Chinese Democracy Review Thread

[audjon]

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.... 

[gilee7]

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.... 

Yeah, the first listen-through I felt a bit underwhelmed, but the more you listen to this cd, the better it gets. There's too much going on in these songs to fully digest with just a couple listens. They seem to slowly reveal themselves as you listen to them more and more--- which is a sign of great music, imo. Too often a cd may sound good with the first few listens, then the music quickly gets old. That doesn't happen with Guns N Roses.

All these reviewers should've waited until they listened to the cd several times before writing their review. I think the negative ones would've been much more positive then.

[variant]

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

Make sure you vote in the poll on the right hand side of the page...

[oneway23]

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

Really good review there

That reviewer get a holiday card from my household.

[Buddha_Master]

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

I thought this was pretty interesting. A really good example of how different people hear things or how they perceive things. Like a case study. Cool.

[The Catcher]

'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.

I think this has got to be my favourite review quote so far. This guy could have been called Dan "I read up on new GN'R as soon as I received Chinese Democracy in the mail and I must have missed the part about Riad being older than 9/11" Aquilante.

[chineseblues]

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

[Ali]

Very interesting to hear David Wild's input. 

He is a good writer and he got to hear a lot of these songs way before any of us.

Ali

[The Catcher]

That was very cool, thanks

[The Prez]

I am shocked and seriously dissapointed about a review in my favorite magazine (belgian magazine - HUMO). HUMO is a very good, and very reliable magazine and mostly I agree on there movie and CD reviews.

But, fuck after reading the CD review. For them it is just awful...
The magazine is generally not pro-GN'R, but the reviewers claim they were not waiting to bash this album as they wanted to be pleasantly surprised by Axl...but after hearing the 'too artificial, non thruthfull, lame' album they give it a fucking 1 on 4. This is the worst score an album can get. They say it is, in dutch 'Gezeik', which literally means: It's piss.

I am so fucking dissapointed with this as HUMO has a major influence on the rock scene in Belgium and thus on the general rock lovin' public.

[variant]

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

Q gave it 2/5 but that was to be expected.

[wells]

much better review in Croatian newspaper (than the last one):

http://www.vecernji.hr/home/showbiz/3198275/index.do

Basically it says that it is brave CD and deserves respect.

[mrarkadin]

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

What a nice read. I don't know rock writers, but I've read and reread that "in the studio" article a hundred times over the years, and often wondered what that writer thought of everything subsequent. Does he still think it sounds like Physical Graffitti remixed by Beck and Trent Reznor?

[Bitch Slap Rappin]

Check out my review under G&R songs explained, visions and dreams.
(This is a killer album!!!!) 

[TWT]

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

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

[Hammy]

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

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

Aye I skim read it tonight.

General gist, from what I remember.  They loved There Was A Time.  Called the title track dated nu-metal, said the record was all over the place and didn't know what it wanted to be, said it wasn't exciting or dangerous or something like that and that's what Axl nearly always is.  They also like Madagascar and mention it in the November Rain area, and finally said the line "What we've got here is failure to communicate" pretty much summed up the album or something of the sort.

And they recommend it for fans of Queen & Buckcherry.

[Is he struggling?]

A five star review from the British Press! 

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

[Mr. Dick Purple]

This is a review from Ecuadorian press a positive news. 

http://www.eluniverso.com/2008/11/26/0001/259/4B52A8EA14614A59BFABA0A042125949.html

[Annie]

I was so annoyed by the Chicago Tribune review that I had to email thw writer. I asked him, "DID WE LISTEN TO THE SAME CD?" At least he had the courtesy to answer, "I'm glad that you enjoyed the CD."

[Doc Emmett Brown]

A positive review from The Epoch Times
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)