LEAKED PEEK: Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy
Aug 01, 2008
A blow-by-blow critique of new — as yet unreleased —Axl Rose material.
BY JOSE MARTINEZ
With the summer Olympic Games scheduled to start in Beijing on 08.08.08, now seems like the perfect time for Chinese Democracy – W. Axl Rose style that is.
The long-awaited Guns N’ Roses record has been much talked about; much maligned and ridiculed; and very much highly anticipated. Some argue it’s no longer GNR with only Axl as the sole remaining original member. Others say he’s the voice and face of the band, so their way of thinking, a la the first Nine Inch Nails’ record credits, is that Axl Rose is Guns N’ Roses.
Whether or not we actually ever see (or hear) Chinese Democracy, it looks like that iron fist isn’t letting up any time soon. Yet the fact remains that an album’s worth of new Axl material has already been leaked on the Web. No one knows exactly which songs will one day be on Chinese Democracy but it has started a firestorm of critiques; some love ‘em, some hate ‘em.
Word has it this Fall Axl will release "Shackler's Revenge" – a track from the forthcoming Chinese Democracy that has actually managed to stay under wraps and hasn’t been leaked yet. The song will appear on the video game Rock Band 2, slated for release for the Xbox 360 platform in September.
Otherwise, the last official Gun N’ Roses song released was the industrial-inspired “Oh My God” from the 1999 Arnold Schwarzenegger film End of Days. Since then Axl has taken his new Gunners on tour around the world and performed several new songs. Those who have played on the new tracks included guitarists Buckethead, Robin Finck, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Queen’s Brian May, as well as former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson, and long-time GNR keyboard player Dizzy Reed. Singer Sebastian Bach claims he sang on a song called “Sorry” – another track that has managed to stay leak-free. And Rolling Stone, way back when, mentioned hearing a song called “Oklahoma” that has also never seen the light of day on the ‘net.
According to the former Skid Row singer, “There [are] actually four albums that I've heard. Those are all albums, but I don't know which one is Chinese Democracy; if it's four parts or a four CDs set... but [Axl] played to me four albums worth of finished material that's incredible — amazing attitude, very grand sounding like ‘November Rain,’ big, huge, theatrical — but it's got that bad ass attitude of Appetite.”
Following is my blow-by-blow take on the nearly dozen tracks of leaked material that may or may not be on Chinese Democracy. All I can say is: thank God for the Internet.
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“Chinese Democracy” – The title-track to the long-awaited Axl Rose / GNR record 15 years in the making starts nice and quiet, then gets interrupted with a blaring guitar riff, and finally, coming from the shadows, is that famous Axl Rose growl. Singing in his “It’s So Easy” baritone voice, this song rocks, although not in that classic venom-spewed Appetite for Destruction fashion. This one is a winner.
“Better” – A bit techno-based to start, this one begins (and ends) with Axl singing in a high-pitched voice, “No one ever told when I was alone, they just thought I’d know better, better,” before erupting into full rock form. Think GNR’s “Yesterdays” but with more bite, especially when the chorus kicks in. Great, unrelenting guitar work on this track, and when Axl lets out in classic voice: “I never wanted you to be so full of anger, I never wanted you to be somebody else, I never wanted you to be someone afraid to know themselves, I only wanted you to see things for yourself,” well, you have another winner here.
“The Blues” – A beautiful piano-based song to start, this one also is very reminiscent of “Yesterdays” from the Use Your Illusion era. When there was talk that Axl was going techno and pushing Slash out of the classic GNR rock format, well, this one obviously throws a monkey wrench to that rumor. Great track. Next!
“IRS” – A nice southern twangy guitar lick starts this one off, as well as a very high-pitched ’70-style Axl harmony before he kicks in with his familiar style. Axl sounds a little too high-pitched on this one. (Dogs may howl if you blast this one too loud.) And I’m not so crazy about the lines: “Gonna call the President, gonna call myself a private eye, gonna need the IRS, gonna get the FBI.” This is definitely a fine track, hardly filler material, but not classic GNR.
“Rhiad and the Bedouins” – I always thought this was a weak song when Axl first unveiled it back at the new GNR debut New Year’s Eve 2001 show in Vegas. A little too dancey and techno-driven for GNR purists, this version rocks better than I originally remember the song. And Axl is hitting those notes we all remember so well, albeit it a bit high these days. Again, this is definitely not filler material but it’s not as strong as other new cuts.
“Madagascar” – Fans may remember Axl singing this one at the MTV Video Music Awards some years back. This one is epic; think along the lines of “Estranged” and “November Rain.” Axl really hits a homerun here. The Martin Luther King, Jr. speech in the middle of the song, along with several other samples, is a bit too U2esque, but powerful nonetheless.
“TWAT (There Was A Time)” – Another incredible one here, although a departure from the classic Guns sound. The drum machine beat and simple background (until the song kicks in a minute into the track) gives it a different vibe. And you have to love Axl’s sense of humor with the title of the track — that’s classic GNR. I love the shrieking and shredding on this one; killer vocals and guitar work!
“Catcher in the Rye” – Internet rumors say this one won’t be on Chinese Democracy, which would be a shame because it’s another behemoth. Very much in that bigger-is-better “Estranged” vein. Destined to be a timeless gem if it does see release.
“Silkworms” – Another one that never impressed me back when it was debuted at the start of the new millennium, this one just spews venomous lyrics: “Screaming, fucking banshee, you know that’s what you are, pussy for the maggots…what can I do with a bitch like you?” Ouch! The music was written by Dizzy Reed and keyboardist Chris Pittman, and they comes across as bad Wendy & Lisa from the Prince camp (although, at least in the movie Purple Rain they did pen the epic song). This may have been written about former girlfriend Stephanie Seymour since I could have sworn seeing her face on the video montage back when they first played this song. Bitter much? Granted, I’ve only been able to find live versions of this song so if it makes the record, hopefully they have improved it.
“This I Love” – One of the newest leaks to hit the Web, this is also listed as “Prostitute” on one site. Another beautiful winner here; think ballad with balls! No one seems to do grandiose better than Axl. Again, not particularly like anything on Appetite but it really shows maturation in Axl. Think GNR meets Elton John meets Queen, obviously two of Axl’s biggest influences. And the piano bit that ends the song is just flat-out beautiful.
“If the World” – The Spanish flamenco style guitar riff that starts the song seems to pick up where Illusion’s “Double Talkin’ Jive” left off. Nice and sweet, this is a slow one with Axl at his raspy best here, switching from a high-pitch shriek to a booze-induced growl.
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Who knows if and when we’ll see Chinese Democracy, or what tracks will make up the release but it seems like Axl Rose is off to a good start with the leaked tracks I’ve found. My favorites are the epic ones like “Madagascar,” “TWAT,” “Catcher in the Rye” and “This I Love.” And these new songs are long: the average length is nearly 5 minutes; “Rhiad and the Bedouins” is the shortest track at 3:47, while “TWAT” comes in at a whopping 6:51.
According to Internet rumors, Axl has finally turned in the record to the record label and is now strategizing a release plan. Funnily enough, soft drink bottler Dr. Pepper thinks it has handed down a challenge, saying it will give a free can of Dr Pepper to “everyone in America” — excluding ex-Guns members Slash and Buckethead — if Chinese Democracy arrives anytime during the calendar year 2008. For now, the waiting game continues but at least everyone in American can jump on the Net if they so choose and get to hear new, gold-medal winning GNR songs.
[Los Angeles-based Jose Martinez regularly blogs for BLURT — check his “Cineplexploitation” blog elsewhere on this site. When asked who he wants to be when he grows up, Jose quickly replied, “Slash. No — wait a minute. Make that Axl. No — Trent Reznor. No, that’s not right. Aw hell, you know who I really wanna be? George Clinton! Turn this mutha out, y’all!”]
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