Thirsting for a return to the guitar rock rhythms and powerful vocals of Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, the US soft drink Dr Pepper has begged him to release his oft-delayed new album this year.
If he does, the '80-'90s rock icon and everyone else in America - except two of his estranged guitarists - will receive a free can of the soda, the company said.
"Tired of a world in which Americans idolize wannabe singers and musicals about high schoolers pass as rock 'n roll music, Dr Pepper is encouraging (ok, begging) Axl Rose to finally release his 17-year-in-the-making belabored masterpiece, Chinese Democracy, in 2008," it said in a release late last month.
PHOTO: AP
"In an unprecedented show of solidarity with Axl, everyone in America, except estranged Guns N' Roses guitarists Slash and Buckethead, will receive a free can of Dr Pepper if the album ships some time - anytime! - in 2008."
Rose responded to the appeal by posting a message on the band's official Web site, but did not make any promises as to when the album might come out.
"We are surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr Pepper with our album Chinese Democracy, as for us, this came totally out of the blue," Rose wrote
If the album is released this year, Rose promised to share some of his Dr Pepper with Buckethead because he appears on the album.
The band's last album of original material was released in 1994. Rose remains the only original member of the group.
Other former Guns N' Roses members, including Slash, have joined with ex-Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland to form the band Velvet Revolver.(AFP)
渴望「槍與玫瑰」主唱艾索．羅斯重現搖滾節奏吉他和爆發力嗓音魅力的美國汽水商Dr Pepper，已懇請他在今年推出延宕多時的新專輯。
該汽水廠商表示，如果艾索點頭同意的話，這位八、九０年代的搖滾偶像和全美民眾（除了兩位和他分道揚鑣的吉他手外）都可以得到一罐免費的汽水。
該汽水廠商上個月底在一份聲明稿中表示：「我們對美國民眾崇拜妄想成為歌手者，以及把高中生的音樂劇當成搖滾樂的情況感到厭倦；Dr Pepper鼓勵（好啦，懇求）艾索．羅斯在二ＯＯ八年推出他反覆籌備了十七年的最新代表作《民主中國》。」
「為了展現我們對艾索史無前例的支持，若這張新專輯能在二ＯＯ八年任何時候發行的話，除了已脫團的吉他手史萊許和桶頭怪傑之外，全美人人都可以得到一罐免費的汽水。」
羅斯已在樂團的官方網站上對此呼籲作出回應，但是他並未對專輯發行的時程作出任何承諾。
羅斯寫道：「Dr Pepper對《民主中國》專輯的支持，讓我們感到既驚又喜，這完全出乎我們意料之外。」
如果專輯真的能在今年推出，羅斯保證他會跟桶頭怪傑分享他那罐汽水，因為他也有參與這張專輯的演出。
該團上一張原創專輯發行於一九九四年；目前原始團員僅剩羅斯一人。
包括史萊許在內的其他前「槍與玫瑰」成員，已和前「石廟嚮導合唱團」主唱史考特．威爾藍合組「絲絨左輪」樂團。（法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）
A: Apart from the musical Sunset Boulevard, Japanese pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki is also touring Taiwan after a 17-year wait. She’s holding two concerts starting tonight. B: Ayu has the most No. 1 hits of any Japanese solo artist, with 33 total. A: “Time” magazine even crowned her as “The Empress of Pop.” B: She staged shows in Taipei back in 2007 and 2008, causing an “Ayu fever” across Taiwan. A: Unfortunately, the singer has been deaf in her left ear since 2008, and is gradually losing hearing in her right ear. I’m so excited to see her singing in Taipei again. A: 除了音樂劇《日落大道》，日本歌后濱崎步睽違17年，今晚起在台北熱唱兩場。
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