DannyVinyard

Even though you are joking, this is absolutely true.

Who chose the singles for Chinese Democracy? Was it Axl or the record company? I'm thinking record company since they forced the album out and zero support from Axl. Whoever chose the singles didn't do the album justice. The megahit that should have been is There Was a Time, which IMO is the best song on the album and one of the best songs of all time. How this epic song was not released as a single baffles me. It's so much better than the title track. Imagine the traction it would have gained (along with the album) if Axl released TWAT as first single along with epic UYI style music video. Street of Dreams would have been a hit, maybe megahit, too. Oh well, two amazing songs that nobody knows about.

Agree 100%. I loved Perhaps when it leaked, but the Slash replacement solo ruins it for me. The school bell ruins Hardschool, in which case the leak overall was much better. I hate the cash grab reunion. Axl would have released a full CDII, with proper Buckethead/Finck versions of the songs, if it weren't for the reunion. All we got from that was an endless cash grab tour to milk the casuals.

I would proudly blast the The General from my car (and have when it first leaked along with Monsters). Def better than any of that rap garbage I hear blaring from some cars.

Axl Rose pre 2011. It's been all down hill since Rock in Rio 2011.

Does anyone else hate Yesterdays?

They were way better than what we have today, and that performance was way better than anyone else's that night.

I still love the General. Since that song and Monsters was leaked, I've listened to it as a lead-up into Monsters. These songs are an exceptional listen, back to back, especially on the way to the gym right after having my pre-workout.

"The general public hates it" Good. They're the same simps who have fueled GNR's endless cash grab tour. "Why did Slash accept this?" Because it's better than all of his solo stuff.

This is the Axl I miss, the real Axl Rose, not the TB controlled cash gouger that we have now. Not sure how there was a lack of communication between Axl and Robin though. Did they really not have each other's cell phone numbers?! You'd think Axl would realize his contract was up soon and reach out to him for an extension.

Agree 100%. AC/DC has always been an okay band to me, not remarkable, but not bad either. I don't think Black Ice broke any new ground for them. Death Magnetic, same thing, an okay album (better than St. Anger), although it did have a great song in The Day That Never Comes. I wouldn't rank these albums anywhere close to Chinese Democracy.

I think he left because Axl refused to promote/support the album.

Call me crazy, but I rank it as the best album to this day, post 2000. It sold a million copies in the US without any promotion or support from Axl Rose, and releasing one of the weakest songs on the album as the first single. Let's say, Axl does proper promotion of the album, interviews, shows, releases There Was a Time as the first single along with epic UYI style music video, followed by Better, Street of Dreams, Prostitute, Catcher in the Rye....all with epic videos, this monster sells 10 million plus, easy. If Axl did this, Finck stays and hell, even Bucket might have come back.

Thanks, Dean. I was trying to figure out how to embed it, but was not working for me. After this show, I was certain this band was poised to take over the world. Axl no-showing Philly 2002 and the tour being cancelled was a huge disappointment for me. All that potential that this band had, gone just like that.

I was there for the 12/31/01 show, front row. Axl and the band were absolutely amazing. I can confirm Axl had the washboard abs. I believe he was in pretty much the same shape throughout 2002, just that he was wearing oversized jerseys that gave the illusion that he was overweight because of the width of the jerseys. Jake (@meandmyelvis) • Instagram photos and videos

That's my point. Everyone thought this song was the General, because of the leak, but it turned out to be Soul Monster, now known as Monsters.

Then thats on you, not me.

Then why is Axl's bridge from Monsters in Evaders remix of the General?

Things were different in 2008. He still had Robin, he still had his voice & look (pretty much, at least) By 2014, NUGNR had significantly downgraded since 2002 and 2006. No more Brain, Buckethead, and Robin. Their replacements were significant downgrades and Axl looked and sounded like hell. Axl fucked up by no-showing Philly in 2002, which lost him Buckethead and the tour, not releasing CD in 2006 on the heels of a successful tour, and then releasing CD in 2008 with zero promotion, which lost him Robin. Well, whoever recorded the 13 second clip was under the impression that the song title was the General, which it probably was at that point, but is now called Monsters.

did he record it on an early 2000's flip phone?

Zero signs? Huh? We know he made a huge effort to promote AFD and UYI. Interviews, epic music videos, touring. Why would he have not done the same for Chinese Democracy. Obviously, he did not in 2008 because the album was forced out by the record company. Axl was on the cusp of releasing CD II before the reunion. The reunion derailed that and the reunion has done zero for me, personally. I never went to any of the shows and I saw it for what it was before it started, a cash grab tour and another excuse to delay new music. You are right though, NuGNR was dead, all thanks to Axl no showing in Philly, failing to release the album again in 2006 (which triggered Finck to quit), and then Axl losing his voice and looks 2011 and onward. The band had significantly downgraded in talent with Bumblefoot, Ashba, and Frank not being anywhere close to their predecessors in terms of talent and creativity, while Axl was nowhere close to what he was in 2002 and 2006.

I never said they would have been as successful as 87-93, however, they would have done much, much better had Axl not skipped the Philly 2002 concert, which triggered the tour being cancelled, Buckethead leaving, and CD delayed indefinitely. Axl Rose knows how to promote albums and how to generate great interest. Interviews, choosing singles, music videos, touring, etc. Guns N' Roses or Axl Rose solo moniker makes no difference here. Axl derailed this band entirely by no showing Philly 2002, period.

Releasing albums is easy when all the songs suck.

Uh, yeah, thank God we missed out on a ton of new, amazing music. Thank God we got a non-stop cash grab tour of the oldies with Slash and Duff. I'm so grateful.

Uh, in your opinion, they wouldn't have. They already had a slew of new songs developed, or in process. Imagine Chinese Democracy dropping in 2003 and GNR continuing the tour, with heavy promotion, interviews, epic music videos for their first 3 or 4 singles, and I'm pretty sure Axl Rose wouldn't have chosen the title track as the first single. Chinese Democracy was forced out in 2008 by the record company, which was way late, included zero promotion from Axl Rose and GNR, a dud of a first single, a failure to release TWAT (by far the best song on CD) as a single, and the album STILL went on to sell 1 million copies in the US. Think of how many more it would have sold in 2003 with proper promotion as well as the CD platform being more relevant then. NuGNR could have not only taken the world by storm, but they could have saved rock music.