Maybe GNR are going for a No Doubt

[fishyguy]

Basically the record will be out in stores without any initial promotion allowing all the die hard fans to get it. And then after a few months they'll start to promote it with videos and radio plays etc and get it to the masses. That way it will probably stay in the charts longer and have more longevity.

That sort of what happened with No Doubt. Tragic Kingdom came out and no one really bought it but then eventually the singles got MTV and radio play and started hitting the charts a year later eventually selling like 10 milllion copies.

[Mike McKagan]

I really don't think that can happen in the same way with a "known" band like GN'R.

[fixintodie]

That's because at the time Tragic Kingdom came out, No Doubt weren't hugely popular. One single hit and sold well, so they brought out another, and so on. It wasn't some pre-planned strategy, just a good song that got lucky and launched the album and band to the mainstream.

[ben9785]

Yes, that is indeed another possibility, in a pot full of thoroughly stirred bubbling possibilities

[nesquik]

Come on.... the Music Industry has changed in 10 years! There wasn't massive downloading in 1996.

[JimMorrison4]

Critics hate Guns n Roses. If it doesn't sell well at first, Axl will be dragged through the mud like never before. At the very least, it has to outsell Contraband or you'll see headlines like, "Axl Rose Shooting Blanks Without Original 'Guns.'" (If anyone steals that, I'm suing). Then go on to talk about what a miserable failure the album is.

There's no logical reason (key word being: logical) they would NOT promote Chinese Democracy.

[busngabb]

Cool. We get a fit wigger to sing and get rid of that ginger liability.

[tristanj13]

Like No Doubt no one will have heard of the band when the CD drops if they ship it under the different name next monday. So in that way its true. But unlike No Doubt "Blue trees, and Green Grass" will be a funny enecdote and not a big band name after time.

[GNRfan2008]

Basically the record will be out in stores without any initial promotion allowing all the die hard fans to get it. And then after a few months they'll start to promote it with videos and radio plays etc and get it to the masses. That way it will probably stay in the charts longer and have more longevity.

That sort of what happened with No Doubt. Tragic Kingdom came out and no one really bought it but then eventually the singles got MTV and radio play and started hitting the charts a year later eventually selling like 10 milllion copies.

Ummm...that sounds like the same strategy used by GN'R back in 1987/1988 with Appetite for Destruction. No Doubt was just as unknown as early GN'R when Tragic Kingdom became popular. It was all just spontaneous luck really.

[lennonisgod]

Critics hate Guns n Roses. If it doesn't sell well at first, Axl will be dragged through the mud like never before. At the very least, it has to outsell Contraband or you'll see headlines like, "Axl Rose Shooting Blanks Without Original 'Guns.'" (If anyone steals that, I'm suing). Then go on to talk about what a miserable failure the album is.

There's no logical reason (key word being: logical) they would NOT promote Chinese Democracy.

It will outsell Contraband based on the name alone.  Contraband only moved 250,000 units in the US during the first week and CD can easily do twice that with promotion and a single. 

[jthunders13]

no doubt was an unknown at that point, so not really a good comparison

[GNRfan2008]

Critics hate Guns n Roses. If it doesn't sell well at first, Axl will be dragged through the mud like never before. At the very least, it has to outsell Contraband or you'll see headlines like, "Axl Rose Shooting Blanks Without Original 'Guns.'" (If anyone steals that, I'm suing). Then go on to talk about what a miserable failure the album is.

There's no logical reason (key word being: logical) they would NOT promote Chinese Democracy.

It will outsell Contraband based on the name alone.  Contraband only moved 250,000 units in the US during the first week and CD can easily do twice that with promotion and a single. 

Promotion and a single? Don't count your lucky stars man. At this point, we'll be lucky to get the album at all!

[BlueTreeGreenGrass]

It's not going to happen dude. 

[lennonisgod]

Critics hate Guns n Roses. If it doesn't sell well at first, Axl will be dragged through the mud like never before. At the very least, it has to outsell Contraband or you'll see headlines like, "Axl Rose Shooting Blanks Without Original 'Guns.'" (If anyone steals that, I'm suing). Then go on to talk about what a miserable failure the album is.

There's no logical reason (key word being: logical) they would NOT promote Chinese Democracy.

It will outsell Contraband based on the name alone.  Contraband only moved 250,000 units in the US during the first week and CD can easily do twice that with promotion and a single. 

Promotion and a single? Don't count your lucky stars man. At this point, we'll be lucky to get the album at all!

I never said IT WAS GOING TO HAVE PROMOTION AND A SINGLE.  I simply said "WITH".  So I'm not counting shit but we are getting the album this year. I'll let you know how it is when I have it.

[lennonisgod]

no doubt was an unknown at that point, so not really a good comparison

It's the same exact thing that happened with Appetite.  I don't think it hit #1 for almost a year after it was released.  But there is no comparison now in that sense.  We've already talked the shit out of this subject when comparing it to what happened with Appetite.  It won't be the same thing at all... not at all.

[insideguns]

release date:
europe 23
usa 28

[EFISH]

release date:
europe 23
usa 28

Pssh. you wish. 

[JimMorrison4]

no doubt was an unknown at that point, so not really a good comparison

It's the same exact thing that happened with Appetite.? I don't think it hit #1 for almost a year after it was released.? But there is no comparison now in that sense.? We've already talked the shit out of this subject when comparing it to what happened with Appetite.? It won't be the same thing at all... not at all.

Never thought I'd say this, but... I agree. After working on this thing for so long, it better not take a year to get recognition.

[D]

I think music these days is too predicated on first single, first video and first week sales.  I wouldnt mind a different release strategy for CD.

That being said,I think it would be way too big of a gamble to not promote it and release a single etc.

[oneway23]

I think music these days is too predicated on first single, first video and first week sales.  I wouldnt mind a different release strategy for CD.

That being said,I think it would be way too big of a gamble to not promote it and release a single etc.

It's a gamble that both Universal/Interscope and Axl literally cannot afford.