Chinese Democracy HTGTH member reviews

[Bodhi]

I guess it's just me but the last 20 seconds of Better are so messed up it's barely listenable for me

this makes my brain hurt...

[AxlRulesGnR]

Barely listenable? Barely listenable? Are you fucking pulling our chain dude?    Its just the pendulum swinging back around playing off the sound of the intro. Its full circle. But its also closure hence why it isn't exactly the same. See its shit like this that makes me fucking dig the fuck out of Axl. He is a visionary, and this type of display is all over the album. Maybe someone would like to create a topic because this is some fertile ground for us to cover. Dude do not speak of this again. I respect you so I am giving you this free advice here. Yikes.

I just don't like the way the last 20 seconds makes it sound like my speaker is blown out - but it's not my speaker.  I love the track, I love the ending - I just hate the way the ending sounds with that blown out speaker sound.

[The Dog]

1-5 rating scale - 5 being best

1. Chinese Democracy - 2/5 = over produced, too slow, a stripped down, faster version would have been ideal for me.
2. Shackler's Revenge - 1/5 = I can barely listen to this song.  Just really bad.  Way over produced, too synthesized.
3. Better - 3/5 Really liked this song when I first heard it, but its become very "meh" to me.
4. Street of Dreams 2/5 - LOVED this song from RiR, but it's gotten stale over time. Nice guitars and axl's vocals are solid once again.  Would have been a good track on the Illusions albums, but it just sounds a bit dated to me know in 2008.  This song definitely sounds better live (then it gets a 3).
5. If the world - 2/5 ZZZzzzz  boring.
6. There was a time - 5/5 best song on the album, amazing vocals and guitar work.
7. Catcher in the Rye - 3.5/5 good tune, seems a bit out of place on the album, but it's a good song.
8. Scraped - 3.5/5 - good rocker, but nothing amazing.
9. Riad n' the Bedouins - 2/5 the CD version of this song is pretty good - avg rock tune though.
10. Sorry - 2/5 not sure why everyone jizzes in their pants over this song. Its slow, monotone and kinda boring.  Cool lyrics, but the song just doesn't seem to go anywhere. 
11. I.R.S. - 3/5 - as with all of the rockers on CD, its good but not great. 
12. Madagascar - 4/5 nice epic song that has stood the test of time.
13. This I Love 4/5
14. Prostitute 4/5 - Axl really turns it up on this one - good lyrics and vocals.  I like the chances they took with this song.

overall, its a good album, but not great.  Definitely not what I was hoping Axl would re-launch Guns with and not the album that is going to save rock n' roll (like I was hoping).  The rocker songs are average at best and I don't see any of them really ever being big hits.  The longer, more epic songs are fantastic as I would expect.  Axl owns these type of songs.  TWAT is simply amazing.  Some songs have great guitars on them, but overall I feel like most lack a sense of emotion.  I don't know, just me. They soar in TWAT and really complement the lyrics/vocals of that song.  I dig the guitar on Catcher too. Can't say I feel the same way about most of the songs on the rest of the album. They are good, but they're missing that "it"/"x" factor... hard to articulate.

Axl sounds amazing though.  Lyrically he goes all the way on this one.  CD has come and gone in my book, I'm looking forward to the next Guns album and I now with CD under my belt my expectations are a bit different. 

Overall rating - 3/5.

[wells]

really, really, really interesting subject for the new topic  ... if You don't like it don't listen to it ... if You feel like everyone should now than at least post in some thread where there are reviews ...

oh yeah and welcome

-velimir

[budmaster]

im not saying i like or dislike it.....but the distorted sound on the end of Better has definatly had me checking to see if i'd blown my speakers from listening to it so loud the first few times after buying the album

[Wardy]

Better sounds fine to me... Prostitute is not much bother... but the bleep in second verse of Scraped where it's been glued together frustrates me fer sure... that's my only complaint, the album RULES!

[greendog]

Better sounds fine to me... Prostitute is not much bother... but the bleep in second verse of Scraped where it's been glued together frustrates me fer sure... that's my only complaint, the album RULES!

thats intentional.

but regardless of that, i love glitch anyway 

[Buddha_Master]

Barely listenable? Barely listenable? Are you fucking pulling our chain dude?    Its just the pendulum swinging back around playing off the sound of the intro. Its full circle. But its also closure hence why it isn't exactly the same. See its shit like this that makes me fucking dig the fuck out of Axl. He is a visionary, and this type of display is all over the album. Maybe someone would like to create a topic because this is some fertile ground for us to cover. Dude do not speak of this again. I respect you so I am giving you this free advice here. Yikes.

I just don't like the way the last 20 seconds makes it sound like my speaker is blown out - but it's not my speaker.  I love the track, I love the ending - I just hate the way the ending sounds with that blown out speaker sound.

Its fucking trippy. There is a lot of trippy sounds throughout this beautiful album. I dig the last 20 seconds of Better. I love the first 20 seconds of Better. I love everything between too. Don't know what to tell you, smoke some weed or something. You are looking at things and hearing them way to 3 dimensionally. 

[ppbebe]

yea. for me trippy isn't the word. throughout this album there're moments i feel as if i am at zero G. like when you ride a roller coaster, maybe.

[AdZ]

CD has come and gone in my book, I'm looking forward to the next Guns album and I now with CD under my belt my expectations are a bit different. 

I don't really have words for that statement, except that that is ridiculous.

[The Dog]

CD has come and gone in my book, I'm looking forward to the next Guns album and I now with CD under my belt my expectations are a bit different. 

I don't really have words for that statement, except that that is ridiculous.

there are a couple of tunes I find myself wanting to hear all the time, but as an entire album I don't think I'd play it from start to finish anytime soon.  Maybe it'll grow on me as I keep listening to it, but it didn't grab me by the balls the first time I played the entire thing like other albums I got this year.

[Skunk]

CD has come and gone in my book, I'm looking forward to the next Guns album and I now with CD under my belt my expectations are a bit different. 

I don't really have words for that statement, except that that is ridiculous.

there are a couple of tunes I find myself wanting to hear all the time, but as an entire album I don't think I'd play it from start to finish anytime soon.  Maybe it'll grow on me as I keep listening to it, but it didn't grab me by the balls the first time I played the entire thing like other albums I got this year.

Wow, talk about how things can be different for different people. Since i bought CD i've been having trouble listening to anything else. The other day i was Christmas shopping and i was going to buy myself an album from an artist i love that i didn't realize was out, but i decided it didn't make sense to buy it yet because i'll be too busy listening to Chinese.

[The Dog]

CD has come and gone in my book, I'm looking forward to the next Guns album and I now with CD under my belt my expectations are a bit different. 

I don't really have words for that statement, except that that is ridiculous.

there are a couple of tunes I find myself wanting to hear all the time, but as an entire album I don't think I'd play it from start to finish anytime soon.  Maybe it'll grow on me as I keep listening to it, but it didn't grab me by the balls the first time I played the entire thing like other albums I got this year.

Wow, talk about how things can be different for different people. Since i bought CD i've been having trouble listening to anything else. The other day i was Christmas shopping and i was going to buy myself an album from an artist i love that i didn't realize was out, but i decided it didn't make sense to buy it yet because i'll be too busy listening to Chinese.

you shouldn't be buying yourself xmas presents at xmas time anyways! hehe just kidding. 

There a few CD songs I listen to a lot (TWAT, prostitute mostly) but I've been finding myself listening to a lot of Pantera and Down lately instead of CD.

[axlsalinger]

Thought I'd wait a while before submitting a review, to try and absorb the songs a little better. I've listened to this album at least once every day, and sometimes more, ever since it came out. And I still continue to do it, so in the end I am very positive about Chinese Democracy, despite the slight "letdown" since the album could never possibly live up to the hype. Plus, having heard all the demos took some of the fun out of it, knowing several of these songs as well as I do. I definitely find myself generally starting off with the newbies, 'Sorry', 'Scraped' and 'This I Love', but then move on to the rest. There has been some criticism about the lack of "anthems", and I must admit I am surprised there isn't at least one Appetite-like song with a killer pop chorus in the mix. I thought for sure Axl would've had a surefire hit single up his sleeve, less produced but pure ear candy. 'Better' comes closest, and we have to keep in mind that it is fresh and new to the general radio listener, so I am hopeful it will be a hit song in the new year. I feel that this album became a huge burden on Axl's shoulders, and I'm glad he finally got it out. I very, very much look forward to the next one. Can't wait in fact, with lowered expectations Axl can pretty much be sure of a positive reception if he's got some cool stuff lined up.

Chinese Democracy - I've always liked this song, it's not a single but it's a great album opener, love the lyrics and Axl's delivery, along with the solo, which starts (I assume) with some cool Finck guitar work and morphs into a killer Bucket solo. It's a cool tune, and I love singing along. Works for me, as the title track.

Shackler's Revenge - An interesting song. It's got Buckethead's fingerprints all over it, and while it's slightly underwhelming as the opening shot across the bow (ie. its inclusion on Rock Band), it's mixed very well and I love the way the various "I don't believe it" lines come together at the end of the chorus. Reminds me of parts of 'Oh My God' in a way, sounding great through headphones but maybe not working quite as well at low volume. Despite protestations to the contrary, it does have an industrial feel to it (for lack of a better term), and I think Axl may have more songs like this one in the vault. Great solo, too. In fact, I'll say here that Bucket rocks throughout this whole album.

Better - I've always loved this one, really like Axl's delivery, especially in the verses, and it should be a hit, if radio can handle the second half of the song, which I am happy to see has remained intact. Sounds pretty much like the demo, but they did a great job on the final mix. The synth is perfect (starting around 2:35 in). The guitarwork is awesome, and the lyrics are extremely well-constructed, as well. This song, perhaps along with 'Street of Dreams', has the best potential to be a radio hit.

Street of Dreams - Really prefer the title 'The Blues', but it's a great song regardless, a ballad of high quality that is single material IMO. I actually prefer the original slowed-down version we heard in Rio, but this version is still great. Miss that "OK - nevermind" part, though! "But that's not stardust on my feet / It leaves a taste that's bittersweet that's called the blues". Awesome. Love the added "What'd I tell ya" as well.

If the World - Like it, don't quite love it. I understand why some hate it, but I appreciate the willingness to experiment, and I like Axl's vocals here. The song doesn't quite fit, and I'm not always in the mood for it, but I love the way it kicks in after the quieter part where Axl's voice moves from right to left through the speakers. In the end, I'm glad it made the album, and it sounds very cool at high volume.

There Was a Time - I think this is the best song on the album. That guitar solo during the last couple of minutes is magic, and really is kind of orgasmic, lol. One of the best guitar solos ever, I'd say, and I hope Bucket gets some recognition for it. Love everything about the song, chorus, lyrics, etc. Fantastic track.

Catcher in the Rye - Love this song, and always will. It's my favourite book, and Axl's vocals and the harmonies are simply awesome throughout. I do think, however, that this is one song I feel is "overproduced". The demo we heard was of poor audio quality and definitely needed some work, but the mix on the final version is just too cluttered. Guitars pop up where they aren't needed, and the vocals are too low in the mix. I get the feeling there are all kinds of mixes for these songs, and I'd love to hear a couple for Catcher. I'll bet there was one earlier on in the game that I would like more, but it's still a great song. But every time I hear it, I just feel it isn't mixed right.

Scraped - Ahh, the controversial 'Scraped'. I wasn't sure what to make of it at first, but now I love this track. I will admit I'm not crazy about that opening bit, but at the same time I don't mind it, and love all the rest. Axl's vocals are cool, and the song has really grown on me a lot since I first heard it.

Riad and the Bedouins - I dig the track, but for an album a decade in the making, this really should be a B-side. It should have come out as the flip side of the first single, and I'm surprised it made the final album. The music is good and contrary to many, I like the lyrics a lot although I still have no idea what they mean, lol. I really like the delivery of "somewhere in time", but other than that I feel Axl's effort here is subpar, and overall the song is just nothing special.

Sorry - I'm very happy the demo for this one never got out, so I could hear it fresh and new. I love this song, and often start my listening to Chinese Democracy by playing this one first. I do feel it's about Slash, and the lyrics are great. I actually look forward to the "But I don't want to do it" line, and love the Pink Floyd / Black Sabbath / GNR mix of styles here. I often play it 2 or 3 times in a day, and haven't gotten bored of it yet. That's a good sign.

I.R.S. - This is one case where I feel it was detrimental to hear the demos, or maybe I just prefer the demo to the final mix, I'm not sure. I really enjoyed this song when I first heard it, but these days I find it rather blase. Still think this was the track originally known as 'Oklahoma'. It's not a bad song by any means, but it should probably have ended up as a B-side. I'd like to think Axl's got quite a few better songs on tape.

Madagascar - Simply great. Very similar to the demo, so in one regard I don't listen to it as much these days having heard it so much in the past, but I always enjoy it when I do play it, and the lyrics are really strong here. And once again, Bucket rocks the house.

This I Love - Cool tune. It's a more intricate piece than it sounds like at first glance, and definitely seems to have been written about Stephanie Seymour back in the day. It feels like a song very personal to Axl, and I've been listening to it a lot lately. High-quality work, for sure.

Prostitute - It's a very good song, and I like it a lot. Just don't feel it's right as the album's closing track, would've been great to have another 'Rocket Queen' lined up to bring the festivities to a halt after this one. Something about the hip-hop beat doesn't quite work for me, but the music builds up nicely into the climax. The line where the song's title is mentioned is great.

In the end, while Chinese Democracy couldn't possibly live up to the hype, and doesn't much resemble Appetite, it's still one hell of a great album, and I do think a lot of reviewers went in ready to tear Axl apart, but then had to admit it is in the end a strong piece of work. Kudos to Axl and GNR for finally getting the monkey off their back!!!! I can't think of an album released in 2008 that I like more, or that has stuck with me this long. I think this album will eventually be looked at fondly, despite all the horror stories and length of time it took to make.

I really can't wait to hear the next one.

[clau68]

After listening CD for a month, I can say that it is an excellent album. In general I think that it is solid album with amazing songs. For me all the songs are valuable. Chinese Democracy is a very good song. There Was a Time is one of my favorite because the music and the lyrics. I really appreciate Sorry and This Is I Love. At the beginning I don?t like Scraped, but, the most I listening it the most I like it. I think this album is a masterpiece. Obviously the elaborated art it is not for all the people. I will continue enjoy CD for a long time.

[WhatsAnOwlVent?]

Check it out...

http://www.bigmusicgeek.com/GunsNRoses1.html

 

[TheSod75]

Here's my review I wrote on my myspace page (I ranked my Top 10 albums of the year and Chinese Democracy was naturally No. 1). Just thought I'd share....

It's been 17 long years since Guns N Roses put out the twin magnum opuses 'Use Your Illusion I and II' and much has changed in the Guns camp...namely the entire band save for Axl Rose and keyboardist Dizzy Reed. While there are many in the media that will never accept this as a Guns N Roses album, just an Axl Rose solo project, I'm not in that camp.
First off, this has the feel of a modern-age Guns N Roses record. Some of the solos delivered by a revolving cast of guitarists (Buckethead, Ron Thal, Richard Fortus, Robin Finck, Paul Tobias) are every bit as good or better than Slash, and Rose is in fine voice throughout.
Some of the material (especially tracks like 'Shackler's Revenge' that have a heavy industrial influence) seems a bit dated, but that's not a knock against the album, the variety of styles work well as you never get stuck in any particular type of music.
The album begins in fine fashion with 'Chinese Democracy', an aggressive track where a pissed-off Axl rails against the oppressive Chinese government. Safe to say, Guns N Roses won't be playing a show in China anytime soon.
Everything you want from Rose and the gang is here in a tidy package, whether its the brilliant wistful balladry of 'Street of Dreams' where Rose laments a lost love to the nasty 'There Was a Time' (formerly known by its acronym) which rips a lost love to shreds, the album delivers on so many levels.
There's plenty of Axl venom spewed on one of the album's more far-out tracks, 'Sorry'. Is he directing his anger toward Slash? Internet rumors? Fairweather fans? Former lovers? Who knows, but a menacing Axl growl sings over a keyboard-backdrop that could be described as demonic Pink Floyd. Brilliant.
Lyrically, he even addresses the interminable wait for this album to be released with a few of the lines in 'I.R.S' "Maybe it's the way that I've carried on, like a broken record for so long....Feeling like I've done way more than wrong, feelin like I'm livin' inside of this song." You can tell he wanted these songs to sound perfect, and in most cases, he succeeds.
The best track on the album is probably the most sentimental for me lyrically - the glorious 'Catcher in the Rye' Obviously, that's the title of the famous J.D. Salinger book, but it's also the book carried by John Lennon's murderer Mark David Chapman on the fateful night of December 8, 1980. Chapman gunned down Lennon and then waited for the police to arrive while reading the book.
Most of the song seems to lend a sympathetic ear to the criminally insane people who commit horrific deeds like this, until the song's touching final verse, where Rose's admiration for Lennon is on full display:

On an ordinary day
Not in an ordinary way
All at once the song I heard
No longer would it play
For anybody or anyone
That needed comfort from somebody
Needed comfort from someone
Who cared To be
Not like you Unlike me
And then the voices went away from me
Somehow you set the wheels in motion
That haunt our memories
You were the instrument
You were the one
How a body took a body
You gave that boy a gun
You took our innocence
Behind our stares
Sometimes the only thing we counted on
When no one else was there

Everytime I hear it (as beautiful guitar interplay in the background), I get chills down my spine, and I've been listening to the album on a regular basis since its Nov. 23 release date.
Bottom line, go get this album at your local Best Buy (it's an exclusive there). Don't think it's not Guns N Roses, because when you sink your teeth into it, you'll find out it's often vintage Guns.

[Aussie_Axe]

it's growing on me, i was expecting something different when i first bought the cd. it's a good cd.

[younggunner]

i was expecting something different when i first bought the cd.

what were you expecting?