Yeah, I know that it doesn't mean a lot to people. It was something personal that I wanted to share and I'm not here to claim I have songs or connections to GNR or know anything that anyone else doesn't.

Just wanted to share what I've heard and the little bit of info I've got with people that care and can discuss GNR on a somewhat equal level than me.

I'm pretty bored (and have been very vocal about it) lately with GN'R current state as a touring only band.

I got pretty pumped up hearing the pieces, to the point where I was shaking as it's humanly possible to shake...

I agree with the history repeating itself. Despite the songs and potential leaks, I got really amused by the tales of negotiations and the leaks being on Youtube.

I'll try to make this post as objective and cohesive as I possibly can, given that English is not my first language and I'm quite nervous at the moment. You won't see this story on other Gn'R forums for several reasons, a) being that this is the most badass GNR forum and this community has a high level of debate (even with a few exagerations here and there) and b) that I'm not looking for spotlight, just wanting to share what I've got with people that care about GN'R. You can take what I'm writing here with with a graint or ALL the salt in the world. It's up to you, really. I'm not an insider of any kind.

As I said earlier in the thread, I sent some email to people I know that worked for Universal a couple of years ago. I didn't have any replies till I got a phone call today, like 2 hours ago.

The person who called me is a very old friend of mine and he greeted me with: "Hey Otto, so you want to hear some new GN'R hun?".. As I thought he was just now getting to my email, I assumed he was joking, and I said: "yeah, and I want a Ferrari too.. How you doing, sucker?"...

The reply was: "Check this out..." and the volume of a stereo was raised... At first it was just instrumental but in a couple of seconds the voice was on and it was pretty clear it was Axl. I got to hear 4 songs, about 1 to 1 and half minute of each. I asked if I could talk about what I heard and was specifically told no lyrics, no specific descriptions made public so sorry if I can't give you much detail. I am allowed tho, to speak of the Chinese Democracy Volume 2 Tales I've heard. I'll try to report them as precise as I can (I'm still fuckin' shaking!).

The guy(s) who played me the songs have "more than a full album, perhaps 12 to 15 songs", that "appeared to be finished in 2008", in multiple discs that were sent to showcase a marketing campaign to release 2 more albums after CD.

They are not sure if the songs are from just one album or a few from each. There are multiple versions of a couple of songs.

There were videos floating around for Better and Street of Dreams prior to the release of the albums and even before the sales hit rock bottom, they were canned.

I asked about imminent leaks of about 10 songs and I was told that it's very likely and that people already tried to blackmail universal in 2009 with 16 songs stolen from a producer.

On NYE 2011, 10 new songs were posted on YouTube exactly at midnight by one of the guys who blackmailed Universal and that everyone at Uni was amazed that they were able to take them down before 2am and that it didn't pop everywhere. Hoarders have these low quality youtube rips.

Uni is willing to release a new album with some conditions: money from the touring in advance of the album release so they'd repay Axl with album sales and licensing. Full product delivered in one package, album and cover art to avoid CD clusterfuck.

"Honestly, the ball is in Axl court... his managers were pushing really hard to release the album and then bring back Slash".

The last he heard from GNR was that they wanted to release an album of half CD era stuff and half new stuff from the guys in the band and Axl was willing to add one more album to GN'R contract with Uni. Axl wanted funding to additional recordings. Uni told him to forget about it "not nicely".

MY OPINION ABOUT THE SONGS I HEARD: they rock... they all have this epic feeling in the same sense as Madagascar, Prostitute and TWAT - some may call over produced. I was able to hear lots of strings and multiple voice overs.

Seems Axl was at the Golden Globe after-party...
Self-irony? Good...