Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Whoa - check out billboard.com - watch the Flash at the top!!!  5th screen fade in. 

Cool... But I clicked "Read More" and the page is under construction... ???

Yeah...

what is it, I dont see anything :-[

yeah no tiki no laundry

just went up - saw the link broken too.

http://bbstage.vnuemedia.net/

Great...lol Can't believe such a big site like billboard.com would link to an "Under Construction" page on their homepage...I mean, it's not 1998 anymore, people are paid to make sure such things don't happen anymore...It's just an "Ask Billboard" section anyway, so I don't think it's anything groundbreaking.

lol, figures that anything related in any way to chinese democracy always says "coming soon"

what have you seen? i cant see any flash thing relating to GNR

i dont know what ppl are seeing

Go onto Interact at the top, then click Ask Billboard... you'll find this...

Hi Keith,

Both Axl Rose and his management have promised the long-delayed Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy" will be released by the end of 2006.

Considering that it's the middle of November, is this still possible? How far in advance do retailers need in order to have product on their shelves? Every retailer I've contacted has said it's not "in the system" as having a release date this year.

Thanks!

Dan Elsenrath
Duluth, Minn.


Hi Dan,

Not surprisingly, "Chinese Democracy" still does not have a release date set yet... at least, not one that has been announced, or placed on Universal Music Group Distribution's release schedule.

But, let's pretend that Axl Rose and his management keep that promise of releasing the album before the end of the year. Can it physically be done? I consulted with Ed Christman, our Retail Editor, and he gave me a lot of insight.

If the album is complete and mastered and the album artwork has been completed, then the set could conceivably be manufactured and shipped to retailers within a month. Of course, a digital release could come even swifter - but I doubt that an album with such a high profile would opt to go the digital-only route.

So, even though the album's release date hasn't been announced, there is still a glimmer of hope that it could -- in theory -- see store shelves before the close of the year. (Though at this point, it's looking like it will come out the very last week of December at the earliest.)

Earlier this year, to compare, Neil Young rush released his "Living with War" album in three weeks time. His record label, Reprise, received the finished album in mid-April and was able to manufacture and ship the set to retailers in time for a May 8 release date. The significant difference here is that Young's album had a smaller initial shipment -- under 200,000.

Because of the small initial shipment, it didn't require as much time to manufacture and ship the album.

With a Guns N' Roses title, you can expect that the initial shipment would easily surpass 500,000. With that many CDs needing to be pressed and shipped, it would take longer to produce. Still, if Rose decided to flip the switch today, "Chinese Democracy" could still make a late December release.

ya, I still dont see anything, what is it...

Nothing yet - same dead link - it was just updated - ?but when stuff shows up on that spot on billboard it's usually a good sign. ?We shall see.

K seen it now. had the GNR symbol and ask here or something

hmm.. thanks for the note

I think it is very significant that Billboard is setting up a section for questions on a cd that does not have an announced release date yet.

Another sign the announcement or release is around the corner, IMO.

Kinda like they're trying to haul us back from our graves of despair. We'll know a few things by the 21th.

That section has always been there, and you can ask questions about anything music-related. ?Someone asked if it could still be released this year... and they gave an answer.

Isn't the harley ad rumored to drop this weekend? ?Guess everyone will know whether or not November is happening in the next 10 days.

It really must be a positive thing that Billboard currently have a sight under construction dedicated to GNR CD...something's happening people....whether it will be seen all the way through is another matter...

It seems there are plans that we do not know of....

oh please Axl, flip the switch TODAY!!!!!

There is no site under construction... I repeat, no site under construction!

The article seems to imply that a release date "needs" to be announced, and it doesn't mention a "surprise" release. ?What if the final product was delivered before the start of the tour, that would then make a November release possible?

flip the switch, axl

this could be somethin

This is what the sane people here have been saying all along.

http://billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/index.jsp

Here you go

Yep. And therefore, if there is any flipping of switches to be done it will have been done by now, we just dont no bout it yet.

This guy is assuming a lot of stuff. Everything could be made already and doesn't have to go through the process that he described.

Ok...I admit I am extremely pished....please ignore my post :P :hihi:

But until the end of December none of us truely knows that the album is/isn't coming out this year

Oh well, that was fun while it lasted.


Flip the switch

I would guess everything is done and they are waiting until when to drop it..

So most of the "sane" people are blind then. many people with experience of the industry have explained on this board, time and time again, why a "surprise" release is possible, if tricky. but certainly possible.

is that seriously all it is? it still says under construction when i do it.

quick question for everyone - http://bbstage.vnuemedia.net/ - where is this gonna go?

Cus this link is different that was just posted? 

http://billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/index.jsp

And those look like 2 distinctly different links to me - not some URL error.  Great - now it's got me speculating. 

I could have done the same thing as this idiot and called it the greatest all know all response ever... This guy has no clue to what has taken place or not... just assuming a lot of bull shit...

when you click on the one before that says interact, it takes you right to it, still says under construction on the gnr one.

The first URL is where billboard sends you when you click an invalid link.  It just looks like when they put the Flash stuff on there, they didn't link it properly.

whos to say the switch hasnt already been flipped, why would this guy know if its allegedly a suprise release.

the word being given behind the scenes bares no relation to whether it will be a surpsise release. we masy be told a release date soon, or we may not. either way, the decision could well already be made. lets face it, there isnt much time for a big build up now.

I have no idea what this has to do with my post.

btw, could they have used an uglier picture of brittney.

because you seem to be implying that the guy thinks the word has not yet been given (maybe he does think this but you know that isnt necasarily true), and all the guy said is that there is no reason why it cant be released by "surprise"  :beer:

It's so amusing that a link that links to nothing fuels so much speculation.

Damn we are starved for news! :hihi:

ah, now I get it.  I was also saying that it could be out sooner, because the switch has already been flipped.  But I get your point.

Ah yes. it seems i misunderstood a little to but it seems we have the same understanding really  : ok: :peace:

I know, it sucks, plus Im between jobs till after Thanks giving, so I honestly have way too much free time right now. 

well this guy, knows about what he is talking, unless the album was shipped and printed undercover, i mean with another band name, its likely not coming out this year ?:'(

Indeed!

its possible that they would put a fake cover over the real one iguess, but it a lot to do and i dont really think the coveer art side o things matters.

or theyd just put it in a paper bag over it..

there is no need to do that

just to say to some workers you gotta print " X band" cover, and all they were doing is printing CD without knowing

im sure that stuff is done.. I remember I cant think of the guys name, I think its the same guy who did the Velvet revolver album. but he did the artwork...

The link works fine for me:

http://billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/index.jsp

hope you are right, and the shipment is done too under other band name

With a Guns N' Roses title, you can expect that the initial shipment would easily surpass 500,000. With that many CDs needing to be pressed and shipped, it would take longer to produce. Still, if Rose decided to flip the switch today, "Chinese Democracy" could still make a late December release.

Interesting stuff.

is it safe to say they are pressing cds now???

thats what I think.

I wonder though where they would be doing it, obviosly they are wanting to keep it secret..

Hmm.  "Curiousier and curiouser..."

That's an awfully big "ad" to promote the answering of a reader question...

the guys probably just using it to whore out his name, knowing that gnr is on the hotbed, its an easy way to get people to read your article and know your name. Also an easy way for the site to get some extra hits, I know I never went to billboard before today.

I go to Billboard every day. An OFFICIAL site for music news....not gossip. The article in question is nothing more than a writer speculating, nothing more.

hes talking about the big ad on the front page, saying its a little much for a speculation, not news article.

This IS weird.  I thought I was the only GNR fan named Dan left here in Duluth.  I wonder if he's driving down to the MSP show next month and he wants to carpool.


Danny

DMAN, that is NOT an ad. Period. End of discussion. They just used the logo to entice you to go in to that guys question and answer segment. ::)

yeah your right, I just get angry when I see anything thats not a release date. I didnt say it was an ad though.

very strange....why would they have such a huge ad with a broken link? This is so typical GnR :):)

I doubt CD has been pressed yet.  I think that all albums (especially albums as anticipated as CD) are leaked soon after they hit the pressing process.  I assume we will know when the albumis being pressed.  Even if it doesn't leak, someone will say something and we will hear about it.  Too hard to get that many people to stay quiet.

not neccessecarily... People in pressing plants sign orders... and I doubt they really Know what they are pressing...


MOST CDS leak once Promo copies are given out... not once they start to get pressed

well first question there is "when is realising date"?

I'm not sure why everyone is so convinced that they're going to get information and leaks from a pressing plant. I'm sure it's possible but I don't see any reason why it's bound to happen, even with a high profile release. It's not as though there's thousands of people on the plant floor individually handling cds. It seems to me to be much more likely that a leak would come from an individual with an advance copy.

Neither did I.  Kind of a misleading attention grabber, as well.  Still, hopefully a sign of good things to come...

if the quickest they could get CD on the shelves at this point is late December, they are better off postponing the release yet again. 

http://billboard.com/bbcom/releases/index.jsp

All Releases have been removed!!! I wonder whats up??? Perhaps they are prepping for the NEW GUNS N ROSES ALBUM or They Got Hacked, and the Article is false?

Maybe they are updating the lists?  I don't follow that site, so I'm not sure how that would be done....

Probably a case of:
- hiding the contents
- updating the database
- show the contents again

But I wonder why they don't put a "under construction", "temporarily unavailable" on the page. Could be lazyness.

Or they just have a little problem with their site, and you're all just seeing water in the desert.

Unless I'm seening a catched page, the releases are still hidden  ??? 

I'm gonna go with Billboard.com website problems rather then them preparing to let loose the CD release date though ;)

;D

Albums scheduled for U.S. release. All details subject to change without notice. Report discrepancies and missing titles to amgresponse@allmusic.com.

( this was on the release page)

so billboard gets their info from allmusic.com,

If CD is really going to come out of nowhere then we wont know its coming out until a few days before its set to be released.

Either way, surprise release or not, we should know something in the next week or so. If we have no new information by december I just don't see it happening.

I refuse to be a fool :smoking: