In the long annals of rock history, there are albums that are delayed. Then, there is Chinese Democracy. After millions of dollars and more than a decade wait, "Guns and Roses" finally released the album in 2008. I must admit, I was shocked that album actually came out at all, after years of rumors, hype, sackings, and all-around chaos around the band. Five years on, I feel like it's finally time to take an honest look at the album.
The album opens with the title track. A pretty heavy song, I have never minded the song. Axl Rose warbles about the Falun Gong and the Chinese regime, but even if you don't care at all about those things, the song is a decent rocker. A good introduction. "Shackler's Revenge" shows the album's exploration of electronic music. The seems like a strange pastiche of musical styles, but NIN might be the closest reference point. The song itself isn't all that bad, but the production sounds very dated, even by 2008 standards. Decent, but certainly not a classic."Better" comes next. One of the more accessible songs on the album, it is my pick for the second-best song on album. The song is quite poppy and catchy at heart, despite some very heavy riffs. Axl proves his voice still has some millage left on it, as he delivers a great vocal on the track.
"Street Of Dreams" is perhaps the most traditional Guns and Roses song on the album. A piano-based ballad of sorts, I have always like the track despite the somewhat laughable lyrics. The song reminds of the band's glory days, but sadly the classic line-up is absent, and Slash and company are obviously missed despite the more than adequate players on the album. A great solo rounds out the song, a strong number to say the least. "If the World" is an odd song. Featuring synth-bass atop some Middle-Eastern strings, the song is a bold experiment for the band. Luckily it pays off. With great vocals, growling guitars, and some electronic wizardry, the song feels like the musical equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster. Very large in size and scale, but a pretty good song. "There Was a Time" rolls the album along. Another large-scale song, it features electronic beats with layers of string sounds accompanying Axl. The chorus is more rock-like, with some crunchy guitars and Axl approaching the limits of his current voice, straining somewhat. Not a bad song at all, but the song feels disjointed because of the vast sonic differences between the verses and choruses.
"Catcher in the Rye" continues this very long album. Honestly, the song could have easily been cut from this album. From a production standpoint, it's a mess. Layers of guitars sound metallic and jagged, and Axl's voice is hard to hear clearly at times coming up against the terrible sounding rhythm guitars. Structural, the song is boring and far too long. A stinker for sure. Skip it. "Scraped" opens with some Queen-like vocals layering. A very modern and nasty sounding riff runs through the song, as Axl's voice sounds ragged and far too pushed. The irritating backing vocals continue to play, and the song really annoys and grates one's nerves. Easily the worst song on the album, it could also have been cut in this author's opinion.
"Riad N' The Bedouins" is a fast-paced rocker that at times reminds of the band's heyday, very gritty at points. I like the track, despite a little too much vocal processing on Axl's voice and some pointless and annoying digital guitar effects. "Sorry" is one of the better songs on the album. A dark and slow song, it has a great atmosphere to it. The digital wash of guitar effects actually works to the song's benefit, adding to depth of the song. Axl sounds great on the track, one of the best vocals on the album. A highlight for sure. "I.R.S." is another song that screams filler. The song sounds like a demo, as if it wasn't quite finished. Axl sounds breathless at times, almost gasping for air, and the guitars sound hollow and empty. Another stinker for me, not a highlight at all.
"Madagascar" continues the orchestral sound-scape of the album. Beautiful and sombre horns dominate the track, along with Axl haggard and whiskey-like voice. My only complaint would be the digital-sounding drums, but a great song otherwise, a spiritual successor to staple November Rain. "This I Love" is the album's equivalent to "Don't Cry". A slow piano ballad, Axl delivers what might be the best vocal since Appetite For Destruction. Despite all of the antics, the ego, the bullshit, Axl is a great talent, and that cannot be denied. The song is woefully gorgeous, and easily the best track on the album, and one of the best by the band in general. It sends shivers down the spine, it raises the hairs on your back. The real strings add an element of authenticity to the track, very warm and emotive. I feel the album should have closed with "This I Love", but wait, there's one more. "Prostitute" is not a great track, but certainly not bad. At this point, I am out of words, check it out for yourself. A decent tune.
"Chinese Democracy" is a very bloated and long album. Fans of simple and raw music will hate this album. However, people that like over-the-top musical statements will likely find much to like. Despite bearing the names Guns and Roses, the songs assembled here bear little resemblance to the original band. Gone are the spunky band of misfits from L.A., now we have Axl at the controls of a rag-tag group of studio wizards, willing to bring to life his endless sonic demands. The results are mixed. Like a big-budget Hollywood movie, there are plenty of effects and tricks to dazzle you. But at the end of the day, a lot of the album's songs are mediocre and average at best. If Axl had cut down the track-listing to maybe 8-10 songs, the album would have certainly been met with more acclaim and regard. I think any rock fan should try to go through the album at least once, you may find some diamonds in the rough.
Rating-7/10
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