New Classic Album:Guns N Roses Chinese Democracy

[jazjme]

Tune everything out, put the headphones, and crank it for the entirety.

Guns N' Roses made a timeless work of art with Chinese Democracy, and history will prove its staying power. Make no bones about it. This is a rock ?n' roll epic of the highest order, spanning the gritty energy fans clamored for with an elegant sonic refinement and some of Axl Rose's most poetic, powerful, and passionate performances and songwriting. There's something special about this fourteen-song collection in that it's almost like the band's best kept-secret even after all of these years since its 2008 release. You never hear it lauded the way that it should be, but we're going to take this opportunity to point out just how important it is.

It's a formidable outfit of musicians who breathe life into this larger vision that's as sweeping and soaring as Guns N' Roses' most typically celebrated work?Appetite for Destruction, Use Your Illusion I, and Use Your Illusion II. That's right.

Take a real deep listen to it. Focus on it the way an album is meant to be focused on. Tune everything out, put the headphones, and crank it for the entirety. Put down the smartphone, shut off the television, and walk away from the laptops and iPads. We're urging another look at Chinese Democracy, because it is that rock ?n' roll record the world clamored for and still desires.

For the past few years, Axl has delivered the tracks live with an all-star band boasting Dizzy Reed on keyboards, Tommy Stinson on the bass, Chris Pitman on keys, drummer Frank Ferrer, and the astounding guitar triumvirate of Richard Fortus, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, and DJ Ashba.

Anytime you hear someone say rock is dead in this era, please tell them to put Chinese Democracy on. Opener "Chinese Democracy" balances a sputtering industrial sheen with gnashing guitars with a resounding Axl wail, "All I've got is precious time." "Shackler's Revenge" feels like what the future of this style of music should've been tempering scorching synths and stark riffing, while "Better" flaunts a muscular hook that lands a real knockout. At the same time, Axl can pull back and get more intimate and open than ever before. "There Was a Time" proves downright heart-wrenching and hypnotic, while "Street of Dreams" is utterly cinematic as "Catcher in the Rye" takes flight. The collection's biggest moment arrives on the finale of "This I Love" and the pensive "Prostitute." You'll be left wanting more, which is the mark of any iconic and insurmountable body of work in this genre.

It seems like Guns N' Roses is always in the news. You can Google them now and get thousands of rumor mill results, theories, and ideas about what the band is, who it is, and what it should be. People are missing the point. This band made a landmark album in this century. Chinese Democracy is everything that it should've been, the world waited for, and more. It's also going to last for a long time to come. They're not leaving us either and continue to get more relevant, especially with that powerful letter Axl Rose recently wrote to the president of Indonesia. Embrace Chinese Democracy now, if you haven't already. Forget about everything else. It comes down to what's on tape. In this case, what's on tape is timeless.

?Rick Florino

Read more at http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/new-classic-album-guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy/11696634#DSvWxj6qIWkwk76f.99

 

[Gavgnr]

Probably the best article about Chinese that I've ever read

Totally agree with every word

[jarmo]

Always nice to see a writer present the other side.




/jarmo

[LIGuns]

I agree retain songs take on another life with headphones and no distractions..Perfect example is Shaklers Revenge.....Still can't get into Prostitute and I don't get why Sorry isn't absolutely huge!

[pilferk]

I agree retain songs take on another life with headphones and no distractions..Perfect example is Shaklers Revenge.....Still can't get into Prostitute and I don't get why Sorry isn't absolutely huge!

I absolutely LOVE Sorry (if you couldn't tell by my signature line).  It is, for me, the most underated track on the album.

[D-GenerationX]

It really does sound great through headphones.  Very crisp and a lot going on you might not hear played in a car or a home stereo.

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

Rick Florino has written many positive articles on GN'R for artistsdirect.com. 

[johnreed3344]

awesome read

[GNR2014]

Here is what Rick had to say about Slash's World on Fire:
 http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/album-review-slash-world-on-fire-5-out-of-5-stars/11198189
"Five out of Five Stars"

Are these real reviews or paid advertisements?

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

Here is what Rick had to say about Slash's World on Fire:
 http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/album-review-slash-world-on-fire-5-out-of-5-stars/11198189
"Five out of Five Stars"

Are these real reviews or paid advertisements?

My thoughts exactly.  I've always been quite skeptical of the legitimacy of the articles and reviews on that site.  Everything is positive with respect to their reviews that I've seen. 

[GNR2014]

Here is what Rick had to say about Slash's World on Fire:
 http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/album-review-slash-world-on-fire-5-out-of-5-stars/11198189
"Five out of Five Stars"

Are these real reviews or paid advertisements?

My thoughts exactly.  I've always been quite skeptical of the legitimacy of the articles and reviews on that site.  Everything is positive with respect to their reviews that I've seen. 

No offense to Slash personally, but WOF is really, really bad.
I just can't take a reviewer seriously that would give that album 5 out of 5 stars. Not 4? 5?
I think it's another click-bait site like Hennemusic or those sites that keep reporting that Axl Rose is dead. 
Better off ignored... "printin' lies, startin' controversy"

[EmilyGNR]

Rick Florino has written many positive articles on GN'R for artistsdirect.com. 

Yes, great article and absolute truth- listen to the album through a set of quality headphones, it's even more awsome.

Sorry is my fav song as well

[slashsbaconpit]

Always nice to see a writer present the other side.




/jarmo

There is no other side. Chinese Democracy is a classic.

[jarmo]

Well the other side is what's usually presented in the media.



/jarmo

[D-GenerationX]

Most of the reviews were pretty decent, really.  Very few reviews really shit on it.

But some people just have a persecution complex and can't ever be happy. 

Example : A positive review that says the music is pretty good, but also a few lines about how nothing should ever take this long and this isn't exactly going to be the Guns N' Roses you grew up on.

To me, what's important is the good review of the music.  To others, its "disrespectful".  Its "the media pushing their negativity."  And that reviewer can piss right the hell off, because he was just so mean to Axl with those hurtful comments.

Is that more important than saying the actual music is good?  Are you that insecure?  And aren't you swimming WAY against the current thinking those things are never going to be mentioned?  Aren't you better served just sort of rolling your eyes to yourself and being happy that the music got high marks?

People looking for something to rail against never fail to find it.  But it can come at the expense of the bigger picture.  Perfect is the enemy of the good.

[jarmo]

People looking for something to rail against never fail to find it. 

We know.. You're the prefect example of this.
Wish you'd manage to stop looking for faults with your favorite band... Week after week.... Month after month, year after year.
Productive positivity in action!




/jarmo

[D-GenerationX]

People looking for something to rail against never fail to find it. 

We know.. You're the prefect example of this.
Wish you'd manage to stop looking for faults with your favorite band... Week after week.... Month after month, year after year.
Productive positivity in action!

At least you managed to avoid using "irony!", here.  Oddly, for a post it would actually apply.

A positive review containing good reviews of the music, but containing a line like "Guns N' Roses (or what Axl Rose is calling Guns N' Roses these days)..." is still a positive review.  What is important is the music, and they are telling you the music is good.

A bad review is "This album is terrible."

You would have to be na?ve in the extreme to think comments about prolonged inactivity or the ever changing line-up are ever going away.  And if that means you are going to dismiss anyone that ever says such things, never venture from this particular website, and everything will be cream cheese.

[jarmo]

I was gonna point out to you that nowhere in my post did I state that my comment was about reviews.

But I'm sure you knew that, and you're only talking about reviews because you need to argue about something. So you make it seem like I said something, because in your mind I did say that. Even if i didn't.


So yeah, go on. Reviews. Yeah.




/jarmo

[D-GenerationX]

I was gonna point out to you that nowhere in my post did I state that my comment was about reviews.

Of course it wasn't.

Because 90% of your responses to me are ABOUT me.  I'm well used to that.

But if you can possibly tamp down your desire to talk about the wonder that is I for just a moment, I'd love to talk about the reviews of the album.

See, because I responded to this :

Well the other side is what's usually presented in the media.

Which was you responding to this :

Always nice to see a writer present the other side.

There is no other side. Chinese Democracy is a classic.

About the album.  How its perceived and presented.  Nothing about me, the poster, who you are totally breezy about.

So...anything on the topic that was going before you derailed it?  I think there is some grounds for conversation there.  Again, about the media perception.  Not DX.

[jarmo]

My original post in this thread had nothing to do with you. Sorry.

You just had to "attack" me. I'm flattered by your attention, but not interested.

Once again, your reply to me was based on you thinking you know what I was saying. Without really having any clue. Business as usual.
So move along.



/jarmo