Your CD review?

[courtney]

It's pretty quiet here, gotta guess everyone is listneing to the album! That's good people, please post a review when you're back!

This album is great, but not worth a perfect ten, some great solos got butchered along the way and a couple songs are a bit out of place.

Chinese Democracy: 9/10
Schackler: 6.5/10
Better: 10/10
Street: 8/10
If: 4/10
TWAT: 10/10
Catcher: 7/10
Scraped: 7/10
Riad: 5/10
Sorry:9.5/10
I.R.S: 7.5/10
Madagascar: 8.5/10
This I Love: 10/10
Prostitute: 8.5/10

Whole album: 8/10
Not bad, but some major mistakes like getting Finck's solo instead of May's.

[Queenie]

i'm back, courtney. i got mine. the cd. vinyl. free digital download too so here's my 17 years in the making review of chinese democracy:

 

"17 years. a long time. was worth it? as  says in prostitute "oh yeah" was worth it. the greatest day of my life. finally having this album. listening to it was surreal cause i already heard it. demos. leaks. advance album leak. but this didn't stop me from enjoying it in this way. physical copy. official cd. the album is everything i though it would be. owns appetite. illusion extension. UYI 3. the greatest rock record of all time. 5 stars out of rolling stone 5. the magic comes from three songs: "there was a time" "this i love" and "prostitute"

they're magic cause these BIG GUNS put the album over appetite. higher than an illusion. any of these 3 songs you can put @ the top of any top rock songs list. that's how magical they r. special. i feel special listening to them. axl is @ his best on 'em. so is and stinson. fortus too. the core. guns n' roses core. a fine attention to detail is paid on these three songs. the other songs don't have this kind of special detail. magic. they do. which leads me to the album. the title track. chinese democracy

the song sounds better on the actual disc on a stereo system than on a computer. the problem is, chinese democracy "the song" still sounds flat. basic. my opinion hasn't changed much on this one. the intro is just too long. was better when focus was put on robin's guitar intro than on the speaking bit. i don't like the new axl voice on top of the previous voice. should have stayed with the original axl vocal. not added another. missed potential on that. we move on with "shackler's revenge"

shackler is fun when heard / played on a video game. rock band 2. not so much on the album. wasn't fun listening to it. lost its edge. makes me wish i was watching someone play rock band 2 with it playing. seeing the visual on the screen. you don't get that here. tells me it never should have been on RB2. RB2 ruined the "surprise" factor on this one. i never should have watched the RB2 shackler videos on youtube. axl should have saved this for the album only. kept it under wraps until the 23rd. better

better kicks ass. kicked ass a few years ago. i don't know if it does as much in 08. again, the new guitar part you hear in the mix that was performed on their last tour, should've been held back. why? surprise. there's no surprise. i knew it was coming. sounds abrupt. what saves "better" is robin's kick ass guitar solo and axl's determined vocals. that said, the better "demo" is better than better. previous live "better's" r too. demo "better" is like nostalgia. brings back memories. final "better" is missing something. street of dreams

street of dreams aka the blues is better than the last demo. they brought the guitars back with the piano. i like that. it's just that like "chinese democracy" the song sounds flat. what saves it is what saves "better" another kick ass guitar solo from robin. the axl vocals in the end adding inspiring lyrics with the ah's. i've said in the past, robin's "blues" solo soars. i still say it. robin's solo is soaring, soaring bigger and brighter on this. robin is so good. he's such a good guitar player. street of dreams is the proof in the pudding. if the world

now we're talking. funky groove. the groove. porn. everything a man wants with women. sex. if the world brings out the excitement. viagra. body of lies doesn't ruin it. when i listen, that movie makes me think of the song. that's a good thing. russell crowe. leonardo dicaprio. if the world would end today, love slips away. ooh. the fifth best song on the album. brings the heat. grooves. moves. coils. snakes. poppy axl vocals. very poppy. pop rock. one of the better tracks here. nice effects. styles. experimental stuff. there was a time

simply put "the greatest rock / gnr song of all time" there was a time owns. axl @ his greatest height. robin and buckethead taking the art of the "guitar" to new levels of excellence. this rocker has it all. from beginning to end. axl's lyrics r poetry in motion. axl singing a melody. makes you feel you're watching a johnny depp movie like 'blow' or the sopranos. it's classic illusions when axl's disguised "illusions" voice says "wrong time" "long time" during the "wrong time for you" "long time for me" lyric parts. fine attention to detail here. very well done. perfection. trumps old relics "layla" / "stairway to heaven" back to the stone age. key lyric: "i would do anything for you, there was a time"

catcher n' the rye. good final track. what's disappointing is the fact brian may is missing. bad move. disappointing move. brian made effort with his guitar parts. should have been rewarded with his version being the one on the album. what i like is the connection between lennon and his murderer. tragic. brings emotion. i just wish brian may was on it. scraped. i love the lyrice axl boasts "don't you try to stop us now" i just refuse. rockin' hard. if this was 87, scraped would be on appetite. a hard clash in your face. riad n' the bedouins

features the multi million dollar special effects intro. i would have cut this from riad. i like pittman. but that's jumping the shark. going overboard. you don't need it. i like how the riad demo opened with the intro more. sometimes axl does too much perfecting. a prime example. guitar is good. riad is decent. maybe this would have been on appetite too. sorry. this is the song bach says is doom metal. he doesn't know what doom metal is. i can barely hear bach if he is even on it. shut ur mouth, bach. sorry owns riad. harps back to 90's contemporary rock. very spleen. i'm sorry for u, bach. i'm not sorry for me. IRS

a rocker. the sixth best song on the album. an upgrade from the demo. axl picks up business on irs. i'm impressed. gonna call the president. i'm gonna need the irs. gonna get the FBI. right, kevin? there's not any more i can do. madagascar. a pleasant listen. same as the recently leaked demo but really smooth. i'm liking the movie part. makes me want to turn on HBO watchin' some movies. the ending is memorable. axl layers. i like it. this is where the layers actually work. madagascar's inspirational. this i love

the greatest "rock / gnr ballad" of all time. this takes "november rain" to the next level. an ode to phanton of the opera and freddie mercury. robin's solo gets you in the gut. gut wretching. emotion grinding. robin's "this i love" solo owns 's NR solo. axl tops his illusions self. his 92 self. emotion with axl's vocals here too. you feel the pain. the tragedy of the situation. concludes the trilogy. conclusion. brings things to an end. sadness. chills. axl "seems that i gave up my ghost of pride" "i'll never say goodbye" this is what you feel, what i felt when it came up to this moment. bravo, axl. robin owns. robin's the best guitar player in the business

robin's the best guitar player on the "chinese democracy" album . . . without robin, i would not have the album today. robin's the best. he owns almost every song on lead. his guitar solos save the filler and shine on the BIG GUNS. robin is the heart and soul of this album. without robin, there's no guns n' roses    

prostitute

the ultimate closer. axl exposing himself to the fans. putting himself out there. fire and ice. brings out emotions. emotions axl's never felt before. this is superior to its demo. the changes work. attention to details. axl does it again like he does on "this i love" and "there was a time" axl delivers prostitute. makes me want prostitutes. special outro. movie ending. remembering 'highlander' and 'bladerunner' with a different direction guns n' roses has been taken in before. a surprise. when the ending comes, you feel complete. completes the journey. a journey i've been on for years of life. enclosing

enclosing. enclosing i say i was happy getting the album today @ bestbuy. i got there early. was the first one in gettin' the stuff. the vinyl rules. 2 LP's. different pictures on each side. a collectible. i have 3 cd copies. like i said i would. the cd booklet is fucked with each song having lyric errors. the leaked booklet is the store booklet. even so, this was a great day"

a day i will remember forever finally gettin' chinese democracy

p.s. will be missed

it seems that i gave up my ghost pride..i'll never say goodbye

[BITCH™]

if the world

now we're talking. funky groove. the groove. porn. everything a man wants with women. sex. if the world brings out the excitement. viagra.

I think I haven't been waiting for Chinese Democracy all these years.. I think I was just expecting Queenie's review of it

[BITCH™]

Ok, my criticism of the album is:
- How come Fortus did not co-write anything? How come he doesn't play one single solo? wtf?
- I hate the fact that they changed the name of The Blues to Street of Dreams.. am I the only one who thinks the new name is cheesy?
- Weak, really weak guitar on Street of Dreams... I don't like the slower guitars; live was better.
- Axl's "Transilvanian Mexican" accent on Sorry's one line "But I don't want to do it"; (ok, that's not really a criticism, it's more just a very funny thing).


- WOW for Prostitute... it's getting to be one of my favourite songs in the album. I hated the demo, this finished version has so much power and it's so honest... it brings the best out of GnR.

[BITCH™]

And cheers for Buckethead; I take back the "I don't want him in GnR" comment. He did a solid job on every song he's on. God, he owned Finck and co.

[Bill Bailey]

I hate the fact that they changed the name of The Blues to Street of Dreams.. am I the only one who thinks the new name is cheesy?

It's a cheesy song. I love it, but seriously, "stardust on my feet?"

I don't think either name is very good, but at least Street Of Dreams doesn't lead people to expect a certain style of song and then disappoint. I know a few people whose first reaction to The Blues was "Wow, this isn't bluesy at all. Axl is an idiot if he thinks this is the blues."

[Bill Bailey]

From my blog:

Who is Jeff? If you asked one of my friends, they would say something along the lines of: "He loves comic books, he buys a lot of DVDs, he thinks he's really funny and he won't shut up about Chinese Democracy."



Beach Boys fans might argue with that, but "Most anticipated album EVER besides Smile" isn't as catchy.

After all these years I can finally quit telling everyone within earshot how great it will be, because it's here. Best of all, it's just as good as I'd always hoped it would be. It's a worthy successor to the Use Your Illusion albums and mixes in enough newer influences to keep the current band lineup from sounding like a tribute act.



I'm glad young, long-brown-haired Jeff never knew that old, short-grey-haired Jeff would be the one buying the album on release day.

I think the only thing I said on the first listen was "Wow." I felt like I was listening to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band for the first time. That may sound like an exaggeration, but in my opinion Guns N' Roses is the greatest rock band of all time so I'm biased.

Fifteen years of delays turned this record into an obsession for me, as well as a lot of other folks. The leaked song demos and the 2006 tour only made it worse. Even though it was frustrating, the wait for this album was a fun journey that has been a part of my life for so long that I don't know what things will be like without it. There are almost as many people that know me by my chick magnet 'net handle "Bill Bailey" (Axl Rose's birth name) as I have friends that call me Jeff. The pursuit of this album has introduced me to friends all over the world that I never would have known otherwise. Without this album, I never would have orchestrated elaborate pranks with people in New Zealand and Mexico, held conference calls with people in Argentina or bickered with a crazy, unemployed thirty-year-old shut-in living with his dad in New York. The road to Chinese Democracy was as fun as arriving at the destination.

To Maya, Arturo, Gabriel, Xozi, Jake, Mike, Al, Horsey, and Andy: Thank you for everything. Enjoy the album.
Jeff "Bill Bailey" Miller
November 23, 2008


It's hard to hold a candle (or a freezing cold free Dr. Pepper) in the cold November Rain.

[iHATE]

Did anyone notice how the "Guns N Roses are..." list did not appear?

This was a fine Axl Rose record. Looking at it like that, i can say it was really good, and it reached my expectations

[Queenie]

- WOW for Prostitute... it's getting to be one of my favourite songs in the album. I hated the demo, this finished version has so much power and it's so honest... it brings the best out of GnR.

maia, the new "jungle" "sweet child" "paradise" r "there was a time" "this i love" "prostitute"

p.s. my 17 years in the making review of the album is like "prostitute" it's EPIC 


17 years . . . 

i would do anything for you, there was a time 

[BITCH™]

Thanks for the shout out Billy

[BITCH™]

Hmm I have a question. I noticed that Paul Tobias was a major part of the album, and I don't want to sound ignorant, but I still don't know who this guy is

[Bill Bailey]

Hmm I have a question. I noticed that Paul Tobias was a major part of the album, and I don't want to sound ignorant, but I still don't know who this guy is

No one knows much about him. We know he's a friend of Axl. Axl brought him into the band without conferring with anyone else, and the rest of the band thought he was terrible. Axl made them work with him on Sympathy For The Devil, and when Slash heard the final product had Paul rewriting or overdubbing most of Slash's guitar work, Slash bailed.

[BITCH™]

Oooh interesting. What a weird fella

[horsey]

im not going down the line but a few songs hit me.''sorry''
''if the world ''
scrapped hit me the best.
all the rest are great.
this is the best day ever,i got mine today.
and boy howde im haven fun listening to it.
my review is all around a great wait for this.
it was all worth it.
i think sasha's painting of the star was very kool also.
but my best song ever on the cd is ''sorry''
i can see that is going to be my fav.
thank -you axl n' the band !
love
horsey '

[BITCH™]

Oh, did anyone notice how positive this album is???  and I was both pleased and surprised by the positive message the album conveys, I was expecting more "ranting" and less "believe in yourself"; I honestly give Axl two thumbs up for this