Chinese Democracy Hearts Wal-Mart
So, if this being reported in Billboard, then it has to be true, right? First, we have the leaked professionally edited tracks. Then, we here that there will be a release with Rock Band. Now, we have "negotiations" with Wal-Mart and Best Buy.
Call me a skeptic, but didn't Wal-Mart just announce they want to reduce CD inventory and lower prices? Why does Axl need a distro deal? He can just drop it electronically, ala Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead.
Just be careful, Axl. If you make a deal with Wal Mart, you better deliver the goods. You don't want to fuck with the Evil Empire of Bentonville.
From Billboard:
The June leak of nine allegedly "mastered, finished" tracks from Guns N' Roses' long-delayed "Chinese Democracy" spurred a renewed round of chatter about whether the Axl Rose-led band will finally release the 14-years-in-the-making album.
But some concrete signs are finally emerging that the album's release could be imminent. That's because, according to sources, negotiations are underway for "Chinese Democracy" to come out as an exclusive at one of the big boxes -- either Wal-Mart or Best Buy.
Negotiations are also ongoing to have conventional record company distribution, another source says.
Guns N' Roses is now managed by Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, and Azoff is a well-known proponent of issuing albums exclusively through retailers. He released the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" through Wal-Mart, much to the chagrin of other merchants.
Tony
The deals with Walmart work like this: Walmart BUYS a boatload of your CDs up front. No returns. So, let's say Walmart buys 1,000,000 copies of the new GNR. There is NO way GNR will sell 1,000,000 copies these days if they do it traditionally. This way... GNR wins by selling 1,000,000 copies... and the record can totally blow, as it probably will anyway. And Walmart (kind of) wins because you can only buy it at Walmart and they can sell it for whatever they want to sell it at. Of course, they will end up paying much less per CD than they'll be selling it for. After 6 months, when they've only sold 137 copies, because there will be at least 137 idiots out there that will buy it, then Walmart can sell it off to some liquidator that will pay like .05 a CD and put it in dollar stores. Rock n Roll kids!
posted Aug 15th, 23:09