RIR Site: "Axl: Chinese Democracy will be released before the summer"

[ElNonoPololo]

Well, since Guns is playing gigs on both sides of the Atlantic, I guess the term Summer is a little vague...

Anyway, at least Axl is giving improbable release dates away again.

Chinese Democracy starts NOW!!!

A band which, despite the fact that its original members have left the line-up, never truly came to a halt.

I wonder what their definition of ??halt`` is. Or ??band```, for that matter.
 

[GunnerOne 84]

Like another poster said, this article reeks of merck's input. Especially the parts about axl being the heart and soul, and the part ElNonoPololo just mentioned. It sounds exaclty like something that would come out of his office.

[pilferk]

The Hammerstein shows sold out in minutes.?

I'm not sure that I would put too much weight on the soldout shows. ?They sold out quickly because ticket brokers immediately grabbed all available tickets. ?The true test is the market for the tickets after they have sold out. ?I'm still seeing them on eBay in the $125 range, which is relatively low. ?Board members are still trying to unload their extras at face value. ?In contrast, I've seen Madonna tickets going for $700 a pop. ?So, I'm of the opinion that this band needs some serious promotion to get back in the mainstream.

1) That's why I listed the other factors, too. ?It's a combination.

2) Brokers don't buy what they don't think they can sell. ?And the 12th and 14th presales were relatively well protected, and still sold well during presales....and then sold out in minutes (seconds, I think, for the 12th) on general sale.

3) In additon, Guns is not Madonna, or the Stones, or U2, who command a premium for their REGULAR shows. ?Not anymore. They're certainly not THAT caliber of draw, especially right now with no new material. ?The thing is...the only way they'd ever climb those heights again is by releasing popular new material. ?No promotion is going to do that for them....only material will. ?Which requires releasing an album. ? What's going to put them back in the mainstream is not a media blitz....not marketing...but releasing the material so people can assure themselves that GnR is not one big joke.

4) I can see the point about promotion, but other factors seem to reflect that the band is still a draw, still getting lots of coverage in the press, and still has some good name recognition. So what more could a promotional blitz do for them? ?Again, I'm not saying those of the opinion they need more promotion are wrong...I'm saying given all the observable factors, I'm not convinced you're right.

[blues rocker]

even 54 days is not enough time to hype up the biggest album EVER...when they released UYI, gnr was already the most popular band in the world...they didn't need much promotion

today it's different....there are some people that don't even know that gnr still exists.....they need to build up awareness for a good 3 months before releasing the album....

I, for sure, see your point.? It's why I said I think "before summer" is a long shot.

On the promotions stuff, I don't know.? The Hammerstein shows sold out in minutes.? The Euro shows are selling very well.? They might not be the BIGGEST band on earth, now, but they still, obviously, can draw and have good name recognition.? And Axl seems to be in the gossip rags/celebrity pages/page 6 type things (pictures, etc) almost every other day.

Add to that the fact that the album, by itself, is almost mythical and legendary in the music industry....and you have an album that may pretty much will promote itself.? Look at all the press the LEAKS got, for gods sake.? Not many artists, nowadays, get that kinda press when a song LEAKS!? IRS CHARTED, for cripes sake.? An unreleased DEMO, apparently not endorsed by the band or the label, CHARTED.? If you know the music industry, you know that's pretty much insane.

I'm not sure GnR needs a prolonged "buzz-generation" period in order for the album to sell (Hell, maybe they're smack dab in the middle, or early phases, of one).? ?Maybe...but given what we've seen over the past few months, I'm not convinced.

I certainly think that, provided the wheels are in motion now, they could put the album out 6 weeks or so after announing the release.? I think it might be a tough road, but I think they could do it and still sell like hot cakes.

the album is legendary to people in the music industry, and to gnr fans....but the average person has never even heard of chinese democracy, and probably doesn't even know axl is still alive...

[GeorgeSteele]

The Hammerstein shows sold out in minutes.?

I'm not sure that I would put too much weight on the soldout shows. ?They sold out quickly because ticket brokers immediately grabbed all available tickets. ?The true test is the market for the tickets after they have sold out. ?I'm still seeing them on eBay in the $125 range, which is relatively low. ?Board members are still trying to unload their extras at face value. ?In contrast, I've seen Madonna tickets going for $700 a pop. ?So, I'm of the opinion that this band needs some serious promotion to get back in the mainstream.

1) That's why I listed the other factors, too. ?It's a combination.

2) Brokers don't buy what they don't think they can sell. ?And the 12th and 14th presales were relatively well protected, and still sold well during presales....and then sold out in minutes (seconds, I think, for the 12th) on general sale.

3) In additon, Guns is not Madonna, or the Stones, or U2, who command a premium for their REGULAR shows. ?Not anymore. They're certainly not THAT caliber of draw, especially right now with no new material. ?The thing is...the only way they'd ever climb those heights again is by releasing popular new material. ?No promotion is going to do that for them....only material will. ?Which requires releasing an album. ? What's going to put them back in the mainstream is not a media blitz....not marketing...but releasing the material so people can assure themselves that GnR is not one big joke.

4) I can see the point about promotion, but other factors seem to reflect that the band is still a draw, still getting lots of coverage in the press, and still has some good name recognition. So what more could a promotional blitz do for them? ?Again, I'm not saying those of the opinion they need more promotion are wrong...I'm saying given all the observable factors, I'm not convinced you're right.

It's impossible to release popular new material; they can only release new material, period. ?Whether it becomes popular will depend not only on how good it is but also on how well promotion efforts rejuvenate curiosity in the band and the album. ?The factors you list are valid, I just don't think that curiosity is where it should be or where the record label wants it to be. ?

As you know, Guns were on par with, if not bigger than, U2, Madonna, and the Stones in 91. ?While at the height of their popularity, the UYI albums sold about 5 million each - with massive promotion. ?So fast forward to 2006: ?one original member remaining, no longer mainstream, no album promotion. ?How does that translate into sales? ?Definitely not 5 million. ?With $13 million invested in this album, Geffen will insist on every possible effort to drive up sales.

[Oh My Choking Soul]

even 54 days is not enough time to hype up the biggest album EVER...

Sounds like an Oxi-Moron... does "the biggest album EVER" need to be hyped up. Maybe the past 2 months and the New York dates are the hype?

[Gaymo, the Hobbit]

even 54 days is not enough time to hype up the biggest album EVER...

Sounds like an Oxi-Moron... does "the biggest album EVER" need to be hyped up. Maybe the past 2 months and the New York dates are the hype?

The CD needs to be hyped OUTSIDE the internet. Lots of people don't even know there's a GNR album coming

[pilferk]

the album is legendary to people in the music industry, and to gnr fans....but the average person has never even heard of chinese democracy, and probably doesn't even know axl is still alive...

You think so?

Again, I'm not so sure.

And, just to be clear, the "average person" isn't the targeted demo for GnR. ?The "average CD buyer" might be....but the "average rock CD buyer" certainly is. ?Anything beyond that (as in, crossing over to the mainstream CD buyer) is a function of the material, word of mouth, and radio spins/material exposure.

And there's been enough press over the past years, and especially the past few months, that I'll bet, at least passingly, the "average rock CD buyer", and maybe even the "average cd buyer", have heard about Chinese Democracy.

Again, there's LOTS of observable evidence (circumstantial, to be sure) that would call your conclusion into doubt. ?And once again, I'm not saying you're wrong. ?I'm just not convinced you're right.....given the contrary evidence.

[sjgotnitro]

My gut tells me it will be sooner than later. I can only hope.

[Markus Asraelius]

This is really cool. Although summer's almost here so I would suspect that it would be released this summer.

[pilferk]

It's impossible to release popular new material; they can only release new material, period. ?Whether it becomes popular will depend not only on how good it is but also on how well promotion efforts rejuvenate curiosity in the band and the album. ?The factors you list are valid, I just don't think that curiosity is where it should be or where the record label wants it to be. ?

As you know, Guns were on par with, if not bigger than, U2, Madonna, and the Stones in 91. ?While at the height of their popularity, the UYI albums sold about 5 million each - with massive promotion. ?So fast forward to 2006: ?one original member remaining, no longer mainstream, no album promotion. ?How does that translate into sales? ?Definitely not 5 million. ?With $13 million invested in this album, Geffen will insist on every possible effort to drive up sales.

You're missing, then making, my point for me. ?My point was that to regain the heights they once attained, they need to release new material, and have it be good (and popular) in order to get the kind of crossover you're talking about...to become the kind of draw that Madonna, the Stones, and U2 are. ?Just RELEASING material isn't going to do that. ?And just the PROMISE of releasing material isn't going to do it, either.

Yes, 13 years ago Guns was on par with Madonna, The Stones, and U2. ?And each of those acts have released new material in the interim. ?And that material has been popular, to a large extent. Guns has not.

You make the point of UYI. It's valid, to a point. ?But CD is not UYI. ?It's more akin to Appetite, I think. Much more like a debut (or re-debut) album. ?The band is basically starting all over again, with the head start of having name recognition and drawing power. ?And Appetite sold 15+ million copies with little initial promotion. ?It caught fire by word of mouth, and the kick ass shows that GnR were putting on, in clubs and while opening for Aerosmith.

You think that, given Geffen's investment, they would insist on a large scale promotion. ?Given what we know...I'm not sure THAT'S true, either. It might be, but it might not. They may not want to throw anything behind the album, at first, until they see how the public and the critics recieve it. ?Given production costs, and the horror stories we've heard about the bands relationship with the label....again, I'm not convinced.

One other thing: I know the 13 million sounds like a lot.  But if Axl REALLY does have 3 albums worth of material that's mostly done, and ready to roll....that 13 million doesn't sound quite so outrageous anymore, to me or the label brass....provided it means a vastly abbreviated roll out of the remaining 2 albums after CD.

My "issue" with the theory that it's going to require a long term, mega media blitz to promote this album is that the "issue" that MOST average CD buying ?people seem to have with GnR isnt' going to be addressed until there is new material to listen to. ?It's a catch 22, almost.

[Howard2k]

Well, since Guns is playing gigs on both sides of the Atlantic, I guess the term Summer is a little vague...

Anyway, at least Axl is giving improbable release dates away again.

Chinese Democracy starts NOW!!!

A band which, despite the fact that its original members have left the line-up, never truly came to a halt.

I wonder what their definition of ??halt`` is. Or ??band```, for that matter.
 

I think you'll find that summer in Europe and summer in North America are the same. ?Strange but true. ?

[Spirit]

Well, since Guns is playing gigs on both sides of the Atlantic, I guess the term Summer is a little vague...

I believe you are thinking about the equator... and that's not the case with the summer shows

[Teapot]

The truth is that Axl is still the life and soul of the band that engrained songs like ?Welcome to the Jungle?, ?November Rain?, ?Think About You? in the history of music.

Did anybody else find it strange that they claim that Think ABout You is engrained in the history of music?

[GunnerOne 84]

I thought it was very odd, not exactly the song i think of when i think guns n roses. It was never even a single was it?

[WARose]

I thought it was very odd, not exactly the song i think of when i think guns n roses. It was never even a single was it?

no it wasn`t.....

[St_Jimmyuk]

wel when is "summer" im guesing it doesn't leave us long to wait if its true as before summer would mean within the next few weeks

[pilferk]

wel when is "summer" im guesing it doesn't leave us long to wait if its true as before summer would mean within the next few weeks

As I said in a post above.

About 54 days.  Summer starts on June 21st.

[Sweetsister]

I really, really, really ?dont get the debate about possible Chinese D album sales...Who gives a fuck? We are fans not some fucking investors, all i care about is how the music sounds ( and if the leaks are anything to go by , it will be awesome).
And no..i dont think CD will be out before the summer , my bet is for a christmas relese..sorry..

[ElNonoPololo]

Well, since Guns is playing gigs on both sides of the Atlantic, I guess the term Summer is a little vague...

I believe you are thinking about the equator... and that's not the case with the summer shows

Fuck my puny knowledge of geography...