Chinese Democracy or 23 Flavors

I found this at Music Unreality but made most of the major news outlets, etc. Dr. Pepper’s ad gurus have layed down a challenge of sorts to Axl Rose:

Tired of a world in which Americans idolise wannabe singers and musicals about high schoolers pass as rock ‘n roll music, Dr Pepper is encouraging (ok, begging) Axl Rose to finally release his 17-years-in-the-making belabored masterpiece, Chinese Democracy, in 2008.

In an unprecedented show of solidarity with Axl, everyone in America, except estranged GNR guitarists Slash and Buckethead, will receive a free can of Dr Pepper if the album ships some time – anytime! – in 2008.

Dr Pepper supports Axl, and fully understands that sometimes you have to make it through the jungle before you get it right.”

Rose’s response:

We are surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr Pepper with our album “Chinese Democracy,” as for us, this came totally out of the blue. If there is any involvement with this promotion by our record company or others, we are unaware of such at this time. And as some of Buckethead’s performances are on our album, I’ll share my Dr Pepper with him.

Axl Rose

This is all very humorous to me. Axl’s response was on the GNR website. The last time GNR released a real album of orignal material was 1991. Then a website was a place where a spider lived. Whatever meaing Chinese Democracy was supposed to have it certainly might not fit now. China was isolated country with a stagnate economy back when this whole thing started. With $14 million of recording fees and 17 years Guns ‘n’ Roses have managed to release 8 less albums than Tupac Shakur has in the last 10 years. Not very impressive considering Tupac has been dead the last decade. I am not counting on a free soda.