I used to be signed to a label years ago and I'd be real hard pressed to go through any of that crap again. They totally play on your ego and take advantage of you.
Try doing a search on Google and read some articles... you wouldn't believe what some artists go through and the crappy deals they get.
In most cases the artists don't make any money at all until about the third album. And all those groovy perks you think you're getting like release parties in your honour, limo rides, dinners for the record execs..etc.. are all coming out of your pocket.
Like you'll go to a restaurant and 15 people will order the most expensive things on the menu. Then the A&R guy says.. 'don't worry guys, I'll get the check'. Then you realize he's billed the check to your accountant.

Another thing the labels do is sign on a certain number of bands so that it makes the company look like they have a lot of artists on their roster.
What they're really doing is tying up bands so that other labels can't sign them. Meantime, they'll push a couple of bands on their roster and the rest are left with nothing. Like you'll make an album, and can't get any publicity from the label, they only manufacture a small amount and hold up delivery while they spend all their money on their top band.

These days, with the internet.. you're better off releasing your own material and doing your own publicity.
I'm selling a crapload of CD's and songs through places like CD Baby and iTunes... then you can also make side deals for licensing like this stuff:

http://s93744050.onlinehome.us/SchmangeOnline/Soundtrackst0964.htm

For a major advertising campaign you can get thousands just for one song.
I wrote one tune that took only 3 days to record and I had 30 grand in my pocket a week later from a cosmetics firm. Or doing music for sports videos or National Geographic stuff.
Like, no kidding... all you have to do is get a recording application like ProTools or whatever and a bunch of synths then just drag and drop stuff around and add a bit of guitar. I think I put together about 50 of em in less than a year and there's enough material for licensing that you can take a coupla years off or work on publicity.