Here Today... Gone To Hell!

21 days (3 weeks) until 2005 is officially over.

Merck indicated that 2005 would be "the year for GNR"...

Time running out Merck.

Merck has proven he has no credibility with regards to release dates.

Anything he says regarding Guns N' Roses is propaganda used to generate interest and make money.

Sorry but Merck don't know Dick :P How can something that was, be, I don't know if thats possible :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

Merck and others telling us to speculate about the Da Vinci Code rumor was there way out of the 'year of GNR' comment. They knew people would get excited over it, and forget about his past lame comments. I also think this Amazon shit was intentionally put out there to keep people excited. Forget about 2005. Its over. Start dreaming of 2006. If nothing concrete happens by June, start the speculation for 2007.

And then for 2008, 2009, 2010...this shit will never end!

And that most certainly goes for his "reply" to the Jeff Leeds article, too.

It will be intresting to see if the man even apologizes.. or if there will be a press release concerning the album by the end of the year. Who knows?

why break precedence?

Who Cares, the 2005 comment was made in passing where alot of other bands were also mentioned. At the end of the day Merck is on Axls payroll so he does what Axl says. As we all know from experience Axls plans change alot. Its not Mercks fault, he is meerly doing his job, serving as Axls manager.

Leave the guy alone, he has enough problems

Jonx

'Engage brain before opening mouth.'

Maybe Merck hasn't got this particular fortune cookie from his local Chinese takeaway.

he didnt say it'd be the year of GNR for WHO ? maybe it' was the year of GNR  for him and axl :)
and, well, technically, for us, every year is the year of gnr :)

Didn't he make the statement in March? Maybe things have changed since then....

Of course, things aren't allowed to change in the GN'R world.  :hihi:



/jarmo

"His (Axls) only interest is making the best ALBUM he is capable of so that IT CAN HAVE a positive affect in 2005 on people who are enthusiasts of music and interested in Guns N' Roses..."

Merck's exact comment. I've highlighted the key words.

well the making of the album is interesting enough :)

Not enough for me, I'd rather hear the thing.

It's interesting. Didn't Caram Constanzo say something like only three people know the state of the album: Axl, Merck and him? Or he mentioned only himself and Uncle Axl?

BTW I don't believe anything they say about the album's status. All of them were proved wrong for multiple times.

And whose fault is that? :hihi:

Yours?


And Surely he and his band mates have had a positive affect throughout the year on those who are enthusiasts of music and interested in Guns N' Roses, e. g. ME!
We were accidentally treated to another new tune which loveliness was even beyond our expectation.

Good posts WAT-EVER. It's been a long time since I saw your post as considerate as these last.

I would love to know why its my fault. :confused:

If the situation did change in the GnR world,  a statement regarding a change in intent would be greatly appreciated. Simply eating your words in silence doesn't lend the man much credibility.

Your post sounds like you're threatening him!? :hihi:
21 Days Left or else!!!? (http://www.fadzter.com/smilies/machinegun.gif)


And by this logic, neither does Dizzy or Tommy or Richard or just about everyone else with some GNR connection ... except Axl because Axl hasn't said anything at all.?? :-X

But by that logic, er, like Dizzy or Tommy, he also.....
Oh, You mean This year. :idea:

Still 21 days left on all fronts. :peace:


Ask your own conscience.....You should know yourself or maybe I kid. :P

And by this logic, neither does Dizzy or Tommy or Richard or just about everyone else with some GNR connection ... except Axl because Axl hasn't said anything at all.?? :-X

Maybe not this year, but Axl has said shit in the past that hasn't happened. Last year he released a statment saying 'expect a release date in the next few months' and even further back in 2000 or 2001 he said he had the tracks and artwork done and the album was almost ready to go!! If even Axl's out of the loop we really are screwed  :hihi:

It is official. The album has started completing itself and making just some final touches before it hands itself over to the label. Axl is too shamed to admit he has lost control so he is hiding somewhere in brazil, thinking about making another album called "Brazilian Communism" along with a few lawsuits against that ex-album...

Dammit Jarmo, you've only been here for 9 years! you should know that circumstances don't change ;) :hihi:

Because Merck made those comments in regard to a New York Times piece on the album, I think he should make another to explain why his prediction was not realized. In its absence, it is fair for someone to assume that the Times reporter was spot on with his evaluation of the state of the album.

Wow, I hadn't really considered this, but I guess you're right---making statements to a gossip site like sp1at are on thing, but he was responding to a relatively well-researched piece in the biggest paper in the United States-saying it was bunk and implying the record would be out---looks like he'll have a bit of egg on his face---unfortunately, it seems with little exception that Axl and his managers don't have much of a regard for dealing with the press or public in any transparent way-they'll 'let the music do the talking'' well, all i hear right now is silence.........

Didnt the NYT article say only three songs or so were finished? You cant blame merk for axl pushing the album back again. He has the say in when the album is done. Until axl says its done, its not done.

Merck is not responsible if the record isn't finished.

Merck is responsible for the statements that come from his own mouth. Since no one has any real knowledge of what is occurring in GnR, unless he follows up his 2005 prediction, it is natural to assume that not only was his prediction wrong but his defense of Axl and the process suspicioius.

merck made a comment about something his hopes for the future. you guys are treating it as if god came down from up high and started changing about the ten commandments.

Maybe he meant the undercover release of IRS as the big news of 2005

It's God's fault. : ok:

Safe bet is nothing is happening this year just like every year before

Blame Canada

Yeah, and it would be too much to ask to be updated and have Merck tell us that things have been pushed to 2006, you know, common decency for die hard fans that have waited for the last 10-14 years for new material.

Jeez, how dare we ask for something from the almighty.

Nah, instead we just keep making excuses and apologies for their lies and propaganda.  No need to look too far for a list of these apologists as they all appear in this thread,  you know who you are.  : ok:

at the very least, there should be some kind of statement issued in '05 but i'm doubtful.

I don't expect a statement, but it would be really cool of them to give us something for xmas. Just a picture of the band members in the studio with Axl would say a lot more than words.

merck is pathetic, even more than Douggie Goldstein.

Is Merck married is he a straight man bi sexual or gay , Im quite smitten with him

bizarre. no idea here, i just hope he's a man of his word

maybe we should be updating this thread ?  :hihi: 16 days left

well it's an absolute disgrace if theres no statement  by years end. To the point where the fans should perhaps re-evaluate their loyalties or at least take some kind of proactive measures....

I agree; but can we really do that  ??? if so, can anybody tell me how ?  :hihi:

i really dont think we should make such a big deal out of Merch statment in January.
Im sure he truly belived that the album was near a release, and maybe it was. No reason to
start attack Merck for that. If he had said nothing, i guess some would be complaining about that also

there goes that 'battered wife syndrome' again  :hihi:

Well, if the fans (really just the online community) were to stand up and do something about our lack of news, we would have done it by now. ?Hell, for all we know Merck might not even be aware of how pissed some of us are about there being no update before new years. ?

Nah, we'll see people claim that 06 is the year. ?Followed by rumors of the Super Bowl, RIR, VMAs, Grammys and everything else in between that will keep people like us posting. Ahh, the vicious cycle that is being a GNR fan. :confused:

well, you can choose to bash and rant about Merck promising this or that, but that wont lead to
anything anyway, its just plain stupid to listen to all the complaining about Merck has promised
us something.. We all know who things can go in the GNR camp anyway, so its waste of time..

true, however I still think the fans deserve at the very least a statement, and fans moaning and bitching wont change me feeling that theyre due that

Doug was great. With him the band sold 80 million records. The promotion of the band during the Use Your Illusion erea was AWESOME. GN'R was everywhere.

Oh yeah!
I really think we deserve an update myself.
But i dont think this is the way to get it! And is there really that much to update? Im pretty
sure we will know when the time is set. If Axl or the manegment told the truth, and that there
will be an albume at the end of 06, fans would be upset.. They really gotta do an announcement
when the time is right... Some things may be to complicated to tell right now.. i dont know..
But what i was talking about, was this tread.. its kind of stupid..

Im sure if Meck was alowed to spin the wheels he would do it on the minute..

What is "speen the whils"? What does it mean?
Can you use a more simple sentence? English is not my mother tongue.

Its not my mother tounge eather.. but what i mean, is that if Meck was alowed to
start the promotion, or got a clear signal from Axl, im sure he would strat it right away

ok. Well I hope so. But just a question....Was merck in charge of the 2002 tour promotion? Or was it someone else?
because the pomotion was fucking weak in 2002? :nervous:
I've never seen a famous Rock band so poorly promoted that GN'R in 2002. 90% of people didn't even know the "new" band existed. A very, very poor mediatic? coverage with a very very poor marketing/promotion strategy for the band (exept the VMA'02).

Just to compare: When U2 or the Rolling Stones go on Tour, everybody on this planet knows it. You know, just to compare... It's sad to see GN'R so poorely supported by their own management? :-\

yeah, i agree with you.. Here in Europe, there was no promotion at all, maybe because it was an North american tour, im not sure.. but hell, it could be better

im not sure the promotion had anything to do with it being a dismal failure.

I would have thought MTV VMAs would have done the trick really, plus radio promos etc.. in fact Im fairly sure most people who should have been aware of it were aware - perhaps the fact that there was no album to promote, Axl failed to show up to gigs and was generally not up to speed when he did show up had more to do with it? Plus the fact that most people in the real world associate GN'R with Axl and a guy called Slash, not to mention Izzy, Duff etc..? Perhaps that could be the reason?

But U2 and Rolling Stones dont tour without a new record behind them...

So I guess thats the differents...

We live in a world of communication. if you don't communicate, meaning if you don't PROMOTE what you do, you die. People need to know you exist and you tour, if not, you will play in front of half empty arenas...oh wait....it reminds me something!!
Look at U2 or the Rolling Stones, everybody knows when they tour. That's what GN'R need. CO-MU-NI-CA-TION.
Other than that, I agree with the rest of your post. Without Slash, it affects everything (popularity, ticket sales, mediatic coverage, interest in the band etc...). I would also addd that Buckethead and Robin Finck scared off people. They hurt the band image and reputation. people turned their back. Don't underrate that point.

quote]
I would also addd that Buckethead and Robin Finck scared off people.

perhaps, I still think it's immeasurable the damage that Axl himself did. Not appearance (although that was probably the main talking point) but poor performances (lets be honest here and not take an 'emperors new clothes' approach), childish temper tantrums, no-shows and bizarre press releases blaming his 'old friends' etc...

these were the main factors, not the lack of communication (which was adequate)

well...it was maybe a combinaison a lots of elements. There isn't just one reason, but lots of reasons. Maybe clear channel did mistakes too.

I don't know what Merck was talking about.  2005 sucked for a GNR fan.  What other band do you have to cling to a record exec's every word to find out about your favorite band?  2005 sucked.

Axl has 386 days left

YEA! RIGHT!

I wouldn't hold your breath.  Merck seems to be as arrogant as Axl and all of Axl's apologists. 

Looking back, i find Merck's harsh and critical response to the NY Times piece almost comical that he would rip the guy and deliver nothing.

But not as arrogant as Axl/new guns bashers.

How true  ;D

Still, it's hard to argue that Merck has done a satisfactory job of manging this band-granted, his client's general predispostions make saying anything concrete hard, but the stonewalling and silence to inquires is absurd. Doug Goldstein manged to get 4 albums of original material out of axl-plus a hell of alot of shows. Merck's gotten his client to do a handful of shows in the last 5 years or so with TWO aborted tours.

cd is no where in sight just like every year

I think CD is both in sight and nowhere in sight.

I think at anytime the album could come out if Axl wanted to releas eit. But if things remian the same, CD is nowhere in sight

CD version 7.0 is in the making.  Wish i could've heard the last 6 that were almost released.

Good point. The Times article and its rebuttal has reached the point of absurdity, and the fact that the article is true makes it even more absurd. Merck's response to it was hilarious, coming close to a hint of satire. What's next? Merck telling us to jump in and find an alligator! :rofl:

Jeff Leeds should write a follow up article and offer Merck the chance to contribute.

I really wish I could see everyone of you in Mercks position...

That would be a laugh...

To be honest, I dont think a follow up article is necessary. He proved his point already. The silence from the GNR camp concerning the article says much more than a follow up ever could.

Its not really about proving a point, as you said, I think Jeff has come out on top on that one. But I'm pretty sure any inside info on GN'R would make a great story so Jeff could offer them a chance to promote themselves...

That article was a real eye opener. It was a nail in the coffin of CD. Not the final nail, but pretty damn close. He told the world how the album had turned into a joke, and how Axl didn't take it very seriously. The GNR camp is lucky that the article didn't get alot of media attention.

Apologists?? Do you THINK you are "entitled" to an "apology?" Have you put out any money for the album yet??
I didn't think so......

Things can change (gasp) and shit happens........You do not "need" information....you "want" information........and your "wants" won't kill you unless you give them permission to........

Rethink this sense of "Entitledness".....and when in the hell did GnR start playing by any rules but their own??

Shit Happens and usually does at the worst possible moment........it is a given.

It's just a matter of time...
The Perfect Storm is approaching,

W.

Maybe he knew 2005 would be better than 2006  :nervous:

Uh... The New York Times is not known as a really credible source. I don't buy that article claiming stupid answers for huge problems like the album and/or the 2002 aborted tour.

They lied A LOT before in another articles. Why not in this one, since the main character is a reclusive person and didn't give any info?

Good calls Warchild and Voodoo.  : ok:

the article was nothing eye opening to us since the gnr net community is rife with bs.  8)
On the positive note the article spread Chinese democracy to the public. The NY times readers were informed that there's a legendary phantom album an unparalleled musician is persistently struggling with in adversity and it might finally come out soon. People hadn't heard of such a pure artist spirit for a long time.


Amen to that save that there might be better journalists than Jeff Reed and more quality newspapers than NY times.

Jeff Leeds was unduly criticised by the zealots and apologists on this board and others. He was made out to be some kind of villain (see giggers "article" :hihi:), when in all fairness, he wrote a balanced and seemingly accurate article for a reputable publication.

BTW why are we talking about Jeff Leeds' credibility? This thread is about Merck's credibility which is near to zero after his false alarm.

I don't think many new york time's readers are savoring that article.. Might have been so that's where he's been or that's what happened to gnr type thoughts.. After reading an article like that a week or so later you almost  forget about it.. Only forum fans keep that shit alive

Are you kiddin, right? Reputable publication? Uh... Maybe you should check those links:

http://www.factsofisrael.com/blog/archives/000310.html
http://www.slate.com/id/2101294/

Also, there's some people on this publication who make up big storys about south-america governments with no truth at all, just to fuck up the reputation and create a huge buzz in the business people. They even published some fake pictures to give some credibility to their articles.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/brazil/story/0,12462,1215417,00.html


BTW, it's really funny how it's a fair article for you - a truly negative and biased person. I wonder if it had the Merck and Axl's side of the story you would still think it's that fair.

The Jeff Leeds article was old information.

Merck's info was correct at the time

I hope you can understand through this why GN'R do not give out 'updates'. Merck offered up some info and now here's a 5 page thread questioning his credibility.

Well, there is different types of info to give.. Not only "when" things will happen. But "Why" things is taking so long. And info about the progress..
Anyway. I dont actually care that much anymore.. But i WILL be waiting, and give 100% support when things start happening.

I think the 'why' part is self explanatory

The New Yourk times and the Guardian? Plus the biggest music publication in Europe, Q magazine? "Are you kiddin, right? "

I object to your assertion that I am negative and biased. You don't know me OK? So quit the judgement buddy. Perhaps my opinion differs from yours, instead of continually making excuses for Axl, I prefer to hold him to a higher standard - a standard that I know he is capable of.

Voodoochild, your comment is negative and does nothing for discussion on this board. I personally am sick of people like you attacking free discussion and thought. Grow up. If you disagree, by all means disagree. Do so in a way thats conducive to good debate though.

BTW, my post had nothing to do with Mercks credibility (off topic, I know? ?:P), it was simply drawing attention to the fact that Leeds was slammed unfairly.

Geeez are you Axl Rose's mother?
.. A standard that I know he is capable of ..

This is pointless, none of us know why 2005 wasn't the year of GN'R.



/jarmo