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#311 Re: Guns N' Roses » Perfect Crime » 385 weeks ago
The big difference is the UYI demos started raw as fuck and then popped out basically what was the finished song sans the mix.
I mean go November Rain v1 to v3. It's a true sketch to well the finished deal.
The CD demos on the other hand are basically done. The rest was knob tweaking filibustering and a lot of questionable decisions.
Canter paints a similar picture in Reckless Road. Axl's frequent disappearances, Slash's living out of the studio, a lackadaisical work ethic by the whole crew, piece-meal song construction during the Hell Tour in 1986, and so forth.
#312 Re: Guns N' Roses » Perfect Crime » 385 weeks ago
Also, in 2001-2002 there was no YouTube. Back then, Axl could belt out a couple of new tracks as a teaser during live shows, and the only people who'd know about it were the audience and the hardest of the hardcore fans who traded soundboard recordings. YouTube (and other streaming media) changed all that; suddenly the live performances and leaked tracks were out there for the world to listen to.
A good point.
It was also a secondary market like Brazil. I mean, huge show, got tons of good press, but it's a little more mysterious cloak and dagger stuff.
The one thing about CD that was always weird though is they were a studio band who popped up on the road. It eschewed the old paradigm of playing your material live, testing it out, smoothing out the rough edges, and then going in the studio. I can't say it did Axl any favors.
I'm as guilty as anyone of being a downloading motherfucker (in fairness, there was no indication that Chinese Democracy was ever actually going to come out back then), but even I can see that one of the things that led to the album's muted initial response was that everyone who wanted to hear Chinese Democracy or Madagascar had already done so, via live performances and leaks.
Yeah, the leaks got a consistent amount of good publicity.
The most disappointing thing about the whole saga is that we basically have suped-up versions of 10 year old songs.
In a just world, we'd have 3 versions of each, all with different vocal takes throughout the years. We'd have helium vocals on one, the up-tempo version of The Blues, and the 10 minute version of There Was A Time with Josh Freese's drum solo outro.
I'm a huge CD fan even to this day but listening to the record for the first time I was like: Are you serious? Same vocal take? Nothing new? This mix?!! If he would've re-recorded it in a week with the 2006 band, it would've been a better album.
Sad times.
#313 Re: Guns N' Roses » Perfect Crime » 385 weeks ago
It doesn't make sense to show your hand until you're ready to play your cards.
In 2001-2002, I think there was some combination of pressure from the record company, financial incentive to release the album, and a sincere belief or effort to release the album on Axl's part. The album was imminent. Until it wasn't. Same deal for 2006 although much more questionable there.
It diminishes Axl's leverage to play new music. Fans get familiar, start getting resentful. He shows his hand to the record company. The leaks went over well in 2005/2006 but by 2007/2008, your casual fan was laughing at the 3rd version of "Better" being discussed like it was Tannhauser.
The Wichita Lineman thing is curious but I wonder if not an inroads to some sort of heartland album. You know, the only demographic that actually still buys music.
But the only time it really makes sense to start playing new music live would've been in the near future on a 2018 North American tour right before a new album is released but of course, that's not happening.
#314 Re: Guns N' Roses » Perfect Crime » 385 weeks ago
It's a tough nut.
There are political, economic, personal, and artistic issues at play.
In Axl's mind, CD II is probably the next Guns N' Roses record.
But if they were to release CD II, it'd basically be fodder to justify another tour. Speaking of, I'd like to see some real 2017 statistics since the real numbers were obfuscated marketing speak. If I apply my rough math, GN'R made $100mil from 2016-2017.
Axl can continue to pad his pockets with AC/DC money, Slash and Duff can get a solo project workout, and they can all come back for another bite at the apple down the road. Axl went from king of the world to king of hocking Ferrari's and half-sold out arenas. Slash got raked over the coals in a messy divorce. The mice need their cheese.
Let's be clear though. The record company has no incentive to release (let alone market) CD II. Even if it has another "Better" on it, does big streaming numbers, and they can snag some ancillary distribution profits via some Hollywood blockbuster, they couldn't give a hot fuck about Guns N' Roses anymore. A new GN'R record from the ground up would likely involve renegotiating the contract to kick tour profits back to the record company, even if they give Axl some sort of sweetheart deal, which they wouldn't. Axl doesn't do corporate sponsorships and isn't marketable. So you get what you got: nostalgia tour and a fire sale on the GNR brand last year.
It's not show friends, it's show business.
#315 Re: Guns N' Roses » The General (Rumors & Discussion) » 385 weeks ago
I'm sure a barely comprehensible recording of a song from an album never on any release schedule ever wouldn't hurt Axl in the slightest so someone should just nut up and post it.
#316 Re: Guns N' Roses » Which Guns N’ Roses Song Are You? » 385 weeks ago
November Rain.
Only GN'R can take me take a dumb pop culture horoscope quiz. 
#317 Re: Guns N' Roses » The General (Rumors & Discussion) » 385 weeks ago
Better believe that some of those songs are Chinese leftovers. I could definitely imagine Soothsayer and about half of Electric Tears as GN'R tracks – Soothsayer even has a verse-chorus-verse structure before it segues into six minutes of soloing.
I mean it's possible but I never believed this conspiracy theory.
It doesn't really mesh with Axl's general litigiousness and if not his, the record company's.
Bucket has that thing where he records something once and it's done.
I put it in the same conspiracy theory loony basket as Seven = The Blues, Thyme = TWAT, etc.
#318 Re: Guns N' Roses » Perfect Crime » 385 weeks ago
I'm partial to The Garden and Garden of Eden, myself.
#319 Re: Guns N' Roses » The General (Rumors & Discussion) » 385 weeks ago
we know the general was consider an a-lister. we also know the general is a brain song. where's there's brain, there's bucket. there's a safe bet that it had a hell of a solo from bucket on there, too.
The interesting thing to me is the time it's from. It's likely to be an elusive effort by the 2001-2002 band.
Sorry and Shackler's are strong efforts. Axl and the fans were certainly taken with the latter. They benefit from Bucket's melodic songwriting and are far less patchwork more whole cloth.
I can easily see a record with Shacklers, Sorry, The General, and probably the others. They have that tonal consistency.
#320 Re: Guns N' Roses » I Would Do Anything For You » 385 weeks ago
I think Prostitute is Axl's finest hour but yeah, that's a pretty incredible vocal performance.
