Axl on Better music video and more

[FunkyMonkey]

"I'd love to be in a GUNS N' ROSES video. It's my favorite song on the record ? I think it's a great song. I can't for the video to come out." 

Can't wait for the video to come out or can't pay for the video to come out? 

Wait. 

[D]

So if this exists, they have to be waiting for the proper time....................... right?


Please get off the nobody owes u shit.


Axl said there would be a video, Lars says he is in a video, so we should get a video. I am not saying tomorrow, or next week, but sometime this year, yes.

[el_loko]

Proper time?

Maybe the second coming of jesus ?

[RoCoKiN]

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/21/lars-ulrich-confirms-he-appears-in-guns-n-roses-better-video-but-where-is-it/

[Silverchair]

I'm sure there are legalities that can hold up that release. Certain parties would have to sign off on it... just like Lars did. Maybe venues, ex-members, and such.

Waiting for the video should be cake compared to the album. Whether it sees the light of day or not... who cares??? We got the album.

[IKnowWhereIAM]

Better is an awesome song...but, what is a video going to bring to any of us that are already fans + have the album?  IMO the target for any video would be those who have NOT heard/bought CD...I mean really - would you rather 'watch' Better on YouTube/Mtv/whatever, or listen to it on your system?  Once you get the video, most will start pining for something else immediately, anyways.  It will be interesting to see, when we get to see it...   

[younggunner]

Better is an awesome song...but, what is a video going to bring to any of us that are already fans + have the album?  IMO the target for any video would be those who have NOT heard/bought CD...I mean really - would you rather 'watch' Better on YouTube/Mtv/whatever, or listen to it on your system?  Once you get the video, most will start pining for something else immediately, anyways.  It will be interesting to see, when we get to see it...  

agreed. I hope people arent going to have lofty expectations once the video is out. Save those expectations for when/if the band do print and radio promotion and then release a single and video to coincide with it.

The BEtter video is for the fans to enjoy. Its not meant to change the industry or anything

[Buddha_Master]

So then it is official that the video will just be concert footage if Lars has to sign off. Not unexpected but still weak. Hopefully there will be some cool imagery interwoven and not just live footage. I would rather see Buckethead then Lars in the video too. How fucking lame if Lars is in it and not Bucket? I hope the video at least tries to capture the imagination like the music has. The music is too good to go cheap. The booklet was kind of class with the cool imagery and gold type (regardless of the  typos). But, at least try. The music is too good. Respect it.

[Gunner80]

Proper time?

Maybe the second coming of jesus ?

Well that's never happening so... let's keep our fingers crossed for a video.

[younggunner]

So then it is official that the video will just be concert footage if Lars has to sign off. Not unexpected but still weak. Hopefully there will be some cool imagery interwoven and not just live footage. I would rather see Buckethead then Lars in the video too. How fucking lame if Lars is in it and not Bucket? I hope the video at least tries to capture the imagination like the music has. The music is too good to go cheap. The booklet was kind of class with the cool imagery and gold type (regardless of the  typos). But, at least try. The music is too good. Respect it.

you cant shoot a traditional video if one of your lead guitarists is in NIN and probably out for good and the other doing his own thing

[Skunk]

According to some of your accounts, ya'll waited 15 years for Chinese Democracy.

Axl only announced the video one month ago.  Where's the fire?

I guess the release of Chinese Democracy was, in some of our imaginations, was going to be a coming out of sorts for Axl and the band.  Instead, we're two months post-release and we don't know who's in the band.  What's so wrong with having the opinion that we deserve something better than the nothingness that Chinese Democracy has been thus far?

What's wrong is the idea that you "deserve" anything. We're free to purchase GNR products or not, to be fans or not. By doing so that doesn't mean we "deserve" for the band to behave in any particular way or offer us more than they are prepared to.

It's fair to say that we're surprised that not more is going on, but we don't earn anything by being fans, and we don't deserve anything because of the expectations "in some of our imaginations."

Nobody owes you ? not one goddamn thing.

Sure I'm not owed anything, but that doesn't really address the question of what's wrong with the opinion?  At the same time I'm not criticizing anyone who's got this silly opinion that Axl's some god or superhero (even though that's plain retarded)...  But let someone express disappointment, and then the whole "nobody owes you" argument gets thrown out...  So you answered with an Axl lyric, to which I would reply "When you've got a job to do, you've got to do it well", but that seems not to have applied here.

I'm disappointed too, but let's keep it in perspective. Your exact words were "we deserve something better than the nothingness that Chinese Democracy has been thus far." CD is a kickass album, not nothingness, and we don't deserve anything. Axl said the promotion didn't work out as planned, and obviously he's keeping quiet and we can assume he has reasons for that. I'm sure he's disappointed too. At the same time though we've got this great album we waited so long for, and we've read a zillion reviews, seen TV spots and billboards, and there are two GNR singles on radio. That's awesome. I always hope for more, but i'm not gonna sit around moaning like i've been wronged or Axl isn't doing his job well enough. And yeah, you quoted Paul McCartney. 
I don't want to sound too much like i'm arguing with you, i get the frustration that can come with being a GNR fan. I also get that Axl himself has been frustrated for a long time for the same reasons. I'm just saying we should keep it in perspective. Axl isn't an elected official, and we're not shareholders in the GNR corporation - we're fans. He makes stuff, we like it.

[Eazy E]

So Axl / the band weren't happy with how Best Buy handled the release... They are letting Best Buy run out their exclusive and sell as many copies as they can in the meantime, then once they are free of that they are going to drop the Better music video, re-release the album with the new cover(s) and drop interviews, tour dates, etc. to promote the CD when it can be purchased anywhere?

Sounds like a plan!  Probably won't happen that way... 

[gunns1]

So Axl / the band weren't happy with how Best Buy handled the release... They are letting Best Buy run out their exclusive and sell as many copies as they can in the meantime, then once they are free of that they are going to drop the Better music video, re-release the album with the new cover(s) and drop interviews, tour dates, etc. to promote the CD when it can be purchased anywhere?

Sounds like a plan!  Probably won't happen that way... 

so only 4 more months to wait for the better video then by your logic?

[bodine]

According to some of your accounts, ya'll waited 15 years for Chinese Democracy.

Axl only announced the video one month ago.  Where's the fire?

I guess the release of Chinese Democracy was, in some of our imaginations, was going to be a coming out of sorts for Axl and the band.  Instead, we're two months post-release and we don't know who's in the band.  What's so wrong with having the opinion that we deserve something better than the nothingness that Chinese Democracy has been thus far?

What's wrong is the idea that you "deserve" anything. We're free to purchase GNR products or not, to be fans or not. By doing so that doesn't mean we "deserve" for the band to behave in any particular way or offer us more than they are prepared to.

It's fair to say that we're surprised that not more is going on, but we don't earn anything by being fans, and we don't deserve anything because of the expectations "in some of our imaginations."

Nobody owes you ? not one goddamn thing.

Sure I'm not owed anything, but that doesn't really address the question of what's wrong with the opinion?  At the same time I'm not criticizing anyone who's got this silly opinion that Axl's some god or superhero (even though that's plain retarded)...  But let someone express disappointment, and then the whole "nobody owes you" argument gets thrown out...  So you answered with an Axl lyric, to which I would reply "When you've got a job to do, you've got to do it well", but that seems not to have applied here.

I'm disappointed too, but let's keep it in perspective. Your exact words were "we deserve something better than the nothingness that Chinese Democracy has been thus far." CD is a kickass album, not nothingness, and we don't deserve anything. Axl said the promotion didn't work out as planned, and obviously he's keeping quiet and we can assume he has reasons for that. I'm sure he's disappointed too. At the same time though we've got this great album we waited so long for, and we've read a zillion reviews, seen TV spots and billboards, and there are two GNR singles on radio. That's awesome. I always hope for more, but i'm not gonna sit around moaning like i've been wronged or Axl isn't doing his job well enough. And yeah, you quoted Paul McCartney. 
I don't want to sound too much like i'm arguing with you, i get the frustration that can come with being a GNR fan. I also get that Axl himself has been frustrated for a long time for the same reasons. I'm just saying we should keep it in perspective. Axl isn't an elected official, and we're not shareholders in the GNR corporation - we're fans. He makes stuff, we like it.

Fair enough, it's just that the whole "not owed anything" is a tired old line that's used too often to discredit those who dare to have any expectations when it comes to the man or his band.  It's right there with the "then you're not a real fan" line . . .

[jarmo]

Fair enough, it's just that the whole "not owed anything" is a tired old line that's used too often to discredit those who dare to have any expectations when it comes to the man or his band.  It's right there with the "then you're not a real fan" line . . .

The owed thing is just funny because people feel like they made the artists into what they are.

"We supported them and look at them now living in big mansions".

Well it's not really our business how the artists use their money.

You support the artist by buying the music, merchandise, tickets or whatever. You get a product/service for your money.

You don't get a share in whatever they choose to spend their money on. A car, a house, a company etc etc.


If your doctor is successful and lives in a mansion, do you feel owed as well?



I'm not saying artists aren't grateful for their fans. But you have to remember that it's impossible to please them all.



Oh, and everybody seems to have a different opinion of what a fan is.

Some think that just because you bought a few albums you're a fan and it's your human right to spend time and energy on bashing the artist/band.



/jarmo

[loretian]

If your doctor is successful and lives in a mansion, do you feel owed as well?

Well said.  That's exactly it.  All the money, time, etc. we've spent on our "fanship" of Guns N' Roses has been by choice, and in exchange for something - the music, or merchandise or whatever.

Axl has the right to do whatever he wants, and if it pisses people off, then they should just stop being fans and let it go.  It makes no sense to stick around trying to come up with an "objective" viewpoint or opinion on what's happening, cause it's just a waste of time.  It's like complaining that McDonald's sells non-vegetarian meals.  If you don't like it, then you're in the wrong place!

[bodine]

If your doctor is successful and lives in a mansion, do you feel owed as well?

/jarmo

Only that he perorm his duties in a professional, ethical, and responsible way.  Again, I am not saying per se that I am "owed".  Poor choice of words on my part, and I'll be sure to be more careful with that one in the future.  I am only saying that there is nothing wrong with having a few expectations of entartainers, just as you'd have of your doctor.  Granted, the analogy is not perfect as there's no conventionally accepted rule-book pertaining to what your responsibilities and obligations are concerning being a rock star.

But certain things like "who's in your band" are things that I don't believe someone should be labeled as unreasonable for expecting to get, whether I "deserve" it or not.

Axl has the right to do whatever he wants, and if it pisses people off, then they should just stop being fans and let it go.

And right here is an example of dismissing any opposing point of view with a "get on board or fuck off" attitude...

[Eazy E]

so only 4 more months to wait for the better video then by your logic?

Yeah... seems about right.  Remember which band we're talking about here.

[loretian]

Axl has the right to do whatever he wants, and if it pisses people off, then they should just stop being fans and let it go.

And right here is an example of dismissing any opposing point of view with a "get on board or fuck off" attitude...

You said it, man!  Get on board or fuck off!  If you don't like it, don't waste your time with it.  I probably wouldn't like every little bit of how Britney Spears runs her shows, but I don't go fucking around on her fan message boards, because they're not for me (or her music).

Edit: Also, regarding your comment about me dismissing any opposing viewpoint, I think you're completely mistaken.  What is this about "opposing viewpoints"?  This is not politics we're talking about here.  If you don't like what the band is doing, then your best course of action is to not be a huge fan of the band! Why is that hard to understand?  Friendly conversation and debate is fine, but if you don't like the band, or it's actions, then stop hanging around on a Gn'R fan board...

[ppbebe]

so only 4 more months to wait for the better video then by your logic?

Yeah... seems about right.  Remember which band we're talking about here.

tool?

when the video is released  interviews may well take place.
I doubt the 4 more months theory, but that'd allow each of us to develop their own relationship with cd without serious spoilers.