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

[Voodoochild]

I didn't give up. Still, I agree: you can't lose what you never had.

It happens that most of the artists I really like are not as prolific as I'd want them to be. The other big example is Fiona Apple, even tho she released all of her discography in GNR downtime from 1997-2012. But I don't know if she's ever gonna release something again. She told before in an interview-ish with Quentin Tarantino: "I really do not know if I will ever write a song again. If you have just made something you should fucking feel like you've got nothing left in you". Of course that's a bit narrow minded if you think shit happens everyday and you keep getting inspired or at least reshaping your memories, but it shows that she doesn't care if nothing gets released ever again. And I respect it even if it's because I can't do anything about it.

[allwaystired]

I didn't give up. Still, I agree: you can't lose what you never had.

It happens that most of the artists I really like are not as prolific as I'd want them to be. The other big example is Fiona Apple, even tho she released all of her discography in GNR downtime from 1997-2012. But I don't know if she's ever gonna release something again. She told before in an interview-ish with Quentin Tarantino: "I really do not know if I will ever write a song again. If you have just made something you should fucking feel like you've got nothing left in you". Of course that's a bit narrow minded if you think shit happens everyday and you keep getting inspired or at least reshaping your memories, but it shows that she doesn't care if nothing gets released ever again. And I respect it even if it's because I can't do anything about it.

That's pretty explicit though. I wish we had more of that- rather than the "we're working on stuff" approach that everyone from Bumblefoot, to Ashba to Finck to Axl state to stop people asking questions!

[Voodoochild]

I didn't give up. Still, I agree: you can't lose what you never had.

It happens that most of the artists I really like are not as prolific as I'd want them to be. The other big example is Fiona Apple, even tho she released all of her discography in GNR downtime from 1997-2012. But I don't know if she's ever gonna release something again. She told before in an interview-ish with Quentin Tarantino: "I really do not know if I will ever write a song again. If you have just made something you should fucking feel like you've got nothing left in you". Of course that's a bit narrow minded if you think shit happens everyday and you keep getting inspired or at least reshaping your memories, but it shows that she doesn't care if nothing gets released ever again. And I respect it even if it's because I can't do anything about it.

That's pretty explicit though. I wish we had more of that- rather than the "we're working on stuff" approach that everyone from Bumblefoot, to Ashba to Finck to Axl state to stop people asking questions!

For sure. It shouldn't be that touchy for them either.

[D-GenerationX]

No one that had a good concrete answer in the affrimative would sit on it.

You only give that vague, wishy washy bullshit answer because you know damn well things aren't even close, but you don't want to be the messenger who gets shot.

[allwaystired]

Didn't Bumblefoot hint pretty strongly that that was his reason for leaving?

[sofine11]

Didn't Bumblefoot hint pretty strongly that that was his reason for leaving?

He was pretty outspoken regarding the fact that during in his 8 years in the band they never once entered a studio together to write so much as one song together.  He didn't seem keen on the band releasing more music from guys who, in his words, "haven't been in the band for years".  But I think that's just one of the reasons he wasn't into the gig anymore.  During the last few years of his tenure he got seriously injured in that car accident, lost his father and then his cat.  I don't think he had proper time to heal from any of that, which made him that much more vocal and volatile regarding his issues with the band.  I get it. He's human.

What I don't get is why Axl has been sitting on the second half of Chinese for damn near a decade with still no release in sight.  It proooobably should have been released sometime between 2010-2014 while the Chi Dem touring band was active.  Now, it looks like Slash is going to somehow be shoe-horned onto that album at some point.  Which, don't get me wrong, could be cool.  Obviously, we'll get a better idea whenever the spirit moves Axl to finish the damn thing. 

[allwaystired]

Didn't Bumblefoot hint pretty strongly that that was his reason for leaving?

He was pretty outspoken regarding the fact that during in his 8 years in the band they never once entered a studio together to write so much as one song together.  He didn't seem keen on the band releasing more music from guys who, in his words, "haven't been in the band for years".  But I think that's just one of the reasons he wasn't into the gig anymore.  During the last few years of his tenure he got seriously injured in that car accident, lost his father and then his cat.  I don't think he had proper time to heal from any of that, which made him that much more vocal and volatile regarding his issues with the band.  I get it. He's human.

What I don't get is why Axl has been sitting on the second half of Chinese for damn near a decade with still no release in sight.  It proooobably should have been released sometime between 2010-2014 while the Chi Dem touring band was active.  Now, it looks like Slash is going to somehow be shoe-horned onto that album at some point.  Which, don't get me wrong, could be cool.  Obviously, we'll get a better idea whenever the spirit moves Axl to finish the damn thing. 

I always got the impression Bumblefoot was a pretty creative guy who wanted to be writing and recording new music. Same with Ashba. I know a lot of people seem to dislike Ashba, but I always thought he was a decent guy, and seemed keen to push the band forwards towards new material too. I think that Chinese-era lineup could really have worked well on a song writing level. There seemed to be momentum there, if only for a bit.

[sofine11]

Didn't Bumblefoot hint pretty strongly that that was his reason for leaving?

He was pretty outspoken regarding the fact that during in his 8 years in the band they never once entered a studio together to write so much as one song together.  He didn't seem keen on the band releasing more music from guys who, in his words, "haven't been in the band for years".  But I think that's just one of the reasons he wasn't into the gig anymore.  During the last few years of his tenure he got seriously injured in that car accident, lost his father and then his cat.  I don't think he had proper time to heal from any of that, which made him that much more vocal and volatile regarding his issues with the band.  I get it. He's human.

What I don't get is why Axl has been sitting on the second half of Chinese for damn near a decade with still no release in sight.  It proooobably should have been released sometime between 2010-2014 while the Chi Dem touring band was active.  Now, it looks like Slash is going to somehow be shoe-horned onto that album at some point.  Which, don't get me wrong, could be cool.  Obviously, we'll get a better idea whenever the spirit moves Axl to finish the damn thing. 

I always got the impression Bumblefoot was a pretty creative guy who wanted to be writing and recording new music. Same with Ashba. I know a lot of people seem to dislike Ashba, but I always thought he was a decent guy, and seemed keen to push the band forwards towards new material too. I think that Chinese-era lineup could really have worked well on a song writing level. There seemed to be momentum there, if only for a bit.

I liked Bumble.  For at least half of his time in Guns, he seemed super friendly and happy to have the gig.  I think if GNR had, at the very least, released the second Chinese album while he was still around he would have been a much happier camper.  The shit in his personal life paired with his displeasure with the internal workings of GNR kind of made him turn on everyone, fans included.  He was a bit of debbie downer during his last couple of years in the band, and that wasn't very fun to watch.

Ashba....He was just poser wall-to-wall and the less said about him the better, I think.

[Ginger King]

Didn't Bumblefoot hint pretty strongly that that was his reason for leaving?

He was pretty outspoken regarding the fact that during in his 8 years in the band they never once entered a studio together to write so much as one song together.  He didn't seem keen on the band releasing more music from guys who, in his words, "haven't been in the band for years".  But I think that's just one of the reasons he wasn't into the gig anymore.  During the last few years of his tenure he got seriously injured in that car accident, lost his father and then his cat.  I don't think he had proper time to heal from any of that, which made him that much more vocal and volatile regarding his issues with the band.  I get it. He's human.

What I don't get is why Axl has been sitting on the second half of Chinese for damn near a decade with still no release in sight.  It proooobably should have been released sometime between 2010-2014 while the Chi Dem touring band was active.  Now, it looks like Slash is going to somehow be shoe-horned onto that album at some point.  Which, don't get me wrong, could be cool.  Obviously, we'll get a better idea whenever the spirit moves Axl to finish the damn thing. 

I always got the impression Bumblefoot was a pretty creative guy who wanted to be writing and recording new music. Same with Ashba. I know a lot of people seem to dislike Ashba, but I always thought he was a decent guy, and seemed keen to push the band forwards towards new material too. I think that Chinese-era lineup could really have worked well on a song writing level. There seemed to be momentum there, if only for a bit.

I liked Bumble.  For at least half of his time in Guns, he seemed super friendly and happy to have the gig.  I think if GNR had, at the very least, released the second Chinese album while he was still around he would have been a much happier camper.  The shit in his personal life paired with his displeasure with the internal workings of GNR kind of made him turn on everyone, fans included.  He was a bit of debbie downer during his last couple of years in the band, and that wasn't very fun to watch.

Ashba....He was just poser wall-to-wall and the less said about him the better, I think.

I think Bumble and DJ came to the realization that there would be no chance of creating new music with GnR.  They were probably fed the same lines we are, like ?you never know, Axl?s got all this stuff locked in a vault?he didn?t make it for it just to sit there, yada, yada, yada.?  That can only satisfy you for so long.  These guys are musicians, after all, and were probably tired with everyone (defined as the entire world except for six people here) saying they were not ?true? band members.  IMO, to be in a band (or rather, for anyone to care that you?re in a band) you have to make music. 

Don?t get me wrong, I?m way happier with Slash and Duff back in the fold, and maybe that changes the prospects of new music, or at least changes our perception of the prospects of new music.  I just think it?s all bullshit until it isn?t. 

[sofine11]

  I just think it?s all bullshit until it isn?t. 

Bingo.  People can cite whichever Axl/band quotes they want that point to the possibility of new music down the road. But ultimately, nothing points to a new album being a reality like, you know, a f*cking album. Until then it's just a bunch of verbal jerking off.

[D-GenerationX]

Didn't Bumblefoot hint pretty strongly that that was his reason for leaving?

Yep.

But since we had people that didn't want to face that likely reality, we just called him a big ol' liar.

Then called up quotes from Axl from 5 years earlier about how "he didn't do all this just to sit on it" or some such, so that was the way to refute that evil Ron's seditious lies.

[sofine11]

Admittedly, I'm no great Ashba fan.  But to his credit he really, really wanted to be part of the next Guns album.  From the 10 demos he sent Axl and also saying he couldn't wait to "dive into" the other tracks Axl already had, he really wanted to do it.  But after 5 years when your biggest claim to fame is doing "Hogan ears" during the intro to WTTJ, I think the writing was was on the wall. 

The biggest waste, however, is having a titan like Slash back in the fold and not taking full advantage of that in regard to the next release.

[D-GenerationX]

Admittedly, I'm no great Ashba fan.  But to his credit he really, really wanted to be part of the next Guns album.  From the 10 demos he sent Axl and also saying he couldn't wait to "dive into" the other tracks Axl already had, he really wanted to do it.  But after 5 years when your biggest claim to fame is doing "Hogan ears" during the intro to WTTJ, I think the writing was was on the wall. 

The biggest waste, however, is having a titan like Slash back in the fold and not taking full advantage of that in regard to the next release.

Agree with all of this.

But it's also because of this stuff with both Ron and DJ that I find it impossible to argue that Axl's creaitve fire is not long extinguished.  He may still have the "know how" but has long lost his "want to".

Does it carry more weight when it's Slash and Duff saying it as opposed to Ron or DJ?  Maybe.  But I tend to doubt it.

[sofine11]

Admittedly, I'm no great Ashba fan.  But to his credit he really, really wanted to be part of the next Guns album.  From the 10 demos he sent Axl and also saying he couldn't wait to "dive into" the other tracks Axl already had, he really wanted to do it.  But after 5 years when your biggest claim to fame is doing "Hogan ears" during the intro to WTTJ, I think the writing was was on the wall. 

The biggest waste, however, is having a titan like Slash back in the fold and not taking full advantage of that in regard to the next release.

Agree with all of this.

But it's also because of this stuff with both Ron and DJ that I find it impossible to argue that Axl's creaitve fire is not long extinguished.  He may still have the "know how" but has long lost his "want to".

Does it carry more weight when it's Slash and Duff saying it as opposed to Ron or DJ?  Maybe.  But I tend to doubt it.

Yeah, that drives me nuts.  We hear all the time how Axl is always creating/tinkering, but doesn't want to put out an album just for the sake of it.  Well swell.  I also know this incredible lawyer who I swear just has too much integrity to show how good he is in the courtroom.  But honest, the untried cases he has in his files are a slam dunk!!  Fucking please.

[D-GenerationX]

We hear all the time how Axl is always creating/tinkering, but doesn't want to put out an album just for the sake of it.  Well swell.  I also know this incredible lawyer who I swear just has too much integrity to show how good he is in the courtroom.  But honest, the untried cases he has in his files are a slam dunk!!  Fucking please.

Hahahaha.

Honestly, despite all the supposed work he put into all that shit in the Magical Mystery Vault...don't you almost think he's better just bagging it all?

He'd be free of it.  Just say to the current band, let's just bang something new and fresh and get on with it. 

Dr. Dre fucked around with 'Detox' even longer than he Axl toiled on 'Chinese Democracy'.  Then decided, fuck it, scrapped it all...and had 'Compton' out within 1 year of work on it.

BE LIKE THE DOCTOR

[sofine11]

We hear all the time how Axl is always creating/tinkering, but doesn't want to put out an album just for the sake of it.  Well swell.  I also know this incredible lawyer who I swear just has too much integrity to show how good he is in the courtroom.  But honest, the untried cases he has in his files are a slam dunk!!  Fucking please.

Hahahaha.

Honestly, despite all the supposed work he put into all that shit in the Magical Mystery Vault...don't you almost think he's better just bagging it all?

He'd be free of it.  Just say to the current band, let's just bang something new and fresh and get on with it. 

Dr. Dre fucked around with 'Detox' even longer than he Axl toiled on 'Chinese Democracy'.  Then decided, fuck it, scrapped it all...and had 'Compton' out within 1 year of work on it.

BE LIKE THE DOCTOR

It's hard to say, really.  What can we expect from Axl if let's say he axes whatever else is "in the can" and starts fresh?  Is that just going to be another descent into studio madness for another decade or more even if Slash is on board? Is that just who Axl is as an artist now?

Again, hard to say.  I just know that if all that needs to be done for the next one is Slash doing cut and paste guitar work, as possibly inorganic as that might sound, it means that we'll get new Guns music much much sooner, then so be it.  I just want to hear whether these tracks hold weight in my own mind after years of speculation. 

[D-GenerationX]

I will forever be interested in anything Axl does, but was nowhere near blown away enough by CD to consider whatever is left from those sessions to be appointment listening.

Take them if they come out?  Absolutely.  If they never do?  Shoulder shrug. 

[allwaystired]

Admittedly, I'm no great Ashba fan.  But to his credit he really, really wanted to be part of the next Guns album.  From the 10 demos he sent Axl and also saying he couldn't wait to "dive into" the other tracks Axl already had, he really wanted to do it.  But after 5 years when your biggest claim to fame is doing "Hogan ears" during the intro to WTTJ, I think the writing was was on the wall. 

The biggest waste, however, is having a titan like Slash back in the fold and not taking full advantage of that in regard to the next release.

'Hogan ears' observation is great!

I liked Ashba muself,  and agree totally about his desire. Watching those interviews on the Appetite For Democracy DVD are pretty telling - Ashba saying how basically what he's most excited about it being able to make his mark on the future of GNR. He seemed genuinely really eager to do that, and to write stuff. Not long after, he's off to Sixx AM, who knocked out a couple of albums pretty quickly.

I'm really not bothered if Slash re-records guitar parts or not, but an opening of the vaults would be perfect for now. It's starting to look like we might not even see a live album though, which would be sheer madness.

[D-GenerationX]

I'm also very shocked there is not even talk of a live album.

Still hoping those cameras the 2 nights at Dodger Stadium where they did every conceivable song on the setlist leads to one though.

[allwaystired]

I'm also very shocked there is not even talk of a live album.

Still hoping those cameras the 2 nights at Dodger Stadium where they did every conceivable song on the setlist leads to one though.

Now would seem the ideal time to release it, or at least start hyping it a bit.

Unless of course there is going to be something else they want to record and release. We still haven't heard anything about that yellow LA billboard.....