Chinese Democracy - what do you think?

[BlueSwan]

So it actually dropped. What's your verdict?

I like it. It's totally overblown, operatic, symphonic and over-the-top ridiculous from beginning to end and reminds me more of Meat Loaf than the G'n'R of the 80's, but hey, I like Meat Loaf and if I have to listen to rock-music, I prefer it to be symphonic and OTT. So overall, I really enjoy it and I can see why Axl is sort of a PSB fan.

Now we just need Detox to drop.

[glennjridge]

I'm going to get it,its not out on US I-tunes yet except the song chinese democracy, I am loving the guitar sound on the title track. it almost sounds like a guitar sample or a keyboard guitar thats made to sound like a guitar when it starts up.

the only other songs I heard is madagascar way back when he debuted it at an awards show with that bucket head dude playing guitar and I surprised by how progressive it sounded for G&R and I heard 'Shackler's Revenge' which sounds awesome.

axel also does that octive divided stye vocal alot that neil does. I also could see why he would like the PSB. sometimes I've thought if the PSB redid certain tracks with guitar and rock drums they would sound like hard rock, such as how I learned to hate rock and roll and positive role model., almost marilyn manson.

anyways I'll get it hopefully monday.

[beautyqueen85]

SNL or Mad TV were referring to it last night. Why it took them so long?

1. Slash was hiding the lyrics under his hat
2. Axl was doing his hair
3. Waiting for China to become a republic

I'll have somebody burn it for me (another coaster )

[glennjridge]

ok. update. its pretty awesome. right now I'm loving "this I love", he sings his butt off on that one I think its one of his strongest vocals, its a gorgeous piece of music.

"sorry" another one of my favorites sounds really trippy and spacey.

"if the world" sounds unlike anything guns has done before. its funky and marvin gay cool .

you are so right, its really produced and big like his fundamental or something.

I'm still taking it in.

[BlueSwan]

My favourites so far are This I Love (agree with Glenn here), Better (obvious single), If The World, Chinese Democracy and There Was A Time (for the ecstatic final part of the song).

[raggatwin]

Is Axl Rose the only original member left?

[BlueSwan]

Yes.

[Lush]

Easily album of the year. I must admit to being quite a big fan of the old material (with the exception of the dreadful “The Spaghetti Incident?”), but still I was kind of dreading this album.
When one person has more or less total control of the creative process, the result more often than not is the musical equivalent of masturbation; It’s great for the one doing it, but fairly pointless for everyone else. Much to my surprise that’s not the case with Chinese Democracy. Axl does suffer from musical multiple personality disorder, and it’s an incredibly diverse album going off into to all sorts of directions, but it certainly kept my interest throughout, and there are some genuine gems to be found.
“Better” is quite simply phenomenal. Axl manages to sound like the lead singers of Dream Theater, Mew and Iron Maiden, as well as his good old self, all in the space of a five minute song. Quite a feat. Oh, and the verse melody is fantastic to boot.
“Street of Dreams” starts out like a poor man’s “November Rain” and then somehow manages to transform itself into quite an interesting take at a contemporary rock ballad.
The title track is a study in the art of taking three power chords and somehow turning them into a euphoric rock track. AC/DC eat your collective hearts out.
“This I love” may be too much, but it’s too much in a great way. What a melody!

All in all, this is so much better than I thought it would be. Also, it is a fascinating, if slightly sad, fact that this is probably the last “big” album ever. The album as we’ve known it is dying, and this might be its epitaph.

[homer1972]

Loving "Sorry" reminds me of "Don't You Cry", think the rest of the album is a grower.

[jaytrance]

I do hate this album because they know nothing about China but they think they know

[Bulldog]

I'd rather listen to Lucia Pamela.