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Re: Disecting Chinese Democracy: Track 1 - Chinese Democracy
I'll start this thread series again, it kinda fell by the way-side
so track one...the first single, the title track, first mentioned in Sept 1999, first heard in vegas in 2000, and obviously cooked up by Josh freese and Axl based on the song credits....ya know now that i think of it, the chord structure is similar to dead horse....maybe Axl is behind the guitar riff which we hear throughout
anyway back in 2000 CD was +/- 3:00 in length with the final cut coming in at 4:43 (with a 1:00 long intro). so somewhere an additional 43 seconds was added....when and where was this stuff recorded?
well if you check out the rock in rio video of the song you can see (and hear) that BH isnt doing much more than playing rhythm...
also if you check out the 2002 concerts, bucket still isnt doing his thing on the track, so somewhere after that bucket recorded his stuff on there...other reasearch shows these recording sessions in the 03-04 period, which is where alot of the bucket influenced material seems to have originated.
then we have the bumble recorded material, which was recorded presumably in 2007, it adds a dimension to the song that i like...a bit of sleazyness that the old band had in tracks like out ta get me and its so easy
as for the meaning behind the lyrics on the track. well i think that there are hints to actual Chinese Democracy. but the overall theme IMO is people feeling Axl is a dictator with his "Iron Fist", and how people felt that all he did was sit alone in his mansion plotting the album year after year "All i got is precious time" ... or how he only surrounds himself with yesmen "maybe i should look around for somebody else".... in the end I think he is alluding to that when gnr reemerges that we would see why he was waiting so long to release it all "it dont really matter, youre gonna find out for yourself"....and what his vision was for the new gnr, and even thinking that some would regret leaving gnr "And now you're deep in your own kind of hell, And if your Great Wall rots blame yourself"
also there is a hint of certain people breaking peopel down with their ideas until people believe..."You think you've got it all locked up inside. And if you beat 'em enough they'll die" this to me obviously alludes to his opinions on Slash's side of the story for the breakup of the band.
discuss 
Re: Disecting Chinese Democracy: Track 1 - Chinese Democracy
Interesting take. I always took it pretty literally to be about Democracy in China, but you might be onto something. The lyrics seem to fit, maybe a double meaning there.
Chalk me down for actually digging the incessantly long intro. I actually wasn't a huge fan of this song before I heard the leak. The live version didn't really click for me. But I like the anticipation and the buildup of the intro, which kicks into the opening guitar lick and Axl's signature wail. Good stuff. That won me over.
Re: Disecting Chinese Democracy: Track 1 - Chinese Democracy
What saved the song was Ron's input, making the song more rock n roll and less weird. It saved it from being filler to being a pretty cool rock song.
Yeah, that improved the track a great deal. But I liked the leak better than the live versions I heard, then I liked the finished product the best. I guess that's the way it's SUPPOSED to work. Not very complex work by Ron on the track but it was very effective.
Re: Disecting Chinese Democracy: Track 1 - Chinese Democracy
What saved the song was Ron's input, making the song more rock n roll and less weird. It saved it from being filler to being a pretty cool rock song.
I agree here. Ron's rhythm playing makes the song so much better. His touch really help this song. Also the new delayed intro compared to the first times this song was played is so much better.
Re: Disecting Chinese Democracy: Track 1 - Chinese Democracy
Pretty rockin' song. The final version on the album is bitchin', and Ron's rhythm work and Frank's drums REALLY added something to the song. Really it's the biggest prescence they have on the album, and it's great.
My complaint actually lies with Axl... his one-track vocals were enough on the demos. There was no need for an additional high-vocal track laid over the low-vocal one. Just comes across like over-production, no different than alot of his vocals on the UYI albums.
- NY Giants82
- Rep: 26
Re: Disecting Chinese Democracy: Track 1 - Chinese Democracy
Good thread and breakdown Neemo... (let me hear it now)
I agree with most said here, Ron's parts gave the song that extra boost it needed. The live versions we had from 01 and 02, were okay. Then the leaks with BH's solo helped alot, and Ron's work was the cherry on top.
I gotta say I love the way Axl did his voice in this song. I love the high pitch over the low vocals. Absolutely love it.
