Chinese Democracy Reviews: 9 months later

[russtcb]

IMO, Better and Riad riffs are both stand out riffs.

For those that don't know what riffs are, you can hear them in the begining of the following songs.

Smoke on the Water
Back in Black
Highway to Hell
Lagrange
Sweet Emotion
Satisfaction
Voodoo Child
Rock Bottom

No songs on CD have riffs that stand out like the above tunes.  That isn't a "bad" thing.  Its a fact.  D is correct, and he also said he loves the album.  Get off his back.  You don't have to have a great riff for a song, but, it sure does help.

Smoke on the water and Satisfaction are a chord progression. It can't be a riff!!!!!!!!!

Shall we put Back in Black in that range too? Its a chord progression with just a lick in the middle.

Also, reminds me of All Along The Watchtower accousti intro. That can't be a riff either.

And so on...

You are wrong.  Smoke on Water Riff, the whole song is built around that riff.  Take the riff away, you have no song.  Back in Black, are you serious?  THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUS RIFFS EVER.  Better's intro 'riff' or intro is so weak and is not necessary to the song.  Satisfaction is a simple riff, yes, but one of the most famous ones ever... Again, song is built around it.

The intro to Better runs quite a bit through the song, and at least all of the verses. And no, the riff from Smoke On The Water doesn't run through the entirety of the song. If it did, the song would be even more boring than it already is.

[ppbebe]

Was GNR a heavy metal band? 

the bit in the middle of better is the most metal moments of GNR in my book. still i refuse to head bang. it makes me dance tho.

[Voodoochild]

IMO, Better and Riad riffs are both stand out riffs.

For those that don't know what riffs are, you can hear them in the begining of the following songs.

Smoke on the Water
Back in Black
Highway to Hell
Lagrange
Sweet Emotion
Satisfaction
Voodoo Child
Rock Bottom

No songs on CD have riffs that stand out like the above tunes.  That isn't a "bad" thing.  Its a fact.  D is correct, and he also said he loves the album.  Get off his back.  You don't have to have a great riff for a song, but, it sure does help.

Smoke on the water and Satisfaction are a chord progression. It can't be a riff!!!!!!!!!

Shall we put Back in Black in that range too? Its a chord progression with just a lick in the middle.

Also, reminds me of All Along The Watchtower accousti intro. That can't be a riff either.

And so on...

You are wrong.  Smoke on Water Riff, the whole song is built around that riff.  Take the riff away, you have no song.  Back in Black, are you serious?  THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUS RIFFS EVER.  Better's intro 'riff' or intro is so weak and is not necessary to the song.  Satisfaction is a simple riff, yes, but one of the most famous ones ever... Again, song is built around it.

1st, are they riff now? Even if they are chords progression?

2nd, what is wrong anyways? All I said about those songs are how they all have chord progression riffs (which, before, you guys were saying it couldn't be considered as a riff).

Also, Voodoo Child main structure has ZERO connection with the intro riff.  Same with Smoke on the Water.

[Smoking Guns]

IMO, Better and Riad riffs are both stand out riffs.

For those that don't know what riffs are, you can hear them in the begining of the following songs.

Smoke on the Water
Back in Black
Highway to Hell
Lagrange
Sweet Emotion
Satisfaction
Voodoo Child
Rock Bottom

No songs on CD have riffs that stand out like the above tunes.  That isn't a "bad" thing.  Its a fact.  D is correct, and he also said he loves the album.  Get off his back.  You don't have to have a great riff for a song, but, it sure does help.

Smoke on the water and Satisfaction are a chord progression. It can't be a riff!!!!!!!!!

Shall we put Back in Black in that range too? Its a chord progression with just a lick in the middle.

Also, reminds me of All Along The Watchtower accousti intro. That can't be a riff either.

And so on...

You are wrong.  Smoke on Water Riff, the whole song is built around that riff.  Take the riff away, you have no song.  Back in Black, are you serious?  THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUS RIFFS EVER.  Better's intro 'riff' or intro is so weak and is not necessary to the song.  Satisfaction is a simple riff, yes, but one of the most famous ones ever... Again, song is built around it.

1st, are they riff now? Even if they are chords progression?

2nd, what is wrong anyways? All I said about those songs are how they all have chord progression riffs (which, before, you guys were saying it couldn't be considered as a riff).

Also, Voodoo Child main structure has ZERO connection with the intro riff.  Same with Smoke on the Water.

Its pointless.  I guess Patience has some killer riff too... Man, CGAD, that is one heavy riff.......  You know what the hell a riff is and what is not a riff.  And, I don't really consider the Sweet Child intro to be a riff.  Not sure why, just seems like a melody line to me.  I love it, but its not what I think of when I think of a riff.  Still of the Night by Whitesnake?  That is a riff.

[jacdaniel]

You know what the hell a riff is and what is not a riff

I think some people know but for whatever reason they just can't admit that there are not many riffs on CD.

[seely]

IMO, Better and Riad riffs are both stand out riffs.

For those that don't know what riffs are, you can hear them in the begining of the following songs.

Smoke on the Water
Back in Black
Highway to Hell
Lagrange
Sweet Emotion
Satisfaction
Voodoo Child
Rock Bottom

No songs on CD have riffs that stand out like the above tunes.  That isn't a "bad" thing.  Its a fact.  D is correct, and he also said he loves the album.  Get off his back.  You don't have to have a great riff for a song, but, it sure does help.

Smoke on the water and Satisfaction are a chord progression. It can't be a riff!!!!!!!!!

Shall we put Back in Black in that range too? Its a chord progression with just a lick in the middle.

Also, reminds me of All Along The Watchtower accousti intro. That can't be a riff either.

And so on...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riff

A chord progression can be or can be part of, a riff 

[faldor]

This is the most ridiculous argument ever.  Enough already!  The album's great, riffs or not.

[Voodoochild]

Its pointless.  I guess Patience has some killer riff too... Man, CGAD, that is one heavy riff.......  You know what the hell a riff is and what is not a riff.  And, I don't really consider the Sweet Child intro to be a riff.  Not sure why, just seems like a melody line to me.  I love it, but its not what I think of when I think of a riff.  Still of the Night by Whitesnake?  That is a riff.

WTF? Did I say every chord progression is a riff?

Also, if you don't even consider SCOM intro a riff, I think we're done here. You only consider a riff when is a hard rock type of lick as a riff/intro.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riff

A chord progression can be or can be part of, a riff 

Of course it can. That's what I've been saying. Even Smells Like Teen Spirit intro (clearly a chord progression) is a riff in itself (as the other songs I mentioned). But hey, tell that to Smoking Guns and D.

[Smoking Guns]

Here's the problem I have with "Sweet Child o' Mine."  That is not a riff.  That is an intro, a single-note run, an arpeggiated melody.  It is not a riff.

People forget what a RIFF is.  A riff is a guitar part that underpins and holds together a song.  You could conceivably play "Sweet Child" without that intro part and it'd still be a song.

"Smoke on the Water" is a riff.  "Man on the Silver Mountain" is a riff.  Now, if you want a Guns n' Roses riff, "Welcome to the Jungle" has one.

I guess intros should just be intros, like Thunderstuck by AC/DC or something.  But clearly a song like Lagrange is built around the riff.  AC/DC  maybe be the best example of pure riff rock.

[CheapJon]

I feel some cool know it all guitar players have drifted away from the topic, start a new thread so you won't look like such douches I know most of you aren't

[russtcb]

This is the most ridiculous argument ever.  Enough already!  The album's great, riffs or not.

Yep. Jeez. Talk about "looking for something to bitch about"!

[ppbebe]

ironically the know it all riff or not argument points out another significant aspect of the album to us. 

rockn roll used to be against rigid customary practices and cd's just free from them.

[Jdog0830]

ironically the know it all riff or not argument points out another significant aspect of the album to us. 

rockn roll used to be against rigid customary practices and cd's just free from them.

So dam true look at what the music biz has become they dont care about Rock N' Roll any more in the US if its not Rap or Pop then your fucked

[Voodoochild]

I feel some cool know it all guitar players have drifted away from the topic, start a new thread so you won't look like such douches I know most of you aren't

Sorry about that. I just think people are making up excuses to diss or dislike something about Chinese Democracy. And this "riff" discussion is nothing more than that - it's not about what the album is, but what it isn't for some people.

Here's the problem I have with "Sweet Child o' Mine."  That is not a riff.  That is an intro, a single-note run, an arpeggiated melody.  It is not a riff.

People forget what a RIFF is.  A riff is a guitar part that underpins and holds together a song.  You could conceivably play "Sweet Child" without that intro part and it'd still be a song.

"Smoke on the Water" is a riff.  "Man on the Silver Mountain" is a riff.  Now, if you want a Guns n' Roses riff, "Welcome to the Jungle" has one.

I guess intros should just be intros, like Thunderstuck by AC/DC or something.  But clearly a song like Lagrange is built around the riff.  AC/DC  maybe be the best example of pure riff rock.

Ok, so you built a new concept of what a riff is. Good for you, I can't beat that. And what happened to Voodoo Child (the song), which you said before how it was a riff and now, by your new concept, it isn't?

[jarmo]

The "worst" thing they can say about the album is that it lacks "riffs" and then it's pointed out to them how flawed their way of thinking is....

It just boils down to the fact that some people were hoping for Appetite For Destruction type of songs and they got something else.





/jarmo

[HBK]

Appetite For Destruction _> 1987

Chinese Democracy _____> 2008

21-Century... Good Disc, Excelente performance vocal, instrumental, drums, , Excelent Riffs..

You like the musical evolution?

[D]

Let's not take what I said out of context

Never did I say this wasn't a great album.

I simply pointed out, if I could have one thing, I'd have one throw back Riff heavy rocker.

That doesn't undermine the entire album and we never said it did. When giving a review, I tell what I love about it but reviews are objective also and I just said that I would have liked to have had maybe one or two really riff rocky bad ass rock songs.



Voodoo you are wrong about IRS. The guitar lead Robin plays is not a riff. That is a guitar fill or melody

Chord progressions and riffs aren't what I was talking about.

I was meaning to say, Axl sings over Chord Progressions but they aren't really riffs

For Example, CD's Chord Progression is a riff cause it is the featured part of the song.

What Axl sings over on IRS is just a chord Progression but it isn't a riff cause it isn't ever used as the main part of the song A La a Walk This Way or Stairway, Rock N Roll, paranoid, Iron Man, Black in Black etc

Same with Scraped, what is the main riff? U can't sing it cause it is just a chord Progression Axl sings over.

Just saying, no riff from CD will ever make any greatest riffs of all time list.

That isn't taking away from the album, cause I don't think Axl was trying to make that kind of album so its ok. I think he even said in one interview how he didn't know how to make that kind of album or something right?


Once again, a few of us are saying how it would've been cool, if maybe a song or two would've had some really hard  amazing riff.

The best riff on the album "Better" breakdown part is half way through the song.

[Smoking Guns]

Yes, sorry if I was taken out of context as well.  Like D, I like the album, but was noting a song or two with some nasty, ballsy guitar riffage would have been nice.  My favorite tune, "If the World", is badass and it does't need a killer riff.  I think we can all agree on that.   

[D]

The songs in their current forms work fine. Madagascar is my favorite song and TBH, that song could have no guitar and it would still be awesome.... well leave in the awesome guitar licks but u get the idea.

This I Love with just piano,orchestra and Axl IMO would be even more powerful because having a guy behind a piano and singing his guts out like Axl doesn't require anything else.



My point is, it isn't what I'd consider a guitar driven album. The solos are great for the most part but my definition of a guitar driven album is Death Magnetic or something like that.

once again, that takes nothing away from the album quality whatsoever.

[cotis]

I haven't listened to it in a few months -- was kind of against it since nothing was really happening. Threw it in today, turned the BOSE on and I was in heaven all over again. My favorite still is Scraped, followed by Sorry then IRS. Was good to bring back great memories of walking into a Best Buy and actually seeing some sort of GNR promotional items. Good times...