According to Axl, Xtina is One of the Greatest

Is Axl Rose going soft in middle age? First, the GNR bad boy backs down from the fists of milquetoast clothing mogul Tommy Hilfiger. Now he professes his adoration for pop superstar Christina Aguilera?

According to Soundgenerator, Aguilera told Blender in a recent interview that Rose personally revealed to her that he thought she was "one of the greatest vocalists of our time" backstage at the VMAs in late August. The sultry sexpot disclosed to the magazine that she thought the compliment was "sweet."

With Axl's new savoir-faire, is it possible that the former posterchild of bad behavior is ready to re-enter society from his reclusive cocoon of the past decade---or more importantly, to finally drop the long fabled Chinese Democracy to the public? The album is rumored to have a release date of November 21, 2006.