Breaking Down the Costs of CD

[seagullview]

I guess a common misconception among many is that the more money being put into an album the better it has to sound. Sure you can do some things with money, but after a certain point there is nothing money can do to improve the sound. In fact, it may make it sound worse if being worked on too much.

So CD allegedly cost $13 million to make. What on the finished album cost that much? I mean would the album sound different if theoretically only $1 million were spent on it? One example of money being wasted was the rental of equipment that were just sitting there and not being used (or was that a studio not being used? I can't remember). In the end did it cost that much just because it took so long to finish? Or because they mixed it several times? Or because they hired so many people? But if you're being specfic it doesn't cost a lot to make those "sounds" that ended up on the finished version. Surely there's no sound that couldn't be made with less money? Where did all the money go?

Just to follow this theory through, would AFD sound better if they had spent the similar amount as on CD on that album? I'm sure not

[maynard]

Money is no guarantee of quality. Chinese Democracy is a mediocre album. No money would change Axl's production approach or his cringe worthy lyrics. Nothing could save CD from mediocrity. Not Slash, not lol Paul Tobias, etc.

[seagullview]

Money is no guarantee of quality. Chinese Democracy is a mediocre album. No money would change Axl's production approach or his cringe worthy lyrics. Nothing could save CD from mediocrity. Not Slash, not lol Paul Tobias, etc.

I think Chinese Democracy is a great album, although I think it could be just as good without all the money

[Coma16]

I wonder how much CD2 (or whatever it's going to be called) is going to cost.

[seagullview]

I wonder how much CD2 (or whatever it's going to be called) is going to cost.

A lot of it should already be paid for during the making of CD1 (since some of the songs were recorded then), but who knows how much more it will cost

[wkuk04]

I wonder if its hard for big bands to reduce costs when making an album.

[niceguy]

The majority of the costs came from unused studio and equipment rentals.

The studio and equipment would just there unused for months at a time. If I were the studio and equipment owners, I'd be delighted to keep such a situation going for as long as possible.

[seagullview]

The majority of the costs came from unused studio and equipment rentals.

The studio and equipment would just there unused for months at a time. If I were the studio and equipment owners, I'd be delighted to keep such a situation going for as long as possible.

If that's the case money had "nothing" to do with how the album sounded

[Sixes]

$5 mil for Axl's wigs alone

[Strange Broue]

$5 mil for Axl's wigs alone

every time i read your post i can feel the salami's taste in my mouth

(i'm eating salami right now)

On topic: agreed with the OP

The most funniest thing is. Slash will have a co-writing credit on the next record, according to Richard Fortus on his november 20. workshop

[wasted]

there was some article where they were saying it was just paying over the odds for equipment and studio time.

but didn't the Nov Rain video cost 7 mil? in the end the money they got for CD was a drop in the ocean compared to what they made and could potentially make.

so in the end all money is wasted. for a while there they were blowing boat loads of cash like savages.

[Anguyen92]

I read from Duff's book that from the years of 1994 to 1997, they have been paying rent for the studio and did not have a single song done so the rent costs (how much does renting a studio cost?) must be pretty steep and that money going into it is, I guess, wasted.

Edit: Posting after wasted after wasted stated that all the money is wasted. I'm such a nerd.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Anguyen92

[wasted]

well, the record company gave them 10 mil so they bought a special mic for the imported harp. it's rock n roll not accountancy. it was Axl's duty to make sure that money got wasted. Fuck i need a theme tune. Like a 50 Cent remix of IRS.

[Estranged Coma]

$5 mil for Axl's wigs alone

every time i read your post i can feel the salami's taste in my mouth

(i'm eating salami right now)

On topic: agreed with the OP

The most funniest thing is. Slash will have a co-writing credit on the next record, according to Richard Fortus on his november 20. workshop

Slash ? Writing credit on axls next album? Said by fortus?!?

[WhazUp]

I wonder if its hard for big bands to reduce costs when making an album.

Well if you have a perfectionist as the singer and primary songwriter it is inevitable!

[seagullview]

$5 mil for Axl's wigs alone

every time i read your post i can feel the salami's taste in my mouth

(i'm eating salami right now)

On topic: agreed with the OP

The most funniest thing is. Slash will have a co-writing credit on the next record, according to Richard Fortus on his november 20. workshop

Slash ? Writing credit on axls next album? Said by fortus?!?

See:

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?/topic/209727-aussie-fans-an-intimate-workshop-with-richard-fortus-nov-20th-2014/

[Randy Jesus]

The cost of beer, toilet paper and jelly donuts?

[dalsh327]

Most albums that wind up having budgets go out of control are either because of self-indulgence, lawsuits, cocaine written into the budget,

an artist spending way too much time in the studio, and promotion expenses. It's unlikely in GNR's case, at least with CD, there was no yayo written into the budget (which had been fuel to keep recording sessions going for a lot of artists back in the day, and just an example) but the musicians cost a hell of a lot of money to keep on the payroll. Robin was double dipping the way Reznor made it sound - on NIN's payroll yet working with Axl. (UYI might have had yayo money).

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/korn-how-we-managed-to-spend-4-million-making-untouchables/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vol._4_%28Black_Sabbath_album%29

" ...the cocaine had set in. We went out to L.A. and got into a totally different lifestyle. Half the budget went on the coke and the other half went to seeing how long we could stay in the studio...We rented a house in Bel-Air and the debauchery up there was just unbelievable."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaucho_%28album%29

http://mentalfloss.com/article/57656/15-albums-cost-fortune-make

Edited December 2, 2014 by dalsh327

[robin2002]

This article has a good breakdown of the costs http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/arts/music/06leed.html?pagewanted=all

Specifically this section 'One internal cost analysis from the period pegs the operation’s monthly tab at a staggering $244,000. It included more than $50,000 in studio time at the Village, a more modern studio where Mr. Baker had moved the band. It also included a combined payroll for seven band members that exceeded $62,000, with the star players earning roughly $11,000 each. Guitar technicians earned about $6,000 per month, while the album’s main engineer was paid $14,000 per month and a recording software engineer was paid $25,000 a month, the document stated.'

So wasteful. Money doesn't write good songs.

and interestingly enough, the NYT kinda tries to answer your question.. I really like this review

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/arts/music/23pare.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[wasted]

I'm a bit desensitised bcos rubish soccer players get 50k a week. Rooney gets 300k a week or something ridiculous. So it's like 12 mil a year.

Anyway the label were thinking of selling 20 mil records. Making 200 mil to throw around. So 14 mil isn't much.

Kenny Powers would be jealous.

[salx]

If you know what you're doing you can make a record that sounds better than CD production wise in your own bedroom with a couple thousand dollars in equipment.

[niceguy]

If you know what you're doing you can make a record that sounds better than CD production wise in your own bedroom with a couple thousand dollars in equipment.

Yeah but will Beta come light candles for you? Will Fernando have an annual three hour meeting about your band?

These are the secret ingredients to Axl's continuing success.

[Rustycage]

Studio time.

[Russel Nash]

If you know what you're doing you can make a record that sounds better than CD production wise in your own bedroom with a couple thousand dollars in equipment.

Yeah but will Beta come light candles for you? Will Fernando have an annual three hour meeting about your band?

These are the secret ingredients to Axl's continuing success.

Fernando is still involved ? After the "what fans needs the most, information" never heard of the guy again.

[tomfriend]

I always thought the justification for the costs was that the record company were getting 2 or 3 albums out of the money invested. Even with CD underperforming you'd think they'd be beating down Axl's door demanding the rest of their return, yet this doesn't seem to even remotely be the case.

Under normal circumstances I could understand them just thinking 'Fuck it, he's not worth the hassle' but not with this amount of money and time spent and at stake. Theories?

Edited December 4, 2014 by tomfriend