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

[D-GenerationX]

Frankly, it puts more of this on Axl, I think.

The label hates him and his band is a tougher talking point to sell given that release.  Obviously, they can still work with him.

If...he so desires.

See, here's the misconception...and I've addressed it before.

Label's don't "hate".  In fact, they don't "anything" remotely approaching humanity, human emotion, or human decency.

They make money.  That is their sole purpose, and they are driven to do what look like really crappy things, when judged by humans, to do it.  They ride artists, sap every ounce of creative productivity out of them, and then toss them aside as soon as things start to look dicey (unless they have a back catalog that makes them ridiculous amounts of money).

So, it's not about whether the label "hates" Axl and his band.  It's about what kind of money GnR can make them, how they can best maximize the profit off of them based on the contractual obligations, and how they can best position the GnR brand to benefit them.  Period.

The Blu Ray was obviously a good call...it seems to have sold very well!  I credit all parties for that success...but I don't pretend, for a second, the label did it because they suddenly "love" Axl.  They did it because they saw an opportunity to make some money.

I don't dispute anything here.

My post was making light of the talking point that the label is out to get Axl and fuck with him for shits and giggles.

I obviously do not subscribe to that premise, as it is ridiculous.

[AXLRIVERS]

Sometimes i cringe reading these arguements. No wonder GnR is a joke out there to music fans at the moment. Ps...that wasnt aimed at everyone or the band!. Just A select few posters! I love a good discussion, positive and negative, but come on just let jarmo and dx fight it out in inflatable sumo suits haha

[pilferk]

I still am not sure how to feel about Azoff.  On one hand, he's the manager who secured the Best Buy deal and subsequently (and finally) got Chinese Democracy into our hands.  On the other hand, he may or may not have sabotaged said release in hopes that he could score a reunion, if we're to believe the allegations.

As with anything, there was good and bad.

I suspect a bit more bad than good, all things considered.

Also, if you look at the timing of his LiveNation dealings, and what was going on at the time of CD's release...it's pretty easy to imagine a scenario where we was "checked out". And, honestly, I think that helped perpetuate the "Axl was unreachable" issue.  I don't think management was facilitating contact between the two...which isn't to say the other two parties (Axl and the label) shouldn't have figured out how to find each other (smoke signals? whatever)...but I don't think it helped a whole lot.  I also think a lot of the "details" that were problematic around release pretty much directly relate to that issue....since management is really the point of contact (both ways) for the artist and everyone else.

[pilferk]

Sometimes i cringe reading these arguements. No wonder GnR is a joke out there to music fans at the moment. Ps...that wasnt aimed at everyone or the band!. Just A select few posters! I love a good discussion, positive and negative, but come on just let jarmo and dx fight it out in inflatable sumo suits haha

Opener for the next GnR tour...hell, I'd buy tickets to watch that, on it's own! HILARIOUS!!

[pilferk]

My only real fear is that they'll end up getting bogged down with all the "hows" in regard to how to best release a GNR album in 2015, ultimately putting the album in limbo for a good chunk of time.

If it's done, I really hope they already know exactly how the release is going to go down.  God knows they've had time to plan & negotiate.

That's the killer.  Because the label has profit in mind, and only a certain number of release spots for material.  They're not going to compete with themselves....

I, too, hope there is a plan in place...and I hope they actually stick to it (because there are artists....see recent posted article...who have their material bumped all the time).

[pilferk]

This isn't splitting the atom, here.

It ridiculous to the point of total absurdity for anyone to say they spent a year "looking very seriously in that regard" and could not come up with anything.  For material that is long done.

Anyone that believes that should not be allowed to cut their own meat at the dinner table.

It's not splitting the atom.

It's also not making a macaroni snowman in your kindergarten class, either.

There's a LOT more that goes into releasing an album than you'd think.  I'd agree..when it comes to the MATERIAL, itself.

But when it comes to the business and release side.....eh, not so much.

Believe that or not....as you will.

[jarmo]

But, but... Other bands release music.

 



/jarmo

[pilferk]

This window is the measure of Axl's seriousness.

If he's serious, it will come out.  If he's not, it won't.  Simple as that.

And if it doesn't, it doesn't.  That's life. 

But at a certain point, its officially OK to say out loud that he's lost his fire for all this.

I'd say "if axl's piece is done, and turned over to the label", he's serious.

I expect we will hear, one way or the other, if that happens.

I'm not going to hold him accountable for the actual release date, though.

[sofine11]

This window is the measure of Axl's seriousness.

If he's serious, it will come out.  If he's not, it won't.  Simple as that.

And if it doesn't, it doesn't.  That's life. 

But at a certain point, its officially OK to say out loud that he's lost his fire for all this.

I'd say "if axl's piece is done, and turned over to the label", he's serious.

I expect we will hear, one way or the other, if that happens.

I'm not going to hold him accountable for the actual release date, though.

I am utterly curious as to where they're at with the next album.  Last we heard a couple months back was that Axl & Chris were doing "something" in the studio.  Have they finished?  Have they entered the mixing/mastering phase yet?  All these things could give us a much clearer idea as to how close we are to hearing it.

[pilferk]

Is he 8 years old?

You spent 10 years on this and staked the very future of your career on all this.  Oh, there were bumps in the road.  Well, boo-fucking-hoo.  

Take some god damn leadership of your own future.  And the future of guys that gave you 10 years of your life for all this.

You getting pissed and sulking helps no one.  It may garner you some misguided support from certain corners of the internet for (what they define as) "integrity".  But in a business sense, you screwed the pooch.

And the fallout from your poor decision is still being felt today.

OK..if we take Axl at his word...and he asked the label over and over for marketing plans and information...and he got nothing...

What, precisely, do you think he can do? What "leadership" can he provide that would force the label to relinquish (or even create) that information?

Because, I'm here to tell you....there ain't a thing. Not. One. Thing.

It's herculean to get the label to get you your royalties breakdowns...and when you audit them, they're usually WRONG.  Like...a lot wrong.  And when you threaten to sue them to recoup the difference, they tell you they'll settle..for about 30% of what's owed. And then tell you to take the settlement, or they'll bog you down in legal proceedings for YEARS that will cost you a lot more than the 70% you're missing.

THATS THE LABELS!!

As an artist under contract...you have so little influence on the label, and what they decide to do, or not do, it's laughable.  That's reality.

Now, does that excuse him going into a hole and hiding? Not really.

But, honestly, even so, I can definitely understand the level of frustration.  For exactly the reasons being pointed out: You've spent 10 years of your life on this, you're staking your career on it, and....all the support you thought you'd get, that was promised, disappears after you hand them the one piece of leverage you have (the finished material).

Crappy situation, all around.

[pilferk]

Of course, I could take some initiative myself, but...nah, who am I kidding?  That's crazy talk.

I'll just keep waiting for that return e-mail to hold my hand and tell me how to do all this.  In an industry I've been in for 25 years.

Because, honestly, ITS ALL YOU CAN FUCKING DO.

Seriously.

There is no "initiative" you can take.  You can nag them, day after day after day after day..but that's it.

You can't design their marketing plans, spend their money, or use their contacts for them.  You can't.

[D-GenerationX]

Sometimes i cringe reading these arguements. No wonder GnR is a joke out there to music fans at the moment. Ps...that wasnt aimed at everyone or the band!. Just A select few posters! I love a good discussion, positive and negative, but come on just let jarmo and dx fight it out in inflatable sumo suits haha

These our witness, Aunty.  Us suffer bad.  Us want justice.  Us want...THUNDERDOME!!

[jarmo]

Pilferk, it's a losing battle trying to educate that person about anything.... Just some friendly advice.




/jarmo

[EmilyGNR]

Im still chuckling at "Wahhh I contacted the band because I wanted to use my amateur skills to help promote and they never got back to me"

Satire really does starve on Saturday night.

I find carloads of unintended satire and comedy in your posts.

[D-GenerationX]

OK..if we take Axl at his word...and he asked the label over and over for marketing plans and information...and he got nothing...

What, precisely, do you think he can do? What "leadership" can he provide that would force the label to relinquish (or even create) that information?

I'm not talking about any of that.

What publication turns him down for an interview about the relaunch of one of the biggest names in rock?  

No one.

In a perfect world, you cooridinate all this with the label.  When you see they are fucking up, its time for Plan B.

[D-GenerationX]

Im still chuckling at "Wahhh I contacted the band because I wanted to use my amateur skills to help promote and they never got back to me"

Satire really does starve on Saturday night.

I find carloads of unintended satire in your posts.

It was a joke post you took seriously, detective.  Stop the madness.

[D-GenerationX]

Of course, I could take some initiative myself, but...nah, who am I kidding?  That's crazy talk.

I'll just keep waiting for that return e-mail to hold my hand and tell me how to do all this.  In an industry I've been in for 25 years.

Because, honestly, ITS ALL YOU CAN FUCKING DO.

Seriously.

There is no "initiative" you can take.  You can nag them, day after day after day after day..but that's it.

You can't design their marketing plans, spend their money, or use their contacts for them.  You can't.

Can you speak?

Does the label have possession of your vocal chords?  That's one onerous contract if they do.

[EmilyGNR]

Im still chuckling at "Wahhh I contacted the band because I wanted to use my amateur skills to help promote and they never got back to me"

Satire really does starve on Saturday night.

I find carloads of unintended satire in your posts.

It was a joke post you took seriously, detective.  Stop the madness.

I think it is laughable that you take yourself so seriously, other than that- I don't care about you and your little opinions.

I care about GNRs.

[D-GenerationX]

As an artist under contract...you have so little influence on the label, and what they decide to do, or not do, it's laughable.  That's reality.

Now, does that excuse him going into a hole and hiding? Not really.

All I'm saying.  

[pilferk]

The marketing of an album (by a band) shows how important to the band said album is.  For example, it would appear that Scott Weiland has zero shits to give about the upcoming Art of Anarchy album.  Why?  Because of his instant distancing of himself from the product.

The one thing I would point out: Weiland is a press whore willing to talk to anyone with a camera, microphone, or steno pad.

Axl...not so much.