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

[cineater]

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

Would you even like that?






/jarmo

You know I try to stay away from what I think would work for GNR.  I'm not in the business, god don't look at me for advice.    As fans we have our preferences but on GNR boards we just work ourselves up to total nonsense as Axl would call it.  I'm sure the band looks at some of the possibilities we put out there and wonder how the hell we thought that was going to happen.  

[cineater]

Okay, fine I do play on the GNR boards.  Total surprise I think did work for that girl.  There's surprise and then there's telling everybody about it too that brings on the big publicity that sells that album.  They can go that way but they have to be prepared for hitting social media on all fronts.  That means Axl, Slash and Duff have to be on TV on all those shows that gets the word out there too.  Are they willing to be that public and risks what is going to be backlash because people love to trash GNR? 

On the other hand, do they even care about album sales?  That's not where the money is these days.

[PermissionToLand]

I think the proper way to handle a release would be for them to immediately ship the completed album to my home address for extensive testing and validation. Step 2 would be, uhh... determined at a later date.

[D-GenerationX]

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

Would you even like that?

How does it "not work" exactly?  Which artist has gone this route the past few years and had it go "wrong" in some way?  Kind of a silly position to take.

You put it out now.  Fans get a chance to get to know the material.  When they can tour again (god willing) you can throw in a few tunes, no problem.

There is literally no downside.  It all comes down to "want to".  Which is why we are where we are as a fanbase.

[COMAMOTIVE]

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

Would you even like that?


/jarmo

Yes and Yes

Dropping one out of nowhere would be wonderful and ballsy and would work just fine.

[D-GenerationX]

"Thing were really going well for us.  Everything was clicking.  Then we dropped that surprise album.  Total disaster.  The true beginning of the end."

- no band ever

[jarmo]

How does it "not work" exactly? 

Since you have trouble understanding that part:

A surprise album means no one knows about it in advance. First thing that might not work. Would it be able to be kept a secret? If the information was leaked in advance, like with the NITL tour, then the surprise album isn't a surprise anymore when everyone knows about it before it was released, by surprise.

Second thing, would the fans like that? Some like surprise shows, others complain that they didn't have time to plan. Would something similar apply with an album? Would they miss a hype / promotion period before the release?

Then you got the rest of it. The business side. Who wouldn't get to review it before its release, who didn't get told about it in advance etc.



I get that people are hungry for new music, but please stop with the "just put it out" already. Hasn't been obvious for you by now that we're not talking about something the band doesn't care about?




/jarmo

[rizzo160]

At this point any release would be welcomed.

[DeN]

they're worldwide famous, okay, but their type of music is not really what
the general public is listening to in 2021, let's be honest. if you are Beyonce
or Drake you can throw an LP from out of nowhere you'll have a big response
from their respective fanbase + the general public who listen to them occasionally.

I think GNR needs to build a hype in order to sell well their product and having
the media spread the news because rock n'roll is not what you sell the most these days.

that said a surprise single is the best way to my point of view to do that. and
I'm not a fan of the "making one single every week on youtube" kind of thing
either, I see that a lot and I don't think it's serving the music to overflow the
market with it.

[jarmo]

they're worldwide famous, okay, but their type of music is not really what
the general public is listening to in 2021, let's be honest. if you are Beyonce
or Drake you can throw an LP from out of nowhere you'll have a big response
from their respective fanbase + the general public who listen to them occasionally.

Yeah. GN'R sold a lot of tickets, so there is an audience who likes the music and would probably want to buy a new album.

But then there's the "problem" that fans of certain artists might be more inclined to listening to music on streaming platforms, while fans of other artists wanna go to Walmart to pick up a CD for their truck or SUV.

If the majority of your music is consumed on streaming platforms, then it absolutely makes more sense to just do a surprise release, put it on Apple Music, Spotify etc and people find it there one day.







/jarmo

[sky dog]

I think they need to just drop it. We all know Axl wants no part of media and hype. Drop it and prep your next tour appropriately. Over thinking everything at this point is ludicrous. Just my 2. 

[GNR4L]

You could also drop a single a month before the Europe tour starts... if it’s not delayed again. Tie that in with a release date right before the beginning of the US tour with the second single. I wouldn’t do a surprise release or anything like U2 & Radiohead did.

[C0ma]

they're worldwide famous, okay, but their type of music is not really what
the general public is listening to in 2021, let's be honest. if you are Beyonce
or Drake you can throw an LP from out of nowhere you'll have a big response
from their respective fanbase + the general public who listen to them occasionally.

Yeah. GN'R sold a lot of tickets, so there is an audience who likes the music and would probably want to buy a new album.

But then there's the "problem" that fans of certain artists might be more inclined to listening to music on streaming platforms, while fans of other artists wanna go to Walmart to pick up a CD for their truck or SUV.

If the majority of your music is consumed on streaming platforms, then it absolutely makes more sense to just do a surprise release, put it on Apple Music, Spotify etc and people find it there one day.







/jarmo

Is anyone at this point really selling to, or hoping for volume out of "the guy that puts a CD in his truck?" I know a few people in here a fans of physical media, but honestly it's 2021, who doesn't have bluetooth and a smart phone at this point. Jesus I don't think even as far back as 2008 with Chinese Democracy I ever brought the physical CD into my car. I've had some type of MP3 direct input (ipod) or MP3 CD that I burned with hundred of songs since 2000 when I worked at Best Buy my senior year of college.

You are selling to and hoping for streams from a crowd that embraced that tech, and MAYBE get vinyl for home use for the audiophiles. Otherwise I feel physical is dead for day to day usage. That's how I consumed the Appetite re-release, I wasn't wasting money on a box set just to say I had it. I knew I was going to consume it on Amazon Music like everything else I listen too.

[COMAMOTIVE]

they're worldwide famous, okay, but their type of music is not really what
the general public is listening to in 2021, let's be honest. if you are Beyonce
or Drake you can throw an LP from out of nowhere you'll have a big response
from their respective fanbase + the general public who listen to them occasionally.

Yeah. GN'R sold a lot of tickets, so there is an audience who likes the music and would probably want to buy a new album.

But then there's the "problem" that fans of certain artists might be more inclined to listening to music on streaming platforms, while fans of other artists wanna go to Walmart to pick up a CD for their truck or SUV.

If the majority of your music is consumed on streaming platforms, then it absolutely makes more sense to just do a surprise release, put it on Apple Music, Spotify etc and people find it there one day.







/jarmo

Is anyone at this point really selling to, or hoping for volume out of "the guy that puts a CD in his truck?"

 

[jarmo]

Is anyone at this point really selling to, or hoping for volume out of "the guy that puts a CD in his truck?" I know a few people in here a fans of physical media, but honestly it's 2021, who doesn't have bluetooth and a smart phone at this point. Jesus I don't think even as far back as 2008 with Chinese Democracy I ever brought the physical CD into my car. I've had some type of MP3 direct input (ipod) or MP3 CD that I burned with hundred of songs since 2000 when I worked at Best Buy my senior year of college.

You are selling to and hoping for streams from a crowd that embraced that tech, and MAYBE get vinyl for home use for the audiophiles. Otherwise I feel physical is dead for day to day usage. That's how I consumed the Appetite re-release, I wasn't wasting money on a box set just to say I had it. I knew I was going to consume it on Amazon Music like everything else I listen too.

Most releases are still put out on CD/LP. If no one buys them, why is that?

And there's still people who listen to the radio instead of a playlist on a streaming service....

We all know Axl wants no part of media and hype.

I'm not so sure about that.

While he might not do interviews with every newspaper, radio station or TV show, I wouldn't be surprised if he did some. If the right opportunity presents itself.....






/jarmo

[Mysteron]

Is anyone at this point really selling to, or hoping for volume out of "the guy that puts a CD in his truck?" I know a few people in here a fans of physical media, but honestly it's 2021, who doesn't have bluetooth and a smart phone at this point. Jesus I don't think even as far back as 2008 with Chinese Democracy I ever brought the physical CD into my car. I've had some type of MP3 direct input (ipod) or MP3 CD that I burned with hundred of songs since 2000 when I worked at Best Buy my senior year of college.

You are selling to and hoping for streams from a crowd that embraced that tech, and MAYBE get vinyl for home use for the audiophiles. Otherwise I feel physical is dead for day to day usage. That's how I consumed the Appetite re-release, I wasn't wasting money on a box set just to say I had it. I knew I was going to consume it on Amazon Music like everything else I listen too.

Most releases are still put out on CD/LP. If no one buys them, why is that?

And there's still people who listen to the radio instead of a playlist on a streaming service....

We all know Axl wants no part of media and hype.

I'm not so sure about that.

While he might not do interviews with every newspaper, radio station or TV show, I wouldn't be surprised if he did some. If the right opportunity presents itself.....






/jarmo

I have friends who still buy everything on vinyl, it seems to have had a resurgence in recent times

[jarmo]

Vinyl is becoming more and more popular.

Greatest Hits was released on vinyl just last year. And the limited editions seemed to have sold out pretty quickly.




/jarmo

[cineater]

Everything sounds better on vinyl. 

[cineater]

How does it "not work" exactly? 

Since you have trouble understanding that part:

A surprise album means no one knows about it in advance. First thing that might not work. Would it be able to be kept a secret? If the information was leaked in advance, like with the NITL tour, then the surprise album isn't a surprise anymore when everyone knows about it before it was released, by surprise.

Second thing, would the fans like that? Some like surprise shows, others complain that they didn't have time to plan. Would something similar apply with an album? Would they miss a hype / promotion period before the release?

Then you got the rest of it. The business side. Who wouldn't get to review it before its release, who didn't get told about it in advance etc.



I get that people are hungry for new music, but please stop with the "just put it out" already. Hasn't been obvious for you by now that we're not talking about something the band doesn't care about?




/jarmo

I know you don't speak for the band but you sound like how this band comes across to the fans when it comes to releasing music.  So lost in the jungle of the music business that they can't get music out.  They can't find a path.  Okay if they want a clear path but if they just want out, the fans are out here making a lot of noise.  Follow our voices and ramrod your way through.  We'll look back at the path after they make it through.  It's going to be a mess but they'll be out of the jungle and we'll be happy to see them. 

[jarmo]

I know you don't speak for the band but you sound like how this band comes across to the fans when it comes to releasing music.  So lost in the jungle of the music business that they can't get music out.  They can't find a path.  Okay if they want a clear path but if they just want out, the fans are out here making a lot of noise.  Follow our voices and ramrod your way through.  We'll look back at the path after they make it through.  It's going to be a mess but they'll be out of the jungle and we'll be happy to see them. 

Exactly. I'm not speaking for the band. I speak for myself from my point of view.

It kinda puzzles me to see people still say "just put it out". I mean, last time Axl did that. some of these people were complaining about the lack of promotion. Well, he just "put it out".

We all (hopefully) learn from our past experiences. Maybe just putting it out and seeing what happens isn't what GN'R want?





/jarmo