Just saw a segment on CNN about the first train to travel from China to Tibet, on the just opened Tibetan Railway.? On the train, were young Chinese, and Tibetan college aged students.? They were playing songs, on a guitar, that had a definite Western influence.? With the explosion of pop culture, in the most populous continent on the planet, one wonders if the band may record one or two of the songs in Chinese--esp.? Chinese Democracy, which does have some indications of a general understanding of the cultural revolution and political forces gripping much of Asia???
IMHO, the band could really push the boundaries artistically, interpreting this in Chinese.
Moreover, it could be brilliant, economically speaking, to market this product to the burgeoning Asian pop culture.? If Axl would feel to goofy doing this, I also wonder if Robin would include a Chinese or Tibetan folk song on the album--maybe as a hidden song?? It might add a nice finishing touch--establishing, if nothing else, a touch of credibility to the project.
Major kudos to you for thinking "outside the box". One of the most original ideas I've seen yet, but I think its a bad idea. The album will most likely be banned in China, so there really isn't a need to cater to the Chinese.
Everything Western has been banned in China. The kids, though, are playing Western music. It's like when the library banned A Catcher in the Rye, and every kid in America immediately wanted it. Or when your mom heard the lyrics on Appetite, and said no more---the value, of banned goods increases 10 fold.
There is a rapidly expanding, and talented, music scene exploding in Shanghai and Beijing. Maybe, one of those punk/rock bands could get a chance to play some shows with GNR. I would imagine, Universal/Geffen is thinking about ways to tap into that massive market--the largest in the world.
Appreciate the props Lofton
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