Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy (Release Year – 2008)
It is hard to talk about Guns N’ Roses without mentioning that this disc is some odd thirteen years overdue. Millions of dollars were spent in creating this much ballyhooed album. I don’t think anyone expects this album to meet their expectations (self included).
I for one am glad this album is finally out, and Axl Rose can finally get this King Kong sized monkey off of his back. Long before this album was released, I heard leaks of several of these tunes. I wasn’t very impressed by the the rougher versions of these songs. I must admit the final product is much better than I thought it would be.
At times, it seems as if the multitude of producers tried to help reproduce Slash’s guitar tones, in order to preserve that classic Guns N’ Roses sound. The end result is an album that won’t sound completely unfamiliar to Guns N’ Roses fans, even though Axl Rose is the only remaining member of the original band.
I have not been a huge Axl Rose fan in the past, but I have to admit it is pretty damned good to hear his distinct voice one more. It has been far too long. The opening and title track “Chinese Democracy” is a pretty rocking good way to start off this disc. Almost immediately, I thought this disc might be a lot better than expected. “Shackler’s Revenge” on the other hand left me scratching my head. This song doesn’t seem to know if wants to be hard rock, Industrial, or techno. It seems to blend elements of all three. It actually isn’t too bad, once you get past the beginning of the song.
I believe “Better” could be one of the best Guns N’ Roses songs ever. Even though this song has some unusual guitar sounds mixed through it, it still feels like a modernized G N’ R song. This is easily my favorite on Chinese Democracy.
“Street of Dreams” was completely unexpected. This is a piano driven ballad with a fairly decent guitar solo in the middle. Early in this song I thought Axl’s voice sounded odd as he was hitting some unusual low notes with his voice. His pure singing voice (thankfully) takes over quickly. What this song is missing is Slash. With Slash’s guitar playing, this could song could have been another taken to new heights. Even still, this song is pretty good, and definitely one of the better ones on “Chinese Democracy”.
Is it just me, or does “If The World” sound like a Lenny Kravitz tune? This is a pop tune with a hard edge and a rhythm with a little bit of funk in it. I wouldn’t expect to hear something like this on a hard rock record, especially a Guns N’ Roses record.
“There Was A Time” has a 70’s classic rock vibe that reminds me a bit of the Moody Blues mixed with some harder guitar parts. This is one of those songs that has the potential to grow on you if given the chance.
At this point in the album, I could have used a really hard driving song. “Catcher In the Rye” is definitely not that. This song also has a classic rock vibe about it, but it doesn’t sound like a G N’ R tune.
I really dislike the intro on “Scraped” but the rest of the song is pretty cool. There is a pretty good groove all throughout “Scraped”.
Riad N’ The Bedouins has more of that familiar Guns N’ Roses sound that I prefer. There are a lot more heavy guitar parts on this song, than on most of the tunes on Chinese Democracy.
“Sorry” sounds as if Axl was trying to channel his inner Pink Floyd. I like Pink Floyd, but I don’t want to hear it on a Guns N’ Roses album. It just sounds odd to me.
The first time I heard I.R.S. I thought the song had a heavier slant to it. This finished product adds a dated keyboard sound, which detracts from the industrial edge it had. It isn’t a bad tune, but I liked the previous versions I heard better.
I didn’t care for “Madagascar” the first time around, but after a couple of listens, I started to realize that this song is a lot better than I originally thought. This song has an epic feel to it that reminds me of “November Rain” somewhat.
Chinese Democracy closes out with two piano based numbers “This I Love” and “Prostitute”. Both songs are solid enough, but not what I would expect to hear from this band.
If you are listening to “Chinese Democracy” for the first time, and are looking for another “Appetite for Destruction” you aren’t going to find it here. This album seemingly expands on the sounds of the Use Your Illusion records, but has a much more experimental feel to it. There are moments of brilliance on “Chinese Democracy”, but those looking for a quick hard rock fix may not give this album a chance to find them.
Was this album worth the wait, and all of the hoopla? Probably not. I would recommend checking out the songs for yourself on the Guns N’ Roses myspace site.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Chinese Democracy
- Shackler´s Revenge
- Better
- Street Of Dreams
- If The World
- There Was A Time
- Catcher In The Rye
- Scraped
- Riad N´ The Bedouins
- Sorry
- I.R.S.
- Madagascar
- This I Love
- Prostitute
Danger Danger - Revolve
Lynch Mob - Smoke and Mirrors
Outloud! -S/T
Stryper - Murder By Pride
Well, it would be good lounge music I guess. Maybe also for elevators. Buckethead has the right idea, in public without the bucket won’t get blamed for this. Where’s my Avenged album?
I think the album is great – although I have to laugh at Rob Rockitt’s commment that the album would have been better if it was released as an Axl solo record, as if the change of name would detract from all the fuss of its creation (Axl has always attracted publicity!) and magically change the songs into something they are not. Maybe it doesn’t deserve the Guns name but it is what it is and personally I am enjoying it. Here’s to another 14 years until the next one!!
Disappointing is an understatement for me. I didn’t set the bar very high and what I got was even less than what I had anticipated. For a GnR album, it’s crap. For an Axl Rose solo project, it’s interesting to say the least, but it’s not my cup of tea. The album could have had more potential without Buckethead. His guitar playing ruins it for me.
I had so much fun poking fun at Axl that I was kind of sorry that Chinese Democracy was good. Unlike a lot the albums we’ve waited a long time for, this one at least shows that Axl was up to something other than just re-creating his own past. It doesn’t work all the way through, but it works enough to make for a good album. Was it worth the wait? Nah, but it’s still a good record if you can strip away all the hype.
I reviewed it too:
http://www.rnrnonsense.com/2008/11/review-guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy.html
So,….you didn’t like the album???? I’ve only heard a handful of tracks, off Myspace. They obviously didn’t compare to ” Appetite..”, but I thought they were good. And was impressed w/Axl’s voice, which I thought would’ve sounded a bit shot and it didn’t. Still gotta get the CD though, and play it on my stereo at home, so I can take it all in.
Wow, where do I start? I am about to review a record that has been 14 years in the making. That in itself makes for some pretty high expectations, I think we can all agree.
I think, considering Axls perfectionism on previous Guns records, this could be expected on some level, but 14 years? It has been a running joke in the industry for a long time, just ask Dr. Pepper, but I’m just glad to see it finally arrive. We shouldn’t let this obscure our objective of a proper review however.
Axl had a lot to prove, to his ex-band mates, and to the public at large, for his absenteeism from the musical landscape, but he did have enormous shoes to fill. This reminds me of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, after releasing the incredible 1966 “Pet Sounds”, he went certifiably nuts for many years trying to concoct the musically perfect album for the follow up “Smile” which was finally released in 2004. Axl is trying to to do the Beatles “White” album, to re-invent the wheel, unfortunately, as many before him, I think he has he failed. He has most of the artistic merit, but maybe a quarter of the talent, and I feel his artistic pain.
Chinese Democracy is an interesting album, but not 14 years interesting. It is, not surprisingly, a dramatic departure from the old “Guns” sound, and that’s not a bad thing, but it’s taken in the wrong direction as far as I’m concerned. Without Duff , Izzy, Matt, and Slash behind Axls unique vocal delivery, of course it’s going to sound different, that is to be expected.
That being said, there is too much focus on Axls vocals particularly, and Bucketheads non-conventional guitar work, which is interesting, but is not easy on the ears, like Slash is . Slash is now famous, or infamous, for his heart-wrenching, note bending and bleeding guitar work, which blended seamlessly with the G n’ R sound. This project should really be called Axl Rose and Friends, not Guns n’ Roses.
According to Slashs’ autobiography (Slash w. Anthony Bozza, 2007), Axl paid dearly to retain the rights of the name “Guns n’ Roses”, it seems to have cost the very band itself. I don’t think it was worth it, the magic is gone. It’s a shame.
Chinese Democracy is an amazing album. Gets better the more you listen to it. 10 stars from me!
Chinese Democracy is one of those albums that I don’t think you can listen to over and over again. I do think people will hear different things each time they listen to it.
Hard rock fans expecting something like their previous work, will likely be disappointed. The overall end result is less of a hard rock record, and a spacey experimental, pop, rock record. I think in time, it may grow on me. I think that this would have been better if it was issued as an Axl Rose solo album.
I have not heard it yet. Might be a while until I get around to hearing it. However my expectations would be that it wouldn’t be that much like Appetite or the Use your illusions. I mean no matter what the cover says this is really just Axl’s solo album and I can’t imagine him doing songs just like G-n-R’s albums from the past.
Man, “Sorry” is one of my favorite songs on the disc. I imagine that Axl was very serious when he wrote it, but the lyrics are at times so ridiculous it’s hard not to laugh. If a song makes me smile, or better yet laugh, then I like it a lot.