The Sun (UK tabloid newspaper) review of the album

[jarmo]

Published: 15 Nov 2008

GUNS N? ROSES? first album of new material in 17 years makes QUEEN at their extravagant peak sound like a choir of monks.

I?ve had a listen to the long overdue Chinese Democracy and can confirm it?s one of the most unashamedly over-the-top rock records ever.

It is so lavish that even the contribution of Queen?s BRIAN MAY, a scorching guitar solo, was left on the cutting room floor by mastermind AXL ROSE.

The poodle-haired guitarist told me: ?It is a shame. I put quite a lot of work in and was proud of it.

?But I could understand if Axl wants to have an album which reflects the work of the members of the band as it is right now.?

The CD, out on November 24, has taken on mythical status. I didn?t think it would see the light of day.

But the band?s manager, ANDY GOULD, explained: ?When they asked MICHELANGELO to paint the Sistine Chapel they didn?t say, ?Can you do it in the fourth quarter??

?Great art sometimes takes time.? I?m inclined to agree. The album is heavy in places but also shows Rose?s vulnerable side.

Stormers Shackler?s Revenge and Scraped, with Axl howling: ?Don?t you try and stop us now, cos I won?t let you?, and berserk thrash-metal track Riad N? The Bedouins, will please headbangers.

On the other hand, Street Of Dreams, with its sweeping strings and tinkling pianos, could have featured on THE BEATLES? classic album Abbey Road.

Soppy ballad If The World sounds like a vintage Bond theme.

The most startling offering, This I Love, is like a 19th Century waltz while Sorry could be the ultimate power ballad.

Chinese Democracy is lavish, ludicrous...and quite brilliant.

No one else on the planet is making music like this at the moment and label Universal are so confident that they have pressed an unprecedented three million copies ahead of the CD?s release.

The fact Axl is the only one left from the original line-up won?t stop it flying off the shelves.

But there?s one place you won?t be able to buy the record ? it?s already been banned in China.

On the other hand, Street Of Dreams, with its sweeping strings and tinkling pianos, could have featured on THE BEATLES? classic album Abbey Road.

No one else on the planet is making music like this at the moment

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1933110.ece


/jarmo

[D]

So I wonder what the final version of the blues I mean street of dreams will sound like?

I love it don't get me wrong...... but it has praise I wouldn't have guessed.

[Bansidhe]

Guessing that the review is in The Sun & not The Scottish Sun. Just had a look & I don't think we're getting the review up here.

[Christian]

wow!
what a review!
that's really fu**ing great

[wells]

Don't remember when I felt that good... Enjoying life. This is fuckin great

[Howard2k]

lol - banned in China.

[slashsbaconpit]

This and the Rolling Stone review tell us two things.

1. The album is not the disaster that many have predicted, and is in fact the album we have anticipated the hell out of all these years.
2. Not all reviewers are pricks out to make a name for themselves by trashing something as historic as this album.

[33]

Hey cheers for posting that Jarmo! I'm still in New Zealand on our honeymoon so it was nice to read such a great review from the good old Sun newspaper back home!! Thanks mate!!

Mike

[Nightrain7]

Is it true about the China thing??,, if so thats very lame....

[Jim]

Does anybody know who wrote the review?

[Ali]

Published: 15 Nov 2008

GUNS N? ROSES? first album of new material in 17 years makes QUEEN at their extravagant peak sound like a choir of monks.

I?ve had a listen to the long overdue Chinese Democracy and can confirm it?s one of the most unashamedly over-the-top rock records ever.

It is so lavish that even the contribution of Queen?s BRIAN MAY, a scorching guitar solo, was left on the cutting room floor by mastermind AXL ROSE.

The poodle-haired guitarist told me: ?It is a shame. I put quite a lot of work in and was proud of it.

?But I could understand if Axl wants to have an album which reflects the work of the members of the band as it is right now.?

The CD, out on November 24, has taken on mythical status. I didn?t think it would see the light of day.

But the band?s manager, ANDY GOULD, explained: ?When they asked MICHELANGELO to paint the Sistine Chapel they didn?t say, ?Can you do it in the fourth quarter??

?Great art sometimes takes time.? I?m inclined to agree. The album is heavy in places but also shows Rose?s vulnerable side.

Stormers Shackler?s Revenge and Scraped, with Axl howling: ?Don?t you try and stop us now, cos I won?t let you?, and berserk thrash-metal track Riad N? The Bedouins, will please headbangers.

On the other hand, Street Of Dreams, with its sweeping strings and tinkling pianos, could have featured on THE BEATLES? classic album Abbey Road.

Soppy ballad If The World sounds like a vintage Bond theme.

The most startling offering, This I Love, is like a 19th Century waltz while Sorry could be the ultimate power ballad.

Chinese Democracy is lavish, ludicrous...and quite brilliant.

No one else on the planet is making music like this at the moment and label Universal are so confident that they have pressed an unprecedented three million copies ahead of the CD?s release.

The fact Axl is the only one left from the original line-up won?t stop it flying off the shelves.

But there?s one place you won?t be able to buy the record ? it?s already been banned in China.

On the other hand, Street Of Dreams, with its sweeping strings and tinkling pianos, could have featured on THE BEATLES? classic album Abbey Road.

No one else on the planet is making music like this at the moment

/jarmo

Wow, I thought the Sun was quite against GN'R.  Maybe I'm mistaken, but that's why my initial reaction was one of pleasant surprise

Ali

[jarmo]

Does anybody know who wrote the review?

It's under the "Gordon Smart's Bizarre" section....




/jarmo

[Jim]

Oh, god. I thought that it might be. The guy's a tool.

(I don't read the Sun... Honest! But that doesn't mean that I'm not aware of their writers...)

Which makes it even harder to give him credit for writing a decent review...

... But I've got to do it! (Give him credit, that is)

[Drew]

But there?s one place you won?t be able to buy the record ? it?s already been banned in China.


/jarmo

We knew this was coming, it's just official now.

[Hammy]

Oh, god. I thought that it might be. The guy's a tool.

(I don't read the Sun... Honest! But that doesn't mean that I'm not aware of their writers...)

Which makes it even harder to give him credit for writing a decent review...

... But I've got to do it! (Give him credit, that is)

Me neither....I'm a Daily Star man, I'm holding out for their review 

Wonderful to see this response though, it really is!

[gnrlies247]

Awesome review,this gets me even more excited!

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

My impression of The Sun is that it's one of those nasty gossip publications.

I couldn't believe that they gave GN'R such a good review.  These two big reviews the last couple of days have gotten me even more excited to hear the album, and what will follow.....

[DeN]

No one else on the planet is making music like this at the moment

that's why we love Guns N'Roses 

[jarmo]

My impression of The Sun is that it's one of those nasty gossip publications.

I couldn't believe that they gave GN'R such a good review. 

Yeah, it was surprising considering the type of things they usually write about.





/jarmo

[Gargh!]

That's a good review, even if it is from the gutter press.  One wonders it's really necessary to have emphasised words in CAPITAL LETTERS as if people are too THICK to figure these things out for themselves.  Oh, wait... Sun readers... I forgot.