I Have Had It With These Motherfuckin' Guns N' These Motherfuckin' Roses!!

First things first; from now on if you comment have the courtesy to sign your comment. Last entry someone left a comment saying that RATM was better anyway. I'm not mad 'cause they disagreed, I just wanna know who's disagreeing. I'm pretty sure it was Danielle, but from now on spare me the trouble of tracking you down and let me know who it is. Now then...

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Guns N' Roses announced that the planned March 6 release date for Chinese Democracy was no longer realistic, but swore on a stack of Bibles (actually a stack of copies of previous GN'R albums) that the long awaited album was imminent. The good news is that recording was complete and that the trouble lay in mixing the album. Earlier this month a album track entitled "Better" made its way onto the internet before quickly being pulled by the band's management, comparing the leaked song to an unfinished piece of artwork.

I'm gonna go ahead and admit it; I am still excited for this album. I think I'm the last person alive who is, but I truly cannot wait to hear Chinese Democracy.

Yes, I know that it's taken over a decade for this album to be released. Yes, I know that Axl Rose is the only original member left, as the rest of the lineup joined Scott Weiland on Velvet Revolver. Yes, I get it. I should be making fun of this latest inevitable setback. But I'm not. I'm still excited.

I blame my excitement on what I call the Snakes On A Plane Effect. When word first got out about Snakes on a Plane in early 2006, the general response thought the idea was a joke, and that it was doomed to fail. But over time, as people started talking about it, as word of the infamous line (which I adapted as the title of this entry) leaked and the release date grew closer, the excitement reached a peak, even though the expectations got no better. From a critical standpoint, expectations for SOAP were so low that it was almost impossible to see it and not be in some form or other pleasantly surprised with the outcome. And when it came out, and people saw it, they were pleased, and it made oodles of money. Hollywood caught lightning in a bottle, a bottle they picked up on the side of a dirt road. But it didn't matter.

I see the same thing happening with Chinese Democracy. It's taken 14 years and $13 million to produce, and during that time all the original members went on to bigger things (whether Velvet Revolver is better remains to be seen). The release date has been set and postponed countless times, and the tour promoting it has been marred by controversy and fighting, just like in the days of classic GN'R. Expectations on this album could not get lower; people expect more from the next K-Fed album than they do from Chinese Democracy, and that fact just might save Rose & company. The expectations are so low that at this point the band just needs to release the record by the end of 2007 and they'll be successful. It doesn't matter how good or bad it'll be, because in the end we weren't planning on it to even exist. Axl Rose could puke all over the record, and if it's out by year's end, I'll be satisfied.

Give me a firm release date, Mr. Rose. I've got twenty bucks sitting aside for you.

==TJ==

UPDATE: It would appear that Guns N' Roses management did not do nearly as good a job removing the "Better" leak as you'd think. Good for you, bad for them. The link below will take you to a sendspace site which will have the link to download the track. Trust me, it's legit, I use it all the time, and the track's really is pretty solid. I'm seeing that in order to get my blog noticed I need to upload tracks to go along with it, so here you go.

Guns N' Roses - Better

RIP Audioslave

It is a sad weekend in the world of rock music. Chris Cornell, lead singer for Soundgarden and Audioslave and an all-around stellar musician, has announced that he is leaving Audioslave, arguably the most talented act in hard rock right now. That announcement, coupled with the fact that Rage Against the Machine (one of the two bands that melded into Audioslave) is reuniting this summer for a one-time concert means that Audioslave is all but defunct. Rolling Stone posed a fascinating question; if Audioslave were to continue on with a new lead singer, who should that lead singer be?

Let me preface the rest of this by saying that I would rather not hear Audioslave without Cornell. With a Chris Cornell solo album due out in May, hearing that AND Audioslave with a new lead singer just wouldn't be right. It's like Queen with Paul Rodgers; yeah it's Queen and Paul Rodgers did OK, but no one can even come close to Freddie Mercury. No one can mimic Chris Cornell's mind-blowing vocal stylings. Try to imagine anyone else singing "Cochise". I dare you. It can't be done.

That said, the most interesting votes I read (and supported) were those for either Chris Daughtry or Bo Bice, both of American Idol cast-off fame. These are both damn near impossible, but I think this brings up very interesting points. As much as I like Daughtry's album, it did show a certain level of Nickelback worship, and I feel like he could do better. Bo Bice, on the other hand, released a half-assed album courtesy of his AI deal and if the highlights of that CD are any indication, he definitely could do better and was held back by the record execs. Unfortunately recent reports indicate that RCA has dropped Bice, suggesting that a second album, an album that could very well vindicate Bice, isn't happening anytime soon. Not saying this is a tragedy, but not cool on RCA's part. If there's going to be an reformed Audioslave (which there shouldn't be), let's see Daughtry and/or Bice at the audition.

One more thing; can you imagine Chris Cornell singing Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"? If the answer to that question is either 'yes' or 'what the hell are you talking about?', mark your calendar for May 1st, the release date for Cornell's solo album.

==TJ==

It's Too Late To Make It Right...

No, I'm not gonna talk about last night's Grammys here. I offered my thoughts, so the only thing I'm gonna say is that I'm happy for RHCP and the Dixie Chicks (I like "Not Ready To Make Nice", thank you very much). If you want a good commentary on the Grammys, here's a link to Bill Simmons's running diary of the show. Simmons is an ESPN sports writer, but when he drifts into pop culture things like this its pretty funny.

Enjoy. I'll be back later this week.

==TJ==

It's Really Good To Hear Your Voice...

I was in a car earlier this week and while the radio was on I heard that song by Hinder, "Lips of An Angel". Normally this is where I rant about the fact that this song became a radio hit a year after the album's release and 10 months before Matt Nolan and I predicted its success. But no, there's a bigger issue here. The version of the song I heard was not done by Hinder, but rather it was a country cover done by Jack Ingram.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying there shouldn't be a cover of this song and I'm not necessarily saying a country artist shouldn't be doing the cover. My issue is in the fact that Ingram didn't even take the time to let the song drop off the Billboard Charts before trying to capitalize off its success (Hinder's version is currently #26 on Billboard's Hot 100). The song has been a hit for only 4 months and the likelihood of future success for Hinder is pretty high. Jack Ingram's success over the past few years has been marginal at best. For the record, Ingram's version isn't outright bad; its basically the same song without the electric guitar and Blower's raw, scratchy voice. Not a terrible cover, but lacking the originality I expect in a good cover (See: The Used and MCR's rendition of "Under Pressure"). My biggest problem here is the fact that a mostly established country artist is piggybacking on the success of an up-and-coming rock band that deserves a fair chance.

Anyway, the Grammys are this weekend, and quite frankly, I don't care. They've become predictable of late. While I'm happy to see the streak of posthumous recordings getting gratuitous praise, does anyone think that someone NOT named John Mayer, Jack White, or Corinne Bailey Rae has a chance? And where the hell are the noms for Pearl Jam's album? That thing was genius, and a hell of a lot better than The Raconteurs. It's official; I should be running the Grammy Association from now on. Someone get me the papers, please?

==TJ==

In Search of Some Rest...

Current Music: Carbon Leaf - What About Everything?

A couple of news stories I saw on Billboard today that made me all kinds of happy:

-Linkin Park is currently wrapping up the mixing process on its new album and is saying that the first single from their fourth album will be released sometime next month. Producer Rick Rubin is excited for the new release, saying this album takes the band places they've never gone before. Citing Pink Floyd and Emerson, Lake & Palmer as influences, the album appears to be a massive departure from the formulaic rap-rock that dominated 2000's Hybrid Theory and 2003's Meteora. The haters can say all they want about LP being washed up; I am 8 different shades of excited for this.

-The Beatles and Apple have apparently struck a deal that will end the ongoing lawsuit tied to Apple's trademark violations. The Apple Music group (owner of the Beatles' music) sued the Apple Computer Corporation (makers of the iPod) for breaching part of a previous settlement that forbade Apple Computers from getting involved in music. The deal allows Apple to continue to operate iTunes and use its logo, and could be the final obstacle in allowing Beatles music to be sold on iTunes. About freakin' time.

And I don't feel like doing a huge thing on it, but the Eagles are eyeing a spring release date for their new album, the first new LP since 1979's The Long Run.

That's all. I've got a rant built up in me, I'll probably post it by the end of the week (and other famous last words...)

==TJ==

Let's Waste Time, Chasing Cars

I know I've found a good song when I can remember where I was the first time I heard the song and can also remember (with little to no exaggeration) when and where I was when I heard it every time afterward. "Chasing Cars" happens to be one of those rare tracks.

The first time I heard this song it was on the radio in my friend Eric's car. I didn't recognize the song, and the lyrics had a sort of charming innocence about them. I went home and downloaded the song onto my computer. For the next several weeks it became a staple of every playlist I made for any purpose. It was a very simple song and at the time I didn't connect it to any one person, it was just a nice rock song.

That summer I went away to college and as I sat with some new friends, one of them, a girl named Gina that would eventually become my girlfriend, heard the song through my headphones and yelped "I love that song!", much in the same way I did (in my mind, anyway) every time the song came up through the grace of iTunes shuffle function. Many days later, as she and I lay in her room, not saying or doing anything, I turned to her and said "This is just like that song, 'Chasing Cars". She agreed, and for a time, it became "our song", complete with references in Livejournal entries, AIM profiles, and the like. Lest you think I'm doing this just to reminisce about a girl, I remind you this is about the music and the story doesn't end there.

A month or so later I was in a car with some classmates and guy named Pete I never got to know better, and this song came on. I expressed my desire, and Pete scoffed, commenting on the mind-numbing simplicity of its guitar line. Right as he was, I was appalled. I eventaully came to concede that its simplicity was just a part of its masterpiece, and that even Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" had its detractors. I thought nothing more of it till just now.

At the time of this writing I now own 4 different versions of this song, putting it in rare company. As much of an acoustic junkie that I am, the original studio version remains my favorite. It has the perfect blend of guitar, drums, and Gary Lightbody's half-mournful voice. Whether history remembers this song as a classic remains to be seen, but for one summer, it made its mark on me.

==TJ==