leaks?

[fincksta]

As we all know, the problem with the time it took to get Chinese out wasn't based on Axl's shortcomings, but rather on legal claims, organizational development hell and other complicated factors. So when people cry about the lack of promotion or "the lack of Axl's dedication to promote the released product" I think it's pretty easy to understand that if you're putting your heart and soul into something for so many years and some company just takes it away from you and makes it available to the public in a shape and a form you don't really agree with... you'd be fucking pissed off, wouldn't you? 

The main problem was, that no one outside of our little fanbase recognized the release and the date just passed. Over here in germany not ONE of the songs off CD got any radio airplay. If I ask 'em [the biggest rock station in the country] via FB-request to play the song "Chinese Democracy", which was a true official single in a more traditional sense so you might think they can fucking play it, they don't even bother to reply. Pretty sad imho.

I hope we'll see another, proper produced, more cohesive new album soon. It's about time people get a chance to experience one of the biggest monsters in rock music at a new peak of their band history 

bestbuy pressed axl cause axl wanted to wait longer. which means, if bestbuy hadn't of done something, cd1 wouldn't have come in 2008. we'd probably still be waiting for cd1 in 2012, if  bestbuy didn't take the ball and score a touchdown for starving guns n roses fans

it wouldn't have hurt if axl did the same hands on promotion with chinese democracy like he did with the illusions. there was little to no fanfare at any bestbuy in america. no midnight release like illusions at tower records. with chinese democracy, there was less than 5 people at every bestbuy waiting to buy chinese democracy in the early morning sunrise.

chinese democracy was out without guns n roses lead ax man post slash in robin finck too. this didn't help either. for the first time, a guns record was in stores without its lead guitarist in the band!

if axl wants a proper and cohesive thing, he can release cd1 again as a bestbuy re-release. with the rumored Blood in the Water track as a bonus. msl brought this rumor up in 2011. the re-release didn't happen. so i don't know what more axl wants with chinese democracy. i guess more and more tours, like the chinese democracy tour coming up lol

[ben vercetti]

Oh yeah, I'm quite familiar with the miserable foldable cardboard showcase bestbuy-release in 2008 

[fincksta]

Oh yeah, I'm quite familiar with the miserable foldable cardboard showcase bestbuy-release in 2008 

it would have helped if axl, robin, tommy, richard, dizzy, chris, and brain did a lot of in store meet and greet and cd/LP sigings of the chinese democracy album. something more than foldable cardboard lol

[©GnrPersia]

Oh yeah, I'm quite familiar with the miserable foldable cardboard showcase bestbuy-release in 2008 

it would have helped if axl, robin, tommy, richard, dizzy, chris, and brain did a lot of in store meet and greet and cd/LP sigings of the chinese democracy album. something more than foldable cardboard lol

Yeah, dream on dreamer! It's not J Lo or Britney Spears album!

[fincksta]

Oh yeah, I'm quite familiar with the miserable foldable cardboard showcase bestbuy-release in 2008 

it would have helped if axl, robin, tommy, richard, dizzy, chris, and brain did a lot of in store meet and greet and cd/LP sigings of the chinese democracy album. something more than foldable cardboard lol

Yeah, dream on dreamer! It's not J Lo or Britney Spears album!

it's not j lo or britney. but would've been cool if 2008 guns n roses before robin leaves or is fired, does more with the chinese democracy album in advance and when it's in stores like meet and greets. cd/lp signings. TV appearances. music videos. radio show promotion and buzz. things axl did with 90's guns n roses with the illusions. the same could've been done with guns n roses with chinese democracy album!

[ben vercetti]

1. Leaks didn't hurt the sales of CD, quite the contrary
2. From what I know 'bout the music business back in the days, it was some asshole losing internal stuff.
3. Final songs should've been a different versions than the leaks, they exist, but weren't published.
4. The aspect of viral marketing would've boosted sales, but weren't considered...

Yeah, but... Captain Hindsight and his sidekicks shoulda, coulda and woulda, ain't it? 

[fincksta]

1. Leaks didn't hurt the sales of CD, quite the contrary
2. From what I know 'bout the music business back in the days, it was some asshole losing internal stuff.
3. Final songs should've been a different versions than the leaks, they exist, but weren't published.
4. The aspect of viral marketing would've boosted sales, but weren't considered...

Yeah, but... Captain Hindsight and his sidekicks shoulda, coulda and woulda, ain't it? 

leaks didn't hurt sales. little to no promotion from the record company, chain stores, and axl is what hurt sales in america. didn't hurt international. they buy anything lol but in america, it's a different standard. different set of rules and industry expectations. axl chose the wrong single. chinese democracy didn't impress the industry as a radio single. didn't get a lot of spins. never played after radio had to play it. when you don't have a good single, a music video ready to match the single, and no promotion in advance or when the album is out, your cd/LP won't sell much. chinese democracy didn't sell much in the states. it sold spaghetti incident numbers. spaghetti was well after slash and duff had their commercial fortune and fame in guns n roses.

[fincksta]

Oh yeah, I'm quite familiar with the miserable foldable cardboard showcase bestbuy-release in 2008 

it would have helped if axl, robin, tommy, richard, dizzy, chris, and brain did a lot of in store meet and greet and cd/LP sigings of the chinese democracy album. something more than foldable cardboard lol

Yeah, dream on dreamer! It's not J Lo or Britney Spears album!

axl was j lo and britney spears in the 90's with albums. with the illusions. why not chinese democracy?

[vauxhall95]

Oh yeah, I'm quite familiar with the miserable foldable cardboard showcase bestbuy-release in 2008 

it would have helped if axl, robin, tommy, richard, dizzy, chris, and brain did a lot of in store meet and greet and cd/LP sigings of the chinese democracy album. something more than foldable cardboard lol

Yeah, dream on dreamer! It's not J Lo or Britney Spears album!

axl was j lo and britney spears in the 90's with albums. with the illusions. why not chinese democracy?

Because the times change.  Tastes change.  I've been a huge Guns fan since I bought Apettite on vinyl and cassette tape in '87.  They were unlike any other band.

I like this new group.  I really like CD, but I'm not sure Axl does.  The current tour seems to suggest a comfort with the older material, and a hesitancy to play much of the material from CD.  There was a Time is an awesome song, how is this not being played at every show?  I've just come to the conclusion that CD was just this massive millstone around Axl and he is just glad as hell the album is out, and really wants little to do with it.

[Use Your Illusion III]

Oh yeah, I'm quite familiar with the miserable foldable cardboard showcase bestbuy-release in 2008 

it would have helped if axl, robin, tommy, richard, dizzy, chris, and brain did a lot of in store meet and greet and cd/LP sigings of the chinese democracy album. something more than foldable cardboard lol

Yeah, dream on dreamer! It's not J Lo or Britney Spears album!

axl was j lo and britney spears in the 90's with albums. with the illusions. why not chinese democracy?

Because the times change.  Tastes change.  I've been a huge Guns fan since I bought Apettite on vinyl and cassette tape in '87.  They were unlike any other band.

I like this new group.  I really like CD, but I'm not sure Axl does.  The current tour seems to suggest a comfort with the older material, and a hesitancy to play much of the material from CD.  There was a Time is an awesome song, how is this not being played at every show?  I've just come to the conclusion that CD was just this massive millstone around Axl and he is just glad as hell the album is out, and really wants little to do with it.

At the Chicago concert most of the people I chatted with hadn't heard the Chinese Democracy album. Perhaps I chatted with a bad bunch, but as I've stated before I think that Axl is playing the old material to avoid alienating the largely non-CD listening audience.

[Mister Shackler]

..... There was a Time is an awesome song, how is this not being played at every show? ......

Might has to do something with the song itself being a bitch to sing and all that crap. Amazing song though.

[peanut2012]

Leaks prior to release are genius.  There's a reason why there are no leaks from Fernando.  Because there is no release in sight.  I bet the farm they are VERY far off and the quote about this "not taking 15 years for the next one" may be a lie.  We are going on 4 years now and no end in sight.

My suggestion is....sit back...grab a cold one...and adjust your treble

[Gez]

I've not really read much of this thread past the 5th page mark but I did notice Fincksta's comment on this page about it being released without Robin Finck.

Seriously? You think THAT made a difference? You were probably the only person bothered by that. I loved Robin's style but that had nothing to do with sales.

[vauxhall95]

..... There was a Time is an awesome song, how is this not being played at every show? ......

Might has to do something with the song itself being a bitch to sing and all that crap. Amazing song though.

True, but I recall a recent TV interview with Axl in which he joked that after writing You Could Be Mine, he had created a nightmare of a song which was difficult to sing.  My point being, he sings YCBM regularly, he doesn't seem to avoid it because of its difficulty.