Both of you are completely off the mark, I'm just a music fan like everyone else. As such, I also have an opinion and my opinion is that Axl is an egotistical asshole. I have just as much right to express that opinion as someone who has their head up Axl's ass and thinks everytime he takes a shit he's laid some kind of golden turd. I, like many, many other music fans around the globe, are watching in anticipation of this album that's been in the works now for well over a decade. I don't have to be some diehard fan to express an interest in it's outcome. None of that has a thing to do with having to get in the last word or any other misconceptions you may have about me.

I haven't spoken to what the new album will sound like or how successful I think it might be, I have mainly spoken about my opinion of Axl. I do know that the reaction to what's leaked from the new album so far has been mediocre to fair at best except for the diehards that will automatically heap praise on anything Axl does whether they've actually heard it or not. As for the record and tour (no matter who's in G n' R), I'm sure both will be successful. I just don't believe the album (when and if it ever comes out) is somehow going to change music history and cause the world to stop in it's tracks.

I don't know where you get this "last word" bullshit from but if someone makes false statements concerning me I'm not going to sit idly by and let it go. I suggest you butt the fuck out and mind your own business.

Someone doesn't have to be a fan or a musician to be qualified to express an opinion. Like I've said, I do like some of their stuff but I don't want to buttfuck Axl as you do so my opinion is not nearly as biased. You know it will be good? So you've already heard the entire thing? I think not. Get Axl's dick out of your mouth and try forming an honest opinion once the album is actually released, not ahead of time before you've even heard it.

Yes, I have. In the business those are known as "natural" causes. Skynyrd's story has been especially tragic as at least two members (Allen Collins and Leon Wilkeson) have passed away since the plane crash.

Mine wouldn't change one iota. Regrouping the original G n' R wouldn't suddenly erase how Axl has mistreated his fans, women or the fact that he's taken so fucking long just to release one album. However, it would free up Tommy Stinson to get back to the business of making some music that is actually worthwhile.

I wouldn't really call myself a fan but I do feel that something like Appetite was much needed at the time. For one to be "critical" I don't have to have sold millions of records or have accomplished anything. I have formed an extremely low opinion of Axl because that's the image he's created for himself over the years. Anyone that's taken as long as he has to record one single album isn't a genius, they're more like a joke.

True but I'm well aware of who Tommy Stinson is. I'll take the Replacements over G n' R any day of the fucking week. Axl Rose a "genius"? How about a washed up, woman-beating, riot inciting, overweight, botoxed loser that can't sing worth a fuck and has taken in excess of ten years just to release one album (and it still hasn't come out yet). Genius? Far from it.

From NME.com: Charlie Daniels condemns the game featuring his song Charlie Daniels, writer of the song 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia', has slammed the makers of 'Guitar Hero III' after the song was used in the game. He has publicly stated that he would have refused permission for the song to be used if he had the power, claiming that the "very essence" of the song had been "violated". Daniels, who wrote the song in 1979 while a member of The Charlie Daniels Band, lost the rights to the song in a past settlement. He explained on his blog: "The song, 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia', which I wrote, is supposed to be a lighthearted novelty about a fiddling contest between a country boy and the devil and the devil always loses. "I would never grant permission for some company to create a video game version of a song I wrote in which the devil wins a contest." Expressing his upset at the devil character who challenges players in the game, he added: "I'm sorely disappointed with the company who owns the copyright for not policing the situation. As it is they have allowed these people to violate the very essence of the song. "At this time I don't know if I have any legal recourse, probably not, but I wanted you folks to know that I vehemently disagree with what has been done to a piece of my work. "And I would like to pass along a little advice to parents of young children. This game looks innocent enough but if you have a child who is playing it, take the time to sit with him or her while they're playing along and take a serious look at the images on the screen." 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia' was Daniels' biggest hit, charting at Number Three in the US singles chart. It has since been covered by the likes of Primus, The Levellers and Jerry Reed, and Rednex. The song has had an impact outside of the world of music, too, with comedian Jim Davidson performing it as part of a comedy tour in 2002 and WWE wrestler The Rock singing it on US TV in 2003. You can hear the song as it appears in Guitar Hero III by clicking below. Guitar Hero III "The Devil Went Down To Georgia"

I'm still a huge fan of Charlie Daniels' early work but I'm not much on him changing the lyrics to his old songs in concert due to his newfound Christianity or am I none too fond of some of his political views.

Oh, I'm sure he does and believe you me, I've heard enough of his music to form an opinion, I just don't care for the majority of what I've heard whether it be his "lighter" side or his "whiskey bent and hellbound" side, it's mostly just not my cup of tea. I like Hank, Sr. and Hank III much better. In regards to his Rocky Mt accident, you should check out the Yayhoos' song Monkey With A Gun if you've never heard it.

I would have loved to have seen Waylon and Neil on the same bill. Thankfully I did see Waylon (one of my absolute favorites) once. He played out in the woods at a place called Hugo outside of Kinston, NC back in the 80s. I think the Super Grit Cowboy Band or some other local act (maybe Sutter's Gold Streak?) were also on the bill. Just before Waylon came out The Crickets took the stage and then Waylon joined them. It was during The Crickets' set that I learned one of them was the composer of The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme as they played it that day. Waylon only turned in an hour set but it was the only time I ever saw him in concert so I can't bitch too much.

I certainly get the Skynyrd influence on Hank, Jr.'s music and even like a tune or two but overall I prefer his Daddy's music. Same for Hank III. Hank, Jr. just comes off a little too cartoony for me to ever take seriously. Give me Hank, Sr. or Hank III any day of the week.

My how time flies, Johnny looks so fucking young there. I also saw this tour. Pretty sure it was the same year. Blackfoot were touring in support of Maruader, Def Leppard had just released High n' Dry and also on the bill were the Johnny Van Zant Band who were touring behind their second record, Round Two. Yet another tour I attended except it was 1987 in Charlotte. I probably saw the reunited Skynyrd at least 4 or 5 times after that as well, including the tours for their 1991 album and The Last Rebel. Unfortunately I never did see them with the lineup that included Hughie from the Outlaws and Rickey Medlocke. Some other Southern Rock shows I've seen over the years: Blackfoot (2x) The first time was at the show mentioned up, the second was at Roadies in Goldsboro in support of their Siogo album when Ken Hensley from Uriah Heep was part of the line up. This was their last ever show with Charlie Hargett. Rossington With Skynyrd on the Tribute Tour .38 Special (w/ Skynyrd and Charlie Daniels) Ed King had injured his finger in a fight with Johnny Van Zant during their European tour so they had Greg Martin from the Kentucky Headhunters filling in on slide guitar The Allman Brothers Band (4x) Several different lineups from the Dickey years up until Derek Trucks this past summer. Gregg Allman Band The Outlaws (2x) First time was on a bill with Foghat and Derringer in the mid to late 70s. Foghat was listed as the headlining band and were the most well known at the time but the Outlaws closed. The second time they were on a bill with Van Halen, Boston and Poco in 1979 at June Jam at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Van Halen was the headliner but the Outlaws closed. The Marshall Tucker Band Saw them in the late 90s on a bill with local band Nantucket at Atlantic Beach, NC. At this time there were only two or three original members of the band left but it still wasn't a bad show. Still a far cry from the original Marshall Tucker Band with Toy Caldwell though. Molly Hatchet (3x) I saw them several times over the years but never in the early years. However, every time I did see them it was with Danny Joe Brown. Doc Holiday I'm not sure how many times I saw these guys but I know I caught a few of their shows at Roadies and saw 'em at least once at Plantation Music Park outside of Trenton, NC back in the early 80s on a bill with the Super Grit Cowboy Band and Molly Hatchet. Unfortunately Molly Hatchet only got one song in before the heavens opened up and drenched us with rain which ended the show right then and there. ZZ Top (w/Ted Nugent and Kenny Wayne Shepherd) Tres Hombres was one of the first albums I ever owned but I never saw them in concert until just a few years ago when they were touring in support of Mescalero. Atlanta Rhythm Section I was never a huge fan but they played Roadies in Goldsboro, NC quite often so I went most every time they played. They were not only an impressive studio band but one hell of a live band to boot. If you ever get a chance to see the Drive-By Truckers Patterson Hood has a hell of a story to tell about Paul Goddard as a lead-in to their song Road Cases. Not sure I'd classify these as Southern Rock in the classic sense but for the sake of the thread: Drivin' n' Cryin' (4x) On a bill with Skynyrd, also saw 'em in a club back when Fly Me Courageous was new) and opening for R.E.M. on the Green World Tour in Chapel Hill. Kevn Kinney (of Drivin' n' Cryin') As part of the Tres Tangled Truckers II line up (Kevn [sun Tangled Angel Revival], Caitlin Cary [Tres Chicas] & Jason Isbell [Drive-By Truckers] at the Pour House in Raleigh a couple of years ago. Mother's Finest (6x) One of the best live shows I've ever seen, hands down. Probably saw them a half dozen times a club in Goldsboro, NC called Roadies. Nantucket I've seen them more times than I care to remember. Since they were a NC band and I grew up in NC I had ample opportunity to see them and did, many, many times. Oddly enough my first ever show was when they were on a bill with Cheap Trick (who opened) and AC/DC in Fayetteville, NC. Nantucket were riding high on the success of their first album on Epic and were at the top of their game. I would never see them in such a huge venue again. Black Crowes (3-4x) I first saw them on the tour for Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. In the years since I've seen them on both the HORDE and Furthur Festival tours. Widespread Panic (3-4x) First show as at the now defunct Attic in Greenville, NC. I saw 'em on the HORDE at least a couple times in the years following. Drive-By Truckers I lost count of how many times I've seen them a very long time ago. First show was at Honky Tonk Arama at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill back in 2000. A photo of that show graces the back of their now out of print live album, Alabama Ass Whuppin'.

When we left around midnight they were still playing Whippin' Post.

Since this thread has come this far and I don't think this album has been mentioned yet, I'm gonna go ahead and throw it out there: The Truckers may not be for everybody but this record tells the story of Skynyrd's tragic tale with a bit of mythmaking thrown in....

I have a stub from this same tour, in fact it was my first concert (my first big one anyway). The Allmans played in Savannah, GA with their roadies as the opening act.

These guys don't have a damn thing to do with Skynyrd or Artimus Pyle but I've always admired their band name: ...and here's a local band I've never actually heard but they're heavily endorsed by Tommy Redd (formerly of Nantucket):

When I hear groups like Montgomery Gentry on country radio I don't think "country", I think Southern Rock. Like it or not Southern Rock is equal parts country, blues, soul, etc. There are some newer bands out there like Tishmango that have much more in common with the type of Southern Rock I like but you aren't going to hear them on country radio or see them on CMT. You just might hear them on former Blackfoot member Charlie Hargett's Southern Rock show Smokestack on XM though.

From Billboard.com: The Melvins Greg Prato, N.Y. The Melvins are always up to something. But 2008 is shaping up to be one of the band's busiest years, with a flurry of activity on the horizon. First up will be the July 8 release of new studio album, "Nude with Boots," followed closely by the first DVD from the Fantomas-Melvins Big Band, "Live from London 2006," both via Ipecac. Joining Melvins long-timers Buzz Osborne (vocals/guitar) and Dale Crover (drums) once more are Jared Warren (vocals/guitar) and Coady Willis (drums) from the group Big Business. "This album we recorded after having done a lot of touring with those guys," Osborne tells Billboard.com. "And the other album we recorded, '(A) Senile Animal,' we recorded with them before we played any shows. So it was a different vibe off the bat. We also knew exactly what we hated about each other, which was really good," he adds with a laugh. Osborne compares "Nude with Boots" musically to the group's last release, but says, "This is definitely a weirder record." He also tells Billboard.com he already has some favorite tracks, including opener "The Kicking Machine," "Billy Fish" (which he says the band played live "a bunch" before recording it) and the lengthy "Dog Island." Osborne also points out that most of the tracks from "Nude with Boots" will be performed live this year, when the four-man Melvins lineup hits the road in July for a U.S. tour, followed by a trip to Europe. In addition to featuring a live performance, the Fantomas-Melvins Big Band's "Live from London 2006" DVD includes an intriguing commentary track. "At the last minute, Greg Werckman [who runs Ipecac with Mike Patton] came up with this idea of doing a commentary on the whole thing," Osborne says. "Mike Patton and Greg are friends with Danny DeVito, and he agreed to come down. So it's me, Greg, Robby Frazier from William Morris, Dale and Danny all talking. Mostly, it has nothing to do with the DVD itself. We got to ask him any question you can possibly think of -- what it was like to work with Andy Kaufman, and who was the biggest a**hole he ever worked with. He told us really great stories -- all of which are on there." While there are no plans for another Fantomas album, there are a pair of Melvins' collectable releases forthcoming, including a yet-to-be-titled limited edition box set of everything the Melvins have released via Ipecac, which will include a CD that will "probably be a compilation of a bunch of things that haven't really seen the light of day," according to Osborne. The set will be handmade, letter-pressed, and released in an edition of 500. Also to be released this year is a quadruple-gatefold etched vinyl edition of "(A) Senile Animal." Finally, plans are in the works to mark the Melvins' 25th anniversary in 2009. "We're going to try and do some stuff with our very first drummer [Mike Dillard]," Osborne says. I don't know what -- we're still trying to figure out what we'll do. He's going to come down here, and we're going to do some things with Crover playing bass, and him playing drums. Maybe we can get him out touring, but he's more of a family man than a 'rock and roll touring musician.' I don't know how many shows we'll be able to do with him, but I'm really looking forward to that."

The Vincent Moon directed 6 Days documentary that comes with the CD/DVD version of R.E.M.'s Accelerate. It tells the story of the album from the Dublin "working rehearsals" up until the actual recording of the record when newer songs such as Hollow Man and Sing for the Submarine entered the picture. A must.

I must say I don't hear any "classic rock" (whatever that is) or "Southern Rock" in their style. I caught part of their set at ACL Fest a few years ago and could barely tolerate them for the length of an entire song. Just not my cup of tea I guess.

Not if you have a radio that plays oldies (AM or FM) or have a television. That Time-Life infomercial hosted by Air Supply must play somewhere every five minutes.