Guns N' Roses release "Chinese Democracy" 11/23

[ragtopW]

doesn't the US get a free Dr Pepper or something like that now?

[Staredge]

I just got done reading Slash's biography. Interesting read, especially the insight into Axl.

[JustDucky]

Slash's book is very revealing of Axl's character - the dude is a monster. GNR wasn't really a band, they were a backing band.

Not to mention that Axl has no post of reality.

Guns 'N' Roses is dead.

[Dezdmona]

Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is a reality.

The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. "Chinese Democracy," infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday.

"We never thought this day would come," Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper's vice president of marketing, said in a statement. "But now that it's here, all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us."

Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28.

[C-Dawg]

If I happen to hear a cut on the radio, so be it, but i won't spend a penny on a CD by the Axl Rose band

[FunkHouse9]

I went ahead and bought it today. I have a gift card I need to use up. Surprisingly even to myself, it's still sitting, sealed, in a bag on my couch. Maybe I'll listen to it tomorrow.

On a separate note, I am disappointed with the cover. After so many years, I'd think we'd get something better than a photo of a bike and a basket.

[MDown]

Give the album a chance... I was so in GNR back in the day. I gave up on Axl years ago... I know all about ego etc...

One way to go into it might be to think of it as a rock album, not a GNR album. Slash is missed more than anybody else. It just doesn't have "that" sound. Still a good album, yes it should be better for as long as it took.

I was pretty against this whole thing until I started listening to the album. Not as good as Black Ice or Death Magnetic, but still solid.

[FunkHouse9]

Not as good as Black Ice or Death Magnetic, but still solid.

I certainly agree with that. I hope it grows on me. I really liked the tracks I had heard long before the release. I had hoped the tracks I hadn't heard would be ones I'd like even more. So far, I like the leaked tracks the most, but maybe it's because they had the time to grow on me.

[Nighthawk]

On a separate note, I am disappointed with the cover. After so many years, I'd think we'd get something better than a photo of a bike and a basket.

What did you want? A picture of Axl sitting down or standing up like Jimmy does all the time?

Get over it. It's an album cover. There hasn't been a great album cover in years.

On a separate note, why do you think THEY OWE YOU??? Were you one of the people who have supported Axl and Co. Since the Mid 80's through the LA Guns experience, and the club days when they played the Roxy and Whiskey?

Nobody owes you anything at all.

[FunkHouse9]

On a separate note, I am disappointed with the cover. After so many years, I'd think we'd get something better than a photo of a bike and a basket.

What did you want? A picture of Axl sitting down or standing up like Jimmy does all the time?

Get over it. It's an album cover. There hasn't been a great album cover in years.

On a separate note, why do you think THEY OWE YOU??? Were you one of the people who have supported Axl and Co. Since the Mid 80's through the LA Guns experience, and the club days when they played the Roxy and Whiskey?

Nobody owes you anything at all.

Settle down there hoss. You sure come here guns-a-blazin'. I'm making a comment not starting a campaign boycotting the album. I'm a die-hard fan of Axl and the rest of GNR, no matter what they do. I'm just saying I picked up the cd and expected something cooler than that. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

[FunkHouse9]

On a separate note, why do you think THEY OWE YOU??? Were you one of the people who have supported Axl and Co. Since the Mid 80's through the LA Guns experience, and the club days when they played the Roxy and Whiskey?

Nobody owes you anything at all.

And no, I didn't support them through the the mid 80's and the LA Guns years because I was too young at that point. But I've done something many won't bother to do. I have seen GNR long after the core members were gone, something many old fans refuse to do. I had a ticket to a show Axl cancelled and still stuck in there for years before the next chance came and I spent my hard earned money to see the Axl Rose band even though many old school fans said I was a fool. I also went and bought the album on the on-sale date despite having already having many of the songs for years (some as many as 7 years ago).





So, no, they don't owe me jack s***, but I'm a big enough fan that I have every right to have an educated opinion and to share that opinion, son.

So let me ask you, "Were you one of the people who have supported Axl and Co. Since the Mid 80's through the LA Guns experience, and the club days when they played the Roxy and Whiskey?" If not, then sit down. Why don't you come on in and share your opinion of the album and the band like the rest of us and maybe make some friends instead of p*** people off with only your second post.

[Nighthawk]

On a separate note, why do you think THEY OWE YOU??? Were you one of the people who have supported Axl and Co. Since the Mid 80's through the LA Guns experience, and the club days when they played the Roxy and Whiskey?

Nobody owes you anything at all.

And no, I didn't support them through the the mid 80's and the LA Guns years because I was too young at that point. But I've done something many won't bother to do. I have seen GNR long after the core members were gone, something many old fans refuse to do. I had a ticket to a show Axl cancelled and still stuck in there for years before the next chance came and I spent my hard earned money to see the Axl Rose band even though many old school fans said I was a fool. I also went and bought the album on the on-sale date despite having already having many of the songs for years (some as many as 7 years ago).



So, no, they don't owe me jack s***, but I'm a big enough fan that I have every right to have an educated opinion and to share that opinion, son.

So let me ask you, "Were you one of the people who have supported Axl and Co. Since the Mid 80's through the LA Guns experience, and the club days when they played the Roxy and Whiskey?" If not, then sit down. Why don't you come on in and share your opinion of the album and the band like the rest of us and maybe make some friends instead of p*** people off with only your second post.

Yes I have been one of the people who have supported them since the Mid-80's. I saw many shows when they came out with the "new" Guns N Roses, and I thought they rocked harder than ever. The first tour out when Buckethead was lead guitar... I was thinking why Axl didn't kick Slash out before all the crap went down because Buckethead did circles around what Slash did on stage.

The 2nd time around when Robin Finick from NIN took over from rythem to lead, I was shocked even more.

I think the new album is fantastic. Something very different from previous albums. Unlike Black Ice from AC/DC which I admit is good.... sounds just like everything I have heard in the past by them. Metallica's attempt to come back and resurrect their careers because they put out multiple crappy albums out in the past 17 years (Yes I am not a fan of the "black" album--when they officially "sold out" to radio) was a good attempt, but too little too late.

Many people are gonna complain the sound of the new GNR album. Axl for years wanted to go into a different sound. He wanted more of an industrial sound, hence having Robin Finick in the band. He was a very early supporter of NIN, and even had them open up many shows for them.

Many people say only Axl is not Guns N Roses. Those who say that do NOT know what they are talking about. Axl wrote the majority of the songs that they performed. Izzy Stradlin, Axl's childhood friend from Indiana did co-write, and wrote the rest of them. If you look in the liner notes of CD you will notice that Axl wrote every single song on this album, just like he wrote almost everything on Suicide, Appetite for Destruction, Lies, and both UYI I & II.

And I know someone wants to throw in something about The Spaghetti Incident. I am probably one of the only people on the face of the earth who love the album. That is something Axl, and the band always wanted to do.. Put out a tribute to all of the people who inspired them.

[FunkHouse9]

Yes I have been one of the people who have supported them since the Mid-80's. I saw many shows when they came out with the "new" Guns N Roses, and I thought they rocked harder than ever. The first tour out when Buckethead was lead guitar... I was thinking why Axl didn't kick Slash out before all the crap went down because Buckethead did circles around what Slash did on stage.

The 2nd time around when Robin Finick from NIN took over from rythem to lead, I was shocked even more.

I think the new album is fantastic. Something very different from previous albums. Unlike Black Ice from AC/DC which I admit is good.... sounds just like everything I have heard in the past by them. Metallica's attempt to come back and resurrect their careers because they put out multiple crappy albums out in the past 17 years (Yes I am not a fan of the "black" album--when they officially "sold out" to radio) was a good attempt, but too little too late.

Many people are gonna complain the sound of the new GNR album. Axl for years wanted to go into a different sound. He wanted more of an industrial sound, hence having Robin Finick in the band. He was a very early supporter of NIN, and even had them open up many shows for them.

Many people say only Axl is not Guns N Roses. Those who say that do NOT know what they are talking about. Axl wrote the majority of the songs that they performed. Izzy Stradlin, Axl's childhood friend from Indiana did co-write, and wrote the rest of them. If you look in the liner notes of CD you will notice that Axl wrote every single song on this album, just like he wrote almost everything on Suicide, Appetite for Destruction, Lies, and both UYI I & II.

And I know someone wants to throw in something about The Spaghetti Incident. I am probably one of the only people on the face of the earth who love the album. That is something Axl, and the band always wanted to do.. Put out a tribute to all of the people who inspired them.

I do disagree in that Axl, in my opinion, is not Guns N' Roses. A group is the sum of its members, not just the one in the center. All of the guys together were Guns N' Roses. Axl may have done much of the writing, but the attitude and the groove and the talent were not all him. And yes, he may have wanted to be more electronic or whatever, but as a band that came from a punk influenced, anti-glam, drug fueled Hollywood scene, it's hard to agree that Axl's electronica dream is consistent with what GNR was all about. The Buckethead solos are nuts! There's no other way to say it. I wish I could have seen them with him. I had a ticket to see them then, but the show/tour was cancelled. But, I think comparing BH and Slash is not really comparing apples to apples. One's talent is viewed as groove and attitude and the other's is technicality and speed. They're not of the same genre. It's like trying to compare Steve Gadd to Joey Jordensen from Slipknot. Both are awesome drummers, but in different ways.

I won't go as far as to say I think Chinese Democracy is fantastic, but I do think it is really good. Just my personal opinion though. The disappointing thing to me, as I had sort of mentioned before, is that many of the songs are ones that have been accessable for years. If I had never heard any of them before yesterday, I'd have been more blown away. It's nice to hear the final versions though. The songs I already heard a million times are the ones I like the best. I had hoped the ones that weren't leaked would be even better. Hopefully they'll grow on me.

It certainly is a different sound, and a cool one at that. But, it would go over much better if it was an Axl Rose album. Everybody would love it then. As a Guns N' Roses record, it'll always be compared to the old GNR and held to a different standard. I am very willing and able to see it for what it is, a great record. But, it's hard to really accept it as Guns with only one gun.

[Tiki Torches]

Slash is missed more than anybody else.

I've never been a huge G n' R fan but I'd say Slash was a big part of their sound, as was Izzy Stradlin. I enjoyed his solo albums much more than most anything I ever heard out of G n' R. Probably because they touched more on the Stones/Faces influences that sometimes rose (pardon the pun) to the surface in Guns n' Roses. For you youngsters out there the Faces was one of the bands Rod Stewart was in back before he went all soft and started turning out crap solo records (and I don't just mean the Great American Songbook ones). If the stars align properly we may even see a Faces reunion next year (R.I.P. Ronnie Lane).

[FunkHouse9]

Slash is missed more than anybody else.

I've never been a huge G n' R fan but I'd say Slash was a big part of their sound, as was Izzy Stradlin. I enjoyed his solo albums much more than most anything I ever heard out of G n' R. Probably because they touched more on the Stones/Faces influences that sometimes rose (pardon the pun) to the surface in Guns n' Roses. For you youngsters out there the Faces was one of the bands Rod Stewart was in back before he went all soft and started turning out crap solo records (and I don't just mean the Great American Songbook ones). If the stars align properly we may even see a Faces reunion next year (R.I.P. Ronnie Lane).

I had never even heard of the Faces until a thread a week or so ago mentioning that they were reuniting. Guess I'm younger than I thought!

[Tiki Torches]

Slash is missed more than anybody else.

I've never been a huge G n' R fan but I'd say Slash was a big part of their sound, as was Izzy Stradlin. I enjoyed his solo albums much more than most anything I ever heard out of G n' R. Probably because they touched more on the Stones/Faces influences that sometimes rose (pardon the pun) to the surface in Guns n' Roses. For you youngsters out there the Faces was one of the bands Rod Stewart was in back before he went all soft and started turning out crap solo records (and I don't just mean the Great American Songbook ones). If the stars align properly we may even see a Faces reunion next year (R.I.P. Ronnie Lane).

I had never even heard of the Faces until a thread a week or so ago mentioning that they were reuniting. Guess I'm younger than I thought!

Be sure to check out the Jeff Beck Group and Rod's early solo albums while you're at it. Good stuff and a very far cry from the absolute sh*t he starting turning out years later.