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#151 Re: Guns N' Roses » Reason Axl Rose not promoting album? » 864 weeks ago
If this rumor of a new master and revised packaging is true, where the hell is he going to sell it? Best Buy sure won't be ordering any more copies any time soon.
Or do they let Best Buy return the overstock and get out of the exclusivity deal, dump the extra copies in a landfill, and then press new copies of Axl's preferred version? Let's hope there's at least a few bonus tracks or something on it.
#152 Re: Guns N' Roses » Chinese Democracy UNDER 300,000 copies sold first week? » 864 weeks ago
Sorry if this has been posted before, I just saw this at Billboard.
Kanye, Guns N' Roses Post Slow Debut-Week Sales
December 01, 2008 04:46 PM ET
Ed Christman, N.Y.
While mainstream media is touting that the Black Friday weekend started the holiday selling season with a bang, music merchandisers certainly didn't have that experience.Music sales were down anywhere from 10% to 30% and hit albums released for Black Friday didn't perform up to expectations, according to merchants contacted by Billboard. Sources say Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak" will sell in the range of 425,000-450,000 units, significantly down from 700,000-975,000 units previously projected.
Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is expected to clock in at 250,000-260,000, which is also down from expectations that it would sell anywhere from 300,000-784,000 units.
While some press reports show across-the-board retail weekend sales up 7%, music merchandisers point out that in order to accurately measure the holiday, it should be measured the week containing Black Friday this year, which was the last week in November, versus last year when the day fell in the third week of the month.
At music specialty stores Newbury Comics, sales were down 21% on a comparable store basis for the last two weeks of November, while music sales were down 28%, reports the Brighton, Mass.-based chain's CEO, Mike Dreese.
At big boxes like Wal-Mart and Barnes & Noble, label executives report that hit sales were off significantly for the Black Friday weekend, anywhere from 30% to 40%.
On the other hand, as expected, online shopping was stronger than last year, says an executive with a wholesaler that does CD and DVD fulfillment for online stores. But he declined to provide details, other than to say that Friday was better than Thursday, for the first time.
"I hear traffic was high, but overall purchasing wasn't because shoppers were cherry-picking the deals," says one senior distribution executive.
#153 Re: Guns N' Roses » Chinese Democracy UNDER 300,000 copies sold first week? » 864 weeks ago
Wouldn't you think that if this was truly the most anticipated album of all time, there would have been some lavish release party, with Axl and maybe even most of the musicians who've played on the album, plus the usual flotilla of Hollywood celebrities and hangers-on... Maybe make it some big Chinese themed party at Mann's Chinese Theater, with Chinese dancers on stripper poles or something. Invite E! and Entertainment Weekly, and all of the elements of the usual hype machine.
Instead, what do we get? A whole lotta nothin'.
The way I see it, there are three scenarios:
1) The reunion is a done deal and CD was released simply to get it out of the way.
2) Axl didn't feel the CD was ready, but was forced to release it anyway against his will because of the large amounts he owes the record company.
3) Axl has had a complete nervous breakdown and has locked himself in his mansion, cutting off all contact with the outside world.
#154 Re: Guns N' Roses » AXL goes AWOL » 864 weeks ago
The reunion theories remind me a lot of the KISS reunion in 1996 or so. For the non KISS fans out there, the sans-makeup lineup had a solid album with Revenge in 1992 and had recorded an equally strong follow up a few years later with Carnival of Souls. But before that was released, a few impromptu reunions with Ace and Peter at some Kiss conventions evolved into the unexpectedly successful KISS Unplugged. After that, a full makeup reunion with the original lineup was inevitable, but what to do with the already recorded Carnival album? Around 1997, the songs were leaked on the internet (much like Chinese Democracy) forcing the band to do a half-assed release they dubbed "Carnival of Souls - The Final Sessions" for which they did virtually no promotion. After that, they released a much-hyped reunion album, Psycho Circus (complete with 3-D music video, Todd McFarlane comic book, and action figures) which proceeded to suck balls.
It kinda worries me that Chinese Democracy could end up being much like Carnival - a great album that wound up as little more than an afterthought forgotten in the reunion hype. And even if they did try to record Appetite Part II with Duff, Izzy, and Slash back in tow, it would end up being a steaming pile of shit like Psycho Circus.
#155 Re: Guns N' Roses » bumblefoot checks in with gnrevolution » 864 weeks ago
Here's one question he may or may not be able to answer: did he contribute to writing any new material for GNR that we won't hear until some possible future album?
#156 Re: Guns N' Roses » AXL goes AWOL » 864 weeks ago
I really wonder if Axl wasn't completely happy with Chinese Democracy. Sure he had talented musicians to work with but I wonder if they were ever truely able to "get" what he was aiming for. Maybe Axl doesn't want to promote CD cause maybe it's not what he wanted to come out? Just a theory. Slash was always so good at taping into what Axl was feeling and bringing it to life via the guitar. Maybe as good as Bucket and the others are they weren't able to get to where Axl wanted. Not due to a lack of talent but maybe a lack of chemsitry. I don;t know. Maybe there's truth to this. An Axl/Izzy songwriting duo is classic, Slash having his finger prints and improve on the songs has shown to be classic. Maybe the album came out with a "Just put it out so it can be done with" attitude. Maybe. If Axl is as smart as people always say he is maybe he just relaized this things gotta come out now so that everyone involved can just move on. Wether he was satisfied with it or not maybe that's what's going on. The project stalled and now he can start fresh with whoever he wants.
Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head. No matter how talented of hired hands Axl brought in, no one would ever be able to achieve the vision he saw in his head. Hell, Brian Fucking May didn't even make the final cut!
The reunion footnote is quite a howler. I'm sure Axl has begun reaching out to the old band just as his album lands.
If the reunion comes to pass, and many are continuing to predict, then it's Chinese Democracy that's the footnote. Again IF the reunion happens next year, that proves that it's been in the works since Azoff came aboard and since VR dissolved. CD had to be released to put an end to this chapter so that the reunion could happen.
And that's a shame if it does, because I really fucking love this album, and it will never get the recognition it deserves. And if the reunion happens, then we'll probably never see CD volume 2 & 3.
#157 Re: Guns N' Roses » Thoughts On "Excuses" » 864 weeks ago
I do agree Axl's tired of the whole ordeal, but Irving Azoff was not brought in to "just drop an album in stores". Irving Azoff was brought in for the big score.
Now that might just be me seeing what I want to see, but I seriously don't see THAT kind of managment on board, just for CD. CD from day one has had an overwhelming feeling of "just get it in stores, get it out of the fucking way, and let's move on".
They all know CD has to be released, before the train wheels at reunion station can start moving. I also don't think it's any coincidence that VR have just "given up" looking for a lead singer, and are walking away. Nah, tells me they're keeping their schedule open, and remaining patient.
It's looking more and more like this every day that there's no Better video, no tour announcement, no Rolling Stone interview, etc. As much as I hate to admit it, that's the only scenario that makes any sense at this point.
#158 Re: Guns N' Roses » A theory on Axl's silence...pure speculation. » 864 weeks ago
I have to wonder if Best Buy knew that Axl was going to be a no-show for his own album release. Like they said, "okay, so we pay you $13 million up front, and then you do no press, no appearances, no video... Deal!" I could see if this things flops that Best Buy would sue for breach of contract and claim that Axl didn't hold up his end of the bargain.
#159 Re: Guns N' Roses » bumblefoot checks in with gnrevolution » 864 weeks ago
As far as other stuff....You know the usual, tour, lineup, why no promotion, Buckethead, etc...You know the drill.
Yeah, the stuff we'd really like to have answered we know he won't be able to speak about.
Still, after listening to him on Talking Metal and the Danny Bonaduce show, he seems like a really cool guy and very open and friendly to the fans.
#160 Re: Guns N' Roses » Chinese Democracy UNDER 300,000 copies sold first week? » 864 weeks ago
people usually arent gonna go into a store and pick up a kayne cd and a GnR cd and go...gee which one do i want? they are light years apart in terms of audience and genre's....its not like there is a competition here between gnr fans and kayne fans...even though we'd like to think there is
Ah, but that is part of the problem. Maybe not for the first week when it's the hardcores like us buying the album, but what keeps it in the top ten are the whims of the casual listener, who hear that catchy song on the radio and then pick up the disc when they see it on an endcap at Best Buy. The fairweather fans account for a much bigger portion of the sales than the hardcore fan base.
