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

[jarmo]

Youtube can actually be a decent revenue stream nowadays though. You have content creators on there making a living off their channel alone. I'm not sure how it used to work with MTV using music videos, whether they were paid a flat sum, or every time it aired, or dependent on viewership, or what. But AC/DC's video for Shot in the Dark already has 20 Million views. So I don't think the music video is dead at all. Lots of artists are doing really cool stuff with videos these days and Youtube allows people to watch them whenever they want instead of waiting and hoping it got rotation on MTV.

Many of these Youtube content creators make a living based on monthly donations people make. So it's not necessarily only because of the number of views their videos get....


The difference. With MTV, people used to have it on, even in the background like the radio. Something would come on that caught your attention, you liked it, maybe waited until they'd play the song again, or you just went and bough the album.

With Youtube for example, you're either have to find it and choose to watch it, or hope someone sends you the link....


With social media, and the sponsored posts, you might be browsing your Twitter or something, and a link will appear to a new video/record by a band. So you might see it that way.

But it's not like back in the day. Seems like these days we have to do more of the "work" to watch a new video or discover it. 

For good and bad. No one tells us what we should watch next, but on the other hand you need to be more active if you're gonna go through the new music videos each week to find something you might like....






/jarmo

[Sillything]

Youtube can actually be a decent revenue stream nowadays though. You have content creators on there making a living off their channel alone. I'm not sure how it used to work with MTV using music videos, whether they were paid a flat sum, or every time it aired, or dependent on viewership, or what. But AC/DC's video for Shot in the Dark already has 20 Million views. So I don't think the music video is dead at all. Lots of artists are doing really cool stuff with videos these days and Youtube allows people to watch them whenever they want instead of waiting and hoping it got rotation on MTV.

Many of these Youtube content creators make a living based on monthly donations people make. So it's not necessarily only because of the number of views their videos get....


The difference. With MTV, people used to have it on, even in the background like the radio. Something would come on that caught your attention, you liked it, maybe waited until they'd play the song again, or you just went and bough the album.

With Youtube for example, you're either have to find it and choose to watch it, or hope someone sends you the link....


With social media, and the sponsored posts, you might be browsing your Twitter or something, and a link will appear to a new video/record by a band. So you might see it that way.

But it's not like back in the day. Seems like these days we have to do more of the "work" to watch a new video or discover it. 

For good and bad. No one tells us what we should watch next, but on the other hand you need to be more active if you're gonna go through the new music videos each week to find something you might like....






/jarmo

The algoritms on Youtube gives suggestions though, sometimes weird suggestions but still. So you don´t necesseceraliy have to look intensivly for new videos you might like.

[jarmo]

The algoritms on Youtube gives suggestions though, sometimes weird suggestions but still. So you don´t necesseceraliy have to look intensivly for new videos you might like.

That's true.

I think most streaming services have this feature where it suggests things you might like.






/jarmo

[Oliver]

The problem with the algorithms is that it will only make suggestions inside of your comfort zone. It's harder to discover something different that you might still like.

[Ignatius]

I completely understand how Jarmo and others get sick of people bitching about the lack of output. I am not as huge a fan as they are and it makes sense that it becomes tiresome. To love this band as much as they do, such constant criticism must become annoying. I am in no way backing off my criticism, but I get their position.

But just to put forward a different thread of discussion, I imagine how debilitating it must be for artists to attempt to put out new material when everyone will compare it to their masterpiece which happened decades ago. As a writer, I am a massive fan of Hunter S. Thompson. His brilliant works happened in the early 70s. After that, he got dizzy on fame and drugs, and he recognized that he was not the same writer he was when he was younger. And that was crippling. He knew that he could never live up to his earlier works like Fear and Loathing, Hells Angles, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail. Everyone who knew him, based on everything I read, said that he lost his ability to write.

I think that might be playing into the lack of output for Axl Rose, specifically. He must feel that no matter what he puts out, that he can never produce anything that will appease people. And maybe that has created hesitancy, or a writer's block, or apprehension.

And to be brutally honest, Appetite was the product of young, hungry, don't give a fuck musicians. Most of the great art in this world is created by young people, simply because the world is new to them and they have not been beaten down. Sure, there are dozens of massive artists who have continued to put out albums. They seem to have overcome these obstacles. But I wonder if Axl is just thinking it is a lose-lose proposition, combined with the fact that he just doesn't have that same spark.

Let's face it, there is nothing they can put out that people will compare favorably to Appetite or even the Illusion albums. So I think their lack of output might be linked to that ... I can't imagine the fear that might be instill.

I think as a fan it is a shame they have not put out more albums, but fuck ... I am not in the shoes of Axl. He might just have lost the desire or been beaten down or is just happy in his life the way it is and doesn't feel the over-powering need to prove anything to anybody any more. He might just be content. He has one life and in this one life, he made his mark decades ago. And that might be enough for him. And who the fuck am I to question that?

Excellent post 

I've always wondered the same. Has he lost his spark? Does he still have something to say? What could he sing about next? Axl's lyrics are quite deep, especially on the Illusions and CD, so unless he has something worth it, I don't think he will bother. Some other successful bands get away with singing about "whatever" just as long as the lyrics fit the melody.

Take the Foo Fighters, for example, a hugely successful band with great rock and roll songs. Dave's lyrics are not really deep, I don't think he really wastes too much time with the lyrics "Give me some rope I'm coming loose, I'm pulling for you now..." all the songs are really about everything and nothing in particular (there are a few exceptions), but most Foo's songs are very straight forward; intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, outro...

Guns songs are much more complex, musically and lyrically, I don't think the problem lies in finding the right riff, or vocal melody, I think it's more putting the rights words, that's where Axl could be facing more difficulties.

Who knows, let's just hope they find the same chemistry in the studio as they found onstage and they can write great songs together again.

[rizzo160]

As you get older it is harder to write lyrics in that what do you have to motivate you?  When GNR first came on the scene they were young and hungry and we're striving to make it.  Now they have achieved success and are not angry at the world.  Hopefully when touring resumes we will get new music

[jarmo]

I don't believe in that.

I mean, your subjects might change because you're not an angry 20 year old. But some things never change.

Relationships between human, or groups of humans, is still a subject that inspire artists.


But yes, it's obvious some artists treat lyrics as something necessary. To have some words to sing. Without any big meaning behind them.




/jarmo

[C0ma]

I don't believe in that.

I mean, your subjects might change because you're not an angry 20 year old. But some things never change.

Relationships between human, or groups of humans, is still a subject that inspire artists.


But yes, it's obvious some artists treat lyrics as something necessary. To have some words to sing. Without any big meaning behind them.




/jarmo

I agree, the songs aren't going to be about drinking 3 dollar wine in the park anymore, but Axl certainly has plenty of material to draw from globally. He wrote several albums worth of material in what was essentially a 5 year period from 85-90. He has lived 30 years since then with only CD and "Rock the Rock" as his outlet.

The other thing that I think GnR fans and possibly even Axl get too wrapped around the axel about is that every new song isn't going to be November Rain. Every album needs a Shadow of Your Love, Jungle, or You Could be Mine to balance out the really deep stuff. Trying to always create the next Sgt. Pepper or White Album is going to fail more often than not.

[COMAMOTIVE]

If I were to wager, I'd put my $ on the notion that writing, creating songs is not the problem.

Getting them to where they can finally be put to rest and subject to judgement may be the bigger issue.

[rizzo160]

I think once people have been vaccinated, we will finally get new music, since slash has confirmed new music.  Maybe  in  June  but who knows with the slow rollout of vaccines.

[Bridge]

slash has confirmed new music.  Maybe  in  June  but who knows with the slow rollout of vaccines.

Here we go again with the month of June.    Soon may not be the word, but when it comes to talk of a release, JUNE is definitely the word!   

[rizzo160]

It looks more like November when the tour will kick off.  What do you guys think?  June, July or November?

[cineater]

It looks more like November when the tour will kick off.  What do you guys think?  June, July or November?

I'm going with surprise me.  I like those.  I'm rooting for them to get this one by us.  Lets see if they can get it out there before we know it's coming.

[sky dog]

Taylor Swift fan? 

[cineater]

Taylor Swift fan? 

Correct me if I'm wrong but, she announced and dropped at the same time?  I was thinking about GNR just being able to announce the release date before we already knew it.    I would love, hey here it is right now.

[jarmo]

Does anyone think a surprise release would work for GN'R?

Would you even like that?






/jarmo

[Nytunz]

Does anyone think a surprise release would work for GN'R?

Would you even like that?






/jarmo

No. I would like the more traditional way. Promotion building up to the release date. Like AC/DC s Power up

[rebelhipi]

Does anyone think a surprise release would work for GN'R?

Would you even like that?






/jarmo

Yes. id like that.

At least the first single should be just dropped out of nowhere.
I dont think any of us, or the band want to relive the 2000s in terms of postponed release dates.

[pilferk]

Does anyone think a surprise release would work for GN'R?

Would you even like that?


/jarmo

I think it would work (in the sense it would work in terms of marketing and would get material out there for us to buy...not sure in terms of "could they actually pull off a surprise release or not").

I would be 100% fine with that.  Actually, it may work better in that way: It would just be there.  Save some of the repetitive kvetching, I guess. No talk of delays, material, who wrote what, whats rehashed, etc.  We just have it and can form our own opinions on the material.

[GNRMTL]

At this point I don’t think it matters how they do it, they just need to do it.  Any new release from guns will be huge and get massive attention whether  it’s positive or negative .  It’s just a matter if they are going to do it .