FUHU Inc., leading the market in connecting people and content across their favorite destinations, has reported over ten million views in the first week of their Guns N’ Roses Spinlets widgets and urFooz cards of Axl Rose and Bumblefoot on MySpace, positioning the company as the dominant music widgets provider, facilitating extension of music brands and personal information across the social networking space.

Guns N’ Roses on amazon.com

Chinese Democracyon amazon.co.uk

Spinlets are new information-rich music widgets that let users place favorite artists’ videos, links, pictures, MP3s, ring-tones, news and more on their own favorite sites (www.spinlets.com).

While urFooz are the newest in interactive portable profiles that, like a virtual baseball card , depict the user’s own avatar on one side and the user’s profile, favorite pictures, music, links and videos on the reverse (www.urfooz.com). urFooz gives users the ability to share information across their favorite social networks with a single virtual identity card.

Instant Hit

FUHU launched its Guns N’ Roses (GNR) “Chinese Democracy” Spinlets widgets featuring its Best Buy partnership and including the bands MP3s, photos, videos and more. The GNR Spinlets widgets have averaged over 1.4 million views per day and have been placed by users over 2,500 times on new websites. FUHU’s urFooz card of Axl Rose has racked up over 1,750,000 views in its first week on Guns N’ Roses MySpace.

“Widgets are transforming how music content is consumed, shared and distributed,” said FUHU CEO, Jim Mitchell. “We are excited to showcase our technology with this historic album release and we are proud to help use social networking to give fans access to more Guns N’ Roses content whenever they want it, wherever they want it. Our widgets come backed by powerful analytics which have allowed us to track their adoption to every corner of the world.”

FUHU is the leader in music widgets with a music catalog of more than 300 leading artists who have partnered with Spinlets and urFooz to exploit the value of extending their audiences to the social network widget landscape.

About FUHU

FUHU is a leading provider of Web 2.0 properties and applications that help to consolidate and organize a user’s “digital life” and make it universally accessible and shareable. The company’s portfolio of integrated products: Spinlets (www.spinlets.com ) and urFooz (www.urfooz.com ) can be distributed and accessed across multiple devices, including computers, mobile phones, and televisions. FUHU’s strong distribution network is free of ties to a single destination and promotes the top ecosystems on the web to embed FUHU’s products into their properties to acquire more customers and provide rich content discovery.

For more information about the company and details about their suite of products, please visit:

FUHU Official Website

I can’t believe it. Guns N’ Roses is finally releasing the long awaited ‘Chinese Democracy’ on November 23, 2008. MySpace is currently streaming the album in its entirety – which I’m listening to now. Axl sounds good…at times great and sometimes not so good…and the band is tight – with some excellent guitar solos. Even if you’re just mildly curious, it’s worth checking out. There’s certainly a mixed bag of music, and I’ve found myself listening to some of the songs more than once to get a better feel for them.

Guns N’ Roses on amazon.com

Chinese Democracyon amazon.co.uk

Opening track “Chinese Democracy” has a cool intro, and rocks out with cool vocals – Axl sounds great, using the lower register of his voice.

The vocals are questionable on “Better”.

There’s a mix of the old, familiar “Axl voice” from the days of ‘Appetite for Destruction’ and ‘Use Your Illusion’ throughout ‘Chinese Democracy’, and a more… theatrical … voice, like on piano based “Street of Dreams” and “This I Love” – which includes a great guitar solo, and dare I say – a harp? Are they the new “November Rain”? Wow – “If The World” grooves with a fat bass and a mix of funk, rock, contemporary jazz feel, an electric Santana/Slash-like guitar solo, an acoustic spanish-like acoustic guitar solo, and a soulful, high pitched vocal delivery by Axl. Hmmm. Different. I’m undecided on this one. There’s A LOT going on here. I *think* it could grow on me.

“Scraped” is a strong rock track. It has that old school Guns N’ Roses feel with catchy backing vocals. At times, “Sorry” is somewhat reminiscent of Pink Floyd, with its dark mood and lyrics. I like the laid back groove – with spanish style acoustic guitar subtly played throughout, and a beautiful electric guitar solo. Not sure about the vocal delivery during the first verse, but sounds much better as the song goes on. There’s even some whistling tucked back in the mix toward the end of the song, which brings back memories of “Patience”, however the song sounds nothing like it. This could be another grower. Actually the more I listen to it, the more I like it – and – according to information on Wikipedia, former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach, a longtime friend and supporter of Axl Rose, recorded backing vocals on “Sorry” at Electric Lady Studios, which is interesting, considering I’m a huge Jimi Hendrix fan (Electric Lady Studios was created by Hendrix).

I’m sure for those who sit down with this album and really take it all in, there will be a good mix of opinions regarding favorite and least favorite tracks. It certainly makes for good, maybe even heated, discussion, especially amongst old school Guns N’ Roses fans.

The entire album probably won’t be streaming on MySpace for long, so this is a great way to preview the album before you buy – if you decide to buy, that is.

It’s hard to believe that ‘Chinese Democracy’ is actually released. Whether it’s any good or not, could this have been the most anticipated album in the history of rock music? Has the fire burned out or has it been worth the wait?

Chinese Democracy Track Listing:

1. Chinese Democracy
2. Shackler’s Revenge
3. Better
4. Street Of Dreams
5. If The World
6. There Was A Time
7. Catcher N’ The Rye
8. Scraped
9. Riad N’ The Bedouins
10. Sorry
11. I.R.S.
12. Madagascar
13. This I Love
14. Prostitute

Guns N’ Roses MySpace

Guns N’ Roses Official Website

By: Jenny May

Guitar Center is pleased to announce the next installment of Guitar Center Sessions: An Evening of Dialogue and Insight with Slash.

Taking place Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at the Guitar Center in Northridge, CA, the evening is free and open to the public, and will include a book signing for 2008 Pop-Culture Book of the Year Reckless Road: Guns N’ Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction (Real Deal Media), the definitive visual history of the band’s early days in Hollywood. The evening will be powered by Gibson, Ernie Ball and Real Deal Media.

Slash is more than just a musician. He is an icon. From Guns n’ Roses to Velvet Revolver, Slash has changed the rock landscape with his rough and ready riffs and unforgettable, soulful leads, becoming one of the most recognizable guitarists in the world along the way. His catalog spans several decades and boasts some of rock’s greatest anthems.

Designed to provide informative, provocative conversation and hands-on tutorials, the GC Sessions serve as an incubator for musicians, providing them an opportunity to network with their peers in an intimate setting and gain career-fostering advice from their heroes.

Topics for this evening’s event with Slash include guitar techniques and his Gibson signature guitars, songwriting tips, touring and music business advice, and insider insight into the book Reckless Road.

Join us as one of rock n’ roll’s true legends shares his experiences and offers insights from his celebrated and distinguished career.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008 @ 6 pm
Guitar Center Northridge
19510 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA 91324
(818) 993-0286

Guitar Center

Guitar Center Sessions

Slash Official Website

The Guns N’ Roses ‘Greatest Hits’ album, will be re-released in the UK on June 2nd, 2008 especially for Father’s Day, as it’s most definitely the only album of choice for any serious rockfather.

With increased chatter of a 2008 release of ‘Chinese Democracy’ going through the rumour mill, the 14 track collection will contuinue to whet everyone’s appetite for the most anticipated album release in musical history. Dr. Pepper is promising the whole of America a can of their sweet and fizzy beverage, if the new album is released this year.

From first single and anthem of the late-Eighties LA underbelly, “Welcome To The Jungle”, through to the epic balladry of “November Rain” to the last single and cover of the Rolling Stones’ classic “Sympathy For The Devil”, this album features the band’s finest moments.

The full track listing is as follows:

Welcome To The Jungle
Sweet Child O’ Mine
Patience
Paradise City
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Civil War
You Could Be Mine
Don’t Cry (Original)
November Rain
Live And Let Die
Yesterdays
Ain’t It Fun
Since I Don’t Have You
Sympathy For The Devil

Tracks 1, 2, 4 taken from ‘Appetite For Destruction’
Track 3 from ‘G N’ R Lies’
Tracks 5, 8 – 10 from ‘Use Your Illusion I’
Tracks 6, 7, 11 from ‘Use Your Illusion II’
Tracks 12, 13 from ‘The Spaghetti Incident?’
Track 14 from ‘Interview With The Vampire OST’

Guns N’ Roses – Greatest Hits on amazon.co.uk

Guns N’ Roses on amazon.com

Top photo credit: Ross Halfin

Guns N’ Roses Official Website

As a fan of multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow, I can tell you that the new ‘Sheryl Crow Hits and Rarities’ double disc set is a welcome addition to my CD collection.

Opening track “All I Wanna Do” is a reminder of Sheryl’s first big hit, from her 1993 debut album ‘Tuesday Night Music Club’. She’s come a long way since then, releasing numerous hits and she continues to be one of the most active and hard working performers in music today.

The first CD is jam packed with 18 tracks that includes some of my Sheryl Crow favorites like “My Favorite Mistake” (The Globe Sessions), “The First Cut Is The Deepest” (The Very Best of Sheryl Crow), “Strong Enough” (Tuesday Night Music Club), “Run Baby Run” (Tuesday Night Music Club), Sheryl’s cover of the Guns N Roses hit “Sweet Child O’Mine” (C’mon C’mon) and the rare addition of her James Bond theme song “Tomorrow Never Dies”.

The bonus CD includes “The Difficult Kind” and “Riverwide” live from Budokan, a great acoustic version of her Aimee Mann-esque “Where Has All The Love Gone” (Wildflower), “Everyday is a Winding Road” acoustic version from AOL Live and “Keep On Growing”.

The one song missing that I would have liked included would have been “Home” from the ‘Sheryl Crow’ album, but it’s just a matter of reaching for my CD case for that one.

The bonus disc also features live tracks from the Japanese venue Budokan, non-album tracks, radio sessions including Sheryl performing an acoustic version of “Steve McQueen” on live radio Portugal and an excellent live performance of “Run Baby Run” with Eric Clapton & Orchestra.

Two thumbs up!

Sheryl Crow Hits and Rarities album on Play.com

Sheryl Crow Official Website

Related: Sheryl Crow Shine Over Babylon review + watch video clip

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

Since exploding onto the global stage in 1993 with the multi-platinum ‘Tuesday Night Music Club’ album, Sheryl Crow, the one-time music teacher and studio vocalist from Kennett, Missouri has forged a career to become the finest female singer/songwriter of her generation.

Read the ‘Sheryl Crow Hits and Rarities’ album review!

Working at a breakneck pace, the release of each new album led immediately to the road. The next two albums, 1996’s ‘Sheryl Crow’ and 1998’s ‘The Globe Sessions’ allowed her to further hone her musical talent while spawning classic hit songs (“If It Makes You Happy” and “My Favorite Mistake” to name a couple) and earning legions of new fans. She recorded her triumphant 1999 Central Park Concert for Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live from Central Park, which included duets with some of music’s true luminaries including Stevie Nicks, Eric Clapton and Chrissie Hynde.

The new millennium saw Sheryl’s resurgence with 2002’s ‘C’mon,C’mon’, which featured the summertime smash “Soak up the Sun.” In late 2003, Sheryl released her first greatest hits album, ‘The Very Best of Sheryl Crow’. The retrospective set included her cover of Cat Steven’s classic “The First Cut is the Deepest,” and propelled the album’s sales to over 5 million copies worldwide.

After an extensive international tour, Sheryl took a well-deserved rest, from which came 2005’s poignant ‘Wildflower’. In early 2006, Sheryl was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. The event changed her life, and her recovery has reinforced her zest for a full, joyful life.

Over the course of her career, Sheryl has collaborated with everyone from the Rolling Stones to Kid Rock to Willie Nelson. She has won countless awards (including 9 Grammy Awards) and she has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Sheryl Crow continues writing new music and through her strength and perseverance, she continues to be an inspiration to cancer survivors everywhere.

Now UMTV brings you ‘Sheryl Crow Hits & Rarities’ set for UK release on November 12th 2007. This new album will feature notable differences to last collection, none more so than “Tomorrow Never Dies” from the James Bond film, the Guns N Roses cover “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, and the duet with Sting “Always On Your Side”.

The release will be available with a CD LTD version which will feature a mixture of b-sides, rarities and live performances. Highlights of which include “Run Baby Run” with Eric Clapton & Orchestra. Outstanding!

Sheryl Crow Hits and Rarities tracklisting as follows:

CD1

1. All I Wanna Do
2. My Favorite Mistake
3. Soak Up The Sun
4. Always On Your Side Featuring Sting
5. The First Cut Is The Deepest
6. Everyday Is A Winding Road
7. Try Not To Remember
8. Leaving Las Vegas
9. Strong Enough
10. If It Makes You Happy
11. Run, Baby, Run
12. I Shall Believe
13. Light In Your Eyes
14. C’mon C’mon
15. A Change Would Do You Good
16. Wildflower
17. Sweet Child O’Mine
18. Tomorrow Never Dies

Bonus Disc

1. Run, Baby, Run (live w/Eric Clapton & orchestra)
2. Chances Are
3. You’re An Original – Live From Budakon
4. The Difficult Kind – Live From Budakon
5. Where Has All The Love Gone – Acoustic Version
6. Steve McQueen – Live Radio Portugal
7. Riverwide – Live For Wise Buddah
8. Everyday Is A Winding Road – AOL Live
9. Leaving Las Vegas – Live From Budakon
10. Safe And Sound – Live From Budakon
11. Keep On Growing

Sheryl Crow Hits & Rarities on play.com

Sheryl Crow Official Website

I’ve mentioned before on Band Weblogs that my first and one of my best concert experiences was at a Guns N’ Roses and Brian May concert back in the 90’s. It’s also no secret how I feel about Slash so naturally I’m going to have some interest in what Axl Rose gets up to in the music world.

I wouldn’t say that I’ve been sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to hear what the fuss is all about with the new Guns N’ Roses/Axl Chinese Democracy album that has been taking so long to release – but like I said, I do have some interest in it.

Surprisingly, Rolling Stone has links to each “leaked” track posted on the MetalSucks blog. So…are the leaked tracks actually market research being put on by the record company to find out public reaction to certain tracks pre-album release or were the tracks actually leaked?

Either way, for the curious who want to listen to the Guns N’ Roses Chinese Democracy tracks while they’re still up, you can find the links to the leaked mp3s here on MetalSucks.net.

By: Jenny May