At Long Last, A Chinese Democracy Review (And I'm Not Kidding This Time)

I have a much different angle on Chinese Democracy than most of my blogging peers. When Use Your Illusion came out, I was probably sitting in front of a TV watching Sesame Street at the tender age of 2 years, 11 months (This is where I duck while my peers throw things at me for making them feel old). I haven't waited 17 years, endured the countless broken promises and trainwrecks that led to yesterday's unimaginable final chapter. I came into this story far later, as a music fan who discovered GN'R well after the original lineup abandoned ship, when the mythical album had already become a punchline. So for me Chinese Democracy's release is much more of a historically significant event, rather than the emotional release that Guns N' Roses fans of old might be feeling right now. But I digress. The point is, Chinese Democracy is real (the album anyway), and while those waiting 17 years might feel a bit let down, it's still a damn fine album, and certainly not lacking in anything fans want in a Guns N' Roses record.

The title track takes a full minute to get going, but by the 61st second guns are blazing. It's fast, it's dirty, and Axl isn't interested in easing people in. Rose may be 46 years old, but you couldn't tell from his voice. The song sounds dangerous, ballsy; like the GN'R of old. From there we get "Shackler's Revenge", which keeps things fast and rocking, but former guitarist Buckethead's avant-garde texturing bogs the track down. If someone wants to pick apart Chinese Democracy, they'd do well to start with Buckethead. His work is admirable standing alone, but on this record it takes songs that could be humongous rock songs and sucks the hook out of them, turning them into artsy, atmospheric sludge. Think Radiohead cranked up to 11. The worst example is "Sorry", a 6-minute would-be opus that has Axl bearing all, while the rest of the band does little more than mark time.

Rose, on the other hand, is in top form. The two ballads "Street of Dreams" and "This I Love" let Axl pour his heart out while the strings and keys play on. On the other hand "Riad N' The Bedouins" is a gem, a sign that the Guns N' Roses that rose to the top with "Paradise City" isn't gone forever. Second single "Better" gets better with every listen, the kind of track that modern rock needs to hear right now (take notes, Three Days Grace). The whole record feels very precise, as though nearly two decades of work went into every note, line and phrase of the album (wait...). More often than not Rose's perfectionism pays off, as the record manages to balance sounding clean and professional and being truly rock and roll. "Better" is a very polished affair, but still makes room for Axl's gut-wrenching growl to show through. "Madagascar"'s sampling of speeches in the bridge is pure production, but is among the best songs Chinese Democracy offers. As a whole, as Axl goes, so goes the album.

The simple fact that Chinese Democracy is on store shelves makes it a memorable release. The fact that its so excellent is just an added bonus. People who've waited 17 years might not find it to be all they hoped for, but that's a result of the lack of Slash, Izzy and Duff on this record. If you go in accepting the fact that you're not hearing the explosive lineup that sold millions of records in the 90s, you're bound to hear something truly enjoyable. Axl Rose can sleep soundly tonight knowing he's done well. Let's just hope I'm not 37 when the next Guns N' Roses album comes out.

Final Score: 9/10

==TJ==

CHINESE DEMOCRACY HITS ITUNES!!!

In yet another sign of the apocalypse as caused by one W. Axl Rose, iTunes is now accepting pre-orders for Chinese Democracy, the 14-years in the making record from Guns N Roses (or 'Axl Rose and some guys he picked up off the street', to the naysayers). Pre-ordering the album will get you the title track/first single, and the rest of the record will arrive on hard drives on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008; the same day the album is supposed to arrive in Best Buy stores nationwide.

Yes, I plunked down the first $.99 to pre-order the record and get the first single, and will be paying the remaining 9 bucks to get the full download the day it comes out. That said, I still want a hard copy of this sucker, for no other reason than the historical implications of it. Chinese Democracy has become a joke over the last several years, a metaphor for things out of reach up there with unicorns, the ends of rainbows, and four-leaf clovers. If the world does not explode in the next 13 days, Axl Rose just might get the last laugh. Especially given the fact that "Chinese Democracy" is actually a damn good song. The song has a lot in common with the first Guns N Roses ever heard, "Welcome to the Jungle" both in terms of its mood and the excitement that hearing the track generates. Rose's age shows a bit on the track, and it's definitely moodier than the GNR of old. If you haven't heard it yet on the radio or in its numerous leaked forms, a stream is below (courtesy of imeem; I haven't had time to convert my .m4p file yet). Expect this track to show up on this weeks radio show.




No mp3 of this one, since I don't feel like joining Slash, Buckethead and Kevin Cogill on the list of folks who can't get a free Dr. Pepper.

==TJ==

PS: I promise never to get this excited about a pre-order again...at least until Scream finally sees the light of day.

Rambling Through The Cracks

I was originally going to post a very simple, quick musical ramblings to catch you up to speed, but then 2 posts this week got taken down (both are back up) which slowed the process down. As much as it tickles me to know that I'm drawing the ire of the RIAA's copyright trolls, the whole mess gets a bit frustrating when there's stuff to be done. So instead this post is part ramblings, part stuff that fell through the cracks.

I started re-reading Watchmen late last week. I started reading it sometime freshman year (well before the movie trailer came out) and didn't get through it, but am now about 3/4 finished. If this gets put to film anywhere near as well as it was put to the page, it's gonna be fantastic.

Smashing Pumpkins - The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning [iTunes]
(Song in the Watchmen trailer)

Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Is The End [iTunes]
(Alternate version of the above song)

Two rappers on opposite ends of the spectrum both debuted new material yesterday. Kanye West unveiled an unmastered version of his next single from 808s and Heartbreak "Heartless". The track is much more in keeping with what we're used to from Kanye, but not altogether boring. I like the fact that this album seems to be keeping true to hip-hop, while branching out into old-school R&B and soul. Props to Kanye for keeping it real.

Kanye West - Heartless (Unmastered)

Also coming out of hiding is one Marshall Mathers, alias Slim Shady, alias Eminem. After going into hiding since 2005's Curtain Call, Em is back in the studio recording new music. The first evidence that a new album is imminent came yesterday with "I'm Having A Relapse", a quick, largely unimpressive new song that I think does little more than remind people that Eminem is not, in fact, dead. No exact release date is set, but if 50 Cent is to be believed (he isn't usually, but it's fun to pretend sometimes), it could see the light of day in the coming weeks.

Eminem - I'm Having A Relapse

Speaking of the coming weeks, Best Buy has posted the tracklisting for the most anticipated exclusive in recent memory, Guns N Roses' Chinese Democracy. On an inactive preorder page, the 14 track setlist appeared, and showed us that the tracks that have been pirated around for the last year are legit, and that there are 3 songs that have never been heard by anyone on the web. Billboard has the tracklisting here. Chinese Democracy is set to drop in your local Best Buy on November 25th. Anybody know of a Best Buy doing a midnight release party?
(I'm only half-kidding there)

Two days have passed since my last Album-A-Day entry, so that means I've heard two full albums.
Wednesday: Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
Thursday: Dean Gray - American Edit (2008 Re-issue)
Today: Haven't decided yet...will return when I have listened to it.

For those unfamiliar with the latter, its the mixtape project from whence the oft-traded "Boulevard of Broken Songs" originates. Highly recommended by VLM, which says something given my ambivalence toward mashups and remixes. The album is available by way of any torrent site worth its salt. Go forth, young pirates, and claim your bounty!

I've been fussing around with the iTunes Genius function, and I was right that the more music you have the better a playlist you get. Good for my ears, bad for my medieval computer. Anyway, my travels through the Genius list have a number of times landed me this song.

Slipknot - Before I Forget [iTunes]

This song is the biggest piece of evidence I have that Stone Sour did the rest of the band good. It's also the first proof I have that Slipknot is capable of producing a melody.

OK that shall be all. Back later today with my daily album and whatever else happens.

==TJ==

Chinese Democracy Has A Release Date (Again)!!!

Sources close to Guns N Roses have confirmed to Billboard that the oft-delayed Chinese Democracy will hit Best Buy retailers on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008. For those who are skeptical, the band's label is re-issuing Appetite for Destruction on vinyl on October 28th. Doubt they'd go through the trouble if this was anything less than legit.

For those coming in late, Chinese Democracy was first announced as the band's new album right around the last ice age. A number of times over the last 13 years there have reports of release dates, struggles getting the album out, and dissension in the band (all of the band members on GNR's last release, 1991's Use Your Illusion, have left the band on less than good terms). Over the last two years material from the album has leaked in various formats, the only consistency being Axl Rose's displeasure with the leaks.

I think everyone reading knows the level of excitement I'm feeling over this one. Suffice it to say, I'm making room in my CD case, and there's a spot in my fridge for a cold Dr. Pepper.

Guns N Roses - November Rain [iTunes]
(I tried to find a reason to not post this, but with the album due out in November, it just felt right)

==TJ==

Who's Left in the Velvet Revolver Sweepstakes?

In the interest of clearing up some of the confusion that's been generated in the last week, I present the following.

Below is a list of people who are NOT the new lead singer for Velvet Revolver:
Scott Weiland (duh.)
Chester Bennington (denied rumors, still working with Linkin Park)
Steve Isaacs (MTV VJ/Panic Channel leader also denied reports yesterday)
Sebastian Bach (Not doing it)
Layne Staley (no one has come forward to deny his involvement yet, but given that he's dead, I'm gonna go ahead and scratch him off my list)
David Cook (would be a good fit, but the Idol win ties up his schedule for the next year or so)

This leaves the rest of the band with:
The Unknown Australian
Any one of a million YouTubers (would be cool if Journey hadn't already blazed that trail)
Scott Stapp (Going from one Pearl Jam clone [Weiland] to another. Plus, dude's available)
Amy Winehouse (Unlikely she's one of about 12 people with an expiration date sooner than Weiland's)
Robert Plant (would silence the Led Zeppelin rumors for awhile)
Axl Rose (Like we haven't all been thinking it for the last 3 months)

Anyone I'm forgetting on either list?

Velvet Revolver - She Builds Quick Machines [iTunes]
Guns N Roses - November Rain [iTunes]

==TJ==

Guns N Roses Album Streaming!?!??!??!!!

Bear in mind that everything I post in this entry is subject to change at a moment's notice, and the authenticity of this post's content remains in question. That said, Chinese Democracy, the perpetually delayed "new" Guns N Roses album may be not only complete, but streaming online.

Idolator broke the story about an hour ago, saying that Antiquiet had a finished copy of the album streaming from their website. On top of that, Antiquiet claims it is worth a wait, though perhaps not 15 years. Unfortunately as of right now the site has pulled the stream, citing technical difficulties, but it could well be back up in the not-too-distant future.

Fingers crossed, people. Back soon.

==TJ==

Update: The folks at Antiquiet have posted this within the last couple hours:

So as I reported earlier, I personally got a phone call from a guy in the Guns N’ Roses camp. He wasn’t a jerk, but he made it very clear that what I did today was very uncool. And you know what, in hindsight, I am sorry. I got caught up in the moment. Apparently these tracks were already “out there” when we posted them, but we were the first to broadcast them through a streaming audio player, and I really shouldn’t have done that.

I may face legal issues for this one. Wish me luck. In the meantime, I’m closing comments down for this post, and I removed the rapidshare link to the MP3s that was posted there (not by us).

So that's that. Apparently these weren't terribly new. And a word to the GNR rep: Let Antiquiet off the hook. He's apologized, and clearly he's just as rabid for the album to finally come out as anyone who's downloaded, heard, or even looked at a story about the album's progress in the last year. Let Antiquiet live, and get to work on releasing the album!!

==TJ==

Weiland Slashed from Velvet Revolver

I was originally going to devote this entry to all the press Chris Cornell has gotten in the last week after a certain American Idol performance, but Idolator and WMMR picked up this story late yesterday and its more relevant. After a very public battle online and in concert between the members of Velvet Revolver/Guns N Roses and singer Scott Weiland, the band and its management yesterday announced that Scott Weiland was no longer a member of the supergroup. So says Slash:

"This band is all about its fans and its music and Scott Weiland isn't 100% committed to either...Among other things, his increasingly erratic on-stage behavior and personal problems have forced us to move on."

The on-stage behavior in question is Weiland's statement at a recent concert that this would be the band's last tour. Those remarks sparked a battle between Weiland, Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, as well as some nasty statements about ego and jealousy from drummer Matt Sorum. Slash has promised that Velvet Revolver will continue with a new lead singer, preferably one that doesn't go into rehab every 14 months.

Anyone worried about where Weiland will get his next meal/heroin fix can rest easy. A short time ago Weiland's original band Stone Temple Pilots announced it was reuniting and will be playing a number of dates this year. Based on the number of canceled VR dates because of Weilands problems, all tickets for all STP shows will not go on sale until one hour before the show so as to verify Weiland will actually be there.

Memo to American Idol contestant David Cook; VLM humbly recommends tanking this season and auditioning for the Velvet Revolver vacancy.

(Video below is Cook's performance of Chris Cornell's take on "Billie Jean"...more on Cornell later today)

Velvet Revolver - The Last Fight [iTunes]

==TJ==

10 Awesome Things That Happened in 2007

Maybe it's just because I was paying more attention this year, but it seemed like a lot of really awesome things happened to the music world this year. And contrary to what Rolling Stone and Idolator will want you to think, not ALL of them were tied to Radiohead. Below are my top 10 awesome stories from 2007:

10. New Guns N' Roses tracks leak; proof Chinese Democracy was at some point being recorded
Ah, how could anyone forget how we all (OK, maybe it was just me) waited with bated breath for March 6th to roll around when Axl Rose announced said date as the release for the eternally anticipated Chinese Democracy album. Of course once again we/I was left hanging, but we got a few unmastered tracks from the album as consolation. Granted, only one of these was worth hearing, but it was still proof that maybe, just maybe, it* could happen.

Guns N' Roses - Better

*By "it", I actually mean democracy in China, not Chinese Democracy. Come on now, what kind of fool do I look like?

9. Radio 104.5 brings the rock back to Philly
For anyone reading outside of the greater Philadelphia area, this means almost nothing. But just know that prior to this past February, Philly was without a decent alt. rock station for just over 2 years after the demise of Y100. 104.5 (WRFF-FM) filled that hole, and Philly radio is a better place for it.

Finger Eleven - Paralyzer (Live on Radio 104.5)

8. "The Battle of Sept. 11"
It's refreshing to hear rappers talk about duels and fighting that don't involve guns. 50 Cent and Kanye West had plenty of hype, hoopla, and excitement building up to the simultaneous release of their new albums, Curtis and Graduation, respectively. 50 promised to retire from the business if Kanye sold more albums in the first week, only to then cry foul when his CD got stomped on in the charts. But in the end, when two music greats go head-to-head in the name of getting music to the fans, doesn't everybody win?

Well, except for those fools who bought Curtis. Sucks to be them.

Kanye West - Stronger

7. Guitar Hero III/Rock Band
As a college student and music lover, I feel that my life is somehow more fulfilled as a result of these games. I have yet to play Rock Band, but cannot wait to get behind the electronic drum set and go Keith Moon-style on "Learn to Fly". The rest of the track listing is damned impressive, almost better than GHIII. Speaking of which, I have played, and am thoroughly awed. As much as the wireless controllers made me nuts (stupid lag...), the gameplay is as good as ever, and the songs are classic. Words don't describe how excited I was to blast through "Paint It, Black" and "Even Flow". This year I have 2 more reasons to upgrade to an Xbox 360.

Foo Fighters - Learn to Fly
Pearl Jam - Even Flow

6. Movies + Movies = Good times for all
2007 saw a blend between music and film that hadn't been particularly strong of late. Between the biopics for Bob Dylan (I'm Not There) and Joy Division (Control), the fictional projects August Rush and Into the Wild (not actually dealing with music, but scored by the amazing Eddie Vedder), and Across the Universe, the Beatles tribute in a class all its own, moviegoers saw and heard one hell of a good experience this year. And that's all excluding the tradtional musicals (Hairspray and next month's Sweeney Todd).

The Killers - Shadowplay
Across the Universe Soundtrack - Hey Jude

5. John, Paul, George and Ringo go digital; Beatles to follow in '08?
So all of the solo work from the Beatles became available for digital download across 2007, most notably when Paul McCartney tied his new album's release to the launch of the iTunes DRM-free store. Lennon's solo catalog followed, and a few weeks ago McCartney said that the Beatles catalog could go digital by early 2008. If this happens, it will leave only Kid Rock in the stone age of major label acts without a good reason to have their music available online. I see no problem with this.

4. Year of the Reunions
2007 seemed to be the year for bands to kiss and make up, with The Police, Rage Against the Machine, Genesis, and Led Zeppelin all reuniting in some form or other for tours and/or new albums. Now that second-rate bands like Extreme are feeling the need to join the party, I think it's time to kiss the reunion train up to God, but all things considered, that's a damn good set of bands making comebacks. Now give me some new albums!!

Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade
The Police - Roxanne

3. AmazonMP3
Finally someone has the balls to (seriously) take aim at the iTunes juggernaut. While it still has a ways to go to match iTunes, Amazon gave music listeners a lot of things that iTunes wasn't; good quality DRM free music from popular bands at a cheap price. The store itself is still a bit clunky and lacks the ease of use that iTunes users enjoy, but they've got the one-up in that they have the rights to the likes of Radiohead and deal exclusively in MP3s. iTunes is far from dead, but at least now there's another fish in the pond

Snow Patrol - You're All I Have (the first song I downloaded in Amazon's MP3 store)

2. Radiohead releases In Rainbows themselves, allow fans to name price
This proved to be the ultimate "Fuck You" to the record industry this year. While bloggers and journalists were wondering what to expect from Radiohead, the band was quietly putting together this little bombshell. The move was inspired; people who wanted the music decided just how badly they wanted it and no major label could touch it. It was ingenious and a move that's already being copied by other bands. The only downside is that the music itself was decidedly sub-par, and the band later admitted the self-release acted as a promotional device so people would buy the CD. Given my lack of interest in the music, I would say it backfired. But either way, any band that sticks it that hard and that fast deserves some kudos.

1. Year Zero Viral Marketing/ARG
Leave it to Trent Reznor to create the ultimate musical reality experience. Nine Inch Nails had fans foaming at the mouth for 3 months while Reznor let slip USB sticks in bathrooms at concerts, created fake forums to establish the world of the album...hell, he even went as far as to set up fake hotlines where people could call in "suspicious figures" and the like. With a concept album like Year Zero, it's essential to get a sense of what they're getting across. The Marketing campaign did exactly that, and wound up inspiring the entire entertainment industry to find new ways to market material (see also: The Dark Knight, Cloverfield). Forget about making the music sound different; make the whole experience different, make me believe what I'm hearing.

Nine Inch Nails - Survivalism

Back again this week with more 2007 madness.

==TJ==

But the Kid Is Not My Son...

OK, first things first, because I keep forgetting to put this up...

I'M ON MTVU!!!

When the page opens, select All Shows > Campus Invasion > Kidz in the Hall - Wheelz Fall Off. Wait till the time counter hits 2:54 (it counts backwards). But yeah that's the first wave of awesomeness.

Other cool stuff:
-The oft-talked about Chris Cornell cover of "Billie Jean" finally leaked last week along with a few other songs from Carry On. It should be noted that a blogger for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer referred to the new material as sounding like old Daughtry B-sides. If this is the case...more, please!

-A few entries back I mentioned more leaked songs from Chinese Democracy. Well, to put it quite simply...they suck. Miserably. Think "Macy Gray recording a metal album" bad. Yeah.

-Last week Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee married longtime her longtime boyfriend, therapist Josh Hartzler. In my opinion this will lead to one of two outcomes: a) they will divorce within 6 months (in keeping with the Axl Rose comparisons), or b) Hartzler will leave Lee amid more complaints about Lee's overbearing personality and weird hairstyles. In other news Evanescence announced that members of Dark New Day will be filling in for the dismissed Rocky Gray and John Lecompt, and that the tentative title of their third studio album will be Cuban Democracy.

OK I made that last part up.

One more thing about Evanescence; in an attempt to "clean house a little bit" former drummer Rocky Gray is selling on eBay the platinum and gold records he earned while with the band. In his column, Bill Simmons keeps what he calls the Vengeance Scale. Right now this act appears to measure at about a 6.5. Damn...bitter much?

OK that's it. Might be back tomorrow with more stuff.

==TJ==

Linkin Park toys with fans and Axl's being Axl

Current Music: 30 Seconds to Mars - From Yesterday

Following up on the previous entry, amazon.com's UK site currently has September 17th listed as the release date for Chinese Democracy, which would translate to September 18th here in America. A new logo/potential album cover has found its way onto the net:

Looks to me like its done in the same typeface as one of the early Linkin Park logos:

You decide.

While on the subject of LP, the band says we can expect the first single sometime this month. numerous reports place the release of their fourth album anywhere between April and summertime. For what it's worth, Best Buy's website lists a May 1st release date AND suggests an "EXPLICIT LYRICS" label. Is Linkin Park gonna get dirty on us?

New links on the left; both mp3 blogs that deal in mainstream music. I tend to like Idolator more 'cause it's on a national scale, whereas Music Slut appears largely based out of New York.

I've got more in me, but I'm gonna hold out till tomorrow or Monday when I'm back on campus. Oh yeah, thanks to Heartless Bastard for the link that produced the "Better" rip last entry.

==TJ==

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