Chinese Democracy Will Be Exclusive to Best Buy
Best Buy will be the exclusive retailer for Guns N' Roses decade-plus-in-the-making new album "Chinese Democracy" before year's end, sources close to the situation tell Billboard. Some details of the deal are still being worked out, including the release date. The news brings a semblance of closure to the bizarre history of "Democracy," which Guns N' Roses has been working on since the mid-1990s. Since then, every original member of the once mighty group has left besides vocalist Axl Rose, and millions of dollars have been spent working on the new material.
"Democracy" was most recently on the Interscope release schedule in March 2007. The endless delays encountered by the project reached comic levels this spring, when soft drink manufacturer Dr Pepper offered to send a free can of the beverage to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" were to arrive anytime during the calendar year 2008.
In June, nine purported "mastered, finished" tracks from the album were leaked online, prompting an FBI investigation into their source. A sign "Chinese Democracy" was perhaps finally nearing release came in July, when the band agreed to debut new track "Shackler's Revenge" in the video game "Rock Band 2," which hit stores earlier this month.
Guns N' Roses is now managed by Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, and Azoff is a well-known proponent of issuing albums exclusively through retailers. He released the Eagles' "Long Road Out Of Eden" through Wal-Mart in 2007, much to the chagrin of other merchants, but the album was a runaway hit, having sold 3.1 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Source: Billboard.com
Quite honestly I could care less about the music on this album. Although, I am quite shocked that this album just may be released some time before I die. It looks like Axl may beat Chinese to Democracy after all... All I know is--I want my free Dr. Pepper!
posted by Jeff at 12:12 PM
7 Comments:
After all the time and money spent on this project, it's going to end up as a Best Buy exclusive.
That's pretty sad.
Russ - I hate the idea of this exclusive crap. I'd rather it be Best Buy than Wal Mart (i.e. AC/DC), but regardless, I would like to buy the album from whomever I wish. I always see it as dumbing down the music for some reason.
I'd like to request a Diet Dr. P if I may.
I'm with you on not really caring much about this "GnR" album. It seems silly to even call it that, why not call it what it is - the Axl Rose band?
Funny, I was just talking about former GnR drummer, Matt Sorem, with my veterinarian today, all three of us went to HS together and Scott (the vet) got to go backstage at a GnR concert when Matt was with them. That would be Interesting.
Layla - I could only imagine what it would look like back stage at a GNR concert. In fact, my wildest imaginations probably wouldn't even replicate anything close to what was going on...
MMMMM. Dr. Pepper. It will taste good ... until I pour it out on the front sidewalk of my local Best Buy for this exclusive sale crap.
I'm curious enough to buy the album, but not enough to go into any one retailer (other than maybe B&N) to get actually do so.
Honestly, this album is going to be as useful as Paris Hilton's contributions -- in total -- to the world. I'll pay for the free Dr. Pepper just so this shameless debacle ends and I never more hear of it.
David - I hate that all these bands are making their albums exclusive to one store.
Mad Hatter - It's exactly like Paris Hilton. It's like watching a train wreck.
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