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Re: None of this feels right...
That's exactly what I was going to say James. We're all happy to have it, most of us could care less about how well it sells, but the biggest factor for the "underwhelmement" of the forums is the fact we heard what, 11 out of 14 songs already. And I'm not just talking about it leaking a week or 2 early like every album does (VR, Metallica). We heard about half these songs years ago!!
Good point War. Yeah, an album which 85% of it leaked a long time ago certainly doesn't appease the hardcore fans. An album of non-leaks (or many newer unheard songs) certainly would have.
Re: None of this feels right...
I'll agree with most of what you said except that the album wasn't as good as most had envisioned. From what I've read that couldn't be further from the truth. Sure there are people who say the album is only average, but for the most part I find fans are loving the album. This is a more popular site to dislike the album than HTGTH, but even here it seems that the album has reached MOST peoples expectations.
It's a good album, there's a few steamers on it that should have been replaced. But overall it's pretty solid. I can't lie though, I wish there were more songs I never heard before. Take off some of the turds. But then again, myb the Atlas's & Oklahoma's et al weren't much better. Who knows?!
Re: None of this feels right...
The reason the entire online fan base is "underwhelmed" is because CD turned out to be a "leaks album" with 3 bonus tracks. Its hard for hard cores to get excited and analyze tracks they've heard thousands of times already.
If that wasn't enough, the icing on the cake was how the whole thing was handled. Amateurish liner notes, Axl in hiding, the lukewarm reaction to the album, chart position, Dr Pepper fiasco, and last but certainly not least, the album wasn't as good as most had envisioned.
When you take all these ingredients and mix them together, the end result is a very jaded fan base biting its fingernails.
I actually never had an issue with the fact it was leaks + 3. We knew for years that for the most part, you could be guaranteed songs like CD, Maddy, Street, IRS & Riad were going to be on the album, and of course later Better & TWAT. That's half the album right there.
So that was not a disappointment imo. It'd been more of a disappointment, to get the first album, full of unheard material, then get the second album (with the 14 tracks on CD). You'd be so far removed from that live material, it'd leave you with a reaction of - WTF?
But what I put in bold is my big complaint. This amateurish half ass of this entire process, has finally lost my faith in Axl and his handling of the GN'R brand name. For years, when he'd record, and the other band seperately, and do stupid shit (like no showing recording sessions Merck set up in 2006), I let it slide and reassured myself, over and over and over, that there was a plan.
After all these years - there never was a plan. Nothing.
THAT is the underwhelming part. I expected more than a rush job after 10 years.
- Intercourse
- Rep: 212
- NY Giants82
- Rep: 26
Re: None of this feels right...
I love CD. Absolutely love it. I couldnt be more proud of it than I already am. The only thing that sucks, is that it seems Axl isnt behind it. That kinda ruins everything in a way, cause I always imagined when it was released, Axl doing interviews, an issue of Guitar World about CD, maybe another Kurt Loder special, etc. But instead there is nothing.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: None of this feels right...
I love the CD too. And i was happy it was the "leaks album" as I'd grown fond of the 'drafts' of those songs...and I would have been pissed to never have a finished version of them.
Imagine if CD has been 12 completely unheard tracks - unless everyone was absolute gold we'd be arguing for eternity about which of the leaks should have made the album to replace the weaker songs etc. lol.
Anyway i'm very happy with the album because it sounds great to me and I love the tunes. The only thing I find wierd is the way its being handled...no promo etc...as I feel that is costing sales...and I care about that for selfish reasons....i've been justifying my talk of GNR when the world said it was "dead" for years (to normal people...not us diehards)..you know like you meet people and they ask your favouirite music or band and you say GNR...that kind of thing. I've been anticipating real versions of these songs...i
ve played the leaks to death. Very few people in my personal life "got it" cos they'd all moved on to rap or whatever else....my girlfriend is only 21 and so doesn't remember the golden age like I do. Anyway...so I guess for a selfish reason - i wanted this album to go massive so that all these people would see I was right!! LMAO!
THis will sound crazy. But I feel that we as fans feel we are personally connceted to this album. That would probably shit axl - i mean like he put the dollars in, he put the time in in the studio. I sat here and masturbated, why should I clame it as mine? But just cos we all watched it so intently, I feel connected to it. When I saw it in the store...I felt a sence of pride...no longer is stuff like Maddy my secret obsession and indulgence, it's something anyone can hear...it was like I was looking at my own album on the shelf. That's how it felt to me...and while i've been obsessed with GNR since like 88 or whatever...i'm not even a 'nutswinger' type...(as I like both bands)...I can only imagine what it was like for those people.
Anyway....I think if the album had been #1, if the media had been temporarily saturated with GNR stories, if main stream people had come to our party - even if only for a few days - that would have filled us with a sence of achievement and pride.
I know it was never going to be 1991 again. But the way this has gone down has surely surprised people or we wouldn't get the articles now about it. My friend who had never understood why i didn't move on from the 80/90s came across the leak of "Better" around the time of Rockband 2. He finally believed me that this would be an album worth listening to. (I'd told him lots cos i was into it and he had liked GNR in the 90s). We exhange the occasional email waiting for the release. Chinese democracy was released...I expected him to email saying he'd picked it up. Instead he sends me a link to the Sun article and a "what's the go with this?" kinda letter.
But here we had a mixed bag - the joy of an offical release, but the orgasm is muted for us by the strange way it's been handled to minimise public responce to it. I think i will feel "wierd" about it until I get some idea of the mindset of the band. I just want to know 'why' there's been no Axl. Is it that he hates the album now? Is he just sick of it? Is it to let the music do the talking? Does he dislike the mix? is there a problem with best buy? Is he mad at something? Is he busy creating new works? is it just that he hates the media? Is it something in his personal life? is he retiring? Is it just an experiment to see what it can sell by itself? At the end of the day it's their problem not mine if it doesn't sell. But obviously as a fan i wanted success for the album - both for the artists and my own insane "i feel like part of this" reasons - and now I just feel like it would be nice to know the logic behind what is happening. It's their call obviously. But it would be nice to know the rationalle behind it all.
