Guns N' Roses Uproar
Posted by Dana Suzanne on 02.19.2004
"Greatest Hits" CD Infuriates Axl Rose And Fans
On March 23, Geffen Records is set to release a Guns N' Roses "Greatest Hits" CD. However, the CD has been met with anger from both Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose and the GNR fans.
According to Billboard magazine, Guns N' Roses may pursue legal action to block the release of the upcoming CD.
The band, led by Axl Rose, did not give their consent for the "Greatest Hits" CD to move forward and is contemplating the possibility of suing the label to prevent the album from coming out.
Along with the band, a number of Guns N' Roses fans are protesting the decision by Universal Music to issue the CD without, what they say is, the approval of the band's lead singer Axl Rose, according to Australia's Undercover News.
The irate fans have started an online petition via the Guns N' Roses fan site Here Today… Gone To Hell!, claiming the album's projected track listing is simply not strong enough and that it contains no new material.
According to posts in the online forum discussing the release of the greatest hits package, fans also seem to be under the impression that Universal is responsible for holding up Axl's long-awaited new album, "Chinese Democracy," even though the label had the album publicly listed on their release schedule as far back as September 1999 and had to withdraw the release when Rose failed to deliver the master tapes.
The "Greatest Hits" CD is set to contain the following tracks:
01. Welcome To The Jungle
02. Live And Let Die
03. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
04. Sweet Child Of Mine
05. November Rain
06. Patience
07. Paradise City
08. Civil War
09. You Could Be Mine
10. Don't Cry (original)
11. Yesterdays
12. Ain't It Fun
13. Since I Don't Have You
14. Sympathy For The Devil
This is the third archival Guns N' Roses release since last fall, when Geffen issued DVDs of the home videos "Welcome to the Videos" and the two-volume "Use Your Illusion."
Guns N' Roses will return to the live stage May 30 at the Rock in Rio-Lisbon festival in Lisbon, Portugal. It will be the band's first live appearance since the group's ill-fated 2002 comeback tour, which was canceled with 13 dates remaining.
Source: "Guns N' Roses May Sue To Block 'Greatest Hits' Album" blabbermouth.net 18 February 2004 and "Guns N' Roses Fans Protest Release Of 'Greatest Hits' Collection" blabbermouth.net 17 February 2004
