UK's Classic Rock recently tracked down Beta Lebeis, personal manager of Axl Rose, who confirmed to the magazine that Guns N' Roses "Chinese Democracy" album "was finished before Christmas."

 

She added: "Everybody knows that."

Lebeis said Axl is currently "in negotiations" with unspecified parties to arrange to album's on-sale date.

However, Classic Rock believes that "Chinese Democracy" may not be "released" in the traditional sense — at least not initially.

The magazine suspects that GN'R may follow the Radiohead route of pay-as-you-like downloads. But the publications stresses that this has not been confirmed.

Another source close to the GN'R camp also suggested that "Chinese Democracy" may gain a conventional release in late summer, with a view to it becoming "a big Christmas album."

 

Doubtful. Remember when Snakes on a Plane had this huge internet buzz around it? How could a move about Snakes on a Plane, be good? There was so much fervor and internet hype surrounding it, that when released it was a flop. Could this happen to Chinese Democracy? The album has been talked about for over 10 years now, cost more than eleventy billion dollars, and lead to the end of my first marriage.

 

But could Axl Rose save us from the American Idol musical wasteland? Could he be the rock savior that he was in the late 80's, early 90's? Doubtful. This record will be so terrible. Even if it is the next Sgt Pepper's, the hype, the waiting, the craziness, will ruin it. I think it would be better if Axl didn't release the album and just lived off the royalties from Appetite for Destruction. The money got him this far.

 

Oh, and he has to come back to Philadelphia and play a free show because he screwed us on the GnR world tour in 2002. Always remember this graphic when dealing with the album Chinese Democracy.