With the 'Chinese Democracy' album now all over the net, Undercover is asking for your reviews. Here are a few more from today's mailbag.
From Chris Mullan
Feels like forever and a day'
Like the title suggests, it feels like forever and a day since I've been waiting for this. Finally, after a two year wait, 3 new Guns N' Roses songs, from the biggest album never released, 'Chinese Democracy' have been leaked on to the internet. Hallelujah!
It was in 2006 when the demo versions of 'Catcher in the Rye', 'I.R.S', 'The Blues', 'Chinese Democracy' and 'T.W.A.T' were unleashed on the internet world and I remember the online GN'R community going crazy. I'm happy to say, it has happened again. Whether or not Axl Rose intended for these songs to be leaked, they certainly are creating a lot of underground hype, hell it's even spewing into the overworld with 'Rolling Stone' magazine getting a glimpse, or listen, rather. Maybe the challenge from Dr. Pepper was enough for uncle Axl to finally release the album, or maybe the time is now right. We've been hearing that the disc is in the hands of Universal, and the delay was now out of Axl's hands. Maybe the leakage of the nine studio tracks yesterday mean the unbearable wait is almost coming to an end? One can hope.
Now to the three new tracks. Of the three new songs, one song, 'Rhiad and the Bedouins' has been out there for a while, the band even played it live on the car crash 2001/02 tour. Along with 'Silkworms' I thought, 'Christ, these new songs are absolutely atrocious!' Thankfully, my faith has been restored. 'Rhiad' is a massive improvement on the live versions of the past. The high pitched screams of W. Axl Rose and the crunchy start-stop guitar intro, from the start, have me gripped. This, along with title track 'Chinese Democracy' and 'Better' seem to be the main rockers of the 10 tracks I have heard so far. The guitar work, although contrived, is immense on this track and I would not be surprised if it was the work of guitar virtuoso, Buckethead that has been left in. Aside from iffy lyrics, 'Rhiad and the Bedouins' is a great piece of music, perhaps not as good as some of the other heavy songs I have heard off this album but it definitely deserves a spot on the tracklisting, on the next two albums at least, if not on 'Chinese Democracy'.
Next is the mellow ballad 'Song #2'. Well, this isn't of course the title, that is one thing that remains a mystery at this moment. Some people have been suggesting titles such as 'This I Love', 'Message For You' or even the name we thought the album would be called in 2000, '2000 Intentions'. No matter what the title, this song rises above the other two in terms of slickness in production and emotion that someone only as misunderstood as Axl Rose, 'Misunderstood', that's another suggested track title I forgot, can present in a song. Pro Tools drums are evident on this track, however, the elegant piano and synth which seems to be Axl Rose's fortay prove pivotal on this song. It is up there with 'Estranged' and 'November Rain' in terms of emotion and elegance and with Axl's use of contemporary effects and sounds, it is just that bit more relevant to the times than a dragged out piano/guitar solo based rock ballad. This song, amongst the musical representation of today's society, has something special which others just lack.
'If The World'. Well, here is the perfect representation of why a run of the mill music fan will appreciate and enjoy this album. It cleverly branches out to many different genres of music in it's 5 minute boundary. Hints of reggae, rock, jazz and pop are clearly presented. Regarded by some Guns N' Roses fans as one of the the best songs they have heard from all of the Chinese Democracy tracks, it is a must-listen. It has a striking reseblance to the 'jam' played by GN'R on their 2006 world tour. The light bass lines from Tommy Stinson and relaxed drum beats from Brian 'Brain Mantia enhance the mellow, reggae-esque verses of the song. It is extremely hard to put the feeling of this song into words, you just have so simply listen to even begin to comprehend the magic created by Guns N' Roses on this track.
So, after two years on from seeing Guns N' Roses live in Dublin, I thought I did not care anymore if Chinese Democracy would be released. I think I can speak for every Guns N' Roses fan when I say, that If these 9 remasterd tracks are anything to go by, 'Chinese Democracy' is going to be a wondeful album and if Axl Rose has any apprehension about releasing it, he most definitely should not, this album will be one for the ages.
Benno writes:
Before I start, loved Benny's review; "for the sake of brevity", dude, that's a f-kin' essay lol!
Chinese Democracy seems as likely to come out as the words themselves coming true. Still, part of me believes that the leaks that have been slowly making their way onto people's PCs is simply a very clever marketing campaign, no doubt orchestrated by Axl himself. If so, kudos to him, because it doesn't seem to matter what people are into, people are talking about it, and that's gotta translate to sales even in this finicky market. And now Undercover weighs in with with a do-your-own-review segment, could this be the thinly veiled focus group that Axl's asked for to see if the music is up to scratch? I like it.
So, the songs. You know I hated the Illusions, found them to be overblown dross, and stacked up against Appetite they sound (to me) like two different bands. And Chinese Democracy is sadly (for me) the same realm, though a logical progression. Based on the album I've been living with for a couple of years now called "Patience Is A Virtue", here's how they stack up:
Better - actually not bad, agree with the other reviewers that sounds like a lead single, and has some traditional Guns moments in it.
The Blues - I tend to skip this, even though it has a classic "oooooOOOOOOO" from Axl, sounds like the closing credits to a dramatic 80s B-grade movie
Catcher In The Rye - again with the 80s B-grade soundtrack, yeesh, does Axl really think he's Billy Joel?
Chinese Democracy - finally, a track with some balls! And guitars! I really dig this track, this is the logical direction Guns could have gone at one stage. Good track!
I.R.S. - Yeah, see the whiny campy vocal stuff, unnecessary. Great track otherwise though, great guitar solo, comes off the same shelf as Better with more hair on it.
Madagascar - umm, what to say about this. Horns? Orchestra? Is this the new November Rain? No its not. Dualing guitars doing different solos at the same time, loads of filler in the form of otherworldly exerpts, Axl's vocals overlayed all over the place, I'm seeing Axl take a simple song and do as much to it as he possibly can and its coming off, well, pretty conceited I have to say. Average.
Oh My God - best track on the album by a hundred miles and one of the best modern rock tracks to be released - yes, it did get an official release on an Arnie soundtrack - in the last decade. Actually sounds like Guns'n'Roses performing it, wicked!
There Was A Time - ok this was one of the first tracks I heard from this collection and I've heard it in many forms, from rough demo to recorded live, most of them awful but I've finally lucked onto a decent version here. This is again in the same realm as Better and I.R.S., has that Guns circa Illusions sound about it with the piano and single guitar soloing along with it, sort've a November Rain vibe. I think I've lived with it so long its grown on me...wait did I just say that?
Illusion fans will rejoice, I think, its a logical progression as I see it. For anyone old enough to remember and enjoy Appetite For Destruction it'll be a let down. But the bottom line, and I hate to even say it, is that these demos represent music that is better than anything else on offer at the moment; an industry plagued with manufactured bands and singers, ghost writers and players, and if its not R'n'B then its Rap. Horrific! Based on those odds I'll even buy it!
One more thing, Axl's got a better shot at making back the 14-odd million Geffen have sunk in to this by putting the original lineup back together, touring for a year and letting the train wreck where it may. Then, putting this out as a two-disc release; disc one with Axl's current cast of thousands (including 48 guitarists), and disc two with the original lineup's studio take on them. RAWK!
From Mark Jacobs:
When listening to the leaked tracks that make up Chinese Democracy, it's best to throw away any preconceived notions of what Guns N' Roses sounds like. Once again the new songs further the evolution that the band's music took with the sprawling Use Your Illusion discs, however this effort seems much tighter and focused, both as individual tracks and as a whole. That being said, the album encompasses a vast range of styles and sounds, so much so that none of the tracks manage to sound similar to one another.
For example, there's a simple November Rain-esque piano ballad in The Blues, a heavy grunge inspired track in Chinese Democracy, and a French horn laden epic named Madagascar. The other songs are just as diverse, including one track that sounds like it came right out of a seventies porno flick, interspersed with flamenco styled lead guitarwork. Utilizing such an erratic bunch of influences is risky, but it pays off, as the album still manages to feel coherent despite this.
While it's not uncommon to hear orchestration, piano and synthesizers, guitar aficionados will be pleased to hear that the guitar is still the primary weapon of choice in the Gunners arsenal. Unfortunately there is not much in the way of riffs, but the spectacular leads given to us by the band's three guitarists more than make up for that. Each guitarist brings his own style to the table, and all are given ample time to shine. Virtuoso guitarist Buckethead (since replaced by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, whose work is not heard on these leaks) adds a new dimension to the guitar playing, introducing blistering fast solos and unique, almost robotic, guitar sounds to the repertoire. One of the many highlights on the album is his minute and a half long solo on the track There Was a Time.
The real highlight of the album is Axl Rose himself. While time may have taken away some of his rasp, he still wields considerable range and power, as well as incredible versatility. Rose's vocals are all delivered in a way that enhances the mood of the song, from the low angry growls of the title track, to the pained wails of heartbreak in The Blues, while still remaining undeniably Axl. Rose hasn't lost his fascination with overdubbed vocal tracks, with the most notable example being the climax of Madagascar, which involves a chorus of Axls all singing over each other.
The lyrics are all over the place, with some songs displaying real insight and emotion, while others manage to do nothing but sound like complete nonsense. However, Axl's delivery is good enough to make you forget about some of the more ridiculous lines; like the entirety of Riyadh and the Bedouins.
Chinese Democracy has a little bit of something for everybody. Forget how much money and time has been spent on this project, look past the fact that Slash is gone, and you can see that Axl has assembled a lineup of exceedingly talented and versatile musicians. While those demanding Appetite For Destruction II will be disappointed, everyone else should be able to find something to like about this album.
And Jeff Stein had this to say:
These demos are no different than the ones that leaked last year. Better
sounds identical to the Harley Davidson demo that leaked last year and
the vocals on IRS are the same as the original 2003 leak.
Stop giving yourself so much credit. It's not the album. The album is
not nine songs. Your tracks are clearly not mastered as they each have 5
seconds of dead space before and after each song.
Seriously, thanks for the three tunes we hadn't heard before, but you're
doing much more harm than good trying to sell this as a 'final product'
to people. Be happy for the attention it got you and set the record
straight.
You're ruining what is supposed to be a carefully orchestrated release.
Didn't you guys say you were "sorry" for what you did? The least you can
do is own up and admit that upon further reflection this is not the
final product.
Send in your review of 'Chinese Democracy' to undercover@undercover.com.au
