Post by Fuggle on Nov 28, 2008 10:12:56 GMT -5
Guns 'N' Roses
"Chinese Democracy" (Geffen)
1-1/2 stars
It’s a testament to Guns N’ Roses’ legacy that anyone cares about “Chinese Democracy,” the band’s first album of original material in 17 years.
Of course the “band” that exists now bares little resemblance to GN’R circa 1991. Izzy Stradlin, Slash and Duff McKagan packed up their guns a long time ago.
The intervening years saw a truckload of new members welcomed to the jungle, where they didn’t do much more than work on “Chinese Democracy.” Virtuoso guitarist Buckethead came and left. Moby was brought in to produce, and he stuck around for even shorter. Now the band includes a dude named Bumblefoot.
A while ago, GN’R became frontman Axl Rose’s show. It’s almost unfair that “Chinese Democracy” is credited to Guns N’ Roses. Back in the late ‘80s, the snarling, direct rock of “Appetite for Destruction” laid waste to these sort of overblown albums.
Although Rose has plenty of snarl left in him (listen to him howl “I don’t give a f--k ‘bout them because I am crazy” on “Riad N’ the Bedouins”) and there’s some gnarly fretwork on “Democracy,” the album is missing the danger that first made GN’R exciting.
One has an image of Rose hunched over a studio mixing board, second guessing every solo, over-producing every track, slowly removing the life from this record over the course of a decade.
He’s ended up not with 14 songs, but 14 chunks of sound that almost all clock in at 5 minutes each.
These are 14 tangles of guitars, screams, guitars, flutes, guitars, horns, guitars, keyboards and more, more, more.
It’s rumored this album cost about $14 million. That million-per-track statistic means that Axl got his money’s worth, even if the listener didn’t. “Guitar Hero” is a more lively rock ‘n’ roll experience than “Chinese Democracy.”
And why does every track have to be an epic? Down the stretch, “Democracy” turns into “November Rain” on repeat, all lumbering tempos, skyscraper choruses and mind-numbing excess. Underneath all that fluff, it’s a good bet “Sorry,” “I.R.S.,” “Madagascar” are all the same song. The only way to differentiate is “Madagascar” features samples spoken by Michael J. Fox and Martin Luther King Jr. (Too much? Nah), “Sorry” features Sebastian Bach on backing vocals and “I.R.S.” references the President. Whether Rose means George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush or Barack Obama is anyone’s guess.
The “Use Your Illusion” albums hinted at it, but “Democracy” proves Rose never wanted to be Mick Jagger or Johnny Rotten, but some awful amalgam of Elton John, Freddie Mercury and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Rose’s work is worse than just overcooked and dense. At times, “Chinese Democracy” is flat-out awful.
“Shackler’s Revenge,” featuring a sadly strained, lower-register growl from Rose, jumps on the “let’s rip off White Zombie” bandwagon about 15 years too late. Imagine that, an album in the works this long turns up outdated on arrival.
The a capella screeching that opens “Scraped” might be the worst noise in the history of recorded music. Rose has got an unholy wail, but it’s best heard over a crushing guitar crescendo.
And, with respect due to Mr. Buckethead and Mr. Bumblefoot, the best way to experience Rose’s sweaty cries is in tandem with Slash’s greasy guitar licks. That is the version of Guns N’ Roses that would be worth waiting 17 years for.
Although the anticipation surrounding “Democracy” can be chalked up to GN’R’s enduring legacy, this album only tarnishes it.
"Chinese Democracy" (Geffen)
1-1/2 stars
It’s a testament to Guns N’ Roses’ legacy that anyone cares about “Chinese Democracy,” the band’s first album of original material in 17 years.
Of course the “band” that exists now bares little resemblance to GN’R circa 1991. Izzy Stradlin, Slash and Duff McKagan packed up their guns a long time ago.
The intervening years saw a truckload of new members welcomed to the jungle, where they didn’t do much more than work on “Chinese Democracy.” Virtuoso guitarist Buckethead came and left. Moby was brought in to produce, and he stuck around for even shorter. Now the band includes a dude named Bumblefoot.
A while ago, GN’R became frontman Axl Rose’s show. It’s almost unfair that “Chinese Democracy” is credited to Guns N’ Roses. Back in the late ‘80s, the snarling, direct rock of “Appetite for Destruction” laid waste to these sort of overblown albums.
Although Rose has plenty of snarl left in him (listen to him howl “I don’t give a f--k ‘bout them because I am crazy” on “Riad N’ the Bedouins”) and there’s some gnarly fretwork on “Democracy,” the album is missing the danger that first made GN’R exciting.
One has an image of Rose hunched over a studio mixing board, second guessing every solo, over-producing every track, slowly removing the life from this record over the course of a decade.
He’s ended up not with 14 songs, but 14 chunks of sound that almost all clock in at 5 minutes each.
These are 14 tangles of guitars, screams, guitars, flutes, guitars, horns, guitars, keyboards and more, more, more.
It’s rumored this album cost about $14 million. That million-per-track statistic means that Axl got his money’s worth, even if the listener didn’t. “Guitar Hero” is a more lively rock ‘n’ roll experience than “Chinese Democracy.”
And why does every track have to be an epic? Down the stretch, “Democracy” turns into “November Rain” on repeat, all lumbering tempos, skyscraper choruses and mind-numbing excess. Underneath all that fluff, it’s a good bet “Sorry,” “I.R.S.,” “Madagascar” are all the same song. The only way to differentiate is “Madagascar” features samples spoken by Michael J. Fox and Martin Luther King Jr. (Too much? Nah), “Sorry” features Sebastian Bach on backing vocals and “I.R.S.” references the President. Whether Rose means George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush or Barack Obama is anyone’s guess.
The “Use Your Illusion” albums hinted at it, but “Democracy” proves Rose never wanted to be Mick Jagger or Johnny Rotten, but some awful amalgam of Elton John, Freddie Mercury and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Rose’s work is worse than just overcooked and dense. At times, “Chinese Democracy” is flat-out awful.
“Shackler’s Revenge,” featuring a sadly strained, lower-register growl from Rose, jumps on the “let’s rip off White Zombie” bandwagon about 15 years too late. Imagine that, an album in the works this long turns up outdated on arrival.
The a capella screeching that opens “Scraped” might be the worst noise in the history of recorded music. Rose has got an unholy wail, but it’s best heard over a crushing guitar crescendo.
And, with respect due to Mr. Buckethead and Mr. Bumblefoot, the best way to experience Rose’s sweaty cries is in tandem with Slash’s greasy guitar licks. That is the version of Guns N’ Roses that would be worth waiting 17 years for.
Although the anticipation surrounding “Democracy” can be chalked up to GN’R’s enduring legacy, this album only tarnishes it.