She has been noted by Forbes for ability to turn sales, along with more than a few heads, so there’s little doubt that Taylor Swift’s clout in the marketplace is solid, and apparently here to stay.  For a little while longer at least, because even though Swift ranks higher than Guns N Roses for her latest record album, the comparison between the two does not end there.  It might serve as a very good cautionary tale for her marketing people, because there were some certain pitfalls that could have kept GNR at the top for a lot longer than they were allowed there.

There were some mistakes that the band made in the 90s, and anyone doing an even cursory glance at Axl’s life, and his comments to the world at large, even after supposedly getting his head clear, shows some serious mistakes in judgement.  But for this hair band, who happen to have an awful lot of talent besides, by the time of their second release, they were already yesterday’s news.  Here, the distinction starts to fade, and this might be the moment when she could start pulling tricks by refusing to pull tricks.

There are many music chroniclers who would note that the difference between GNR’s first and second album was not a decrease in talent, but of edge.  The skinny kids who performed heavy and angry music were serious the first time, even if some of the things they said were a bit stupid.  And we were inclined to believe them, too, because they looked like they had been through a major battle.  Fame somehow did a whitewash on their grit, and it’s something that Swift is so far avoiding.  This is a good thing, and a delicate balancing act, because all stars of this stature, and this tender age, will try to reinvent their own pasts in public, and the only person who could ever do that was Dylan.  And maybe Fellini.  That kind of playfulness doesn’t seem to be on her agenda, however, so it would make sense that she continue to play it smart by keeping honest.