Post by Harry Locke IV on Feb 23, 2009 22:12:14 GMT -5
By Harry Locke IV
Chinese Democracy (Album Review)
The most expensive 71:48 you can possibly listen to...was a decade and some change worth the wait?
Most reviewers when referring to Chinese Democracy (GNR's 6th studio album, and first full-length endeavor since 1993) are going to want to open this show up with a few wise cracks about how: A) We've seen two generations of Bush fumble through the White House since the last adventures of Axl and friends. B) Production costs have ballooned to over $13 million alone, not including marketing and the disastrous campaign collaboration with Dr. Pepper, making it the most expensive album produced to date. C) The Guns N' Roses outfit itself ain't what she used to be, with Axl introducing and slashing (<-- see what I did there) members faster then you can rip down your Chris Brown posters. Yet here we are, through all the scorn, jokes, disses, and appraisals...Chinese Democracy is available for all...except for those that live in China...where the album is banned, big surprise there. So, was it worth the wait? Was Axl's madness actual genius, showing the incredible talent that he really is? Is A-Rod one of the biggest douche bags to ever grace the sport of baseball, or any other professionalized sports endeavor? If you want the quick reply; yes. For the long answer, follow me friends into the depths of Chinese Democracy.
Before one can take a good analysis at the music itself of GNR's latest, you've got to know where Axl is coming from in his material. Notice how I noted Axl specifically, as not only does the Guns N' Roses name revolve around his image, but so does the content of what you'll be hearing in Chinese Democracy. This album is essentially his glorified tirade off on girlfriends that have screwed him, producers that have slanted him, band members that have bad mouthed him, and anyone else in Axl's personal rogue gallery he's had a dispute with over the past decade plus. Let's be honest, this isn't 1988. Axl Rose isn't the lovable troubled little child from Indiana who made the scene in LA, and then internationally, that he used to be considered. In the Axl of 2009, he's got a slew of enemies and red cornrows, neither which is helping his image. So after taking all these hits from ex-companions relatively in silence, this is Axl finally getting his version of the story out for the world to hear. So with all this pent up aggression letting loose musically, one would expect this album to be filled with furious riffing and hard hitting songs like the GNR of old. But...surprisingly, it isn't so. The album opens up with the title track, "Chinese Democracy", a nicely done arena rock style song that re-introduces everyone to GNR quite nicely. Then comes the equally furious (but highly annoying)" Shackler's Revenge", a song that sounds like hard rock and electronica are duking it out, and Rob Zombie is the referee... overall it sounds like s h i t, and was one of the first songs I heard from the album...it won't leave a good impression. Get past that however and the pace becomes slower, the compositions more complex, more orchestral, and more emotional. Ladies and gents...welcome to the Guns N Roses envisioned by Axl Rose.
"Better", the track followed right after the atrocity that is "Shackler's Revenge", ironically sums up the rest of the album at this point. Here we get a nice throwback to GNR blues and swagger kind of music, all grown up now in 2009. The song doesn't exactly sound like typical GNR, which is a good thing for evolving the band, and represents some of the catchiest material on the album. Chinese Democracy actually hits a pretty nice streak of tunes at this point. "Street of Dreams", which is Axl putting on his best STYX impression, is a highly enjoyable standout track. "If the World" sees Axl breaking new ground, going into a bass heavy jazz/blues/rock type number. I admit, I didn't care for it too much at first, but has since really grown on me, as I suspect it will on others as well. "There Was a Time" is another well done piece, where Axl flaunts the versatility of his musical compositions and absolutely soars in his vocals. Which should be duly noted in this album. The vocals...crush...everything, not that his vocals are necessarily better or more interesting then what is going on in the song, but the production of the album definitely rides on the wings of Axl's chops, which he seems to have taken to new levels during his 15 year vacation. "Catcher in the Rye" (probably the second best track on the album) could easily sneak onto a GNR greatest hits compilation down the road, and I don't think anybody would mind or call it out. The best way to describe it would be an updated version of "Yesterdays", from the Use Your Illusion II album.
Axl then transitions into some solid sounding songs, "Scraped" and "Riad N The Bedouins", neither which will set the world a fire, but suffice for the album. Although I must say, while I'm not crazy about the riffing going on in the latter of those two songs, the chorus sounds awesome, and is hampered by the rest of the song around it...Axl should do something with that. Then we get to "Sorry", one of the more interesting lyrical tirades on the whole album. Here, Axl in terms as clear as you can possibly get without dropping names, gets his licks back on Slash, and a few other negatively vocal ex-bandmates from GNR (we're all looking at your crazy crack-addict ass Steve Adler). Axl sings about the well known clash he suffered with the rest of the band on his image and the direction of the band when he bellows:
You like to hurt me you know that you do
You like to think in some way that it’s me and not you
(But we know that isn’t true)
You like to have me jump and be good
But I don’t want to do it
You don’t know why I don’t act the way you think I should
Axl even goes further, as to call out buddy Slash and all the comments he's made to the press about Rose over the past years:
You tell them stories they’d rather believe
Use and confuse them
They’re numb and naive
The truth is the truth hurts don’t you agree
It’s harder to live with the truth about you
Than to live with the lies about me
...ouch! Guess we shouldn't expect a reunion of the original GNR formation anytime soon.
Another interesting note about this track, is that ex-Skid Row (maybe not ex, are they even still in existence?) frontman Sebastian Bach drops by to do backing vocals. However, his vocals get so meshed into the complexity of the composition, that you honestly would never know he's even there unless someone gave you a heads up (you're welcome). Which brings me to the ultimate con that one finds in Chinese Democracy. For all the vocal action, melodic ballads, and voice over clips from Martin Luther King Jr. used in the songs (yes, I'm dead serious), they're still seemed to be something missing from the overall production. Now, I know what most of you are thinking..."Yeah Harry! It's missing the real members of Guns N' Roses!", which I partly agree with, however...it's not the member most people are thinking of...
You see, when most people gripe about the New Guns N' Roses, not being the same as the Old Guns N' Roses, they're mainly just whining about the fact that Slash isn't in the band. Now don't get me wrong! Slash's dirty, slithering, distorted classic rock style was "the" calling card of Guns N' Roses back in their heyday, but not once during my three complete run throughs of this album did I stop and go, "Gee...this track sure would've been groovier with some Slash in it!". Why? Because the "5" different guitarists that appear throughout the album all manage to do a fantastic job of either mimicking slash, or being Buckethead. So yeah, instrumentally the album is well-off. In reality, it's original rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, and bassist Duff Mckagan that the new GNR is desperately missing. Izzy had the nickname of Mr. Invisible while being in Guns N Roses, which is ironic, because next to Axl he was probably the best lyricist/songwriter in the band (Patience, Used to Love Her, Don't Cry). While Axl does a great job in a number of songs, a few of them are lacking the lyrical integrity we've come to expect of an album with GNR logos plastered over it, having Izzy around really could've helped flush out a few of those lesser titles (i.e. Shackler's Revenge, and the somewhat boring Madagascar). More importantly, Chinese Democracy lacks the flow of other GNR albums, mainly because it was always Mckagan's job to do the track listing. Mckagan having had more experience than anyone else in that outfit at the time (Mckagan had already played in several prominent bands before joining up for GNR, and was thus the grand dad figure of the band), had the perfect ear to know which song should supersede and precede what, when to use these techniques, when to hold off that. Essentially, Mckagan new about the word restraint, and that a band shouldn't show all their cards in one song. Axl in comparison is the COMPLETE opposite. It almost seems that he feels the need to show you everything Guns N' Roses is capable of in each and every song. He hits you with some piano, then dual guitars, thundering bass, solid drumming, throw in a symphony, then we've got a chorus of little boys in the background, go into a 2 minute break down of some weird R&B s h i t, pull out the random sound clips from movies, girls orgasming, dolphins squeaking. The guy goes nuts! Nuts to the point where the song becomes way too convoluted and over-produced. If this was the new direction of GNR that Axl presented to Slash and co. back in the day, well its easy to see that everybody was on different pages.
CONCLUSION:
Chinese Democracy should win an award. Not because it breaks new ground or anything (you won't find a modern version of One in a Million...which may be for the best), but because it actually exists...and doesn't suck ass. GNR fans everywhere are going to be divided on this album. There will be those that flat out don't like it, those that think it's okay, those that think its a solid addition to the GNR repertoire, and those that will absolutely cherish it. Strangely enough, I've experienced all four, and am finally settling on the fact that it is a very solid addition to the Guns N Roses discography. Had this album come out in '94 as originally planned, there would be no denying the awesomeness of this album, and GNR would have had a fighting chance in a world dominated by teen spirit and Beavis & Butthead. This album will only be as good as you allow it to be. Go in expecting nothing, and you're bound to walk out with an earful of goodies. On that note, I really feel Axl should walk away from the GNR name. I know that just whispering that to a crowd of a thousand people equals some guaranteed $$$$$, but on an artistic level it's going to ruin him. The album, while fantastic when considered in its own light, doesn't come close to touching the sonic excellence that is Appetite for Destruction. I'd place it right between the Use Your Illusion albums, and GNR lies. Expect to see a track or two joining a few of the others on the next GNR greatest hits compilations (which is really just all of Appetite for Destruction and November Rain).
15 years is a long time, and oddly enough...the album still feels rushed. You have to wonder how many different variations of each song Axl must have rummaged through before finally settling upon the final mixes used and distributed. What's there is good...possibly even great...unfortunately, it missed the masterpiece train 13 years ago.
Grade: B+
HOT 5 TRACKS TO GET:
1. "This I Love"- Simply put this song is fantastic. Presumably written around 1993 when Axl was still getting over the heartbreak of the whole Stephanie Seymour situation, the raw emotion in this song is amazing. The lyrics are kept simple, and its really the music itself that tells the story. The biggest surprise is definitely the guitar work of Robin Finck (that's right, its not Buckethead on this one!), who executes one of the best solos I've heard in quite some time. Actually, as a little added spice to the awesomeness of Mr. Finck. He was originally one of the standout musicians in Nine Inch Nails, and last year (along with NEW GNR's other guitarist Richard Fortus), popped up at X Japan's Tokyo show to contribute in an awesome rendition of the late Hide's solo from "Endless Rain". Awesome stuff indeed.
2. "Catcher in the Rye"- One of those classic GNR "back in the day" songs. Can't go wrong with this one!
3. "Street of Dreams"- I remember when 6 tracks of Chinese Democracy got leaked back in 2007, and this was the standout track that the Loop was playing before they were forced to stop. It was called "The Blues" back then. Name change or not, it's still a great track.
4. "Better"- Solid song, make sure to get past the weird intro though before you go skipping, it's solid stuff.
5. "I.R.S."- Expect to see this one on a GNR best of compilation 10 years from now. Another one of those insightful tracks of Rose vs. The Guns. Good stuff!
