Chinese Democracy Review Thread

[T-Bone]

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

[Ali]

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

[Josh]

Not so much a review, but a brief story on Chinese Democracy and more specifically the Myspace release.  From Reuters, as linked from DrudgeReport.com:

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE4AJ08G20081120?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&rpc=22&sp=true

[duga]

The first Swedish review?

http://sydsvenskan.se/nojen/skivrecensioner/article391357/Chinese-Democracy.html gives CD 3/5.

[sky dog]

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

that was a great article

[neon2002]

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2008/11/20/live-blog-listening-to-guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy-for-the-first-time.aspx

National Post (Canadian National Newspaper) reviews each song.

 

[Mechanical-Worm]

I was rather suprised by the rating that Rolling Stone gave this - but I also was expecting it as well.

[markreed]

http://www.thefinalword.co.uk/content/view/754/25/

This is my review of the album, for my website. The album is an absolute masterpiece.

[Josh]

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

[Continental Drift]

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.

[TWT]

It's being soundly beaten by AC/DC's and Metallica's latest borefests on Metacritic so far.

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/gunsnroses/chinesedemocracy?q=guns%20n'%20roses

Disgusting.

Looks like The Guardian has had a small change of heart since Cunty McSpacker's earlier 'review' 

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

[duga]

The second swedish review: http://www.na.se/meny/recension.asp?page=1&id=0&nr=16856 <- 4/5 

[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.

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

[mrarkadin]

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.

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.

[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.

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.

I don't think that it's just him not getting the album.  I think his history with GN'R and Axl predisposes him towards not liking the record.  That makes it hard for me put any stock in his review, despite being well-written.

Ali

[Cocaine__tongue]

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

[slashedtires]

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

[sandman]

WOW! best review i've read so far. she states well what i have tried to communicate to friends. she truly captures the essence of the album IMO.

tons of great quotes, but my favorite is this...

""Chinese Democracy" is a test for contemporary ears, an album that turns in upon itself instead of reaching out to instantly become a ring tone."

[GeraldFord]

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.

 

[SLCPUNK]

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

Great review, embarrassing comments though.