GNR's 'Democracy' To Be Retail Exclusive?

[The Dog]

Do people still by music in retail stores anyways?   

[*Timothy*]

 So best buy would have the censored one then ...??

Why are people bitching about Wal-Mart's censorship thing. Think about it. First of all, it's called "negotiations." If Wal-Mart doesn't want to turn a blind eye on this record (which they'd be stupid not to), then the record company will take the deal somewhere else. It's plain and simple. And isn't it two companies (Best Buy and Wal-Mart that are supposedly in negotations. Now why do you think Best Buy is in the mix. Gee, I don't know, maybe as a back up plan in case Wal-Mart doesn't want to lift its ban. Do you people really think that Axl has spent this long just to have CD compromised. No he hasn't. Wal-Mart not even worth worry about. (Heck for all we know Wal-Mart may do the uncensored and Best Buy does the other edition.)

[timebomb]

i have not bought a cd in retail store since 1991

[Bandita]

Do people still by music in retail stores anyways?   

I usually don't but I am excited to see the liner notes (do they still call them that???) on the CD!

[Natasha23]

Do people still by music in retail stores anyways?   

I usually don't but I am excited to see the liner notes (do they still call them that???) on the CD!

Certain albums on iTunes come with digital liner notes in PDF form.

[ben9785]

Do people still by music in retail stores anyways?   

I usually don't but I am excited to see the liner notes (do they still call them that???) on the CD!

If I'm interested enough of a band's album, even if I have MP3s I will still buy the physical album in CD and/or Vinyl. It's nice to have something to "collect", and see the liner notes, photos etc.

In such a case as "Chinese Democracy" I hope the liner notes will tell us alot about the album, who contributed to the songs we hear, who played on it, lyrics etc.

Better to have it in a physical form rather than downloading digital liner notes or something like that.

[Jim Bob]

i still buy albums.   its nice to have music for your car and i don't like burning cds.   not to mention the whole copyright thing i have issues with downloading music.

[GNRFAN20]

Their needs to be a flac version of it

[Bandita]

Do people still by music in retail stores anyways?   

I usually don't but I am excited to see the liner notes (do they still call them that???) on the CD!

Certain albums on iTunes come with digital liner notes in PDF form.

That's just not the same in this case.

Stuff I download is usually stuff I already have somewhere in CD form so I don't care about the liner notes or whatever....

But there is something special about ripping off the plastic to a brand new copy of CHINESE DEMOCRACY!

[GNRFAN20]

Getting my hands on Chinese Democracy is going to be awesome

[MikeFrett]

Screw digital. I want a hard copy in my hand or I don't buy jack, no matter what the band. If I want a digital copy, I'll make it myself.

And the last time I bought AFD from Wal-Mart, It wasn't censored. Their albums have a sticker on them now, telling you about questionable lyrics.

[The Dog]

Albums I'm so-so about getting I get on itunes for 10 bucks.  Albums from my favorite artists I buy CDs of.  My question was more rhetorical as music sales have been in the toilet for quite some time now.

i have a feeling a lot of regular people will be DL'ing this album off the net to hear what all of the fuss is all about.  Hopefully some will turn into real sales.

a massive sold out tour, tons of radio play and awards galore would be pretty awesome.

[GNRFAN20]

i have not bought a cd in retail store since 1991

The last cds you bought must of been the illusion cds

[MikeD]

So best buy would have the censored one then ...??

Why are people bitching about Wal-Mart's censorship thing. Think about it. First of all, it's called "negotiations." If Wal-Mart doesn't want to turn a blind eye on this record (which they'd be stupid not to), then the record company will take the deal somewhere else. It's plain and simple. And isn't it two companies (Best Buy and Wal-Mart that are supposedly in negotations. Now why do you think Best Buy is in the mix. Gee, I don't know, maybe as a back up plan in case Wal-Mart doesn't want to lift its ban. Do you people really think that Axl has spent this long just to have CD compromised. No he hasn't. Wal-Mart not even worth worry about. (Heck for all we know Wal-Mart may do the uncensored and Best Buy does the other edition.)

No it was just a suggestion, that perhaps, Best Buy would get the non-censored and Wal-Mart goes with the censored. (or yeah maybe Best Buy would have them both.) The point is a lot people are freaking out and assuming/speculating (which goes on here a lot) that if Walk-Mart is involved then there will only be a censored version, and Axl didn't work as hard as he did to see CD compromised.

[ben9785]

There's no reason why they couldn't stock the album as it is with a blatant disclaimer label indicating that it is explicit material or whatever.

[faldor]

There's no reason why they couldn't stock the album as it is with a blatant disclaimer label indicating that it is explicit material or whatever.

Again, I don't know if that'll be an issue.  What is so expicit about the songs we've heard so far?  I mean is a sticker really warranted for 2 or 3 curses?  I don't know the answer, and it may be a big fat yes with the state of the world these days, but it may not be an issue.  Obviously we don't know if the songs we've heard will in fact be on CD and there are probably a bunch that will be on that we haven't heard yet so who knows what badness they might contain.  It just seems that the lyrics have become a lot less explicit since back in the day.

[ben9785]

There's no reason why they couldn't stock the album as it is with a blatant disclaimer label indicating that it is explicit material or whatever.

Again, I don't know if that'll be an issue.  What is so expicit about the songs we've heard so far?  I mean is a sticker really warranted for 2 or 3 curses?  I don't know the answer, and it may be a big fat yes with the state of the world these days, but it may not be an issue.  Obviously we don't know if the songs we've heard will in fact be on CD and there are probably a bunch that will be on that we haven't heard yet so who knows what badness they might contain.  It just seems that the lyrics have become a lot less explicit since back in the day.

I know what you mean. I'm not even sure to what extent they censor albums these days, particularly to the point of providing a special issue of the album with offensive lyrics cut out/censored etc. But I would assume, with such a large 'family'/chain/mainstream store they would consider disclaimers, even if its just for a few curses.

On a final light hearted note, I'd consider some of the music that they sell to be offensive in the fact that they exist let alone the lyrics contained.

[troccoli]

Do people still by music in retail stores anyways?   

Pardon my technical ignorance here.  Does anyone here have the equipment (and I'm not sure what kind of equipment that would be other than your own ears of course) to see the differences between different types of files?  The only reason I bring this up is because I still buy cds (only major bands that I really like otherwise I just get it off itunes) because it seems to me the quality is better.  Even those new trakcs on itunes that cost a bit more don't seem to be the same quality as cd.  Am I crazy here???

[ben9785]

Do people still by music in retail stores anyways?   

Pardon my technical ignorance here.  Does anyone here have the equipment (and I'm not sure what kind of equipment that would be other than your own ears of course) to see the differences between different types of files?  The only reason I bring this up is because I still buy cds (only major bands that I really like otherwise I just get it off itunes) because it seems to me the quality is better.  Even those new trakcs on itunes that cost a bit more don't seem to be the same quality as cd.  Am I crazy here???

I'm not too sure about technical details either;

But I would be pretty sure that the quality on a official, mass produced CD would be much more superior to MP3, MP4, M4A and whatever the other common digital music formats are. Music made for digital download would most likely be ripped/copied from a 'physical source', whereas official CDs are made 'from' a physical source/master copy without any compression/digital conversion etc..

[D]

To make a profit, Walmart is the best way to go.

we've heard that CD has cost 13 million correct. I know 3 albums blah blah blah but lets just stick with the 13 million.

Lets say Walmart gives Universal 10 million for the rights to exclusively release CD.

Walmart THEN sells it for 10 dollars a copy.   With is being in Walmart, no Itunes etc, CD easily could sell 3 million copies.

They could work out a deal: walmart gets 5 dollars, Label 3 GNR 2.

So with 3 million just in the US, Walmart would make 15 million *profit of 5 million*  Label would make 9 million plus the 10 mlllion they sold it for which would be 19 million which in turn would profit them 6 million. GNR would then receive  6 million dollars.


so the US would turn a profit and every thing outside the US would be gravy.