Guns N' Roses "Chinese Democracy" November 23rd

[AmyintheSouth]

Imagine at one point in your life, you had this friend who was crazy and hilarious and you guys had amazing times together. It was a brief friendship, but it was defining. And then time got in the way and you two drifted apart and years passed. You look back fondly on this friend and the memories always make you feel happy -- there are no regrets, and you resigned yourself to just remembering your good times long ago.

 

And then, someone tells you your friend is in town. You can see them again after years and years. You should be thrilled, right? But the thing is, what if this person doesn't live up to the memories you have? What if they've changed? What if this new version of them tarnishes the memories you've carried over the years?

 

This is how I feel about Chinese Democracy.

[DougJones43]

1. It's not really Guns N' Roses

2. Axl has a braided weave

[igor67]

Thus far I've heard only "Chineses Democracy" for singles, and it made me want to cry. The instrumental was fine, but the lyrics and axl's singing on that track was awful. I'm not going to buy it, but I will at least give the benefit of the doubt that the rest of the album could be solid.

[burniebrewer]

If a guy hipsters think is lame likes it, I like it.

[Bikeage77]

If a guy hipsters think is lame likes it, I like it.

 

 

You would probably love me then.

[MickeyDavis]

As someone who was in the fifth row when GNR opened their world tour at Alpine Valley in 1991 I'll be buying it, Slash or no Slash http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

But with Velvet Revolver done they just need to get the original band back together (minus Steven Adler). Well actually Tracii Guns and others were in the original band. I mean circa 1991 http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Bikeage77]

The free Dr Pepper deal is TODAY until midnight! www.drpepper.com on the bottom left there is a link under promotions for it.

 

Good luck getting in though, all day the site has been under maintenance or unavailable service. Maybe they will do the promotion Tuesday as well, but just in case, I don't want anyone to miss out.

[TracyThom]

I must be getting old. When buying the album today, the clerk at Best Buy asked me, "Are these guys a band or something?" Sigh.

 

Very, very good. That is my impression after listening to the album twice. Axl really experimented with sounds and vocals on the album. There is also a lack of really heavy songs on the CD. I had heard 5 of the songs prior to release, but my favorite track is If the World. It has a bluesy/jazz feel to it. I like it a lot.

[MickeyDavis]

I thought it was pretty good too. If people are going to compare it to GNR with Slash then yeah maybe they will be disappointed because that's not what it is. But judging it on it's own I like it.

[BrewCrewForever]

I like it a lot. Sounds much more like the "Illusion" albums but has a sprinkle of "Appetite" in it. Unlike a lot of hard rock bands today no one song on this record sounds the same. Which a a great thing. I would say this is for sure one of my favorite records of the year along with Eddie Vedder's "Into The Wild" and Death Cab's "Narrow Stairs".

 

Key tracks: "Better", "Street of Dreams", "If The World", "There Was A Time" and "Sorry".

[sgtcluels]

Crappy Faith No More (is there any other kind?)

STRIKE!!!!

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

Ever listen to his side projects? I really enjoyed Tomahawk (Self titled, the sophomore release stunk), Lovage, Mr Bungle and Peeping Tom.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Didn't buy it, but I have listened to it twice, and thought it sucked.

 

Axl with a bunch of guys is not Guns N' Roses, much like Steven Tyler with an all new band would not be Aerosmith, or Mick Jagger with a bunch of new guys would not be the Rolling Stones.

 

Just wait til the tour, err.........cancelled dates that they never manage to play (because of Axl).

[BrewCrewForever]

Didn't buy it, but I have listened to it twice, and thought it sucked.

 

Axl with a bunch of guys is not Guns N' Roses, much like Steven Tyler with an all new band would not be Aerosmith, or Mick Jagger with a bunch of new guys would not be the Rolling Stones.

 

Just wait til the tour, err.........cancelled dates that they never manage to play (because of Axl).

So you listened to it twice and didn't like any of the songs? None of them?

[valpocrewsader]

I've listened to about 5 or 6 songs on youtube. Good stuff. Progressive, creative, original, ambitious -- refreshing in a world where people get excited about lazy, rehashed garbage like (in contrast) Velvet Revolver. Nice use of piano ... not nearly enough of that in hard rock anymore. Some crazy, virtuoso-level guitaring from Buckethead ... don't get that in mainstream rock ever anymore. Seems like the kind of material where it takes five to ten listens for the album to sink in. That's a very good thing. Worth my $15 for the CD.

 

After 5 or 6 songs, Chinese Democracy = GnR + Queen + Faith No More + Freak Kitchen + Extreme + Pink Floyd + Robert Plant + Dream Theater

[BrewCrewForever]

After 5 or 6 songs, Chinese Democracy = GnR + Queen + Faith No More + Freak Kitchen + Extreme + Pink Floyd + Robert Plant + Dream Theater

 

Totally agree with you on that analogy. "Sorry" sounds like a song that could have been on any Floyd record.

[Bikeage77]

$15 for a cd these days? I should expect that from people downloading everything (including myself), but I have been trying to just stick with buying vinyl for the past few years, for the reason above.

 

That said, the protools on the album are on 11. How many times can they do layovers?

 

Not my thing, I prefer for albums not to be so polished. If I was comparing it to how I like my steak (medium), I'd consider this way well done.

[BrewCrewForever]

The CD is $11.99 at Best Buy. I paid $12.99 at a local CD store the day before it was released at Best Buy. So not really $15.

[danzig6767]

I went on youtube and gave it a listen. I went in thinking i'd probably think it was terrible, but overall it sounded better than i expected, not enough though that i'd plop down money for it and listen to it multiple times.

[milwaukeesportsfan]

I tried to listen to the whole thing beginning to end. I made it all the way through the 1st song, and that took a lot of willpower to not skip to the next song after about a minute. Maybe if I listen to it a bunch of times, it will kind of grow on me, ala "Co-stan-za!" But I doubt it.