Reviews and Early Impressions of The First Single
It's been just over a week since we finally heard new studio material from one of the most highly anticipated albums in rock history, Guns N' Roses' long-awaited Chinese Democracy.
Longtime GnrDaily.com visitor and budding journalist, Alan McGuinness, sent us a short article about the album, the leaks and the initial reaction to the new single.
It's been 14 years…
'Of silence, its been 14 years of pain, It's been 14 years that are gone forever, And I'll never have again…'
The lyrics above are taken from the Guns N' Roses track '14 Years' and sum up quite aptly what die-hard GNR fans have experienced waiting for Axl Rose to unleash his oft-delayed album, Chinese Democracy.
Well the wait is almost over.
$13 million (according to the New York Times), 14 years, countless expended band members and hours of studio time later, Chinese Democracy is ready. November 23rd is the day to mark in your rock diaries as the release date of the music industries longest running joke. As the years went by and the promises became broken, the album took on the status of an urban legend.
The first single from the album is the title track, 'Chinese Democracy'. The song premiered on radio stations across the world on Wednesday (Oct. 22), and initial reactions have been mixed so far. After 14 years it was to be inevitable that expectations were high. But in reality, any album that has been in production for 14 years and suffered more delays than the M25 during rush hour was bound to be a bit of anti-climax. It sounds surreal enough actually hearing new material from the band on the radio.
However, die-hard fans have been listening to leaked versions of some songs for almost a year. They reveal that Rose hasn't lost his touch.
Chinese Democracy mixes the grandiosity of the Use Your Illusions albums with an industrial, heavy rock that seems quite unlike anything out there at the moment. Tracks like 'There Was a Time', 'Madagascar' and 'Street of Dreams' (widely believed to the 'The Blues' one of the earlier leaks) are November Rain-esque and show that Rose hasn't ditched his penchant for grand instrumental arrangements and emotional ballads.
Songs such as 'I.R.S.', 'Better', and 'Shackler's Revenge' are much heavier and contain some catchy lyrics alongside the wailing guitar solos that the now departed Slash nailed so perfectly back in the original line-up's glory days.
Quite what the mainstream will make of the record is anybody's guess. A lot has changed since The Spaghetti Incident, both musically and socially. Then again, Axl Rose never really cared about pleasing people. Erratic? Definitely. Temperamental? You bet. Mr. W. Axl Rose is about to step out of the shadows. Welcome back to the Jungle.
More reviews of Chinese Democracy's first single:
Chinese Democracy: Early impressions
By Steve Wollaston - Sunday Mercury
Guns N' Roses Single Reviewed
By Josh Visser - CHARTattack
First Listen: New Guns N' Roses Single Reviewed
By Steve Kandell - SPIN
Guns N’ Roses single a disappointment
By Greg Kot - McClatchy Tribune
So, how does Chinese Democracy hold up?
By Elizabeth Bromstein - MSN inMusic
Chinese Democracy Song Review
By Wettner - Zimbio
'Chinese Democracy' single: Was it worth the wait?
By Greg Kot - Chicago Tribune
Guns N Roses: Democracy at last!
By Neil McCormick - Telegraph
Snap judgment: 'Chinese Democracy' Single
By Ann Powers - LA Times
There's a new Guns N' Roses song. We listened in.
By Elizabeth Day - The Observer
'Chinese Democracy' single review
By Britt Schramm - Kung Fu Rodeo
Comments
Number of comments : 15
10/31/2008 | 12:46:11 AM by OCh
Cheers for the sumup!
10/31/2008 | 12:58:22 AM by 70RTY
It is interesting that they have released Chinese Democracy and Shackler's Revenge as the songs that people will use to judge whether they like the record or not. I feel these songs don't represent the feel of the album. Sure, the public get a limited chance to hear If the World but it seems they are giving the impression that this is an industrial, heavy metal record when it has way more depth than that.
10/31/2008 | 1:36:57 AM by CitizenMarvel
Well, they released "It's So Easy" and then "Jungle" before "Sweet Child O' Mine" back in the day. Put out the hard stuff first to make sure you get the "metalhead" crowd and then go for the pop stuff. They want people to know they are still "dangerous" and "edgy", putting out "Street of Dreams" or "If The World" as singles first would kind of contradict that. Honestly, rock journalists just want to bash anything they can these days. Gets the word count up, it's easier to come up with insults than praise.
10/31/2008 | 1:40:38 AM by Guns n Wasp
Its all good - Go the gunners
10/31/2008 | 1:41:29 AM by CitizenMarvel
Besides, "Jungle" wasn't what broke Appetite. Sure we all see it as their anthem but the "traditional radio crowd" would put "Sweet Child" up there over "Jungle". Appetite was dead in the water until SCOM came out, and most critics panned Illusions as messy and self-indulgent. We're the fans, it's really only us and ultimately our dollar purchases that count.
10/31/2008 | 1:42:52 AM by Chris "You"
I agree with some of the above reviews. I too believe people struggle with the fact that it is actually good music, not worth a 10 year wait and dismantling the best band of my generation, but it is pretty damn good.
I have many friends that like GNR but never kept up with chin dem, when i play new demo's they say the same thing, "that's not GNR or why is Axl singing so high?" but in the end most like the songs. That is what people will have to do is sit back and listen to the music as music and judge it from that stand point and not all the other BS.
10/31/2008 | 4:38:42 AM by Stoked
Actually, I have to say that the LA Times article was maybe the best written, most articulate article concerning the actual song (and with respectful reference to the past) that I've read. Not much I disagree with there.
10/31/2008 | 1:38:21 PM by Bjorn / GnrDaily.com
'Angry Axl Rose back in spotlight'
By Ann Powers
10/31/2008 | 4:56:39 PM by Stoked
Bjorn-- thanks man, still a good read, I think she hit the nail on the head!
11/1/2008 | 1:19:00 PM by Kool Aid Man
Hey, that was a good article!! Thanks!!
11/1/2008 | 7:22:20 PM by Tom
maybe CD is good album, but this is not guns n' roses. there is nothing that reminds me why i love guns n' roses.
11/2/2008 | 4:24:29 PM by Jeff
How about Axl Rose's voice? Does that remind you of why you love Guns N' Roses? I'm willing to say that is one of the variables that set them apart from everyone else... nobody else sounds like Axl like him or hate him he is one of a kind.
11/2/2008 | 7:08:55 PM by JF
nobody else sounds like Axl
Amazingly enough, that is not quite correct. Aaron Lewis did a pretty good job to imitate him, especially towards the end, in the higher register: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=lpa2SQCDQC8. Still, he can't really copy the power and raw energy in Axl's voice. I'm pretty sure, he couldn't sing "I am sailing" the way Axl does: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=JsK9gCg32Qw . Keeps stunning me again and again, that version.
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