CD review: Chinese Democracy - Guns N' Roses

[KiwiCoromandel]

If you're still hanging in there, Guns N' Roses fans, it's time to sit down, put your feet up and relax. After the last 15 years, you deserve it. Boy, do you what.

Because it's time to forget about the rumoured US$13 million budget blowout. Don't worry about the 15-year creation period. And who cares that Slash, Duff, Izzy and the rest of the original Guns N' Roses line-up are missing?

While you're at it, forget about rumours that front man Axl Rose is out of his mind. Because Chinese Democracy - the first studio album by Guns N' Roses in 17 years - is here. It's finally effing here.

That in itself is a minor miracle. So the fact that Democracy is really rather good is something that can only have come directly from the hand of God.

Perhaps He could turn his attention to Iraq and global warming next.

Democracy is an exhilarating, guitar-fuelled, fist-pumping riot that never settles for anything less than thrilling, and - mimicking its creator - shifts constantly in mood, tempo and rhythm.

It serves as a reminder that Rose is responsible for some of the biggest anthems in hard rock history.

He's created a few more of them here. There's the Guitar Hero blast of the opening title track, the dirty riffs and growled vocals of Shackler's Revenge and the thrash-rock of Riad N' The Bedouins that instantly harks back to those heady Appetite For Destruction days.

Fans will already be familiar with IRS and Better...

Versions of those, as well as Catcher In The Rye and Madagascar, have been floating around the net for years, but hearing studio cuts sure does make them sound, well, better.

Democracy is also surprisingly contemporary. There are random pop culture quotes, dramatic orchestral flourishes and hip-hop-influenced drum loops. Heck, the vocal layering that kicks off Scraped sounds like TV on the Radio.

But best of all is There Was a Time, a November Rain-style epic complete with guitar solos, piano riffs, and children's choirs while Rose sings about broken hearts and "lonely teardrops". Dude needs a girlfriend.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Gunners album without a piano ballad or two. Street of Dreams comes across as a wimp out when placed near those rocking opening tracks, and you'll probably want to delete This I Love from your iPod.

At least Sorry feels like Rose attempting to put the past 14 years into words.

Don't worry, Slash fans - there are plenty of guitar solos. Sometimes there are too many. Who knows who's playing them, with up to six different guitarists listed in the album's credits.

So it's easy to see where all that money went, with more than 22 different assistant engineers listed. And probably not one has added Rose as a Facebook friend.

Despite the anguish, the animosity and the sheer balls of a man who'd make an album like this, you'd have to call Chinese Democracy a success.

There's no getting over the fact it took 15 years to make. But aren't you glad you waited?

source:Chris Schulz/Stuff.co.nz

image:Stuff.co.nz