Chinese Democracy, the album - General Debate Thread!

[PhuzzEnutz]

Been waiting a long time for this, AXL. Truly a masterpiece, truly a crime the world had to wait this long to hear the genius that I knew all along. Best Guns album yet!!!

[badfaulkner]

im not at all satisfied with it, i like it tho. doesnt sound at all like gnr.

also the songs sound like there were recorded like they were (recorded by alot of people and in differnt times).
doesnt sound at all consistent. the recordings were clearly overdubbed (something the original lineup would have frowned upon), and mr rose doesnt sound like anything like is youngerself, sounds like for all these years he hasnt at least done any vocal pratices to keep his voice in shape, his arrogance probably plays a big part in that.

i feel sorry for him, hes a sad lonely old man. 

1.  No, it doesn't.  Thank God the new lineup and Axl at 46 didn't try to re-release AFD part deux.  I love AC/DC but if you have two of their albums and one of them is Back in Black, you don't need the rest of them.  Aren't we glad GNR grew?

2.  Overdubbing and double tracking was done by the original GNR.  Read about it in the plethora of books released on the subject.  Slash is marvelous, love the guy, but if you think he got all his guitar parts just so on the first take on AFD, you are mistaken. 

3.  How could a person at 46 sound like he did at 27? Did arrogance make him gain two decades since AFD? You're going to age, too, if you're lucky and God adds to your years.  Good luck with yourself at 46.  I hope somebody doesn't come along and decide you're washed up. 

[badfaulkner]

I've never been a huge GNR fan, like what I heard but I never followed them.  I bought Chinese Democracry because I was excited about hearing some good rock tunes, tired or radio-pop.  Anyways, it's amazing, really great stuff Axl!!  really really grows on you, sounds great!  I already had the cd, but my wife bought me the vinyl for christmas...wow!!!  It was a long time axl, but you didn't dissapoint  

ps.  I went to the GNR show here in Calgary last time you were here (a couple of years ago), had never seen GNR before, a friend wanted me to go, anyways, amazing show, come back to calgary anytime!!

Thanks for your post!!!! 

[Ana Hesse]

This album is a masterpiece. I used to be a huge fan of U2 since 1994, and a fan of Guns n Roses since God-knows-when, but ever since I listened to CD, I can barely think of U2, and when I do, it just feels so meaningless compared to this. Listening to this album has been a remarkable experience to me, I've listened to it on a daily basis since more than a month ago and I am not getting tired of it. It's amazing in every possible way. I bow to Axl!

[robbrannock]

Look, lets be 100 % honest, there is alot of predjudice around Chinese Democracy. The bottom line is it took a long time to come out and as a result there is a ton of negativity. There has been so much negative press and the media in general is hoping the album fails. Somehow its as if GnR has become everyone's musical scapegoat. I heard a D.J. here in Sarasota, Fl play the first 10 seconds of every song and completely bash it. Frankly it seems hip to trash the record before it's given a chance. This D.J took extreme pleasure in tearing it apart. I guarantee this guy never given this work of art a solid listening to. There are so many opinions out there about this release and most of them are unwarranted. I strongly urge everyone to find some quiet time and really experience the vibe of this record. I believe one should listen to any new music 3 to 5 times before a solid opinion can developed. Therefore my challenge to all music fans is this, set aside all the B.S. that's swirling around out there and judge this release on only the music itself. Allow the music to do the talking. This has been my approach and in my opinion there was not a better release in all of 2008. This album is nothing short of genius. It has been a long time since I have listened to a new record and had my mind completely blown. From beginning to end it is flawless. Absolutely flawless. Axl's best work to date. There is no doubt in my mind, the chemistry between the original GnR  wore itself out, and as a result, Axl was being held back and not able to create the music he felt in his soul. Well done Axl. Thanks for the gift. I can honestly say this is the most inspiring work of music I have heard in a long time.

Peace,

Rob Brannock
robbrannock@yahoo.com

[alienate]

im not at all satisfied with it, i like it tho. doesnt sound at all like gnr.

also the songs sound like there were recorded like they were (recorded by alot of people and in differnt times).
doesnt sound at all consistent. the recordings were clearly overdubbed (something the original lineup would have frowned upon), and mr rose doesnt sound like anything like is youngerself, sounds like for all these years he hasnt at least done any vocal pratices to keep his voice in shape, his arrogance probably plays a big part in that.

i feel sorry for him, hes a sad lonely old man. 

I have been a life long fan. Hell, I live very near Lafayette...yes, it is different. Thank goodness. I kinda' like the over production. That shit takes a lot of time to do and have it come out right. The closer you listen to the tracks, the more little "things you can hear. I just love it. I think it's a great album. I liked Velvet Revolver's first one and listened to it a lot, not so much the second one....but Chinese I like just the same way, but differently...dig?

[badfaulkner]

I like it more every time I hear it. 

[Emmy]

It is a great album. The more I listen the more I find beautiful word play and deep lyrics.
Long Live Axl

[BucketGNRhead]

how can you have TWAT last on the last dude!!! Thats my first!!

 1. There Was A Time
 2. I.R.S. (much higher than other peoples list, just love the hard rock guitars!
 3. Street of Dreams
 4. This I Love
 5. Catcher In The Rye
 6. Madagascar
 7. Better
 8. Sorry
 9. Chinese Democracy
10. Shacklers Revenge
11. Scraped
12. Prostitute
13. Riad N The Beaudoin
14. If The World

#3 through #11 are pretty random though i love this cd

[apersaf]

I love Axl too

[Sharon]

I love the album. I deffinitely and absolutely love it. From the first to the last song, I love it.

When I first listened to "This I love" I couldn't pass over the song for many an hour, I let it on repeat again and again and again, until it carved in my blood, it' one of the most impressive ballad of GN'R for me, and it's put together with "November rain", "Don't cry" and "Estranged".

"Street of dreams" is the song I first heard from the album and I was completely blown. I love "Prostitute"'s force, "I.R.S.", "There was a time", "Catcher in the rye", the album is epic

[xxrocketxxqueenxx]

im so glad most people here adore chinese democracy as much as i do...in the weeks and months after its release i read tons and tons of reviews on the album and they all pretty much said the same thing...that it was nothing compared to guns earlier triumphs (hopefully i dont have to tell you what they are lol), but you know i think the beauty of Chinese Democracy is that it takes the band in a new direction, it would have been easy im sure to write another appetite, but then all the music journo's would have complained that Axl was just trying to recreate the band that was back in the 80's and early 90's, and you know i think thats the beauty of music its ability to evolve...and would we all still be listening to it if it was the same as it was way back when it was invented? my guess is no.

i love GnR they're the best band in the world to me, old GnR and its current incarnation, its all amazing to me, Chinese Democracy was worth the wait, the lyrics have such depth and im hoping for another album somewhere in the future, i dont care if it takes another 17 years because im sure that one will be worth the wait too. 

[ina_s]

I think the album is great. I'll avoid talking too much about it for now, cos I've been listening to them for the last year or so and I don't feel like knowing a lot about GnR.

Anyway, I like the way the band sounds altogether and of course how Axl sounds. I can't put the songs in the order I like them, cos I like almost all of them very much.

[AxlRoseFan]

I really didn't undestand that there were people who didn't like the album.It's genius.This I love is one of the best GNR songs ever.Better is mind-blowing... With little more promotion it would have been absolute HIT! I don't know why they missed the chance to release video. For me the album - one of my favourites ever.