Here Today... Gone To Hell!

I can see the suprise Tuesday release work for a couple of reasons.

1. Most mythical CD to be released, people don't think its coming but it is.

2. Once it hits the shelves everybody will run and hit the shelves after hearing that someone actually went to Best Buy and it was there.

3. posibily that we could hear the single released prior a week to the date it comes out ( kinda of a prequel).

4. Axl and his gang are always up to crazy things.

5. I know it will come and and I bet you ANYTHING WE WILL GET A CONCERT DVD WITH IT.

I like the positive thinking. Hope it's true!  8)

I think it'd be cool if they did that. But just for a heads up, would be fun to send a text to all those who signed up for news via text on the gnr website saying that CD comes out "tomorrow" the day before it comes out.

I don't think the concert DVD or ANY DVD will be released. ?It'll just be the album, with around 13 tracks. ?

I am at best buy and Walmart every Tuesday until 2007 when they open ( Walmart is 24 hours so , that will be kind of odd)

Haha your standing there and they bring out a big box. You ask "what is that stuff?" and they say "a new GNR album" and then you faint.  :P


GNR4L: Good thinking, I think there will be a press release, official word kind of thing before its out, but nice line of thinking.  :yes:

It could also come out on a friday

How could it come out on a Friday?  The press release just mentions Tuesdays, so wouldn't Friday be counted out because of what Merck said?

No, and because albums come to the stores on tues. If they are weary of the album leaking, the stores will be allowed to put out CD when they get it in on that friday. A few bands have done this in the past few? years. I am not saying that is going to happen but its something Universal can do if they want to

hmmm..guess that makes sense now.  I guess nov. 28 is looking to be THE day...too much speculation not to be right?

RE: CD Suprise Release Date Theory

Still the most retarded thing i've ever heard...

That is what I think it will be released on the friday before the 28th if its not the 21st. Because that would put it out on black friday and offically the 28th. It makes teh most sense

Correction: People don't KNOW it's coming.


Banking on word of mouth would be insane in the age of the downloader.


I don't see how releasing a single would add to the ridiculous "surprise" theory.


Crazy things like releasing a double disc at midnight, on new year's, after heavy promotion. Not stupid things like spending 13 years making an album then not telling anyone when they can listen to it.


Not sure how this pertains to the "surprise" theory either.

are you sure about that?

It will arrive with very short notice - several reasons exist - including releasing it before it leaks heavilly on the Internet - this is actually one of the bigger reasons.  The same thing that forced 50 Cent to release an album early before - they do not want this to happen.  It will be the 28th of November.

I have a Rhapsody subscription and albums are usually put on there at midnight the day of release. So I'll be looking for it tomorrow night at midnight, as well as next Monday at midnight, and so on...unless of course I really need some sleep (I have work at 8 AM on Tuesday's).

its depressing how many people i know that dont even know a song by GNR, or a member.  surprise release date=big failure

That would be awesome!!!!!

Exactly. And I'd hate to think that most peoples first exposure to Better will be associated with a tv commercial.

I love how a little sarcastic comment by management for a lousy magazine is now a "theory"

I dont see Mercks comment as at all sarcastic

This is no normal album, so dont expect the norm in terms of marketing strategy

They could double their initial exposure by doing something unusual, and pick up a more conventional approach once strong reviews come in and the second single is hitting the airwaves (ideally a big, ballady mainstream hit).

This could be a sustainable strategy

Jay-Z and U2 new album already leaked in the internet. If there any chanse for releasing CD this year or this month i think it will be in the net by now with thousands MF downloaders...

For all we know, it might already be out there somewhere. One of the VIP's recently alluded to something "big" existing beyond the "usual" places we all know to look...

Here's a theory as to why people need to quickly get over any notions of a surprise release: Santa Claus doesn't deliver CDs to stores on the morning of the (techincally non-)release without any prior notice and tell the store managers to move all the other new releases off the shelves to make space for an album which nobody knows about.

They wouldn't have done it in 1994 for the proper GNR and they won't do it in 2006 for the current model. The only possibility for an official surprise release is going to be via iTunes.

Who would buy it at Wal-Mart?!?!?! It will be freakin' edited if you do that.

Personally, I would think it would be quite ODD, if GN'R release this thing without some kind of bonus DVD of some sorts. It's becoming quite regular in new album releases to included a bonus DVD with the CD album. Usually there's nothing 'huge' on it, except for possibly a couple music videos and/or live performances, just as a little nugget with the album.

I wouldn't see a huge problem in doing this for Chinese Democracy.

Logic and past experience all but confirm that there will be THREE CD versions of Chinese Democracy released by Universal in the UK - a basic CD, CD+DVD and CD+DVD deluxe set. And then there's the vinyl.

I'm actually thinking we will be given a standard 13-track CD at first. After G&R hit big with a second or third single they will drop the deluxe version with a bonus DVD to lure the people in who dig the singles.

I see at as this, Chinese Democracy the album with no promotion for us die-hards, they want us to promote it amongst ourselves, and G&R will sit back and watch it's biggest fans go crazy for this thing. After G&R have fed us, they will gain new fans by giving them hit singles and a deluxe version of Chinese Democracy. I think that is when the promotion will start. about 6 months after we get the album. G&R know we need no promotion, as they been watching us promote this thing since day one.  : ok:

That wouldn't be a smart move to 'promote it for them'.

We can only cover so much ground, and I know just trying to get people to go out to the shows, I met alot of resistance from the 'it isn't GNR without Slash' naysayers.

That proves the point that the casual fan isn't ready, and has no knoweldge of the new stuff. That's why Guns will target those people later on, with the 2-3 hit singles.

But for now.

We know a big marketing campaign that is "different" is in the works. I feel that is us. An online community will be the promotion for us die hards, then when word get's out to the public, some casual fans will rush to see what went down and what they missed.

I think G&R want to prove to the world how much they actually support it's fans : ok:

No promotion would be a commercial suicide. I'm usually a quite optimistic person, I like to see the glass as half full rather than half empty, but I start to worry now. We are November 13th already... and still nothing, not even a dawn single word about the record. It's frustrating
it's like a long suspense that never ends. Seriously, what happens? ???

With The Beatles, Oasis, U2 and [*sigh*] Westlife all releasing Christmas cash-ins next week, Chinese Democracy would only make top 5 at best as it is.

I've said it before, but this time of year is all about marketing and advertising. Sorry to keep pissing on the party, but everyone really does need to accept that Chinese Democracy won't be coming out this year.

Even if it isn't out this year, the release must be coming soon. I mean, they have "Better" on the HD ad. On the Harley website it says "from the forthcoming album Chinese Democracy". Good signs, surely? And of course, it's also promotion. I wish people would stop saying it would be stupid to release it with no promotion. They won't. But if the rumours are to be believed there will be a massive marketing push just before it's release.

If it isn't this year it will be next year, sure, but then it won't be until March probably.

When CD comes out this year, I'm going to start a thread with a list of names that have said, "It's not coming out this year."  IT WILL BE OUT THIS YEAR and my list of names saying otherwise, is growing by the day.  I just think it will be good for a laugh to prove to the people that think they know everything, that they obviously don't.

I wish you people would realise that there is 1000s of stores world wide.
there are 10000s of people involved in getting the cds to the customer.


you cant be that naive...
they cant release it without anyone knowing about it.
we'll know, even if jesus christ was helping them, we'd know at least 5 days in advance(there's always a judas around).
and without supreme help, we'd know 10-15 days, if in fact they do want to keep it secret as long as possible.

there's no presedan on such event.
in 50 years never did something like that happen.


they might not officially anounce it via press release.
but we'll know. officially or unofficially...
we'll know for crying out loud.

when will you people grow up.


please mysterion, merck, axl,... whever!
stop this nonsence.

And how are you so sure?

it damn well better be this year. ?it'll be axl bashfest '07 if it doesn't. ?because this time it actually came from the man himself that the shit is coming and he meet soooOoOOooOo much resistance if he lied.

Just as long as you post the list on January 1 when the CD has failed to materialize with the topic title 'People who know more than me' ?: ok:

OK, I got a theory (just a fun idea, please do not delete).  What if the record label listed the album with fictitious artist/album name, but the bar codes were correctly linked to CD.  This way, the stores would be blissfully unaware until they cracked open their stock on Tuesday AM, only to discover the listing error on the part of the label.  This would get CD into the stores under the cover of deliberate incompetence on the part of the label.  : ok:

Ok, I think that's fair.  Although it will say, "People that knew more than the rest of us."

I have a few different reasons.  Just wait and see Polluxlm, just wait and see.

You better have, or I'll find out where you live :hihi:

stores order the copies in advance. they need to know what they are ordering, and how many copies they are ordering.
you dont expect the record store to order 100 copies of an album "Yellow Monkey" by "fruitlobster".

Exactly. Thank you. I wonder if the people who think Axl and co. are just trying to surprise everyone believe Santa is the one who's going to put their presents under the tree next month.

here's something I said on CD.com in a similar thread to this one:




if they really want to make us go "loco"
they dont need to keep the date a secret.
they only need to confuse the hell out of us.
and we already are confused (intentionally or unitentionally)
simplest way to cofuse the hell out of us, is
send diferent release dates to diferent sources

like send Nov21st to RS, nov28th to Kerrang, dec5th to HMV, dec 12 to Virgin, dec.19th to amazon
and we'd be confused as hell, wouldnt know a god damn thing.

I just dont see the practical use to it, except screwing around with a bunch of exhausted, fans.

That would only be true with no promotion at all. One could easily start promotion after the release. After all, that's when people will be buying it.

there's the mass histeria effect.
when bunch of people do something, the rest will follow.
if a bunch of people were to buy CD when it debutes, the idiots will follow.
if Cd has low sale numbers the first week, the idiots will asume the album will crap, and wont even bother to check it out.

unfortunately thats how the 21st century works. especially in usa/eu

post of the day ward right there , thanxs for typing what I  have been thinking

Well, if it is coming out this year, the marketing plan is truly terrible and ill-conceived (as have been the N. America touring plans of 2002 and 2006). ? There is a cool, non- overhyped way to market the mysterious arrival of CD, other than simply providing nothing aside from last-minute news. ?For instance, you buy a series of billboards in LA, NY and Chicago (or handbills) that say something like "Democracy Coming?" or something else, which would generate hype in a less obnxious way than the Jay-Z saturation. ?There are, of course, a thousand other ideas.

But the basic concept is that you definitely need some attention to marketing with this album because its primarily only the hardcore fans that are hyped about this. ?The general public -- which is what you need to reach to have this album be considered a success in light of its costs -- doesn't really know nor care much about this album. ?It just makes no sense to lowball the marketing under these circumstances.

not necessarily...  bob dylan's modern times didn't leak until it arrived in stores a couple of days before the release date.  it isn't impossible to prevent leaks.

To release this album without any promotion is killing it before it even starts.

This album has alot of inherent credibility issues to overcome as it is in terms of public perception. Releasing it with no promo guarantees it will open poorly on the Billboard charts, and it will be killed by the media as a monster bust for selling so few copies opening week. People don't sit there and analyze why that is, they just assume it bombed by selling poorly. There is no way anyone associated with the band can assume that is the best scenario to make this project a success.

The only conclusion we can reach at this time is they must have next to know budget to do any sort of major ad campaign/promo. There is no way the label would tell them they can have a ton of money to promote it, and the management group would say "no thanks" we would rather release it with no promo so no one knows its out. If they had the budget we would be seeing promotion. The fact we are into the middle of November with nothing means they don't have anything to work with financially, so they have to seek other alternative strategy's that can be done at minimal cost.

well I believe that Axl, Merck, and the rest of the "gang" are doing this in their own interest.
If they are confortable with the way things are going, why should we doubt?
after all, they are the ones risking the most with this kind of behaviour, strategy.

I believe that when the time comes they will unleash the fury of promotion.
I'm sure that the promotion will be well noted, and that it will happen at least 2 weeks before the album is out.

if the date is 28th Nov......they better hurry up.

I also wonder why "people" still post on HTGTH when they talk shit about everyone here on Mygnr??  Some things we'll never know.

wrong thread dude.

I really hope it's true as I want to get my hands on the CD, I just cant see how they are going to do it.
Also the advert getting pulled makes it look like another false start.
Like I say hope it comes out but cant see how its feasible so late in the year

If we get the CD, I don't think anyone will care if they are on the list or not.

Both sides are just waiting to say "SEE? I WAS RIGHT!" to the other... but if you're on the side saying the CD won't be out, your consolation prize for being wrong IS the CD, it's win-win for those people. ? :hihi:

Oh, could you point me to Jim's Santa Claus thread then??

I'm giving the band, management and label a break, and not rip their credibility until the day actually comes when the CD is made available.
For the past 4 years, I've criticized anyone who suggested the "surprise" CD release. Anyone who works in Marketing or Advertising knows the risk of doing this, in addition to the amazingly difficult logistics in actually pulling it off.
As of now, it appears that if the CD comes out on NOV. 28th, it will NOT have any presence in the Sunday circular ads that normally advertise new releases. I've seen the ads through December, and it's not there.

The only possible way I see Nov. 28th happening, is a heavy campaign through TV and internet, as well as possibly selling the CDs at the venues of their tour dates.

I keep telling myself that there's no way a band as big as GnR can tour twice in a 5-year span, in support of a CD that still doesn't exist. It HAS to be coming out. And even with tickets selling well in a lot of markets, they would be selling well in ALL markets if they had a single on the radio and a CD coming out.
It's just crazy.

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=39163.msg793366#msg793366

I wasn't being entirely serious, but if they were going to use such a technique, then surely they wouldn't need to have 100 copies per store.  A low key, unannounced launch would be enough to generate enough media interest for the big push to follow.   

I'm sure most large suppliers would stock all releases by the larger lables, such as Interscope, even if by an unknown artist.

I dont think so.
even well known artists such as malmsteen are rarely in greater stocks at record store.
I doubt any record store would order many copies of a band called "swimming bannana" :peace:, or "savage animal" :hihi:

Ha.. Thanks.
What? I talk shit about people from HTGTH on here, too. Namely the people who think Axl Clause is going to deliver millions of copies of Chinese Democracy to all of the record store's stockings in one night to surprise all the children.

Well, he did cure Parkinson's.

online surprise release.

stores order the copies in advance. they need to know what they are ordering, and how many copies they are ordering.
you dont expect the record store to order 100 copies of an album "Yellow Monkey" by "fruitlobster".

I wasn't being entirely serious, but if they were going to use such a technique, then surely they wouldn't need to have 100 copies per store.? A low key, unannounced launch would be enough to generate enough media interest for the big push to follow.? ?

I'm sure most large suppliers would stock all releases by the larger lables, such as Interscope, even if by an unknown artist.

Unless it's a mom and pop store, the buying is done by the corporation's music buyers. If you're talking about a store like Best Buy or WalMart, they're buying product for hundreds (in wal marts case, thousands) of stores. The buying team places their order based on radio airplay of the single, planned promotion by the record company, sales history from that artist, and by the quality of the new CD itself (label reps and sometimes band members themselves will make personal trips to these retail headquarters to help sell their product to the buyers).
It's entirely possible that store employees and management may not know it's coming until a couple days prior, but  the music buyers definitely need to know what they're buying. Interscope can't just say "we've got 25,000 units of SOMETHING" and you need to buy it and send it along to all your stores.

By forcing the fans to give you publicity free of charge, while you rake in the cash?

How's that proving you support the fans?

I think they've got some kind of ace up their sleeve, OR they have no money for promo. I don't think word of mouth is how they are going to sell this thing, seeing how they have alot to live up to it, plus the record company would never sign off on something like this, with this kind of investment.

I cannot believe this record hasn't got a release date yet.

I'm personally about to enter my sixth year of lurking around internet forums waiting for this album. Many people have waited longer. It's ridiculous.

It's DEFINATELY coming this year though...?! Right...?!  :confused:

Whatever. I've heard it a million times.

i never was really into this "Suprise Release Date Theory", but since Jay Z's new album is already on the internet...at least from this perspective, it would be a clever move.

What crazy things are Axl and the gang always up to?

I don't remember there being any.

Ha! Looks like I could be in the right ball park! http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=39171.0   :smoking:

well, the topic was deleted...... :confused: ;)

The rumour mill is on fire.
They're just trying to put it out.

I wouldn't want to tell anyone how to do their jobs, but I can think of another way to put out a rumor fire... perhaps with a bucket brigade of official album release info :)

But the cloak & dagger approach IS kind of fun.

Fingers crossed!  ;D

So, how reable is this guy?
Take this as it is.. a rumour..  :yes:

Said guy would be very reliable

What makes you think that?

His history and character.

release date:
europe 23
usa 28

Why do you belive that?.. could be any fucking day..

SHIT! I taped the game and was trying so hard to not hear the score...

Now this whole thread's gonna be deleted. Thanks dude.

I'm missing something here... LookingGlass?  or someone else?  (My head hurts, can't go through this thread again). :(

Just woken up to discover that.  Would be great if this is how they went about it (well, I'd feel rather smug, anyhow)  ;)

From another board.

Hello, I am deputy manager of HMV Guernsey, 2 hours ago I recieved a phone call from the manager (also a big GNR fan) telling me that we will be recieving a shipment of an album allegedly titled "Blue Tree's and Greem Grass" by a band called Far Downs on Wednesday afternoon for a November 20th release. (More on this later)

This is a fairly large shipment we are recieving, ie it is the identical size shipment of the recent Girls Aloud Greatest Hits (sales are relative across seas folks, not to scare American fans). Not out of the ordinairy, but I know, as well as the next music fan does that no such band exists.

We believe that this is in fact Chinese Democracy and that the title is simply a smoke screen, our distributor can tell us no information other than the title and the pallets (containing both advertising stuff as well as the CD) cannot be opened until November 19th.

So if I'm wrong shoot me, if I'm right praise be to HMV.

So on Sunday you will know for sure? When is it intended to be released?

i dont know.... i pulled that from another board... sorry i forgot to note that... ill correct it now..

I cant access HMVs website.. but can someone else not jus do an email asking for a date on this mysterious album and send it to a handful of branches? surely if a few reply with yes then its a massive plus point.

its evident that when this album is released they will release it under a different name...

face it, if this thing leaks it will be THE MOST DOWNLOADED CD EVER..

and that will really hurt sales...

I doubt it. I bet any average pop album gets downloaded more than CD.

really??? Chinese Democracy leaks were played ALL OVER the radio when it leaked.. IRS went to #40 on the rock charts....

when the hell does a demo leak from a band do that????

I believe posts like that one above are posted just to try to stir shit up.

OFCOURSE CD will be all over the torrents and wherever else with at least double to competition.

Now, hopefully all those peeps go out and BUY the album too!

If you're referring to my post; No, I wasn't trying to stir up shit. I think that some of us vastly over-estimate the interest in CD outside of the GNR fanbase. I would hope that it'll pick up steam after it's released, but if it leaked today I'm confident in saying that it would be downloaded less than the average regularly charting pop act.