This isn't the first mention of contracts that I've heard, and I'm hardly an insider.

As is often the case, the choice of words is interesting.  It may mean nothing; it may mean something. 

To quote Yoda (sort of) "A rumor misheard may have been" meaning that 16 isn't the year.  Most of us knew that with Slash's album coming and Axl supposedly in the studio with Pitman wrapping up his leftovers/remix/whatever it is album.  Once both these things happen, all possibilities are out there...

I've actually softened up on a lot of things over the last few years.  I still enjoy what I enjoy, but life's too short to get bothered by the details you can't control.

I actually downloaded a ton of his stuff.  Some I liked, some not as much.  I never questioned the guy's talent...even back then.  I always felt he was better on his own than trying to be structured by Axl or within Axl's vision.  I think he was wasted in GnR...not just because they did so little, but because of the way he was utilized.

I wasn't a huge fan of the 01-02 lineup...mostly because I was unwilling to accept anything as GnR without at least Slash, Axl, and Duff.  Heck, I was disappointed when Izzy left...not that there was anything wrong with Gilby, but it wasn't the same.  Drummers are - well - drummers. 

In retrospect though, I think this was the only shot at Axl reinventing himself (I still feel it should have been minus the name, but that's not the point of this thread).  While I am not a big BH fan, I respect the guy's talent.  I still have some of his solo stuff on my iPod and give it a listen from time to time.  Finck sucks at playing the classic stuff, but he brought something unique and in its own way good to the table.  If a song like TWAT was ready to go in 2001 I think it was rock enough to interest the old fans in what Axl was doing and different enough to make new fans. 

By keeping the name, he kept people's expectations of a certain thing and he didn't deliver on it.  Had he gone out as something different, I think it could have been a big deal.  I hate that my post circles back to this part of this (the name) because after all these years I am over it, but that doesn't change what I believe is the fact that had he gone with a different name he would have been given more of a chance by at least some of the people.  He had so many people against him that even the greatest album in the world would have been received the same way CD was.  He set himself up to fail, though I completely understand why he did what he did. 

By the time he did release the album, for the most part after that I think he did the best he could with the hand he was dealt outside of not getting himself into better singing shape.  When I saw them in Vegas, it was a damn good show.  I didn't care who was there and who wasn't there.  It sounded really good and I thought stayed true to what GnR was more in the old band era than in the 01-02 era.  I can see why fans of the 01-02 era were disappointed and I can see why some fans of the old band were more accepting.  I regret not seeing the 01-02 era live.  I had the chance to go, but I was too stubborn to buy a ticket.  In all the years of my GnR fandom, that's probably my biggest regret (at least in terms of things that were actually possible).  My second biggest regret is skipping out on a VR show when I had the chance to go figuring I'd just go to one later.

Axl may dump the rest of the CD material, but I think that band as a touring entity is done.  Maybe he'll throw something together for a few shows in LA or Vegas to celebrate clearing the vault, but I don't see a full-blown tour with the CD group or some form of it happening.

I believe the time is finally here that we will see Slash and Axl back on stage together.  It won't be this year and it may not be until late next year or even the following year, but that's what I think.  Or maybe it's what I hope.  At this point we're all really just guessing anyway.