I, for one, was excited when I heard that Slash, Duff and Matt were teaming up for a new group. The first info out was that Josh Todd was to front the group. I had my reservations when I heard this because, while Todd has a powerful voice, he's not that dynamic of a singer. Apparently the group agreed and he was out of the running. Then a host of names were floated, included a longtime antiMusic favorite Kelly Shaefer, but ultimately the band made the surprising choice of Scott Weiland. I was a little shocked because of Weiland's troubles and explosive personality, but maybe they felt his voice was strong enough to overcome those shortcomings. 

Then the moment of truth arrived and we finally heard what this new supergroup sounded like and to be honest, I was under-whelmed. I wasn't expecting Guns N' Roses Pt II, but what I heard didn't make the sale and after a few spins, the CD was placed on the disappointment shelf to gather dust. I gave them another chance with their second CD and that was even more disappointing. The songs were strong, but the vocals just didn't have the power needed to make them shine. Velvet Revolver's music style calls for a lot more than the underpowered "Layne Staley lite" style of Stone Temple Pilots. 

I understand that a lot of people loved what Velvet Revolver had to offer. They heard something that I must have missed, but I'm sure that most would agree that VR hasn't come anywhere close to matching what Guns N' Roses did musically. I personally lay a lot of blame for that on the vocals. So for this Top 5 list, I look at the reasons why Axl is better than Weiland. 

5: Attitude - Axl may have an attitude at times, but it's mostly because he is a perfectionist and doesn't want to give less than 100%, which can cause problems with bandmates, whereas Weiland has an attitude because he's an a....

4: Power - When the song calls for it, Axl can take it PAST 11, whereas Weiland tends to top out around 6 1/2. 

3: Appreciation - Axl is pretty reclusive, but when he does go out in public, fans can approach him and he'll talk with them, take photos etc, whereas Weiland has been reported to tell fans that want autographs or photos that he "doesn't do eBay". Damn, I might have paid 50 cents for that autograph.

2: Quality - 'Appetite' is a classic that is still selling well today, whereas 'Core' etc are largely forgotten now that the Alice in Chain clone trend is over.

And the number one reason why Axl is better than Weiland...

Originality -Axl has a very unique and dynamic voice that is unmistakable, whereas we're heard Weiland's voice from a dozen bands and it's about as original as a Fox reality show.

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