Chinese Democracy HTGTH member reviews

[Drew]

Chinese Democracy: 8/10
Shackler's Revenge: 8/10
Better - 8/10
Street Of Dreams - 7/10
If The World: 7/10
There Was A Time: 7/10
Catcher In The Rye: 4/10
Scraped: 7/10
Riad N' The Bedouins: 3/10
Sorry: 8/10
I.R.S.: 6/10
Madagascar: 6/10
This I Love: 7/10
Prostitute: 7/10

Overall grade: 93/140.

Notes:
- The album is growing on me more and more as I listen to it.
- Better: My favorite song on the album.
- Chinese Democracy, Shackler's Revenge, and Sorry are good really songs.
- There Was A Time, This I Love, and Scraped have grown on me quickly.
- Madagascar was a little disappointing but still good nonetheless.
- Prostitute: Good song and I love the last minute and a half of this song. The orchestra is amazingly beautiful to me.

[western_chaos]

My chinese democracy review:

Chinese Democracy 10/10
Great opening for an album.
Shacklers Revenge 8/10
I love the sound effects on the demonic, revengeful voice.
Better 10/10
Loved it first time I heard it. A lot of good stuff going on here, in my mind, it's perfect...
Street of Dreams (The Blues) 8/10
This song took awhile to grow on me, But I think this could be a radio hit.
If The World 8/10
This one has a lot of good instrumentation on it.
There Was A Time 5/10
Don't understand what the hype is on this song. I don't really like it that much at all.
It seems over-produced and hyped.
Catcher In The Rye 8/10
This song gives me a really good feeling even though it's about a bad subject. I like this one.
Scraped 8/10
The lyrics are what I like about this song.
Riad N' Bedouins 8/10
This one took me forever to get into but once he starts singing about salvation/frusturation, I became instantly seduced by it.
Sorry 10/10
This song sounds a lot like...PINK FLOYD! That's the reason this might be my favorite on the album.
IRS 5/10
I use to enjoy this song, but I got tired of it. Not sure why people like this song so much.
Madagascar 6/10
This song is another I got sick of after awhile, but I do think song has some good parts to it.
This I Love 10/10
Very little instrumentation and good vocals on this song, this would be a huge hit.
Prostitute 8/10
This song took me awhile to get into, but I love the last 1 1/2 minutes and the lyrics are very strong as well.

TOTAL: 120/140

Obviously, from my point of view, I love this album. This is gonna be an album I'll be playing forever.

[draguns]

Ok here is my review of the album:

Chinese Democracy 8/10:  Good opening riff. The lyric are good. I like the way the guitar interacts with the song. The drums are thunderous. Good, solid rocker.

Shackler's Revenge 7/10: The lyrics are catchy. The song sounds like something Nine Inch Nails  would do. The guitars are ok.

Better 9/10: Awesome song. Axl and Robin's songwriting abilities shines through with this song. I love how Axl starts the song with the falsetto voice.
There are so many twists with the guitar playing on this song. You can feel the emotion in the middle of the song when Axl is screaming "I never wanted to be somebody else."

Street of Blues 8/10: The first of many ballads on this album. Again, you can feel the emotion when Axl screams "there is a hell that i cannot describe". It's a good power ballad. The piano is very soothing. The guitar solo is good.  It defintely reminds you of November Rain in some areas. Solid.

If The World: 10/10: One of three great songs on this album. The Spanish acoustics with the  funky beats spices up the song and give it a different feel. Axl's vocal are top notch.  The lyrics are great.  It' a great experimental song. This should have been released for the new 007 movie instead of Body of Lies.

There Was A Time 10/10: The second of three great songs. The choir is a good for the opening. The little piano and hip hop beats gives it a foundation that Axl can build on. Axl lyriics are second to lime. A good line is "I don't want know it now cuz knowing you it won't change a dam thing". Buckethead's solo really runs through your veins. Axl's scream of "I would do anything for you" sends chills down your spine. This alone prove he still has one of  the best voices in music today.

Catcher in the Rye 7/10: I think this is a good song, but it sounds like a more complex version of Yesterdays. There is a lot going on in this song. The solo is ok. I think Brian May's solo was much better. Axl's vocal are descent. The na lana is catchy.

Scraped 6/10: The lyrics are the the best part of the song. Axl's vocals are ok. The intro sounds a bit forced with just Axl's voice and no music. The guitar solo sounds average.

Rhiad N' The Bedouins 6/10: Too much electronics in this song. It would be a good White Zomble song, but  I think Axl can do better. The solo is good.. The drumming is descent. Lyrics are ok. Vocals are average.

Sorry 10/10: The third great song from Axl. It is very Pink Floydish. The vampire voice show versatile in Axl's voice. Axl's lyric " You don't know why I won't give in. Hell with the pressure, I won't cave in" shows that he will not give up and let others win over his expense. This song is basically a fuck you to a lot  people. The whistling  along with the lyric goes well in perfect harmony. The drums are methodical.

I.R.S. 8/10: A good, solid rocker. If the orginial band was together, I would see them doing this song.  As chessy as the chorus sounds, it is very catchy. I like the way the guitars speed up in tempo and then slow it down with a blusey undertone. Axl needs to do more of these type of songs since this is where his forte is  with rockers.

Madagascar 8/10: You can hear the Led Zepplin influences on this song. Axl's voice fits perfectly as he sounds like he is tired  and wore down from it all. The drums are really good especially before the Martin Luther King sample. The solo during the sample defintely fills in. The multi-layers of Axl's voice gives hope to the song at its zenith.

This I Love: 4/10: At this point of the album, you just want to shake Axl up  a bit and say stop with the ballads. The lyrics are beautiful especially when he sings "So if she is somewhere near me, I hope to God she hears me. There is no one else that can make me feel so alive". You can hear Axl going through so much pain and emotion. However, the way he sings is too dramatical and Broadwayish.  We all have been heartbroken by women, but Axl just sounds like a high school teenager with this song.  I think the best part of the song is the guitar solo.  I was most disappointed with this song since it has been part of the orginial Gunners.

Prostitute 5/10: This is an average song. I think Axl sums up his feelings with this lyric: " If my intentions are misundertood, please be kind. I've done all I should". i think the lyrics show Axl's integrity that he will not sell himself.

Chinese Democracy is a good album. I think the songs are solid and shows Axl's versatile with musical styles. His voice sounds  crisp. As heard on "There was A Time", Axl's screams are spine tingling with so much emotion in it. The major problem with this album is that there are too many ballads. Also, I think what is missing most is that dynamic intro to a song that was recognizable in GNR songs.  Overall, I would say it's a solid album.  





 

[tom927]

OK After reading almost all of the reviews, Mine is the most accurate.

Chinese Democracy...10/10
Shackler's Revenge...10/10
Better...10/10
Street of Dreams...10/10
If the World...10/10
TWAT...10/10
Catcher in the Rye...10/10
Scraped...10/10
Rhiad...10/10
Sorry...11/10
IRS...10/10
Madagascar...10/10
This I Love...11/10
Prostitute11/10

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!!!

[Chief]

This review goes up to ELEVEN!

you know, it would be more interesting with a few comments.. just sayin!

OK After reading almost all of the reviews, Mine is the most accurate.

Chinese Democracy...10/10
Shackler's Revenge...10/10
Better...10/10
Street of Dreams...10/10
If the World...10/10
TWAT...10/10
Catcher in the Rye...10/10
Scraped...10/10
Rhiad...10/10
Sorry...11/10
IRS...10/10
Madagascar...10/10
This I Love...11/10
Prostitute11/10

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!!!

[Buddha_Master]

Chief, you review CD yet? Did I miss it?

[The Catcher]

OK After reading almost all of the reviews, Mine is the most accurate.

Chinese Democracy...10/10
Shackler's Revenge...10/10
Better...10/10
Street of Dreams...10/10
If the World...10/10
TWAT...10/10
Catcher in the Rye...10/10
Scraped...10/10
Rhiad...10/10
Sorry...11/10
IRS...10/10
Madagascar...10/10
This I Love...11/10
Prostitute11/10

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!!!

Haha, couldn't agree more!

[Raistlin]

Here is my review...it is quite long and was made a week or so ago.  Please forgive the spelling mistakes, and my odd take on things.

Well after a very long time, Chinese Democracy has finally come out. I have heard most of the songs in raw form at concerts, bootlegs, various leaks over the years, so there wasn't much that was new...sort of. A few songs I had never heard, and of course the final studio version held lots of surprises. I will review each song, and give my raiting out of 10. Plus an overall rating for the album. This is based on the impression of the songs after listening to the final album a few times. This way my review is the most informed, instead of the retards that can only manage 'well this doesn't like Paradise City'.



Chinese Democracy: 8/10. This song begins in an epic array of a fantastic guitar rift, deep resounding drums, mumblings of many Chinese peoples, and Axl's signature scream. After 14 years, this is how the world is greeted back into Guns N' Roses. And an amazing start it is too!!! The song is more of a social commentary to the Chinese government that it is only time before they are toppled. Their tyrany and capitalistic dictatorship will end, and free will and expression will remain. In fact the album cover depicts that point perfectly. The GNR grafitti beside the bicycle. In a country where that expression can be met with execution or imprisonment, it shows that someone was willing to give up their live to express their love for something. The whole song enforces that point:

Blame it on the Falun Gong
They've seen the end and you can't hold on now

The peaceful group has predicted the end of the tyranny. Sees a day when there will be a democracy in China. This song also plays to the overall theme of the album. Breaking away from the tyranny of a bad love. Being free, and seeing and end to the pain. Great start!


Shackler's Revenge: 7.5/10. Shackler's starts out a little rough, but it does grow on me. And it is a rockin tune!! This song is broken into to conversations...the demon (the Shackler) and the ex-lover trying to break free. THe demon has biting lines such as:

I've got a wicked demon inside that never fades
I've got an empty feeling I won't be home today

It is also trying to regain control and exerts its powers over the lover...who can only scream:

I don't believe there's a reason

Yet there is a reason....control and pain. This song has a great unique guitar sound and feel to it, which is very new territory. But it is a rewarding song, it causes tension where it needs, and the fretless guitar raises you above that tension and gives hints at freedom.


Better: 9/10. Beautiful upbeat sweeping ballad with a techno feel. Lyrically so mature and enlightening. He forces himself back and looks at that one love...the one he can't escape. The one that swept him away, took over his live, and left him damaged.

So bittersweet, this tragedy wont ask for absolution,
This melody inside of me, still searches for solution,
A twist of fate, the change of heart kills my infatuation,
A broken heart provides the spark for my determination.

It is the pain in his heart after realizes all that has happened that enables him to be strong and fight for himself. In the end, he leaves us with this advice to the listener:

If I were you, I'd manage to abhor the invitation
Of promised love that can't keep up with your adoration
Just use your head, and in the end you'll find your inspiration
To choose your steps and won't regret this kind of aggravation

And I never heard a truer word spoken...


Street of Dreams: 9/10. Another brilliant ballad showing the regret and missing of the person whom the love was with. Gorgeous pianos, and violins this tune over a love that is gone, but yet at the same time, still very much present. He feels bad for the person who broke his heart. Mostly because of what they became. He realizes that his love was really an illusion:

And though as long as this road seems
I know its called the street of dreams
But that's not stardust on my feet
It leaves a taste that's bittersweet
That's called the blues

And as if the lyrics couldn't get better, Street of Dreams ends with this amazing realization of what the love truly was:

What I thought was true before were lies I couldn't see
What I thought was beautiful Is only memories

This was one of the first new GNR songs I had heard about 8 years ago, and it is still one of my all time favourite songs. I always get something new from it when I listen to it. The piano, the violins, the pure raw emotion, and the amazing guitars....makes this an almost perfect song.


If the World: 8/10. No one can fault Axl for not trying something different. This song gives us a flamenco guitar and a 70's porn track...and I have to tell you that I love it. Here the song seems to be about finding love and contemplating the future of that love. Is it real? Will it last? The song opens with:

If the world would end today,
All the dreams we had would all just drift away,
You know there?s nothing more to say,
If the world would end would our love slip away

The entire song is along these lines. It is a solid song, but not what I would call epic. When I heard it in a leak i just didn't like it. But it has grown on me immensly. I especially loves the 'la la la la' part that goes mono and gradually moves from the right side to the left, before popping back to full stereo. The guitar solo is superb and the porn track just works so perfectly for this song.

Just throwing out a theory here, but I wonder if the actual intent of the porn track was to show that he does not fully realize that this love he is contemplating in itself is not real. Porn has often been critisized as displaying false love, and while the lyrics show he is madly inlove with her, it could be a false love as the track would have us believe.


There Was A Time: 9.5/10. This massive epic song starts with a boys choir, then moves to brilliant piano. The entire song revolves around the theme of how he would have done anything for this ex-love...there was a time when he would have done anything. But now realizes that this is no longer the case.

If I could go back in time to the place in my soul,
there all alone,lonely tear drops, ooh, are calling you.
but I don't wanna know it now, 'cause knowing you it won't it change a damn thing.
but there was a time.

He now sees that he can't change anything that happened. The love was doomed.

This leads into perhaps the best Guns N' Roses solo ever. It is just so emotional, and driven. I have to recant what I said about Buckethead being unable to make anything with emotions. He did a masterpiece.

My only fault with this song is the addition for the studio release a demon voice 'wrong time' that you can hear in the background during the chorus. It was a very unnecessary addition, and frankly detracts for me everything that makes this song a masterpiece.

There Was A Time ends where it began. With piano, and the boys choir. Full circle.

[Raistlin]

Part 2


Catcher in the Rye: 9/10. A lyrically amazing track. Catcher in the Rye is a novel about a disjointed youth. Mark David Chapman was holding this novel on him when he murdered John Lennon. The song is more about Chapman and his disfunction leading to the death of Lennon.

The pianos and guitars in this song are complex and subtle. Not as bombastic as say Shackler's Revenge.

But every time I'd see them
Makes me wish I had a gun
If I thought that I was crazy
Well I guess I'd have more fun
It's what used to be's not there for me
And ought to find someone that belongs insane like I do

Seen from Chapman's point of view, he is at the point of almost needing to kill someone, and would love to do so, but doesn't feel he is insane enough to do the deed.

Later we get the amazing outro:

On an ordinary day
Back in an ordinary way
All at once the song I heard
No longer wouldn't play for anybody

This shows that on that day that Lennon was murdered, on that ordinary day, now the most beautiful music could no longer be played. It wasn't the same. The music that Lennon made would forever be tainted by his murder.

And also directed at Chapman:

So now you set the wheels in motion
It Haunts our memories
You were the instrument
You were the one
How a body took a body
And Gave that boy a gun
You Took our innocence

How could Chapman do such a thing. Not only taking a life, but took a gun and forever changed all of us who loved Lennon's music. Lennon was a part of us, and Champan stole that. It is so tragic, and yet the lyrics so perfectly explains it. This song leaves us feeling down about what Chapman did to us, but also shows that we will never forget the briliance of the music. He was the Catcher In The Rye.


Scraped: 6/10. Well the first 18 seconds are painful. This leads into a good rocker, but sadly it is forgettable. Don't you try to stop us now! What is clever about the song is the way that Axl sings it. The negative parts are his lower clean voice, and the positive parts are done in his classic screachy voice. Despite the negativity from old friends, and the press, he rises above it...through this song. He is scraped, but has healed. While the weakest song on the album (in my opinion), still better than anything Britney or Nickleback has ever came out with.

Riad and the Bedhouins: 6.5. Damn good guitars, rockin' and enjoyable. However, it is not memorable in the slightest. And to be honest, I don't fully understand the historical significance of the song. I hated the song when i first heard it. But it has grown on me. It is the most improved of the leaked songs.


Sorry: 10/10. Trippy. Brilliant angry lyrics. Amazing guitars, and synthetic sounds. Would be perfect as a song by Pink Floyd. Dark and calculated, sleazy and bluesy. So many great things can be said about this song. It would seem that Sorry is directed right at Slash. It is hard to say, but it is definitely directed at someone specific.

You tell them stories
They?d rather believe
Use and confuse them
They?re numb and na?ve
The truth is the truth hurts don?t you agree
It?s harder to live with the truth about you
Than to live with the lies about me

Brilliant. There are no hidden meanings in the wonderful piece.

Nobody owes you
Not one god damn thing
You know where to put your
"Just shut up and sing"

Axl lays it down. He does this in his own manner, in his own time. Nobody can tell him otherwise. And in the end feels sorry for them for being so adept at making up lies and fictions about Axl instead of concentrating on the truth about themselves.


IRS: 7/10. I have a love/hate opinion of this song. Some of the lyrics are brilliant. Some are almost childish. The guitars are amazing, and Axl's vocals are top notch. But I just don't feel involved in this song. It is catchy, and I find myself humming to it, but I don't feel attached to the song at all. For me, that emotional connection I get to the music is what gets me off...and IRS gives me nothing. That being said, there are great lyrics to be had.

As when you first told me you were gone,
So long ago but I still held on
Through all the EMOTIONS that I've had to take
And thats the truth, and here's the worst yet

Wouldn't even matter the things that I say
You've made your mind up and gone anyway
And there's no use now in dragging it on
Should've seen it coming all along

IRS is about receiving the news about the imminent breakup. Here he is taken by surprise, and yet at the same time, realizes he SHOULD have seen it coming. He was blind. Hence, he should have called the President, the FBI, the IRS...because they would have seen the truth. And he wouldn't have been taken for a fool. So lyrically I mostly enjoy the song, and the vocals are top notch. I just can't get attached to it.

[Raistlin]

Part 3 (and mercifully the last)


Madagascar: 10/10. I have known of this song for 8 years now. In the beginning it was very stripped down, even had cow bells in it. There were the soundbites during the solo, but nothing else. No strings, orchestra...just the band. It was simple, it was elegant, and it was powerful. Fast forward 8 years, and we have a beast. Full orchestra, sub bass, the same powerful lyrics, but fuller. This song is a masterpiece.

At its heart Madagascar relates to the island of the same name. It was once part of Africa, but over time it sundered away, and is now its own island. Connected, but not connected. And as the island was sundered from Africa, Axl's relationship have been sundered from him. Whether it be Slash, Stephanie, Erin, or any other number of people, the relationships failed, and was taken from him.

Forgive that they teared down my soul
Bless them that they might grow old
A dream that's forgotten may know
That it's never too late

This is a much more mature Axl. Here he shows that he is willing to put things aside, and wants the best for those who were in his past...and to let them know it isn't late. Perhaps they can work things out. THis is not the same man that was yelling against Warren Beaty back in 91.

Hatred isn't something you are born with. It is taught.

How true that is. WHen I hear this song I just want to give Axl a big hug. He acknowledges that he isn't perfect and has made mistakes. He knows that there has been failure to communicate, but also realizes that those with differences can come together as Dr King dreamed. And end to the hatred.


This I Love: 11/10. Yes you saw that right. This song is perfect. Allow me to share some insights into the mind of Brian. I wear a mask. We all wear masks. We all have defenses that we put up to protect ourselves from others around us. It is human. It is nature. And for us to lower our defenses takes someone so close, someone who lets us be us. someone who we trust implicitly. That level of intimacy is truly rare. I have only lowered all my defenses for one person, and probably most people would say the same thing. Axl lowered his defenses completely with this song. And shared that with the world. He put himself out there, where we see the real Axl. The man who loves, and was heartbroken. The man who deep down is so very alone. And through this pain and solitude he created the best piece of music I have ever heard. Yes, you really did see that right.

Those who know me know that there is only 3 songs ever that have made me cry. Coma, and Estranged by Guns N' Roses, and Beethoven's 9th Symphony (4th Movement). Songs that hit so close to home and take me away with the flood of emotions that encompass them. And now I have a fourth song. This I Love.

The hard part of showing some sample lyrics with this song is that I would have to post the entire song. It is just so amazing.

This I Love is not letting go. Not wanting to let go. To be made whole, to be given existance, all through that love.

So if she's somewhere near me
I hope to God she hears me
There's no one else
Could ever make me feel
I'm so alive
I hoped she'd never leave me
Please God you must believe me
I've searched the universe
And found myself
Within' her eyes

They say when you hate something it is so easy to write a review, but when you love something it is so hard. I find it very hard to write something about this song. It has everything that I love. The pianos, the symphony, the strings, the harp, Richard's amazing solo, and most of all the raw emotion. Axl with his defenses down. Never have I felt so close to him. And I know how crazy that sounds, but I usually connect with so much of his music, and this song even more so.

This I Love is perfect. And Axl, if you ever read this. I just want to thank you. This is the most amazing piece of music I have ever heard. And I hope that one day the world sees this as I see it. A masterpiece.

And now it seems that I
Gave up my ghost of pride
I'll never say goodbye


Prostitute: 10/10. And here we come to the end. The final song of Chinese Democracy is exactly what a last song on an epic album should be. Prostitute is powerful. This is the answer to everything the media has been saying about Axl. As one reviewer says. This is the media saying 'do it now' and Axl replying 'no'

Ask Yourself, What I Would Do
To Prostitute Myself,
To Live With Fortune And Shame

Axl has stood his ground on everything. He didn't bent to people's expectations, the media demands, old bandmates, etc. He did what he needed to do when he wanted to do it. And in the end we have pure Axl... The final 'Fuck You' to those who sold away their love for the spotlight, and eventually waste away. Axl remained true to himself, and really to the fans, that is all we ever wanted.

At the end of the song we have the amazing outro. Piano and violins. The drums and guitar fade away. We are left to contemplate what we have heard. The journey of Chinese Democracy. The album starts out hard and pounding and ends with piano and violins. All the while we are shown Axl's remarkable journey of freeing himself emotionally from a love gone bad. He is free. Through the metaphors and symbols, we have gone through this journey with him. And truly felt his pain. And perhaps we can understand ourselves a little better. I know I do.

After listening to the album, I still get a sense of wonderment. I still get shivers, and I still get very excited. It has been a long wait, but it has been worth it. I haven't calculated what the average score for the album would be, and frankly I don't care. It is amazing. Nothing more, nothing less. I couldn't be happier with the final product. Axl has proven that he was the driving force of GnR all along. And the music will stand and show that, regardless of what people may think about him. Regardless, he is a musical genius. And the world is better for it.

Give What You Have, For What You Might Lose...

[Farid Bak]

Axl Rose this is your fault too!!
  It?s because of you that now I find myself in this situation again? you did this before too.
I keep listening to Chinese Democracy.. And it not only rocked the  first time I listened to it, but it keeps growing on me more each listen I have, like an avalanche its hitting all my senses, some of the melodies I can?t get out of my head, and I find myself quoting at work from the lyrics.. but that?s nothing compared to what you have done to my music expectations. Before a couple years ago I had given up hope in finding new songs that would make such a difference in my life as the UYI, A FD,LIES albums did back in the last century.
I had honestly gotten accustomed to mediocre albums that I would find one or 2 songs worth to hold on to. But I didn?t expect anymore epic songs that related in such a way to my personal life that I would consider to call them my ?soundtrack to my life? songs And you dare fill an album with them.. Setting again the bar way to high for other contenders to fill? (Good maybe now artist will make more of an effort to make this kind of music).
And then to top it all, you release an album, for me.. I mean I don?t see you whoring yourself trying to promote the music. You are letting the music speak for itself, for those that do listen, for those that truly care about the art.. you didn?t buy into the media whoring, see it 100 times a day to brainwash people into trying it out. You put it out there.. no explanation, But the art itself.
 If that is not Artistic integrity I don?t know what is.
I see this albums has hit number 1 in a few countries, I?m glad for those who get to enjoy this album, and for those yet to listen to it I?m  exited for them they are in for a hell of a deal. As hard as I try I cannot remember the last time I gave an album as a present. This is an album im proud to give as a present
I see some ?Fans? are always trying to tell you how you should have done things, who you should had played with, and when you should had release this record. They used to make me mad.. now they make me laugh yet I wonder if they know so much and we have so many experts.. then why don?t they do it themselves? The answer I guess is simple.. they are forgetting the key element which is the creative part, the art.. And for that I thank you.
Please Mr. Rose if there is more melodies inside of you trying to find a way out to us; Let them, they are important in our lives they feed and enrich our life experience. They mean a lot to some of us, don?t let the outspoken minority ruin it for the rest of us.
So I blame you for this new hunger in music I feel, it leaves me wanting for more.. and I blame you for the bar being up high again, I won?t settle for cookie cutter music anymore. And above all thanks for breathing new life into Rock N? Roll
Farid Bak.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Chinese Democracy: 8/10
Shackler's Revenge: 8/10
Better - 8/10
Street Of Dreams - 7/10
If The World: 7/10
There Was A Time: 7/10
Catcher In The Rye: 4/10
Scraped: 7/10
Riad N' The Bedouins: 3/10
Sorry: 8/10
I.R.S.: 6/10
Madagascar: 6/10
This I Love: 7/10
Prostitute: 7/10

Overall grade: 93/140.

Notes:
- The album is growing on me more and more as I listen to it.
- Better: My favorite song on the album.
- Chinese Democracy, Shackler's Revenge, and Sorry are good really songs.
- There Was A Time, This I Love, and Scraped have grown on me quickly.
- Madagascar was a little disappointing but still good nonetheless.
- Prostitute: Good song and I love the last minute and a half of this song. The orchestra is amazingly beautiful to me.

Glad you're liking it!  You're like one of the few people that has given props to the orchestral arrangements.

[Bitch Slap Rappin]

Farid......you hit the nail right on the head. Artistic integrity was the formula that was the foundation of excellent music in the 50's 60's and 70's. (As far as rock & roll goes.) Axl is a very smart artist. Like him I don't go for the gravy-train make a quick buck attitude towards music. He takes his art very seriously and it is fortunate for Axl that he was influenced by artists that came before him who took pride in their music. I sometimes compare Axl to Roger Waters of Pink Floyd. (You might say these two men are on the opposite ends of the pole.) But Mr. Waters in his time was very keen on making masterpieces!!! Circa 1973 was Rogers intent with his mates to make a masterpiece of an album. It was Darkside of the moon. Oddly enough that album was handled in the same way as Chinese Democracy. It didn't need to be pushed into everyones face by over-kill marketing and promoting. They did a little like Axl and company. That album took off because it sold itself. Why?? Because Roger and company worked on the integrity of the album. Axl did the same thing. He got into a unique fortunate situation. He made some money that allowed him the time to create this piece of work. It's no wonder he became a recluse because he was creating his love for art. He probably didn't even piss all his money away. He made sure to pay the necessary bills and employee the right people to work with him on the album. All these steps and right choices played a big part to making this cd. I got to say I've been waiting for someone or some artist to make an lp like this that was going to knock me out. Didn't expect it was going to be Axl. I knew he was going to put something out and I figured it would just be another cd. I guess patiences is a very positive quality to have if you're an artist!!!

[Farid Bak]

Farid......you hit the nail right on the head. Artistic integrity was the formula that was the foundation of excellent music in the 50's 60's and 70's. (As far as rock & roll goes.) Axl is a very smart artist. Like him I don't go for the gravy-train make a quick buck attitude towards music. He takes his art very seriously and it is fortunate for Axl that he was influenced by artists that came before him who took pride in their music. I sometimes compare Axl to Roger Waters of Pink Floyd. (You might say these two men are on the opposite ends of the pole.) But Mr. Waters in his time was very keen on making masterpieces!!! Circa 1973 was Rogers intent with his mates to make a masterpiece of an album. It was Darkside of the moon. Oddly enough that album was handled in the same way as Chinese Democracy. It didn't need to be pushed into everyones face by over-kill marketing and promoting. They did a little like Axl and company. That album took off because it sold itself. Why?? Because Roger and company worked on the integrity of the album. Axl did the same thing. He got into a unique fortunate situation. He made some money that allowed him the time to create this piece of work. It's no wonder he became a recluse because he was creating his love for art. He probably didn't even piss all his money away. He made sure to pay the necessary bills and employee the right people to work with him on the album. All these steps and right choices played a big part to making this cd. I got to say I've been waiting for someone or some artist to make an lp like this that was going to knock me out. Didn't expect it was going to be Axl. I knew he was going to put something out and I figured it would just be another cd. I guess patiences is a very positive quality to have if you're an artist!!!

thanks so much for your comments, and I agree completly on the Pink Floyd resemblance, and wow what a record is Dark side of The Moon. Its magical in a sense.  I think Axl had a strong influence by them, and specialy with Syd Barrett. The song Bike from Pink Floyd.. "I got a Bike you can ride if you like its got a Bell and a Basket" (look at the art from cd). And not a lot of people get that. Or even get the diferent messages it carries.
Im really exited to think that there is more music out there, and that one day we will see more Albums from GNR and Axl, Also it makes me wonder those who hear this music will  we see futrue bands that take also their music to the next level.. I sure hope so.

[Axl Caufield]

My Review Part I

I've spent at least a third of my life waiting for this record. Not too long ago, I was convinced it would never come out. 2008 has to be the craziest year yet, first we elect a black president and now I actually own a copy of Chinese Democracy. If the Cubs had won the world series, I would be 100% convinced the apocalypse was right around the corner (as is it stands, I am 66.6% convinced). There have been many theories as to why the record has been delayed for so long..... Axl is a manic depressive perfectionist incapable of reproducing the sounds in his head in the material world, everytime a band member of the band quit or was fired their parts were wiped and re-recorded by the newest member, various legal issues, Oliver Stone was rumored to be making a movie about how the US Cuba and Chinese governments were involved in an international conspiracy to make sure it was never released beacuse it might actually bring Democracy to China. Some even believed the record was a myth and that Axl hadn't written a song since Izzy Stradlin quit the original band. I think Axl was delaying the record until the time when our collective consciuosness could handle it, and with the election of Obama - that time had come. Before my song by song review, let me lay some ground rules. 1) I will not penalize the record for taking so long time to come out. Good or bad music is good or bad regardless of the amount of human invented "time" it took to create. 2) I will not penalize the record because it is called a Guns N' Roses record even though it is in effect an Axl Rose solo project. A Rose by any other name....... 3) I will try to be objective, but keep in mind that if Axl released a record of him farting into a megaphone with a band of trained monkeys dancing around him playing finger cymbals, I would think it was better than 80% of the current rock music. Now without further ado.......

Track 1 - Chinese Democracy
There are many songs on this record that could better with each listen, this isn't one of them. When I first heard the live bootleg of this song - 8 years ago - I thought it was an average hard rock song. After hearing the final studio version, I think it is a slightly above average hard rock song. Easily the least inetersting track on the record. However, Fall Out Boy couldn't write a song this interesting with detailed instructions. The main riff is decent and there is some nice solo work by Robin Finck and Buckethead, but the song lacks a memorable hook. It must have been the lack of hook that made Axl decide to make it the first single. Sidenote, the Chinese chatter in the intro roughly translates to "I can't believe that crazy bastard put a picture of my grandma's bike on the cover.
Final Grade: 84

Track 2 - Shackler's Revenge
This is one of the songs that grew on me after repeated listens. The verses sound like the theme song of the Sorprano's. The pre-chorus has a slamming guitar riff underneath the 37 tracks of vocals and keyboards. The chorus is catchy and instantly memorable. The bridge has lyrics that are the first sign of New Age Axl - "No one is stopping you from doin what you want to do". The solo is by Bumblefoot, and it sounds like the rest of Bumblefoot's solos on the record - R2/D2 on a bad acid trip. What's more inetersting is what's going on under the solo - the rythym hits with the force of a freight train. After my first listen, industrial nosie with a catchy hook. After repeated listens, the best heavy metal, industrial disco song ever written.
Final Grade: 92

Track 3 - Better
When I first heard the demo of this song - 3 years ago - I thought it was one of the greatest songs I have ever heard. I stand by that initail assessment. Consider the arrangement: nursey rhyme sing/song intro into pop metal verse into alice in chains-like chorus into rage against the machine-like bridge into schizo electronic breakdown into bluesy guitar solo into poppy outro verse with melodic guitar line and backing vocals ending with the nursey ryhme.
Final Grade: 98

Track 4 - Street of Dreams
When I first heard the live verison of this - again 8 years ago (it was then called "The Blues") - I loved this song. However, the studio version has a slower tempo, more orchestration and the first appearance of Axl's new "Count Chocula" voice. These changes have made it the worst ballad on the record. Still, the piano breakdown and outro are powerful, the guitar solo is uniquely excellent (courtesy of Finck) and no one is better at telling off a former lover than Axl - "what I thought was beautiful don't live inside of you anymore" and "what I thought was true were lies I couldn't see".
Final Grade: 86

Track 5 - If the World
This another song that has grown on me. At first, I thought it was easily the worst song on the record. Now, I quite enjoy it. Imagine electro funk porn with spanish acoustic guitar with Axl singing like, as a friend put it, a white dude trying to sing like a black soul singer. Incredibly it sounds exactly like you would imagine it sounds like. This would have been the perfect theme song for the last Bond movie.
Final Grade: 88

Track 6 - There Was A Time (T.W.A.T)
Admittedly the acronym for the song is a bit juvenile, but I think it succinctly sums up the theme of the song - 'there was a time I would do anything for you... but now you're just a twat' (to paraphrase). The song inexplicably opens and ends with a choir, but the song is really sent over the edge with a mind-bending, face-melting solo by Buckethead that ranks up there with anything Slash has ever recorded.
Final Grade: 95

Track 7 - Catcher in the Rye
How can go you wrong with a song written by the greatest band ever with the title of the greatest book ever written. This song is one of the few instances were the mix goes haywire. Axl could have better served the song by taking out 10-15 of the guitar tracks. However, the lyrics are strong (about John Lennon's murder), and it is one of the most melodic songs on the record.
Final Grade: 90

[Axl Caufield]

My Review Part II

Track 8 - Scraped
This a great straight ahead rock song, once you get past the a cappella intro. This is Axl in full manic/depressive mode. Alternating self pity ("sometime I fell the world is on top of me / breaking me down with a endless monotony) with more New Age Axl ("You are worth more than they tell you" and "believe in yourself"). There is another paranoid android solo by Bumblefuck and again the rythym work unerneath is much more ineteresting.
Final Grade: 92

Track 9 - Riad N' the Bedouins
What this song is about only God and Axl know, but it rocks like a motherfucker. After an intro that sounds like mood music from the Matrix, the song erupts into an unholy combination of Zepplin's "Immigrant Song" and Outkast's "B.O.B". Buckethead's guitar is constantly on the brink on veering off the tracks, but manages to be incredibly musical. Amazingly, this is the only song on the record that includes the word "fuck" - maybe Axl is growing up.
Final Grade: 92

Track 10 - Sorry
Just when you think Axl is going to get apologetic for the myriad of fucked up things has no doubt done, the chorus kicks in - "I am sorry for you, not sorry for me". The music sounds like Pink Floyd interpreted by Black Sabbath. The lyrics are the chilling sound of somebody who knows the truth no matter how much you can fool everyone else with your bullshit. Sebastian Bach provides background vocals thus proving Axl still thinks (like myself) that it is 1988. The only negative aspect of this song is the return of the "Count Chocula" voice in the opening verses.
Final Grade: 98

Track 11 - I.R.S.
This song sounds like it could have been a Use Your Illusions outtake. Probably the second least ineteresting track on the record. Probably the next single. Another great Buckethead solo though.
Final Grade: 85

Track 12 - Madagascar
This songs starts with a sampled french horn riff and gets weirder from there. A chorus with no lyrics and middle section consisting of movie clips with a Michael J. Fox dialouge prominently featured. Incredibly it all works somehow (except maybe for the gruff old man vocals in the beginning). As if comparing his isolation to the lonley African island of Madagascar isn't hyperbole enough, Axl then compares his percieved oppression to the equal rights movement by sampling MLK's "I have a dream" speech. They don't make crazy mother fucking geniuses like this anymore.
Final Grade: 91

Track 13 - This I Love
This is up there with "Estranged" as the greatest ballad Axl has ever written. Amazingly the arrangement is relatively stripped down (although there is definitely a harp in the mix) with a gorgeous solo by Robin Finck. It starts with Axl on the piano doing a Freddie Mercury impersonation and the lyrics and melody are melodramatic ("i've searched the universe and found myself within in her eyes"). But, this is an unrequited love song and this is what finding love and losing it and refusing to let go sound like. Classic song.
Final Grade: 100

Track 14 - Prostitute
This is the best example of a song that keeps getting better with each listen. At first it was pleasant enough, but more and more it is the song that gets stuck in my head. Lyrically it sounds like a bittersweet kiss off to the fans who dare to question his methods ("ask yourself what I would do to prostitute myself to live with fortune and shame"). Musically it keeps building until a powerful unexpected chord change sends it over the top and then fades out to the sound of soothing keyboard tones. To me it sounds like the sigh of relief after successfully completing a monumental journey.
Final Grade: 98

FINAL OVERALL GRADE: 92

For comparisons sake I would give Appetite for Destruction a 95 and Use Your Illusions a 90. I don't know if a culture that calls Nickelback and Daughtry rock and roll and that comes out in droves when AC/DC releases the same record for the 20th time or when Metallica half-assedly tries to recapture their 'Master of Puppets' glory days, will embrace a record as challenging, creative, original and audacious as Chinese Democracy. But what is truly great about Axl is that he wouldn't let anyone stop him from making the record he wanted to make and I don't think he gives a fuck if anyone buys it. That's called artistic integrity, which most "artists" these days wouldn't understand with a dictionary, thesauarus and google's most high powered search engine. As for me, I still believe and I'll wait another 12 years for Chinese Democracy II.

[Buddha_Master]

This album is beyond beautiful.

Anyone who really doesn't like it, is someone I really don't want to know. You're fucking crazy.

[Smoking Guns]

This album is beyond beautiful.

Anyone who really doesn't like it, is someone I really don't want to know. You're fucking crazy.

GNR = Beautiful?  $1 to the most dangerous band in the world.

[Ali]

This album is beyond beautiful.

Anyone who really doesn't like it, is someone I really don't want to know. You're fucking crazy.

GNR = Beautiful?  $1 to the most dangerous band in the world.

Yes.  The same GN'R that produced other beautiful songs like "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Patience", "November Rain" and "Estranged".

Ali

[Smoking Guns]

This album is beyond beautiful.

Anyone who really doesn't like it, is someone I really don't want to know. You're fucking crazy.

GNR = Beautiful?  $1 to the most dangerous band in the world.

Yes.  The same GN'R that produced other beautiful songs like "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Patience", "November Rain" and "Estranged".

Ali

I know what he meant, and I was kidding.  I don't know if SCOM is beautiful, but it sure does Rock.