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JennYGuns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy Album Review
January 5th 2009 03:51
Genre: Hard rock
Length: 71:24
Label: Geffen
One of the most anticipated albums for what seems like a decade, Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy was finally released in November, ready to meet the fans and critics' expectations. Does it deliver? Read on to find out.
The title track, Chinese Democracy, starts things off with a bang. Suspenseful atmospheric sounds and Chinese voices in the background fade into a guitar riff which is then joined by Axl Rose's trademark screech before the full band kicks in. Like several of the songs on the album, Chinese Democracy's lyrics deal with alienation and suffering.
At first listen, I found Shackler's Revenge a messy song with multiple voice tracks running over the instrumental. It just felt like too much stuff was going on at the same time. Plus, Axl's singing was far from impressive. It got better after a couple of listens mainly because I knew what to expect and it didn't turn me off as much as before.
Better is exactly what its title says when compared to Shackler's Revenge. Axl's singing is way better and his voice's rhythm fits perfectly with the instrumental's melody. Once again, the lyrics aren't very joyful as the song deals with heartache and suffering.
The use of pain as a theme continues on Street Of Dreams, a beautiful piano-driven song. The instrumental is simply exquisite with strings joining the band from the fourth verse on. I especially liked how the guitar kicked in when Axl sings the words “the blues” at the end of the third verse, almost drowning out Axl's voice. The guitar solo wasn't bad either. There are no chorus on this song, just eight heartfelt verses.
The strings return on If The World along with what I think is a Spanish guitar. Compared to the rest, this song wasn't very impressive. The bass sounded way too Miami Vice for my taste. It just didn't fit in.
The sixth track, There Was A Time, seems to be directed towards his ex-wife as he talks about a woman's infidelity. The strings here give an epic effect to the song, you'd think he was singing about the end of the world if you only paid attention to the instrumental. The guitar solo is pretty good here also.
I didn't really like Catcher In The Rye at first listen until I discovered what bothered me on this track – there is no main melody or pattern per se for the instrumental. It's like one huge guitar solo with Axl Rose singing over it. It's different for sure, and it might take a couple of listens to see the beauty of it.
After six slow to medium-tempo songs, Scraped and Riad n' The Bedouins bring some energy back into album. On Scraped, Axl's scream kicks things into gear. The guitars are good, and so is Axl's singing. His range is so impressive that at times it feels like there are actually two singers on the track. As for Riad, its fast and furious guitars add punch to Axl's high-pitched singing.
On Sorry, the ambient sounds coupled with the relatively slow guitar bring a Pink Floyd-like feeling to the song. The lyrics and Axl's singing just give a sad feeling to the whole thing. Sorry is simply a beautiful song.
I.R.S. is probably the weakest song on the album. There's nothing special there, just Axl Rose hitting high notes.
Madagascar is an island located halfway around the world in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern shore of Africa. Naming the song after such a remote location really helps to illustrate the point of Rose's lyrics as he sings:
“I won't be told anymore
That I've been brought down in this storm
And left so far out from the shore
Oh, that I can't find my way back, my way anymore”
Madagascar is one of the best songs on the album. The combination of a drum machine and horns at the beginning almost gives it a sort of patriotic sound to the track, and the famous quotes towards the end blend in perfectly with the music.
This I Love is a beautiful piano-driven ballad accompanied by some strings. You won't hear the guitar here until the second chorus. It's a love song that can stand among the best of them, almost Elton John-like.
Prostitute is another slow song only it feels faster due to the drum machine. The song is pretty fine without it, I really don't see why it was added in. This I Love would've made a better conclusion to the album, but Prostitute combines almost all the elements found in Chinese Democracy: the drum machine, the piano, the strings, the strong guitar, and last but not least, Axl's voice. So I guess it's a fitting end.
Let's get something straight right now: Chinese Democracy is not and should not be compared to Appetite For Destruction. Reading over various websites, I noticed how people complained that this isn't Guns N' Roses, it was better before, blah blah blah. Going into this album with that kind of mindset will only turn you off of it because Chinese Democracy is different. I made that mistake on my first listen. But when I really paid attention to it in my second go round, I realized that this is one of 2008's best albums, better than AC/DC's Black Ice in my book. If the name Guns N' Roses wasn't attached to this record, people would be calling it a masterpiece. As it is, I give it a 4.5 out of 5. Any rock fan will love it. As for die-hard GNR fans, listen to it with an open mind, you'll be quite surprised.
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