Guns N Roses Chinese Democracy Single Released

smelltheglove

cant beleive i listened to the youtube of this i love....been avoiding these versions of the songs for weeks and i thought this was finally the real deal but at about 55 seconds in the hissings starts were the mad noises that were put in were "cleaned up" ARRRGhhh i only lasted until that point,now i want the whole ****er! Damn you Leakers!.........Oh yeah and some guy in mexico got the CD early so its bound to be leaked soon

gally74

http://www.vanleest.nl/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/Vanleest-VL_B2C_NL-Site/nl_NL/-/EUR/ViewFas-Detail?fh_Params=fh_secondid%3D9686785%26fh_location%3D%252f%252ffrs%252fnl_NL%252f_shop%253e%257bvanleest%257d%252fcategories%253c%257bfrs_01%257d%26fh_reftheme%3Ddetail&SubCat=01&utm_source=Upd@te&utm_medium=week46

you can listen to 30 sec clip of all songs here,

pretty good almost queen like

A Primal Nut

Its leaking song by song - clean mp4 versions of This I Love and Street Of Dreams (the blues) have leaked, along with a flac of Chinese Democracy. In typical GnR community style, the leaker is on dialup. :rolleyes: Always the way with GnR! Everything takes forever.

But its happening tonight!!! Not gonna listen to any of the songs yet gonna wait till it leaks in full and listen to it straight through - I've heard all the songs in some form, but other than the single, no clean final versions.

Gonna be a late night I think!!

smelltheglove

yeah read that on one of the gnr forums but cant find the site itsactually happening on...do you know what site its happening on...PM?

A Primal Nut

it was all going off at mistersaintlaurent.com but it started to get spammed like **** by some guy clearly didn't want the songs to leak (probably Axl lol) so it got closed down.

MisterSaintLaurent is the overweight wrestler who tricked some people into leaking songs this year and last year

JC 2K3

So the mistersaintlaurent story was actually true in the end? I remember reading his post when he got the high quality leaks of CD, TWAT and IRS and being really wowed.

smelltheglove

JC 2K3 wrote: »

So the mistersaintlaurent story was actually true in the end? I remember reading his post when he got the high quality leaks of CD, TWAT and IRS and being really wowed.

didint think MSL would do it again after al the **** with fernando on mygnr fair play to the guy he has constantly delivered lol

smelltheglove

new GNR single released to radio today "Better" streaming on this music station already! http://www.q1043.com/pages/news/gunsnroses/better.html

Vorrtexx

Sounds really good, much more radio-friendly than CD.

KrazeeEyezKilla

Its pretty good. I've tried to avoid the leaks and so have only heard it CD, IRS, TWAT, Better, Rhiad and Shacklers Revenge but they are all very good. Even Shacklers Revenge which I hated at first is growing on me.

A Primal Nut

JC 2K3 wrote: »

So the mistersaintlaurent story was actually true in the end? I remember reading his post when he got the high quality leaks of CD, TWAT and IRS and being really wowed.

It was definitely true - nobody could dispute it as he was backed by many people trusted in community, most notably GnRevolution's James Lofton (who calls bull**** on nearly everything unless he's 100% sure), who helped him with information (I know sounds like a James Bond movie lol). Of course just because he leaked them doesn't mean his story behind the leaks was true; for example it accused Axl's no.1 internet ally Jarmo of downloading leaks nobody else had. He also accused Fernando of leaking the songs in the first place; hence why everyone in Axl's camps hate him (in addition to leaking the songs in the first place) and tried to call him a liar. Fernando's mother and Axl's housekeeper Beta rang him on the phone a number of times giving out to him and for some reason, started complaining about Slash as well lol, saying that Slash was always wanting to get back into the band. I know, you couldn't make this **** up.

Anyway,MSL has nothing to do with the current set of leaks and leak-getting attempts other than owning the only gnr forum which allows leaks to be posted publicly. He retired from the leak-attaining business lol, complaining of too much work and also that nobody would trust him anymore.

Motley Crue

A Primal Nut wrote: »

complaining of too much work and also that nobody would trust him anymore.

He's right, although its not just MSL's antics we don't trust, its his over cockiness and the idea that when the leaks happened he was just informing people how smart and more intelligent then everyone else. Its also because there are still songs he claims someone in Portugal has that even he hasn't been able to get.

A Primal Nut

Motley Crue wrote: »

He's right, although its not just MSL's antics we don't trust, its his over cockiness and the idea that when the leaks happened he was just informing people how smart and more intelligent then everyone else. Its also because there are still songs he claims someone in Portugal has that even he hasn't been able to get.

Of course, he's a tool, but that doesn't mean he's not telling the truth - other people have backed up his story. Its also very likely other people have songs but of course nobody is going to trust dealing with MSL. Its amazing people were dumb enough to deal with him the second time!

JC 2K3

So, is the final release of Better any different to the last leak we heard? I haven't heard the single yet.

Motley Crue

JC 2K3 wrote: »

So, is the final release of Better any different to the last leak we heard? I haven't heard the single yet.

http://www.q1043.com/pages/news/gunsnroses/better.html

Its all good and legal man, have a listen

FearDark

When will this album be available to buy?

ShawnRaven

FearDark wrote: »

When will this album be available to buy?

Originally Nov 29th, pushed to Nov 23rd rumoured also for Nov 21st.

Stella89

Availble this Friday November 21st . Can't wait to rip open the cellophene cover with my teeth and rush home to play it !!!!! .

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/1024/gunsnroses.html

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/index2.php Bottom left corner shows the release date for each Country .

$lash

I cant wait ... I wonder will Tesco put it out on shelves after midnight on Thursday ?

ShooterSF

Not too fond of Better. Seems a bit poppy to me. Still I'm looking forward to this album. Trying to avoid listening to the leaks as it'll ruin the fun of popping in the first CD Ive bought in 3 years to a CD player

smelltheglove

Im a downloading mother ****er! the whole album is out now on the net the mexican finally got it to someone with a broadband connection! AMAZING! Sorry is like axls ode to pink floyd

dimerocks

I actually have decided to buy the album instead of downloading it just for the excitement the whole thing has given me! Spent the last few days listening to some of the tracks that I have and i can't wait for friday. I'm flying home and gonna grab it as soon as I land!

smackbunnybaby

dimerocks wrote: »

I actually have decided to buy the album instead of downloading it just for the excitement the whole thing has given me! Spent the last few days listening to some of the tracks that I have and i can't wait for friday. I'm flying home and gonna grab it as soon as I land!

i took the day off and i am buying a physical cd straight away on Friday morning.
this is going to be the greatest album since i dont when.
i have only listened to the single - i have refused to listen to leaks

smackbunnybaby

smackbunnybaby wrote: »

i have only listened to the single - i have refused to listen to leaks

wish I had your patience, couldnt not but listen when 2 years ago there was no sign of it ever coming out!!
Im looking forward to it, if its out friday I might actually even buy it!! :eek:
Shocking since I havent bought a CD in god knows how long. So far I like most songs.

Isnt it a pity that they didnt record and improve the Slash, Duff, Gilby and Izzy solo stuff and take the best and mix it with the best from Axls solo stuff and released a double or triple album. That would have rocked.

What a shame would like to hear how all those songs would have turned out with the entire bands input into each solo song

RonMexico

This CD sounds GORGEOUS! Play it loud on a good sound system and you will be blown away.

A Primal Nut

I was in Golden Discs today - apparently they received an email from the record company telling them the irish release date has been put back until saturday.:eek:

They said it may change so come back friday and check. When I told him it has leaked he told me this may make the release date come quicker so we'll see.

JC 2K3

Hmm... to download or wait, decisions, decisions...

superweld

http://www.addictivethoughts.com/?p=109

It would be far too easy to dismiss Chinese Democracy, the first album of new material from Guns N’ Roses in seventeen years, based solely on its laughable gestation period; or on the erratic behavior of its mastermind, Axl Rose; or even for its distance from original bandmembers Slash, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan, all of whom have been out of the group for more than a decade. It would be too simple to mock the obvious - and doing so would be missing the point, anyway. This is a great rock n’ roll record - it’s not heavy-handed outdated metal, nor is it the intimidating “industrial rock” Nine Inch Nails clone that the media falsely described it as being many years ago, right after its production was first announced.

No, this is just a solid rock album - full of infectious anthems (Better, Shackler’s Revenge), crunchy riffs (Chinese Democracy), sexy grooves (If the World), out-of-this-world guitar playing (There Was a Time), surprisingly emotive pop (Catcher in the Rye), and wonderful balladry (This I Love). It isn’t the album Guns N’ Roses fans feared, nor is it the disaster that cynical music critics were hoping for.

Things start off with the titular track, which is very good but doesn’t have much of a chorus. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing - it just makes the song a bit more challenging than one might expect from a lead single. Next up is Shackler’s Revenge, a song drastically improved by its final mix. This is probably the worst song on the album, partly because of its DOA solo, but it is a definite “grower” - and has a banshee-wail disco-metal chorus that will be sure to offer aspiring DJs and Danger Mouse wannabes room for remixes and mash-ups.

The album hits a definite stride with Better, the most catchy and easily accessible song on the album, which is sure to be a radio hit thanks to its edgy and schizophrenic riff. Street of Dreams, previously titled The Blues when played live, is one of the first songs on the album to introduce Axl’s curious decision to literally use his voice as an extra instrument — moaning and “oh oh oh”‘ing along with the guitars after the choruses and during the outro. Critics who compare this piano ballad to Elton John are serving it short. There are certainly some traditional elements at work here, and it may be more “pop-friendly” than the original 2002 version (which had more electric guitars and less sap), but you can tell the years of tinkering on this song caused Axl to start exploring new ideas to hold it up with, and they work well. If those screams at the end don’t send shivers down your spine, you might be paralyzed.

If the World, first heard over the end credits of Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies by all three people who went to see the film, crosses over into Buckethead territory with what can only be described as a flamenco-industrial porn song. It’s groovy and infectious and those vocals knock it out of the ballpark. As heard on the previous track, Axl is once again using his voice as a parallel to the instruments (rather than just screeching and screaming), which may confuse those expecting his trademark growl, but it’s hard to listen to this and not have it stuck in your head right away.


There Was a Time still features one of the best guitar solos of all time (no hyperbole here - honest), thanks to both Robin Finck and Buckethead. The intro sounds way better than the demos, but still isn’t that impressive; it’s the three-and-a-half-minute mark and onwards where it really just excels on every level. Catcher in the Rye suffers from a lost Brian May guitar solo, but the additions to the outro make it an overwhelming experience; it’s like Axl Rose’s version of Phil Spector’s wall-of-sound (which may be appropriate given that the song is written about the death of John Lennon, who worked with Spector more than a handful of times), featuring Buckethead shredding over top of pianos, synths, and some really lovely vocals. I’m confused by the number of critics who have written this off as one of the lesser songs on the record, but I imagine part of the reason may be its decidedly odd tone, especially for a GN’R track. It may require a few listens.

Scraped is a nice headbanger with those newfound Axl Rose harmonic vocals over the beginning; at this point into the album I’m starting to wonder if Axl’s parallels with Brian Wilson exist beyond the obvious SMiLE comparions, because the chorus of Axl’s over the first few seconds sounds like a hard rock update of Pet Sounds. Some people will laugh at it, but it’s hard to keep laughing once the song kicks into high gear and kicks your ass. It’s a refreshingly short, tight, and direct song - this is what those heavy rockers on the Use Your Illusion albums would have sounded like if they’d dropped the overkill production values and bloated run times and just rocked out.

Riad N’ the Bedouins is another heavy song, showcasing Axl’s Robert Plant imitation. It’s clearly a Buckethead and Brain track (the Praxis influence is all over it), which is why it’s so puzzling that Axl removed Bucket’s solo and replaced it with a tacked-on and, frankly, rather underwhelming solo by Ron Thal. It comes out of nowhere and has no melody or connection to the rest of the tune. Riad remains a very good hard rock track, but that solo in the middle almost kills the flow.

Sorry slows things down on the album with what Sebastian Bach described as a “grinding doom metal” riff. I think he might be deaf. Bach supposedly contributed vocals to this tune, but Axl was wise enough to turn the volume knobs way down on the Savage Animal’s mix; you can only really hear him about five minutes into the song for a few fleeting seconds. Anyway, I’m pretty sure this song is about Slash - lots of bitter barbs like this gem: “You talk too much / You say I do / Difference is nobody cares about you.” Harsh. This song took a few listens, but it’s another definite grower on the record. The only bad thing about this song is Axl’s decision to imitate Count Chocula in the beginning as he whines, “You’d like to have me jump and be good / But I don’t vant to do eet.” Probably the worst lyrics on the whole album, but luckily the rest of the song more than compensates.

I.R.S. still suffers from weak lyrics in the chorus, but the minor additions to this track - especially the escalating guitars at the end, presumably courtesy of Ron Thal - push it over the edge. This is epic hard rock, probably the defining song of this album (stylistically, at least) and kind of a sequel to You Could Be Mine. What if that spoiled sexist rock star grew up, the cocaine got to him and he became a paranoid, heartbroken mess when his girl abandoned him on his way out the front door of relevancy? I.R.S. contains the answers.

The album once again changes pace with its next song, Madagascar, a staple of live shows since 2002 which, on the final cut, boasts Axl doing his best Tom Waits impression, aided by his version of a big band - something like five guitar players, a bunch of drums, a bunch of synth effects, and “quote metal” - audio samples from Se7en, Braveheart, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Michael J. Fox - all clipped together epically across a Buckethead/Paul Tobias solo, which sounds a lot funnier than it actually is. It’s actually pretty awesome and unlike anything I’ve ever heard.


This I Love is a track that’s been around since at least 1994 but has never been heard by fans until now. First impressions: it sounds like Meatloaf. Second impressions: wow, this is pretty awesome. It took a few repeat listens to grow on me, but I’m almost positive now that I’ve fallen for it. It’s the most stripped-down song on the whole album, with Axl at a piano and a subdued but very moving Robin Finck solo in the middle of the song that just proves again that great guitar playing isn’t about speed or technical prowess, but feeling the music. This is Finck’s album highlight. Tender, revealing stuff - it’ll either make you cringe or weep. Possibly both. I love it, although I’m not sure I’d play it very loud at a red light.

Prostitute finishes off the album with some more epic dramatics — before cascading into an outro that sounds like something Moby may have come up with when he was producing the album a few years back, with its waves-against-the-shore repetition (think God Moving Over the Face of Waters). What comes prior to this simplistic outro, however, is a wildly veering mixof Estranged-style balladry and Coma-esque thundering hard rock. It goes back and forth - no song better reveals Axl’s alleged mood swings better than this track, and no song on this album better defines the epic production of its ballads, either. This has everything - orchestral samples, layers of guitars, crushing drums, and Chris Pitman’s masterful synths. It’s pretty impressive, to be honest. And the drastic shift in tone around 3:45 into the song is some of the best stuff this band’s ever done.

All in all, Chinese Democracy certainly isn’t the “best album ever” - but it’s assuredly better than many people had feared it might be. In a year of rock acts resurrecting themselves by returning to their roots (AC/DC, Metallica), Axl Rose has daringly surged forward - providing an album of music totally unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Guns N’ Roses has always had a habit of progressing their style from album to album (Appetite’s sleaze, Lies‘ acoustics, UYI’s excesses, Spaghetti Incident’s punk covers), and Chinese Democracy essentially takes the best from all prior albums and throws them in a blender and processes them as something altogether fresh and exciting.

This is grand, bombastic rock n’ roll with a wide range of influences, lots of differing styles, and tons of fun - all packaged into one disc. When Axl Rose returned from his hibernation in 2006, he said, “I’m trying to do something different. Some people are going to say, ‘It doesn’t sound like Axl Rose, it doesn’t sound like Guns n’ Roses.’ But you’ll like at least a few songs on there.” In retrospect, nothing ever said about this album has been truer. It’s admittedly hard to look at this album without a cynical eye and reinterpret the name on the front cover as Axl Rose rather than Guns N’ Roses, considering he’s the last man standing from the original lineup, but if you can put this aside and listen to Chinese Democracy with an open mind, you may be surprised at what it has to offer.

4.5/5

A Primal Nut

Just want to say I listened to the whole album the whole through full blast with headphones just there.

It is incredible!!

I can't say whether its worth x amount of years or x amount of money; and I agree that some versions are not the best version of that song; however, overall its an amazing album. I tried to listen to it as fresh as possible; I'm not sure if its the new mix or mastering or not but all the songs sounded a little bit better and almost like I was listening to them for the first time all over again. I'm really starting to come around to liking songs like IRS and Rhiad.

Incidentally, Buckethead is an incredible guitarist - he is now officially one of my favourite guitarists ever.

He co-wrote the best song Sorry, and has the best solos - There Was A Time, Sorry, Madagascar and I.R.S.

He was and still is the perfect guitarist to replace Slash - if this guy was still in the band when they toured this album very few people would care about Slash anymore, except from a sentimental point of view. The reason 2002 was a disaster was people only seen this guy with a bucket on his head and nobody knew he could actually play. He's a major loss to this band in its current form. Fair play to Axl for discovering and picking him, his mistake was not giving him all the solos instead of letting Finck and BBF take some of them. Finck's solo on This I Love is fairly disappointing, just a load of random bends with very little structure. He has decent solos on There Was A Time, The Blues and Better though.

There are problems with the album - BH and Brian May being replaced by Bumblefoot on some songs - while Bumblefoot has added some great rhythm parts his leads on this album sucks - no structure and generally nothing to do with the rest of the song. Scraped is probably the one song I'm still not fond of. Still a great album and well worth the wait.

Bring on the reunion...or, Chinese Democracy album no.2

Motley Crue

A Primal Nut wrote: »

Bring on the reunion...or, Chinese Democracy album no.2

Strangely enough you may get that chance sooner than you think. There will be a collectors edition released on Dec 12th in Europe...Ive included a link below...and as you can see it will feature a 2nd disc with a few demos from the past couple of years showing how the songs developed.


http://www.emp-online.co.uk/bin/shop.php?prog=shop&mid=0&article=437931&funktion=PRODUCTINFO&bildrub=search&product=GUNS%20N'%20ROSES:%20Chinese%20democracy&tc=SEARCH