Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Can we post all the links/articles in one thread?

http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2008/11/first_listen_guns_nroses.html (http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2008/11/first_listen_guns_nroses.html)

Not sure if this was posted already, but Spin Magazine has a review:


http://www.spin.com/reviews/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy-geffen

Thanks dude.

That was surprisingly positive.  I thought Spin was going to rip it.  3.5 out of 5 stars is above average.  Plus, no snide remarks about the old band or anything like that.  That was fair.

Ali

Didn't really follow the review--Bush leaving=good time for Chinese Democracy???

http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=967299 (http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=967299)

Quite positive.  :peace:

talent as diverse as Brian May, Trent Reznor and Moby aborting the project in fear

In Brazil the reviews have been massively negative. The main Brazilian newspaper: Folha de Sao Paulo, and the 2 main magazines: Veja and Epoca have bashed the album like hell...

http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=967299 (http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=967299)

Quite positive.  :peace:

 :)

Crank up the volume and twist off your Night Train - this massive new album contains some of the year's best rock 'n' roll.

Not sure if this was posted already, but Spin Magazine has a review:


http://www.spin.com/reviews/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy-geffen

A preview of the 2/5 review in the next issue of Uncut, one of the more respectable magazines in the UK.

http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/guns_n_roses/news/12462

It's interesting that they say some songs are louder than others, with IRS sounding like it belongs on a different album to Sorry. With all this talk of perfectionism, that would be a fairly spectacular oversight in the mastering!

http://www.nme.com/magazine

Looks like its a panning from NME 4/10 november pain.   Probably the most respected mag in the UK

Probably the most respected mag in the UK

I think not.

NME is the magazine that deiced to run with a story about a tribute band not performing the new songs.... They made a news headline out of it!

Seriously!



/jarmo

NME is the magazine that deiced to run with a story about a tribute band not performing the new songs.... They made a news headline out of it!

Seriously!



/jarmo

Sorry slows things down on the album with what Sebastian Bach described as a ?grinding doom metal? riff. I think he might be deaf.

Excellent review -

http://www.addictivethoughts.com/?p=109

While you may agree or disagree on the quality of the songs, he does some up the thoughts of a lot of the community towards the end.

lol i love this part from the review...

Excellent review -

http://www.addictivethoughts.com/?p=109

While you may agree or disagree on the quality of the songs, he does some up the thoughts of a lot of the community towards the end.

http://onethirtybpm.com/2008/11/18/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy (http://onethirtybpm.com/2008/11/18/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy)

I'm only going to say this guys...

Just put your preconceptions that you've built up from the leaks in the trash, get a pair of nice headphones, and prepare to be blown away.

This is a production tour de force the likes of which you haven't heard in a long long time. It sounds THAT good.

http://onethirtybpm.com/2008/11/18/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy (http://onethirtybpm.com/2008/11/18/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy)

Trent Reznor was on board at one point?  ???

Excellent review -

http://www.addictivethoughts.com/?p=109

While you may agree or disagree on the quality of the songs, he does some up the thoughts of a lot of the community towards the end.

So why is this the one we finally hear? What finally made him decide, "You know, I've weighed all my options and all their potential consequences, and I'm going with the Mexican vampire accent.

 :rofl: :rofl:

Cracked me up.  This part is going to stand out like a sore thumb when I first hear this song.

 :rofl: :rofl:

Cracked me up.  This part is going to stand out like a sore thumb when I first hear this song.

I seen that, it reads more like it was written by a member of the boards.

I pretty much agree with most of it, it is very well written. I wonder who wrote it? Obviously a fan who has followed the changes over the years.


Good article, suspicions aside.

That's the only line i didn't like from the song Sorry.

Axl always does funky little voice stuff...like "baaaing" at the end of Down on the Farm.

Entertainment Weekly's review really pisses me the fuck off.  They gave it a B-!  That is a widely read, influential magazine and a B- is NOT a good review.  We should all go to this site: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20241280,00.html    and type in our own reviews. 

Entertainment Weekly's review really pisses me the fuck off.  They gave it a B-!  That is a widely read, influential magazine and a B- is NOT a good review.  We should all go to this site: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20241280,00.html    and type in our own reviews. 

It's not that influential.  They gave Nickelback's latest a C+ and that won't stop it from selling millions of copies.

It's actually not the bad review you are making it out to be.  My problem with the review is the same as it usually is for their reviews:  no specifics. 

EW has never been a great music magazine, anyway.  It's more of a movie and TV focused magazine.  I've been a subscriber for many years, so I am familiar with it.  Rollingstone is the more influential US music magazine.

Ali

Relaaaaaaaaaaaaaaax..... This one line from the EW review alone will get most casual rock fans excited about this album:

"The blistering ''Shackler's Revenge'' rides a sinister riff to headbanging heaven, while the piano-heavy ''Catcher in the Rye'' showcases GN'R at their '70s-aping stadium best.''

People need to realize that there's a contingent of casual rock fans out there who have come to believe that NOTHING good or redeeming will come from this album. You tell them that there are at least 2 great tracks on there and their interest will be piqued. The grade was a little low... but the review was NOT that bad.

I agree, but did you see its the number one viewed article on their site? The review reads like it was written in 5 minutes. It's a piece of trash, but it does mention some good points. At least RS knows what they are talking about...

Best read of a CD review so far..

"Sometimes it seems like Axl believes every single Guns N' Roses song needs to employ every single thing that Guns N' Roses has the capacity to do?there needs to be a soft part, a hard part, a falsetto stretch, some piano plinking, some R&B bullshit, a little Judas Priest, subhuman sound effects, a few Robert Plant yowls, dolphin squeaks, wind, overt sentimentality, and a caustic modernization of the blues."  :rofl:

http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/chuck_klosterman_reviews

Hell, 2 great songs is 1 more than is on a LOT of albums, now.  2 great songs (well, SINGLES) usually mean the album is considered a standout hit.

[

Completely agreed. Standards have completely changed since GN'R was last at this 17 years ago. 1-2 great songs these days and you've got a Darkside of the Moon for the 2000's. :hihi:

The good news is that Chinese Democracy has at least 6 truly epic tracks IMHO ("Better", "Catcher In The Rye", "Sorry", "Madagascar", "This I Love", "Prostitute")- and the rest of it is rock solid too. It's a true "throw back" album in that sense.

Finally hearing 'Chinese Democracy' for the first time, under heavy guard at GN'R's UK record company, is a surreal experience. How can it ever live up to the legend, or justify its ludicrous gestation period?

Needless to say, it can't, but it is a remarkable and often exhilarating album. Across the 71 minutes, there are only the vaguest hints of the Nine Inch Nails-style industrial sound, with which Rose was reputedly toying. Instead, the music is densely layered, obviously using the computer programme ProTools. A vast armoury of instrumentation - strings, brass, programmed drums, synthesizers, samples, lots of piano (Rose's instrument), as well as traditional rock guitar/bass/drums - is crammed in there, often on the same track. The most immediately satisfying ones are punchier, punky numbers like 'Scraped', or the hi-tech, poppy confection, 'If The World'. 'There Was A Time', on the other hand, feels like a Bond theme, full of melodrama, but it doesn't half go on.

Generally, the songs are epic, long-winded, cleverly stitched together, and subject to constant mood swings - much like Axl himself. Rose sings in many voices - sneering, raging, crowing, opening his battered heart.

Yet his presence, beyond question, is phenomenal, unrivalled in contemporary rock.

On that strength alone, 'Chinese Democracy' deserves to sell a good few million, if not the 28 million accrued by GN'R's debut. For that, it would need a 'Sweet Child O' Mine' or a 'Paradise City' - a box which remains unticked. Worse, Rose writes like a man who hasn't glimpsed reality for many moons. His songs are no longer about universal experiences like going out on the lash, or simply falling for a babe. Most, such as the mewling 'This I Love', are transparently and vindictively addressed to Stephanie Seymour. One can only hope that the album's completion, coupled with a fresh blast of stadium adulation, will finally help him get over her.



This was the 'review-part' of the article from telegraph.co.uk

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/11/20/bmgnr120.xml (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/11/20/bmgnr120.xml)

What a fucking dick. 3 quarters of that article was just bashing for no reason, then a few paragraphs at the bottom saying, "oh by the way, the albums great"

Fucking twat.

From the Los Angeles Times:

'Chinese Democracy' is here. Finally. Not joking. Axl Rose's belabored creation is certainly weird, and it might be wonderful.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/sfl-1120-guns-n-roses,0,2001927.story

Sounds pretty positive.  That's great considering it is the band's hometown newspaper.

Ali

New York Times review.  Not so hot, but I can only hope their readers pick up on the irony of blasting the band for the album's unnecessary extravagance while reeling off melodramatic phrases like, "...that besieged antihero alone against the world, when he?s sharing his bunker with a cast of thousands." 


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/arts/music/23pare.html?hp

No sweat... It's Jon Pareles!!! He and Axl have had a running feud going on for years now!! That's practically a 5 star review from Pareles considering how much he hates Axl.:hihi: :peace:

Exactly.  People outside these forums may say otherwise and bash us for mentioning it, but John Pareles is hardly an objective party without any predisposition towards disliking Axl and GN'R.  Wasn't it at the 2002 MSG gig that Axl mentioned him by name from the stage?  I'm sorry, but the guy has an agenda, just like Mick Wall.

Ali

Not everyone will get the album. What he calls pretentious and overblown, I call something completely different. I'd rather have someone try for something great and maybe fail a little than try for something absolutely small and succeed. He's banking on the album failing commercially and I hope he's wrong.

http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/63018/chinese-democracy-totally-worth-it

Let's cut through the bullshit right off the top: Chinese Democracy is the second-best album to have the Guns N' Roses moniker on it.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2008/11/album-review-gu.html

Great review, embarrassing comments though.

I just want to post a link from my employer regarding the review of  Chinese Democracy: www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aSdwlDcL0zyY&refer=muse.

The New York Times review is the worst review thus far. I'm also betting on Erlewine trashing the album over at the AMG.

USA Today (3 out of 4 stars):

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2008-11-20-guns-roses-democracy_N.htm

Ali

Chinese sags when Rose indulges melodramatic tendencies in the cheeseball Street of Dreams and overwrought There Was a Time. Bloat results elsewhere as Rose's studio rat-packing brings a brass band, choirs, hip-hop rhythms, movie dialogue and snippets of Martin Luther King Jr. into the mix. And his tech fixation buries GNR's former menacing grit and swagger under ProTools and digital editors.

But I really wonder if authors like that guy even have a slight recognition of the irony in calling Axl or his music pretentious when they write articles that try so hard to be clever, witty and brilliant with their pot shots (and fall way short of the mark)

The New York Times review is worthless and should be avoided at all costs.

Jon Pareles reviewing anything Guns N' Roses carries about as much credibility as a Sean Hannity biography of Barack Obama.

Complete garbage. : ok:

That's Stephen Thomas Erlewine in a nutshell. Even his name is pretentious.

Bingo. Cleary the newspaper has an agenda. and for anyone that forgets (or wasn't born yet), here's a little refresher....

(Rolling Stone Interview)

When you were in New York recently, you took offense at a review Jon Pareles wrote in the 'New York Times' and invited him to come onstage to talk about it. (Pareles, reviewing a December G n' R show at Madison Square Garden, described the audience as "oddly restrained." Pareles was invited to come to the following night's show and "tell the crowd why they weren't having a good time.")

I was actually just going to sit down and talk. I wasn't going to make him look like an ass.

Still, he would've been walking into a minefield. No matter what he said, they'd boo him and cheer you.

He didn't have the balls to stand behind what he wrote, and he got exposed.

A lot of people would say that in inviting him to talk about that on your turf, you were the one who didn't have the balls. Why didn't you call him and talk about it personally on neutral territory?

I'm not gonna make the New York Times any more money. It was an obnoxious piece. It was shit journalism. He could've written: "I didn't like the show, personally. I think they suck." Okay, fine. Cool. You can think we suck, and I can think you're an asshole. But don't just try to make it look like nobody enjoyed it.

Couldn't he have been just calling it like he saw it?

Then that's a person with some severe fucking personal problems, and he has no business being there writing about our show. It's a different crowd at a G n' R show now than it used to be. He didn't understand it. Most people that have been into G n' R for years don't understand it, but they can feel it. Having a nice time is weird for people that don't have nice times in their lives. When you don't really know what a nice time is, a nice time is for pussies.

http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/63018/chinese-democracy-totally-worth-it

Greetings to all;
Like u guys I have been a GNR fan since I was in my mom's womb.

I always enter here and read the board before getting to work, but I never have time to write.
But NOW I HAVE TIME, and I am mad!!! If you go to the Perez Hilton webpage he is talking sh@#%t Chinese Democracy saying that it's getting only bad reviews.  We need to send him emails about all the good reviews it's getting, cuz the only one he shows is the one in the NYTIMES

Please, lets not harass people/boards who may have different opinions, it's embarrassing.

USA Today (3 out of 4 stars):

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2008-11-20-guns-roses-democracy_N.htm

Ali

I've already changed my mind on This I Love. The music is simpler than I imagined but compliments the beautiful lyrics and Axl's soft voice just perfectly.

"This I Love" is vintage Guns N' Roses. That's one of the primary tracks that destroys the argument that this is NOT a Guns N' Roses album IMHO (with help from "Catcher In The Rye", "Street of Dreams" and "Prostitute"). Those tracks are the thread that reaches back to the Illusions disks. Axl pulled it off. This is not only a great album... it's a great "Guns N' Roses" album in every sense.

I think casual listeners will enjoy tracks like Chinese Democracy, Street of Dreams and This I Love.

I can't stop calling it The Blues.. always have to correct myself and delete it!
[/quote

I am still having a hard time getting into This I Love.  I am listening to it right now, and it is just hard for me to appreciate.  I guess I have to give it time.


Timbo

Please, lets not harass people/boards who may have different opinions, it's embarrassing.

Skip:  "There Was A Time"

....

Are you KIDDING ME?!?!?!

How fucking LAME is this review?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/nov/09/guns-roses-axl-chinese-democracy
Imagine if 'Chinese Democracy' had never come to pass. Axl Rose would have retained an air of Machiavellian mystery and we would've remained complicit fall guys for the best joke played on the music industry. Now that this half-cocked hard rock anachronism is here, the only laughs are unintentional. Axl: you blew it.

... and that's it.

Disagree. Different opinions are fine. We should stick up for Axl and the band though against those that have some sort of vested interest in seeing him fail and use their influence to the best of their abilities to make it happen.

There is no need to defend anybodies honor, this ain't the Karate Kid afterall...

Please, lets not harass people/boards who may have different opinions, it's embarrassing.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chinese-democracy-review-no-holds-barred-183692 (http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chinese-democracy-review-no-holds-barred-183692)

The first really negative review I have read and very hard to read.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chinese-democracy-review-no-holds-barred-183692 (http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chinese-democracy-review-no-holds-barred-183692)

The first really negative review I have read and very hard to read.

http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2008/11/21/554975.html

Norwegian tabloid Dagbladet talks shit and gives it a 3/6

Good to see that almost all comments from the readers at the bottom of the page are attacking the writer for doing a shitty review. After all, the people buying the record is the most important thing, and it seems like 99% are loving it.

Db are a bunch of wankers. Always has been. They had their mind set about this album in 2002. They just had to fill in the blanks and publish it.

Yeah, to paint a little picture of how serious they really are, they actually published a review of each of the leaks a while back with the headline "We've heard Chinese Democracy". Talk about misleading the public.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chinese-democracy-review-no-holds-barred-183692 (http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chinese-democracy-review-no-holds-barred-183692)

The first really negative review I have read and very hard to read.

http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2008/11/21/554975.html

Norwegian tabloid Dagbladet talks shit and gives it a 3/6

I couldn't get thru even half of it.  Every sentence is negative, EVERY SENTENCE! Hardly objective. I think they had a bias before they heard it.

that review is just too fucking funny even to read ... amazing how people that try to be cool because of not liking it turn themselves to clowns in a single review ... not even worth 2,5 minutes of anyone's life ...

v. ..

Looks like The Guardian has released a proper review, its an average review. 3 out of 5.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/nov/21/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy

I have to agree about the selection of songs sounding like a compilation album, its one of the first things I noticed.
 The sound levels seem to fluctuate occasionaly throughout the record, sometimes within a song. Its like they literally plucked 14 songs from the vault and just put them on the record, not taking time to master them as all whole. To my ear all the songs obviously have been mastered individually, at different times, perhaps by different people using different programs. I thought the final album mastering session would have disguised all that.

http://www.side2.no/musikk/anmeldelser/article2413929.ece (http://www.side2.no/musikk/anmeldelser/article2413929.ece)

In Norwegian... 5/6  :beer:

"A beautiful hard-rock album. There's way too few of them"

Not sure if it's been posted yet, but the reviewer in The Sun newspaper in the UK gave the album 2.5 / 5

This is it here:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/sftw/article1954367.ece


Funny, last week they were praising it  ???

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chinese-democracy-review-no-holds-barred-183692 (http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chinese-democracy-review-no-holds-barred-183692)

The first really negative review I have read and very hard to read.

well the authors of these reviews must love generic radio rock...Everything they hate about this record is the exact reason why i love it...well you cant please everyone...

Pretty cool to get a slot on BBC2. Shows how big a deal this album really is!! It's coming up shortly. I'll keep ya posted on what they think!!

It'll start @ 11 btw!  :peace:

don't tell me this not after eddie izzard just started on c4 :(

afraid i am not that privileged until I get my own place, law school is costing me ?11,000 plus maintenance and travel

I'm really looking forward to the Q's review.

Well that was unexpected!!  :o

Thought they were gonna slate it!!!

Oddly she seemed to disagree with her own opinions presented in the original article when discussing it afterwards.

Care to share?  8)

You think this review will find it's way to the web?

Btw, that has just boosted album sales in the UK. No doubt!

My review for the entire album?  OK, well, here goes...

I would give it a 7.5 out of 10 overall.  7.5/10 on my scale is not bad, considering I rarely rate any discs 10/10.  Appetite for Destruction would be an example of a 10/10 for reference.  I gave Contraband a 6/10. 

Reasons for the score from me are:

1) Axl's voice has lost a lot of range and power.  Let's face it, he's older now.  It's a shame, but his best days are behind him.  Some songs, his vocals sound great (Streets of Dreams, Sorry, Madagascar), then others are a real let down and could be helped greatly by vintage Axl (If the World, TWAT, IRS).

2) Musicianship from the band on this album is top notch.  They picked Axl up, when the vocals weren't stellar and the lyrics were a little cliche. 

3) Lyrically, the disc leaves you wanting something a little more.  Some songs feel unresolved.

4) I just have a problem with the whole Chinese concept to this album.  It works for the first song, but why dedicate the entire album to this cause?  I would have preferred a more enveloping theme after all this time.

5) The album clearly reflects years of work and the craftsmanship/effort is definitely evident on EVERY song.

So, some good points, some not so good... I give it a 7.5 out of 10.  It's not going to take the music world by storm, but it's a nice stocking stuffer for Guns fans old and new. 

Video should be uploaded soon. Source - anythinggoes78 @ cd.com

now theres a suprise,
the album might not be available in china....

they could always get it off itunes though right?

Thanks for the link, nice to see people "getting" Axl  : ok:

its not a huge surprise the world in which we live is not a perfect one
The album will not be heard by the masses under this communist leadership unfortunately cause it'd be great for the to see their regime openly criticized in the public domain
I'm sure gnr fans wil get cd in ebay etc though

they could always get it off itunes though right?

capitalistic dictatorship, my friend.
communism has NOTHING to do with the modern china.

capitalistic dictatorship, my friend.
communism has NOTHING to do with the modern china.

well China is a two-sistem country... whereas its economics (meaning the special coast zones) are rulled under a capitalist douctrine (free market, exportations, investment...) the main part of China, especially its North and Center, are still rulled under the communist regime with the Party deciding on every matter of the chinese life.

I tlooks like 'ordinary' music listeners like CD more than the critics. For example, take a look at this thread on a Prince message board:

http://prince.org/msg/8/289455

Wall Street Journal had a good article about it too...hard to imagine this is still going on in parts of the world...you have to subscribe to see the article on the site so here it is....

SHANGHAI -- The heavy metal band Guns N' Roses is roiling China's
music scene. But sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll aren't the issue.
The trouble is the name of the group's latest album: "Chinese Democracy."

Axl Rose
It has taken
17 years for the band to produce a new studio record. Now, even before
it goes on sale Sunday, in a release heralded by its producers as a
"historic moment in rock ' n' roll," the disc is getting the thumbs
down from Chinese authorities. It's also causing anxiety among GN'R's
legion of loyal fans here, who aren't sure they like what lead singer
W. Axl Rose is trying to say about their country.
China's government-owned music-importing monopoly has signaled that
local record distributors shouldn't bother ordering the GN'R
production. Anything with "democracy" in the name is "not going to
work," said an official at the China National Publications Import &
Export (Group) Corp., part of the Ministry of Culture.
For fans, the response is more complicated. GN'R developed a major
following in China in the late 1980s, when the young Mr. Rose was
recording early hit songs like "Welcome to the Jungle." China was in
the throes of its own rebellious era, and heavy metal was its protest
music. GN'R's popularity soared in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen
Square crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators. Learning the band's
1991 ballad "Don't Cry" was a rite of passage for a generation of
Chinese guitarists.
Chinese Democracy
Listen to a clip of the title track from GN'R's new album and, below, read some of the lyrics.
?
If they were missionaries
Real-time visionaries
Sitting in a Chinese stew
To view my disinfatuation
I know that I'm a classic case
Watch my disenchanted face
Blame it on the Falun Gong
They've seen the end and it can't hold on now.
?
When your great wall rocks blame yourself
While their arms reach up for your help
And you're out of time
"It was not only the music, the band's clothes also
pushed the craze," says 30-year-old Chen Lei , one of Beijing's
best-regarded rock guitarists, who cites GN'R as a primary influence.
GN'R nostalgia remains strong. A program on state-run China Central
Television last year ranked "Qiang Hua" (literally, "Guns Flowers"), as
the group is known in Chinese, at No. 8 on a list of top rock bands of
all time.
Chinese fans eager for news on the Web about the new album sidestep
censors by using coded language. Many deliberately scramble the name,
typing "Chinese Democraxy" or "Chi Dem." They say they fear that typing
the Chinese characters for the title will draw government scrutiny.
Still, it's not much challenge to find news about the record on the
Web, where even the site www.chinesedemocracy.com is a discussion of
GN'R, not politics.
Some fans in China relish how the album discomfits the
establishment. "Rock 'n' roll, as a weapon, is an invisible bomb," says
one.
Leo Huang, a 25-year-old guitarist, just hopes it will retrace
GN'R's roots. "I prefer rock 'n' roll," said the skinny 25-year-old
guitarist after a recent gig with his band, the Wildcats, at a
hard-rock bar below a Shanghai highway.
Yet, for some fans in this nation of 2.6 billion ears, the new
album's title is an irritation. Democracy is a touchy subject in this
country. Elections are limited to votes for selected village-level
officials, and senior leaders are all chosen in secret within the
Communist Party. Many Chinese wish for greater say in their government.
But others -- including some rockers -- think too much democracy too
quickly could lead to chaos, and they resent foreign efforts to push
the issue.
Mr. Chen, the guitarist, says the "Chinese Democracy" album title
suggests "they don't understand China well" and are "just trying to
stir up publicity."
Some Chinese artists, loath to be branded as democracy campaigners,
declined valuable offers to help illustrate the album. "I listened to
their music when I was little," says Beijing visual artist Chen Zhuo .
He was "very glad" when GN'R asked to buy rights to use his picture of
Tiananmen Square rendered as an amusement park -- with Mao Zedong's
head near a roller coaster. Then, Mr. Chen looked at lyrics of the
album's title song and, after consulting with his lawyer and partner,
declined the band's $18,000 offer. "We have to take political risks
into account as artists in China," says the 30-year-old.
The new album's title track, already released as a single, begins
with eerie, high-pitched noises that sound vaguely like chattering in
Chinese. In the song's three verses, Mr. Rose sings of "missionaries,"
"visionaries" and "sitting in a Chinese stew."
The overall message is unclear, but his most provocative lines
aren't. "Blame it on the Falun Gong. They've seen the end and you can't
hold on now," Mr. Rose sings. It is a reference to the spiritual
movement that Beijing has outlawed as an "illegal cult" and vowed to
crush.
Mr. Rose, 46, who is the only remaining original member of GN'R, is
rarely interviewed and declined to comment for this article. He picked
the new album's name more than a decade ago. In a 1999 television
appearance, he discussed the thinking behind it.
"Well, there's a lot of Chinese democracy movements, and it's
something that there's a lot of talk about, and it's something that
will be nice to see. It could also just be like an ironic statement. I
don't know, I just like the sound of it," Mr. Rose said.
Mr. Rose in recent years has visited Chinese cities including
Beijing, Shanghai and Xian, and he worries he won't be let back in,
says his assistant, Beta Lebeis. "Everything is so controlled," she
says.
Chinese authorities in recent years have started letting
once-controversial artists perform in the country, but they remain
uncomfortable with hard rock. The Rolling Stones played their first
China concerts in 2006, but only after bowing to government demands to
drop certain songs, including "Brown Sugar," that were considered
controversial.
Fresh barriers went up after a Shanghai concert in March by the
singer Bjork, who punctuated her song "Declare Independence" with
shouts of "Tibet!" Officials thought it sounded like agitation against
Beijing's rule of the restive Himalayan region. In new rules issued
later, they threatened to hold promoters responsible for performers who
violated its laws, "including situations that harm the sovereignty of
the country."
One casualty: GN'R promoters in China dropped plans for two shows this year, says Ms. Lebeis.
The Ministry of Culture forbids imports of music that violate any of
10 criteria, including music that publicizes "evil sects" or damages
social morality. In reality, many songs make it into China anyway,
pirated and via the Internet.
It's unclear how much exposure the new record will get. "I have to
say, 'Chinese Democracy' sounds sensitive," says a Beijing radio
station's programming chief who doubts it will get much air play.
The title alone makes it "impossible" to imagine the album will be
released in China, says Nicreve Lee , a student in northeastern China
who runs a Web site called GN'R Online (www.gnronline.cn).
He says his first reaction listening to the title track was, "This is
an anti-China song." But, he says, "I gradually began to understand
what the song wants to say. Perhaps Axl Rose doesn't know China well,
but at least he is on the right track."

this is dictatorship.
communism : a theory advocating elimination of private property b: a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed.
Nothing about "a party ruling your everyday life".

Do not use Stalin as a reference, he betrayed us.

Don't know if I should put it here, but there is whole article about Axl with some vintage and up-to-date pics in Polish weekly mag called "Przekr?j" entitled: "Thorny Rose" subtile: "Axl Rose - the last real rock star is coming back". The most interesting is the last short paragraph saying about Dr. Pepper joke on G N'R and now giving away the free soda: "They underrated Axl. Or maybe we all didn't appreciate him? Maybe general Rose played with us a strategic game for life? He waited Kurt Coabain and hip-hop to pass, gave us time to get borred with Thom York and neo-rock youngsters without a face, he let us to understand, that eventhough rock idols used to annoy us, but we can't live without them. And he kindly came back".  8)

If you haven't lived under COMUNIST REGIME, you won't understand WHAT IT MEANS, so don't hide behind intelectual definitions  :rant:

Ines put it right : ok: (BTW Ines hope your studies are going well - long time since we last time talked  :-[)

Also read that Wall Streat Journal article carefully to get the right insight into Chinese matters, dude!

Going back to Poland under comunist regime there is funny reference in that BBC review to which anythinggoes II gave above link to: at about 7:27 min. - you'll understand how much G N'R music and any other rock music meant to us back in that time  ;D


Oh, really? And what about Roosevelt and Churchill betraying us in Yalta'45?  ::)

One casualty: GN'R promoters in China dropped plans for two shows this year, says Ms. Lebeis.

I tlooks like 'ordinary' music listeners like CD more than the critics. For example, take a look at this thread on a Prince message board:

http://prince.org/msg/8/289455

God damn, did anyone think W. Axl Rose was actually going to pull this off?

Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles just put up their first of two reviews.  Here it is and I am afraid it is not good:

Yup, it's finally here ... do we care? The jury is still out. Do YOU the reader/listener care? Time will tell and the time is now! Here is the first of two (?) BraveWords.com reviews of GUNS N? ROSES' Chinese Democracy that FINALLY officially streets tomorrow (Sunday, November 23rd). Check out David Perri's take below:


Even just typing out that infamous record title for the purpose of this review is surreal. I mean, did anyone really think that Chinese Democracy would ever surface, let alone in 2008? It takes only one listen to this 14 year, $13 million purported tour-de-force to realize that W. Axl Rose, whether in a fit of delusion of grandeur or as a result of being seemingly a lonely recluse, has tried to create the greatest rock record of all time. He?s quite clearly not succeeded, but Chinese Democracy reeks of bombastic ambition anyway (and sometimes overbearingly so, as is the case in the opening moments of ?Madagascar?, ?There Was A Time? and ?Sorry?): it?s clear Rose aims high. But the main fault here, aside from the inexcusable sin of Slash and Duff not being involved, is that Chinese Democracy sounds dated, which is not surprising given that it's been in production since the Clinton administration?s first term. As well, when Chinese Democracy began its life-span, Rose?s obsession was then-superstar Nine Inch Nails and, though I?m a big fan of NIN, referencing Trent Reznor?s technological work in your own is always an immediate death sentence, as trendy technology has trouble standing the test of time. Chinese Democracy is at its best when Rose and his motley crew of hired guns (Tommy Stinson, you deserve so much better) do what Guns was once known for, namely rocking out with reckless abandon. As such, the top moments on Chinese Democracy are ?Riad N? The Bedouins? and ?Shackler?s Revenge? (despite that lame intro), with the title track/first single also showing potential, but no hook. Chinese Democracy?s undisputed highlight, however, is the brilliant ?Better?, a song that is amongst the best of the GN?R canon and should have acted as the archetype for the rest of Chinese Democracy. Elsewhere, Rose references everyone from the aforementioned Nine Inch Nails to Queen (and how), Pink Floyd, reggae, hip-hop and film soundtracks; ergo, Chinese Democracy feels like the inconsistent decade-old effort that it is, a record that is alternately confused, way too AM radio earnest (?Street Of Dreams?, ?Catcher In The Rye?) and morbidly fascinating, like that terrible highway wreck you just can?t take your eyes off of. After ten-plus years of not giving a shit about Axl Rose I have become curious enough to actually listen to Chinese Democracy, but that?s where it ends for Axl and his warped opus: the second Chinese Democracy is released, it loses all relevance, mystique and influence. The very fact that Chinese Democracy never surfaced is what made it so notorious and coveted, and now that it?s actually here it no longer possesses its vast cache of significance. In order to keep the cult of Chinese Democracy alive Rose should have never released this, and should have instead continued to offer only vague clues about the record via Sebastian Bach in the upcoming years. God damn, did anyone think W. Axl Rose was actually going to pull this off?

5/10

Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles just put up their first of two reviews.  Here it is and I am afraid it is not good:

Yup, it's finally here ... do we care? The jury is still out. Do YOU the reader/listener care? Time will tell and the time is now! Here is the first of two (?) BraveWords.com reviews of GUNS N? ROSES' Chinese Democracy that FINALLY officially streets tomorrow (Sunday, November 23rd). Check out David Perri's take below:


Even just typing out that infamous record title for the purpose of this review is surreal. I mean, did anyone really think that Chinese Democracy would ever surface, let alone in 2008? It takes only one listen to this 14 year, $13 million purported tour-de-force to realize that W. Axl Rose, whether in a fit of delusion of grandeur or as a result of being seemingly a lonely recluse, has tried to create the greatest rock record of all time. He?s quite clearly not succeeded, but Chinese Democracy reeks of bombastic ambition anyway (and sometimes overbearingly so, as is the case in the opening moments of ?Madagascar?, ?There Was A Time? and ?Sorry?): it?s clear Rose aims high. But the main fault here, aside from the inexcusable sin of Slash and Duff not being involved, is that Chinese Democracy sounds dated, which is not surprising given that it's been in production since the Clinton administration?s first term. As well, when Chinese Democracy began its life-span, Rose?s obsession was then-superstar Nine Inch Nails and, though I?m a big fan of NIN, referencing Trent Reznor?s technological work in your own is always an immediate death sentence, as trendy technology has trouble standing the test of time. Chinese Democracy is at its best when Rose and his motley crew of hired guns (Tommy Stinson, you deserve so much better) do what Guns was once known for, namely rocking out with reckless abandon. As such, the top moments on Chinese Democracy are ?Riad N? The Bedouins? and ?Shackler?s Revenge? (despite that lame intro), with the title track/first single also showing potential, but no hook. Chinese Democracy?s undisputed highlight, however, is the brilliant ?Better?, a song that is amongst the best of the GN?R canon and should have acted as the archetype for the rest of Chinese Democracy. Elsewhere, Rose references everyone from the aforementioned Nine Inch Nails to Queen (and how), Pink Floyd, reggae, hip-hop and film soundtracks; ergo, Chinese Democracy feels like the inconsistent decade-old effort that it is, a record that is alternately confused, way too AM radio earnest (?Street Of Dreams?, ?Catcher In The Rye?) and morbidly fascinating, like that terrible highway wreck you just can?t take your eyes off of. After ten-plus years of not giving a shit about Axl Rose I have become curious enough to actually listen to Chinese Democracy, but that?s where it ends for Axl and his warped opus: the second Chinese Democracy is released, it loses all relevance, mystique and influence. The very fact that Chinese Democracy never surfaced is what made it so notorious and coveted, and now that it?s actually here it no longer possesses its vast cache of significance. In order to keep the cult of Chinese Democracy alive Rose should have never released this, and should have instead continued to offer only vague clues about the record via Sebastian Bach in the upcoming years. God damn, did anyone think W. Axl Rose was actually going to pull this off?

5/10

This review seems oddly angry and vitriolic.  It's rife with anger and even disdain towards Axl.  It's quite clear that when you open with a reference to the "inexcusable sing" of Slash and Duff not being on the record, you have an already established negative mindset towards the project.  It's hard, if not impossible to shake a pre-existing mindset, especially when it's filled with such anger.

Ali

The new Guns album has allowed us to review the reviewers and see who is fair and professional and who is not. It is interesting to read.

Philadelphia Inquirer

3.5 Stars (out of 4)

i included the link. it's not that interesting of a review. he says Axl lowered expectations over the years. the key quote is that he calls the album "shockingly good."
 
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/entertainment/20081123_Axl_Rose_delivers__after_17_years.html

Journalist are wanna be's who never got to be so they are bitter.

kind of like the shit athlete in high school who sucked so he always criticizes pro athletes etc.


FUCK the critics

I think it is not professional to review an album this way.

One should listen to an album a few times, and treat it individually, irrespective of what has come before.

The new Guns album has allowed us to review the reviewers and see who is fair and professional and who is not. It is interesting to read.

Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles just put up their first of two reviews.  Here it is and I am afraid it is not good:

Yup, it's finally here ... do we care? The jury is still out. Do YOU the reader/listener care? Time will tell and the time is now! Here is the first of two (?) BraveWords.com reviews of GUNS N? ROSES' Chinese Democracy that FINALLY officially streets tomorrow (Sunday, November 23rd). Check out David Perri's take below:


Even just typing out that infamous record title for the purpose of this review is surreal. I mean, did anyone really think that Chinese Democracy would ever surface, let alone in 2008? It takes only one listen to this 14 year, $13 million purported tour-de-force to realize that W. Axl Rose, whether in a fit of delusion of grandeur or as a result of being seemingly a lonely recluse, has tried to create the greatest rock record of all time. He?s quite clearly not succeeded, but Chinese Democracy reeks of bombastic ambition anyway (and sometimes overbearingly so, as is the case in the opening moments of ?Madagascar?, ?There Was A Time? and ?Sorry?): it?s clear Rose aims high. But the main fault here, aside from the inexcusable sin of Slash and Duff not being involved, is that Chinese Democracy sounds dated, which is not surprising given that it's been in production since the Clinton administration?s first term. As well, when Chinese Democracy began its life-span, Rose?s obsession was then-superstar Nine Inch Nails and, though I?m a big fan of NIN, referencing Trent Reznor?s technological work in your own is always an immediate death sentence, as trendy technology has trouble standing the test of time. Chinese Democracy is at its best when Rose and his motley crew of hired guns (Tommy Stinson, you deserve so much better) do what Guns was once known for, namely rocking out with reckless abandon. As such, the top moments on Chinese Democracy are ?Riad N? The Bedouins? and ?Shackler?s Revenge? (despite that lame intro), with the title track/first single also showing potential, but no hook. Chinese Democracy?s undisputed highlight, however, is the brilliant ?Better?, a song that is amongst the best of the GN?R canon and should have acted as the archetype for the rest of Chinese Democracy. Elsewhere, Rose references everyone from the aforementioned Nine Inch Nails to Queen (and how), Pink Floyd, reggae, hip-hop and film soundtracks; ergo, Chinese Democracy feels like the inconsistent decade-old effort that it is, a record that is alternately confused, way too AM radio earnest (?Street Of Dreams?, ?Catcher In The Rye?) and morbidly fascinating, like that terrible highway wreck you just can?t take your eyes off of. After ten-plus years of not giving a shit about Axl Rose I have become curious enough to actually listen to Chinese Democracy, but that?s where it ends for Axl and his warped opus: the second Chinese Democracy is released, it loses all relevance, mystique and influence. The very fact that Chinese Democracy never surfaced is what made it so notorious and coveted, and now that it?s actually here it no longer possesses its vast cache of significance. In order to keep the cult of Chinese Democracy alive Rose should have never released this, and should have instead continued to offer only vague clues about the record via Sebastian Bach in the upcoming years. God damn, did anyone think W. Axl Rose was actually going to pull this off?

5/10

when reviews mention the time,

If someone doesn't like the album--fine, we don't have to agree with them. But when they spend most of the article saying how Axl is a jerk, he needs Slash/Duff, etc. it's just really lame.

I think it is not professional to review an album this way.

One should listen to an album a few times, and treat it individually, irrespective of what has come before.

The new Guns album has allowed us to review the reviewers and see who is fair and professional and who is not. It is interesting to read.

FUCK the critics

okay, but then dont lionize the ones who think it's a masterpiece...

whats unprofessional about the review? didnt a lot of the early reviews only get to listen to it once?

it seems when people give it a great review the opinion on this board is something like "finally, someone who knows what he's doing when he reviews a record" whereas when someone gives a poor review they're idiots who shouldnt be allowed in front of a keyboard....some people just wont like it, though i cant personally understand how some of the songs arent universal.

"Riad N' the Bedouins": On this urgent, heavy power-beat rocker that could have been called "Osama and the Suicide Skyjackers," Axl says he won't live in fear in a terror-filled world. Good song, but its 9/11 references are as subtle as a sledgehammer.

"IRS": Another standout, this one flips between mellow introspection and a raging metal storm. It's a relationship song. Axl in love is scary.

4 excellent Dave de Sylvia STAFF (179 Reviews) 2008-11-23

Summary: Chinese Democracy is comfortably the most consistent product the band has put out since Appetite For Destruction.

The words ?Chinese Democracy? conjure up all kinds of images, from Tiananmen Square to rioting monks in Tibet, but surely the most enduring image- for music fans anyway- is of be-braided rock n? roll recluse Axl Rose slaving over a hot mixing desk in his pimp hat and trackies (OK, maybe some of those details are specific to me). 14 years since what was left of the band assembled to write the follow-up to 1991?s Use Your Illusion I & II, and a good decade since recordings began in earnest, the big fear was that Axl might have overcooked the eggs- his penchant for big, big arrangements is legendary, after all, and the band line-up has swelled to a generous nine members at times (it currently sits at a lean seven). Yet reality has never been quite so simple, and those in the know have long painted an entirely different picture: Rose as the perpetual procrastinator, for whom the delay had come about not as a result of overwork, but because he would abandon the project for months on end when things didn?t go precisely to plan. Which brings us to the recorded product itself: something doesn?t sit quite well with Chinese Democracy, and it?s definitely not because it?s too perfect.

Chinese Democracy kicks off with its title track and lead single- which, true to form, Rose released to radio without a single edit, leaving intact the minute-plus of ambient sounds and Chinese people chattering that bookends the track. Easily datable to the early (read: industrial) period of the album?s genesis, due to its deliciously serrated guitar riff and viciously distorted vocals, ?Chinese Democracy? is a co-write between Rose and one-time band member Josh Freese. (To put a timeline on this album, drummer Freese and engineer Billy Howerdell met while recording Chinese Democracy. They formed a band, released three platinum records, toured the world twice, sold eight million records and broke up- FOUR YEARS AGO.) Unusually for Axl, or at least for this album, the title track seems to be aimed solely at the Chinese government and its tendency to be overwhelmingly filled with ruthless tyrannical bastards and isn?t, as we?ll see elsewhere, a lofty metaphor for the persecution he?s suffered at the hands of x, y and z.

?Madagascar,? on the other hand, is a lofty metaphor for Rose?s persecution at the hands of x, y and z (those tyrannical bastards!). Another track that?s been in the public domain for a good seven years, since being premiered at Rock In Rio III in 2001, ?Madagascar? is an uncompromising statement of defiance against those that seek to quell Rose?s spirit by painting him as a helpless exile, cut off from the world at large (and Africa). The track begins: ?I won?t be told anymore that I?ve been brought down in this storm / And left so far out from the shore that I can?t find my way back anymore.? It kicks off on a sullen note, with mournful, regal-sounding programmed horns gradually giving way to chilling string sweeps and Axl?s world-weary vocals. Rose sounds almost unrecognisable for the first minute-and-a-half, sounding more like a latter-day Chris Cornell, before unleashing his higher register for the chaotic wordless chorus. The arrangement is dynamic, building with each passing verse, setting a pattern for the album that holds for just about every ballad-type song on the album, though ?Madagascar? stands out for its extended middle section that features numerous film quotes interspersed through key passages from Martin Luther King, Jr.?s ?I Have A Dream? speech. It?s delivered with all the subtlety of a nail bomb, but by God it works.

The two other survivors from those early shows (back when ?soon? was the word!) are ?Street Of Dreams? and ?Riad N? The Bedouins.? ?Street Of Dreams,? introduced all those years ago as ?The Blues,? is probably the token piano ballad of the album but, knowing Axl, it?s never quite so simple. Beginning with a simple piano motif reminiscent of Motley Crue?s epic ?Home Sweet Home,? ?Street Of Dreams? is buoyed by Rose?s singularly most impressive vocal performance and Tommy Stinson?s understated, plunking bassline . The false ending is sublime, and completely unexpected, and really adds to the replay value of the song, while there are echoes of the old band in the way Robin Finck and Buckethead seamlessly trade guitar solos. While Buckethead might grab all of the headlines, the now sadly-departed Finck emerges as the album?s marquee act: his trademark ultra-wide bends on the outro of ?There Was A Time? prove more than a match for Slash?s fire-siren finish on ?November Rain,? while he shows himself a tasteful heavy blues wailer in the Gary Moore mould on the otherwise tepid ballad ?This I Love.?

Cracks do appear, however, every now and then. As a lyricist, Rose has always teetered precariously between rarely insightful and what on earth is he talking about?, and Chinese Democracy has probably more of the latter than the former. Clearly, Axl is still hung up on the broken-down relationships of his past. Slash gets a light roasting on ?Sorry,? a fiercely melodic co-write with Buckethead that marries the best of Big B?s Colma-era material with grandiose, prog-metal guitars, culminating in a show-stopping blues guitar solo reminiscent of Dave Gilmour. That said, it?s hard to see Slash being too shaken by the awkwardly-written chorus chant: ?I?m sorry for you, not sorry for me / You don?t know who in the hell to or not to believe.? Far more incisive is ?I.R.S.,? which appears to be a light-hearted send-up of his former bandmates? predilection for lawsuits (they?ve sued Axl and his management more than once in recent years), while ?There Was A Time? is a deliciously pointed attack at a bed-hopping former girlfriend, ?the one who can?t recall if she was sleeping in another woman?s bed, or the doctor?s or the lawyer?s or the stranger that she?d met?.

?Shackler?s Revenge? made its debut on Rock Band 2 early this year, and it?s easy to see why it was chosen, with its spine-shaking, rotating drill guitar riff and the best of the tippy-tappy guitar stuff recent recruit Ron ?Bumblefoot? Thal has to offer. ?Scraped,? on the other hand, bears a remarkable resemblance to the last official GN?R release, ?Oh My God,? except instead of the searing industrial tones we?re left with gaudy layered vocals and sub-Extreme funk metal. ?This I Love,? which traces its origins all the way back to the Use Your Illusion sessions, is a gothic piano ballad that could conceivably have been ?the song? from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, while ?Riad N? The Bedouins? calls to mind the original line-up?s Led Zeppelin fetish, reminiscent as it is of the classic ?Immigrant Song.? ?If The World? and ?Prostitute? bear the hallmark of producer Sean Beaven, balancing understated trip-hop beats alongside more conventional classic rock instrumentation; ?If The World? in particular recalls the Axl of the ?80s at his ?mm-ma-mm-ma-mm-ma? ba-stammering best.


Still, it?s hard to avoid the impression that, for all its million years in conception, Chinese Democracy is a rush release, and a worse product as a result. There are at least three audible blips during the course of the album- during ?There Is A Time,? ?Scraped? and ?Riad N? The Bedouins?- that clearly aren?t intentional; in the case of ?There Was A Time,? it saws off the entire end of a line and throws the rest off-time. It?s like when CD-writers were just new on the home PC market, and every second song ripped from a CD would be infected with some sort of blip or imperfection (to this day, I can?t listen to Thin Lizzy without anticipating those involuntary skips)- these imperfections are clearly not intentional, so why are they there? Similarly, the accompanying booklet looks like it was cobbled together during a drunken afternoon sesh: there are dozens (as in more than one dozen) of misprints and copy errors in the lyrics section, and some of the images used are of a bizarrely low resolution. This hardly pertains to the quality of the music, but it?s confirmation that, for all the time and effort that?s gone into Chinese Democracy, the release was always doomed to be a last-minute near-catastrophe.

It?s a shame, it really is, that Chinese Democracy is such a shoddily-packaged product. With ?Scraped? and ?This I Love? the only obvious duds, Chinese Democracy is comfortably the most consistent record the band have put out since Appetite For Destruction, and proof the ginger midget can put out genuinely great rock music without the blonde giant and the black guy.

braveworld and blabbermouth completly ignore.  Unless it has people screaming death metal crap they hate it. 

Also I do not consider GnR metal but just a great rock band

braveworld and blabbermouth completly ignore.  Unless it has people screaming death metal crap they hate it. 

Reviews have generally been negative

The NME is full of shit, I'm afraid.  They seem to think that everyone shares their opinion and that isn't the case.  Maybe they are only looking at the reviews from the UK, which seem to be more negative than the US?  Who knows?  Well, not the NME apparently.

Ali

I really think Universal dropped a bollock with those listening sessions for the early reviews. There is far too much going on in the album to judge it on one or two listens. I mean I thought the album was great from my first couple of listens but it is only now that I'm up to my 7th or 8th listen that I'm really starting to appreciate and love it. It is an incredible album and, like all great pieces of art, requires a little more work than a cursory glance.

I agree, first I wasn't overly impressed but now....  :drool:

http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/mhtv/?movieID=844&key=1

http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/14497/tempidx/4/menuid/2

Really good review there

http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/mhtv/?movieID=844&key=1

'DEMOCRACY' IN ACTION
By DAN AQUILANTE/NY Post

November 23, 2008 --

"Riad N' the Bedouins": On this urgent, heavy power-beat rocker that could have been called "Osama and the Suicide Skyjackers," Axl says he won't live in fear in a terror-filled world. Good song, but its 9/11 references are as subtle as a sledgehammer.

David Wild
Posted November 25, 2008 | 02:10 PM (EST)

Axl Right, World Wrong: "Democracy" Prevails



Once upon a time in late 1999, Axl Rose played me many of the songs on Chinese Democracy.

First he invited me with my family to his house for Halloween. That's a story for another day.

A few weeks later, we met in the middle of night in a studio that I believe was then owned by the Captain & Tennille. Having first met Axl just as his career was taking off, he generously invited me and took a few hours from recording to play me some of the music that he'd already been working on for years. Then he gave me an extremely rare interview about his already mysterious work in progress for Rolling Stone. I loved what I heard. Sometime that morning, I remember asking Axl if having just missed the 20th century, he would definitely commit to releasing the album during the 21st century. I think Axl -- arguably the last real rock star -- might've even cracked a slight smile, but then again that might be wishful remembering.

I'll never forget that night because I got home at 4:45 am, crawled into bed with my wife, and then looked at the clock as I fell asleep around 4:58 am. At exactly 5:01 am, my older son Andrew, who was then just two, crawled into our bed and woke me up for the day. Fortunately, the buzz from the music was more than enough to keep me going on three minutes sleep. Andrew is now 11 and thinks Guns N' Roses is really cool, like his brother, his mother and father.

Last night I finally heard Chinese Democracy in all its glory.

Why did it take so long? Maybe Axl wanted to wait until he outlived the music industry. Maybe he was waiting for Obama to come around and remind us about American Democracy. Or maybe it just took exactly as long as it took. In any case, I love it. It's the perfect soundtrack to our not-so-Great Depression, and the sort of inspiring resurrection that's always welcome for all those of us for whom rock & roll is still a religion.

Axl, it's always great to hear from you, and thanks for the gift. I downloaded your album on iTunes, but so far it's the Best Buy of my holiday season.

Come around more often, you hear?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wild/axl-right-world-wrong-dem_b_146397.html

Anyone read the Kerrang review? Its in the new issue: http://www2.kerrang.com/newissue/ (http://www2.kerrang.com/newissue/)

2/5? I don't think I wanna read it. We're all doomed. DOOMED, I TELL THEE.

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but Q magazine also gave it 2/5.

The UK press are being fairly harsh on CD. I apologise on their behalf. I hope Classic Rock will give it something resembling a positive review...

A five star review from the British Press!  8)

http://www.thelondonpaper.com/cs/Satellite/london/music/article/1157156729362?packedargs=suffix%3DSubSectionArticle

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but Q magazine also gave it 2/5.

The UK press are being fairly harsh on CD. I apologise on their behalf. I hope Classic Rock will give it something resembling a positive review...

I think this could settle the whole debate about whether or not good reviews mean better sales figures.  Most of the world has been giving largely positive reviews, and they all appear to have large sales figures.  But in this shithole of a country, there have been more bad reviews than good, and lo and behold, The Killers are outselling them by over 40,000 copies.  It's annoying me, tremendously.

http://music.ign.com/articles/933/933276p1.html

James Rolfe, a.k.a. The Angry Video Game Nerd has posted a review on his site:

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=572

James Rolfe, a.k.a. The Angry Video Game Nerd has posted a review on his site:

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=572

A positive review from The Epoch Times
http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy-axl-rose-7706.html (http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy-axl-rose-7706.html)

I liked what he said about Better.


The headline page (SoCal edition)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/3064355483_7522da0239.jpg)

The highly regarded Pitchfork gives 5.8 out of 10. Well written, worth a read.

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/node/147782 (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/node/147782)

The highly regarded Pitchfork gives 5.8 out of 10. Well written, worth a read.

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/node/147782 (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/node/147782)

Not even.  Once Mr. Ian Cohen brought up former members, I knew this review would go nowhere.

He didn't really review the album.  He found ways to slam the album for not having the former members on it, and he had grand expectations.  How he could mention Chuck Klosterman's April Fool's review and the Hindenberg in the same paragraph is beyond me.

Moving on...

LOL@ former members. As if these were just some guys that came and went and didn't play any role in GNR selling 90 million albums. Maybe when the newer guys become more well known and carve out their own identity then reviewers will place them on a Slash/Duff level. Ask the general public what they they think when they see a picture of the new band and all you will get is that Fortus looks like Izzy. It was a fair review.

It was not a fair review. A fair review is one that is not biased and a fair review is a review where they actually listened to the album.

The highly regarded Pitchfork gives 5.8 out of 10. Well written, worth a read.

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/node/147782 (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/node/147782)

Howard Stern to do a review of Chinese Democracy in next 30 mins - cannot tape (on my way to work).  Can anyone record this??? Howard 100 Sirius Radio

LOL@ former members. As if these were just some guys that came and went and didn't play any role in GNR selling 90 million albums. Maybe when the newer guys become more well known and carve out their own identity then reviewers will place them on a Slash/Duff level. Ask the general public what they they think when they see a picture of the new band and all you will get is that Fortus looks like Izzy. It was a fair review.

The Epoch Times are the Falun Gong's newspaper. They have a reason to be biased in favor of the album, as it defends them and makes the Chinese government looks bad.  : ok:

If a single song on an album that is otherwise personal and not political can inspire him to give it more than a cursory listen and offer his own feelings about the songs, then kudos to him.  : ok:


For those who have the strange desire to read reviews slanted to the negative, here's one from the LA Weekly:
http://www.laweekly.com/2008-11-27/music/amuse-your-delusion/ (http://www.laweekly.com/2008-11-27/music/amuse-your-delusion/)

"a lost cause taken to delirious extremes, a fascinating catastrophe inspiring equal parts awe and pity."

It wasn't much of a review.  They played "Chinese Democracy" which they all said was good.  Artie said it was better than anything Velvet Revolver ever did and that it was better than anything out there today.  They played "Shackler's Revenge" for about 30 seconds, not much discussion about it.  They played "Better" for about 10 seconds and Robin said it wasn't good.  They played "Catcher In The Rye" for about 30 seconds and Howard said he liked it.  Then they played "Prostitute" for about 20 seconds and Robin again said it wasn't any good.  They made the usual jokes about how long the album took to make and how much money it cost.  Howard seemed to like it but he said that he just doesn't think he's that IN to music anymore, then Robin said that wasn't the case.  She said he wasn't IN to THIS music because it wasn't any good.  So all in all, Howard DID seem to like it but couldn't get over the time/money aspect.  Artie definitely liked it.  Robin did not and she claimed that was because of quality, nothing more, nothing less.  Of course they listened to very small snippets of 5 songs so it's hardly a legitimate review.  Nothing to see here.

Yes, but giving a nasty reply is pretty much what they want, and makes the GnR community look like a group of buffoons.

Thanks - I caught it on the replay.  Not a great review...not a fair review.  Hey at least Stern fans heard a bunch of tracks and they would value Artie's opinion over any of them.  Robin hardly counts in this....

I think we have a winner...possibly the best review Ive read...

ROX OFF

Roaring rampage of redemption


Chinese Democracy
Guns N' Roses
Geffen/Black Frog, 2008

 

By Peter Venkman

The attention CD has been getting on the Stern show leads me to believe Axl may make an appearance there, in a "weirder things have happened" kind of way.  A couple of the other Gould/Azhoff clients ) have shown up to promote their retail exclusive albums.  For anybody who's been listening, they've actually spoken about the album a number of times over the last few weeks, and I find that often this type of discussion on the show precedes an appearance.

Crossed fingers.  An Axl interview by Howard Stern would be something to hear.

Howard is a great interviewer. If he knew GNRs history then I def would love to see this happen. I just think it would be a weird interview for both of them and Axl is risking a lot going on there. So I doubt it would happen.

Was that a fake review?

Peter Venkman is the main character from Ghostbusters.

If only more journalists were like Peter Venkman. 

Was that a fake review?

Peter Venkman is the main character from Ghostbusters.

Absolutely Hilarious.  :rofl:

The review is legit.

Rox Off is a private mailing list (much like GNR had - and still have: the DnB List) for rock, pop and movie enthusiasts. It's pretty hardcore, members only and bi-monthly, hence the review surfaced in the beginning of December here.

Yes, Peter Venkman is a pseudonym that he/she is using.

As far as I know.

 8)

The review is legit.

Rox Off is a private mailing list (much like GNR had - and still have: the DnB List) for rock, pop and movie enthusiasts. It's pretty hardcore, members only and bi-monthly, hence the review surfaced in the beginning of December here.

Yes, Peter Venkman is a pseudonym that he/she is using.

As far as I know.

 8)

Who ya gonna call?!?  ;D

Great review :

Music Review: Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
Written by Anthony Tobis
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/11/21/105618.php

I'll admit it ? I wasn't a believer before tonight. Until my ears were physically christened with the opening notes to the title track of Chinese Democracy soaring through my thoroughly overwhelmed computer speakers as it streamed off of the Guns N' Roses MySpace page, I did not believe that Axl Rose would wade through the insanity of his genius and bring us what has become the Holy Grail of rock music.

But what once seemed like an untouchable, unattainable vision in the head of a madman ? destined never to be realized -- has now thankfully become reality. And those fans who have yearned for years to once again gain access to the ingeniously conceptual and chaotically invigorating world of rock and roll that only Rose can create will not be disappointed.

Chinese Democracy is the ultimate rock and roll album. It announces GNR's reemergence in the world of metal with a sonic explosion that cuts through the status quo like a razor blade, beautifully sharp and piercingly deadly. Axl combines the raw ferocity of Appetite for Destruction with the soaring and dramatic compositional approach the band took on their Use Your Illusions albums, combining those formidable forces in a shell of layered, electronic sound that is thick and powerful. Electronic beats and melodies pour over Axl's ballads like the lofting "Streets of Dreams" and rage over rockers like the buzzsaw guitar-laced jam "Better," creating an affluence of sound that assaults and consumes its audience completely.

Every note and every vocal coursing through this record are placed perfectly into the overall mosaic that only an artist like Axl can create. Each track is strong in its own intrinsic way, drawing on the various influences that swirl through his consciousness, giving the listener a unique sensory experience as they journey through the landscape of the record as it unfolds.

Fans of GNR's earlier work will cite harder tracks like the distortion drenched rocker "Shackler's Revenge" or the pulse-pounding "Riad N' The Bedouins" as the strongest songs on the record.

Those who enjoy Axl's melodic tendencies will no doubt be drawn to the album's prime examples of his ever-present ability to write a sentimental hook, like "Catcher in the Rye" or the hauntingly melodic "Sorry."

For most, the glaring spectacle of this album is undoubtedly Axl's innovation: his introduction of hip hop and electronic beats and sounds, metallic industrial crunch in the vein of Ministry, and thunderously layered guitars, all crashing together in a violent and perfect harmony throughout the record show that, for all his eccentricities and insistence on perfectionism, Axl showed no restraint in fully realizing a thoroughly bombastic and beautiful musical concept. Those who criticized him must now give thanks for those very aspects of his mentality that drew their ire, for they are the integral ingredients that define and differentiate Chinese Democracy from anything that preceded it.

Over the time in which Axl was in his self-induced exile, it is now obvious that rather than an act of instability or social rejection this was an act of musical evolution. Gone are the days when he shared the GNR spotlight with any one musician. This new incarnation of the band is more reminiscent of a metal version of Arthur Lee's Love or Don Van Vilet's Beefheart. Axl is at the helm of this ship and it his personal journey into new realms of sonic madness, totally foriegn to rock and roll, that make Chinese Democracy nothing short of incredible. It is a record so conceptually powerful in its ideas, so innovative in its sounds, that it will single-handedly elevate the standard against which all rock music is subsequently measured.

Now THAT's a review! :smoking:
Great to see somebody do the album justice and give the music the credit it deserves, rather than focusing on personal bias towards Axl or past history with the band.

"overwhelmed computer speakers as it streamed off of the Guns N' Roses MySpace page" <- Take notes, this is the right way to review a CD.

Seriously, Thats not even a review.
He doesn't have the objectivity to be neutral about this. You're not meant to sell the product.

Whatever, I noticed hes some sort of "blog critic", that really explains a lot  :D

So, you're critical of him cause he gave an entirely positive review?

How do you know what objectivity he has?  You're basis for saying he has none is that he gave it a positive review.  Blah! 

Yes.

Hes selling it, not reviewing.

It's like putting Jim Bob or Shackler to write a "review" for RS, it just wouldn't pass.

So, you're critical of him cause he gave an entirely positive review?

How do you know what objectivity he has?  You're basis for saying he has none is that he gave it a positive review.  Blah! 

Any review that is positive is "selling" the album in a way.  If it's a negative review, it's telling the reader, "it's not worth the time."  I've read plenty of those, I guess we'll just do away with all positive and negative reviews.  Only reviews that contain both positive and negative comments can be looked at legitimately.  Is that what you're looking for?

More Irish reviews

Evening Herald. Most popular national evening paper.

Axl Rose Saves The World

By Eamon Carr
Thursday November 27 2008

Here at last! Here at last! Great God Almighty, it?s here at last! As America works itself into a lather of hyperbole and blessed relief that Axl Rose has, after some 14 years, released a new album, the expectation clearly is that, along with some bloke called Barack Obama, this is the key to solving the international banking crisis, world recession and creating a global egalitarian society, while providing the perfect soundtrack for a rootin?, tootin?, shootin?-up Saturday night party-hearty.

Those expecting musical innovation on the scale of The Beatles' Revolver, The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds or even Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon are likely to be disappointed. But Chinese Democracy is not a dog -- and Axl wasn't the first cat to get hip to the Chinese tip.

That would have been the guy who recorded Chinese Blues. No. Not Johnny Thunders. His was Chinese Rocks. And China Girl was written by David Bowie and Iggy Pop, also in the 70s.

So popular did Chinese Blues become when it was released in the early 1930s that ukulele dude George Formby revamped it as Chinese Laundry Blues and never looked back. A string of similar-themed hits followed including Mr Wu's A Window Cleaner Now.

Okay, I digress. But if Axl Rose can take 14 years to let us hear his 14 new songs, he can wait a few pars to hear what I make of them.

Mr Rose's management are keen to talk up this collection. Its release, they claim is a "historic moment in rock'n'roll history". They refer to the album's "groundbreaking sound". All hard-sell nonsense, of course.

Street of Dreams, for example, is old-skool metal sludge with added orchestral strings and a vocal that sounds like someone's grabbed Podge or Rodge by the testicles. The instantly forgettable If he World clunks along on a mid-tempo groove that is credited to two live drummers and five drum arrangers. There are, however, enough highlights to make this an interesting album. For starters, there are two tracks that seem destined to send American students with messianic fixations into the shopping malls of the mid-west armed to the teeth.

The shadow of Mark Chapman, John Lennon's executioner, hangs over Catcher In The Rye... "that's what the old folks say/but everytime I see them/makes me wish I had a gun/if I thought that I was crazy/well I guess I'd have more fun..." It's a rum do, I tell you. Shackler's Revenge, a robust combination of techno burbling and squealing guitars, has 46-year-old Axl screeching: "I got an itchy finger and they'll be hell to play/I'm gonna pull the trigger and blow them all away..."

Hard rock fans don't welcome change. They require reassurance that ears can bleed when the amps are turned up to the max and that cigarette lighters (or mobile phones) are for waving during the big ballad.

Overall, Chinese Democracy is entertaining easy- listening bombast, heavy rock's attempt at a Hotel California, the cunning interface between metal and MOR.

It's got enough twists and turns (14 years worth) to keep DJs and fans occupied for another decade. HHH
- Eamon Carr
http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/hq/axl-rose-saves-the-world-1555107.html (http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/hq/axl-rose-saves-the-world-1555107.html)

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/music/69316/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy-review

 :beer:

?Chinese Democracy? finally surfaces, delivers

Ron J. Rambo Jr.
The Advocate

Something that many people thought would never happen has actually happened: Guns N? Roses is finally back on the Billboard charts.

After nearly two decades, and six years after the ?Chinese Democracy? world tour, GN?R has resurfaced as a force in the music industry. Set to debut at number two on the charts, ?Chinese Democracy? has already angered many of China?s ruling Communist Party officials, when an article in The Global Times said that the album ?venomously attacks China? and ?turns its spear point on China.?

The album starts out with the title track, and harkens back to ?Appetite for Destruction? with a ?Welcome to the Jungle? style opening. The buildup is a perfect start to an album that has taken nearly an entire high school senior?s life to complete. The guitars are heavy, the pace is great, and the mix of the song is outstanding. Axl Rose has always been a grandiose musician and performer, and while it is evident throughout the entire album, it is especially clear with this track that he wants fans to know that GN?R is back. Thankfully, Rose kept former guitarist Buckethead?s material on the album (who departed after the 2002 tour); his guitar work is absolutely marvelous.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending upon taste) the first two tracks are by far the heaviest on the album, and most of the remaining songs are moderately paced, with some signature Rose-softies available as well.

The album continues with ?Better,? a favorite from GN?R?s most recent ?06 U.S. tour, as well as ?Street of Dreams? (formerly known as ?The Blues?), which is a beautiful piano-laced rock piece that brings back some ?Use Your Illusion? magic. ?If The World,? which was featured during the end credits of the recent theatrical release ?Body of Lies,? is attractive to the ear in so many ways, from Rose?s vocals to the Middle Eastern sound, and an amazing solo. The first big peak of the album is at the sixth track, ?There Was a Time,? which is destined to be on tour setlists for years to come.

The remainder of the album is good, particularly ?Riad N? The Bedouins,? which is probably the song that resembles their UYI-era rock songs the most. ?Madagascar,? also featured on every tour since 2001, is really the last hurrah on the disc, but overshadows another good song in ?This I Love.?

The real strengths of ?Chinese Democracy? lie in the overall song structure and creativity that Rose has always brought to the table, and his understanding of music that is melodically and harmonically pleasing to the ear. A lot of the compositions are formed in such a majestic way that it almost takes away from the epic feel of each song, which is both good and bad. Buckethead?s guitar work really cannot be understated; he does an amazing job on both the heavier and softer songs, and really impresses with the overall phrasing and technique of his solos. While the diversity of the album is a definite plus, it is also probably its greatest weakness ? the album really doesn?t have any kind of specific identity.

So does the album deliver? For most fans aching to hear new stuff, it will match expectations at the very least. To fans who aren?t open to change, and instead are expecting to hear a ?classic? Guns N? Roses album, it will disappoint. But to those that are fans of good music as a whole, the album should be on hand at all times. This is one of the most musically diverse albums that has been released in a very long time, and will really have something for everyone. Half of the songs will be on your iPod playlist at any given time because they really are that good. It?s just up to the listener to decide which ones are most attractive to their ear.

Guns n` Roses - Chinese Democracy
   
  December 2008
Released: 2008, Geffen/Universal
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Lord of the Wasteland

One would think that after waiting eighteen years for a new Guns n? Roses album, it wouldn?t be all that difficult to come up with plenty to say about CHINESE DEMOCRACY. The length of this review is proof to that. But obviously the expectations are sky-high, so keeping this overblown, over-hyped beast in perspective without resorting to hyperbole and gross exaggeration is tricky. This is, after all, one of the most eagerly-anticipated hard rock releases not just of 2008 but of the last decade. However, after leaving the album on continuous rotation for four days straight and letting the initial thrill pass, I think it?s safe to say the sprawling, dynamic package has finally rooted itself properly.



The release of CHINESE DEMOCRACY is an ?event??a pop-culture phenomenon?that has been mired in controversy, false starts and bizarre rumors since at least 1996. In that time, Axl Rose has seen the departure of every one of the members of the ?classic? Guns n? Roses lineup, as well as several more that have come and gone during the recording process. As it is, this fourteen-track, 71-minute epic is little more than an extravagant Axl Rose solo album. Calling it a Guns n? Roses album is ludicrous at this point, but why beleaguer the point. It is what it is and CHINESE DEMOCRACY could never live up to the reputation that the name carries with it. It has been too long, too expensive (rumors have notched the cost at a staggering $13 million) and too hyped to ever live up to what anyone could possibly expect from an album. That being said, anyone going in blind should not expect USE YOUR ILLUSION III?and, please, let go of any hopes for a return to the sound and style of APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION?because this is an entirely different lineup and a different time. To put things in perspective, when USE YOUR ILLUSION I and II dropped in September 1991, grunge was not even a twinkle in Seattle?s flannel-sporting eye, George W. Bush?s father was still in the White House and no one had even heard of the Internet or debit cards. In a nutshell, what we have in CHINESE DEMOCRACY is an album of almost inconceivable diversity highlighted by Rose?s immediately recognizable stratospheric shrieks and soulful crooning. Of course, that capsulated summation cannot do justice to what Rose has delivered here?



Many fans will go in wanting a straight-forward, ?classic? sounding Guns n? Roses ripper and the title track satisfies wholly. Opening with a monstrous, arena-ready guitar lead and a face-peeling scream from Rose, the song rocks and grooves with a sizzling solo from Robin Finck and Buckethead. ?Catcher In The Rye,? ?Riad n? The Bedouins? and ?I.R.S.? follow a similar pattern with a familiar underlying vibe that is immediately forged with Guns n? Roses stamp. As he did on ?November Rain? and ?Estranged? from the USE YOUR ILLUSION records, Rose?s epic compositions are brought to light on several occasions here with mixed results. The piano-based ?Street of Dreams? and ?There Was A Time? are awash in strings but avoid becoming schmaltzy, while ?This I Love? goes in the opposite direction. Rose?s overwrought vocals and the sweeping orchestration take the song down a path of no return, simultaneously hitting the lows of a Broadway musical and drawn-out ego of a deluded rock star. ?Sorry,? on the other hand, sits right in the middle. Part songwriting tour de force and part overblown experiment, the slow, moody tempo, bluesy guitar and biting lyrics make this track a ?grower,? one that leaves the listener a bit unsure at first but will surely come to be cherished down the road. ?If The World? will prove a real test of fans? open-mindedness as the flamenco/funk hybrid and slinky riff would make it a perfect soundtrack song for a gritty 1970s cop movie or even a lead-in for the venerable Agent 007, James Bond. The album?s high point sits in ?Better,? with an especially intriguing vocal performance from Rose and a catchiness that is immediate. The strutting groove within the verses just ooze with an obvious hit factor and the subtle modern touches lying underneath everything really add to the overall appeal. Likewise, ?Madagascar? (a song that has been around for years and even played live) is the sound of the new millennium version of Guns ?n Roses with sampled drums and French horns sharing space with sound bytes taken from Dr. Martin Luther King?s speeches, as well as several films (nice nod to the clip from COOL HAND LUKE that opened ?Civil War?).



While ?Scraped? and ?Prostitute? still do little for me in an otherwise positive landscape, the song that carries the most contention is ?Shackler?s Revenge.? The distorted, industrial guitars that open and close the track are painfully dated, sounding like they were recorded in 1999 and never looked at again (looking through the sprawling album credits with its laundry list of studios, producers and engineers, they probably were). Fans who remember ?Oh My God,? the soundtrack cut that Guns n? Roses released back in 1999 for the Arnold Schwarzenegger bomb END OF DAYS, will find many similarities between that song and ?Shackler?s Revenge??and the almost unanimous contempt launched then certainly doesn?t do the new material any favors nearly a decade later.



The guitarwork on CHINESE DEMOCRACY is nothing short of remarkable. Employing five players (and Rose himself even gets credited on two tracks), the songs crackle with fluid expressions of each musicians? individual style while fitting into the cohesive sound of the respective songs. One would think so many players would create a muddled mess of riffing and soloing but considering the diversity that each track on CHINESE DEMOCRACY possesses, things never feel disjointed or awkward. No one tries to ?do? Slash?s sound either, which is refreshing to hear. And, good God, does Axl Rose sound absolutely phenomenal everywhere on this record. His voice, while certainly given more than its share of studio finessing, is centre-stage at every second, unleashing impossibly high screams, gorgeous, cleanly-sung serenades and a newfound lower register that has undoubtedly arisen with age. Gone, too, are Rose?s raging epithets that peppered past songs like ?Get In The Ring,? ?Back Off Bitch? and ?It?s So Easy.?



CHINESE DEMOCRACY is an unusual album because of the legacy that it carries. Attaching the name Guns n? Roses to the project leaves it open to an unfairly subjective outlook which has the potential to sink the record right out of the gates. Maybe Rose is deluded enough to think that his assembled stable of hired hands actually possesses a shred of the street-wise attitude and rock-and-roll sensibility that the original lineup had, even after they become bigger the world by the time the bloated USE YOUR ILLUSION albums were released. Had he released the album under his own name, a lot of slack would have cut but as it is, under the Guns n? Roses moniker, expectations can never possibly be met. It is difficult to step outside that mindset, too, both as a fan and as the supposedly objective voice of a writer. That being said, CHINESE DEMOCRACY is flawlessly produced and delivered in such a lovingly, believable way?Rose pored over each and every nuance of this record from start to finish for over a decade?that one cannot ignore the perfection that lies within every note of the album. It is simply stunning what Rose has created here and despite a few very brief missteps, CHINESE DEMOCRACY is the album that Guns n? Roses fans have been waiting for. Many will pick apart the record with a fine-toothed comb and highlight what they feel are glaringly obscene extravagances by a megalomaniacal control freak but the truth is that Axl Rose has finally green-lighted the record that an entire generation of music fans have been waiting for and he has done it on his own terms and no one else?s. That is the signature of a real artist. While the delays have been frustrating for everyone?for Rose himself likely more than anyone?CHINESE DEMOCRACY is not the bomb that many cynics were hoping for but, as best as it could, delivers in its long-awaited promise of being a landmark release that Rose can be proud of.



KILLER KUTS: ?Chinese Democracy,? ?Better,? ?Street of Dreams,? ?If The World,? ?Riad n? The Bedouins,? ?Sorry,? ?I.R.S.,? ?Madagascar?   
   

Good review

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/albumreview/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracyx01x12x08

Album review for Guns N' Roses release Chinese Democracy.

The hype, rumours and statistics which surround the release of this record have verged on the ridiculous, though understandable to a degree as it has taken nearly a decade-and-a-half to hit the shelves. Those stories can be found plastered all over the internet, but ultimately what anyone should actually care about is whether or not it is any good.

In short, the answer is yes it is, to varying degrees. The opening quartet of tracks sit nicely amongst GN'R's finest, with the opening title-track acting as a statement of 'I'm back' from Axl Rose which contains all the trademark sounds of the band's rockier sound. Electronic samples litter the ferocious 'Shackler's Revenge', while 'Better' is quite simply an excellent tune which swaggers on crunching riffs to back a tale of a forlorn heart. Piano-led ballad 'Street Of Dreams' is a cousin to 'November Rain', Rose pouring out his heart again while giving an education in how to produce an epic monster full of swirling strings, soaring solos and of course his wonderfully dramatic vocals. With less immediate impact 'There Was A Time' (with its unintentionally humorous acronym) develops into a pleasing listen while 'Madagascar' is brilliantly haunting, utilising samples of Martin Luther King Jr. and various films including 'Se7en'.

The remainder of the record varies from the pleasant 'Cather In The Rye' to the unpredictable mess of 'Scraped' and overblown 'This I Love'. A couple of other decent heavier songs arrive in the shape of 'Riad N' The Bedouins' and 'I.R.S.', but in a year when truly great rock numbers have been at a premium, they still seem to stand out somewhat. Ultimately at over seventy minutes the record is a slightly too long, but what is proved by 'Chinese Democracy' is that Axl Rose is perfectly capable of continuing Guns N'Roses without his former gang of Slash, Duff McKagan et al.

Alex Lai

Yeah, and I don't see how anyone can say that the CD is too long, either. Personally, I think bands should be required to fit as much material on an album as possible. Even though some songs will be considered "filler," others will like those songs. I always feel ripped off when I buy an album that only has ten songs on it and is barely 40 minutes long.

I've seen reviews for the UYI albums that say they're too long . . . If you don't like certain songs, skip them. But at least GNR has always given you your money's worth.

What do you mean? Most of the reviews i've seen of CD have been very very positive.

It also has their full album reiew.  8/10 and a great, balanced review. : ok:

Metal-Rules.com review...

just 12 posts above yours  ;) ...

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=54286.msg1141357#msg1141357

-velimir

more impressive than on any of his past albums.

This is quite the guitar army Axl put together.

?Chinese Democracy? is an epic album!  It?s got  peaks and valley, it ebbs and flows, and it?s all over the map in terms of style.  And like all truly great albums, it gets better every time I listen to it.

but here comes the brute: Riad n? the Bedoins says more than anything what Chinese Democracy is about. You can?t do anything to this song. You can?t be angry, dance to it or drive to it - not without ripping out your gearbox anyway. I?ve tried. It hosts multiple threads of its own life and is going to stand out for a long time to come - and shit, that solo that kicks in towards the end has got it all!

Something fucking crazy. Its February 19, and I still keep going back To Chinese Democracy almost daily and fall in love with this album all over again.

You're not the only one.

That was a really great review up above.

I haven't listened to it in a bout 2 weeks. I'm gonna have to stick it back in my CD player


I still think If The World and Sorry are the two best songs on there.

I really wish they'd get released as singles.

Street of Dreams is rumored to be the next single but man, Sorry and If The World in my opinion have a much better shot at crossing over.

Ditto again!  I was just listening to it last night, into the early hours of this morning.

I haven't listened to it in a bout 2 weeks. I'm gonna have to stick it back in my CD player