russtcb wrote:

What sucks is that evidently everyone from the top down is also realizing it now also.

Thats what worries me concerning the possibility of it never being released. As the years go by with nothing, it has allowed everyone involved, whether it be Axl or the head honchos at Uni, to see that nothing positive can be achieved by releasing this record. Lets look at a few of the goals this album has had over the years. Goals mentioned by the man himself during various time frames.....

Bury the old band- not a fucking chance. ship sailed on that vision about a decade ago.

Silence the "nay sayers"- how? By becoming a pop culture joke for a decade or more before release? ship sailed on this vision years ago as well.

Show he could do it without the old band- really? You did 5 albums with the old band in a 6 year period, but one song from 95-08 and we're still waiting. He's the only AFD member to not release an album.

Move the band forward- REO Speedwagon power ballads? Grunge with shredding and synth? Prodigy style techno shit? Wake up....its the early 80's and mid 90's.

The "trilogy vision"- delusions. Beta or someone else close to him who is on his payroll probably suggested this fantasy and he went along with it. When you cant get up enough courage to release one album, where does the courage come to release three? The emperor has no clothes.....

Lets look at a few items that will concern Uni...

Can it sell millions of copies? Of course not. Only a handful of albums sell millions of copies in this era, and this probably wont be one of them. I'm sure they've "crunched the numbers" over at Uni headquarters, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out its gonna have trouble mining for gold.

The value of the GNR name- This is the biggest mystery of all, and it will be answered the first week of CD release. A scary proposition for all involved. If CD tanks, the value drops even more because it taints the legacy. Bad legacy= lower sales of the old albums and less demand(and money) for a reunion. A GH vol. 2 would also feel the sting in a post CD era. The brand will have been diluted even more.

Fan reaction- I'm not talking about 5 thousand nerds spread out over a few websites. We're talking Joe and Jill public here. Joe and Jill weren't too impressed with Oh My God. Joe remembers rocking out to GNR in his youth and Jill lost her virginity to SCOM and had a crush on (insert band member here). New GNR is a whole different ballgame. They have NOTHING for old casual fans or even any new fans to identify with. Zero albums sold, zero legacy, and no identity. Put Finck or Fortus on TV talking about a solo they did on a GNR album, and there's about a 90% chance Joe and Jill change the channel. Nothing for them to relate to. The image they have ALWAYS had of GNR was never able to change because Axl refused to move on. When they hear GNR, they still picture Slash doing the solo.

This ingrained image is going to bite Axl on the ass much deeper than people realize.

This project dragged itself into irrelevancy. All parties involved are likely coming to the realization that its less risky on their bank accounts(and GNR's legacy) if this album never sees the light of day. They can just keep the sliver of mystery alive for us hardcores while putting Jungle and PC on video games and soundtracks and raking in dough on the old albums. Everyone with a financial stake in GNR benefits that way.

They have no desire to please us few thousand hardcores and a laughing media. They know the hardcores will masturbate while getting to vote for November Rain in the next online poll, and if GNR happen to tour, the hardcores will orgasm over Finck or Fortus playing a 20 year old song, and it also pleases the casuals who decide to show up.

So I ask everyone, what incentive does anybody have to release this album?? Don't toss out the 13 mil price tag, because 13 mil aint shit compared to the possible revenue of AFD over the next 10 years with a more intact legacy.