Chris Vrenna Didn’t Recognize Any of the Material Off the Record!

Former Guns N’ Roses and Nine Inch Nails Drummer Chris Vrenna gave an interview to Al.com where he talked about his time with Guns N’ Roses in the late 90’s. He revealed his reaction to ‘Chinese Democracy’ and whether any of the material he jammed on made it onto the final record! Check out his response below!

When “Chinese Democracy” was finally released in 2008, did you recognize any music from the period you were working with Guns N’ Roses?

Nope. Not a thing. Because by then they’d gone through nine drummers, 14 guitar players, seven producers. Because I kept up with it after I was there. When I was there, (the electronic musician) Moby was going to produce. Axl didn’t come in very often. He’d show up about once a week. So sometimes we jammed. Sometimes me and Moby just sat and drank coffee and talked about music. Moby was rad. Can you imagine a Guns N’ Roses record with Robin Finck and me and Moby producing? And Axl really wanted it to have an electronic element. He kept referencing the Passengers album that U2 did and it’s wonderful. It’s so good. That and Nine Inch Nails.

He thought that was where he could see the sound of Guns N Roses going, modernizing it: “We’re not a bunch of ’80s, strung-out-on-heroin dudes on Sunset Boulevard anymore.” And I applauded Axl and that’s why I stuck with it for as long as I did, and I got Axl’s vision.