Ok, So Let's Say It's November 25th...

Picture it: November 25th. Thanksgiving time for us Americans. So, wherever you are in the world, you're waking up on November 25th, 2008. Is Chinese Democracy available? Is it on the shelves at your local Best Buy or online? Do you go crazy? Does the music world go crazy? Does anyone even care?

I've thought a lot about Chinese Democracy over the past couple of weeks. Rumored for release on November 25th exclusively through Best Buy, the album could shatter sales records for the year.

Or, it could tank.

On the surface, a lot of us still care about Guns n' Roses and the mythical Chinese Democracy. On a wider scale, most people only remember - or associate - Guns n' Roses with Appetite for Destruction. Very few people even know the band members these days. Hell, I don't. For my money, it's Axl Rose and some other guys. I still think Axl is a smart musician...but he's obviously very, very flawed.

Now that the global economy is in the toilet, simple luxuries are out. This includes dining out, going to concerts and movies and yes, buying music. While a lot of artists might suffer from reduced download and album sales, I think Chinese Democracy will still do well if it is actually released. I also predict that we'll all be seriously underwhelmed with the final song quality and lineup.

So, sound off. What do you think? Will Chinese Democracy break sales records? Will the normal consumer care? Will you stand on line at midnight to get your copy?

I can't wait for your opinions.

*No copyright assumed on photo above.

Update on 2008-10-09 15:16 by Allyson B. Crawford

Ok, apparently the album is NOW due out November 23.

From Blabbermouth:

According to Hits Daily Double, the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, GUNS N' ROSES' long-awaited new album, "Chinese Democracy" (Geffen/Interscope) finally has a release date. The CD will hit all Best Buy stores, where it is an exclusive, on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving, November 23, giving it a full seven days on sale before entering the chart on December 2. Best Buy's sales week runs from Sunday through Saturday night.

GUNS manager Andy Gould reportedly told 900 Best Buy employees at "vendor convention" held by Best Buy last month in Dallas that a new GN'R song called "If The World" will play under the closing credits of "Body of Lies", the new film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe due out on October 10. That news was confirmed online at film web sites whose representatives had attended a press screening of the flick. "If The World" will not appear on the film's soundtrack album.

"If The World" features the guitar work of Robin Finck and Buckethead, who have both since departed GUNS N' ROSES.

Another new GN'R song, called "Shackler's Revenge", appears on the Rock Band 2 video game.

"Chinese Democracy" has been more than 13 years in the making, with every original member of GUNS N' ROSES except for frontman Axl Rose long since gone from the lineup.