The "New Album" Thread . The maybe, possibly, at some point, soon, whenever, wtf Axl thread🤞

[allwaystired]

2 hours ago, ToonGuns said:

Honestly.... so so so so many missed opportunities with this band.

The fan base is lining up gagging for releases.

GnR should acknowledge that they have a very local passionate fan base, and reward them as such.

We compared GnR to Deep Purple a few weeks back on another topic, but to use the same band as a comparison - look at their discography. Or The Beatles. Or even bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd. Huge bands with loyal followings but who constantly release live albums, box sets, new albums, etc. New albums aside GnR could trawl through the archive and do the same - live releases for each line up / each era, vinyl box sets, remasters, deluxe editions. Not $1000, but multiple releases focussing on the music (not the box the music comes in). It wouldn't take a great amount of work and would better cement the legacy, whilst the average fans wouldn't even notice so wouldn't hurt the concert revenue. Most of us are completists and would buy all these types of releases, rewarding the band for their "art". Not just constantly pushing t-shirts or branded tat (and tattoos!).

That kind of approach is what separates artists from brands.

GnR are floating through a cesspit of drivel towards the latter, and it's almost beyond the point of no return. Almost.

Yeah absolutely. I just don't understand it at all. How are these t-shirts that they continually pump out still even making money? I appreciate that the markup is massive on a shirt, but who is still buying them? Other than the 'why not accessorize your look with an iconic rock shirt' high-street crowd who wouldn't know a GNR tune that wasn't SCOM if it bit them on the arse, who is the market? If I see someone in a GNR shirt these days I can pretty much guarantee by looking at it that now or care nothing about the band....but surely those people have had enough of buying them now? They'll be dumped in secondhand clothing stores left right and centre, surely? 

What does that leave? I really don't understand it. I get that making money is the aim, but this revenue stream must be teetering on the edge now, then what? The live revenue stream is similar, as ticket sales are showing. There doesn't seem to be anything beyond these things now. I'm (as other people posting on here are also) an easy mark for this band. I'll buy stuff, instantly. Live albums, demos, unreleased stuff, whatever. What I won't do though is buy anything that isn't music related, just for the sake of it.

It's an absurd situation. Why on earth is my favourite band turning into this? 

[DTJ80]

38 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

Yeah absolutely. I just don't understand it at all. How are these t-shirts that they continually pump out still even making money? I appreciate that the markup is massive on a shirt, but who is still buying them? Other than the 'why not accessorize your look with an iconic rock shirt' high-street crowd who wouldn't know a GNR tune that wasn't SCOM if it bit them on the arse, who is the market? If I see someone in a GNR shirt these days I can pretty much guarantee by looking at it that now or care nothing about the band....but surely those people have had enough of buying them now? They'll be dumped in secondhand clothing stores left right and centre, surely? 

What does that leave? I really don't understand it. I get that making money is the aim, but this revenue stream must be teetering on the edge now, then what? The live revenue stream is similar, as ticket sales are showing. There doesn't seem to be anything beyond these things now. I'm (as other people posting on here are also) an easy mark for this band. I'll buy stuff, instantly. Live albums, demos, unreleased stuff, whatever. What I won't do though is buy anything that isn't music related, just for the sake of it.

It's an absurd situation. Why on earth is my favourite band turning into this? 

Yup. They keep getting branded with the ‘legacy band label’ but legacy bands almost exclusively regurgitate/repackage historical releases OR mine the live vaults which the fans lap up......GNR don’t even do that (apart from the AFD Deluxe set).

GNR are in a position where their core fan base is probably now of the age where there is more disposable cash....and would love to spend it on sweet live releases/new material. More than bloody trucks anyway.
 

If they wanted to just be a legacy act then fine - I’m actually OK with that - just pillage the mountains of material in the locker/vault to throw us fans a bone. Every other band out there would KILL to have a fan base willing to snap-up ANY material new or old....you do have to wonder what the issue is.

I know Fernando said there would be a live release and hope this is still on track but sometimes I wonder if there is a legal issue preventing the most basic task of releasing already filmed/recorded gigs.

[Dean]

2 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

Outside of the forums the interest levels in the music recorded between 1999-2015 is minimal... We would love to hear finished versions of the songs but I don't think it's a legitimate prospect outside of GNR releasing those songs as the next GNR album... at this point, I don't care. I'd rather hear an all new record that has songs written a few months/years ago and not 20+ year old songs, but it'll be what it'll be! BUT if it's good then who cares if the materials 20 years old or not? 

Outside of the forums, the interest the casual listener (at least a sizable portion) has in Chinese Democracy is minimal, and that is down to either laziness for not listening to the record because Slash isn't on it, because Slash doesn't feature, and I would bet a fraction of that is because they genuinely don't like it. Who knows.

Everyone outside of this forum will be unaware how old the music is on a potential new album anyway if we are to assume it will feature predominantly music created during the Chinese sessions. Watch them lap it up though if that is the case. They'll love seeing a new release from the big 3 and Stinson, Finck, Tobias etc etc will be loving another payday (they deserve it)

Edited September 21, 2020 by Dean

[allwaystired]

5 minutes ago, DTJ80 said:

Yup. They keep getting branded with the ‘legacy band label’ but legacy bands almost exclusively regurgitate/repackage historical releases OR mine the live vaults which the fans lap up......GNR don’t even do that (apart from the AFD Deluxe set).

GNR are in a position where their core fan base is probably now of the age where there is more disposable cash....and would love to spend it on sweet live releases/new material. More than bloody trucks anyway.
 

If they wanted to just be a legacy act then fine - I’m actually OK with that - just pillage the mountains of material in the locker/vault to throw us fans a bone. Every other band out there would KILL to have a fan base willing to snap-up ANY material new or old....you do have to wonder what the issue is.

I know Fernando said there would be a live release and hope this is still on track but sometimes I wonder if there is a legal issue preventing the most basic task of releasing already filmed/recorded gigs.

That 'legacy band' label seems to basically mean 'were good in the past, now they're not'. There's no reason whatsoever for GNR to be a legacy band....but they seem to want to be that, for some inexplicable reason. I'm not really alright with them being labelled that as I think they have much more to offer, but as they don't want to offer it or be anything else, it is what it is. 

As you say, if it is what they want to be - OK, then release some stuff to cement that role. Instead we get a permanently touring band constantly dangling a carrot of imminent new material as some sort of bait and switch. It's difficult to see how they expect this modus operandi to attract anything other than hostility. 

We've been led, from the day CD was released, to believe new material is very close, to the point of insanity. 

[Tom2112]

15 minutes ago, Dean said:

Outside of the forums, the interest the casual listener (at least a sizable portion) has in Chinese Democracy is minimal, and that is down to either laziness for not listening to the record because Slash isn't on it, because Slash doesn't feature, and I would bet a fraction of that is because they genuinely don't like it. Who knows.

Everyone outside of this forum will be unaware how old the music is on a potential new album anyway if we are to assume it will feature predominantly music created during the Chinese sessions. Watch them lap it up though if that is the case. They'll love seeing a new release from the big 3 and Stinson, Finck, Tobias etc etc will be loving another payday (they deserve it)

I agree, most people I knew who were gnr fans never bought or listened to the album, but they had the strongest opinions... cut to 2017, GNR are playing CD songs live with Slash and suddenly they are posting the title track on their timeline... people are dumb. And! you are also right that even though the music we presume will be released is written by Robin, Tommy etc. most people will not look that close into it and love it... right up until pitchfork writes a story about how the old CD band actually wrote the glorious GNR reunion album... I feel like Nostradamus😄

[Sydney Fan]

1 hour ago, allwaystired said:

Yeah absolutely. I just don't understand it at all. How are these t-shirts that they continually pump out still even making money? I appreciate that the markup is massive on a shirt, but who is still buying them? Other than the 'why not accessorize your look with an iconic rock shirt' high-street crowd who wouldn't know a GNR tune that wasn't SCOM if it bit them on the arse, who is the market? If I see someone in a GNR shirt these days I can pretty much guarantee by looking at it that now or care nothing about the band....but surely those people have had enough of buying them now? They'll be dumped in secondhand clothing stores left right and centre, surely? 

What does that leave? I really don't understand it. I get that making money is the aim, but this revenue stream must be teetering on the edge now, then what? The live revenue stream is similar, as ticket sales are showing. There doesn't seem to be anything beyond these things now. I'm (as other people posting on here are also) an easy mark for this band. I'll buy stuff, instantly. Live albums, demos, unreleased stuff, whatever. What I won't do though is buy anything that isn't music related, just for the sake of it.

It's an absurd situation. Why on earth is my favourite band turning into this? 

Unfortunately GNR are now the thing that between 87 and 93 they swore they would never be.

I know people that are interested in hard rock who think that SOYL when they first heard it on the radio was a brand new song. To the band and MGT, This is the majority of the fanbase.

Im more eager for the illusion anniversary stuff that they will do then what iam for new music. Part of that is the current  lineup that i dont like, and whatever songs are on an album we will be wondering and asking whethet it was a nuguns song, which member was on the original rather than the band doing a new album from scratch where those sorts of questions will not be applicable and not comparing to the nuguns lineup.

Edited September 21, 2020 by Sydney Fan

[DTJ80]

6 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

That 'legacy band' label seems to basically mean 'were good in the past, now they're not'. There's no reason whatsoever for GNR to be a legacy band....but they seem to want to be that, for some inexplicable reason. I'm not really alright with them being labelled that as I think they have much more to offer, but as they don't want to offer it or be anything else, it is what it is. 

As you say, if it is what they want to be - OK, then release some stuff to cement that role. Instead we get a permanently touring band constantly dangling a carrot of imminent new material as some sort of bait and switch. It's difficult to see how they expect this modus operandi to attract anything other than hostility. 

We've been led, from the day CD was released, to believe new material is very close, to the point of insanity. 

Yeah - I mean, I think of course they are better than ‘legacy’ level however they are doing their level best to seem that way.

If they wanted to cash their chips in and just say “we ain’t interested in new stuff” and wanted to rest on what they have then fine....at least we know where they stand - although they are selling themselves WELL short on that front. Even if you just look at the Locker demos as a starting point for potential songs/ideas then IMO there is guaranteed quality material there already....so if it was to be adapted/changed etc to work for the current line-up, it won’t make it any less good. And that’s not even factoring in anything written and recorded latter 2000s or since then.
 

BLOODY FRUSTRATING 😤😤😤🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Tom2112]

4 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

That 'legacy band' label seems to basically mean 'were good in the past, now they're not'. There's no reason whatsoever for GNR to be a legacy band....but they seem to want to be that, for some inexplicable reason. I'm not really alright with them being labelled that as I think they have much more to offer, but as they don't want to offer it or be anything else, it is what it is. 

As you say, if it is what they want to be - OK, then release some stuff to cement that role. Instead we get a permanently touring band constantly dangling a carrot of imminent new material as some sort of bait and switch. It's difficult to see how they expect this modus operandi to attract anything other than hostility. 

We've been led, from the day CD was released, to believe new material is very close, to the point of insanity. 

Didn't he say something along the lines of not having to wait as long for the next record. I'd love for someone to get that interview out of him, I can't understand why someone has a record almost or completely done and does not release it when he has a fanbase that are begging for a new release. Maybe he saw projected sales for a follow up to CD and got scared?

[ToonGuns]

2 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

Outside of the forums the interest levels in the music recorded between 1999-2015 is minimal...

Probably yep.

But... why not respect the fans anyway. Release it. Nothing to lose - hardcore fans will lap it up, every day punters won't notice. So nothing lost, everything gained.

We're getting into legacy territory now... what do Guns guys want their future legacy to be? Once you're gone money is meaningless, legacy is everything. They should respect the legacy more.

[allwaystired]

Just now, Tom2112 said:

Didn't he say something along the lines of not having to wait as long for the next record. I'd love for someone to get that interview out of him, I can't understand why someone has a record almost or completely done and does not release it when he has a fanbase that are begging for a new release. Maybe he saw projected sales for a follow up to CD and got scared?

The natural assumption someone would make is probably that the records are never almost or completely done. 

Which I think brings us back to the 'new album'.............

[Sydney Fan]

11 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

Didn't he say something along the lines of not having to wait as long for the next record. I'd love for someone to get that interview out of him, I can't understand why someone has a record almost or completely done and does not release it when he has a fanbase that are begging for a new release. Maybe he saw projected sales for a follow up to CD and got scared?

Do we know what year that was?. 

I think axl said that statement when BH was still in the band?.

 Then again i couldnt see axl releasing a CD followup if BH parts were on it, only for BH to leave the band when he did. I doubt BF and ashba could do those parts.

[Sydney Fan]

34 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

That 'legacy band' label seems to basically mean 'were good in the past, now they're not'. There's no reason whatsoever for GNR to be a legacy band....but they seem to want to be that, for some inexplicable reason. I'm not really alright with them being labelled that as I think they have much more to offer, but as they don't want to offer it or be anything else, it is what it is. 

As you say, if it is what they want to be - OK, then release some stuff to cement that role. Instead we get a permanently touring band constantly dangling a carrot of imminent new material as some sort of bait and switch. It's difficult to see how they expect this modus operandi to attract anything other than hostility. 

We've been led, from the day CD was released, to believe new material is very close, to the point of insanity. 

I think we could say slash and duff would be for new music. I have read interviews with slash where he stated he would like GNR to be an album,tour, album, tour cycle band. But that depends on one other person.

[Sydney Fan]

34 minutes ago, ToonGuns said:

Probably yep.

But... why not respect the fans anyway. Release it. Nothing to lose - hardcore fans will lap it up, every day punters won't notice. So nothing lost, everything gained.

We're getting into legacy territory now... what do Guns guys want their future legacy to be? Once you're gone money is meaningless, legacy is everything. They should respect the legacy more.

I suppose being in a band in your mid 20s like the band were on the illusion tour where axl would rant onstage or in interviews where they dont want to be releasing new music for the sake of it irrespective whether the songs are good or shit. They were headstrong on what they didnt want the band to be.  Compared to these guys in their 50s now at whatever stage in life they are, and they probably arnt sure what it is they do want the band to be or represent.

Edited September 21, 2020 by Sydney Fan

[Sweersa]

10 minutes ago, Sydney Fan said:

Do we know what year that was?. 

I think axl said that statement when BH was still in the band?.

 Then again i couldnt see axl releasing a CD followup if BH parts were on it, only for BH to leave the band when he did. I doubt BF and ashba could do those parts.

Bumblefoot can for sure play Bucket's material, from a technical standpoint. Ashba, not so much IMO.

[Sydney Fan]

7 minutes ago, Sweersa said:

Bumblefoot can for sure play Bucket's material, from a technical standpoint. Ashba, not so much IMO.

Yeah i guess so.

I probably think axl had intention of releasing a new album with BH but when BH left that was it. Especially if BH gad already partially or completed material that axl had worked on and recorded.

Edited September 21, 2020 by Sydney Fan

[ToonGuns]

2 minutes ago, Sydney Fan said:

Yeah i guess so.

I probably think axl had intention of releasing a new album with BH but when BH left that was it. Especially if BH gad already partially or completed material that axl had worked on and recorded.

Any unreleased Axl + Bucket stuff is, for me, the holy grail. More than anything else.

[Sydney Fan]

10 minutes ago, ToonGuns said:

Any unreleased Axl + Bucket stuff is, for me, the holy grail. More than anything else.

Im surprised none of this leaked as part of the village leaks. If there is axl and BH stuff axl must keep this material in a  vault fernando doesnt even have access to.

Edited September 21, 2020 by Sydney Fan

[allwaystired]

24 minutes ago, Sydney Fan said:

I think we could say slash and duff would be for new music. I have read interviews with slash where he stated he would like GNR to be an album,tour, album, tour cycle band. But that depends on one other person.

Yeah, he definitely backs that up with his SMKC stuff too. 

[Sweersa]

21 minutes ago, Sydney Fan said:

Yeah i guess so.

I probably think axl had intention of releasing a new album with BH but when BH left that was it. Especially if BH gad already partially or completed material that axl had worked on and recorded.

2008's Chinese Democracy was released 4 years after Bucket's departure. I expected the CD followup (CD2, or whatever) to contain Robin, Bucket, Bumble, and Ashba parts much like CD contained contributions from most band members of the era, past and present. 

Of course who knows what will happen now, with the current lineup.

[Sweersa]

16 minutes ago, Sydney Fan said:

Im surprised none of this leaked as part of the village leaks. If there is axl and BH stuff axl must keep this material in a  vault fernando doesnt even have access to.

Some did, like If The World, and of course many Bucket instrumentals. If we had a massive leak of material a year or two after from the era the village leaks came from, I'm sure it would be way more Buckethead heavy. Bucket was in late '99/2000 - 2004 and most of the village leaks were 2000 and some 2001. Ideally, pre Bumblefoot CD sessions would be absolutely killer.

[Tom2112]

48 minutes ago, Sydney Fan said:

Do we know what year that was?. 

I think axl said that statement when BH was still in the band?.

 Then again i couldnt see axl releasing a CD followup if BH parts were on it, only for BH to leave the band when he did. I doubt BF and ashba could do those parts.

2009 in the chats (if memory serves) was the last most definitive time he said it. Since then he's always been a bit stand-offish saying politician lines like "We're very seriously looking at things"😄

[Tom2112]

1 hour ago, allwaystired said:

The natural assumption someone would make is probably that the records are never almost or completely done. 

Which I think brings us back to the 'new album'.............

Ha! the man is lying to himself, and we were drinking the kool-aid for a good many years... fool me once, fool me 80 times😄 

[Tom2112]

1 hour ago, ToonGuns said:

Probably yep.

But... why not respect the fans anyway. Release it. Nothing to lose - hardcore fans will lap it up, every day punters won't notice. So nothing lost, everything gained.

We're getting into legacy territory now... what do Guns guys want their future legacy to be? Once you're gone money is meaningless, legacy is everything. They should respect the legacy more.

Their legacy (and they know this) is Appetite, they will never top it... I don't know how upset they are at leaning into the nostalgia. I don't think they want they conversation going on though... but they won't change their ways.

[SAU3R]

I don't expect any news regarding a new album, but still did anybody listen to this? 

Edited September 21, 2020 by SAU3R

[ToonGuns]

2 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

Their legacy (and they know this) is Appetite, they will never top it... I don't know how upset they are at leaning into the nostalgia. I don't think they want they conversation going on though... but they won't change their ways.

I think it's two different things though. Yes I agree their legacy will always be Appetite (greatest debut ever etc etc) and deservedly so. However the risk is it becomes tarnished. A good comparison is the Sex Pistols, fantastic legacy, equally infamous debut album, without their legacy being tarnished with tat. Tat is okay if you have the artistry behind that to back it up. Tat and only tat is... tat. Had the Sex Pistols continued indefinitely touring their debut ad infinitum and selling Sex Pistols towels and tonka trucks they would fall into the same camp as GnR but they haven't.

There's three ways (generally) this can go - 1) great debut then nothing more so the legacy is the debut, untarnished,  2) great debut then constant new music (good, bad, indifferent doesn't really matter to be honest - not everything Van Gogh painted ended up in a gallery) a la Deep Purple, Skynrd, Stones, Beatles, etc etc), or 3) becoming a brand and milking every penny out of that debut while losing all artistic integrity. Guns are very much pushing for the latter, which is the worst of the 3 options.