Chinese Democracy HTGTH member reviews

[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

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

I think the sheer beauty of its melodies is what made it so appealing to so many people.

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.

I think the sheer beauty of its melodies is what made it so appealing to so many people.

Ali

The solo is one of the most perfect guitar solos I have ever heard.  Opps, getting off topic.  CD has some beautiful songs, but as a whole I wouldn't say its a "beautiful" album. 

[Buddha_Master]

Would you say that a good pair of boobs are beautiful? Because I would. So I obviously know what the fuck I am talking about.

Chinese Democracy is beautiful. It is fucking tits!

[Raistlin]

Chinese Democracy is beautiful. It is fucking tits!

Mmmmm fucking tits and GNR together.  Throw in some whipped cream and feathers and I call that a Thursday night!

[nateinthehon]

Not that I would know anything about that.

But I popped it in todayom my way home from a friends and listened to a few of the songs, namely Prostitute, If The World, TWAT and Sorry. Those songs take almost a whole new dimension to them. Pretty cool, a vibe that I picked up with Estranged, Locomtotive and Coma off the Illusions.

[norway]

A more detailed review:

I got reintroduced (I lost intrest after TSI) with OMG and found the new band quite intresting.

Chinese Democracy

Great song, I miss the vocal change at the end of the song Axl did live but apart from that it's a decent rocker.

Shackers Revenge

Very heavy and fast.

Now this is my kind of music, I love it.

It has a similar sound, beat and instrumentation like OMG but a lot more melodic.
The chorus is great, the solo is ok.

Better

Amazing verse and vocals. A very good rocker.

Listening to it (and the entire album actually) there is no denying Chris Pitman isn't a exaxtly a new Liam Howlet (The Prodigy) but in the mix you can hear some pretty intresting melodies and soundeffects.

Street of Dreams

Axl sounds really good here.

Chris should be more present in this song imo but isn't.
It's very guitardriven with the piano playing in the start and as it progress you get to hear more and more classic harmony lines and bluesy guitars with Axl's high vocals on top of it.

A half-heavy power-ballad.

If the world


The verse is pretty good, as is the music. It has a pretty good beat to it.
When the song progress the guitars gets louder.

A lot of keyboards, diferent types of guitars, Axl's is really ripping, exellent solo and rythm.


The song itself isn't so good in my ears tho. I think the chorus could have been made more heavy.

There was a time

I'm not a big fan of soft music but this is very good.

It would be cool if the chorus at the start was used as in the second verse but the harmonies used instead works great.

Super solo and chordchanges.

Cather in the rye

A beautifull song.

If the electronic parts in the music was heavier I'd be more happy tho. Axl sings really good on this.

Scraped

Probably the best solo on the entire album. A great rocker. Give us more Chris and Dizzy!

Rhiad and however it's spelled

Awesome rocker, exellent vocals.

I love the intro. Chris and Dizzy at work here. They aren't as present as the songs kicks off sadly.

The beat, Buckethead's playing, the speed of the song and Axl singing really aggresive makes up for it tho.
The closest you get to a "headbanger" maybe.

One of my favorites. PS, at around 3.30...turn it up!

A LALD type of scream added would make the song absolutely perfect.

Sorry

This is not doommetal baz

Pink Floyd type of solo and sound in it, the pre-chorus really gets you.

IRS

The rythm, verse and vocals is good but it's too much soft music shifts in it imo.

The heavy parts is exellent.

Madagascar

One of the best they done.

If I had it my way they would keep the solo-arrangement used in rio3, others likes the change.

This I love

Another soft song. A pretty one at that.

Prostitute

As this i love but a lot more grand with a richer variety of sound-elements and music-styles.

A great outro for the album.

PS/

When is the next album coming out!

[jarmo]

After having listened to this album in various places such as cars, planes, on laptop speakers and at home, I can just repeat what my first impression was..... WOW!


I can't just start picking out and grading songs, because I just see it as a whole.

Picking a favorite track is kinda impossible because I tend to discover new things in the songs all the time.


The songs are amazing on their own, but I'm very happy that the production is also amazing.

It's kinda rare these days to have an album that sounds great. For example, it's not too loud....

For all the shit that's been said about this album over the years, for me it's apparent that the album is a result of people making sure they got the album they wanted to make.

It's all about having integrity regarding your art.


This is an album that will piss off a lot of people just because basically it's a big "fuck you" to those who say it can't be done.



/jarmo

[ppbebe]

it took them a couple of weeks to prepare the special dinner and you think you can digest it in 15 mins.

not me.

[AxlsMainMan]

Chinese Democracy is beautiful. It is fucking tits!

Mmmmm fucking tits and GNR together.  Throw in some whipped cream and feathers and I call that a Thursday night!

Or throw in Sebastian and you got the 2006 tour

[dmaximus5]

Jarmo I think hit it on the nose.  Bottomline Axl and co did this album exactly how they wanted, making sure it sounded right to them.  I think a real objective listener notices more and more things about each song that make them like the songs even more.  On my first listen, I would say I flat out liked like 9 or 10 songs.  Now I think all 14 are great songs and can completely see any of them being someone's favorite.  This album is no small hill of beans, Guns and Roses have done something very significant in a music industry that really lacks creativity and rarely puts their balls on the line!  Axl has done both and I believe he & co have pulled off one of the best albums of all time!!

Congratulation Gunz!


P.S.  The funny thing is, I think this is the tip of the iceberg with lays ahead with future albums.

[irishtwilight]

ROCKERS
Chinese Democracy
Very good opening track. My favorite song.
Shackler's Revenge
Good tune. Really like the chorus.
Scraped
Sucks!
Riad N' The Bedouins
Solid rocker.

MIDTEMPO-ROCKERS
Better
Catchiest song on the album.
If The World
Don't like this song.
Sorry
Killer riffs throughout. Second favorite track.
I.R.S.
Pretty good, but it does drag a little bit.
Prostitute
Good closing track.

EPIC BALLADS
Street Of Dreams
Quite good, but I liked the song title The Blues better.
There Was A Time
Pretty good song.
Catcher N' The Rye
I like it, but the earlier version with Brian May was better.
Madagascar
It's good, but it would have been a great song if it not
had Martin Luther King and movie soundbites in the
middle of it. Still Buckethead's guitar soars throughout!
This I Love
An embarrisingly sappy song. Doesn't fit the album at all.

ALBUM RATING: B-

[norway]

it took them a couple of weeks to prepare the special dinner and you think you can digest it in 15 mins.

not me.

Yeah, I think this album is going to be very inspirational.

P.S.  The funny thing is, I think this is the tip of the iceberg with lays ahead with future albums.

Oh yeah, gimmi moar!

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Everyone asks me why I haven't done a review yet.

Because I can't.

These songs are like my kids, I can't pick a favorite.  I love them equally for their own different reasons.

The man has given us a tremendous gift.  As it has been with all the other releases. 

And I love how, like Zeppelin and Floyd, each album has its own tone and feel.  If I'm feeling one way or another, there's a Guns N' Roses album for me!

(Not that I have let Chinese Democracy escape my sight for one second!)

[jarmo]

It's an album you just have to listen all the way through....





/jarmo

[elmir]

overall, i am very pleased with the album...good from start to finish, my weakest track on there is Scraped, just can't seem to get into that one...not sure why...

a very good effort all round, like the fact that BH stayed on the record and I love BBF's contributions even more, what a champ guitar player....and it shows on the album...

i did however expect something completely different, which put a damper on my excitement initially, but after listening to it over and over, I really like it...a good closure record for the last 14 years...

i hope it does well commercially...which in this day and age is easier said than done...

well done to the band and all involved...

[Jecoma]

I totally agree with Jarmo that the album needs to be experienced as a whole.

It's truly an awesome, rich and beautiful record: one of my favorites of all time.

The mixed reception by critics somewhat puzzles me to be honest, but I guess Chinese Democracy is quite similar to The Empire Strikes Back (the second Star Wars movie from 1980).

The Empire Strikes Back also received mixed reviews (even until 1983's Return Of The Jedi, of which Time Magazine said: "[ROTJ] is better than [TESB] which suffered from a hectic, muddled pace".

It's funny that nowadays no self-respecting critic would ever hold ROTJ over TESB, and the latter is often regarded as 'one of the greatest films ever made' topping countless 'best movies ever made'-lists over the years.

But certainly NOT in 1980! Then critics thought it was better to downgrade the film for various reasons.

I feel CD is suffering the same fate as TESB, but I hope it will one day be as well regarded. 

[The Catcher]

I've been saying that for nearly 3 weeks now that I will post my review soon
I'm afraid it won't happen. The album is a masterpiece, I feel like I would be doing the songs and the record as a whole a disservice by grading and reviewing them. But I'll say this: It's totally worth the wait and it's the most complex and awesome GN'R album ever!

[faldor]

It's an album you just have to listen all the way through....





/jarmo

Yeah I was watching "That Metal Show" on VH1 Classic the other day.  On each episode they have their "Pick of the day".  (Note these episodes were taped LONG ago, even though they're just being aired now.)  Eddie Trunk chose Judas Priest's Nostradamus, saying it was a concept record and that concept records usually took more than one listen to fully appreciate them.  Now, Chinese Democracy isn't a concept record but I think to see it's true beauty you need to listen to the whole thing.  While the individual songs are great, the fact that ALL 14 songs on the album can be listened to without skipping over any is a rare feat.  I know that might not be the case for everyone, maybe people skip over a song here and there, but for me I've done nothing but listen to it all the way through since I got it.

[D]

U know, I can honestly say, that after all this time, I still think Madagascar is my favorite.

That song came around 2001 at the absolute lowest moment of my life and it just has such special meaning to me, that is still remains my favorite.

[damnthehaters]

Good album overall, but I can't give a review yet either.  I find something new everytime I listen to it.

I will say one thing though.  If there is one downside to this album for me, it is when Axl goes in that really high voice.  I understand not many people can even go that high, but I don't care for it.  (It's like the time he came out on the VMA's and he introduced the Killers.  He said "you know where the fuck you are?' ...and it was like listening to finger nails across a chalk board!)  I would personally like a lower voice every time he does this..(If The World, beginning of Scraped, I.R.S, Rhiad.)  My favorite Axl voice will always be the raspy one as he does in Better!  This has been the same complaint by a few of my friends as well.