Guns N' Roses Files Lawsuit against Greatest Hits

[RnT]

and founding member W. Axl Rose is concerned that not only will their audience be misled into believing that the planned compilation is an authorized release, but that it will hinder the release of the band's long awaited new studio album CHINESE DEMOCRACY.

so that means that the album will (?) be out before RIR4 ... couse RIR 4 IS 2 MONTHS ahead today... and this GH will hinder the release of CD?

[ppbebe]

"A REUUUNNNIIIOOONNNNN??!?!?!!"  

 :no:I hope not. I love both new bands.

[Dont Try Me]

W. Axl Rose is joined by former band members Slash and Duff McKagan in bringing the action against Geffen Records.

sooo, they finally found something they agree about!
seriously, I got goosebumps reading that sentence...

hmm, Seems like the former members still care about the Gn'R name. But what will happen when Axl Releases CD? What will Slash's and Duff's reaction be? Also a lawsuit?

[kujo722]

"The best way to make something popular is to ban it."

I don't know, maybe I'm just a cynical MF'r, but this looks like a publicity stunt. As someone already mentioned, alot of people who normally wouldn't have purchased this release will now buy it to have it in case it does get pulled from the shelves.

I know we have been hearing about the internal discontent over this for a while now, but it still seems like a publicity stunt. Just my opinion.

[Pandora]

I'm really happy to see that Axl, Slash and Duff stick together in this, even if they're not in direct contact  

[pilferk]

Just a few comments:

1) I think this fundamentaly affirms Mysteron's legitamacy as a source of GnR info.  It's pretty much played out exactly as he said it would, more or less.  I realize this thread isn't about him, but still...I think it bears emphasis.

2) The fact that Duff and Slash are in agreement over GH just affirms the bands position.  It certainly adds legitamacy to the claims, and doesn't paint Axl as a whiner just trying to get "his way".  I do hope, though, that people don't (and I see there is some of it already) read too much into their agreeing.  I doubt they've talked at all...I'm sure it's lawyers and managers acting as intermediaries in the whole process.  

3) I'm not surprised by the timing.  It'll mean that, if the injunction is adopted by the judge (and in these cases they usually are, until the issue can be resolved), that Geffen's not going to really have time to mount much of a defense.  GH will probably not see the shelves in the US for awhile.  I'm not at all sure how that translates into the world market, though.  I have doubts that any court ordered injunction would have jurisdiction outside the US, but I'll admit I'm fuzzy on that.

[bolton]

i think the reason why axl didn't realised cd,was because he belived in reunion with slash and duff!he knew if he realised new album(with gnr name) that was mean the end of gnr.he knew this too "AXL AND SLASH ARE THE BEST COMBINATION IN RNR MUSIC"

[pilferk]

W. Axl Rose is joined by former band members Slash and Duff McKagan in bringing the action against Geffen Records.

sooo, they finally found something they agree about!
seriously, I got goosebumps reading that sentence...

hmm, Seems like the former members still care about the Gn'R name. But what will happen when Axl Releases CD? What will Slash's and Duff's reaction be? Also a lawsuit?

Also, consider the residual/royalty rate on this GH is vastly less than what they earn on the "real" catalog.  GH albums, generally, result in back catalog selling fewer copies.  That means that GH could also impact Slash and Duff financially....it may be that as much as any real feeling in regards to the GnR name.

[insupportofaxl]

Pilferk,

How does this affect the GH that people in Europe have?  How can they try and block it when it's already been available in Europe?

[loretian]

i think the reason why axl didn't realised cd,was because he belived in reunion with slash and duff!he knew if he realised new album(with gnr name) that was mean the end of gnr.he knew this too "AXL AND SLASH ARE THE BEST COMBINATION IN RNR MUSIC"

No offense, but why are you even posting this?  If you've paid any attention to anything in the Gn'R world in the last few years, this obviously isn't the case.

Anyway, pilferk, all of those are good points.  I'm a little surprised at the timing though.  Apparently this was in the works for a little while, why didn't the file the lawsuit sooner, before the album was released in other places?   I'm not really asking you, I'm just wondering out loud.

Also, apparently they attemped the same thing with the DVD releases, but failed.  I wonder why they think they have a chance now.

It is nice to see we are indeed regarded by the band is their "loyal audience", that primarily being us at HTGTH, I imagine.  

[Dont Try Me]

Pilferk,

How does this affect the GH that people in Europe have?  How can they try and block it when it's already been available in Europe?

It will make it a collecters item for sure.....

[John Daniels]

damn. don't fucking buy it and why Axl and co. take the legal actions so late?? I mean the GH album is already in stores..

[SINSHINE]

Okay...this is getting a bit more interesting. It seems to me that CD may certainly have been planned for a release in the not to distant future (maybe even for Rio as some speculate).

Although I believe the GH has a flawed track listing, some substitutions (Ain't It Fun, Since I, Sympathy, Yesterdays, Live N' Let Die OUT and Estranged, Rocket Queen, Nightrain, and Mr. Brownstone IN) and an earlier release date (like last year) would've been a smart move. Although I enjoyed Live Era, I felt a more traditional GH package (studio recordings) would be a good way to "package" the original band and make way for the new one.

Not sure what to make of Duff and Slash being on board with this lawsuit, however, I'm sure it's just their lawyers talking and not the boys themselves. Don't get your hopes up for a reunion, people.

All in all, I think these legal actions may potentially speak volumes about the strength of Chinese Democracy. Or, it may just be a ploy for GN'R to seperate from Geffen and Universal Music (a loophole perhaps). Either way, I surely hope it doesn't slow the process of CD's release...sadly, though, I think it might.

[madagas]

Slash doesn't give two shits about Axl anymore. It is about money and a very poor representation of a great band. I am suprised Izzy did not get involved, especially considering the amount of his personal songwriting credits. He would have a large stake in any royalties (or lack thereof) with this shitty compilation.

[Doc Emmett Brown]

Why does GH have to "hinder the release" of Chinese Democracy?   Axl is the one who toured singing the hits of the old band!

Slash & Duff arent letting GH affect Contraband.   They're against it for monetary reasons (sale of back catalogue as mentioned earlier)

Someone please give me a simple explanation for my stupid brain why GH has to delay CD?  It sounds like another lame excuse to delay.  Is he so afraid that GH will remind people of what once was, and never will be again?


Stop wasting time Axl.

[insupportofaxl]

"The best way to make something popular is to ban it."

I don't know, maybe I'm just a cynical MF'r, but this looks like a publicity stunt. As someone already mentioned, alot of people who normally wouldn't have purchased this release will now buy it to have it in case it does get pulled from the shelves.

I know we have been hearing about the internal discontent over this for a while now, but it still seems like a publicity stunt. Just my opinion.

I agree with you Kujo.  

[rockTHEworld]

fuck,.... like i said before: i just bought the new GH album....

please do me a favour and tell me if i should bring it back to the store or not...

[pilferk]

insupportofaxl,
   Well, the answer is: I don't know.  I don't think that any injunction filed by GnR, and adopted by U.S. Courts, would have any effect on the release in other parts of the world.  I could be wrong (as I've said, I'm not an attorney), but I'm pretty sure that, even though both parties are U.S. entities, that Geffen, especially since the product is already released, would only have to abide by the injuntion IN the U.S.  I'd love to see evidence to the contrary, if anyone can find it.

loretian,
  Pretty much the same answer as above, even though your question was more rhetorical.  I think GnR's best bet, in their opinion, is to fight the battle in U.S. courts, rather than in other countries.  And who knows...maybe they waited so long because there were negotiations going on with Geffen to stop the release.  Those negotiations could have been ongoing right up until the release...today in the UK...and when they failed, THEN GnR went to court.  Again, that's complete and total speculation on my part (and I don't even think that's what happened..it's just possible).  I rather suspect the timing is very deliberate, though.....

[loretian]

Someone please give me a simple explanation for my stupid brain why GH has to delay CD?  It sounds like another lame excuse to delay.  Is he so afraid that GH will remind people of what once was, and never will be again?

My understanding is this:

1) It's not a good Gn'R release.  The reasons for this have been gone over numerous times, so I won't get into it here.
2) Axl and co don't want Geffen to put out a Greatest Hits release that they don't feel lives up to the Gn'R name.
3) So, they're initiating a lawsuit to stop it
4) I doesn't seem likely that they'd release a new album with the record company they are trying to sue to stop releasing another album at the same time.  Besides this, I imagine Sanctuary has to devote much of their Gn'R team to the lawsuit instead of planning the release.

Contraband is being released on an entirely different label with different management and different companies altogether, so it wouldn't be affected by this.

[pilferk]

Why does GH have to "hinder the release" of Chinese Democracy?   Axl is the one who toured singing the hits of the old band!

Slash & Duff arent letting GH affect Contraband.   They're against it for monetary reasons (sale of back catalogue as mentioned earlier)

Someone please give me a simple explanation for my stupid brain why GH has to delay CD?  It sounds like another lame excuse to delay.  Is he so afraid that GH will remind people of what once was, and never will be again?


Stop wasting time Axl.

A "simple" explanation is tough.  Let me present a couple of ways it could delay CD, though:

1) It pisses Axl off.  That's never a good thing.....and we all know he can be difficult, to be nice, to work with when pissed off.  So, if GH pisses him off, it could delay CD.  Granted, that's not the most likely reason.

2) GH is considered a material breech of contract by the courts.  That nullifies the contract with Geffen....and all the material is split up by the courts.  Maybe Axl gets the CD masters, maybe not.  If not, CD goes in the vaults and is released in 20 years (approx).  Even if he does, Axl now has to shop for a new label, and start some of the process over again.  Now, that's a doomsday scenario, but it's certainly possible.