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- tejastech08
- Rep: 194
Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread
Buzzkill, I mean Buzzsaw is doing what he does best.
Saying the most inflammatory, absurd, and ridiculous things about Axl in order to get a rise out of people.
He probably still thinks Fall To Pieces is Stairway To Heaven 2004.
LMFAO. Ugh. I really wish Slash and Duff had gotten a better singer/songwriter for VR.
- tejastech08
- Rep: 194
Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread
They had one... his name was Izzy fuckin' Stradlin. But popularity & money were more important than 'good'.
Izzy is a great songwriter, but vocalist? No sir. Don't get me wrong, he would have been a lot better than Weiland because of the songwriting.
- jimmythegent
- Rep: 30
Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread
Chinese Democracy
A great start - the tension builds nicely and the claustrophobic, paranoid sounding denseness of the production, lends itself well to the overall theme of the song. As has been said countless times already, Thal's rhythm guitar bolsters things significantly.
8/10
Shacklers Revenge
This has turned out far better than I initially gave it credit for. The rhythm section really shines here and Thal's soloing is fittingly insane. I can envisage this going over very well live.
7/10
Better
The albums first great song and surely one of the 'big guns' Axl referenced all those years ago. The production on this sounds fine to my ears, and the additions that some have found so grating, do nothing to detract - they improve the song - especially the beefed up drums. Mind-blowing soloing by Buckethead, and Robin Finck can take a bow on this one. His solo on this song is one of the best of the entire album. As for Axl, one of his grittiest, most classic sounding vocal performances.
10/10
Street of Dreams
I dreamed of this song being a highlight. To me it has the potential to be classic. I'm not quite sure it got there. The main problem for me is the vocals at the beginning of the song. A friend emailed me on Friday while listening to the MySpace stream, and described it eloquently as "like he's shitting out some nasty hemorrhoids". I imagine this will be hard for most people to get past. Fincks solo has a nice lyrical quality, but he drops the ball in his characteristically sloppy execution of it. Bucketheads outro soloing is his least inspired playing on the album. That being said, it is still a great song. The orchestration and production as well as Thal's rhythm addition (again) all work well. The last buildup where Axl sings 'what I thought was beautiful don't live inside you anymore' gives me chills.
7.5/10
If the World
Was never a huge fan of this song, but I have to say it's come out very nicely and works nicely in the context of this album. Bucketheads solo is subtle and very tasty. Axl sings exceptionally on it and the production is huge. A refreshing change of pace.
7/10
There was a time
A major disappointment, possibly the greatest failing of Chinese Democracy. There's no shame in that given the fact it is a decent song, but it could have been far greater. It is too cluttered, and definition is lacking. Axl's vocals are unspectacular. Bucketheads solo is indeed exceptional (though not as great as some would have you believe) but Fincks lead lines during the verses are again lacking. For the first time on the album, there is a dated feel to the hip-hop flourishes. It is too long. It wants (and tries very hard) to be epic, but ultimately falls short. Kind of glad when it finishes.
5.5/10
Catcher in the Rye
Put simply, I adore this song. Possibly the highlight of Chinese Democracy. I have got used to the additions, and they work well in hindsight. I think it comes down to playing it through computer speakers. On a proper system, things sound fine as they are now. Thal's solo is nowhere near as bad as some have claimed (May's is better - yes - but only slightly) and there is a little too much going on at the end of the song. Other than that - perfect. Axl shines as a songwriter here.
10/10
Scraped
I'd lowered my expectations of this significantly given some of the advanced reviews I'd read. What a great surprise that it turns out to be a contender for strongest rocker on the album. Sounds like single material to me - Axl sings great (I like the intro a lot) and that solo (especially Bucketheads part) floors me. I also like the positive but slightly unhinged feel that it gives Chinese Democracy.
9/10
Riad N' the Bedouins
Solid. The new intro works great - Pitman's contributions to Chinese Democracy have been a pleasant surprise. However, it is let down somewhat by Axl overextending his vocal range and the noise that is Thal's solo. Baffling that the vastly superior Buckethead solo has been replaced and it's a relief that he takes the outro lead. His kill-switch solo is a lot of fun. However, the song isn't helped at all by the fact it follows after a more enjoyable rocker.
6.5/10
Sorry
Great vocal performance. The most 'Axl' sounding vocals on the entire album. Not sure about the lyrics - perhaps a bit petty and bitter. I think he could have said this better. Buckets solo is gorgeous and the band sound great. The jury's out on this one for me to some extent. It's definitely a highlight and there is indeed much here to love. I'm just not too sure it sits all that well with me. I don't particularly like the rather abrupt ending.
8/10
I.R.S
This song has been done to death. The added guitars, production etc... have improved it and again Buckethead steals the show. I just don't think it is a particularly good song overall. This would have made an ideal B-side. Axl's vocals sound weaker on this track. Finck does himself a further disservice with another aimless, meandering noodle.
5/10
Madagascar
Again, the production has improved this song, but it is ultimately about polishing turd. Axl has invented a new musical genre here called 'plod-rock'. The MLK quotations are embarrassingly earnest. Sub-UYI pap.
4/10
This I Love
An emotionally naked song given the vocal delivery. A very simple song at it's heart. It is unlike anything we've heard from Axl. The long and short of it is, this is the defining song of the album. Axl lays his artistic soul bare, and as a result, it is one of his greatest triumphs. Even a stodgy solo from Finck doesn't detract as it might have.
10/10
Prostitute
The perfect way to finish. A moving, mature and sweeping epic of a song. The outro strings are perfect and Axl delivers again. In many ways, he addresses many of the albums core themes most effectively here.
10/10
There we have it - 107.5/140 which means it comes in at about 77%.
In summation, I think Axl has made a great album. He has done it.
It seems funny and ironic in hindsight that we debated as to whether or not it would be 'overproduced' for all those years. Of course it is. Anything less would not have done. Audacious is the word that keeps coming to mind.
It's an enjoyable album to listen to in it's entirety, it flows well and I have no complaints with the production. The lyrical content displays yearning, bitterness, resentment, arrogance, paranoia and not a little sadness. At it's heart, the emotional core of the album can be extremely moving. This is a true artists role, and Axl has come through on that front with flying colours.
As a piece of art, it is rather magnificent.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread
They had one... his name was Izzy fuckin' Stradlin. But popularity & money were more important than 'good'.
No izzy didn't want to do a full band thing. He isn't into comitment like that.
- DoubleTalkingJive
- Rep: 74
Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread
All I have to say is this album is great!
This I Love is a [and I am going to use the word most people hate..LOL] Masterpiece!!!
I love it.
I don't really like what they did in the middle part of Better with the guitar slide.
Other then that, I love pretty much every song. Shacklers Revenge still needs to grow on me.
I have no complaints.
