Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

Was it worth the wait? After an incubation period of more than a decade and various line up changes, lawsuits and rumours and a whole lot of money spent recording it Chinese Democracy has finally been released. Axl Rose is the only original member of the band still involved in the band so some view this as a solo project under the Guns N Roses banner.


I have to say that I haven't exactly been waiting with baited breath for this as much as I enjoyed their debut cd - Appetite for Destruction - at the time it came out and after recently hearing it again.

What is it like then?
It all sounds a bit dated and a lot of the songs are a bit too long but there are a few good songs on the cd. 'Chinese Democracy' leads the cd off sounding a little bit like the Scorpions song 'Rock you like a hurricane' until Axl starts singing and it almost feels like a Foo Fighters song. 'Better' is slightly better but 'Street of Dreams' is a dull power ballad. Too many songs are power ballads - they don't rock out nearly enough. 'I.R.S' is a decent song but overall the cd is a letdown. I needed to listen to Appetite for Destruction to remind me of what Guns N Roses is capable of and to cleanse the pallette.


I love the side story about Dr. Pepper offering a free can of their lovely carbonated beverage to everyone in the US apart from Slash (original guitarist) and Buckethead (a replacement guitarist) if the album came out in 2008. I can't imagine the marketing man has a job there anymore unless it is as a delivery driver to ensure everyone gets their soft drink. I also love that Axl said he would share his with Buckethead as he worked on Chinese Democracy.

Thanks to Steve for the lend of this cd.