(when I speak a piece of mind, cos silence isn’t golden when I’m holding it inside)
Axl Rose and DJ Ashba. Pic taken from http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=58255.620
This issue of the zine is being released on the 6th February, which is W. Axl Rose’s birthday, so I had been planning to write something of a Guns N’ Roses nature anyway (ok, so this wasn’t put online on the 6th… but, hey…). Something positive. Something showing just how good of an album “Chinese Democracy” is and just how well the band is performing on their current tour (c’mon UK dates…). However, on 19th January Metal Hammer posted something on their website that put a bit of a bee in my bonnet… so, unfortunately or not (depending on your point of view), I have found myself starting this article with a little bit of a rant.
Are you sitting comfortably? Here we go…
On the 19th January 2010 Metal Hammer posted a few photos of Axl from GN’R’s current tour. There’s nothing wrong with that in itself, but it’s the text accompanying it that pissed me off. Rather than give a review (either positive or negative – I don’t mind – so long as it’s accurate) of the gig, Metal Hammer decided to comment on how Axl looks. No mention of how the crowd reacted at the gig. Nothing about the new material. Nothing about how the current line-up performed the older stuff. Absolutely fuck all about Axl’s vocals or how amazing DJ Ashba is… or just how awesome of a drummer Frank Ferrer is. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Instead Metal Hammer treated us (and I use the word ‘treated’ very loosely) to mindless fat jokes and a number of eye-rollingly bad puns. What was the point? Is this what journalism amounts to these days? Maybe I should just give up paying the money for Metal Hammer and just buy Heat magazine instead – it’s a quarter of the price and it focuses on how people in the public eye look equally well.
To be honest, I probably wouldn’t mind if all this was coming from a publication that I never read, but I’ve been a loyal reader of Metal Hammer for years (I should add that this particular thing was on the MH website… rather than in the magazine). I kinda feel betrayed. Admittedly, this is coming from the perspective of a Guns N’ Roses fan, but that shouldn’t make a difference. It’s fine if the folks at Metal Hammer decide that they don’t like Guns N’ Roses. That’s cool, we’re all different… but at least write something constructive! At least focus on the music. Surely that’s the whole point anyway?
In a way, this is the straw that broke the camel’s back. I’ve been sitting back watching the music press decline over the past few years (although there is the strong possibility that it has always been like this, but I’ve been too blind to notice) and I’ve come to expect the fact that Metal Hammer and Kerrang and whoever else will kiss up to and slag off whichever bands it’s deemed fashionable to do so. What does it achieve? Fuck all. Oh, actually, it sells magazines. It lines someone’s pockets. Great. The death of integrity is worth £3.99 a month. Go figure.
It’s starting to feel like the camaraderie is gone. Metal and Rock fans are being pulled apart, separated into their various pigeon-holes. What happened to when we used to stick together because we all liked similar music? It’s not even like I’m some old bitch who fondly remembers the good ol’ days. I’m 26 for fuck’s sake. The reason why I’m bringing this up is because the music press does nothing to change this – in fact, it adds to it.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you don’t have anything constructive to say then don’t say anything at all. I realise the irony of me saying this while I’m bitching about it here… but hey – they started it. There are bands out there that I cannot stand, but rather than waste my time bitching about them in various parts of Loucifer Speaks (which I could do if the mood arose), I choose to ignore them. If I see news/photos/videos of them online, I pay no attention to them. I don’t feel the urge to post comments and say that “band x sucks”. In fact, the only reason why I would check out those videos would be to see if my mind could be changed (everyone deserves a second chance… I would make a list of the bands that I became obsessed with the second time around, but there’s a strong chance that we’d be here all day). If it then turns out that I like them, then great! If not, then I just walk away. Maybe I’m too mature (aside from the ‘they started it’ remark!)? Or maybe I’m missing the joke?
I feel I should add that not all magazines are like this. Not all magazines will now be resigned to lining my cats’ litter tray. A quick heads-up goes to Zero Tolerance and Terrorizer (although neither of those titles would feature GN’R anyway, if they did they wouldn’t focus on appearances)… and there are many fanzines and webzines out there who are still doing this for the love of Metal and Rock rather than a quick laugh and a fast buck.
Anyway, I think that’s enough for now. There is more that could be said but it won’t change anything or help anyone (however, if you would like to discuss it I do enjoy putting the world to rights over a drink or two).
…And Now it’s On With the Show…
I’m going to stop the bitching now and write the article that I wanted to write. In fact, it’s more of a review than an article, but hey… I have my reasons for setting things out like this.
I want to put across an honest, informative and somewhat passionate account on “Chinese Democracy” and to do that I need you all to humour me. Are you ready? Ok… Forget how long it took for the album to be released. Forget how much money was reportedly put into it. Forget the fact that Slash/Duff/Izzy/Gilby/Matt/Steven isn’t there. Time has moved on and people change. Accept it and you’ll feel better. I’ve got nothing against any of those guys – it’s just that they have nothing to do with this album. So I shall not mention them again in this article.
I got into the whole GN’R thing relatively late. I was born in the wrong year to get into them when “Appetite for Destruction” came out (give me a break – I was 3 years old at the time), and the first ‘new’ GN’R release I remember coming out was the “Live Era” album…or possibly the “Use Your Illusions” if I can think back far enough. But that’s not the point, my age doesn’t make me less of a fan.
Due to my age, it could be said that I’ve spent much of my life waiting for “Chinese Democracy” to be released (I know I said to forget how long it took for this album to come out, but this is relevant and will help me to paint my little picture)… well, most of my music-buying life anyway. That’s not to say that I spent 14 years of my life (or however long it was) just sitting there waiting for “Chinese Democracy” to drop. No, I lived. I finished school, I went to college, I’ve worked in various places… I started one webzine and shut it down, started another website and shut it down and eventually started Loucifer Speaks. I found out about a wealth of amazing bands as well.
So, when “Chinese Democracy” was unleashed at the end of 2008 (yes, it’s been out for over a year already), I raced out to buy it on the day of release. I listened to it quite a bit in the weeks that followed, but – for one reason or another – it got pushed to one side while I listened to other stuff (either for reviews or just because I wanted to listen to something else). Then, randomly, I had the urge to listen to it again. I have no idea what made me want to revisit the album, but whatever it was, it’s led me to listen to the album at least once per day since then. Now that’s a damn powerful album.
“Chinese Democracy” isn’t what would have happened had GN’R continued in the same way as they were and then released an album in ‘94/’95. It also isn’t the Industrial Metal album that had been predicted by some in the late ‘90s – early noughties. Instead, it’s a collection of songs that are modern enough to be relevant today, that nod back occasionally to yesterday and are timeless enough for people like me to continue harking on about them in the years to come. I think I needed the year since the album’s release to fully appreciate it and to completely lose myself in it. It’s one of those records where you keep finding new bits to love every time you listen to it. In all honesty, it didn’t provide me with the instant gratification that “Appetite…” did, but these days I find myself listening to it more than I do “Appetite…”. To say it’s a ‘grower’ doesn’t do it justice. There are parts of the album that I loved on first listen, but there are different parts that I love even more now. Hell, there are even parts that I’ve now listened to countless times that I’m getting all exciting over! I’m hoping to make myself a little bit clearer when I write my track-by-track review later on.
The problem is that I think many people out there were a bit like me. The album came out, didn’t change their lives immediately, so they moved on and didn’t give it a fair chance. I could start a rant about how various magazines didn’t give it a fair review, but that would make me a bit of a hypocrite. If I didn’t fall madly in love with it on first listen, I can’t very well expect them to (however, the stuff I said at the start of this article still stands!). Part of me would really like “Chinese Democracy” to be re-released (perhaps as a special edition… with some bonus live tracks from the current tour?), so that the world can revisit it and – hopefully – realise just how good of an album it actually is. When it was released in 2008 it was plagued with negativity so it never got the chance to stand on its own. It was the album that took X amount of years to make, X amount of dollars to make or didn’t have this person or that person on it. The reviews at the time didn’t really focus on the songs, but turned their attentions to the politics instead. Despite the somewhat poor reception the album received, it would appear that the music press still can’t get enough of Guns N’ Roses… or, Axl Rose at least. They can’t wait to write about how he had a go at a photographer, or how GN’R went on stage late… Surely if a band is as irrelevant as many of the original reviews of “Chinese Democracy” would have you believe, then there’s really no need to write about them anymore? And yet, they do. As for the whole ‘going on stage late’ thing – It’s nothing new – get over it. Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t have an early bedtime… live a little… rebel… it’ll be fun.
Anyway, it would seem as though I have strayed from the original point of this article…
So, yes… what makes the album so great? Why have I found myself defending on countless occasions? (And, why is it that those I have to defend it to have no real interest in the album anyway… I’m sure they just like to light the touch paper and watch the show as I go off on one). Here’s my track-by-track review:
“Chinese Democracy” – I don’t think that it’s any accident that this is the opening track. When GN’R streamed the album on their MySpace prior to its release and I listened to this track, I knew that we were just about to embark upon something awesome. The intro builds up more suspense than any advertising campaign could ever do (although, with that said, a stronger promotional campaign for the album wouldn’t have hurt!). The song itself is relatively understated and focuses more on the guitar than it does on Axl’s vocal. Those who just listened to this song and nothing else could be forgiven for thinking that Axl had done away with the high notes… but, had they listened further, they would have been treated to 13 other tracks that would have knocked that theory on its head. This song also provided me with a fantastic trip down memory lane as I remembered it being played when Guns N’ Roses were at the London Docklands Arena in 2002.
“Shackler’s Revenge” – Eek! Samples! Scary, frightening, samples! I have to admit that I had similar ‘rock purist’ thoughts when I first listened to this song. However, the samples were a small hurdle and, after a few listens, I overcame them. That’s not to say that I’m a fan of samples being used in general, but if I can see (or hear?) that they genuinely add something to the song, then I don’t have a problem. On “Shackler’s…” I think they do. Anyway, moving on… “Shackler’s…” is one of the heavier songs on the album and carries an enormous amount of energy. It also showcases Axl’s voice really well – from the incredibly low parts to that screech that I know and love. The guitar solo has an insane, off the wall, feel to it and really fits in with the mood of the song. Despite the industrial-esque sound, this song really reminds me of “Appetite…”. It’s the mix of styles and that ‘fuck you, we don’t care… we gonna play whatever we want’ attitude. Surely every band should be like that? (Many are… but I can think of many more who aren’t.)
“Better” – this track was named by “Classic Rock” as the third best song from the past decade. That’s amazingly impressive… especially since it emerged from an album that no-one gave a flying toss about. My favourite part of the song is from around 2 minutes, 20 seconds onwards. The lead guitar and the riff are awesome! Then Axl comes again with that “I never wanted you to be someone in anger” bit… All in all, “Better” is a pop/rock masterpiece. Oh, and the ending’s bloody good too – “If I were you / I’d manage to / Avoid the invitation / Of promised love that can’t keep up / With your adoration…”
“Street of Dreams” – I guess I’m what Uncle Axl would (affectionately?) call one of those “downloadin’ motherfuckers” because I originally downloaded a version of this song somewhere between 2000 and 2002. Although, in my defense, it was a live version and not a studio leak 
(I hope that makes it better!). Anyway, back then it was called “The Blues” and part of me will always want to refer to it as “The Blues”. As clichéd as it may sound, this song got me through many tough times over the years so when I first saw the track listing for “Chinese Democracy” and couldn’t see the name “The Blues” on there, I was understandably a little bit alarmed. Luckily it was just a name change… otherwise I would have sulked… or something. What drew me to this song? The sheer power behind it… the lyrics (“what I thought was beautiful is only memories”) and, yes you guessed it, Axl’s vocals.
“If The World” – Up until recently (well, about 2 months or so ago), I was not a fan of this song at all. I really didn’t ‘get it’ and just skipped right passed it whenever I played the album. But, as you may have guessed, my point of view has changed. Not too long ago, I saw a video of the band performing this song on their recent tour (I believe it was on the Asian leg of the tour) thanks to a YouTube link on HTGTH. On that video Axl explains a bit about the song and then I found myself actually listening to it properly and really paying attention to it. The Spanish guitar is amazing and that (electric) guitar solo that kicks in at around 3:19 is fantastic!
“There Was A Time” – Picking a favourite song from an album of favourites is a ridiculous task, but “There Was A Time” (or TWAT for short ) has got to be one of them. To me, this song seems like a continuation of the work started on “UYI”. Note; it seems like a continuation, not a recreation. Yet again, I could spend ages writing about the high quality of the lyrics, the vocals and the musicianship… but, I think you’ve pretty much got the idea now.
“Catcher in the Rye” – this is Axl’s tribute to John Lennon and it’s superbly well done. The melodies in this track are fantastic – it’s one of those songs that will stay in your head for days.
“Scraped” – On my first listens to the album, this was one of my instant favourites. With lines like “Don’t you try to stop us now”, “I’m here to tell you you’re worth more than they tell you” and “You know you’re stronger than the lies that they tell you”, this is a pretty positive song. Perfect for playing loud when you’ve had a crap day.
“Riad and the Bedouins” – Ok, it’s honesty time again… I have NO idea what this song is about. But… for some reason, that doesn’t matter – I love it! Again, there’s great melodies and I love that you can really feel the emotion in Axl’s vocals. A good example of this is when he sings “they aggravate me”… listen to the track and, hopefully, you’ll get what I’m trying to say. If not, you’ll probably just think I’m mental. Both of these are correct.
“Sorry” – Anyone who has listened to the words of this song, has probably come to their own conclusions about who it’s about. Axl hasn’t (at this point – as far as I know) given an explanation about the lyrics, but I’ve got my own ideas. The lyrics are deliciously venomous and the melody and tempo work fantastically well. This is another favourite on an album of favourite.
“I.R.S” – Speaking of favourites… here’s another! I love this one mainly because the lyrics are brilliant and because Axl hits some brain-meltingly amazing notes! And, he’s done it live! So there! HA! Sorry, that was aimed at the numerous comments I’ve heard and read about how Axl has, apparently, ‘lost it’. Comments mostly made by those who have not listened to the album properly (or even once in some cases) or have not taken the time to go onto YouTube and watch the clips from the recent tours.
“Madagascar” – this is another song that I’ve had a live version of for quite a few years. While it hasn’t changed drastically, I do feel that it has improved from the early version I had (and, as you may now expect, the band play it fantastically live… well, from what I can tell from the almighty YouTube).
“This I Love” – this was one of the tracks that I fall in love with straight away. But, after a random listen one day, the guitar solo hooked me in and hasn’t let me go since. Now I appreciate every second of the song. It’s insanely powerful, and yet the song itself is pretty understated – with just the keys and Axl’s vocals for the most part (until that solo… God, I love that solo…).
“Prostitute” – I don’t want to say too much about this track in case I ruin it for those yet to listen it. I really feel that it’s one that you have to ‘discover’ for yourself. However, I’m crap at keeping secrets so I’ve gotta say this… when you get to 3:43 where Axl sings “Ask yourself…” and the lead guitar cuts through the mix it’s a brilliant goosebump moment! Sorry… I’ll let you discover the rest yourself…
All in all, I’d goes as far as to say that “Chinese Democracy” is one of my favourite albums of all time. I love it for its honesty, its flaws (not that there are many) and the bits that make it so damn perfect.
I find myself listening to this album once per day (usually twice or more), and I now own two versions of it. This isn’t because I’m a crazy, obsessed fan (well, I am, but that’s not the reason). I bought one copy on the day of release, and I bought the other about a year later so that I could have the boxset version with the belt buckle, patch, keyring and t-shirt. Perhaps it was the record company’s way of squeezing a few extra quid out of me, but I really don’t care… Hell, I want it on vinyl next.
“Chinese Democracy” hasn’t changed my life, but it’s provided it with a damn good soundtrack.
Guns N’ Roses MySpace: myspace.com/gunsnroses
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