TRACII GUNS Says AXL ROSE Needs 'A Solid Music Partner'

Ugly Phil of Australia's long-running rock station Triple M spoke to L.A. GUNS guitarist Tracii Guns about the recent antics of GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose, a former bandmate of Tracii's in the pre-GN'R outfit HOLLYWOOD ROSE and the very early days of GUNS N' ROSES.

"I kind of equate Axl almost to a Jim Morrison type — almost," Tracii said. "[But] they're obviously very different.

"The thing about [Axl] is that he wants to do it his own way," added Tracii. "He goes by his gut and he has a weird spiritual thing with psychics. In his mind, he's expanded to a higher level."

He continued, "I think if [Axl] had a solid partner — music partner — in his life that not only that he listened to but somebody that he truly respected musically and somebody that he had a great time with and somebody he believed in, I think that it could go more the way of the rock that the fan base would prefer, I think. But you can't do it on your own and a lot of people in Axl's position think they can do it on their own. And that's the only thing I can criticize about him is that he doesn't have that great partner. Elton John's got a partner, McCartney's got a partner, Lady Gaga's got a partner, everybody's got a partner. I've got Jizzy [Pearl, L.A. GUNS singer] and Jizzy's got me. And that's the only thing missing from Axl's life — a great partner."

Video footage of Tracii Guns talking about Axl Rose in the studios of Triple M can be viewed below.

In a January 2007 interview with the South Wales Echo, Tracii stated about his early years as a member of GUNS N' ROSES, "If I had stayed with Axl, I don't know if GUNS N' ROSES would have been any better or worse but I think it would have been a very different band. We would have had a bit more fire. But the key to that band's success was Axl because at that time his singing really connected with people on a social level."

He continued, "I haven't spoken to Axl since 1988, but we still have a lot of mutual friends. I don't wish him ill, but it's hard because he never stops saying bad things about me. He was on my MySpace page doing that very recently.

"Axl's problem is that if people don't support him 100 percent in what he's doing, he just doesn't want to know them any more. He's so talented but that talent comes from being a nervous wreck and some place in your head you need to be happy, which he isn't."