Will GNR Fans Agree That 2 Albums Are Better Than 1?

Whether you call it a stroke of marketing wizardry or a risky career move, the record industry is abuzz over Guns N’ Roses’ decision to release two new albums simultaneously.

Titled “Use Your Illusion I” and “Use Your Illusion II,” the records could hit the stores by late June, each packed with 18 songs and retailing for $15.98 each (for CDs). The only song that will appear (in a slightly altered form) on both Geffen Records albums will be “Don’t Cry,” which Geffen will release as the band’s first single.

“As far as we know, this has never been done before, at least in the United States,” says Geffen president Ed Rosenblatt. “But we thought the band had so much terrific new material that this would be a great way to showcase it.

“We’ve had some people tell us they think it’s a brilliant idea. And we’ve some people look at us with their mouths open, saying ‘What, are you crazy?’ But rock ‘n’ roll is all about taking chances and if there were ever a band worth taking chances on, it’s Guns N’ Roses.”

Why didn’t the label just put out a double album? One reason: Many industry chains, for security reasons, keep CDs that cost more than $30 behind the counter, cutting into potential sales. “Guns N’ Roses obviously have a big youthful audience,” says Rosenblatt. “So our feeling was--why burden fans with a $30 purchase when they could buy at least one album at a regular price and save up and buy the other later.”

If nothing else, the unprecedented move gives Guns N’ Roses an opportunity to emulate Madonna’s shrewd marketing philosophy: Make each new album release into a Big Event.

“This definitely qualifies as a real attention grabber,” says Russ Solomon, head of the influential Tower Records chain. “Look at us--we haven’t even heard the records yet and we’re already talking about them. I think it’s brilliant--it’s one of the first good new ideas I’ve seen come along in a long time.”

Even with retail outlets expressing enthusiasm, Geffen still has several intriguing dilemmas. After “Don’t Cry” runs its course, should the label work a single--and a rock video--from each album or focus its efforts on one single and video at a time? How many of each albums should the label ship to record stores? And could having two CDs in the marketplace--selling at a combined retail price of $32--make it difficult for the label to land a No. 1 album, creating the perception that neither record was an all-out success?

“We’re definitely in uncharted waters,” responds Rosenblatt, who says both albums will have similar artwork, but with a different color scheme. “Ideally we’d like to go from one album to the next, putting out a single from one and then from the other, but we’re not locked into any specific plan. We’re going to see how the market responds.”

Rosenblatt says Geffen normally initially ships about 750,000 albums for a superstar rock release--and will ship “at least that much, maybe up to a million” of each new GNR album.

Not everyone thinks Geffen is in for smooth sailing. “You can bet your house this was the band’s decision, not the label’s,” says a top exec at a rival label. “This could turn into a marketing nightmare. Having two albums out there could play havoc with your production runs and create a lot of confusion in the mind of the consumer.”

The biggest question of all--does Guns N’ Roses really have 36 great new songs? Or just an overdose of artistic ego? “How many times have you read that Bruce Springsteen or whoever has been in the studio and recorded 40 new songs,” says one veteran manager. “But when he finally puts out a record, it has 12 songs on it. And for good reason--how many bands have enough good material to make two great albums? So you worry that Guns N’ Roses are starting to believe their own hype. You can almost hear them saying, ‘Hey, the songs are all great. Let’s put everything out!’ ”

Come June, the fans will vote--with their wallets. For now, most industry insiders give the unique Guns N’ Roses plan a thumbs up. “The anticipation that has built up for this band is so strong they could probably put out four records and it would work,” says Ken Barnes, editor of Radio & Records, a respected trade publication. “It’s certainly an original marketing idea. After all, this is a band whose whole career has operated on the principle of expecting the unexpected.”