If an unheard new GN'R track leaked...

[GNR 1991]

When Chinese Democracy was first announced back in 1999, no one had heard a snippet of anything ('cept Rolling Stone in 2000). Then when GN'R had shows lined up in 2001, they started playing new material like the title track, Street of Dreams, Madagascar, Riad, Silkworms, etc. Many of those songs turned into mp3's for fans to listen to on the Internet, there wasn't a YouTube back then. Then in 2006, Better, TWAT, and IRS all leaked around the same day -- then Catcher a month later or so. All of those songs ended up on CD, except Silkworms.

GN'R is currently touring Chinese still, and I was thinking -- you know whatever, they definitely have material recorded from 1997-2007 locked up in a vault -- what if something new leaked? I remember when Better, TWAT, and IRS leaked, and BAM! Guns incorporated those tracks into the 2006 tour. It almost felt liked those first batch of leaks were planned, which ironically has been argued on this forum for quite sometime. Would they do the same now? Would GN'R perform a song live that may/may not be on a forthcoming LP? They did so with Silkworms, but that didn't/hasn't leaked.

Tons of fans have complained about their own decisions concerning the downloading the songs before the album came out and that it spoiled it for them in some way. I, too, downloaded all the leaks and kinda spoiled the fresh feeling of opening up CD to find brand-new material, but hey -- we were starving. In any event, would I do it again? Would you guys do it again? If something like say, Soul Monster leaked tomorrow, would you download it, or would you wait for it to appear on a later album?

I think I would fall for the same dangling carrot(s) again and I would download any new leak(s) again. Contrary to me being disappointed in myself for being so weak in that regard, lol.

ps, I know this topic is kind of a mess, I would just like to have a friendly and healthy discussion in this section. It's been awhile.

Edited June 17, 2010 by GNR 1991

[The Glow Inc.]

If a NuGnR song leaked : yes, I'd listen to it.

I don't want them to leak though : I'd much rather have Guns n' Roses release the album properly, by themselves.

[Guest gunns5]

I was actually the guy that got the 'soul monster' title from Axl :xmassrudolph:

but it would be very tempting to download, but I think id do my best not to listen to it and/or download it.

depends what mood Im in and if I had a shit day or not, 1 song out of 14 from the next album surely isnt that bad?

[Daedalus]

I'd dowload them...god knows how long will we wait this time

[LXA]

I already downloaded and listened its insane!!

Edited June 17, 2010 by LXA

[hudsonsaul]

If a new track leaked, yes I would download it. However I wouldn't d/l it if a new track leaked in light of GNR confirming they have a new album and intend to release it.

So yes, if a new tracked leaked I would, ... but only if there was no evidence and realistic proof of a new album on the horizon. If GNR confirmed an album will be out "soon" and a track leaked, I would avoid downloading and save it until the album dropped.

[Liquor & Whores]

I would not hesitate for even a second and download it

[Vadin]

You should take into consideration that Axl kills a puppy everytime we download.

[Cpi]

I would not hesitate for even a second and download it

this

[bloodyhell1]

the temptation would be to great, but the thing is i would buy any album it would be on also.

[Liquor & Whores]

That's right, I'm a downloading motherfucker, but I have bought all the GNR CDs (except for Greatest Hits - 'cos it wasn't released by GNR, but by the record company against the band members' will)

[Rovim]

It's a constant battle between my good side and my downloadin' motherfucker :devil: side.

Edited June 17, 2010 by Rovim

[Conor]

Yes, unless there was a confirmed release date within a month. And even then I only wouldn't do it in principle, I probably still would.

[D-GenerationX]

I'd absolutely download it.

It takes Axl far too long to get new stuff in my hands.

[dalsh327]

Odds are if I like it as a demo, I'll either love it or wish they didn't add to it.

You also have to remember GNR had already done a fair amount of new songs live, so in a way they did their own "leak" of new songs, of course the studio versions are going to be different if it's still a work in progress.

Plus you never know if that leak is for real or a fake. That's the beauty of it.

But in the case of an entire studio album with the intent to sell in stores being leaked? Unacceptable.

In some cases, like Dave Matthews Lillywhite Sessions, it was revamped as "Busted Stuff". Originally shelved because the record company felt it was "too dark for Dave". But because of the leak, it justified him reworking some of it out and putting it out, sold a lot of copies, had hits.

Billy Corgan put Machina II out on the internet to the fans for free, when he could've sold it to cash in on the "farewell" tour.

Prince's "Black Album" - originally worth big bucks, had been finished but pulled from release yet had a catalog #, Prince relented and put it out for a little while, then pulled it. Not a big money collectible, but stopped getting fans ripped off. GNR "Live Like a Suicide", part of the reason it was part of "Lies" was due to bootlegs being sold.

I think most artists prefer the stuff to stay in the vaults, because they never know if something in there's going to be revisited and a part of it used for another song, or don't feel the public needs to hear works in progress. But I think more and more artists realize that they might as well put it out ad

If a demo's leaked, it usually doesn't affect me buying or not buying a CD or paying for the download. If it's finished product that's going to be in stores in a few weeks, I can wait, because that really sucks that someone has the intent to destroy the fruits of one's labor by doing that. I've already said that I felt the My Space posting of the entire album hurt more than helped, when 3 or 4 songs should've sufficed. But that also told me, that it wasn't about sales figures if they were doing that. It was about getting the songs out to the public because people had waited for "so f-ing long". I also feel that advanced promo copies of entire albums are a waste of money that come out of the artist's pocket, just so some douchebag DJ at a radio station can have a free copy for home, and MAYBE discuss it on the show. If Axl wants to send Eddie Trunk a copy, that's one thing, but most promo CDs of product you can buy in a store is a waste of money for the record company, and the artist usually eats the cost.

Radiohead's always done new stuff at their shows. Fans are still going to buy it.

Springsteen had a box set of a bunch of unreleased studio recordings that had long made the bootleg rounds that he finally decided to release.... a few that no one had ever heard, and you know what? 25 percent of it was good. 75 percent of it was forgettable. Pete Townshend came out with "Scoop", which were solo and Who demo songs, which were great because Daltrey normally sang some of the songs, and hearing Pete sing them was cool, or when you hear a bootleg and Paul is doing a song John would sing, or Mick is doing a song Keith would wind up doing on the finished recording.

Edited June 17, 2010 by dalsh327

[Revolver]

I would love to think that I could manage myself to not listen to it..

and I did think I would until the forum crashed two days ago (or yesterday?) and I got really excited because I thought the reason for it to crash was a new song and heavy traffic =/

so I think I'd definitely download it, try not to listen to it for some days and eventually give in

[Guest gunns5]

I keep telling myself I wouldn't listen to it, but you could cross the road and get hit by a bus and die, so yeah I would download it.

[scans n' copies]

I wouldn't hesitate to download it. Just like I wouldn't hesitate to buy any new material that's released. I don't see the problem with downloading leaks as long as you buy the material whenever it's released.

[D-GenerationX]

I wouldn't hesitate to download it. Just like I wouldn't hesitate to buy any new material that's released. I don't see the problem with downloading leaks as long as you buy the material whenever it's released.

Exactly right.

[batman007]

I would try to resist and hear the final product. When the leaks happened in 06 I did my best not to download, but knowing I was going to a couple of their shows I did. I wanted to be familar with the songs.

[Guest Satanisk_Slakt]

Of course.

[karlossacanell]

I´m afraid yes ... i´d do ...

[dimitrisaxl]

Of course.

+100000000

[HB3]

I would love to think that I could manage myself to not listen to it..

and I did think I would until the forum crashed two days ago (or yesterday?) and I got really excited because I thought the reason for it to crash was a new song and heavy traffic =/

so I think I'd definitely download it, try not to listen to it for some days and eventually give in

I thought the exact same thing. I was pretty pumped.

[gavgnr]

No question I'd download.

I love Gnr's music, and I could die tomorrow.

I wanna hear what Uncle Axl's got saved up before I'm pushing up daisies!!

Wish he'd hurry up though - you never know what's around the corner!!