Chinese Democracy Review Thread

[Buddha_Master]

I end up skipping most of the songs on the album now, I could only stomach If The World, Street of Dreams, Sorry and Scraped for only a few listens. I still love Shacklers Revenge, Better and Madagascar. I'm starting to think this album was Axl's "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace". Everybody was so looking forward to it after such a long time since the last one and it's cool to enjoy it the first time but after a while it feels like an over produced cheesy product that will end up in clearance bins everywhere. Does anybody get the urge to watch The Phantom Menace now?

 

You just fucked up. I am a monster fucking Star Wars fan. Could not wait until Episode one. But as I sat there watching it, I knew it was not a great Star Wars movie. Darth Maul fucking owned and some of the early seeds planted in the film were cool but, that was the worst Star Wars film. I knew that at the time it was worse then 4-6, and I know that it is now the worst of the 6. But dude, this is months after CD first released. MONTHS!

Chinese Democracy is still the fucking top of the food chain. It might not be perfection but, it just might be the closest thing to it. You stand alone. You have the right to your opinion and you be a nice guy but, that doesn't fucking cut it. Me and you are done professionally. Your shtick is fucking dis-tract-ing.

[faldor]

Why? Riad is a kick ass song!


I heard If The World last night on Big Brother Brasil.

Oh I agree, Riad is definitely a good tune.  It's just I like 13 other songs from the album more.  That's just me though.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I've woken up to Chinese Democracy every day I've needed an alarm since its release. Prior to that it was AFD for 2 years.  Only problem is I usually lay in bed and listen to it until it gets cut off during "This I Love" at the 1 hour mark.  That's the signal that it's now really time to get up.

I didn't realize The Boneyard played new GNR, I thought Octane were the only ones.  I'll have to check that out. I'll switch over to Boneyard AFTER I hear them on Octane.  That is a little strange they play Riad. 

I was really disappointed that they got rid of The Boneyard after the merger, but after a few months, they brought it back.

The 'yard, Hair Nation, Octane, and Classic Rewind are the stations that play GN'R.

[fishtifer]

I end up skipping most of the songs on the album now, I could only stomach If The World, Street of Dreams, Sorry and Scraped for only a few listens. I still love Shacklers Revenge, Better and Madagascar. I'm starting to think this album was Axl's "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace". Everybody was so looking forward to it after such a long time since the last one and it's cool to enjoy it the first time but after a while it feels like an over produced cheesy product that will end up in clearance bins everywhere. Does anybody get the urge to watch The Phantom Menace now?

the only "urge" that i received after reading your .... well, let's face it, dissing of the album, was to tell you that maybe this isn't the right place for you. judging by what i can see, most of us here realize just how powerful and epic this album really is. if you have the urge to mention how much you think it sucked, why don't you go and join one of the many other gnr "fan" sites who seem to encourage that type of thinking.  referring to the album as "cheesy" and "belonging in the bargain bin" only re-inforces that you are a lying troll who is only here to instigate and be a shit stirrer.

Well, what a response to my thoughts on Chinese Democracy! I guess you are only allowed to say positive things on this board! I was a huge Axl fan from 1991-2008, I got teased for liking him so much, I listened to everyone say "it's never going to come out man" "Axl can't hit the high notes anymore", and of course "Axl sucks". I ignored them and I just expected the most amazing thing I've ever heard from Axl, and being a NIN fan I didn't mind the rumors that he was testing the industrial sound, I loved "Oh, My God".

Maybe after becoming a huge NIN fan back in 1995 and the big wait for CD my music tastes have changed. I don't like bands like Buckcherry or Motley Crew, I find them very cheesy. Just for the record, Velvet Revolver sucks and I think Axl is still the man, he just needs to get rid of the braids and goatee and dust off his bandanas. Maybe his next one will be a little better like "Attack of the Clones", or pretty good like "Revenge of the Sith". Back to the NIN forums....

[Buddha_Master]

Yea alright well, see ya sport. I'm sorry for you.

[uzisuicide2002]

IDK if this would go here BUT...

Guns N' Roses Together At Last

I never thought I'd see the day when Axl would finally unleash Chinese Democracy on the world,but here it is!Theres been so many delays and broken promises over the past 14 years and yet I can't think of anyone else making music today that would still be relevant enough for the album to be taken serious but them.Since work began in 1994 the world has changed immensely.The Internet as we know it was introduced.Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa?s first Black president.Heck most artists have a career and comeback in the time it took to get this album completed and released to the public.
I took this screen capture in iTunes of all the albums together just to encapsulate the fact that when their last album The Spaghetti Incident was released the MP3 wasn't even widely known by the general public.If he had waited any longer to release it some sort extrasensory psychic music format would probably been invented.Still though the excitement and wonderment of new music is rare these days with most albums leaking weeks in advance,and yet the anticipation for the final mix of Chinese Democracy never faltered.Not since Radiohead's In Rainbows pay what you want experiment have people been this excited about a release,and in these times of music industry meltdown and illegal downloading that can surely be only a good thing for record sales.
The occasion is almost as enormous as the music but notwithstanding the tracks are incredible.Shackler's Revenge,Better and If the World are my initial favorites and I'm certain the rest of the album will grow on me even more with a few more listens,just like every classic album does.So heres to Axl and his mythical masterpiece.I just hope he has the sense not to give the next album a title before he's certain its ready to be released.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/3214425886_6a9bdc8048.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/31471648%40N06/3214425886/&usg=__qz3lGaTPj9aJYWTLpzkFX1ZQAb0=&h=440&w=500&sz=29&hl=en&start=8&um=1&tbnid=XWYSDE4C3JTc_M:&tbnh=114&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Du2%2Bno%2Bline%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bhorizon%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

[-Rob-]

Well, what a response to my thoughts on Chinese Democracy! I guess you are only allowed to say positive things on this board! I was a huge Axl fan from 1991-2008, I got teased for liking him so much, I listened to everyone say "it's never going to come out man" "Axl can't hit the high notes anymore", and of course "Axl sucks". I ignored them and I just expected the most amazing thing I've ever heard from Axl, and being a NIN fan I didn't mind the rumors that he was testing the industrial sound, I loved "Oh, My God".

Maybe after becoming a huge NIN fan back in 1995 and the big wait for CD my music tastes have changed. I don't like bands like Buckcherry or Motley Crew, I find them very cheesy. Just for the record, Velvet Revolver sucks and I think Axl is still the man, he just needs to get rid of the braids and goatee and dust off his bandanas. Maybe his next one will be a little better like "Attack of the Clones", or pretty good like "Revenge of the Sith". Back to the NIN forums....

so now it's axl's image that you don't like? first, it was the album that you couldn't stomach, now it's his hair and his fashion tastes that bother you. really man, pretty weak and jaded. things change, people change. do you still style your hair and dress the same as you did 20 yrs ago? i guarantee if axl still had the teased hair and leather pants you'd be bitching that he's "stuck" and a wash-up.

to me, it sounds like you are still hung up on the past, and upset that asshole top hat and mr. celebrity rehab aren't on the album. i have a feeling that's the real issue here. get over it. this album is absolutely killer from start to finish. if you could set your pre-determined agenda aside, maybe you could see what the majority of us already do.

[fishtifer]

Actually I don't care that "mr.top hat and mr.celebrity rehab" aren't in the band anymore. Like I said I was always an AXL fan. Being a huge NIN fan as well I was pleased that Robin played with GNR, and Buckethead was a treat too. As far as the image goes, I just miss the Axl that I used to watch videos of, have posters of and draw portraits of but you're right, people change.

[-Rob-]

Actually I don't care that "mr.top hat and mr.celebrity rehab" aren't in the band anymore. Like I said I was always an AXL fan.

well, judging by your posts that I've seen so far, it seems as though you were an axl fan, back when he was wearing leather pants and wearing bandanas. now you're just upset these days that he's not pulling a poison or motley crue. 

Being a huge NIN fan as well I was pleased that Robin played with GNR, and Buckethead was a treat too.

well, that's nice. buckethead is gone and by the looks of things, so is robin. i'm failing to see how you being a "huge nin fan" justifies your logic of being upset that axl isn't still living in 1988.

As far as the image goes, I just miss the Axl that I used to watch videos of, have posters of and draw portraits of but you're right, people change.

yes, you've mentioned "missing" the old axl several times now. i guess i just find it hard to "miss" something that is still alive, well, relevant, and releasing absolutely awesome albums.

[faldor]

I've woken up to Chinese Democracy every day I've needed an alarm since its release. Prior to that it was AFD for 2 years.  Only problem is I usually lay in bed and listen to it until it gets cut off during "This I Love" at the 1 hour mark.  That's the signal that it's now really time to get up.

I didn't realize The Boneyard played new GNR, I thought Octane were the only ones.  I'll have to check that out. I'll switch over to Boneyard AFTER I hear them on Octane.  That is a little strange they play Riad. 

I was really disappointed that they got rid of The Boneyard after the merger, but after a few months, they brought it back.

The 'yard, Hair Nation, Octane, and Classic Rewind are the stations that play GN'R.

Hair Nation only plays old GNR though right?  And I imagine the same on Classic Rewind?  Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[axl32rose]

I don't know if this is the correct thread for this posting, feel free to move it if neccesary.

Anyways, i am at work now here in Sydney Nova Scotia at the EDS Call Centre and i gave my supervisor a copy of Chinese Democracy this morning when i came into work..  There is about 400 people in this call center and my supervisor had CD on repeat since 9am this morning and you wouldn't believe how many employees came over to listen to the CD.  There will be many many of my co workers heading to buy a copy of Chinese Democracy after work today.  I never heard one bad word about CD here yet.  It's rather slow today and were not all that busy so my Supervisor has CD on LOUD enough for all of us to hear.  Sounds Awesome having your favorite bands new CD playing at Work....  I thought i share this little story today.

PS.   TWAT is playing as we speak.

[Ali]

I don't know if this is the correct thread for this posting, feel free to move it if neccesary.

Anyways, i am at work now here in Sydney Nova Scotia at the EDS Call Centre and i gave my supervisor a copy of Chinese Democracy this morning when i came into work..  There is about 400 people in this call center and my supervisor had CD on repeat since 9am this morning and you wouldn't believe how many employees came over to listen to the CD.  There will be many many of my co workers heading to buy a copy of Chinese Democracy after work today.  I never heard one bad word about CD here yet.  It's rather slow today and were not all that busy so my Supervisor has CD on LOUD enough for all of us to hear.  Sounds Awesome having your favorite bands new CD playing at Work....  I thought i share this little story today.

PS.   TWAT is playing as we speak.

That's a cool story, man.  Thanks for sharing that.

Ali

[-Rob-]

I don't know if this is the correct thread for this posting, feel free to move it if neccesary.

Anyways, i am at work now here in Sydney Nova Scotia at the EDS Call Centre and i gave my supervisor a copy of Chinese Democracy this morning when i came into work..  There is about 400 people in this call center and my supervisor had CD on repeat since 9am this morning and you wouldn't believe how many employees came over to listen to the CD.  There will be many many of my co workers heading to buy a copy of Chinese Democracy after work today.  I never heard one bad word about CD here yet.  It's rather slow today and were not all that busy so my Supervisor has CD on LOUD enough for all of us to hear.  Sounds Awesome having your favorite bands new CD playing at Work....  I thought i share this little story today.

PS.   TWAT is playing as we speak.

great to hear. thanks for sharing. 

i wouldn't be the least bit surprised to hear that this is going on in alot of workplaces throughout different countries. tell your supervisor to keep representing. it's terrific hearing stories of just how captivating this album really is.

[axl32rose]

I don't know if this is the correct thread for this posting, feel free to move it if neccesary.

Anyways, i am at work now here in Sydney Nova Scotia at the EDS Call Centre and i gave my supervisor a copy of Chinese Democracy this morning when i came into work..  There is about 400 people in this call center and my supervisor had CD on repeat since 9am this morning and you wouldn't believe how many employees came over to listen to the CD.  There will be many many of my co workers heading to buy a copy of Chinese Democracy after work today.  I never heard one bad word about CD here yet.  It's rather slow today and were not all that busy so my Supervisor has CD on LOUD enough for all of us to hear.  Sounds Awesome having your favorite bands new CD playing at Work....  I thought i share this little story today.

PS.   TWAT is playing as we speak.

great to hear. thanks for sharing. 

i wouldn't be the least bit surprised to hear that this is going on in alot of workplaces throughout different countries. tell your supervisor to keep representing. it's terrific hearing stories of just how captivating this album really is.

I certainley will tell him to keep representing, matter of fact he asked me a little while ago do i have anymore Guns N' Roses cd's i could bring in to work on Saturdays.  I guess Saturdays are gonna be Guns N' Roses day at work .. Saturdays are so relaxing here as there is no big bosses or management nosing around and by having GNR playing it makes the work day so much MORE relaxing...



BTW...  Thanks for enjoying my story....

[The Catcher]

This is by far the best review of Chinese Democracy I have ever read. This guy has really gotten the idea of everything. Bravo. From amazon.com:

I have to say this album is an absolute joy to listen to. I know people are bashing the hell out of it but I am about to present a case for this album that I think will change a lot of people's minds. The album itself is much like a unicorn, a beast of mythical proportions that people like the idea of more than the actual animal. Keeping with that mind set the album is a return to a time when music had a vibe about it that had people talking in the hallways and alleyways at schools and offices. It's the sort of record that generates a kind of buzz that even people who have never heard a single track off of it already have an opinion and are ready to discuss it at the first mention or drop of a hat.

In a society of people like myself who are hooked on massively numbing amounts of deeply rooted sarcasm and a rabid need to be visually stimulated to a point of full desensitization, releasing an album of this caliber is like planting seeds in rocky soil. It will take a while and the wind may blow away a lot of the effort but eventually things will begin to grow and take root. I remember the first time I realized a large majority of the population and most of my friends never bothered listen to the lyrics of songs on the the records they would buy or listen on the radio. I felt a deep sense of disappointment for them in that they were not only missing the point of the music but also not really getting the message of the song. I began to notice this phenomenon more and more during the rise of hip hop in the 90's. Have you ever stopped to actually listen to the lyrics from any of the more popular music of the last decade? The majority of it sounds like it was written during music appreciation hour at a school for the mentally handicapped.

Enter Axl Rose and Chinese Democracy, an album written by a guy who is such an obsessive compulsive about his lyrics and musical compositions that he has been working on the same project for the last 13 years! Talk about sacrifice and dedication! Now imagine trying to sell a work of this caliber to a generation of people who find humor in shows like Family Guy, which in 20 minutes is able to take an intelligent human and turn him into a slobbering cretin. Now factor in the idea that we as a generation take pride in being desensitized sociopaths, who are constantly uploading and downloading every over the top thing we can get our hands on. Now for a grand finale try to imagine releasing the most anticipated album in rock history to a generation of people like myself who can download anything we want in a matter of minutes. Is anyone else starting to understand why so many people are bashing this album now?

I will be the first to admit back in the day I was downloading everything I could get my hands on off of Napster. But to be honest it really cheapened the experience, for me there was nothing like going to my local record shop at 7:30 am and banging on the door to get that new album before my classes. I would scramble out of the record store like a wino with a paper sack and greedily open my package all alone in my car savoring every piece of cellophane as I tore into my purchase. I would then drop the windows and crank it up to 11 as I sped across town off to another boring day of teachers and books. During the day I could pull out the CD booklet and put it in between the pages of my text book as I took in every bit of type as if it were the classical literature I was supposed to be reading. As soon as school let out was I was off to the parking lot to leave some tire marks and blast that disc I had been day dreaming about all day. For me, Chinese Democracy is the first album in years that has given me that same feeling of tangible excitement and audible pleasure. I enjoyed the point that one reviewer brought up that this is possibly the last great tangible rock album that will ever be released in the age of digital downloads and online music sales. I feel this album is a statement both about where we have come from and also about where we are going. For me it lives up to the hype all things being considered, the price of admission is well worth the wait.

Track By Track:

Chinese Democracy- I can't even begin to imagine the amount of thought and attention to intricate detail that this track must have gone through to become the title track to the most anticipated album in rock history. This track delivers on so many levels, I have heard people complain up and down about it but I can't find fault with it. By the time Axl finishes screaming "Cause it would take a lot more hate than you, to to end the fascination" I realize the hype about this record is starting to pay off. The guitar solos are sick. If you think Slash and Co. can play this stuff you are delusional. The musicians working with Axl are on another level above the old GNR band, I really believe they have pulled off a modern day masterpiece with this track.

Shackler's Revenge- This track is brim full of the filth and fury of classic GNR jams like "You Could Be Mine" and "Mr. Brownstone" but with a modern edge. The grinding guitar rhythms and falsetto vocals leave little room for improvement. To be honest this is one of the best rock tracks I have heard in a decade or more.

Better- This track really struck me as a slick "record company" type of single, in parts it comes off as being a little overproduced but it finds redemption in the details. The soaring crescendos about 3/4 into the track build up to a tasteful payoff to close out the song. Axl surprises lyrically on this track delivering a mix of on the sleeve emotion and deep rooted sympathy worn like a badge earned from hard luck.

Street of Dreams- Fantastic old school GNR intro that builds into a masterpiece of clever lyrics and not too lengthy solos. When this song kicks in on my stereo system at about 1:35 I get that feeling I first felt when I placed Use Your Illusion disc one into my CD player for the first time. Also the mixing on this track is exceptional, kudos to the sound crew.

[The Catcher]

If The World- This song is a bit unusual, the lyrics are deceptively simple like a Beatles tune, but the sleazy grind of the guitars seems to be a contradiction to the melody. Yet when you put the two together the contrast works incredibly well. I love the way Axl is able to pull off that Robert Plant like snarl to the end of every line in the verse of the song, again it just shouldn't work but for some reason it does...it just feels so right.

There Was A Time- It took me a while to figure out where Axl was coming from with this track. It has a nostalgic vibe to it which comes very close to becoming sappy yet at the last minute Axl pulls straight back on the controlls delivering lines like "It'd be the devil hates a loser, and you thought you had it all." Again it has that classic GNR feel with Axl going full speed ahead laying out some lyrical gems. This is one of the most solid tracks on the album, you can almost hear Axl telling his critics "Yeah, I've still got it!" At over six and a half minutes there could be plenty of moments that feel bloated or just long winded but the arrangement is so masterfully put together I hardly notice it being any longer than some of the three minute tracks. I love the ending of this song it reminds me of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Stones.

Catcher in the Rye- This song is just a masterpiece. The first time I listened to the album all the way through I stopped and played this track three times in a row. It has everything a great song should have, for me this is the track that makes the album live up to the hype. The only musicians I know that can write tracks like this are Burt Bacharach, Paul McCartney and Bernie Taupin. The clarity of the lyrics is just unparallel to anything in the current rock scene.

Scraped- A lot of odd influences blend this track together from the R&B (Seal on acid anyone?) intro to the Zeppelin like groove straight from "The Crunge" from the Houses of the Holy album. Axl rips it up vocally leaving it all out on the table with lines like "All things are possible, I am unstoppable." I can't even imagine the old GNR trying to pull off this track.

Riad N' the Bedouins- Another track that comes right out and kicks you in the head will a full frontal assault of thrashing drums, thick guitar riffs and piercing vocals. Just one more reason for me to put my money on the album living up to the hype. The lyrics feel a bit thin at times but they work so well with the music I can't imagine changing them. Think the simplicity of Zepplin's "Immigrant Song" or Sabbath's "Paranoid."

Sorry- A very odd song that starts off at a crawling pace with Axl hammering the lyrics like nails into a wall with such a conviction you have to believe they are directed at one single person. This track really shouldn't work, it is basically the equivalent of a rap "diss" track but delivered as a rock song. I have to admit I can't stop listening to it, I don't know if there is another musician in the world that could pull a track like this off and make it so listenable.

I.R.S.- This is the only track on the album I feel could have been on a previous GNR album. It is an instant classic, I put it right up there with "Dust N' Bones" and "Paradise City." The lyrics are dead on, the music is fantastic, the mixing is complete perfection. This has that sunset strip feel of yesteryear written all over it. By the time Axl begins to scream "I bet you think I'm doing all this for my health!" your ears will reach a state of euphoria reserved for only a very few songs in the history of rock.

[The Catcher]

Madagascar- Everything about this track just oozes the word EPIC. I can't help but feel this is the sound Axl was looking for on the Use Your Illusion discs but fell short of achieving. Again the lyrics are nothing short of brilliant, there should be crowds of people out in the street right now talking about it. I love the "Cool Hand Luke" audio clips, along with the MLK speech. If you don't get goose bumps from this song you must be a corpse. Thank you for this track Axl, it was worth the wait.

This I Love- A very theatrical themed track, It almost comes off sounding like an outake from Phantom of the Opera. The piano has a certain richness to its sound much like the live version of "November Rain" from the 2 disc live GNR set. The vocals are hair raising with intensity and devotion. This track has the one thing modern rock has never been able to capture, sincerity. No one can plead a case for love like monsieur Rose and this track is no exception. Bravo.

Prostitute- Everything about this track is well crafted, I find myself putting it on repeat quite a bit. It is the story of the album, from beginning to end put to music. I don't think Axl has ever been more honest or sounded more likable in his career. It's just him telling about his life, opening his ribcage to his audience letting them see what he is really made of. If you are a skeptic of the record do yourself a favor take the chip off of your shoulder, put yourself in Axl's shoes and listen to this track. Don't bring your preconceived notions about what the album should be along with you for the ride just let the music be and enjoy it for what it is. It might just make a believer out of you.

People are going to hate on this album because they have been socially invited to hate it by their peers, the media and quite frankly the music industry itself. The problem with modern music and our society is we have become sheep. We go with the flow, leadership, idealism and the value of the individual have all fallen by the wayside in the name of instant gratification and cheap thrill entertainment. We have turned into a generation of faceless, spineless, forum bashing individuals who take everything personally and revel in the idea of anything we can use to entertain ourselves at the expense of someone else's feelings. We are becoming a generation of folks that love to look for reasons to feel sorry for ourselves as a distraction instead of dealing with our real thought and emotions. I think in a way this album is a much needed kick in the pants for our generation as well as our country. It says "never give up on your dreams", and if you keep navel gazing and posting fap threads on 4chan you "need to get it together" before you are 30 and end up living in your parent's basement.

Chinese Democracy the album is in fact like Chinese Democracy the event, it is an event of such great proportions it will take years for the effects to be fully realized, it is that one event that happens in your lifetime, the JFK assignation, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the twin towers of 9/11. For better or for worse it will change you and it will continue to change people and the music industry for years to come. After listening at great length to this disc I have to say other than the "swagger" I really do not miss the old GNR at all, times have changed, minds have changed and music has changed. I highly recommend getting the album on vinyl. The sound quality is fantastic, it sounds like you are in the room with the band watching them jam. Go back to vinyl everyone!!!! Since the introduction of the CD music quality has steadily gone downhill for the last 20 years.

So Axl if you really are sitting at home all alone suffering from anthropophobia, I just wanted to say thank you for releasing this album, the world needed it.

[Spirit]

I'm sorry if this one has been posted before, but I stumbled across this today. Probably one of the most insightful ones I've read yet. It's from Classic Rock mag I guess, but the URL links to a Norwegian blog (just skip the first part written in Norwegian )

http://spitfire.vgb.no/2009/01/23/beste-chinese-democracy-guns-n-roses-anmeldelse-jeg-har-lest/

[The Catcher]

I'm sorry if this one has been posted before, but I stumbled across this today. Probably one of the most insightful ones I've read yet. It's from Classic Rock mag I guess, but the URL links to a Norwegian blog (just skip the first part written in Norwegian )

http://spitfire.vgb.no/2009/01/23/beste-chinese-democracy-guns-n-roses-anmeldelse-jeg-har-lest/

Fucking brilliantly written, although I don't agree with every single statement he makes. The summary at the end had my eyes a little watery.

[loretian]

Fucking brilliantly written, although I don't agree with every single statement he makes. The summary at the end had my eyes a little watery.

I have to agree.  I don't agree on all counts either, but definitely one of the better reviews written.  His conclusion is outstanding; I don't necessarily want to ruin it for those that would like to read the entire (long) review first, but it's worth it just for the conclusion (even if the conclusion is wrong - I have no idea).