Found a review from some video game site (for those of you wondering which song to pick up).
http://www.examiner.com/x-6947-Portland-Video-Game-Examiner~y2009m4d14-Rock-Band-DLC-review-for-April-14thChinese Democracy * The guitar maintains the industrial sound that Shackler?s Revenge has. It?s a pretty tough song overall with a ton of slides and trills of varying speed. The solo that kicks in to end the song is quite rugged too.
* Fun on drums but nothing too out of the ordinary. Some offbeat kicks and a few rolls here and there. The end tosses out some more intense kick pedal.
* Bass is definitely not the focus of the song. While the song does move up and down the board a bit, it?s not going to be the reason you get this song..
* Vocally it?s not the hardest thing you?ve ever heard, but Axl does have a unique voice that can be hard to emulate, especially if you have issues hitting higher notes.
Better * This song?s guitar sounds really great. It?s got some fun sections and solos. There?s also one finger melting section about two thirds of the way through that made my brain freeze up with confusion.
* Call me crazy, but I could have sworn I was listening to a Linkin Park track when the drum entered. The fun intro gives way to a somewhat repetitive song with a few fun kick/roll sections.
* Bass is again not too exciting. It speeds up around solo time but doesn?t really bring much to the table.
* Typical Axl craziness. There?s lots of weird notes and pitch shifting in this one. Not very easy at all.
Street of Dreams * Much lower key than the first two songs on guitar. It?s appropriate and fits the song though. For solo lovers, it still brings a fun one without being overly difficult.
* Apart from one nasty roll in the middle of the song, it?s a pretty slow and straightforward journey. Takes a while for the drum to kick in and has another gap in the middle of the song.
* Bass has a few nice hammer-ons. This is the most interesting song on bass so far.
* This ballad is going to test you in all directions. Axl goes high, low and then takes a rocket ship to outer space. It reminds me a lot of their older stuff, which is really good.
If The World * A really laid back song on guitar. It?s got a real nice sound to it and feels really smooth. It?s a great mix of speed and sound.
* This song is just tricky on drums all over the place. Because of the sound of the song, it doesn?t seem too intense but the combinations of rolls and kicks will have you moving around a lot.
* The bass is appropriately funky for the song but there are a lot of gaps where you won?t be playing much.
* Much easier than Street of Dreams on vocals. Axl goes high but he stays there for the most part.
There Was a Time * Holy cow at that ending. Here?s another smooth song that doesn?t crank it up until the very end. There were 2 good solos. The first was a bit passive but that second one comes screaming at you about halfway through.. All of the songs on this CD are really long too as a bonus.
* This song is really about the guitar, so the drums were fair. Somewhat repetitive but just enough in the roll department to keep it interesting.
* Some quick strumming sections for bass keep things interesting here.
* Another rough one in the vocal department. Axl can still sing like no other.
Catcher in the Rye * Another 6 minute song here. There are some awkward chord changes in this one but it?s pretty fun on the whole with a couple cool solos.
* Drumming-wise this song is par for the course, or should I say CD. There?s just enough switching around the kit to make it interesting but nothing that will get you flying out of your seat.
* This song is a bit weaker on bass than the others. Any of these song with an extended solo has the bass taking a major back seat.
* A bit tamer on vocals than the others.
Scraped * A shorter burst of energy over the last few slower songs. Two quick solos that will challenge as well as a heavy riff.
* This song has a pretty unique Red-Yellow-Red-Blue roll that can be found throughout most of it. Definitely the most interesting drum song so far.
* Here?s a more intense bass line that keeps switching things up.
* This song is tiered toward the lower end (2 out of 6) for vocals because it?s a bit more constant on pitch. Like any song, it?s going to be more difficult if you?re not familiar with it, which I figure most are not as familiar with the new Guns N? Roses stuff as their older CDs.
Riad N? the Bedouins * What an incredibly weird song on guitar. Some of the sounds coming out of the guitar sound metallic. The guitar is absolutely blistering during the solos and in some isolated areas outside of the solos.
* As the CD moves on, the drumming is getting more and more intense. The intro is nasty and I?m sure will catch many off guard. There?s a lot of off beat kicks in this song too, which seems to be a staple for the CD.
* Bass has a lot of quick hammer-ons and slides. Even during the guitar solos, the bass part is difficult and not repetitive. A worthy challenge for bassists.
* Vocally this song pushes Street of Dreams. A lot of pitch changes and a very wide range.
Sorry * The guitar is really tame for most of the song but has a few random hammer-on sections. The solo is less intense than most of the other songs, but still difficult.
* The speed of the song makes it extremely easy on drums til the ending fill. Even then, it?s a long song for such a short payoff.
* Let?s just put it this way for Bass; you won?t have reached the max multiplier for note streak until over 2 minutes into the song. Very uninteresting for the bassists. Axl?s sorry too apparently.
* Doesn?t have the same punch as the other songs as far as vocals go. It?s pretty straightforward.
I.R.S. * Another crazy song with some unintelligible solos. Usually I have an idea of what I need to do on songs, but some of the notes are just getting by me right now.
* It?s a long song, and that usually means a problem for drummers, but the pace of the song is good. It?s not too fast to cause a heart attack but not so slow you fall asleep. I.R.S. mixes it up just right for difficulty and fun.
* The bass on this song sounds great but isn?t too riveting to play. There are a few fun sections but it?s a lot of waiting around while the other instruments have fun.
* Vocally it?s in the middle as far as the CD goes. The pitch changes aren?t as drastic as some, but certainly harder than Sorry.
Madagascar * Definitely the easiest song on guitar thus far. No solos in it, which is a first but the middle section could have been charted as one. As far as ballads go, this one isn?t as good as Street of Dreams.
* Drums are fairly basic. It looks a lot like the other drum patterns on the CD which doesn?t surprise me. Occasional fun rolls but still repetitive on the whole.
* Bass is another complete miss. Lots of sustained notes and the odd hammer-on make up a majority of the song.
* Lyrically the song is meant to be moving but it?s not as breathtaking to sing as most of the other songs. It?s in the first tier as are the rest of the songs on the CD. It seems we might have reached the peak as far as singing goes.
This I Love * A two minute intro precludes you from playing. Most of the song for a guitarist will be the solo, and a great sounding solo at that.
* It?s over 3 minutes before the drummer gets to do anything with their hands. Even once you get going, it?s not much at all.
* Advantage bass! You only have to wait about 45 seconds to play. Granted, it?s a bunch of sustains.
* Likely, if you?re buying this song and you aren?t buying the whole CD, you?ll be buying it to sing. That?s really the main redeeming factor of this song. It?s another ballad with decent range.
Prostitute * The CD wraps up on a slightly more upbeat note. The guitar is more fun than the previous two ballads but isn?t anything special outside of the solo. At the end, it appears you?re actually playing piano.
* The drums are quite tricky throughout with constant rolls being mixed in with the offbeat kicks.
* Unfortunately for bassists, you are not redeemed here at the end either. Another series of sustained notes for you.
* A good song to end the CD with as far as vocals go. It?s got some good range and pitch changes.
Final Say:
I was quite pleased with the entire CD musically. I have to say, despite my trepidation, that this CD is worth a buy on the whole. Most of the songs are good all around even if they don't have the classic Guns N' Roses feel. The CD was geared toward two instruments; Guitar and Vocals. If you play either of those as your primary instrument, you really owe it to yourself to pick up this whole CD. If you're looking to play Bass solo, you might be a bit choosier. Street of Dreams, There Was a Time, Scraped, and Riad N' the Bedouins are going to be your best looks. Drumming, the CD is pretty straightforward but there are also a few great tracks for you too. Chinese Democracy, Street of Dreams, Riad N' the Bedouins, Sorry and Prostitute are going to be your songs of choice.
Best overall songs: Street of Dreams, Riad N' the Bedouins and Scraped.
Author