From what I've seen, if ya give out info before it's 100% confirmed, and things don't happen as planned, it leads to people feeling betrayed, so info should only come at the final moment when all the piece are in place.
Obviously that statement puts the nail in the coffin for a 2006 release (for those of you that still believed a 2006 release was possible.)
With two more Tuesdays in Merck's 13 Tuesday blurb, as Ron said, if all the pieces aren't in place.....we haven't heard the CD is coming out because all the pieces aren't in place, so.....no CD.
The idea of dropping the CD in stores with no adavance warning whatsoever is very rock'n'roll, but if you believe that the label would allow that to happen after all they've invested in this disc over the last ten years......
Do you guys remember when they released the Greatest Hits CD? There was tons of promotion for that, and that was just a compilation disc, when this band get's ready to drop new material, there will be no shortage of publicity and fanfare.
It's also a fair guess as to why we've not heard an official announcement that the CD won't be out this year.
I don't think GNR or management can release a statement saying the album won't be coming out without saying when it WILL be coming.
As Ron put it, you can't make a committment like that until you have the pieces in place, or you will get the kind of reaction we will see when Jan. 1 arrives and people finally have to accept that there will be no CD in '06, despite Merck's assurances.
Having said all that, I am still fully behind this band, and whenever the CD drops I'll be lined up to buy it.
You know, there could be a real positive to this whole thing.
I really believe that Axl is very much a perfectionist, and I believe he had some concerns about how this album would be received.
I think the reaction to the leaks, and to the new tracks being played during the tours in '06, will help assure Axl that fans really like the new stuff, it'll be well received, and they can go ahead and get the album out there.