RollingStone just reported that Axl Rose has posted the ENTIRE Chinese Democracy album up on MySpace to stream over the internet. Wow !
After an initial listen, it really does sound like a reincarnation of the old GNR that became legendary on Appetite. It's bizarre though to listen knowing that Axl is the only original member on this record. The poor guy made all his other former bandmates so angry that none of them wanted to work on the album with him ! Give him credit though for *finally* getting this thing pressed onto disc. It's remarkable.
We've heard glimpses of what a new GNR would sound like, when the band Velvet Revolver showed up a few years ago with those other GNR members (Slash included) in tow, and they made a killer first album, the second not quite as good, but it still made us wonder, "if only Axl was here." Now Axl has emerged out of the darkness with his iconic voice in front of him, and he sounds damn good.
If there was ever a time to appreciate what GNR gave us twenty years ago, it's now. Imagine if the band had not disintegrated and Axl's ego had not kept an album like this from being out in the open for 13 years. GNR would not be the legendary rock band that made their first album one of the best ever made, but something more: ever-lasting. And that's what Axl has done with this album. Made the GNR name stand for something once more.
RollingStone gives Democracy four stars out of five in a great review, and it's well deserved: GNR is one of my favorite "lore bands," because to me, they were the pioneers of modern rock and roll...they know their roots and there's no band that is more quintisentially L.A. than GNR. Axl waited 13 years to make this record, and GNR has one of the more fascinating backgrounds of any rock group. The fact that Appetite for Destruction was even made is an achievement in itself, and has a pretty fascinating story (in this RollingStone cover story) Forget Metallica, forget Motley Crue, forget everyone else, Guns n' Roses are the patron saints of rock and roll, and I can't wait to hold their completed opus in my hands on Sunday.
Guns n' Roses last public appearance in 2002. I remember jumping up and down when they came onstage because I had never ever seen them perform live.
2 comments:
Yeah, it sounds pretty good. The first three songs to my ear are great though a couple (Street of Dreams I'm looking at you) are uh...a little bit overwrought even by Axl Rose standards, lol. But yeah it's cool to see it finally released and not a mess.
p.s. Buckethead makes me think of "Jordan" on guitar hero every time he plays on this album.
p.p.s. google the Ozzie Osbourne description of asking Buckethead to play with him for some lols.
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