I always figured that If The World was one of the songs Bucket composed while watching porn

Maybe Pitman was watching porn with Bucket then composed it

I doubt there were many ultimatums issued because realistically GnR is the best gig in the world for these guys.  Tommy was working at the phone company or something like that when Axl called him

I know Fortus has a lucrative career as a session player and scoring movies and videogames

GnR is the best gig in the world for these guys.  They get paid to record, they make more money touring with Guns than they could make with anyone else, and they're free to do whatever the hell they feel like in the downtime.  Where else would they go or what else would they do where they have it made like that? 

I'm sure they all wish the album came out years ago but for pretty much everyone in the band laying out ultimatums would be like the old cliche of cutting off their nose to spite their face.  I think most of them realize that the only thing laying down an ultimatum would do is open up the possibility that they miss out on the big paydays from the next tour

Wasn't that quote attributed to one of the engineers?  I think it was more of a description of the perfectionist, OCD attitude towards recording than a stated goal

I agree that he let it get to that point by not putting out the album back in 2001-2003, but record label rejected some form of the album at least one time prior to 2001.  And the record label undergoing so many changes, including firing the people who greenlit the project and handed over the huge advance

Some of real problems with this constant recording and re-recording arose when RTB was brought in.  That NYT article seems to imply that he was brought in or at least recommended by the label, and due to his Queen connection he was probably welcomed with open arms by Axl.  What is known is that he had the band re-record everything that had been done to that point.  The whole thing is counterintuitive.  The record label wanted the album out faster, so they bring in a producer who is a notorious perfectionist and is well-known for demanding take after take and meticulously polishing everything? 

The recent Brain interview really shone a lot of light on what went down.  RTB making him record his drum parts for each song in one take is downright insane. 

It's too bad that they couldn't have got the album out in 2001 or 2002.  Maybe we'd be discussing album 3 right now.  But I don't think we can even begin to comprehend the type of political power plays, posturing, and legal nonsense that went on with the type of egos and the amount of money involved, combined with Axl's perfectionism and sensitivity and you can see how this thing spiraled out of control and why it took 7 additional years to release an album that was mostly done in 2001

I think you are completely right.  I mean the whole thing about CD revolutionizing music or being "mindblowing***," there's never been any real indication that those were Axl's intentions.  Those expectations were created by the media and fans who wondered what was taking so long, and what was so much money spent on.

The reason it took so long is because of personal, political (in the context of the record company) and legal issues.  After seeing the final tracklisting is there any doubt that they could've put out a great album (assuming you think the songs on CD are great) back in 2001 or 2002?  Hell no, and at that point the project would've only taken 3-4 years.   

The reason it cost so much is because the record company gave Axl a blank check during a time when he was not necessarily in the best place mentally.  There's that interview from 1999 or 2000 where he'd talk about going down to the studio having no idea what he'd be able to get done.  Hours were spent on studio time where nothing much got done, and on music that was recorded and scrapped, other stuff that may end up on future albums.  From all reports there was almost no oversight on the project by the label.  You had engineers sitting around in a studio that was being rented at $2000 a day and nobody was there.

And then there's the other factor, which was that Axl may not have been mentally prepared to step back into the spotlight, knowing the inevitable media shitstorm that awaited. 

I think that all this time, Axl's only real goal was to make a great rock album worthy of the GnR name.  In my opinion, he's done that.  This album is groundbreaking in the GnR world in that it includes stuff they've never done before, like Shackler's and If The World, but not in the music world.  What it does, is what every GnR album has done, brought together a lot of different musical influences and put them together into one album.  CD is not that different from UYI, aside from incorporating some additional other musical styles that weren't really included on UYI

***I really fucking hate the term "mindblowing" when it comes to music.  I seriously can't remember the last time I heard a band or song that "blew my mind."  Maybe when I was 11 and listened to Dark Side for the first time or something.  Seriously, it's a fucking rock album.  What could possibly be "mindblowing" about a rock album in 2008 (or 2000)?  It's all been done

I think the solos throughout the entire album are great but that's just me.  It's not really a purely guitar driven album but songs like Better and Riad have some rocking, catchy riffs that get stuck in your head like the old lineup so many people are hell bent on comparing every minute detail to

I'm sorry to all the diehard Slash fans but I find Buckethead's work a lot more interesting than Slash's at this point in time.  If Slash had stayed on GnR had put out shit that was the same musically as Snakepit or Libertad I would've lost interest in Guns a long time ago