Free 'Chinese Democracy'!, From the Chicago Tribune Web log

[thomas]

Interesting reply from the label....

Free 'Chinese Democracy'!
By Mark Caro

News alert: March 6 has come and gone.

This may not be a big deal to most of you, and even diehard Guns N? Roses fans couldn?t have been holding their breath, but for the record, March 6 was the day that Axl Rose said that ?Chinese Democracy? finally would be released.

?Chinese Democracy? has become as much of a punch line as an album title; Rose has been working on the first Guns N? Roses album since 1993?without any original band members?for more than a decade. Its release has been promised and rumored year after year, and two years ago (on March 6, in fact), the New York Times proclaimed it, ?The most expensive album never made,? with $13 million estimated spent at the time.

I called Interscope/Geffen, the band?s supposed label, and a rep said she had no release date or information on the album, and she referred me to Merck Mercuriadis. Those of you who have been following this saga may know that Mercuriadis was the band?s manager for several years until he became yet another jettisoned member of the GNR team in December.

In other words, the label thinks the guy canned three months ago has the answers.

I e-mailed Mercuriadis asking if he could share any insights, and he promptly responded, ?Sorry, Mark, but I cannot help you.?

Meanwhile, various versions of ?Chinese Democracy? songs, several of which have been played live in the concerts that Rose hasn?t canceled, have been floating around the Web and even on radio. A song called ?Better? started receiving airplay around the country a few weeks ago until the GNR enforcers put a stop to it.

Keyboardist Dizzy Reed explains on the band?s Web site that the track was a demo used as temp music for a Harley-Davidson commercial.

?Harley was going to do a version using 'Paradise City' and another version using 'Better.' Their Web site even had a version up for like one day with 'Better,' but the version of 'Better' that they had was an unfinished, unapproved demo. That?s why it was removed. The version that?s getting airplay is that same demo?.Hearing a demo on the radio really sucks.?

As for when will the actual, finished version of ?Chinese Democracy? will be available, here?s what the Feb. 22 update on the GNR site says:

?The good news is that all of the recording for the album has been completed?.There is no official release date, as the band is currently mixing, but after some delays and scheduling difficulties, things appear to be moving along.?

Appear to be moving along.

Rock on.

Source: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/en...alert_marc.html

[Danny]

Wow.  A press article that's accurate.  Snotty...but accurate.

[GypsySoul]

Wow.? A press article that's accurate.? Snotty...but accurate.

Accurate???

but for the record, March 6 was the day that Axl Rose said that ?Chinese Democracy? finally would be released.

How many times does it have to be pointed out that March 6 was a TENTATIVE release date.?

[serp]

accurate?
dear mr. newsdude or whoever else who's a fucking prissy arrogant pretensious asshole:
for fucks sake.....even i get the word TENTATIVE unlike most arrogant wannabe whiney cry babies that couldn't be bothered to read the fucking letter from Axl...Axl has NEVER said the album will be out march 6th....goddamnit.
on virtually every page i see some reporter talking about CD, it's all about:oh guess what, uncle axl fucked you over again.
it ain't like that mofo's, i would really like to see this "letter" that says yes kiddies march 6th we will release CD.
a little tip wannabe so called reporter assholes, read the WHOLE letter next time not just the dates so you might get the fucking point...not what you wish to see.
and well, to end with a suitable quote, my response to the self procalaimed kings of music critics/press/journalists that still has a problem with our beloved uncle axl: i don't like you, i juste hate you. i'm gonna kick your ass.

[The_Wretched]

accurate?
dear mr. newsdude or whoever else who's a fucking prissy arrogant pretensious asshole:
for fucks sake.....even i get the word TENTATIVE unlike most arrogant wannabe whiney cry babies that couldn't be bothered to read the fucking letter from Axl...Axl has NEVER said the album will be out march 6th....goddamnit.
on virtually every page i see some reporter talking about CD, it's all about:oh guess what, uncle axl fucked you over again.
it ain't like that mofo's, i would really like to see this "letter" that says yes kiddies march 6th we will release CD.
a little tip wannabe so called reporter assholes, read the WHOLE letter next time not just the dates so you might get the fucking point...not what you wish to see.
and well, to end with a suitable quote, my response to the self procalaimed kings of music critics/press/journalists that still has a problem with our beloved uncle axl: i don't like you, i juste hate you. i'm gonna kick your ass.

someone didn't take their ritalin this morning.... lol... jk.

[russtcb]

Wow.  A press article that's accurate.  Snotty...but accurate.

I got excited at first, I thought the article was a gonna be some sort of petition to get the album out.

Not that it would do any good, but I thought maybe. Turns out it was just a reading of the facts (less the concrete March 6 part) to the public.

[Danny]

Yeah...they ommitted the word "tentative", but in the context I don't think that really puts GNR in a bad light...at least not in this article.

The "cancelled concert" line was a little snotty and probably has a worse impact to a reader.

[slane92]

March 6th was tentative. Period.

[The_Wretched]

I think Chinese Democracy is a "tentative" album altogether....

[KOK]

It is a first time I have heard that somebody actually took the time to try to get information from somebody that is relevant - like the label. I don`t get it. Don`t Axl and other GNR members have phone numbers, emails and home adresses? Is it so hard for some reporter to get to them and ask them some questions? Is somebody even trying?

[Danny]

Yeah.  The weird thing is the record company telling this guy to call Merck.  You would hope they would know that he isn't their manager anymore.

[maynard]

I am tentative getting tired of waiting.

[CVBTank]

accurate?
dear mr. newsdude or whoever else who's a fucking prissy arrogant pretensious asshole:
for fucks sake.....even i get the word TENTATIVE unlike most arrogant wannabe whiney cry babies that couldn't be bothered to read the fucking letter from Axl...Axl has NEVER said the album will be out march 6th....goddamnit.
on virtually every page i see some reporter talking about CD, it's all about:oh guess what, uncle axl fucked you over again.
it ain't like that mofo's, i would really like to see this "letter" that says yes kiddies march 6th we will release CD.
a little tip wannabe so called reporter assholes, read the WHOLE letter next time not just the dates so you might get the fucking point...not what you wish to see.
and well, to end with a suitable quote, my response to the self procalaimed kings of music critics/press/journalists that still has a problem with our beloved uncle axl: i don't like you, i juste hate you. i'm gonna kick your ass.

"I know my husband hits me, but he doesn't mean anything by it.  I swear, he loves me."

[Loaded NightraiN]

You guys have to realize... This was the fist date (Month/Day/Year), Axl has EVER given CD... Eventhouh it was tentative, he is getting flamed because 1. It didnt come out, 2. There is no date set...

If Axl would have came out with a offical date before March 6, I dobut the press woulda been so harsh...

[oneway23]

Yeah.  The weird thing is the record company telling this guy to call Merck.  You would hope they would know that he isn't their manager anymore.

Guess there have yet to be any meetings negotiating with the record label yet, eh?

[LunsJail]

Yeah.? The weird thing is the record company telling this guy to call Merck.? You would hope they would know that he isn't their manager anymore.

Guess there have yet to be any meetings negotiating with the record label yet, eh?

yeah, that's not a great sign. Let's hope negotiations have been going on with GNR lawyers instead.

[Danny]

Quote from: oneway23 on Today at 05:13:16 PM
Quote from: Danny on Today at 12:30:14 PM
Yeah.  The weird thing is the record company telling this guy to call Merck.  You would hope they would know that he isn't their manager anymore.


Guess there have yet to be any meetings negotiating with the record label yet, eh?



yeah, that's not a great sign. Let's hope negotiations have been going on with GNR lawyers instead.

To be fair though, it's probably just a matter of a receptionist looking at a roledex that hasn't been updated.

[LunsJail]

Quote from: oneway23 on Today at 05:13:16 PM
Quote from: Danny on Today at 12:30:14 PM
Yeah.? The weird thing is the record company telling this guy to call Merck.? You would hope they would know that he isn't their manager anymore.


Guess there have yet to be any meetings negotiating with the record label yet, eh?



yeah, that's not a great sign. Let's hope negotiations have been going on with GNR lawyers instead.

To be fair though, it's probably just a matter of a receptionist looking at a roledex that hasn't been updated.

And the rolodex probably won't be updated until they name a new manager....I'm hoping you're right

[WindrideR]

March 6th was tentative. Period.

I don't know English very well, and don't know what tentative means  , so I thought that march 6th is The day.

Anyway, I've given up my hopes to see/hear this album any time soon. When it eventually comes out I just hope it will be worth all this waiting. 

[Annie]

March 6th was tentative. Period.

I don't know English very well, and don't know what tentative means? , so I thought that march 6th is The day.

Anyway, I've given up my hopes to see/hear this album any time soon. When it eventually comes out I just hope it will be worth all this waiting.?

It will be. When I heard them play the leak of BETTER on the Loop the other night I cried tears of joy because I thought that it was an official release.