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

[mortismurphy]

Fact is Chinese actually sold 1.3 million in the US as Best Buy bought them all on a one way ticket. They could not return unsold copies like the normal standard in the industry. The record company and Axl were a success right there, right off the bat. I am quite sure the record company got their costs back, Ax and Azoff pocketed some cash and promptly parted ways. Chinese then sells a few million overseas which should have generated some more good income for the record company and Axl....NOT a failure financially.

That is, actually true. The record was over pressed (hence the surplus copies). The same thing happened to Michael Jackson's Invincible in 2001. But, Axl walked away with the money, on the assumption that the copies would all sell. It was a good deal for Axl, economically, the Best Buy deal.
 

I think it all affected the sales to some degree. You remove the element of surprise first with the leaks. Then on top of that you stream the whole thing for free. It's not a taster. It's like you get the whole meal, for free.

I would be inclined to say the long term effect of the leaks affected sales more than the, short term effect of the stream. In the end, there were only three new songs when the album finally dropped in 2008. Much of the mystique and surprise factor was gone.

But IT DID NOT SELL FOR $1.99 during its first week at Best Buy.

I was there. In the USA at the time
Others here remember it happening in 2011. Google searches point to 2011 as well.
Not from the first week until 2011. Sorry. It did not happen the way you hoped/remember.

You're repeating a lie. I'm sorry.

A poster, posted a picture of it in his Best Buy for that or a similar price, on - I think it was Mygnr - in 2008. Others testified that it was being offloaded, bargain price. The price was around $1.99. It might have been $1. It might have been $2.99 - it was certainly low. That is my recollection; believe it as a lie; believe I am getting 2008 mixed up with 2011; believe whatever you want.

It is interesting to see the two articles discredited so flippantly by you and others, yet, these are contemporary articles from credible sources, Billboard and Rolling Stone, written in an objective manner. They are being dismissed as if they are MSL's gossip forum! I suppose I can see why this forum follows the adage, ''we know nothing'': you are inherently going to know, nothing, about the music industry, if, nothing published upon the subject of music can be trusted!

What would be a success?

Much lower than 2008. 200,000, first week sales, would be a complete triumph. Probably 100,000 is more realistic. The sales of Rock or Bust have been depressing. Personally it never bothers me that much. I have often said, the only important sales statistic is the sales statistic which registered when I bought the thing - it does not matter that x number of people are listening to it (or not) at the same time as myself. I think, so long as there is enough people to justify the cost of pressing the thing, there is still ample release to release albums today. Look at Slash: three albums in three years, yet none of them really 'sold'. There must be just enough people buying them to justify putting another one out.

Its the definition of insane   

The guy has admited he is not a fan of the guns n roses currently.   Not a fan of anything they have do e in the past 20 years. 

Can you find an example of me, saying that?

So because other albums out sold Chinese, Chinese was a failure?  I just don't get your logic?  Not too mention all the things Jarmo mentioned. 

So again, maybe you should rethink your expectations.  Seems to me, you were expecting Chinese to sell millions world wide and be the best selling album of the year.  Even though it's a new band who hadn't put out an album in 15 years...among plenty of other reasons to prove GNR was and is not a hot topic in this country like it was in the early 90's. 

Looking at those statistics,

Chinese Democracy: 261,000
Death Magnetic: 490,000
Viva la Vida: 720,000
Black Ice: 784,000

I would say it was a comparative failure. Maybe 'flopped'  is a bit strong, but I interpret that as under-performance. Back in 2001-02, when we expected the album to originally drop, following the buzz of Rio 3, could you predict Chinese Democracy being outsold, more than twice fold, by AC/DC - I doubt it? Still, if you think 261,000 is a success, you are perfectly entitled to that viewpoint.

I would say, I semi-expected the record to reach at least the 500,000, first week US sales. Roughly, if you want a figure, that is about what I expected, 500,000.

[jarmo]

A poster, posted a picture of it in his Best Buy for that or a similar price, on - I think it was Mygnr - in 2008. Others testified that it was being offloaded, bargain price. The price was around $1.99. It might have been $1. It might have been $2.99 - it was certainly low. That is my recollection; believe it as a lie; believe I am getting 2008 mixed up with 2011; believe whatever you want.

I did a Google search, it says 2011. You still argue about it.... Come on.

It is interesting to see the two articles discredited so flippantly by you and others, yet, these are contemporary articles from credible sources, Billboard and Rolling Stone, written in an objective manner.

I didn't discredit anything. I even told you what i got out of one of those, that people don't rush to Best Buy first thing in the morning...

How do you know they are objective? You accuse others of being biased, yet you're naive enough to think the media, Rolling Stone, Billboard and such are objective? Since when?
If you want to write an article about any subject, you can make it positive or negative. Anything.



I'm saying, just because two other rock albums released the same year sold more doesn't make it a failure!
That's what I'm saying.

Just because you wanted it to be a failure, that's another thing.

There must be just enough people buying them to justify putting another one out.

Or they're put out so there can be a tour to make you happy!

I would say it was a comparative failure. Maybe 'flopped'  is a bit strong, but I interpret that as under-performance.

Considering Metallica is considered by many as the biggest metal band in the world in the last 20 years, AC/DC is one of the biggest "classic rock" bands plus they had the backing of one of the biggest retailers, and none of their albums leaked almost in full months before, GN'R didn't so nearly as horribly as some claim....




/jarmo

[GypsySoul]

Fact is Chinese actually sold 1.3 million in the US as Best Buy bought them all on a one way ticket. They could not return unsold copies like the normal standard in the industry. The record company and Axl were a success right there, right off the bat. I am quite sure the record company got their costs back, Ax and Azoff pocketed some cash and promptly parted ways. Chinese then sells a few million overseas which should have generated some more good income for the record company and Axl....NOT a failure financially.

That is, actually true. The record was over pressed (hence the surplus copies). The same thing happened to Michael Jackson's Invincible in 2001. But, Axl walked away with the money, on the assumption that the copies would all sell. It was a good deal for Axl, economically, the Best Buy deal.

I can't speak for how well the BestBuy deal was economically for Axl but it sure was an AWESOME deal for me and I'm sure a whole lot of other fans in the USA!!!!   

For those of you who weren't around for the other gazzillion times I've told this story, here you go:
Chinese Democracy was listed for pre-order at BestBuy as six (6) individual item codes.  There were three (3) different cds and the three (3) vinyl versions of those cds.  I pre-ordered four (4) copies of each of those six (6) item codes.  As we all know, what was released was only one (1) cd and one (1) vinyl. 

As a good-will gesture, for EVERY COPY I PRE-ORDERED, BestBuy sent me coupons worth ABOVE the amount of my pre-order!!!    (Mind you, they did NOT charge my credit card prior to them shipping me the copies of the released products that I ordered so it's NOT like they charged me then just credited me back my own money.)

That BestBuy deal RULED!!!!
 

[Dead N' Bloated]

Trying to cypher through all the bickering to see if anyone has mentioned the rumours posted at Mygnr...

Kaneda at Mygnr has said "I've heard from sources within the band that a new album is coming this year. Most of the songs are from the Chinese D era. No free dr pepper this time around 51 Tuesday's left in the year".

Who is Kaneda? Is he/she reliable? What is their backstory? I don't spend a lot of time on that board, so I am little out of touch with who's who.




 

[pilferk]

Trying to cypher through all the bickering to see if anyone has mentioned the rumours posted at Mygnr...

Kaneda at Mygnr has said "I've heard from sources within the band that a new album is coming this year. Most of the songs are from the Chinese D era. No free dr pepper this time around 51 Tuesday's left in the year".

Who is Kaneda? Is he/she reliable? What is their backstory? I don't spend a lot of time on that board, so I am little out of touch with who's who.

Idk what contacts he has in the music biz. But he did get me a 12 pack f dr pepper sent to my hpuse from the parent company, so....



 

If memory serves: He worked (and might still work) for ( either directly, or for their marketing firm) dr. Pepper. Snapple ( aka cadbury schwepps).  He Was pretty much wholly responsible for the dr. pepper/cd promo in 2008.

Idk what contacts he has in the music biz..but he did get a 12 pack of dr. Pepper sent to my house from the parent company, so...

[mortismurphy]

Jarmo, but you are doing the legacy of the name, 'Guns N' Roses', and Axl a disservice here. You could merely say, ''considering Guns are considered by many as the biggest hard rock band in the world in the last thirty years''. In fact, I would argue that Guns have a (slightly) broader appeal than 'Tallica. AC/DC, pre-2008, had fallen into that trap common to bands of a certain vintage, of, selling paltry numbers of albums while remaining a gigantic touring act, subsisting on a greatest hits repertoire. It was certainly not a foregone conclusion that AC/DC's fifteenth studio album would be any different than 1995's Ballbreaker or 2000's Stiff Upper Lip - both decent albums certainly but albums which were just bought be the hardcore number and failed to make an impact on subsequent DC setlists. I do not think anyone, least of all AC/DC, could have expected the success of Black Ice. In fact, Black Ice's figures rather shames Metallica's figures also (who outsold Guns). People would have also presumed, a 2008 Metallica album outselling a 2008 AC/DC album.

Concerning the credibility of Rolling Stone and Billboard, in my opinion those two articles are objective (in fact, they are dry as dust water). I think they represent fairly decent evidence, as to the commercial performance of Chinese Democracy in its early weeks of release.

We are never going to agree about the, $1.99 thing.

Fact is Chinese actually sold 1.3 million in the US as Best Buy bought them all on a one way ticket. They could not return unsold copies like the normal standard in the industry. The record company and Axl were a success right there, right off the bat. I am quite sure the record company got their costs back, Ax and Azoff pocketed some cash and promptly parted ways. Chinese then sells a few million overseas which should have generated some more good income for the record company and Axl....NOT a failure financially.

That is, actually true. The record was over pressed (hence the surplus copies). The same thing happened to Michael Jackson's Invincible in 2001. But, Axl walked away with the money, on the assumption that the copies would all sell. It was a good deal for Axl, economically, the Best Buy deal.

I can't speak for how well the BestBuy deal was economically for Axl but it sure was an AWESOME deal for me and I'm sure a whole lot of other fans in the USA!!!!   

For those of you who weren't around for the other gazzillion times I've told this story, here you go:
Chinese Democracy was listed for pre-order at BestBuy as six (6) individual item codes.  There were three (3) different cds and the three (3) vinyl versions of those cds.  I pre-ordered four (4) copies of each of those six (6) item codes.  As we all know, what was released was only one (1) cd and one (1) vinyl. 

As a good-will gesture, for EVERY COPY I PRE-ORDERED, BestBuy sent me coupons worth ABOVE the amount of my pre-order!!!    (Mind you, they did NOT charge my credit card prior to them shipping me the copies of the released products that I ordered so it's NOT like they charged me then just credited me back my own money.)

That BestBuy deal RULED!!!!
 

I did not know about that. I remember the Best Buy website putting up the album with the three separate covers (sans actual pictures). I remember that day well as it did seem like, it might finally come out.

[ice cream sand pig]

This thread reminds me so much of a court room. Anyway, recently when I was watching AFD and boiling some water to make rice with it occurred to me that actively waiting for the next GNR album to come out is bound to be frustrating. A watched pot never boils. And if I'm not mistaken, even Axl himself said that "waiting" for a release was not a bright idea.

When I said before that getting frustrated over GNR is like being frustrated over the weather, I meant it in the sense that nothing can be done about it. The more I hang around here waiting for any little tidbit of news that might come my way the more I find myself being critical towards Axl. Why can't he communicate with us fans a little more? But then if I asked him that, he might say to stop waiting for his pot to boil and go smoke some pot instead.

[Dead N' Bloated]

Trying to cypher through all the bickering to see if anyone has mentioned the rumours posted at Mygnr...

Kaneda at Mygnr has said "I've heard from sources within the band that a new album is coming this year. Most of the songs are from the Chinese D era. No free dr pepper this time around 51 Tuesday's left in the year".

Who is Kaneda? Is he/she reliable? What is their backstory? I don't spend a lot of time on that board, so I am little out of touch with who's who.

Idk what contacts he has in the music biz. But he did get me a 12 pack f dr pepper sent to my hpuse from the parent company, so....



 

If memory serves: He worked (and might still work) for ( either directly, or for their marketing firm) dr. Pepper. Snapple ( aka cadbury schwepps).  He Was pretty much wholly responsible for the dr. pepper/cd promo in 2008.

Idk what contacts he has in the music biz..but he did get a 12 pack of dr. Pepper sent to my house from the parent company, so...

Oh, that's the dude. I am not sure how he would gain any insider information though. Has he "leaked" any info in the past?

Thanks for the info, mate.




 

[Gavgnr]

The consensus seems to be that Kaneda could well be legit.

Probably unlikely that he will reveal his source/s, though he did add his revelations have nothing to do with the Hookers and Blow show in NYC the other night, as someone had speculated.

Would be odd for him to just randomly spout this unless there was some truth to it.

[GNR2014]

The consensus seems to be that Kaneda could well be legit.

Probably unlikely that he will reveal his source/s, though he did add his revelations have nothing to do with the Hookers and Blow show in NYC the other night, as someone had speculated.

Would be odd for him to just randomly spout this unless there was some truth to it.

There's no consensus... This is a GN'R board. 

[rebelhipi]

Trying to cypher through all the bickering to see if anyone has mentioned the rumours posted at Mygnr...

Kaneda at Mygnr has said "I've heard from sources within the band that a new album is coming this year. Most of the songs are from the Chinese D era. No free dr pepper this time around 51 Tuesday's left in the year".

Who is Kaneda? Is he/she reliable? What is their backstory? I don't spend a lot of time on that board, so I am little out of touch with who's who.

Idk what contacts he has in the music biz. But he did get me a 12 pack f dr pepper sent to my hpuse from the parent company, so....



 

If memory serves: He worked (and might still work) for ( either directly, or for their marketing firm) dr. Pepper. Snapple ( aka cadbury schwepps).  He Was pretty much wholly responsible for the dr. pepper/cd promo in 2008.

Idk what contacts he has in the music biz..but he did get a 12 pack of dr. Pepper sent to my house from the parent company, so...

Oh, that's the dude. I am not sure how he would gain any insider information though. Has he "leaked" any info in the past?

Thanks for the info, mate.




 

We have a positive rumour, from a decent source!
Maybe all it takes is a Bumblefoot solo album to get new GNR music released just like in 2008! 

[TheBaconman]

That's very interesting news. 

I am not much of a fan of dr pepper though

But diet dr pepper is really good!

[TheBaconman]

Fact is Chinese actually sold 1.3 million in the US as Best Buy bought them all on a one way ticket. They could not return unsold copies like the normal standard in the industry. The record company and Axl were a success right there, right off the bat. I am quite sure the record company got their costs back, Ax and Azoff pocketed some cash and promptly parted ways. Chinese then sells a few million overseas which should have generated some more good income for the record company and Axl....NOT a failure financially.

That is, actually true. The record was over pressed (hence the surplus copies). The same thing happened to Michael Jackson's Invincible in 2001. But, Axl walked away with the money, on the assumption that the copies would all sell. It was a good deal for Axl, economically, the Best Buy deal.

I can't speak for how well the BestBuy deal was economically for Axl but it sure was an AWESOME deal for me and I'm sure a whole lot of other fans in the USA!!!!   

For those of you who weren't around for the other gazzillion times I've told this story, here you go:
Chinese Democracy was listed for pre-order at BestBuy as six (6) individual item codes.  There were three (3) different cds and the three (3) vinyl versions of those cds.  I pre-ordered four (4) copies of each of those six (6) item codes.  As we all know, what was released was only one (1) cd and one (1) vinyl. 

As a good-will gesture, for EVERY COPY I PRE-ORDERED, BestBuy sent me coupons worth ABOVE the amount of my pre-order!!!    (Mind you, they did NOT charge my credit card prior to them shipping me the copies of the released products that I ordered so it's NOT like they charged me then just credited me back my own money.)

That BestBuy deal RULED!!!!
 

That is a great deal

I would love to find out one day how much best buy lost in this deal

It would have to be in the 10s of millions I would think

[jarmo]

Jarmo, but you are doing the legacy of the name, 'Guns N' Roses', and Axl a disservice here. You could merely say, ''considering Guns are considered by many as the biggest hard rock band in the world in the last thirty years''. In fact, I would argue that Guns have a (slightly) broader appeal than 'Tallica.

Not really. None of those other two bands had the "obstacles" GN'R had to deal with regarding their their albums.

In fact, Black Ice's figures rather shames Metallica's figures also (who outsold Guns). People would have also presumed, a 2008 Metallica album outselling a 2008 AC/DC album.

And you still think that was because of what?
I kept pointing out the big impact their choice of retailer in the USA had. Walmart had little AC/DC stores inside their stores to help promote the album. Selling anything from music to t-shirts.

Concerning the credibility of Rolling Stone and Billboard, in my opinion those two articles are objective (in fact, they are dry as dust water). I think they represent fairly decent evidence, as to the commercial performance of Chinese Democracy in its early weeks of release.

They paint a picture. Just like an article stating the album was streamed a record breaking 8 million plus times paints another picture.

We are never going to agree about the, $1.99 thing.

No because you're stubborn and can't admit you remember it wrong!

It happened in 2011, not the first week of its release. Fact.



/jarmo

[sky dog]

I am quite certain the 1.99 deal came a few years after the release...or at least a year. Definitely not the first week or anytime in 2008 and early 2009. Plus, all of the stores eventually had a wide range of prices after the initial push. Who cares anyway? The album sold what it sold and the finances are Axl's and the record companies concern, not ours.

Can we ever get back to talking about the thread topic?

I think 2015 will be the year.....but not because of the Dr Pepper guy's comments! Let's leave Dr Pepper out of the next release.

[JAEBALL]

I am quite certain the 1.99 deal came a few years after the release...or at least a year. Definitely not the first week or anytime in 2008 and early 2009. Plus, all of the stores eventually had a wide range of prices after theinitial push. Who cares anyway? The album sold what it sold and the finances are Axl's and the record companies concern, not ours.

Can we ever get back to talking about the thread topic?

I think 2015 will be the year.....but not because of the Dr Pepper guy's comments! Let's leave Dr Pepper out of the next release.

Any questions about CD should be about the impact the record made... not how many copies were sold.

Mortis should know that the next one will probably sell less... so everybody be prepared for his comments lol


I know they were selling copies for 2 bux... because I bought one!! I was just like yeah why not I could always use an extra, but I really don't remember when that was. I would guess not a week after the release...

I am also hopeful for the album late this year.

[TheBaconman]

Its weird how much the greatest hits album sold so well just a couple years prior too the release of CD, with zero marketing at all

And not only sold well, but in the united  states completly destroyed sales compared to CD

I have read where sales of the greatest hits are 5 million in the united states and CD is under 700 grand

So when one argues marketing is the reason CD didnt sell the millions people thought it aould sell in the states.   I cant totally agree with that

It is just one big piece to the puzzle

And back to the fumors about the next release is true

I cant wait to hear some more of Bucketheads work!!!!

[TheBaconman]

I am quite certain the 1.99 deal came a few years after the release...or at least a year. Definitely not the first week or anytime in 2008 and early 2009. Plus, all of the stores eventually had a wide range of prices after theinitial push. Who cares anyway? The album sold what it sold and the finances are Axl's and the record companies concern, not ours.

Can we ever get back to talking about the thread topic?

I think 2015 will be the year.....but not because of the Dr Pepper guy's comments! Let's leave Dr Pepper out of the next release.

Any questions about CD should be about the impact the record made... not how many copies were sold.

Mortis should know that the next one will probably sell less... so everybody be prepared for his comments lol


I know they were selling copies for 2 bux... because I bought one!! I was just like yeah why not I could always use an extra, but I really don't remember when that was. I would guess not a week after the release...

I am also hopeful for the album late this year.

How much less do you guys expect CD to sell in the u ites atates and world wide ?

I think the next release.  If just of old unlessed material and if released fo the public sith no marketing plan or no hit radio friendly single, will sell around 500, 000 total in the untied states over its life time.   100, 000 copies its first week. 

World wide i am thinking it will sell around 1,5 million copies total.   

I think theae are very realistic numbers    And i am just baseing them off roughly a 25% reduction in sales from CD. 

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

Is this source enough to change the conversation here a bit?  Question for folks.

Axl has said that the next album is going to push things a bit further.  How will you reconcile that against a populus view that they need more classic rock sounding hit that are well promoted and Billboard ready?  If there are elements of industrial, are we going to hear the same tired complaints that the music is dated?  Or are you going to take the music for what it is (Axl's vision), and dismiss the notion that success only equals units pushed?

I'd like to see Axl and company promote the next record more and draw in a bigger crowd in.  But, at the same time, thats not necessarily going to impact my enjoyment of the new music.  GN'R is the only band that I personally can enjoy pretty much everything they've written.  Of course not every song is equal, but never been a song I have to skip.  One of the greatest things I can appreciate about this band is how they've not tried to make AFD again. 

Most exciting thing to me is to hear what Axl has created, and if that's something commercially successful thats awesome, but if its an epic song thats not so radio friendly, I'm enjoying it just as much, often more.

[damnthehaters]

Its weird how much the greatest hits album sold so well just a couple years prior too the release of CD, with zero marketing at all

And not only sold well, but in the united  states completly destroyed sales compared to CD

I have read where sales of the greatest hits are 5 million in the united states and CD is under 700 grand

So when one argues marketing is the reason CD didnt sell the millions people thought it aould sell in the states.   I cant totally agree with that

It is just one big piece to the puzzle

And back to the fumors about the next release is true

I cant wait to hear some more of Bucketheads work!!!!

Why do you think it's weird?  With a new band and all the negative press Axl gets here in the US, didn't surprise me.  He needs to prove himself with this new band and put out music.  Until that happens, it's a lot of people not that interested.   

Also, as each year passes, record sales continue to drop dramatically.