madagas wrote:

I personally love the album and think it was smart to get the upfront cash, but everything past that has been a disaster.

Agree with you there.

For those saying Axl is working on another 'version' of CD, would you actually buy it?? Would you have any problem dl'ing it?!  I ask because no way do I buy ANOTHER copy of cd. Axl got my money, that's all from me. Do you think version II would sell a large number of copies? Like, over 100,000?

Unless the other version is a balls out rocker which kicked ass I think a second version of the same cd would just become a laughingstock & Axl considered more of a nutjob.

buzzsaw wrote:

BB isn't the problem.  Anyone that claims it is isn't fooling anybody else.  Last time I checked, you could still order the album at www.bestbuy.com, so anybody that wanted to buy a copy could do so without ever leaving their house.  Did it hurt sales?  Sure.  Was it the difference in being #1 or #2?  No.  The interest in the music/band did that.  Axl has nobody to blame but himself anyway because he approved whatever decision was made.  He took the quick $$ over the art, which is fine.  His fans have to accept that.

Absolutely.

Those who think CD would have sold 3 times more in Walmart... Hey... Do you think the majority of the 784,000 people who bought AC/DC's album on the first week were impulse buyers? The T-shirts made them buy the album? They caught a glimpse at the huge AC/DC towels and bought one? No way. Most of them were AC/DC fans, hardcores or softcores. I don't think that even the first AC/DC single made such an impact to make 100,000s buy Black Ice.

The truth is that CD was not only promoted poorly (credit goes to Axl), but the potential buyers don't think it's a true Guns N' Roses record. Rockers were always closer to Slash's pure rock and roll than Axl's dolphin vision. Most of them won't buy it, cause for a lot of them Slash, Duff and Izzy, the badasses were GN'R and Axl was Elton John II. Casual buyers didn't get the interviews in magazines, haven't bought it. Teenage girls will not go nuts for a middle-aged man who doesn't even speak or appear. Teenage boys...well, unlikely, but with some presence in MTV or a tour Axl could have won some nu-metal fans, but songs like Street of Dreams, If The World, Madagascar etc. won't make the younger audience interested.

That's what left, 500,000 GN'R fans.

i have a feeling they rushed the release (The management) in order to catch Dr. Pepper in a pickle, and sue them, to make some fast easy cash. kind of like why theres only 1 out of 3 album art versions out there, and linernotes full of errors. just my theory

Nope. I just think he's being "rebellious". I think the Best Buy thing was out of his hands, and he's sulking. He could have gotten that band on someone's talk show. He could have sat down with Rolling Stone last month. The gestation of this album was his wanting things "his way". There were a hundred ways he could look like a conquering hero right now, even if it was just as an "artiste" with a commercial failure on his head. He was calling the shots in this fight. When the bell rang, he ducked out the back.

Love the album. Supported his lineup changes & his new direction. 100% convinced of the musical merit of Chinese Democracy.

Axl is being a bitch right now. Apparently, a lot of us believed in the fight was worth it more than he did.

Neemo wrote:

well its doing better than GH did...thats promising

and its even with contraband which went double platinum....there is hope still folks, the developments over the next couple months is important

AND as I've preached all along this is with BEST BUY EXCLUSITIVITY, I personally think that HURT the sales.  Anyone know how long this exclusive deal lasts?  Also has anyone heard Better yet and is the video rumor a reality??