An open letter to the fans from Axl - Discussion

[pilferk]

Kudos to Axl for this letter (and it's candor)  Everyone wanted an update....we got one.  An honest one with just about all the information one could want (including a tentative release DATE!!).  Not as good as CD in my stocking, but a close second.

Assuming Axl's time line is right (8 weeks from turnover to release), the record company SHOULD have the album in their hands right around January 9th (explaining, quite well, the cancelled dates).  We should start hearing more and more about the album when that happens, I'd guess.

[Alina]

today was a funny GNR mention in my local free newspaper , the editor wrote that
after so many years new GNR albom still not realised , and all the fans get angry and decided not to visit GNR fan sites anymore and not to post on forums  and Axl get upset and wrote a letter to his fans , where he said that the albom come out in 6of March .

[randy marsh]

A very smart move for Axl to come out in the open after everybody was getting down with Christmas looming ahead after all this 2006 talk. For a few weeks now, I've thought the best possible way to deal with the situation for him is to explain himself and possibly announce an actual date, preferrably early 2007. Luckily, we got both now.

With the timetable he himself openly considered, Axl has roughly 3 weeks to wrap up the album and turn it over to Geffen. That leads to believe 2006 came very, very close to actually being the year, atleast in the sense of the record being in shape. I'll take March 2007; won't hold my breath but will look forward to it. At the current situation it's realistic, it sounds feasible.

That or you can moan about being lied to again. My advice: save your breath. In March, everybody will have a chance to draw their own conclusions, as by then, they'll either drop the album or the date. I'm betting on the album, since I feel its been more steadily coming towards us since May than during the past three years put together.

you live near or in Finland you can contact me and come to play @ the party.. maybe I'll invite more people then

Will get back to you on crashing in the party in March, possibly 

you are welcomed my friend     so you have a band playing GNR covers? or do you just want to get free beer 

[25]

Reading the letter over again, what it seems to suggest album-wise is that the band was expecting to be able to hand the album over towards the end of November for a Dec 26th release. Does that sound about right? If that's what Merck was leading them to believe, I'm amazed. He had to know there was no way out of that situation, it's an amazing act of career suicide. That makes, what, two in six months for Merck? If you count the Sanctuary thing.

I wonder if the minor additions to the album will include some Bumblefoot overdubs. 

[LunsJail]

I think it meant the album would be released by December 26th, not necessarily on that day. But....also wanted to use my first post to thank Axl for getting more information to the fans. 

[ppbebe]

what it seems to suggest album-wise is that the band was expecting to be able to hand the album over towards the end of November for a Dec 26th release

I think it implies that the wrong deadline would have been the 5th of Dec at the latest if for a Dec 26th release, which in reality wouldn't make a release earlier than the 30th of jan or probably later because of the holiday season. But then again it says they tried to release it by the 26th like LunsJail said...the last Tuesday of the year ...so it could have been any day between the 31st of oct and the 5th of dec. Hey welcome to the board, LunsJail.

BTW, 25, my wait tentatively started.

As you know, I haven't even tentatively waited till I see a date.
None of the apologies in the letter is to me. Still I'm just thankful for this sincere letter. Especially after seeing the confirmation that this is not an out of the blue dismissal for someone. Thanks beta.
The dissolution is only natural and proper as the responsibility for any mismanagement should be accepted by the management. I even thought it would happen in the end of 2006.

[MJ23]

I think that we all should calm down a little bit.
I am not crawling up Axl's ass but I think that he is doing the right thing.

Maybe there are some legal issues going on in the background or some mixing has to be redone, or maybe some lyrics should be changed and so on and so on. When the band feels that it is the right day to release the album then it should be the way. I have waited for so long for that album and many of us did the same. When I heard the first boot from Rock In Rio I was more than enthusiastic. The new tunes kicked ass and the "old" songs had and still have a different energy than in the "AFD" days. Btw I am so sick of those who are comparing the band with former members. This band that is performing right now, this IS Guns N' Roses, the other guys left, not vice versa. I had to say that.

We have no contract with GN'R nor with the record company or someone else directly connected to GN'R, so who are we
to expect an artist or a band to tell us why certain things were done or were not done. I will do it like the years before. When a new GN'R record is in stores I will buy it and I will listen to it. And I will say to myself: "Damn, there is no way that these songs could have been done better!"

Some words concerning the "delay".
Have you ever thought about the possibility that Ron and Frank may have brought some new input to the CD and that the band feels comfortable with some changes again. Why not?! It's their album, not mine and not yours. If you have the possibility to make a 100% song out of a 95% song, wouldn't you give it a try. I would. I think that an artist wants a perfect album, not an album that is somehow incomplete. If the band needs one more year, damn, give them a year, give them two. Yeah, they were working on it for years. Who cares? I don't. I want to hear a CD "Chinese Democracy" which all members feel comfortable with. That is my point of view on this matter.

There were some members of this board and other forums complaining about some members of the band, like they don't fit in and other things. You don't know what is going on behind the scene. Maybe Chris is polishing Axl's car every Sunday and is therefore in the band. But maybe he is giving simply a huge ammount of input to the band and is just for that reason there, because he FITS IN. But the fan community is just like the real society, you have the good ones and you have people who are trying to read negative stuff out of something positive.

I am coming to the end:
And it was a really good letter from Axl. He maybe gave us more information that he wanted to do, but felt like we should know what is going on.


now you can go on and bash me
btw, everyone who finds a mistake (spelling or grammar mistake) can keep it!

[cmpaller]

I will just wait it out too.  I am going on the Release date of XMas 2007.  If it comes out sooner great.

[cybercurves]

I think that we all should calm down a little bit.
I am not crawling up Axl's ass but I think that he is doing the right thing.

Maybe there are some legal issues going on in the background or some mixing has to be redone, or maybe some lyrics should be changed and so on and so on. When the band feels that it is the right day to release the album then it should be the way. I have waited for so long for that album and many of us did the same. When I heard the first boot from Rock In Rio I was more than enthusiastic. The new tunes kicked ass and the "old" songs had and still have a different energy than in the "AFD" days. Btw I am so sick of those who are comparing the band with former members. This band that is performing right now, this IS Guns N' Roses, the other guys left, not vice versa. I had to say that.

We have no contract with GN'R nor with the record company or someone else directly connected to GN'R, so who are we
to expect an artist or a band to tell us why certain things were done or were not done. I will do it like the years before. When a new GN'R record is in stores I will buy it and I will listen to it. And I will say to myself: "Damn, there is no way that these songs could have been done better!"

Some words concerning the "delay".
Have you ever thought about the possibility that Ron and Frank may have brought some new input to the CD and that the band feels comfortable with some changes again. Why not?! It's their album, not mine and not yours. If you have the possibility to make a 100% song out of a 95% song, wouldn't you give it a try. I would. I think that an artist wants a perfect album, not an album that is somehow incomplete. If the band needs one more year, damn, give them a year, give them two. Yeah, they were working on it for years. Who cares? I don't. I want to hear a CD "Chinese Democracy" which all members feel comfortable with. That is my point of view on this matter.

There were some members of this board and other forums complaining about some members of the band, like they don't fit in and other things. You don't know what is going on behind the scene. Maybe Chris is polishing Axl's car every Sunday and is therefore in the band. But maybe he is giving simply a huge ammount of input to the band and is just for that reason there, because he FITS IN. But the fan community is just like the real society, you have the good ones and you have people who are trying to read negative stuff out of something positive.

I am coming to the end:
And it was a really good letter from Axl. He maybe gave us more information that he wanted to do, but felt like we should know what is going on.


now you can go on and bash me
btw, everyone who finds a mistake (spelling or grammar mistake) can keep it!

Makes sense to me, 

[hpantazo]

I can't believe all the negative comments about axl's letter. everyone should be happy, this is what we were all asking for earlier this month, am update and an apology from management

[russtcb]

I can't believe all the negative comments about axl's letter. everyone should be happy, this is what we were all asking for earlier this month, am update and an apology from management

I honestly don't get it either but I honestly I don't think alot of people on this board will be happy with anything.

[MJ23]

I can't believe all the negative comments about axl's letter. everyone should be happy, this is what we were all asking for earlier this month, am update and an apology from management

I honestly don't get it either but I honestly I don't think alot of people on this board will be happy with anything.

Maybe there are not a lot of people that would be unhappy with anything. When there are a handful being unhappy, those are making mountains out of molehills and write maybe essays about being unhappy, while the normal girls and guys write maybe just one sentence and then leave the discussion.
It's like a feedback of a company. You have 100 calls a day with 99 being negative and complaining and 1 call that is positive. When you ask people on the street how they would rate a special company it comes out that 90% think the the company is ok.
The point is: the attention seekers expose themselves more often than the guy next to you!!!

It's the same here, the complainers and shit-talkers do have a platform here to fool around because they do not have a real life. 

[EFISH]

70 days, 20 hours, 20 minutes.

[acompleteunknown]

I was just thinking about this line...

"In regard to a release date for the album itself, certain minor - aand I do mean minor -- additions, as well as contract negotiations, need to be completed."

We heard Ron and Frank were added back in the early fall.  So possibly there could be something new by them to be added BUT...if I had to guess, I think Izzy may be being added into the mix.  Would make sense having him in LA last week for the shows.

Thoughts???

[Chief]

somehow i doubt Izzy will be on the album. I think he's just playing for fun, thats about it.

[CheapJon]

I was just thinking about this line...

"In regard to a release date for the album itself, certain minor - aand I do mean minor -- additions, as well as contract negotiations, need to be completed."

We heard Ron and Frank were added back in the early fall.? So possibly there could be something new by them to be added BUT...if I had to guess, I think Izzy may be being added into the mix.? Would make sense having him in LA last week for the shows.

Thoughts???

naah, i would love it, but i think the chances are so small that i wont even hope for it, the only last additions to CD is maybe BBF and frank

[Eva GnRAxlRosette]

Some words concerning the "delay".
Have you ever thought about the possibility that Ron and Frank may have brought some new input to the CD and that the band feels comfortable with some changes again. Why not?! It's their album, not mine and not yours. If you have the possibility to make a 100% song out of a 95% song, wouldn't you give it a try. I would. I think that an artist wants a perfect album, not an album that is somehow incomplete. If the band needs one more year, damn, give them a year, give them two. Yeah, they were working on it for years. Who cares? I don't. I want to hear a CD "Chinese Democracy" which all members feel comfortable with. That is my point of view on this matter.

I totally agree about this being THEIR album.?
I know a lot of fans are hoping / have been hoping that BH parts remain on the CD... but me personally - I get really excited hearing more that Ron will be on it.?
As I've expressed before, I believe GN'R has enough history to overcome without including additional remnants.

[Casey Shelton]

Axl is one cool cat.? That's it.? Look at those picture in Vogue.? He is finally comfortable in his own skin.? He's ready to be happy.? He's finally comfortable with what he sees when looking inside --> out.

If I could meet just 2 people from any time period in history, Axl would be #2 just after Jesus.? Jesus being #1 because I would want to see for myself who he was. To see for myself if all that is written about him is in fact true as opposed to some imaginery fairy tale designed to trigger us into loving ourselves and those around us more.  To be more accepting and tolerant.

A close second is Axl. He is genuine and has always been so. When he was fucked up in the head, we all saw it because he did not hide from who he was. He is electric, he is godlike. To me godlike does not mean one who is "perfect", it means one who is "empowering". He inspires. He has the keys that unlock doors within many of us. He is one who can lead us to our own passions in life. He inspires (that was worth stating a second time).

I'm okay with him releasing the cd a mere 2 months after he had led us to believe that we would have it.? He doesn't want to rush this.? We all have high expectations and he does not want to let us down.? Us being those of us who have stood up for him all these years...that have believed in him when not many have.

[freedom78]

I hadn't read this thread for a while...nice to see people are still bitchin' n' moanin'!

[GnR-NOW]

I think it's awesome he finally gave some sort of date.  I really hope we don't hear about when the music will be turned in or when the promos will start, we should just let this happen with out knowing every single detail of the process.