"Next Album" rumor / speculation thread *UPDATE AUG 22/2023*

[jarmo]

I remember asking this very question back years before CD actually was released...could a band basically sell an album prior to its release?
Concept:  Announce new album...allow fans to reserve copies (make a certain % of the pre-bought albums special, perhaps an autograph, perhaps some limited addition swag for a small % of the items (randomly distributed of course), once  enough folks have laid their dollars down, release the album?  Perhaps an x% discount off of a future concert with pre-purchase?

It just seems there are so many ways they could meet the bands', record companies', and fans' interests outside of the box.

I'd be down for a few copies pre-purchased...and I'm sure many other fans would as well.

Just some thoughts.

This way of business is already done by independent artists on sites such as pledgemusic.com. Fans fund the album.

And then you have artists who make their albums available on their web sites where fans can order different editions depending on how much they want to spend...





/jarmo

[kyrie]

I remember asking this very question back years before CD actually was released...could a band basically sell an album prior to its release?
Concept:  Announce new album...allow fans to reserve copies (make a certain % of the pre-bought albums special, perhaps an autograph, perhaps some limited addition swag for a small % of the items (randomly distributed of course), once  enough folks have laid their dollars down, release the album?  Perhaps an x% discount off of a future concert with pre-purchase?

It just seems there are so many ways they could meet the bands', record companies', and fans' interests outside of the box.

I'd be down for a few copies pre-purchased...and I'm sure many other fans would as well.

Just some thoughts.

This way of business is already done by independent artists on sites such as pledgemusic.com. Fans fund the album.

And then you have artists who make their albums available on their web sites where fans can order different editions depending on how much they want to spend...





/jarmo

Protest the Hero did this for their new album.

http://www.indiegogo.com/protestthehero

Raised over $250,000

[kyrie]

The song a month thing doesn't work on fans with no attention span either. You'll lose them after about 3 months. Smashing Pumpkins tried that route and I remember seeing an interview with Billy where he said that the releases had almost no impact when it was just 1 song at a time.

To be fair - I thought that approach was great. I even ordered the collectors edition of Teargarden Vol. 2 because he was doing it that way, yet I haven't picked up their last label release yet.

With the Pumpkins though, they were giving the tracks away for free in MP3 form, and they could be uploaded anywhere, dumped on file sharing networks, and as far as I know none of them went out to radio stations as singles.

So I'm not sure how he was tracking the impact, but personally, I never would have purchased that CD/record set had they not been released a song at a time on the website.

[raindogs70]

The song a month thing doesn't work on fans with no attention span either. You'll lose them after about 3 months. Smashing Pumpkins tried that route and I remember seeing an interview with Billy where he said that the releases had almost no impact when it was just 1 song at a time.

To be fair - I thought that approach was great. I even ordered the collectors edition of Teargarden Vol. 2 because he was doing it that way, yet I haven't picked up their last label release yet.

With the Pumpkins though, they were giving the tracks away for free in MP3 form, and they could be uploaded anywhere, dumped on file sharing networks, and as far as I know none of them went out to radio stations as singles.

So I'm not sure how he was tracking the impact, but personally, I never would have purchased that CD/record set had they not been released a song at a time on the website.

Who listens to a local radio station to hear new music? 

GNR can just Tweet and post on Facebook that they have a new song out and post the link.

My move would be to give iTunes and Amazon a couple of songs and have lyric videos made for You Tube, but on the official site, have songs you can't get anywhere else, in lossless audio. They could even give the songs away for free as long as a sponsor like Monster was cutting the check.

The 4 song to 7 song EP for 5 bucks every few months is better than doing a song a month, but getting the songs proper promotion, goes back to the problems Corgan and Prince ran into over the past decade in getting it played outside of the fanbase.

And we have to take into account when artists are older, it's hard to gauge who's going to be interested in it. GNR can still draw a large crowd, so can Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews, and U2, but none of them are going to know how their new music is going to do until they see numbers for advance sales and the week it comes out. Maybe over time an album that didn't do well its first week could eventually pick up, but it might take an award show appearance, the song on a hit TV show, or just a new single that catches on and people spread the word on. If not, it disappears pretty fast.

[Gavgnr]

Jarmo...for me and I suspect many guns fans, a track a month would be amazing.

Do you think this or the EP route is a possibility for Guns?

[jarmo]

Do you think this or the EP route is a possibility for Guns?

I think the record companies are still thinking of albums.





/jarmo

[Gavgnr]

Do you think this or the EP route is a possibility for Guns?

I think the record companies are still thinking of albums.





/jarmo

So I guess we're just waiting on any issues with the label to be sorted before any future releases could be considered, if releasing albums is what Guns are destined to do.

I just hope those issues aren't too complex and addressed in the near future.

I hate to sound like a broken record but Guns music is so damn important to me. I can't wait for new music from my favourite band, and I am still loving Chinese. I am just addicted to any music that Axl has any input on!

[Scabbie]

So what exactly is the standoff between guns and the record company? Anyone know?

I thought that once CD was out of the way and recording fees settled a follow up would be more straightforward.

pledgemusic is awesome, a high profile artist such as gnr would be great for the website too.

[jarmo]

So what exactly is the standoff between guns and the record company? Anyone know?

I don't know if there's any issues.


But when you look back, its not that difficult to imagine that no artist would like to repeat that kind of experience again.





/jarmo

[Gavgnr]

^yep, the release of Chinese after so long, and so much anticipation should have been so much more special than what it was. I think I remember Axl saying something like..."once the label got the music they went about the release in their typical business like fashion".

You have to empathise with how much Axl would have been pissed by how his masterpiece was handled. After so much time for producing the record, the release was rushed at the eleventh hour.

I understand that Axl wouldn't want any future releases to be handled in such a fashion.

I only hope this doesn't preclude us from ever hearing new music from Guns. If Axl demands X for a new release and the label is offering only Y, it could lead to a stalemate (?).

[peter7411226]

So what exactly is the standoff between guns and the record company? Anyone know?

I don't know if there's any issues.


But when you look back, its not that difficult to imagine that no artist would like to repeat that kind of experience again.





/jarmo

In sure neither side is desperate to experience that again.

[Scabbie]

So what exactly is the standoff between guns and the record company? Anyone know?

I don't know if there's any issues.


But when you look back, its not that difficult to imagine that no artist would like to repeat that kind of experience again.





/jarmo

So is touring completely independent of the record company? Does the record company have any interest or play any supporting role in gnr playing live, sales of merchandising etc? Would they be responsible for releasing a live DVD or blu ray?

[raindogs70]

So what exactly is the standoff between guns and the record company? Anyone know?

I don't know if there's any issues.


But when you look back, its not that difficult to imagine that no artist would like to repeat that kind of experience again.

/jarmo

So is touring completely independent of the record company? Does the record company have any interest or play any supporting role in gnr playing live, sales of merchandising etc? Would they be responsible for releasing a live DVD or blu ray?

It depends. If someone has a "360" deal, everything is tied together. For a band like U2, it would make sense because they own everything they make.

I think GNR would would rather be left alone creating their music, and when it's done, it's done. It would be better if they set their own deadline than a record company choosing a date. I just want GNR to produce it and not have record company execs and "experts" get in Axl's head this time.

Also read the Billboard interview Axl did from a few years ago, if you haven't. It gives his opinion on how the record company handled ChiDem.

The question about the Blu Ray - maybe Jarmo knows or can find out?

[The Wight Gunner]

So what exactly is the standoff between guns and the record company? Anyone know?

I don't know if there's any issues.


But when you look back, its not that difficult to imagine that no artist would like to repeat that kind of experience again.

/jarmo

So is touring completely independent of the record company? Does the record company have any interest or play any supporting role in gnr playing live, sales of merchandising etc? Would they be responsible for releasing a live DVD or blu ray?

It depends. If someone has a "360" deal, everything is tied together. For a band like U2, it would make sense because they own everything they make.

I think GNR would would rather be left alone creating their music, and when it's done, it's done. It would be better if they set their own deadline than a record company choosing a date. I just want GNR to produce it and not have record company execs and "experts" get in Axl's head this time.

Also read the Billboard interview Axl did from a few years ago, if you haven't. It gives his opinion on how the record company handled ChiDem.

The question about the Blu Ray - maybe Jarmo knows or can find out?

The billboard interview doesn't show up for me, but RS have regurgitated it here http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/axl-rose-gives-first-chinese-democracy-interview-says-hell-never-reunite-with-slash-20090206

[One.In.A.Million]

In whatever form we get the next album, and in whatever capacity it is succesful or promoted. I just want a new Guns N' Roses album to listen to over and over again...

I love Chinese Democracy, and consider it to be the holy grail. I probably will still consider Chinese Democracy my favourite album of all time even after the next GN'R release, because of the journey my life has taken with it.

But I just can't wait for the next album, and I know others feel the same. I just hope it's not another hassle, in regards to releasing it, because it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.

[LuanVictor]

In whatever form we get the next album, and in whatever capacity it is succesful or promoted. I just want a new Guns N' Roses album to listen to over and over again...

I love Chinese Democracy, and consider it to be the holy grail. I probably will still consider Chinese Democracy my favourite album of all time even after the next GN'R release, because of the journey my life has taken with it.

But I just can't wait for the next album, and I know others feel the same. I just hope it's not another hassle, in regards to releasing it, because it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.

I agree completely with you.

[The Wight Gunner]

In whatever form we get the next album, and in whatever capacity it is succesful or promoted. I just want a new Guns N' Roses album to listen to over and over again...

I love Chinese Democracy, and consider it to be the holy grail. I probably will still consider Chinese Democracy my favourite album of all time even after the next GN'R release, because of the journey my life has taken with it.

But I just can't wait for the next album, and I know others feel the same. I just hope it's not another hassle, in regards to releasing it, because it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.

In whatever form we get the next album, and in whatever capacity it is succesful or promoted. I just want a new Guns N' Roses album to listen to over and over again...

I love Chinese Democracy, and consider it to be the holy grail. I probably will still consider Chinese Democracy my favourite album of all time even after the next GN'R release, because of the journey my life has taken with it.

But I just can wait and look forward to the next album, and I know others feel the same. I just hope it's not another hassle, in regards to releasing it, because it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.

See what I done there. 

[raindogs70]

In whatever form we get the next album, and in whatever capacity it is succesful or promoted. I just want a new Guns N' Roses album to listen to over and over again...

I love Chinese Democracy, and consider it to be the holy grail. I probably will still consider Chinese Democracy my favourite album of all time even after the next GN'R release, because of the journey my life has taken with it.

But I just can't wait for the next album, and I know others feel the same. I just hope it's not another hassle, in regards to releasing it, because it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.

I didn't weigh Chinese Democracy against the back catalog and just listened to it as a stand alone album, it was good to have heard some of the songs live beforehand. Somehow the songs work together live, even though they're from different decades.
 
I don't think the next CD will have any roadblocks and hassles. I think the mending fences with past band members is a good thing, and maybe they'll show up in the studio to work on a few songs. Not rejoining them, but just some old friends bringing some of the vibe into the room, without the drugs (excluding prescriptions) and bad attitudes. I'd actually love to see what Izzy, Tommy, and Duff would come up with together, and what Axl and Del could come up with. Also hoping Paul and Robin would take part in it again.

Just keep record company people out of the room, and as long as they don't get a loan from the record company, they'll probably not be involved until it's ready to be released.


 

[One.In.A.Million]

In whatever form we get the next album, and in whatever capacity it is succesful or promoted. I just want a new Guns N' Roses album to listen to over and over again...

I love Chinese Democracy, and consider it to be the holy grail. I probably will still consider Chinese Democracy my favourite album of all time even after the next GN'R release, because of the journey my life has taken with it.

But I just can't wait for the next album, and I know others feel the same. I just hope it's not another hassle, in regards to releasing it, because it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.

In whatever form we get the next album, and in whatever capacity it is succesful or promoted. I just want a new Guns N' Roses album to listen to over and over again...

I love Chinese Democracy, and consider it to be the holy grail. I probably will still consider Chinese Democracy my favourite album of all time even after the next GN'R release, because of the journey my life has taken with it.

But I just can wait and look forward to the next album, and I know others feel the same. I just hope it's not another hassle, in regards to releasing it, because it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.

See what I done there. 

Yes, I can see what you've done there... and that's be a smartass. 

Instead of doing clever stuff like that, why don't you add to the debate and share some thoughts. Besides, what you changed my phrase to, is STILL exactly my opinion and thoughts, you've just changed it to make it look like I'm wrong or "expecting too much".

Get a grip, really... everyone on this board can't wait for the next GN'R album. It's a figure of speech, doesn't mean we are all moaning about it not being released yet, we are looking forward to it. 

[The Wight Gunner]

In whatever form we get the next album, and in whatever capacity it is succesful or promoted. I just want a new Guns N' Roses album to listen to over and over again...

I love Chinese Democracy, and consider it to be the holy grail. I probably will still consider Chinese Democracy my favourite album of all time even after the next GN'R release, because of the journey my life has taken with it.

But I just can't wait for the next album, and I know others feel the same. I just hope it's not another hassle, in regards to releasing it, because it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.

In whatever form we get the next album, and in whatever capacity it is succesful or promoted. I just want a new Guns N' Roses album to listen to over and over again...

I love Chinese Democracy, and consider it to be the holy grail. I probably will still consider Chinese Democracy my favourite album of all time even after the next GN'R release, because of the journey my life has taken with it.

But I just can wait and look forward to the next album, and I know others feel the same. I just hope it's not another hassle, in regards to releasing it, because it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.

See what I done there. 

Yes, I can see what you've done there... and that's be a smartass. 

Instead of doing clever stuff like that, why don't you add to the debate and share some thoughts. Besides, what you changed my phrase to, is STILL exactly my opinion and thoughts, you've just changed it to make it look like I'm wrong or "expecting too much".

Get a grip, really... everyone on this board can't wait for the next GN'R album. It's a figure of speech, doesn't mean we are all moaning about it not being released yet, we are looking forward to it. 

Woe, ease up buddy.  I agree with you, but the clux or the matter is we have no choice but to wait.... I did with CD and lots of other stuff in my life. I actucally rate you as one of the best posters in the Gn'R community, anywhere. I may be a little pedantic, but we can wait, because the truth is its all we can do 

Besides. all that waiting meant that the album drop was part of the folklore that makes CD one of the best LP's around.