Can't get into Chinese Democracy

[indigo78]

Is there anyone else out there who is a original Guns n Roses fan who just can't get into the new Guns n Roses . I've tried but i am just not feeling the lyrics like i used to with the older stuff.

To me Guns n Roses was all about Axl  and his voice. The fact i was completely obsessed with him had nothing to do with it of course. When velvet revolver first came out i refused to even consider listening to any off their stuff. It was as if they had betrayed  all that Guns N Roses stood for besides Axl wasn't in it. But i honestly have to say i like their stuff their music reminds me more of Guns N roses past than Guns n Roses Present does. If that makes sense.

I'm not going to lie and stand here and say i'm the biggest Guns N Roses fan that ever walked the planet and i know the in's and out of the group and all it's members i don't. All i do know is Chinese Democracy was a let down to me personally and how much i really hate to say it through gritted teeth Axl's lost it.
There is no more Guns N Roses just a sweet bitter memory.

[Gunns]

Is there anyone else out there who is a original Guns n Roses fan who just can't get into the new Guns n Roses . I've tried but i am just not feeling the lyrics like i used to with the older stuff.

To me Guns n Roses was all about Axl  and his voice. The fact i was completely obsessed with him had nothing to do with it of course. When velvet revolver first came out i refused to even consider listening to any off their stuff. It was as if they had betrayed  all that Guns N Roses stood for besides Axl wasn't in it. But i honestly have to say i like their stuff their music reminds me more of Guns N roses past than Guns n Roses Present does. If that makes sense.

I'm not going to lie and stand here and say i'm the biggest Guns N Roses fan that ever walked the planet and i know the in's and out of the group and all it's members i don't. All i do know is Chinese Democracy was a let down to me personally and how much i really hate to say it through gritted teeth Axl's lost it.
There is no more Guns N Roses just a sweet bitter memory.

and yet you signed up to a forum titled the very same name of the album you cant get into

[indigo78]

and yet you signed up to a forum titled the very same name of the album you cant get into

Yes very good observation there!

Take it your a big Chinese Democracy fan

[rioaxl]

You're ok to feel that way about the new record.  A lot of people must or it would have been a much bigger seller.  It took me several listens before I got into it, but so did the Use Your Illusion records - and now I love them all.

I think the thing that is hard for me when I read that Chinese Democracy (CD) isn't the "old Guns 'n Roses" is that those people aren't allowing for the band/and or artist to grow and change.  And that is strange given the fact that I'm pretty sure you, me and everyone else that loved Appetite for Destruction aren't even close to the same people we were when that record was huge (thank god for that!).  Why does Axl have to stay the same?

Personally I can tell you that when I first played the CD I almost cried hearing Axl's voice again.  He sounds great on every song.  His vocals reflect the mood of each song - he sounds so weary in Madagacar; heartbroken in This I Love; reflective in Better and There Was a Time; angry in Shakler's and Scraped, etc.  I'm glad it finally came out and I'd say it's my favorite Guns cd to date - but that didn't happen overnight by any means. And I don't love every song - Riad and IRS haven't caught me, yet, and they may never.  But every other song gets to me at my core.

I'd encourage you to give it a few more listens  - if you still don't like it, ok!  You are entitled to your opinion.

Luv - Rio 

[pocketknife]

yeah u have to listen to this CD at least 4-5 times....  at least.....  it truly is strange that some things you can listen to once and know it sucks or know that you like it......but with this one.....u have to listen to a few times..

[seely]

I feel the total opposite, i love the record and have ever since the first demos leaked

[Mickey Mouse]

Is there anyone else out there who is a original Guns n Roses fan who just can't get into the new Guns n Roses . I've tried but i am just not feeling the lyrics like i used to with the older stuff.

To me Guns n Roses was all about Axl  and his voice. The fact i was completely obsessed with him had nothing to do with it of course. When velvet revolver first came out i refused to even consider listening to any off their stuff. It was as if they had betrayed  all that Guns N Roses stood for besides Axl wasn't in it. But i honestly have to say i like their stuff their music reminds me more of Guns N roses past than Guns n Roses Present does. If that makes sense.

I'm not going to lie and stand here and say i'm the biggest Guns N Roses fan that ever walked the planet and i know the in's and out of the group and all it's members i don't. All i do know is Chinese Democracy was a let down to me personally and how much i really hate to say it through gritted teeth Axl's lost it.
There is no more Guns N Roses just a sweet bitter memory.

if your talkin about axl's voice. No he hasn't lost it If you listen to the vocal tracks alone you can tell hes singing clean on purpose because he slips alittle old axl in there a couple times.

[Lies They Tell]

Everyone's entitled to their opinions of course, but It'd be interesting to hear what exactly is so bad about the album, that makes you feel like Axl has lost it? It can't be the lyrics alone, since you like Velvet Revolver. I like VR too, but Scott Weiland is one of the worst lyricist on this planet.

Maybe there's too many experimental songs on the album for your taste? There's a lot more different styles used in the songs now compared to old GNR. There's grunge and industrial influences, a beatlesque song and a mix of flamenco and funk, there's hip hop beats, pink floyd style etc etc. You gotta have a wide music taste to like all tracks. I guess if you only like basic rock, then VR is more your thing. But isn't there even one song on the album that you can enjoy? I.R.S maybe?

The biggest downside I can think of Chinese Democracy is that it's too ballady. If you liked old GNR mostly because of the in-your-face rock songs, then it's understandable that you prefer VR over new GNR. But you shouldn't give up on new GNR yet. The next album is probably more focused on raw rock n' roll again. Have you heard the Checkmate leak? It's a 16 sec clip of a song from a future GNR album and it sounds just like old GNR.

New GNR has everything I loved about old GNR. Great melodies, insane screams, interesting song structures and cool guitar solos. In my opinion Velvet Revolver doesn't have any of those qualities. It does have the old GNR guitar sound though, obviously cause it's Slash playing. But if there's a VR guitar solo that's even remotely as good as the solo on There Was A Time, then I guess I haven't heard it.

And like the others said, this album is definitely a grower.

[Beautiful Disease]

I have the feeling that a couple of songs grew old very very fast and don't sound fresh anymore.

I mean... Songs like 'prostitute' or 'catcher' are timeless. But I can't listen to 'madagascar', 'streets of dream' or 'better' anymore, I'm just tired of these songs and I skip them everytime I take a listen to the album.

5 months after the release, I still listen to 3 or 4 songs on a regular basis. Those songs are 'prostitute', 'catcher', 'Shackler' and sometimes 'sorry'.

I think the arrangements are the main problem with this album. Every second is filled with diverse sounds, the guitar solos are 'too much', too many notes, too many technical demonstrations, too much 'guitar neck masturbation'.
Every single space is filled with something and sometimes it happens to sound like a Hub-bub.

Many songs on ChiDem could be really good if they had a couple of quiet moments.
Silences or quiet moments are as much important as sounds in order to do great music.

I think 3 guitars are simply too much, it's way too much load for many songs. For exemple, the end of 'madagascar' is IMHO overloaded with guitar parts, and it's a reason why I can't listen to this song anymore.

Though I love Shackler, because the guitar parts are crystal clear and the song itself is built to receive a lot of energy and a lot of guitar parts and in the end it sounds good to me while 'madagascar' ending sounds like draft to me.

'Prostitute' is my favorite song on this album.


Oh and I love the 'radio part' on 'if the world'. It makes me think about the end of the world, with a radio airing some song on a deserted planet, it's a great emotional part IMHO.

[Estranged04]

It took me a couple of spins because their are so many layers of sweet guitar work on it. But i fell in love with wonderful stuff i think.. Just give it a chance let it get under your skin...

[mooney]

I have the feeling that a couple of songs grew old very very fast and don't sound fresh anymore.

I mean... Songs like 'prostitute' or 'catcher' are timeless. But I can't listen to 'madagascar', 'streets of dream' or 'better' anymore, I'm just tired of these songs and I skip them everytime I take a listen to the album.

5 months after the release, I still listen to 3 or 4 songs on a regular basis. Those songs are 'prostitute', 'catcher', 'Shackler' and sometimes 'sorry'.

I think the arrangements are the main problem with this album. Every second is filled with diverse sounds, the guitar solos are 'too much', too many notes, too many technical demonstrations, too much 'guitar neck masturbation'.
Every single space is filled with something and sometimes it happens to sound like a Hub-bub.

Many songs on ChiDem could be really good if they had a couple of quiet moments.
Silences or quiet moments are as much important as sounds in order to do great music.

I think 3 guitars are simply too much, it's way too much load for many songs. For exemple, the end of 'madagascar' is IMHO overloaded with guitar parts, and it's a reason why I can't listen to this song anymore.

Though I love Shackler, because the guitar parts are crystal clear and the song itself is built to receive a lot of energy and a lot of guitar parts and in the end it sounds good to me while 'madagascar' ending sounds like draft to me.

'Prostitute' is my favorite song on this album.


Oh and I love the 'radio part' on 'if the world'. It makes me think about the end of the world, with a radio airing some song on a deserted planet, it's a great emotional part IMHO.

you make good points about the "spacing" on the songs at the mixing desk, but i think the only song that really suffers from too much crowding is Catcher - which is one of my fav. songs. The mix is pretty piss poor tbh, so bad that it MUST have been intentional, ie for some creative reason. while i can only speculate those reasons, it's pretty futile me getting into it coz the mix is baaaaaaadddd. the lead vocals are almost non-existant, and the guitars on the verses (the rhythm that is, the lead fills are great) are so over done, the piano goes missing, the bass is neither here nor there. it's all very distorted, which is a shame, esp coz of the superb lyrics and melody.

I say this because i recently played the song on top quality music studio speakers, to a bunch of msuic tech people, lets just say that the overwhelming negative reaction to the mix has probably left irrepairable damage in terms of me getting people to like the album.

[Killa Blues]

I totally get what your saying. A lot of the material is vastly different, there's a lot of everything on the album. So if you're a diehard old GNR fan, I get what you're saying.

Point is, it IS a whole new band to 99% of music listeners out there. Plus, there is that whole "revolving door" thing that haunts GNR and hurts the band's and Axl's credibility.

It's a brand new band, with new material, but that classic GNR name. So a lot of people probably heard it and were like "WTF is this?" 

The first time I heard 'If The World', I said "what the hell is this shit? It sucks" haha
I still don't like it, but there's a couple new songs I like, and a couple I don't - same with the older material.

CD was kind of a let down for me personally as well. Not so much as the music goes, but I wanted to throw it in EVERYONE'S face (all the doubters and naysayers) that GNR was FINALLY BACK. I was expecting an ONSLAUGHT of GNR. I thought they'd come roaring back and take over the world AGAIN. This was their chance. This is what all of the DEDICATED GNR fans had been waiting over a decade for..

And then we got nothing... at all... 
A lackluster album that took 14 years to make, a couple singles that really did nothing and were not that well recieved.
Zero promotion, not one word from Axl or the band. No news about a tour. Months and months of silence. Chinese Democracy came, they didn't reconquer the music world, and then Guns/CD faded away, again.

I know that after the 14 years it took to come out, there was no way it would live up to the hype, but I so badly wanted it to. I didn't want GNR to be a joke anymore to my family, friends, and the people in the media. I thought the album and the return of GNR would have a good chance of changing all of that... And I was wrong.

[questalamo]

You're ok to feel that way about the new record.  A lot of people must or it would have been a much bigger seller.  It took me several listens before I got into it, but so did the Use Your Illusion records - and now I love them all.

I think the thing that is hard for me when I read that Chinese Democracy (CD) isn't the "old Guns 'n Roses" is that those people aren't allowing for the band/and or artist to grow and change.  And that is strange given the fact that I'm pretty sure you, me and everyone else that loved Appetite for Destruction aren't even close to the same people we were when that record was huge (thank god for that!).  Why does Axl have to stay the same?

Personally I can tell you that when I first played the CD I almost cried hearing Axl's voice again.  He sounds great on every song.  His vocals reflect the mood of each song - he sounds so weary in Madagacar; heartbroken in This I Love; reflective in Better and There Was a Time; angry in Shakler's and Scraped, etc.  I'm glad it finally came out and I'd say it's my favorite Guns cd to date - but that didn't happen overnight by any means. And I don't love every song - Riad and IRS haven't caught me, yet, and they may never.  But every other song gets to me at my core.

I'd encourage you to give it a few more listens  - if you still don't like it, ok!  You are entitled to your opinion.

Luv - Rio 

I totally agree with what you say....Can't say it better....

XOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Questa l'amo......

[eddierose0608]

A lot of people have said this to me. I love CD (more than the old stuff if I'm honest) I got into CD straight away I loved the leaks and the album still amazed me with little things I didn't expect. Its not a bad thing if you can't get into CD its not like you have to like everything GnR have done. The problem could be the change in the style and type of music. Its a totally different sound but still just as epic if not more than past GnR stuff.

[UcudBmine]

axl himself improved

[badfaulkner]

A lot of people have said this to me. I love CD (more than the old stuff if I'm honest) I got into CD straight away I loved the leaks and the album still amazed me with little things I didn't expect. Its not a bad thing if you can't get into CD its not like you have to like everything GnR have done. The problem could be the change in the style and type of music. Its a totally different sound but still just as epic if not more than past GnR stuff.

nice post, eddie.  I loved it instantly, my wife didn't, but now it's "growing" on her.  She's a huge original band fan.  She doesn't like VR, either, so at least she's consistent.  

[wyldechild]

1) yes there are 3 guitar players in the band, BUT when bands go into studio and make a record do people really think that if there's 1 guitar player in the band there's also only one guitar track in the songs ????? there can be like 4-8 guitars recorded on top of each others in order to get fuller sound. With Guns there are now 3 players that can each one play one track and make it fuller and they all dont need to double track everything.  And when they play live it will sound better, almost like the recording.

2) Axls voice, I've been listening to old live gigs from Guns and I've compared them to the new ones. And I gotta say Axls voice is now much better than it used to be. Maybe there's not so much rasp but I happen to love that. He aint in the HELIUM MODE anymore and if he wants to use rasp he can do it. And I think on the album his voice is perfect, we get best of the both worlds on the album.

but yeah everyone can have their opinnion about the album.. and maybe it's not raw hard rock like guns used to be but musically the albums is masterpiece and I'm happy that I can say that I love every single song from Chinese Democracy 

[eddierose0608]

nice post, eddie.  I loved it instantly, my wife didn't, but now it's "growing" on her.  She's a huge original band fan.  She doesn't like VR, either, so at least she's consistent.  

Thanks dude, My wife likes CD and hasn't even given VR the time to listen to them

[b]

cd is not only an very good album, it's 10 years of my life.
i don't even have to listen to it to think about it. it's always there, in the back of my mind.
i'm sure a lot here feel the same way.

[addline]

i loved the mystery around this cd. i loved all the old leaks and was very impressed and i love the final thing. im so old guns it aint funny, but i can not lie this cd is great. And it is so true u can not listen to it once or twice,u really got play it more to get right into it. its music at the end of the day, if its good its good all personal feelings whatever swept aside. its what sounds good.

       It sounds better then good, i am glad its under the gnr banner.

[eddierose0608]

cd is not only an very good album, it's 10 years of my life.
i don't even have to listen to it to think about it. it's always there, in the back of my mind.
i'm sure a lot here feel the same way.

Same here it was the whole of my teenage years!

[jamillos]

Is there anyone else out there who is a original Guns n Roses fan who just can't get into the new Guns n Roses . I've tried but i am just not feeling the lyrics like i used to with the older stuff.

To me Guns n Roses was all about Axl  and his voice. The fact i was completely obsessed with him had nothing to do with it of course. When velvet revolver first came out i refused to even consider listening to any off their stuff. It was as if they had betrayed  all that Guns N Roses stood for besides Axl wasn't in it. But i honestly have to say i like their stuff their music reminds me more of Guns N roses past than Guns n Roses Present does. If that makes sense.

I'm not going to lie and stand here and say i'm the biggest Guns N Roses fan that ever walked the planet and i know the in's and out of the group and all it's members i don't. All i do know is Chinese Democracy was a let down to me personally and how much i really hate to say it through gritted teeth Axl's lost it.
There is no more Guns N Roses just a sweet bitter memory.

That's funny because when you take this Libertad album, it's got nothing to do with GN'R whatsoever.
Contraband ok, Libertad not ok.