The Most Expensive Album Never Made

[Voodoochild]

the article is already roling here in Brazil

here?s the link to one of the sites more visited on the internet:

http://noticias.uol.com.br/midiaglobal/nytimes/2005/03/07/ult574u5168.jhtm

from: www.uol.com.br

I've translated the full article and posted since saturday. And this UOL translation is poor and have only the first half. Here's the link to the brazilian forum with the full article on portuguese:

http://www.gnrforum.brlogic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1176&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 

[Eva GnRAxlRosette]

Having employees sign a confidentiality agreement as part of their employment contract...
IT IS A STANDARD BUSINESS PRACTICE.
Are there those of you who would hold this against Axl and/or the GN'R camp or anyone they do business with?

Quite a few celebrities use confidential agreements yes, but Axl takes it to the extreme, when he tries to control the media.? The famous media contracts that he had drawn up in the early nineties, demanding a reporter's sources and such, requesting final approval over what is written about him, using his personal friends to write GnR articles, etc.? It's ludicrous to try and control every word that is written about you.? If that is not a deep reflection of insecurity I don't know what is.

Axl does have business interests to protect, sure, but it is just a band right?? It's just music?? Hopefully it's great music, but nothing about his behaviour is reasonable, Axl's control issues are pathological at minimum and completely looney at worst.?

obviously Axl (nor any other celebrity) can control the media and as there is no way to do so... none attempt to control what is printed about them.  What we are talking about here is control over an INTERVIEW.  If YOU were in his position and granted an interview YOU would want to make sure YOU weren't gonna get FUCKED IN THE ASS as soon as the reporter turned off his tape recorder.

anyone can write anything they want about anyone.  first amendment etc.  (short of libel of course).  BUT who in their right mind is GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN and FACILITATE their own skewering/cruxifiction?  NO ONE!  Not KNOWINGLY!  Which is what those interview agreements arrangements are about.  Its like this.  Take your pick.  You get the interview OR you write your own shit - but, I'll have nothing to do with it.   ANY WRITER who had nothing to hide... no ulterior agenda... no nails hidden in their pocket w/ cross at the ready behind them would object.  They would take the interview under these terms.  If not they are free as always to write their little hearts out as they please BUT NOT WITH the benefit of the 'victim's assistance. 

The press is free... the press is free... blah blah blah.   Fine.  Okay.  So is Axl and any other artist / celebrity to pick and choose their terms for granting an interview.   Who ever doesn't like it could STICK IT 

[younggunner]

Regardless of whether the nu GNR album ever comes out or not, there's no denying that Axl really messed up his career. He could have diversified and done so much - what a talent - some of you people don;t even realize that. He got too distracted with his bullshit and we fans are the ones who have to pay

How has he messed up his career? It definately sounds like hes not losing sleep at night with all the "abuse", etc he has taken over the last decade.

The one thing that ultimately will effect his career is one thing. An album called Chinese Democracy. And guess what Axls main focus has been while not being in the spotlight...you guessed it...CD. So in the short term everyone can say and think what they want about him but the ultimate judgement will be from the album.


How do you know hes not diversifieing and doing so much? Or using his talents. Just because someone decides to stay out of the public eye doesnt mean they have stop working.
As many have said, Axl doesnt care about the spotlight. Hes more concerned in making the music he wants to make. And he put himself in a position where he can do what he wants without being followed, or whatever else comes with being a celebrity and is able to keep people intereste din what hes doing. Hes kinda got the best of both worlds for the situiation that he wants to be in.
 He has obivioulsy taken a beating PR wise over the past 10 yrs but again, he doesnt seem to care that much. Of course its ashame to see Axl waste his prime years out of the spotlight. But thats part of Axl we all overlook. After the Illusions he found more important things to do...especially personally. Plus hes able to have such a mythical type persona while not even doing naything. How can you beat that? So he just takes the abuse and hopefully, ultimately, as Merck said...he will have the last laugh...when it REALLY counts...

[Booker Floyd]

their own skewering/cruxifiction??

 

Youve got a pretty warped perception of "crucifixion" if thats how you describe this particular article.

[Eva GnRAxlRosette]

their own skewering/cruxifiction??

 

Youve got a pretty warped perception of "crucifixion" if thats how you describe this particular article.

I wasn't describing this article.? If you note I was speaking in general terms regarding Axl not wanting to participate in a feature or grant an interview if he felt that would be the result.  NO ONE would knowingly do so.

[marcos]

What a great article. It was as balanced as it gets. It was more balanced than that RS article from 2001 which painted a more distorted picture of the situation. Here at least it is based on testimonies - not speculations about where Axl's head was at. It doesn't really take any cheap shot at Axl, but claims that simply nobody has patience for the guy anymore and that is TOTALLY understandable the way he has carried out his "project" since 1998. Anybody here who gives this guy a break - "yes men" - are the reason, as Duff says that Axl thinks he can carry on and just not give a fuck about working with people - his fans, his bandmates, producers, studios and his record company.

Regardless of whether the nu GNR album ever comes out or not, there's no denying that Axl really messed up his career. He could have diversified and done so much - what a talent - some of you people don;t even realize that. He got too distracted with his bullshit and we fans are the ones who have to pay. 
I still love that quote about Axl running over the CDs with his car!!! 


I just wish Axl could meet me and others like me and see what his music and persona has done for all of us. I think that alone would get him motivated to put out the record, or at least reunite with the old lineup. 

How sweet would it have been if after the UYI tour, Axl could have ridden off in the sunset with Stephanie Seymour or some other hot model and lived happily ever after in such comfort. Unfortunately, it seems that I have underestimated the guy. He could have gone on record and made his claims in the article, but like time and time again, he hides. He didn't need to say anything other than there is a record and what it means to him to make it. He had an audience with the NY TIMES article and yet like he has in the past, he didn't show up.


What a pity, but I guess until then we're all just Knockin' On Heavens' Door/Dust and Bones
 

MNR
[/quote


I completely agree, this is about as positive an article as any artist is going to get.  if you think it was a hachet job then you are just as axl once said "a kiss ass sycophant".  i mean the article even said the 2002 tour was a success, i would think that everyone here could agree that the tour was a failure

[axlsfriend]

nobody can possibly believe the figures mentioned in this article.  nobody would continue the rediculous tab ran up starting back as far as 97-05 and counting 13 million plus on a album that has not even shot a video which costs usually exceed the recording of music. absolute bullshit but very interesting and well written bullshit.  axl is a crazy mother fucker but i dont think he has a masterplan of wasting the time of countless musicians producers etc, just to hopefully die as a misunderstood mastermind talent with brilliant material never released to the public.  nobody can actually spend as much time and energy as he suposedly done and never reap or see the benefits or appreciate the praise.  if he does have this plan it would make an awsome movie and also prove that this fucking guy is leggitimitly a lunatic.

[Voodoochild]

Cool, the article is on the cover of one of the biggest papers here in Brasil, "O Globo".
I wrote to tell them about Merck's letter but I doubt they would care about it. So, the dissing is spreading like a virus - at least here in my country. 

[Elrothiel]

All this makes me sad. The fact that ChiDem isn't out yet, and that because of this, there are god-knows-how-many forum topics on this subject, and everyone keeps trying to analyze Axl. Thing is though... you have to because you have nothing else to analyze except guesses about what he's really like.
If I met him, I'd just be nice. I wouldn't talk about the album, I'd just be like "Hey, how you doing?" and then I'd give him a hug because I think he needs one. I'd probably also just start crying as well because I feel so bad for him. Everyone just hounds him so much, and there's so much pressure on just his shoulders to get ChiDem out. And now VR's come along and to him (this is just a rough guess) that probably feels like when your partner leaves you and then flounces his/her new lover in your face, and that just makes you not want to be with anyone else because it won't feel right. Sure, its been a while, but so what. Time does NOT heal all wounds. I think Axl misses the old guys and would dearly love to have them back, but at the same time doesn't, because he thinks that it'll be all weird. Familiar, but weird. Its like...*thinks*... I would like to see my old friends from primary school, but I can't even remember some of their names now! If there was a "Class of 1990 reunion" I wouldn't know ANYONE! I used to know them, but not anymore. I think that its like that with Axl... only of course he remembers Slash n' co because he wasn't 4 years old when he formed Gn'R, but I think he prefers to not think about them... and oh god I've gone off into analyzing him again. I do that all the time.
I have to go because I'm tired and I have to go to college tomorrow... I might not go in, I feel like shit. I think it was that half cooked pizza I ate... half cooked on account of the AGA was broken, and wouldn't work properly. I shoulda put it in the microwave.
Right, I'm babbling, a sure sign I'm tired.
I'm going now!

[nesquick]

nevermind if the article bash Axl. It contributes to the buzz around this album. And if you want my opinion it's like FREE PROMOTION.

[Voodoochild]

The article is also in "O Globo" today, the biggest brazilian newspaper from Rio.

http://oglobo.globo.com/jornal/suplementos/segundocaderno/capa.asp

That's what I said before, dude:

Cool, the article is on the cover of one of the biggest papers here in Brasil, "O Globo".
I wrote to tell them about Merck's letter but I doubt they would care about it. So, the dissing is spreading like a virus - at least here in my country. 

 

[Eva GnRAxlRosette]

All this makes me sad.

Don't let this article get you down. 
Axl has not and will not give up.
And don't feel sad for him.
The fact that Axl has not given up all these years...  he is pleased with his life and what he is doing.
He loves creating.  And he does not keep around him people or things that would bring him down.
Yeah, I can believe his being aware of the pressure there is surrounding this album's release...
but as you can tell - his is not letting the pressure get to him.  So don't worry.
he knows what he's doing...
and if he wasn't happy doing it - he would have given up
he's fine hon.  don't worry.

Like Merck said he's going to have the last laugh.

shit... could be laughing right now

[dolphin]

Why do people think they know how Axl feels when no one really knows anything?

[Eva GnRAxlRosette]

Why do people think they know how Axl feels when no one really knows anything?

I don't think any of us 'think we know how Axl feels'...

It is sometimes something some of us consider...
and some of us have thoughts and beliefs about it.
I shared my thoughts and offered explanation as to why I believe what I do...
and I did so in an effort to help lift the spirits of a fellow gunner who said she was 'sad'



See the havoc this grim tale is wreaking!?

[dENIS]

Jeff Leeds, the journalist who wrote the recent New York Times article on Guns n'roses and their forthcoming album, Chinese Democracy, has spoken to Splat about his article.
He tells us, "I am a dedicated fan of Guns N? Roses and have been pretty much from the start. I own every album, including the Lies EP and the Live Era double CD"

Asked about whether he thought his article was balanced and fair, he said, "I think the piece is absolutely a fair and balanced look at the process of making Chinese Democracy so far. It?s clearly not written to stand as some kind of final verdict; as the article makes clear, the story of making Chinese Democracy is continuing."

When asked about Merck Mercuriadis' reply he admitted that he had read it, and on the subject of Jayson Blair, who was mentioned in the reply, he said, "Jayson Blair was a reporter who was forced to resign from the New York Times after fabricating articles and defrauding the paper and its readers."

Heres the interview:
1) Are you a fan of Guns n'roses?
JL) I am a dedicated fan of Guns N? Roses and have been pretty much from the start. I own every album (including the Lies EP and the Live Era double CD), except ?The Spaghetti Incident?? If I had to wind up stranded on a desert island with only 3 CDs, ?Appetite for Destruction? would be one.

2) How long did your article on Guns n'roses take to compile?

JL) No Comment

3) Do you think your article is a balanced and fair reflection on the story of Chinese Democracy?

JL) I think the piece is absolutely a fair and balanced look at the process of making Chinese Democracy so far. It?s clearly not written to stand as some kind of final verdict; as the article makes clear, the story of making Chinese Democracy is continuing.

4) GN'R's manager wrote a letter of response on your article to the NY times. It mentions a Jayson Blair, who is he?

JL) Jayson Blair was a reporter who was forced to resign from the New York Times after fabricating articles and defrauding the paper and its readers. These days, anyone who wants to criticize the paper invokes his name -- maybe they think it has shock value? Mr. Mercuriadis hasn?t accused me of fabricating anything, so his mention of the Blair episode strikes me as a cheap shot.

5) Do you think you gave the Guns n'roses camp sufficient time to offer information towards the article?

JL) Yes, I think I gave the GNR camp sufficient time to think about the fact that there would be a forthcoming article in the Times, and to offer a response. I very much hoped that Axl might participate in the story. But as a reporter for a daily news organization, I'm not bound by his priorities or those of his management.

6) Had you been given the opportunity to listen to the new Guns n'roses album, and interview Axl Rose in two months time, would you have waited before publishing the article?

JL) No comment

7) Did you find out any song titles from your news sources?

JL) No Comment

What studio are Guns n'roses currently recording in?

JL) No Comment

9) What are your three favourite bands?

JL) I'm a fan of all sorts of music and it would take too long for me to try narrowing down a list of my three favorites. I can say I'm looking forward to hearing a new record from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

10) What message do you have for the Guns n'roses fans that read your article?

JL) Thanks for reading the piece.

[echrisl]

I figured he was a GNR fan, who else would invest the time to write an article like this? 

I must say I enjoyed reading his article, and it's nice to see a GNR fan who's willing to take an unbiased look at the actual situation, and try to get some interviews with people who worked with the project. I also appreciate the fact that he's willing to question some inconsistencies, and not assume Axl rose is the Lord incarnate, with a master plan that is currently in action and has been for the last decade.

[anythinggoes]

no comment

[willow]

As a fan he should have never written a piece such as this without talking to someone who actually nows what going on!!!
It is nice to know he is a fan, figured he was, but he took the wrong route in writing that piece.

[echrisl]

As a fan he should have never written a piece such as this without talking to someone who actually nows what going on!!!
It is nice to know he is a fan, figured he was, but he took the wrong route in writing that piece.

It's hard to talk to someone who won't talk to you ... 

[EET_FUK]

As a fan he should have never written a piece such as this without talking to someone who actually nows what going on!!!
It is nice to know he is a fan, figured he was, but he took the wrong route in writing that piece.

It's hard to talk to someone who won't talk to you ...?

Exatcly...he tried to but Merck wanted him to "wait" until he could listen to the album.  As we know, Axl told us to live our lives and not wait.  Plus, it was an article about an album that hasn't been made...it wasn't supposed to be a review of the album