USA Today: Candidate for Career Transition: Axl Rose

[COMAMOTIVE]

Yes, of course. There are a handful of songs that I simply don't like. Others may really enjoy the songs and that's cool. I just don't like them.

Ok.

As I said, my favorite artists, that I'm a huge fan of, don't have songs that suck in my opinion. And I always buy their albums on the day of release even if I haven't heard a single note from it....


/jarmo

What ?  I don't get this at all -  I think even people who are obsessed with the Beatles - think they have a few songs that suck - it happens -  especially when there's a good deal of experimentation that goes on within a band - It doesn't mean you're looking for things negative and it doesn't mean you're not a fan -
So with the case of Gnr  - considering the change in musical direction from the original and the rotating door of band members - it shouldn't surprise anyone that there are going to be a few songs that people just really can't get into - 

For fuck's sake - Axl himself said that the album is going to have many different styles and that some things won't be for everyone

[jarmo]

Perhaps by hearing the songs played on the radio or listening to the album someone else purchased, they could show up in a movie, maybe even see a video. There are a lot of ways Jarmo. Legal ways. But you don't want to see it that way. You jump to conclusions like doing something illegal.

Yeah, because it's 2008.


I still can't really fully understand this "I'm not gonna buy the album in case it sucks" attitude.

It's like going to a restaurant. You eat, you pay. Maybe it wasn't worth the money, but now you know.


Does this policy apply to other forms of art? Like movies. Do you have to see the movie first before buying the DVD?

What if you rent a movie and it sucks?


I bet you've wasted $10 on a lot of things that weren't worth it without thinking too much. But with GN'R, you can't afford it....


Even if there's only one song you like on the album, it might still be worth $10.... Because it's that good! Ever thought about that possibility?



/jarmo

[Drew]

I still can't really fully understand this "I'm not gonna buy the album in case it sucks" attitude.

/jarmo

My reason would not be "in case it sucks", my reason would be because it sucks.

Even if there's only one song you like on the album, it might still be worth $10.... Because it's that good! Ever thought about that possibility?


/jarmo

I most likely would pay $.99 on iTunes for the songs I do like. Wouldn't I be supporting the band financially that way too?

Right now, I would say that I like the songs Chinese Democracy, Better, and The Blues. The other songs that have come out as "leaks" I haven't been impressed. Yes, I know it was perhaps illegal in some peoples minds to listen to the songs but you yourself even said you had listen to a short rough cut as well. That's besides the point anyways. I still have hopes that the album will be good, I'm just keeping an open mind that there could be only two or three songs that I like on the album.

I'll still say that I firmly believe Axl would respect my choice not to buy something I wouldn't enjoy as long as my reasons were legitimate and not because I wanted to just trash a band and hope for their failure.

[LordRazZ]

Wow...Jarmo....

We told you one glass of the kool-aid a day. I think you need to be cut off before you start seeing ufo's and castrate yourself.

I think the fact that some are looking at this though cynical eyes has merit.

The "Oh My God" train of thought is legitimate, whether we like it or not.

Is this the same kind of situation? I don't think so in the least. HOWEVER, remember how excited we were in '99?

And '02?
And '04?
And '06?
And '07?

We're all excited about this Jarmo. That's why we're here, and that's why some of us have been coming here for YEARS.

We're here because we love GnR, we love the music, and even though none of us have heard ANY of the leaks, we're pretty sure they're gonna sound F'n KILLER!!!

Let's just say we're all cautiously optimistic.

We'll Jarmo's a little more than that.

....

Hey!! I said put the fuckin' Kool-Aid down you Scandinavian nut job!!!

*runs off after the guy with the bug eyes and the purple stained lips*

[cyllan]

I still have hopes that the album will be good, I'm just keeping an open mind that there could be only two or three songs that I like on the album.

I'm not trying to have a go at you or anything but I'm curious to know if, for example, the album was available to download as individual tracks (and I don't download albums so I don't know if this is the norm) would you just go for those you've already heard and know you like, or would you take a chance and get the whole album?  One of my reasons for asking is that very often I'll buy an album and during the first few plays several of the tracks will jump out and become instant favourites.  However, after a while, others will grow on me, and then sometimes months or years later, I'll put the album on and a track that previously hadn't particularly struck me will suddenly hit me and I'll hear new things in all the tracks that I never heard in all the many times of listening before.  My point is that if I'd just bought what I already knew I liked at the time of release, I would have missed out on some great stuff because I wasn't willing to take the chance.

(Although admittedly, for me at least, buying anything released by GNR never means taking much of a chance because I've enjoyed everything that they've released so far.)   

Also, I believe very strongly that there is an art to getting the tracks in the right order so that the album flows and creates the atmosphere intended by the band.  So again, buying individual tracks (or playing them out of order) would definitely not be an option for me, but I'd be interested to know the opinion of other people and whether it's just me who feels like this.

[jarmo]

I most likely would pay $.99 on iTunes for the songs I do like. Wouldn't I be supporting the band financially that way too?

Out of all the albums I consider great, they didn't become great after one listen....

For example, it took a while to get into the Use Your Illusion albums because there were 30 tracks to "digest".

If I was like you, maybe I would've bought a couple of songs and left it at that. But maybe then I would've never heard some of the songs I now love...



Maybe I ask you how you managed in the days before digital sales?

Did you wait for the song you liked to become a single so you could be it alone?

Is this the same kind of situation? I don't think so in the least. HOWEVER, remember how excited we were in '99?

And '02?
And '04?
And '06?
And '07?

And now this is supposed to be BIGGER than any of those years.

I mean, no longer can you say shit like "Oh, so they're playing in Australia, why do I care? I live in the US. I want the album"... Well, we don't have the album yet, but we got something. A new song.

That's more you could've said in any of those years.

It's a song from the band we're all supposed to be fans of and some are acting like they're stuck in 2005...



Why is it impossible to be happy and optimistic for once when something is actually happening?




/jarmo

[Nytunz]

Let people just think an say what they want.. There are alot people out there who think this is great. Concern about the album when that time comes.. Now Concern about what is happening on Sunday. Im sure GnR havent given us the latest update on theyr Revenge yet!

That said. buying the product, introduce the music to the your friends, and Give GnR the supporte you think they deserve. But to not give them the support with not doing this, i dont think you can be concidered a fan of the new product.. At least not a fan who cares about showing it to the band..

Thats just how it is..

[Drew]

Maybe I ask you how you managed in the days before digital sales?

Did you wait for the song you liked to become a single so you could be it alone?


/jarmo

There were a lot of albums I bought for one or two songs only and I hated it so much. Finally, they a started releasing cassette singles and cd singles which I was so happy about. It was very nice to pay two or three dollars instead of the $18-$20 price cd's use to be.

[cineater]

I just want to interject I saw this, the orginial topic of this thread.  Congrats to the GNR camp.   

[slashsbaconpit]

I'm one of the saps who will buy the album on the first day ... but I understand other people's hesitation, wanting to hear some of the material first. That's how I am with every other album! This one, just because it's GNR, is a must buy for me.

However, people with a "wait and see" approach, hey after 9 or 15 years or whatever it's been, this project has earned some skepticism. OMG was good, but there are better songs out there. The songs in concert have been pretty good, but hard to judge what a recorded version will be ... the other songs, we can't even discuss without Jarmo jumping all over our shit (I thought the rule was we couldn't post links or locations, but I think it's now that we can't even mention them), so I won't try to say what I thought of them.

[jarmo]

There were a lot of albums I bought for one or two songs only and I hated it so much.

Did the opposite ever happen?

You bough an album based on one song, then liked the album so much that you actually went and bought the artist's other albums?





/jarmo

[LordRazZ]

Jarmo, I can't help but noticed you omitted the fact I said we were "CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC"

We ARE HAPPY...

We ARE OPTIMISTIC...

But cautiously so.

For once, I can honestly say it sounds like you're being a little stubborn.

Everyone here has good reason to have serious doubts, due to the history of the band, but we're still here, still sticking around, and still believing. We wouldn't be here otherwise.

We're cautious because of the past. We're optimistic because of the present.  Try not to get so defensive against someone who's taking the middle road, trying to mediate both extremes of the spectrum. You, above all else, should be able to take a clear headed approach to things.

That being said, yes, in my heart of hearts, I feel the album is coming VERY SOON. We've been down this road before, but my gut tells me Chinese Democracy STARTS NOW!!

[jarmo]

Cautious regarding what?

That the video game isn't gonna be out on Sunday?

It's not like I'm saying this song is gonna bring world peace and end all conflicts.


While some of you are too busy worrying about the worst case scenarios you've made up in your heads or coming up with reasons why this isn't amazing (but, but, but...), I'm saying "why not be happy with what you got?".

It's more than we've gotten in years for God's sake!



It's a step towards getting the thing most of you claim to be "waiting" for.

Several steps have been taken this year already.



And why is it a bad thing to try to get a few of you out of the boring "it's like 1999" routine?

You need to fucking snap out of it sooner or later don't you think? 





/jarmo

[D]

Shackler's will definitely top the mainstream rock charts.

will be interesting to see how much modern rock radio it gets.

[LordRazZ]

Cautious regarding what?

That the video game isn't gonna be out on Sunday?

It's not like I'm saying this song is gonna bring world peace and end all conflicts.


While some of you are too busy worrying about the worst case scenarios you've made up in your heads or coming up with reasons why this isn't amazing (but, but, but...), I'm saying "why not be happy with what you got?".

It's more than we've gotten in years for God's sake!



It's a step towards getting the thing most of you claim to be "waiting" for.

Several steps have been taken this year already.



And why is it a bad thing to try to get a few of you out of the boring "it's like 1999" routine?

You need to fucking snap out of it sooner or later don't you think? 





/jarmo

Cautious regarding the fact that WE'VE SEEN SHIT FALL APART TOO MANY TIMES!!!

Are you a fucking goldfish?

You have the short term memory of a Republican for god sakes.

Remember 2002? We got a world tour, new songs, all the momentum in the world....

And it fell the fuck apart

Remember the "tentative" release date of March 2007?  That was over a year and a half ago.

Yeah, I think it's fair that GnR fans have a right to take everything with a grain of salt.

And how many fucking times do I have to say that WE'VE GOT A FEELING THINGS WILL WORK OUT THIS TIME?!?!

We've got a god damned right to feel reserved. And we're right to do so.

Just because every time the band makes a public fart you go bat shit crazy, doesn't mean the rest of us have to.

Let me make a list of points, AGAIN, and see if you ignore them one more time.

1. Shacklers is a huge event for us.
2. It will sound great.
3. It will get people interested in GnR again.
4. It shows that we're in the right direction.
5. We all hope and pray the album is coming out soon.
6. I think it will.

But more importantly, one final point.

7. We've been saying the same thing for the last, what? Decade?

The album will "probably" come out in the next 3 months.

I leave it at that. You're going to jump up and down like a jackass. You might even go as far as calling us all "terrorists". Hell, if it walks like a Bush, and talks like a Bush....

J-man, I've taken great strides to say nothing but nice things about you over the last 2 years, and back you on everything that's come out of your mouth.

This time, you're shitting on us for simply being realistic.

[GNR4L]

Cautious regarding what?

That the video game isn't gonna be out on Sunday?

It's not like I'm saying this song is gonna bring world peace and end all conflicts.


While some of you are too busy worrying about the worst case scenarios you've made up in your heads or coming up with reasons why this isn't amazing (but, but, but...), I'm saying "why not be happy with what you got?".

It's more than we've gotten in years for God's sake!



It's a step towards getting the thing most of you claim to be "waiting" for.

Several steps have been taken this year already.



And why is it a bad thing to try to get a few of you out of the boring "it's like 1999" routine?

You need to fucking snap out of it sooner or later don't you think? 





/jarmo

Cautious regarding the fact that WE'VE SEEN SHIT FALL APART TOO MANY TIMES!!!

Are you a fucking goldfish?

You have the short term memory of a Republican for god sakes.

Remember 2002? We got a world tour, new songs, all the momentum in the world....

And it fell the fuck apart

Remember the "tentative" release date of March 2007?  That was over a year and a half ago.

Yeah, I think it's fair that GnR fans have a right to take everything with a grain of salt.

And how many fucking times do I have to say that WE'VE GOT A FEELING THINGS WILL WORK OUT THIS TIME?!?!

We've got a god damned right to feel reserved. And we're right to do so.

Just because every time the band makes a public fart you go bat shit crazy, doesn't mean the rest of us have to.

Let me make a list of points, AGAIN, and see if you ignore them one more time.

1. Shacklers is a huge event for us.
2. It will sound great.
3. It will get people interested in GnR again.
4. It shows that we're in the right direction.
5. We all hope and pray the album is coming out soon.
6. I think it will.

But more importantly, one final point.

7. We've been saying the same thing for the last, what? Decade?

The album will "probably" come out in the next 3 months.

I leave it at that. You're going to jump up and down like a jackass. You might even go as far as calling us all "terrorists". Hell, if it walks like a Bush, and talks like a Bush....

J-man, I've taken great strides to say nothing but nice things about you over the last 2 years, and back you on everything that's come out of your mouth.

This time, you're shitting on us for simply being realistic.

Go read Axl's open letter he explains it all.  This album has been held up due to legal issues, that frankly can't be talked about.  Not to mention various band members coming and going.  Lets see you put out a album when you got people leaving, Axl wants to put a new sound and reinvent himself he's not gonna take 9 months and put out another AFD, or UYI I, II.  People THE ALBUM IS FUCKIN DONE !!! it wasn't done in the past HELLO !!!!! NEW MANAGEMENT RING A BELL ? I guess not so if your not down with GnR go to another message board with all those crybabies and post there.

[damnthehaters]

Shackler's will definitely top the mainstream rock charts.

will be interesting to see how much modern rock radio it gets.

Will it even be on the rock charts if it isn't being played on the radio because it's only on the game?

[D]

Razz.............. This is the first official release though. WAYYYYYYYYY different than some tours.

[COMAMOTIVE]

Go read Axl's open letter he explains it all.  This album has been held up due to legal issues, that frankly can't be talked about.  Not to mention various band members coming and going.  Lets see you put out a album when you got people leaving, Axl wants to put a new sound and reinvent himself he's not gonna take 9 months and put out another AFD, or UYI I, II.  People THE ALBUM IS FUCKIN DONE !!! it wasn't done in the past HELLO !!!!! NEW MANAGEMENT RING A BELL ? I guess not so if your not down with GnR go to another message board with all those crybabies and post there.

It's done? Can you prove that.................waiting.............  Has a record company executive ever verified this?

Hey man, it may be done, it may not - but untill an actual release date is announced - why would you dare to say that it is?

[Ali]

Go read Axl's open letter he explains it all.  This album has been held up due to legal issues, that frankly can't be talked about.  Not to mention various band members coming and going.  Lets see you put out a album when you got people leaving, Axl wants to put a new sound and reinvent himself he's not gonna take 9 months and put out another AFD, or UYI I, II.  People THE ALBUM IS FUCKIN DONE !!! it wasn't done in the past HELLO !!!!! NEW MANAGEMENT RING A BELL ? I guess not so if your not down with GnR go to another message board with all those crybabies and post there.

It's done? Can you prove that.................waiting.............  Has a record company executive ever verified this?

Hey man, it may be done, it may not - but untill an actual release date is announced - why would you dare to say that it is?

Has a record company executive verified this?  No.  But when do record company execs ever verify a record is done?

Beta did verify that to Classic Rock.  I haven't yet seen that disputed by anyone else "in the know".

Ali