I don't know if they own the songs, I think they might have the right to release album(s).
So I'm assuming as long as they get the amount of minutes to fill an album, that's what they are entitled to. Doesn't matter when the songs were recorded?
Unless there's some kind of "we paid for these recordings" situation...
/jarmo
Yeah, that's probably the case. Axl is likely bound to the label not just for "Guns N' Roses" recordings, but for anything he creates, whether individually, with another band or through a new band he creates, up to the amount of albums or other releases stated in their contract.