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If Axl and the new guys could hunker down and write just one hit single, they would have all the leverage they would need to deal with the label


CoolRanchDressing

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'When Todd Sullivan, then working as 'talent executive' for Geffen, couriered a sampling of CDs featuring various name producers over to Axl, with a note suggesting he might like to consider one of them to work with on his own album, Axl's response was to place the CDs in his drive and run over them in his silver Ferrari. Some time later, the same exec persuaded Axl to play him some of the snippets he had been working on. After which, he told him: “Look, Axl, this is some really great, promising stuff here. Why don't you consider just bearing down and completing some of these songs?” To which Axl replied: “Hmm, bear down and complete some of these songs?” The very next day Sullivan received a phone call from Geffen chairman Eddie Rosenblatt informing him he “was off the project.”'

A&R people overstep their boundaries, but it's done with good intentions.

If you made a business a billion dollars, and someone starts telling you how to do things or giving unsolicited advice, how would you react? It's part of the problem when you put business people with creative people and it's always been that way. Some creative people develop business acumen, but the people who make money are the ones that pay to go to Rock N' Roll Band Camp.

Axl might think the fanbase that are the loudest about what to do are a bunch of armchair record execs but it's not like the record company made much of a difference when the album came out.

I mean, does he now do a Santana-like collaboration with different singers and do duets to guarantee sales? It didn't work with Slash and he had Fergie, Adam Levine, Dave Grohl, Iggy and Chris Cornell.

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I'm pretty sure Load and Reload were both quite successful sales wise... with some big singles. Black ice was huge! Rock n Roll train was a huge song given a lot radio and TV time... anything goes was also relatively successful. NIN had the 'With Teeth' album and that was pretty big "only" was a pretty succesfull song. U2 have had consecutive hits, yes, even after "one"... "beautiful Day" was no slouch :)

Chinese could have been managed better, with the help of some promotional videos. If a video for better was released in oct. 08 that would have got the ball rolling and gave the public (who were still unaware of the new direction) a chance to warm to the new sounds coming from GnR. Videos are not that big a deal these days but... when a band chooses to not release any, and expects high sales... I don't know what to tell you. Also, deciding to wait a full year to get on the road? at the very least they should have played the VMAs again playing Jungle and one of the songs from CD. If you want a big album you have to play ball. Considering GnRs reputation they definitely have to play ball :)

Finally, Chinese did pretty well regardless of all the obstacles... 3? 4? million copies sold worldwide? not sure of the figures but it's somewhere close to that.

Edited by Tom2112
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Interscope act in the interests of commerce, that's their policy. That's why people like Jimmy Iovine were dispatched to get Axl to change the direction of Chinese Democracy.

Iovine took over Interscope and was trying to get things going, but Axl said Iovine would check in every few months and the rest of the time he'd have to deal with the same clowns Reznor did, that led to his eventual leaving the label. As he said, it was contract slavery, but Interscope gave him more freedom to do what he wanted.

We don't know why there were problems with the record label and what they were hearing coming from GNR. Maybe the mixes Axl was sending were making him go "it's okay, but...." he wasn't hearing something that justified vast amounts of money to keep the sessions going. No different than why Michael started calling Tommy Mottola the devil. Jackson played the race card and even Al Sharpton was going "huh??" Invincible cost double the money that ChiDem cost.

I'm pretty sure Load and Reload were both quite successful sales wise... with some big singles. Black ice was huge! Rock n Roll train was a huge song given a lot radio and TV time... anything goes was also relatively successful. NIN had the 'With Teeth' album and that was pretty big "only" was a pretty succesfull song. U2 have had consecutive hits, yes, even after "one"... "beautiful Day" was no slouch :)

Chinese could have been managed better, with the help of some promotional videos. If a video for better was released in oct. 08 that would have got the ball rolling and gave the public (who were still unaware of the new direction) a chance to warm to the new sounds coming from GnR. Videos are not that big a deal these days but... when a band chooses to not release any, and expects high sales... I don't know what to tell you. Also, deciding to wait a full year to get on the road? at the very least they should have played the VMAs again playing Jungle and one of the songs from CD. If you want a big album you have to play ball. Considering GnRs reputation they definitely have to play ball :)

Finally, Chinese did pretty well regardless of all the obstacles... 3? 4? million copies sold worldwide? not sure of the figures but it's somewhere close to that.

They supposedly couldn't go on the road because Robin bailed, even though I don't see why Bumblefoot and Richard couldn't have done it. I don't think it would've been a big deal to have Gilby covering if they really needed that third guy.

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I don't think time has anything to do with it.

GN'R needs a more modern sound that fits in these days.

Rock music is much harder now than it was in the 90s and all the of the fans of rock music love the hard shit. These wimpy GN'R songs on CD isn't going to win anyone over.

Better was probably the only track on CD that could've made it. Chinese Democracy could've been something good but the lyrics were horrid, right when he gets to "chinese stew" it kind of ruined it.

Everyone knows who Axl is and all it takes is a killer single to have the light back on them. That's the obstacle and is that what they all want?

Its not the same Axl anymore?

what bands do you mean are heavier? im not really up on it. I hear GNr with 90s industrila nu metal production.

CD is a paradox to me. The 70s and 80s elements of GNR tinged by 90s elements doesnt make sense.

GNR was excess and rage, then it was heartbroken and rationalizing.

even when CD came out it was out of step with the nostalgia albums of Metallica, ACDC, U2 even Megadave.

So my guess is we have this record to come. Or Axl is too much of an artist to do that.

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