gnrfan2007

CD is not about guitar riffs you slash-holes.

CD is about the collective fusion of creative song writing and music.

Riffs are so over-rated - especially Slash's riffs.

Slash and his cheezy pentatonic hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Every one of his riffs he created without Axl and Izzy's input have been cheap copy-cats of each other.

Even Kurt Cobain created more original riffs than Slash.

Hence, why Axl wanted Slash to step up his game and become more original. Slash took that as an insult and left Axl.

Here's a small example of DJ tapping ...

Slash can't do that! LOL

DJ can do all the old-school rock and bluesy-pentatonic stuff that Slash can do ... plus he can shred and do all that emo-metal stuff ... LOL

when has DJ ever shred?

DJ can do all the old-school rock and bluesy-pentatonic stuff that Slash can do ... plus he can shred and do all that emo-metal stuff ... LOL

Where DJ really shines however is on the CD songs - the Robin Finck materials. DJ basically got the keys to the playboy mansion taking over for Robin Finck.

Most - if not all - the materials for CD II will come from their remaining stash of songs.

Recall, there is suppose to be 4 albums worth of material.

But of course, they will be updated and fine tuned to suit the current times.

With over 3 millions sold and 5+ million shipped, I'd say that's pretty good success! Any band today would die for those numbers. Not that many ROCK bands can even hit the 3 million mark. With these numbers, GnR can definitely get backing to release another album and more money for promotion.

One also should consider that CD doesn't have that many radio friendly pop songs (AFD has more radio friendly pop songs!) Hence, the reason you don't hear it as much on rock stations.

Half of UYI sale numbers were due to hype and GnR being flavor of the month. Half of AFD sales were to people who grew up in the 70's and 80's. So, 3+ million sold and 5+ million shipped is about right for how big the hardcore GnR fan base truly is.

As well, CD would not have sold any better with Slash/Duff/Matt/Izzy in today's music scene - especially when you consider that the best VR did was 2+ million for Contraband - and they had Scott Weiland who has a huge STP and modern rock following.

As the old saying goes - TIMING is everything.

[old] GNR broke into the scene when there was not much other than a bunch hair-bands and Madonna-like pop singers. GnR was the bridge between the OLD-school rock and what became grunge rock. So AFD attracted both young and old rock fans at the time. SCOM and PC gave AFD a mainstream-friendly vibe that helped them attract the POP kids (especially the girls), while songs like WTTJ, ISE, and Brownstone gave them the hard edge street credibility that many of the bands at the time lacked. And as I've stated already, UYI sold mostly on hype and flavor of the month status.

Then the alternative rock (grunge) scene exploded! And POOF...GnR became yesterday's news. Luckily, UYIs were release before Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder took over. So, the mid-90's would have been a very bad time to release any new materials from GnR - as evident by the sales of The Spaghetti Incident, Slash's Snakepit, and the luke-warm reception to their cover of Sympathy for the Devil.

But I'll say this - today's music scene is a lot friendlier to Axl/GnR than it was in the 90's. The stripped-down barebones sound of the 90's rock scene did not suit Axl's vision for GnR - that vision of course being the CD album. Had Axl released CD in the mid 90's, it would have totally flopped. GnR definitely have the coolness and style to hang with today's music idols while bands like Nirvana would have certainly gone out of flavor and into obscurity.

The release of CD has put GnR back on the map. Their next album will most definitely put them back into the mainstream conscience.

Lets face it, commercially and critically speaking, Chinese Democracy never stood a chance. I don't think I read a single review which didn't dwell on how long it took to make and the constant line-up changes etc. It was pre-destined to be a anti-climax (except to the fans).

So now it's over, do you think when they drop the next record - whenever that may be - it will be given a fairer chance?

Release Date: August 8, 2008.

Album released concert and bash in Beijing, China.