sp1at Q&A with Richard (comments on guitarist situation and CD)

[Gunna_girl01]

but he has been finishing up vocals for at least 18 months now......in the real world, that is a ridiculous amount of time for finishing touches.

you have a really good point there...
you would think that he would have sorted everything out by now.. i mean it takes movie directors/producers 1 year maybe a lil more to make a MOVIE...
you would? think writting and recording an albem would take less time!!!

[younggunner]

Axl has investors and a contract. He doesn't have the luxury to do this on his own time. Frankly, his last ally is Sanctuary. If he makes Merck eat his words then he may be standing alone on this one.

And you nor I know if Axl has any deadlines. Or if hes allowed to take his sweet time or not.

Its obivious hes doing things on his terms and not being hevaily pressured.

As for Merck. I would wager he and Merck are pretty good friends. Not just business partners. Merck knows whats going on at all times and hes going to say whatver he has to say thats best for the band.

Like I said, if we dont get a release date by Sept then kiss this year goodbye...and if Axl doesnt say soemthing by the end of the year then who the hell knows. its a big mystery that no1 here can solve.

my only guesss would be that Axl doesnt really care about being out there and has a comfort zone. The guy left the music world on his terms and during a decade long run of basically doing nothing publically he has still been able to keep his aura appealing to most people. In simplest terms, hes a legend who does not have to deal with the publicity right now. ANd in just following and observing the guy...i would bet he likes that a lot. Especially after seeing wehat its like when ur on top in the public view. Now as for the music side. It could all very well be the music sux or that hes scared. Or it could be hes not going to release it until he thinks every friggen thing baout the album is perfect. Who the hell knows....like i said...1 big mystery

[jameslofton29]

Hasn't Axl been doing vocals for 3 years? This shit is getting crazy. It doesn't take that long in the real world. I wish some GNR insider would tell us how much progress has really been made on CD. I bet we would all be shocked if we found out. First, this whole CD thing was cool. Then, it started to drift towards being irrelevant. Now, its pure satire.

[jimmythegent]

Jimmy, you think its irrelevant!! Far from it. Its actually a huge contradiction to the GNR spin machine of the past few years! How does an album go from being in the final mixing stages and artwork being completed to Axl working on vocals again? Either Richard's statement is the truth, or he should be fired. Gilby was fired for saying much less than that.

james, what I am saying is that if they say "it's 95% done" or "is a hairs breadth" or whatever, it doesnt matter - they clearly have no idea as to the situation regarding CD so no matter what they say, it is irrelevant as the members are relying on rumours etc...

I am no more likely to believe this latest piece of information as I would be if Fortus had of said its coming out in November

[jameslofton29]

Earth to MYSTERON!! We NEED You!!

[younggunner]

Hasn't Axl been doing vocals for 3 years? This shit is getting crazy. It doesn't take that long in the real world. I wish some GNR insider would tell us how much progress has really been made on CD. I bet we would all be shocked if we found out. First, this whole CD thing was cool. Then, it started to drift towards being irrelevant. Now, its pure satire.

Why are you even here? Ive been reading your posts lately and it just boggels my mind. Its liek you want this thing to fail or something. Its cool if you question the way things are going and stuff but the way you come across is not liek that...anyways...

Axl has been doing eveyrhting under the sun for the past 3 yrs. No shit it doesnt take that lonmg in the real world, but we arent in the real world. We are in Axls world. You have to look at things from Axls point of view and what his priorities are. You are assuming he wants to release the album right now or soon. ?

If you lsiten carefully and pay close attention you really wouldnt be shocked about this whole process. Heres a hint. Go back and read all of the articles on this site dating from new gnr on. so thats like 97/98 ish. Then throw in all th rumblings and episodes we have picked up over the eyars and put it all together.

its not that shocking. Its just puzzling. we dont know the gameplan. If we new what Axls goals and priorites were, there would be less confusion about the situation. Instead it looks like a mess. It very well could be, but theres a real possibility everything is going as planned....

Earth to MYSTERON!! We NEED You!!

fuk mysteron and fuk splat

[dave-gnfnr2k]

It doesnt matter if the vocals are really done or not, its not going to matter until we get a offical release date.
Also, for all we know this could be a swerve so the album wont leak before the release date.   Bitching about this, is not going to make axl finish any faster, so just deal with it. If its even true since depending on who you ask you get a difference answer. Didnt splat claim someone in the know said the album was turned in? Now splat is claming Fortus said Axl is still tinkering with vocals? No one knows what the real story is, and unless Axl says something, dont believe anything.

[jameslofton29]

Youngunner, I do NOT want CD to fail. You think I've been waiting 12 years for a failure? I'll admit that some of my posts have a negative vibe, but I'm just being realistic. Actually, I've looked through alot of the posts, articles,etc. from the past few years. I dont see anything positive in any of it. In fact, reading the old stuff just confirms what I've been saying all along. And dont say shit about me wanting Axl to fail!! I have stood behind the guy since I was 12 years old. I have even gotten into fistfights defending the honor of this guy! I have a variety of shirts with his face plastered across them. And I will stand behind him until the day I die. So take that 'I want Axl to fail' shit and shove it!

[younggunner]

Actually, I've looked through alot of the posts, articles,etc. from the past few years. I dont see anything positive in any of it.

I didnt say anything positive would come out of that stuff. I said look at it, read it, and then you will understand this process a lot better. That deosnt mean it will be posiitve. It just mean you will have a better undertsanding of whats going on.

So take that 'I want Axl to fail' shit and shove it!

up ur ass or down ur throat...?

[Gunna_girl01]

Actually, I've looked through alot of the posts, articles,etc. from the past few years. I dont see anything positive in any of it.

I didnt say anything positive would come out of that stuff. I said look at it, read it, and then you will understand this process a lot better. That deosnt mean it will be posiitve. It just mean you will have a better undertsanding of whats going on.

So take that 'I want Axl to fail' shit and shove it!

up ur ass or down ur throat...?

  BURNT

[madagas]

I said it before and will say it again....if you read all the band's comments going back to early 2003 and review their shows played and solo tours, you will CLEARLY see that they have not been in the studio together since Feb/March of 2003. Tommy said they were mixing the album in July 2003. Now, I realize that people such as Brain and Dizzy have sporadically been in the studio doing things, but the majority of the band has not recorded or been anywhere near the project in over two years. Thus, as I have said a million times, the band completed their work over two years ago, get off their back and place ALL blame on Axl. They can't do his vocals for him. Now, I'm not angry with this news because I've accepted all along that Axl can do what he wants with this record/records. I am also holding out hope that maybe he is just putting vocals on a second record or extra songs. However, anyone who is still under the "Illusion" that Axl doesn't have some form of issue(s) going on is nuts. This truly is an unbelievable story.

[HK-47]

There's a precident for overlapping and contradictory statements about this album, with different band members placing CD at different stages of development. I don't see why Fortus' statement is such a big deal. It's perfectly reasonable to assume that some tracks have been mastered while others aren't yet complete. Additionally, they are bound to create "final mixes" of a number of tracks which don't even make it onto the album. Axl could be recording backing vocals for finished track #53, or the primary vocals for track #1, we have no way of knowing. ? But, given the tidbits of information we've over the last year ?from various people affiliated with the band we can extrapolate that at least some tracks are finished while others are still in progress.

Now, with manufacturing and distribution being pretty speedy processes these days, in the best case scenario all we're waiting for is Axl to hand over a selection of tracks to the label. Clearly, few people here have faith that we're in a "best case" scenario right now. So, what is the worst case scenario at this point? In my opinion, based on the information we have, with the instrumental tracks finished a while ago the only problems that could be holding the album back are those related to Axl's satisfaction with the end product. I propose that the worst case scenario is that Axl is either unhappy with his voice, unhappy with the mixing, or both, combined with trying to mix for dual-disc format. ? I'll go point-to-point on this:

1) I think it's quite likely that Axl would want to opt for dual-disc, it seems to fit his M.O. - I believe that Axl would want his "comeback" release to be as up-to-date and cutting-edge as his tastes dictate. Obviously, that would mean a hell of a lot more time in the mixing booth.

2) The album has been a veritable "revolving door" as regards producers, engineers, and the like. ?I think this is because Axl has decided that he is the final arbiter as to whether a track is "finished" and "sounds good", and all of these other people who have been involved over the years were brought in to allow ?Axl to achieve specific goals. It's been an ecclectic mix of people, which suggests that they were each employed to accomplish different things, rather than a series of replacements. With that in mind, I think it's likely that the mixing/mastering process could be quite drawn-out if the tracks aren't sounding like Axl wants them to. I can imagine that, without Axl being around to offer his input at all times, "mistakes" will be made in deviating from from his ideals - leading to much re-doing.

3) Axl's voice. I think he sounds great these days, especially on the leaked IRS demo - it's powerful and rangey. However, Axl's view of it is all about confidence. How often has he stormed off-stage in the past because of little mistakes? His own mistakes, the band's, the sound engineer's? How many live recordings have instances of Axl getting annoyed about the sound monitors because he can't hear himself properly? How many times have GNR (all line-ups) taken to the stage late, alledgedly because Axl had to spend large amounts of time getting psyched up for his performance? Now, Axl's voice is his instrument and his means of expression, I accept his right to protect and nurture it in any way he chooses, but from a practical p.o.v. his exacting need for "perfection" (taken to mean; his need for circumstances and results to be consistant with, and conductive to, feeding Axl's confidence in his own performance ) could clearly become very time consuming in the studio, moreso than a live performance where positive feedback is instantaneous.


In conclusion, I think the situation is somewhere between the two extremes, an "acceptable case scenario," if you like. I can see that the three factors mentioned above could contribute to a lengthy wait for CD going forward, but as the vocal recording and track mastering processes have been underway for over a year according to ?various members of the band I believe that the finishing line is genuinely in sight now. Whether that means we'll have CD by the end of the year is arguable, but I don't see any evidence of that being impossible. Regardless, Axl could continue to record and tweak and mix and master until October or November and still have the album on the shelves by Christmas, so until we get word on the progress of the album from a reputable source (are there any of those left?) any predictions about release dates are pure speculation. ?

[madagas]

or it could be he is sitting on his ass playing Nintendo! Good post HK.

[liquidvirus]

where in gods name is Mysteron ?

[HK-47]

or it could be he is sitting on his ass playing Nintendo!

Well, yeah, there's always that  too

[mikegiuliana]

where in gods name is Mysteron ?

why does it matter nothing is going to change if he says something.. You always have the lady from that other forum to contact merck

[Ali]

No disrespect to Richard Fortus, but I don't think that he should be taken as a definitive authority on the status of the album.  Beyond the recording of their parts and how those parts turn out in the final instrumental mixes of the songs, I don't think the band is involved very much.  In other words, I don't think they have any input beyond the recording and mixing of their parts.  So, I don't think they'd know what exactly the album's status is at this point.

Ali

[Neemo]

No disrespect to Richard Fortus, but I don't think that he should be taken as a definitive authority on the status of the album.? Beyond the recording of their parts and how those parts turn out in the final instrumental mixes of the songs, I don't think the band is involved very much.? In other words, I don't think they have any input beyond the recording and mixing of their parts.? So, I don't think they'd know what exactly the album's status is at this point.

Ali

My thoughts exactly!!! In fact I don't think they would know if there was a new guitarist until they walked into the practice room and Axl says here is so-and-so our new guitarist. I've been laying down tracks with him since......

Robin might know something, maybe splat can get a few words with him. Or, hell, go right to Axl himself and get a few answers. Of course it's probably not possible.

[mikegiuliana]

get the infomfrom axl,, that's funny.. I was watching ocean's twelve and there was some guy in amsterdam that they wanted to steal from and he was a ten year recluse that never leaves the house and had all high tech security shit and had valubales in his house.. I was like who is that axl rose..

[Neemo]

There has got to be someone who can get in touch with him.  seriously, do you really think he just sits at home all day for the last 3 years?