Exclusive Report: Guns N’ Roses Party

Held last night, Nov. 18, at The Roxy in Los Angeles

By Jose Martinez

Ladies and Gentlemen, it does exist! Pigs may very well be flying, Hell may finally have frozen over, and democracy may have actually struck China because I just got home from listening to the long awaited, much anticipated (and maligned) Chinese Democracy.

The rock & roll equivalent to the fabled unicorn (you know, they just don't exist), let me tell you first hand that Axl Rose's revamped Gun N' Roses' Chinese Democracy is for frickin' real! As fans lined up alongside Sunset Blvd's famed Roxy, back where the band started oh so many years ago, no one knew exactly what to expect.

Invited guests like GNR alumni Del James (whose short story "Without You" inspired the "November Rain" video), as well as former Geffen A&R exec Tom Zutaut who originally signed the band, and LA club legend Dayle Gloria made their way into the venue, along with GNR bassist Tommy Stinson in attendance, most fans hoped and prayed for a surprise, unannounced performance by the band. But that wasn't the case.

Instead, a packed Roxy crowd got to hear the new album (available exclusively this Sunday at Best Buy stores, as well as online at BestBuy.com and iTunes) in its entirety. Blaring through the club's sound system, this was the ultimate stereo experience. Kicking off with the title track to Chinese Democracy, fans were treated to a record that is simply unparallel to anything else out right now. The record (which will be reviewed more thoroughly next week) runs the gamut, from heavy rockers to lush (semi ballads) to songs that go back and forth in between. Axl and Company took 15 years to make Chinese Democracy and even though no record can ever live up to that hype, this, after only one listen in a crowded club with several drinks, in my opinion, may just be the record of the year. 

Even though I've heard all but two of the 14 tracks in various stages of illegal downloads over the years, they still do not disappoint. The songs that managed to remain leak-free like "Scraped" and "Sorry" are absolute monsters. Axl clearly believes that bigger is better as these songs are on par with epic classics like "Estranged" and "November Rain."

Chinese Democracy isn't the return of Appetite as there definitely is a nod to the Use Your Illusions roaming, if not quite laser focus, sound, but it definitely has that old school GNR attitude with a new, modern (dare I say grandiose) take.

Tracks

1. Chinese Democracy

2. Shackler's Revenge

3. Better

4. Street Of Dreams

5. If The World

6. There Was A Time

7. Catcher N' The Rye

8. Scraped

9. Riad N' The Bedouins

10. Sorry

11. I.R.S.

12. Madagascar

13. This I Love

14. Prostitute

This week's remaining Chinese Democracy listening parties include:

ATLANTA
11/19 at 7:30PM

ALL AGES

TABERNACLE
152 Luckie Street

Atlanta, GA 30303

SAN FRANCISCO

11/20 at 7:30PM

21+ OVER

MEZZANINE

444 Jessie Street,

San Francisco, CA 94103

BOSTON
11/20 at 8PM

ALL AGES

CAVERN CLUB at HARD ROCK CAFÉ

22-24 Clinton St.

Boston, MA 02109

DETROIT
11/20 at 7 PM

ALL AGES

St. ANDREWS HALL

431 E Congress St.

Detroit, MI 48226