GUNS 'N' ROSES - review added 27th November 2008
Album Review: Chinese Democracy (2008)
For fans of: hard rock... and plenty of other styles
Was Chinese Democracy worth the wait? Of course not, how could anything you've waited this long for be?
Is Chinese Democracy Guns 'n' Roses? Nope, this is an Axl Rose record using the Guns 'n Roses moniker to sell more copies.
Is Chinese Democracy rock music? Only just.
Is Chinese Democracy good? Yes, actually it is.
A lot of the album is heavily synthesised and occupies a weird no man's land between rock, prog and dance music. Think of White Zombie combined with The Dandy Warhols and Yes then mixed by Paul Oakenfold. There is plenty of catchy stuff here, but whether it will appeal to traditional rock fans is up for debate.
Good songs include the funky and catchy 'Better', the upbeat yet touching 'Street Of Dreams', 'This I Love', an off the wall ballad and 'Madagascar' which varies between Ibiza chill out and hard rock and references the earlier G'n'R track 'Civil War'.
This is such a difficult album to review and give a score to as it all comes down to how open minded you are about bands changing direction. Metallica's move to more commercial sounds was a bunch of cock. Whitesnake moving from blues to 80's glam metal was genius (if ultimately derided). This new style by Axl Rose is brilliant, but will no longer appeal to his core audience.
This album is a musical milestone, but you'll probably hate it with a passion. If you're thinking of buying it listen first. Chinese Democracy is one of those releases where you'll have to make your own mind up.
Check out... The quality of Axl's voice. Surely the man sounds better than ever?
Track List:
1. Chinese Democracy
2. Shackler's Revenge
3. Better
4. Street Of Dreams
5. If The World
6. There Was A Time
7. Catcher In The Rye
8. Scraped
9. Riad N' The Bedouins
10. Sorry
11. I.R.S.
12. Madagascar
13. This I Love
14. Prostitute
Label: Geffen Records
Band websites: Guns 'N' Roses , MySpace
