Leaked Guns N' Roses songs reviewed, By DARRYL STERDAN - Winnipeg Sun

[freddiebrph]

Final Verdict: Not bad -- but not worth waiting a decade for.

I think that's the conclusion wich most of the non gnr fan/journalists will come to

The thing is, no piece of music, by anyone, in all of history can live up to that kind of judgement standard. Beethoven's 5th symphony didn't take ten years to compose. Will Axl impact music history to the same degree that Beethoven did? Of course not. If Chinese Democracy turns out to be a great rock album, then that's all that matters. Makes no difference if it took him 10 years or 10 minutes.

That is one of the most intelligent posts I have read yet!

[ppbebe]

Makes no difference if it took him 10 years or 10 minutes.

Exactly.
Even if it had taken Beethoven's 20yrs to complete 9th symphony, it wouldn't blunt the impact of the music itself.
it's all the same, the 9th would be the 9th as we know.

the race is not to the swift.

[godiva]

And thank you for posting! I thought it was a nice read. Too bad they didn't get the full version of Better. Would be nice to read what they had to say about that!

[C0ma]

I think it was a pretty fair review.

As far as his beef with better, it was that it was all over the place.... If he heard the full version I don't think he would have liked it any better, actually he probably would have been harsher.

This is the sort of review we should all prep ourselves for. 90% of all music critics will use the phrase "This is what we waited a decade for?" (that should be the name of this album). After all this time I think most people are expecting something out of Bill and Ted's Excelent Adventure where George Carlin tells Bill and Ted that the Wyld Stallyons Album brought peace and harmony to the universe..... After all this time thats what CD should do.

George W Bush should be able to travel the world with an IPod playing CD for World leaders, making the world a better place.....

Thats what ten years of over inflated expectations gets you..

[jameslofton29]

Thats what ten years of over inflated expectations gets you..

Its what ten years of procrastination gets you.

[C0ma]

Thats what ten years of over inflated expectations gets you..

Its what ten years of procrastination gets you.

Exactly.... If he would have put this out 6-7 years ago then the CD myth wouldn't have balooned to the point were people are expecting "The Greatest Album Ever Recorded".

It isn't going to be..... No matter how good or what we think, people are still going to say "This could have been done in 1 year"
They aren't going to give him a pass due to lineup changes (they think were his fault to begin with) or whatever Axl's reason for taking this long are going to be.

[michaelvincent]

Exactly.... If he would have put this out 6-7 years ago then the CD myth wouldn't have balooned to the point were people are expecting "The Greatest Album Ever Recorded".

Turns out it's just a guy taking his sweet time making the record he wants to make.

[DoubleTalkingJive]

I dunno I am not really of big fan of reviews.    I care more about what us the die hards fans think then any newspaper's entertainment section or even rock mags for that matter.   

[mikegiuliana]

I say as long as I like them that's all that matters

[RichardNixon]

He was reviewing DEMOS people! I think CD will get a lot of good reviews, except for that dickhead Stephan Thomas Erpawine at the AMG music guide (who only got the gig beacause his uncle is the editor).

[mikegiuliana]

I dunno I am not really of big fan of reviews.? ? I care more about what us the die hards fans think then any newspaper's entertainment section or even rock mags for that matter.? ?

I don't really care what die hard fans think because they tend to always see the bright side and can never give an honest review, it's the people with no ties that interest me because they are your average joe on the street thinks..  it all boils down to what I think or you think..

[avesia]

They aren't going to give him a pass due to lineup changes (they think were his fault to begin with) or whatever Axl's reason for taking this long are going to be.

there are many who think that the delay of the album is due to Axl's drug problems 
I can't understand how the general opinion of non-gnr fans is that Axl is actually having drug problems...many people that don't know too much about gnr and their history always associate Axl's reclusive behaviour with drug addiction

[RichardNixon]

Even if CD does get mixed reviews, it matters not. It's always the fans that countt in the end. Zeppelin, Queen, Rush and Sabbath got shitty reviews when they were around, and Sinead O Conner and the Strokes were darlings of the critics.

In 20 years, people will still rock out to Zoso, but not Elvis Costello!

[C0ma]

Even if CD does get mixed reviews, it matters not. It's always the fans that countt in the end. Zeppelin, Queen, Rush and Sabbath got shitty reviews when they were around, and Sinead O Conner and the Strokes were darlings of the critics.

In 20 years, people will still rock out to Zoso, but not Elvis Costello!

Understood, but there are a lot of people on this board who take GnR Critisism as some sort of personal attack. They should be ready for a landslide of negative reviews of this album (if that doesn't happen.... fantastic) because they can't seem to understand that not everyone shares their views.

I couldn't give a rats ass what anyone publicly says about the album. I'll be cranking it in my car looking like an asshole singing to the people in the car next to me while in Boston's famous traffic. Rolling Stone isn't going to change my mind about the material, but I also don't take it as an attack on a family member if the media questions why it took so long (an they will). I'm also not expecting CD to change the landscape of music (again.. if it does, great).

[DoubleTalkingJive]

I dunno I am not really of big fan of reviews.    I care more about what us the die hards fans think then any newspaper's entertainment section or even rock mags for that matter.   

I don't really care what die hard fans think because they tend to always see the bright side and can never give an honest review, it's the people with no ties that interest me because they are your average joe on the street thinks..  it all boils down to what I think or you think..

I hear ya but the people with no ties I feel are too harsh.   and you're right...it does matter what we ourselves think and no one else.

[Loaded NightraiN]

Since the band ground to a halt following 1993's covers EP The Spaghetti Incident?, the Gunners -- which now seems to consist of Axl and random musicians drawn by some sort of lottery scheme -- have put out a total of two songs: A pointless cover of Sympathy for the Devil on the Interview With a Vampire soundtrack in 1994,

I knew i shoulda stopped reading right there 

[Continental Drift]

Rolling Stone and MTV are the reviews that are going to matter in my IMHO. If Kurt Loder handles the MTV side of things... Axl's in great shape there... which leaves Rolling Stone which has been highly unpredictable when it comes to Axl and GN'R... but I have a feeling they want/need him back now... there's been nothing interesting or legendary to write about for years... one of the greats of music history re-emerges from his 13 year slumber and RS is going to tear him a new one so he can fall on his face... and they can get back to covering the oh so controversial Chris Martin? I don't think so. I think Axl already has enough quality tracks (The Blues, Madagascar, CITR, Better, etc.) that RS will get on the band wagon in the hopes that if nothing else an Axl Rose return will sell some magazines over the next 2-3 years.

As far as this review in particular goes... no great problem with it. A lot of stuff we're going to see many times over: "10 years for this?" and "line-up picked by lottery?" etc..... but you know.... even that is a minor victory for Axl in my eyes... anyone remember the late 90s? Then the criticism was along the lines of: "Axl Rose is no different from Jani Lane, Vince Neil and Brett Michaels and will never record a single shred of listenable music again in his life now that Kurt Cobain came and purified music." Interesting that no one says that any more... kind of interesting that the new criticims center on the duration of recording and varied line-up... I deduce from that the critics acknowledge at a minimum that the music is "decent".

[blues rocker]

seems like too many people are trying too hard to compare chinese democracy to the original GnR, rather than taking it for what it is - it is a modern album, and is not inteded to be a continuation of the old guns, but rather a new sound. ?Just because it's not what people want or expect, that doesn't mean it's bad...it's just different. ?It's like saying ac/dc is bad because they don't sound like led zeppelin...both bands are good, but they sound very different and should be treated as bands with different styles who are good at making music in their own unique style.

i, personally think that this album will take the world by storm and completely blow peoples' minds...it has been over a decade since people have heard what a rock band can do when they push themselves as far as Axl and GnR has.? People have been hearing mediocre, half-assed rock for so long, they have no idea what truly great music sounds like anymore.? after this album is released, all of the shitty bands from the last 10 years will instantly be exposed as what they truly are - lazy and mediocre.? bands don't want put any effort into their music anymore,? because they know that they can turn in a shitty effort and people will still worship them and buy their albums....because they know that their record label will just pay the radio companies to play their music constantly until people are brainwashed into thinking it's good.

hopefully gnr will help to at least reduce this trend somewhat.

[Krispy Kreme]

Final Verdict: Not bad -- but not worth waiting a decade for.

I think that's the conclusion wich most of the non gnr fan/journalists will come to

And even some gnr fans.

[ppbebe]

Final Verdict: Not bad -- but not worth waiting a decade for.

I think that's the conclusion wich most of the non gnr fan/journalists will come to

As if those non gnr fans and journalists had waited for a decade.