean Beavan and I were not in any way tring to mess with Brian we just did what we do and then try and do our best to stand up for our decisions. "

Not off topic but related to the GN'RTM , i've always wondered...

How do/did you feel about Velvet Revolver playing GN'R songs live? Did you worry about them mucking up the songs or decreasing their value by playing them. Are you glad the former members still play those songs so regularly on stage?

I seen Slashes Snakepit live in July 95 and they started playing instrumental Paradise city for the first 2 minutes before Slash stopped it by jokingly saying something like” We better stop so we don’t get sued!”

Dexter wrote:

It doesn’t bother me unless it’s being done at my expense and or to keep him associated as in Guitar Hero. Him being Guitar Hero’s fine but not when Activison in using Jungle, having Yahoo use Sweet Child unauthorized, claims no involvement with Slash, his or anyone’s image or VR or anyone or anyone’s music in either camp in promotion or commercials etc. I wasn’t broadsided. I read about it as it moved along but Activision continually denied it right up to the release. That’s some low life chicanery on all their parts.

The battles were during the breakup. Our people and my individual legal basically forced me to go thru the motions with everything I had to make things work for over 2 years in the sense that if they felt I wasn’t making every effort 110% and with all the sincerity and all above board I wouldn’t have their support which I wanted, couldn’t afford to lose or risk losing. Which led to the trial period where Slash played the key bits of Fall to Pieces but once I showed some interest that was over.