Axlin,
You say that you believe that "nor does Slash have the ego to allow smarter, more talented people around him (think Cornell or Axl) on a regular basis"... Can you show me the material that made you reach this opinion on Slash? I ask because I seem to agree with everything you say about GNR except for this position.

I don't doubt for a second that Slash held fast on material he sent to Axl when they were heading for their split, BUT Slash was fighting for his musical life at that stage and you know what they say about injured and cornered animals...

Below is what Chris & Slash said about working together in the past and present...I just don't see the ego issue you claim probably exists....

(From Classic Rock when "Slash I" came out)...

""I met Slash in 1992 when G&R took Soundgarden on tour. He was extremely gracious and always very supportive. Often when you tour with a band that are that successful, they treat you like shit. Slash was always a very consistent and amiable person and he is now. And I will say this - and I don't mean this as a slight to him, it's actually a compliment - Slash is the most drunk guitarist I have ever seen play well on stage. I was never able to be that trashed and that good at the same time. That's a part of his consistency: he doesn't drink now and he's still great. That dedication to music is what drives his character."

Meanwhile in an interview with MusicRadar.com, Slash gives his own view of the song and on working with Chris.

'Chris was great. "Promise" was probably the most unorthodox piece of music that I'™d written, it was very different. It was one of those things, I don'™t know why I thought of him for that song more than any of the others, but I sent it to him and within 48 hours he sent me this great lyric and we were off and running. It was as simple as that. Everybody seems to like this one."

Sounds like all was rosy in the garden between both men, back in the day and now.
I think Slash has a huge myth of guarded egomania built around him by certain fans who took sides after the original GNR split, but for the life of me I simply cannot find one interview from anyone except Axl that states he became impossible to work with collaborativelty because of this.
The Corey issue may be just waht you're referring to but I think that's more to do with personal taste than ego issues.
Happy to be proved wrong!

"Did he get dressed up in his wrestling gear and storm the vaults under the cover of darkness?"

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Quote of the YEAR!!!

If you break down that quote from her its so wrong on so many levels...

"I'm glad everyone is happy with stolen material."
What the fuck does that mean? She should be happy the fans like the tune. We didn't steal it, we listened to it. Would I buy it? Well now that I've heard it, I just might - if you fucks would release it to me to buy.

"Well, I guess that's it.  We don't need to put anything out now."
What are you? A school mistress? You seem to be insinuating that we, the fans will be punished with musical silence because we had the cheek to listen to the first original GNR tune in half a decade. It's a fucking obscene way to treat your bill payers.

"Everyone took the fun of everything. "
You really need to read this a few times and think about it to see the scope of madness this woman embraces.
All the fans took away all the fun???
What fun?  What everything?
The Ground Hog day Tour?
Why are the fans getting hopped on again? For showing some interest in your product?
If I made ice cream for a living and one of my staff left some of a brand new flavor I had just developed out in public and thousands of people flocked from everywhere to take a sample, I'd be pissed I lost the batch but I'd still be delighted that at least it proves that I have a fighting chance of selling it to them when I package it right.
This is basic commerce.
To have such an appalling grasp of the dynamics of how music is traded between fans and bands and be the boss of such a large act is astounding.
How the fuck did this woman allowed to continue where she is?

So, now speaking for what was the greatest rock n roll band of a generation is a house cleaner and a former alcoholic tax dodger...
Imagine being Tommy or Ron? How hard do you bite your tongue?

Fine I get your excitement for "Ain't Going Down" which is kind of cool . But I wonder why Axl didn't do the main vocal? Does this mean its a Tommy tune with Axl just helping out?

"Better" with different fucking around on it? Yawn...

Scabbie's post got me all excited...I presume its a joke? I can't be arsed to listen to Del.
I found his essays to be piss poor and I remain unsure of his prowess or value in GNRs story overall.
Nothing personal I just see him as yet another barren rock orbiting the star of the show (along with the TB cluster of asteroids), staying locked in and feeding off his light.

Nice of Axl to do this all the same.