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[barber3121]

Ok, here goes...

My nephew is an employee at Best Buy.  He is currently in Dallas for a big vendor convention.  I was talking with him through AIM when I heard some pretty crazy news.  Here are the details...

- 900 Best Buy employees were invited to listen to some new Guns N' Roses tracks.
- My nephew met with an English man in his 50's - dark hair, slicked back, dark skinned guy - said he was one of the band's managers.
- The "manager guy" then presented 3 new tracks from the forthcoming "Chinese Democracy" album - which he said "should be" released around Thanksgiving.
- The album is also to be released as a "Best Buy exclusive" - deal was finished in the last 48 hours.
- He also said that the Best Buy employees were the first to hear these songs outside of the label.
- The three songs were not named by the manager.
- Their manager said that there are to be 15 tracks on the album.

Ok, now some more details.  Someone decided to record these songs on their PDA phone - and I've listened to them.  The songs are as follows (in order they were played)...

1. Chinese Democracy
2. If the World
3. There Was a Time

First of all, my nephew said that everyone loved the songs, even though they were played on a crappy convention hall sound system.  He's not a huge Guns fan like I am - as a matter of fact he's not even really into their old stuff - but he REALLY dug these new songs.  He said Axl's voice sounds like another guitar track!  The manager introduced "If the World" as a song to be played during the credits of a new Leo Dicaprio and Russell Crowe flick called "Body of Lies".  He introduced "There Was a Time" as Axl's favorite.  My nephew said this song was everyone else's favorite as well.

The songs sounded pretty much the same as the previous versions.  If the World sounded a bit different, like it has a voice synth in the middle of the song where Axl has a longer lyric bridge.  Some of the song's effects sounded different as well, but I can't tell if it's a result of the fact that they were recorded in a hall on a PDA.  Man, this is the most exciting news I have heard in a while - even though I don't usually get my hopes up too much.  Although I am a huge ol' school Guns fan, I just love the new stuff.  Who cares if it's only Axl, it sounds awesome.  Look at what the rest of GNR did.  As much as I love Slash and Duff, VR was a huge let-down for me.  I absolutely LOVE all of the the new GNR tracks I've heard so far, and I'm beyond excited to finally buy the 50 or so copies of Chinese Democracy I plan on buying!

[Bruno Poeys]

Ok, now some more details.  Someone decided to record these songs on their PDA phone - and I've listened to them.  The songs are as follows (in order they were played)...

what do you want? people asking you for the recordings?

The songs sounded pretty much the same as the previous versions.

Pretty much the same? Then it is not the final version. Ron said he recorded Chinese Democracy with his fretless guitar - and we know it sounds a lot different from the version we already have.

[barber3121]

"what do you want? people asking you for the recordings?"

Umm.... holy crap man.  Lay off.  No i don't, because quite frankly, I don't want my nephew to be invloved in anything stupid.

"Pretty much the same? Then it is not the final version. Ron said he recorded Chinese Democracy with his fretless guitar - and we know it sounds a lot different from the version we already have."

I know you probably are a huge Ron Thal fan and you post on his forum and all that stuff... but like I said, I can't really hear the differences all that well.  It was recorded on a PDA!  It had some new effects, but i think that's all i can tell.

Man you guys are ruthless!

[Julien]

You're right.

Also, re-recorded or not, it'll still sound like a guitar anyway.

[mcguiness14]

If The World sucks. That and Silkworms are the only leaks that i can't stand. Theres just nothing to it, it's like the music companies play when they put you on hold. I hope that's not the one they've picked.

Now, Song #2, thats a song for a soundtrack. Sounds like it's been written for a Bond film.

[Bruno Poeys]

Umm.... holy crap man.  Lay off.  No i don't, because quite frankly, I don't want my nephew to be invloved in anything stupid.

but everyone will pm ya soon.

but like I said, I can't really hear the differences all that well.  It was recorded on a PDA!  It had some new effects, but i think that's all i can tell.

New effects? Well, if there's a guitar following Axl's vocals then it is Ron, because Buckethead shreds in just a few moments and Ron plays the whole song with his fretless. Listen to the second part of the solo - if it's the same as the demo, then it is Buckethead.

Also, re-recorded or not, it'll still sound like a guitar anyway.

There's a huge difference between a fretless guitar and fretted guitar. Though, I don't know if he'll recognize in a not so good recording.

[RoseHudson]

Man you guys are ruthless!

you'll hagve to forgive us for that wev'e learned to take everything with a pinch of salt

If The World sucks. That and Silkworms are the only leaks that i can't stand. Theres just nothing to it, it's like the music companies play when they put you on hold. I hope that's not the one they've picked.

Now, Song #2, thats a song for a soundtrack. Sounds like it's been written for a Bond film.

well if the worlds one of my faves and none of us liked rhiad until we heard the demo version so maybe there's more to silkworms than meets the eye

[captaindammit]

i will lose hope in life if this thing doesn't come out in november

[barber3121]

"i will lose hope in life if this thing doesn't come out in november"

Well, I had my nephew ask the "manager guy" THREE times.  He said that Thanksgiving is the date (not sure if it's the Tuesday before or after tho, forgot to have him ask that).  But, he did not want to give a "for sure" as to the nature of the recording industry.  He said deals are being made with GNR in record time - like the one to make Best Buy the exclusive retail exclusive.

[max_powers]

I still don't see how TWAT is able to gain so much popular, Chinese Democracy and If the World are much better in my opinion, they're so much more soulful than TWAT. TWAT is a technical masterpiece, but lacks the feel of Guns n' Roses.

[RoseHudson]

- Their manager said that there are to be 15 tracks on the album.
1. Chinese Democracy
2. If the World
3. There Was a Time

http://chinese-democracy.blogspot.com/2008/01/chinese-democracy-track-list.html

thats scarily close to this rumored track list, 15 tracks 1. chinese democracy 2. if the world unfortunately 3 is said to  be irs which means at least on of these rumors is false

[Bruno Poeys]

- The album is also to be released as a "Best Buy exclusive" - deal was finished in the last 48 hours.

He said deals are being made with GNR in record time - like the one to make Best Buy the exclusive retail exclusive.

So? Is is done or not?

[Julien]

http://chinese-democracy.blogspot.com/2008/01/chinese-democracy-track-list.html

thats scarily close to this rumored track list, 15 tracks 1. chinese democracy 2. if the world unfortunately 3 is said to  be irs which means at least on of these rumors is false

Well they didn't necessarily play the cd in the right order.

[RoseHudson]

fair point dude, i guess not. lets hope both rumors are true cos i like the look of that tracklist

[perfect_spy]

His list didn't have Shacklers down. Thats on the album isn't it.

[RoseHudson]

i thought so but do you remeber last month when that guy claiming to be an inside source signed up and said they had been in talks and decided shacklers wouldnt be on the album (it's somewhere in the shackler's thread)

[*Estranged*]

If any of this is true we'll hear an official word very soon. But until then I won't get any hopes up. A lot of people have made up a lot if shit here over the past few months.
Sorry to be so pessimistic.

[barber3121]

http://chinese-democracy.blogspot.com/2008/01/chinese-democracy-track-list.html

thats scarily close to this rumored track list, 15 tracks 1. chinese democracy 2. if the world unfortunately 3 is said to  be irs which means at least on of these rumors is false

The three i listed were the tracks that were played at the convention... in that order.

[barber3121]

If any of this is true we'll hear an official word very soon. But until then I won't get any hopes up. A lot of people have made up a lot if shit here over the past few months.
Sorry to be so pessimistic.

I totally understand.  If you saw the conversation i had with him on AIM you'd crack up.  The first 20 responses were questions i was asking him to make sure he wasn't bullshitting.  I've been waiting for this album since Spaghetti was done... so I've seen every rumor and every other thing you could imagine.

It's actually kinda sad to see the amount of my life I have spent on Guns N Roses!

[barber3121]

Oh - he also played Shackler's on RB2 while he was there.  He said everyone that played it LOVED the song.  Just kinda hard to play the guitar tracks.