Guns N' Roses- Chinese Democracy (****)

If nothing else, Guns N’ Roses’ long awaited Chinese Democracy is a story of numbers.

• $13+ million in production costs.
  
• 14 years since The Spaghetti Incident?
  
• 5 different guitar players.
  
• 2 Velvet Revolver albums later.
  
• 1 original member.
  

And for all the hang-ups, for all the missed release dates, the enigmatic antics of Axl Rose, the longest running joke in rock history has finally become a reality. In hindsight, Chinese Democracy could have easily been a disaster, especially after the reports that Rose re-recorded the album over 3 times. However, Rose and his rag-tag team of hired guns (Pun intended) have completed an album that, while carrying a few miss-fires, sounds incredibly unique and expansive in a rather bland music climate.

Initially, many media outlets criticized the album’s leaks (Beginning in 2002 mind you) simply because they confused Rose’s electronic studio trickery with the absence of energy. However, one listen to the album’s title track, and those fears are instantly erased.

“Chinese Democracy” explodes from hushed whispers, to thick pseudo grunge guitar, with sleazy lead work (From Finck or Fortus, or SOMEBODY), and Tommy Stinson’s booming bass. It recalls such GNR staples like “Garden Of Eden” and “Out Ta Get Me,” channeling Rose’s affection for gutter punk fervor but remaining distinctly modern with it’s twisting, robotic solos. It gives listeners hope that GNR 2.0 can effortlessly integrate Rose’s fascination with electronica with their classic rock influences.

Still, it’s not a perfect marriage but I suppose things in the GNR universe rarely are.

“Shackler’s Revenge” sounds like Rammstein at a 70s disco, while the absolute throw away “Rhiad N’ The Bedouins” feels like Led Zeppelin covering Nine Inch Nails. At it’s worst, Chinese Democracy slightly falters because of its tendency to cram too many ideas into one little track.

However, the record’s real strength is its eclecticism.

For this, thank no one else but Buckethead. While he’s credited as writing only a few songs on Chinese Democracy, it’s clear that his virtuosity has gotten Rose to thinking about the different directions to take this band.

The flamenco funk of “If The World” seems awkward at first, but becomes more inviting thanks to Rose’s wailing falsetto, over twinkling piano and a seductive porno groove. Elsewhere, the blistering swagger of “Scraped” recalls the serpentine riffing of “Welcome To The Jungle” while Buckethead’s furious fretwork burns through the song.

For a group of musicians with such dissimilar histories, it’s impressive how much they sound like the old GNR at times.

But make no mistake; Chinese Democracy is NOT an album that Slash and Izzy could have made. Both were content playing blues licks a la Aerosmith and AC/DC, rather than push themselves to the full-scale symphonic statements Rose had in his head. And while Rose only hinted at incredibly baroque art-rock on Use Your Illusion I & II, he’s indulged in every grandiose whim he can think of on Chinese Democracy.

“Street Of Dreams” sports everything from Rose’s Elton John style piano to vibrant string arrangements, thick guitars, and ascending solos. It all climbs into an impressive crescendo as Rose sweetly croons, “I don’t know just what I should do/Everywhere I go I see you/You know it’s what you planned, this much is true/What I thought was beautiful, don’t live inside of you anymore…”

Not even Queen had arrangements this indulgent, yet it all fits together effortlessly.

And if you didn’t think he could cram more into a single track, nowhere are Rose’s art-rock illusions of grandeur more realized than on the epic “Madagascar.” Here we see what Rose had been beating himself up over for 14 years straight: a full horn section, hip-hop beats, pained and somber guitars all climaxing over eerie samples of MLK to Cool Hand Luke. All of this under Rose’s cracked voice as he laments about freedom and injustice.

It’s all a bit ironic considering this album should have been titled Chinese Dictatorship, but Rose’s pulls it off as only a dreamer could.

And looking back, everything revolving around Chinese Democracy has been an extension of Rose wanting to “bury” 1987’s Appetite For Destruction. It’s hard to blame him too; Appetite was an incredibly important record for its time and place, all at once putting the danger back into rock music and killing off hair metal. However, in Axl’s mind, all he could do was go bigger and heavier to try to outmatch this timeless work.

So when Chinese Democracy goes heavy, it lays it all out. “Better” is a thick, Drop C tuned dirge, with spidery licks and Rose’s banshee wail. Guitarists Robin Finck and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal trade melodic sweeps and arpeggios like they’re going out of style while Rose sings, “So bittersweet/This tragedy/Won’t ask for/Absolution…”

And when it comes down to it, Chinese Democracy is the story of one man refusing to comprise for anything.

While nothing is worth a 14 year wait, it’s clear that Rose has a vision to jettison this incarnation of Guns N’ Roses into the high art band he hopes it can be. Despite its age, Chinese Democracy sounds remarkably fresh. All things considered, its collision of traditional hard rock and classical leanings simply isn’t being explored by other contemporary artists, making Chinese Democracy a truly unique statement.

The album’s true opus is the aptly titled “There Was A Time,” a lavish statement that incorporates Rose’s impressive range, staggered choirs, thick drumming, sweeping strings, and the tightly controlled assault of GNR 2.0’s guitarmy. The mammoth outro rivals the timeless axe theatrics of “November Rain,” but on a much larger scale.

Axl Rose’s scale.

And if the rumors of a trilogy of albums are true, we might not have to wait another 14 years for Axl Rose and the Gunners to release another solid rock record.

Sounds Like: Enter The Chicken (Buckethead), Use Your Illusion I & II (Guns N’ Roses), A Night At The Opera (Queen)

Key Cuts: Street Of Dreams, There Was A Time, Madagascar

Click the artwork to sample some of Chinese Democracy for yourself!

My $0.02: Chinese Democracy (Sort Of) Starts Now!

The faithful (myself included) that still hope for new material under the Guns N' Roses moniker got quite the shot in the arm on June 18th. 9 tracks from the long awaited Chinese Democracy leaked onto the Internet in their most complete forms yet. 6 tracks have been leaked previously and were initially thought to be in their mastered/final mixes, but are now thought to be old demos from 2004. The other three tracks are brand new to fans, with only a rough quality version of "Rhiad & The Bedouins" available previously.

So with MOST of the mythical Chinese Democracy hitting the Internet and creating quite the firestorm in the blogging community, the questions on everyone's mind are:

• How do these measure up to the Gun's N' Roses name?
• How do these new mixes compare to the old ones?

Well it just so happens that your truly has spent the time to dissect them to their fullest.

Better
Compared to the 2007 studio demo, this version of Axl's grinding modern rock maelstrom features some odd compression on the chugging guitars in this 2008 leak. The plus is that Axl's voice is much clearer on this version, though some might complain it's TOO high in the mix. However, the backing vocals ass just the right touch of haunting melody even if the newly added electronic squiggles do little for the overall track. Axl's howling breakdown followed by the twisting, Tom Morello-inspired, solo still holds the same incredibly power. Still, it feels like Axl's compressed the guitars too much on this mix, where they should really be sporting some grit.

The Blues
Of all the tracks in this newly acquired collection, "The Blues" probably benefits the most from the added production. This song has become crystal clear, with Axl's piano coming across powerfully, yet sweetly. The crispness continues with underlying acoustic guitars contrasting sharp strings for a truly baroque, orchestral statement. Listeners will find an incredible amount of things to focus on, as the added time has really made this track into something spectacular.

Chinese Democracy
Hearing the 2007 version of this demo really gave me a whole lot of hope that this album could marry the classic GNR sound with Axl's industrial leanings. However, this new 2008 incarnation is a bit of an anomaly for me to really decide on. For one, the track's build up into the glam-meets-Ministry riff doesn't quite explode with the same crunch that its previous mixes sported. In addition, it seems like even more studio trickery has warped the already bizarre squealing solo to absurdly ridiculous, but enjoyable, proportions. Perhaps a focus on the meat and potatoes of the main riffs and punky drumming, rather than the electronic garnish, will help this track really make the big punch it's capable of.

I.R.S.
The first immediate change is that the acoustic-laced introduction on "I.R.S." has become incredibly vibrant and shimmering. In addition, Axl really scaled back on the heaviness that the main grinding riff had. Instead, he accentuates the underlying synthesizers and the pounding drums. The track now has a great sense of space about it. With the big solo simply crashing down on listeners in an obscenely overdriven catharsis, "I.R.S." now peaks in a blues-meets-digital flurry even if it sacrifices some power in the verses.

If The World
This is perhaps the most bizarre and schizophrenic track of the bunch. Here, Axl manages to cram nimble flamenco guitar, dry drumming, growling bass, and 80's porn wah-wah, all over his highest singing register. It's the busiest and messiest of all the tracks here, but it's also the most interesting because it's so overblown. "If The World" represents Rose at his most decadent, quickly shifting from brilliant with Buckethead's perfect lead work, to cheesy with out of place synthesizers. Chances are, this might represent the most eclectic that Chinese Democracy has to offer, and the good/bad that comes with that.

Madagascar
This track was immediately one of my favorites when I heard a really rough demo in 2004 and has grown by leaps and bounds with every subsequent release. For one, the large horn sections are now powerful and contend comfortably against the sweeping strings. Again, the backing vocals are perfectly placed without feeling overblown. The cymbals are crisper this time too, while the guitar riffs simply swirl around each other in dramatic tension. This is Axl's answer to "Civil War" and "Estranged," all in one track, perfectly balancing his grandiosity with his poignancy. "Madagascar" is a powerful and epic, which is a huge testament to something that's been in the works for over 10 years.

Rhiad & The Bedouins
I'll be honest, I've been listening to a rough and muddled version of this since 2002 and I still think this track has a terrible hook. "Rhiad & The Bedouins" is Axl channeling Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" with a high pitched wail, but setting that to trip-hop beats. The guitars have about 3 too many delay effects on them and the whole experience is abrasively grating. Even the band's backing harmonies don't save it, set against an onslaught of glitchy electronic gobbledigook. Of all the tracks that have leaked, this feels the most cut and pasted, and aside from the spidery solo, "Rhiad & The Bedouins" is Roses' only true misfire in the bunch.

T.W.A.T. (There Was A Time)
Of all the leaked Chinese Democracy material, this is by far my favorite of the bunch. It might be Axl Roses' most complex and layered statement in his entire musical career. This new version of "T.W.A.T." scales back Axl's passionate voice and allows for some serious clarity in the underlying instruments. Acoustic guitars creep in, the bass rumbles, and the somber but itchy guitars cut through effectively. The percussion has also been greatly enhanced, from the large and booming main drums to the added break beats that spackle the arrangements. Set against a flurry of evocative backing vocals and expansive strings, Buckethead's epic lead wails and grows into a delay soaked juggernaut. In short, "T.W.A.T." is simply Symphonic Art Rock 101 and copy cats should take notes.

Unknown (This I Love/Message For You/Prostitute/2000 Intentions?)
This as of yet titled track has stirred up quite a bit of hubbub on Guns N' Roses forums over the official title. Yet sonically it's another weird combination of sounds. There's the muzak-influenced piano line that seems to drive the song in addition to some loopy trip-hop infused percussion. Then, the chorus explodes in a fervor of crunchy distortion and stabbing strings. The track's most exciting moment is when it all breaks into crashing chaos over a fluttering bass drum, but the real problem is Axl's trite delivery. Vocally and lyrically, there is nothing exciting going on and Axl's whining about "fortune and fame" fails to leave a lasting mark. This is certainly the one song that tries the hardest to seem serious and important, but ultimately stumbles because it labors under that delusion so fervently.

The Verdict: No one will ever admit Chinese Democracy was worth the wait. It's not at $13 million dollars and over a decade in production. One of Axl's glaring problems with this batch of songs is that some of them like "Better," "I.R.S.," and "If The World" are starting to suffer because they've been reworked so many times. Mike Clink's production on Use your Illusion I & II balance the spontaneity of the group's live energy with Axl's epic visions. Here, we only get the latter and I think it behooves Axl to just release the damn songs already.

That being said, Axl is creating some interesting arrangements with his revolving door of a band. It's not perfect but most of the these songs are brave and truly unthought-of musical combinations that are exciting and dynamic. And these new versions do offer some positive changes, creating a greater sense of space in many of the 9 tracks. There is never a dull moment in any of these songs but that doesn't mean they always attain the perfection that Axl is striving for.

Still, I suppose the general public won't appreciate them because of Axl Roses' attitude towards his fans. In fact, most might be more comfortable looking at this collection as a solo effort by Rose. Axl Rose & The Gunners actually has a nice ring to it...

In any event, these tracks off the mythical Chinese Democracy warrant a listen from even the most skeptical afn. Who knows, you might find something enjoyable sitting in this Chinese stew.

Using Your Illusion, Correctly!

Avid fans of hard rock and Guns N’ Roses aficionados cannot deny the impact and brilliance of Use Your Illusion I & II. And for as long as they have existed, there have been debates about which is the better collection of songs. Use Your Illusion I boasts a more aggressive and at times psychedelic quality to it while Use Your Illusion II has more of a blues feel. Both albums suffer (or excel?) from their own excess. Diehards, myself included, will tell you that to truly get the most out of these albums you should listen to them back to back in their entirety. Oh, and forget that the song “My World” ever existed.

But what about the rest of us that don’t have the time to devote to some band that once ruled the world? True, there is a compilation out titled Use Your Illusion but it features mostly singles, is sold at K-Mart (Hell), and edits out all the expletives. No thank you. A collection like that cannot give you the full range of material on these great albums. Instead, I’ll try to compile the essential cuts from both albums into a version that can be conveniently placed on an 80 minute CDR.

I present to you:

Use Your Illusion (78 Minutes 19 seconds)

1. Civil War (The band’s biggest “political statement” serves as an ominous opener, whistling included.)
2. Right Next Door To Hell (The bassline just kicks you in your gut and never lets go.)
3. Dust N’ Bones (Stradlin wrote this rocker about one bad dude. Great lead work and piano melodies on this one.)
4. You Could Be Mine (The single featured in T2 is downright sinister.)
5. Don’t Cry (Original) (Call me a sap, but the original sports better lyrics.)
6. 14 Years (By far, one of the jumpiest piano lines I’ve ever heard.)
7. The Garden (This is GNR’s foray into brutal, but dreamy psychedelica and it works.)
8. Estranged (Slash earns his keep in this huge ballad.)
9. November Rain (The ending solo. ‘Nuff said.)
10. Garden Of Eden (Great use of studio trickery, there’s TONS of sound bites here.)
11. You Ain’t The First (An underrated bluegrass influenced number. Acoustic and caustic like GNR do best.)
12. Get In The Ring (Axl attacks everyone that’s bad mouthed the band. Vulgar in every way and I love it.)
13. Double Talkin’ Jive (The song has some great flamenco guitar work towards the end.)
14. Coma (Epic closer. The song borders on prog-rock complexity.)

Why these and not others?
The idea was to give listeners a wide sampling of the various styles found on the two discs as well as the big name songs. Plus, I wanted to emphasis the ones that had the tightest arrangements. For that reason, Use Your Illusion I highly outnumbers its sister album contributing 9 tracks to II’s 5. However, let’s get into the tracks that had to be cut.

“My World”: Axl’s “surprise” bonus track is 1:26 of industrial beats, bad rapping and creepy samples of girls moaning. Oh, and Axl gives us his best Hannibal Lecter impression. Pass.

“Bad Apples”: I hate the bassline on this song. The hook is ok until they repeat the title. Then, it’s all over.

“Live & Let Die” and “Knocking On Heaven’s Door”: Covers on an album are never a good idea. Even if these covers are incredible.

“Don’t Cry (Alt. Lyrics)”: The lyrics simply aren't as powerful..

“So Fine”: So Forgettable.

“Perfect Crime,” “Back Off Bitch,” “Shotgun Blues,” “Pretty Tied Up,” and “Don’t Damn Me”: Too similar to songs like "Garden Of Eden." We needed variety and so these tracks were cut.

“Bad Obsession”: Again, too similar to other material on our version. The dynamics could have been better in the song too. It was a hard cut to make however, as I love the harmonica and overall instrumentation within the song itself.

“Breakdown”: This is an example of not having a really tight arrangement. The song meanders around for its whole running time. Great music, but sloppy when compared to the others.

“Yesterdays”: One of the weaker, but catchy songs on either album. Lyrically, it lacked the GNR theatrics that we know and love. It’s just too saccharine.

“Locomotive” and “Dead Horse”: Time. Ultimately these were the hardest to cut because I loved them both but I needed to make room for other songs and so, they got the axe.

So there you have it. While I cut many songs I enjoyed, I think this version of Use Your Illusion is sleeker, more compact, and certainly a great way to introduce new people to these incredible albums. And if all else fails, you can put it in your CD collection as a placeholder for Chinese Democracy.

Velvet Revolver- Libertad (**½)

When your eardrums settle down on the punk by way of blues assault that is “Let It Roll” I know you’ll be wishing that rest of Libertad had Velvet Revolver sounding this confident and fun.

I certainly did.

In their second outing together, Scott Weiland and 3/5’s of the old Guns N’ Roses (because anyone could really replace Dave Kushner at this point) deliver an album that fails to stretch itself musically and lyrically. It’s not that Libertad is a terrible album by any means for it’s filled with hook-laden choruses that are great for singing along at concerts. However, the songs as a whole feel rushed and they are gone before they really leave any mark. The single, “She Builds Quick Machines” is fitted with a riff that almost screams bone-head rock and an utterly forgettable set of lyrics. Oh, and that bone-head riff shows up later on in the song “Just Sixteen.” It’s never good to repeat yourself, but when you do on the same album, well…that’s just bad. Most of the songs on the album seem like bits and pieces of what could be stellar songs but lack just enough to keep you interested. Elsewhere, the band struggles through the bumbling “American Man”. The song itself peaks nicely through an eerie bridge and erupts with the trademark Slash solo, but goes all wrong with the chorus of “Yes I am the American man!” repeated at nausea.

It’s interesting to note that at one point, the band had said Libertad would have been a concept album. The idea was eventually dropped for the band’s focus on a tigher “rock” record. That lack of initiative shows through much of the material here. However, the more compelling songs on the album are the ballads and the more experimental songs. It would have been far more interesting if the band had crafted more epic ballads like “The Last Fight” a song that melds a military-like drum beat with an anthematic and inspiring guitar line. This is the band in top form, crafting incredible sounds capes and movements as opposed to their very limited take on the mid-tempo rock song. Interestingly, another one of the album’s high points is the cover of “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head” originally by ELO. The arrangement itself is dynamic and exciting with it’s swirling melodies and of course spell binding solo by Slash. These flashes of brilliance are the most unnerving part of Libertad, for we all see the band are capable of great but settle for mediocre. Perhaps the album's biggest gem is the wah soaked “Gravedancer” that seems to move with passion and seduction. The song sways and pulls the listener in before it plateaus over, yes you guessed it, another incredible Slash solo.

Perhaps the biggest problem with Libertad, however, is that the songs and the sound itself lack any sort of bite that the band formerly displayed on Contraband. Part of this might have to be put on Brendan O’ Brien’s head as the producer. For someone that has made a career out of producing some heavy albums like Rage Against The Machine and Core, he does nothing to make the bass rumble, or the guitars cut. It’s all very bland and it only adds to the lazy feel of Libertad. I suppose in a perfect world we’d have the original Guns N’ Roses back together and Scott Weiland fronting Stone Temple Pilots, or maybe a perfect world is Libertad with 13 slots of “Let It Roll.” Either way, I suppose listeners are S.O.L.

Sounds Like: The Razor's Edge (AC/DC), Appetite For Destruction (Guns N' Roses), Core (Stone Temple Pilots)

Key Cuts: Let It Roll, Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Gravedancer