GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

gnrfan1987-present

First off, let me say I can't believe this thing's actually been released. I honestly thought CD would never come out. I'm reminded of that Izzy Stradlin tune off UYI II: "It's been 14 years of silence. 14 years of pain. 14 years that are gone forever. And I'll never have again." But oh well, enough about the past. Here's my 2 cents on the disc:
RATING SYSTEM:
**** Classic
*** Great
** Poor
* Awful

CHINESE DEMOCRACY
Love the drums in the intro. Helps to build the anticipation. Always have liked this song. I do wish Axl would have added on a real chorus. If he'd sang "Chinese Democracy" somewhere that would be memorable. I think this final version is a BIG improvement over the leaked demo from earlier this year. Definitely seems completely done. ****

SHACKLER'S REVENGE
A 3 1/2 minute shot of pure adrenaline. May not be the greatest song ever made but its definitely exciting. Love Axl's vocals on this. And his chant over the guitar solo. I've always been a fan of late 90's industrial/techno rock which is when this was probably recorded. Buckethead never ceases to amaze. ***

BETTER
I've listened to this song in so many different forms since 2006 (several demos, live) that I'm honestly sick of it. I still like the "I should have known you're crazy" part though. Catchiest song on the album without a doubt. Too bad Axl let the fucker leak. I personally prefer the 2006 original demo. Before all the overdubs and additional programming that is unnecessary IMO. 2006 Demo **** CD Version: ***

STREET OF DREAMS
Along with "Better" I wore this song out since Axl first played it live a half decade ago. I also like the 2007 demo better. And I wish it was still called "The Blues." 2002 Live Version **** CD Version ***

IF THE WORLD
What a pleasant surprise. A lot better than the leaked demo. The programming and additional mixing actually works for this song. And Axl's vocals are less abrasive. Love Buckethead's guitar playing. ****

THERE WAS A TIME
The 2006 demo worked fine for me. Not sure about the finished product. One too many overdubs for me. The core song is catchy and Robin's solo has always blown me away. Axl really should have left well enough alone. 2007 Version **** CD Version ***1/2

CATCHER IN THE RYE
Oh man, what was Axl thinking with this one? The original late 90's version was perfect with that killer Brian May solo. This version sounds like a really bad remix. The original had a certain charm, even if it did sound dated. But this new one is just a mess. 2006 Demo: ***1/2 CD Version: **

SCRAPED
Not exactly what I was hoping for. With a title like "Scraped" I was hoping for an industrial/heavy metal type track. This song does have a few interesting moments. And it's brand new which is always a nice surprise for a GnR fan. As far as "Don't you try to stop us now" lyric by Axl I can't help smiling. No one's been stopping Axl since 1994 except himself. **1/2

RIAD N THE BEDOUINS
Never really cared for this song. Works as an instrumental but the lyrics are just too bizarre. Love the extended intro though. Like "The Immigrant Song" on acid. Ultimately a failed experiment. **

SORRY
Ah this is what we've been waiting 14 years for. A true epic. What an amazing song. Love the Pink Floyd elements. And Axl's lyrics are very straight forward and direct. Which is what always made GnR great. ****

I.R.S.
Again, the original demo version was fine by me. The overdubs are ok I guess. It's just a solid, catchy song. Would make for a great single. ****

MADAGASCAR
Another song I'm burnt out on. I think this is a truly epic track. Quite original IMO. I just listened to the live & demo versions way too many times. 2002 Live Version **** CD Version: ***

THIS I LOVE
Ah, the infamous "This I Love" which we've heard about since the mid 90's. The sequel to "Estranged." Definitely missing the contributions of Slash, Duff, Izzy and Matt who kept "November Rain" and "Estranged" from becoming pure sap, which this song sounds like. Has some interesting ideas but is definitely NOT a Guns n Roses song. **1/2

PROSTITUTE
I love this track. The chorus is great. Haunting and dramatic. The ending gives me chills. Amazing. Stays in your head. ****

In the end, I think this is a solid album and am glad Axl finally let us hear it. I don't think it will do anything to hurt the Guns n Roses legacy. But I don't think it will be a revolutionary record like Appetite for Destruction. I think if Axl could have added a few more songs like "Better" and "I.R.S." the disc might be more commercially successful. All in all, it's a fun listen. And is definitely different than anything out there today.

gnfnraxl

Ok here is my review. First off I wanna say that I listened to the album for the first time today (aside from the leaks we got this summer). I also listened to this album not as a GNR record but an Axl Rose solo album (but will gladly compare this to other GNR records in the end). I'm gonna rate each songs on a range of ten one being the lowest and ten the highest. Here we go:

Chinese Democracy: I love this track! Great opener, it's a good rocker with good lyrics (like most Axl Rose songs). It's a very good way to start an album. I give this song a 9.5.

Shackler's Revenge: This song is very different. A good rocker. Sounds a bit like Rob Zombie but it's still a cool song with some very good guitar work. The drum beats make this more like a dance track but I can live with that. I give this song an 8. Not nearly as bad as everyone makes this track to be.

Better: Everyone knows I hate that song. Well my opinion changes a little. There is great guitars in this and it could've been a highlight on this album but the mixing on that song is horrible. Like James pointed out, you can hear where they did some cut and paste. And at some point the sound of the song goes higher so you know that it's parts that were done probably in 06 or 07. And because of the mixing I have to give this song a 7 but could've easily been a 9'5 hadn't been for the horrible mixing job.

The Blues (no way I'm calling this Street of Dreams): Aside from the opening vocals from Axl I love that song and the changes that were done from the leaks. His 'All the love in the world couldn't save you' line shows why Axl is one of the best lyricists out there. This song shows Axl's vulnerability and it took a lot of guts from him o write this song. I give this an 8'5. I loved that song.

If he world: I loved that song! The flamenco guitars were awesome. Too bad it is often drowned by a loud buzz created by too many electric guitars. A prime example of too many layers here. Too me this is a very good track with awesome lyrics. I give this a 9.

There Was time: I loved that song but here you can hear bad mixing again as you can spot where they did some cut and paste. Awesome Buckethead work here. It is an epic song. Axl doesn let us down musically and lyrically. I know some don't like this one but to me it's a fantastic song. I give this an 8,5.

Catcher in the Rye. What the fuck happened here!? This was to be THE highlight of the album. One of GNR's (Axl's) greatest treasures. Another example of adding too many layers here. Plus anyone who thinks Robin Finck is so great needs to listen how he just destroy's this song. His solo is quite possibly one of the worst I have heard. I can't play a single note and I'm sure I could do better than that. Literally made me wanna stop listening to the album and throw it out the window. Brian May is clearly superior to Finck. I hope he never comes back. He butchered that song. What could've been a 10 has become a -10 and Finck is too blame. Well Axl as well for allowing that trash. One word Yuck! Rant over.

Scraped: So the message here is that we cannot try to stop Axl and his band. Laughable. Axl's worst lyrics on the album. Musically it's an average song with good solos. Clearly a filler but I have heard worst. I'll give this a 6'5 and I am being generous.

Riad N' the Bedouins: Didn't like that song. Liked it a bit better but Axl kills this song. Should've been an instrumental. Good work from the musicians though and because of that I will give this song a good 7. Hope Stinson stays on board because of his work on that song.

Sorry: One of the best if not the best track on the album. Great lyrics, great work from everybody in the band here. Just an awesome track. One thing though. Please Axl make Baz shut up in the future. This is not doom metal. But this track is awesome nonetheless. I give this a 10.

I.R.S: I liked that song. Didn't like it before but do now. I liked the changes made here. Great lyrics. Clearly shows Axl's sense of humor. It's about a breakup that is clear but I like his style of lyrics, done with humor. At least that's how I look at it. Not nearly as bad as I thought. I give this a 7 which is better than the 5 I gave this when I heard the leaks. Clearly a B side track but a good one.

Madagascar: I wish Axl would've rerecorded his vocals here. But it's a great song. I wish he had removed the Martin Luther King quotes cause it drowns the awesome Bucket solo. I give this an 8,5.

This I love: Another gem. Not quite as good as Sorry but not far behind. I was impressed by that song. Again shows Axl's vulnerability. Great work from everyone that played on that track. I give this a 9,5.

Prostitute: I may be the only one here, but I'm not high on that track. Lyrics are awesome but the music leaves to be desired. Good song to end an album but not the best. I'll be generous and give this a 7, but I can see myself skipping this song from now on.

I give this album a 7 out of ten and it could've been an 8 hadn't been for CITR. This album should've been out in 02. Also I'm disapointed about the length. They could've easily put 1 or 2 more songs on this album. Also I would've liked to have some interludes between some songs the way Tool does. And also a hidden track would've been nice. Still a good record. One that should please fans and the general public.

As I said I listened to this as an Axl Rose solo album as I think it sounds nothing like GNR as we all know it. Axl unlike his former bandmates evolved. CD to me sounds better than anything that Slash or Duff did solo and better than what VR gave us (except CITR). But if I have to compare this to old GNR records I'd say that it is my favorite after AFD and UYI 2. And that is quite an accomplishment. So I say cheers to Axl and all the musicians involved in this project and I hope we hear more music from Axl in the future.

Brett

All right, I'm not going to lie, I listened to the whole album and I really, really liked ALL of it, even Catcher. Apologies to Fincke for my insults. No, he's nowhere near as good as May, but it's still good. Thank God.

This I Love and Sorry (which is really like Floyd/Sabbath... it wasn't exaggerated [thank you God, once again]!) are two of the best songs... amazing. I am so happy all three songs I've never heard are great. Two amazing and one really good. I will take it.

I love the album flow, there are a few songs that don't really fit in the place they are, but they're still great on there. I think there should be a song or two out of place on an album like this. If it completely flowed as almost a single, extended effort, it'd leave out those little things one reflects on throughout day to day life, like the politically themes found in a couple songs. And, it's nice to see Axl throw out the "still kick your ass" line. In a Rolling Stone reviews of UYI, they hate on him for saying "suck my fucking dick" and "she's just a cunt now", but it's those sort of lyrics that make me really like Axl. His music is epic, rocking and meaningful, but he throws a few lines in that are just aggressive and true to real life where the emotion gets the best of you and you just go balls out. I think because UYI was so beautiful, critics forgot the rawness Axl and the boys still possessed. How beauty and destruction so often mix. No, Axl wasn't overly blunt in Appetite compared to those lines, but he did fuck a girl on a song (but he did get blunt on Lies... haha) which has to count for something.

In my mind, the new "trilogy" is Sorry/I.R.S./Madagascar. One song without the other doesn't work as well. Together it's pure brilliance. Critics bashed the quotes in Maddy, but I finally understand their place now. It may add way more importance to the matter than is necessary with MLK, but I understand the meaning behind it. And, I definitely think MLK quotes are there because of One in a Million, so even that balances out.

And as much as people say this isn't a "band" (I won't argue that), but it's apparent that in Axl's mind, he at least wanted it to be somewhat of a group effort and he gives them props with their pics all over the liner notes. I dunno why the fuck there are so many errors in the notes, though. Jesus.

4.5/5

bucketfan

Aussie wrote:

Sorry - ...One negative with it, the start of the solo, it sounds like whoever is playing (scuse me for not knowing since there are 67 different guitarists on the album), it sounds like they are fumbling for the note?? It sounds like me when I'm drunk and I plug in to my amp and crank it up then try and play and all you can hear is my clumsy fingers searching for the note. Mwwwhahahah

What song were you listening to mate? The solo on Sorry is probably the most controlled playing on the whole album. Fumbling for a note?? WTF?

buzzsaw

Axlin08 wrote:

Those Slash fans, those Welcome To The Jungle fans - don't bother. You'll be disappointed. You'll find it blasphemy. But to those Axl fans - you'll be in hog heaven.

What about the Slash fans that love the songs like Estranged and NR that were Axl's babies? Axl's vision is a pile of shit without someone like Slash to take it to the next level and this album only proves that Axl can't do anything without a Slash or BH type of guitarist to bring the songs and GnR up from being the next sappy ballad playing band.

Axl is a lot more like Hinder then some of you want to admit...he writes pussy songs that don't rock at all until someone else steps in to make it listenable. Mock me all you want, but there's a lot of truth to that.

tejastech08

buzzsaw wrote:

Axlin08 wrote:
Those Slash fans, those Welcome To The Jungle fans - don't bother. You'll be disappointed. You'll find it blasphemy. But to those Axl fans - you'll be in hog heaven.
What about the Slash fans that love the songs like Estranged and NR that were Axl's babies? Axl's vision is a pile of shit without someone like Slash to take it to the next level and this album only proves that Axl can't do anything without a Slash or BH type of guitarist to bring the songs and GnR up from being the next sappy ballad playing band.
Axl is a lot more like Hinder then some of you want to admit...he writes pussy songs that don't rock at all until someone else steps in to make it listenable. Mock me all you want, but there's a lot of truth to that.

Unlike Hinder, he can actually fucking sing his ass off. You don't wanna give him credit for that? Fine. History has and will continue to do so. He may be a crazy motherfucker and a big asshole, but he's one of the most talented rock singers in history. Live in denial about it all you want. Slash hasn't exactly kicked much ass without Axl either dude. In fact, his singer in VR sucks ass compared to Axl.

Axlin16

buzzsaw wrote:

Axlin08 wrote:
Those Slash fans, those Welcome To The Jungle fans - don't bother. You'll be disappointed. You'll find it blasphemy. But to those Axl fans - you'll be in hog heaven.
What about the Slash fans that love the songs like Estranged and NR that were Axl's babies? Axl's vision is a pile of shit without someone like Slash to take it to the next level and this album only proves that Axl can't do anything without a Slash or BH type of guitarist to bring the songs and GnR up from being the next sappy ballad playing band.
Axl is a lot more like Hinder then some of you want to admit...he writes pussy songs that don't rock at all until someone else steps in to make it listenable. Mock me all you want, but there's a lot of truth to that.

Courtesy of Axl & Duff.

Brett

Axl has a soul, Hinder is... Hinder.

The key to Axl is he can rock with the best of them, write love songs with the best of them and get epic with the best of them. What does Hinder do? Do they even have one good lyric let alone a good album? Similarities in theme is a lot different than similarities in execution.

You wanna talk about Axl needing Slash? One word to play with: Libertad. wink I love Slash as much as the next guy, but he needs Axl as much as Axl needs him. The thing is, Chinese Democracy is better than Slash's VR and Snakepit albums. Of course, other than Slash's playing (can anyone emit emotion through a guitar like him?), the albums suffer because of lack of quality lyrics and great singers. Shit, I'd take Dover, Jackson, Izzy and Duff over him. Scott was good enough for about 5 VR songs, but he's so uninteresting in the rest.

Saikin

buzzsaw wrote:

Axlin08 wrote:
Those Slash fans, those Welcome To The Jungle fans - don't bother. You'll be disappointed. You'll find it blasphemy. But to those Axl fans - you'll be in hog heaven.
What about the Slash fans that love the songs like Estranged and NR that were Axl's babies? Axl's vision is a pile of shit without someone like Slash to take it to the next level and this album only proves that Axl can't do anything without a Slash or BH type of guitarist to bring the songs and GnR up from being the next sappy ballad playing band.
Axl is a lot more like Hinder then some of you want to admit...he writes pussy songs that don't rock at all until someone else steps in to make it listenable. Mock me all you want, but there's a lot of truth to that.

I'm speachless. I never thought anyone could compare Axl to Hinder. Did you take a few speedballs and then post that? Just curious.

Okay... since basically very few people besides you can see this comparison, would you care to enlighten us on any GNR song and Hinder song that are similar? (vocal/lyric wise of course, please don't tell me their guitarists are just another Slash too)

Axlin16

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.

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Re: GNR Evo members' Chinese Democracy reviews thread

Board footer