Rockblog

Geffen records are blaming Axl Rose for the disappointing first week sales of the new Guns ‘N’ Roses album Chinese Democracy.

According to The Sun newspaper in the UK, a Geffen insider said: “Everyone knows Axl is a bit of a maverick genius and won’t do anything he doesn’t want to do.

“The label is really glad to have him back. But it is frustrating because the album would have had a much better chance of going to No1 if he had only been prepared to show his face.

“People have been trying to contact him for two months and he’s been completely AWOL.

“You would have thought after spending 15 years on an album you might do a few weeks promotion.”

Chinese Democracy missed the top spot in the album charts in both the USA and the UK. Having your album come in at No2 would not usually be cause for alarm, but after spending 15 years and an estimated 50 gazillion dollars making Chinese Democracy, Geffen is understandably worried about sales numbers.

Taking a look at recent No1 albums from Metallica and AC/DC, the Rockblog notices that both those bands announced US tour dates approximately a month before their new albums were released. AC/DC then announced European tour dates the week before Black Ice went on sale and Metallica about a month after Death Magnetic hit the streets, though they did play release parties in London and Berlin. So far, there has been no news of a Guns ‘N’ Roses tour to promote Chinese Democracy.

It also doesn’t help that Chinese Democracy is not a very good rock album. Over 8 million people listened to the album feed on the band’s Myspace page. How many of them felt the same way as the Rockblog? Chinese Democracy is not what they were hoping for from a Guns ‘N’ Roses album.

The Sun article says Axl Rose is rumoured to be trying to get the old band back together. They report Izzy Stradlin is keen to see the original lineup back together. Steven Adler has also announced his interest in getting back together with his former Guns ‘N’ Roses bandmates. Velvet Revolver is currently without a singer and were reportedly asked to be released from their record contract, so Slash and Duff McKagan look like they could be available.

Let’s hope Axl has been neglecting his promoting duties to get Guns ‘N’ Roses back together to do some serious rocking. Whatever Axl does, he better do it quick. The world will not wait another 15 years for a Guns ‘N’ Roses album and the Rockblog can’t imagine any record companies spending the GDP of a medium sized country to get it recorded.