When Axl popped up to chat a few weeks ago, I found the timing curious.  At that time CD had sold poorly and he was getting criticized for not promoting the thing at all.  After he chatted on the forums, the subject went from disapointing cd sales to a rehash of topics involving Old Gnr.  He had effectively changed the topic.  He could have discussed these topics years ago, yet he chose not to.  Before anyone says there were "legal" issues regarding this--try to remember that Slash had spoke about these issues for years with zero problem.

Intercourse--I don't feel as sorry for the Nu Guns as you do.  After a few months or years of working for Axl, you pretty much know how its going to go.  He'll show up late for live shows and he won't be in the studio for large periods of time.  At some point you either accept it for what it is or you get frustrated and leave.  It's strange because now looking back Slash and Buckethead left the band for the exact same reasons:  Axl showing up late for the shows and not appearing at the studio.  Inversely, Tommy Stinson has stuck around for 10 years.  Of course the $250,000 a year paycheck surely doesn't hurt.

I do wish that he'd hire a PR guy to do the PR work instead of the Lebsesis' though.  Those two should NEVER comment on Gnr again.  It was easier with Slash and Duff in the band because those guys would do the PR work that Axl didn't want to.  Bumblefoot would be the obvious choice here with Nu Guns.  However, he didn't write any of the songs on CD (mostly written by 1997-2001 incarnation of the band) and it's kind of hard for fans to relate to that.

Unfortunately, I agree with you about this band being a car wreck that you can't turn away from.  Sometimes I feel as though I'm being a fun purely for "entertainment" purposes.  It seems as though Axl has done the "opposite" of what most other successful musicians have done.

I think some of these songs in earlier/demo mode could have been as hits--CITR, Better, The Blues.  CITR and The Blues sound like they could have been from UYI2 in that they aren't far removed from the classic gnr sound.  Better had a poppy techno sensibilty that screamed 1997-2001.  The main problem is that in the final versions (2008) the crappy production ruins the songs, at least for me personally.  CITR is butchered with the bad guitar parts which sound like they don't belong and the removal of Brian May's guitar solos.  Better has the annoying drums parts.  The Blues I can't quite put my figure on what went wrong there.  When I first heard The Blues in 2001, I thought it sounded pretty close to the "original gnr."  The elements were there: piano intro, catchy Axl lyrics and vocals, guitar driven with some Slash like solos.  As time went on, I not sure why or how that song deteroriated into what it is now. 

This next question is kinda OT:  Why wasn't this album released in 2000-2002?  With CD's release some questions have been answered; but can anyone give a reasonable answer as to why this thing wasn't released in one of those three years.  In late 1999-early 2000 there were several articles written in mainstream magazines regarding this project, Chinese Democracy.  I remember Rolling Stone had two articles--one in 1999 and one in 2000.  In 2001, GNR performed at HOB in Las Vegas and RIR 3(or 40.  Both those events garnered positive reviews.  In 2002, we had the VMA appearance.  Those events/pub got people talking about Gnr again and that would have been the best time to release this album.  I'm just trying to figure out what the last 6yrs have accomplished because the final versions of these songs don't sound that much different than the demos.