Just curious if anyone has heard this album. I purchased it and I think it is fantastic. Axl himself said that many of the elements of the songs were adopted from his fondness of Queen. "Catcher in the Rye" (Brian originally was supposed to play on it) and "This I Love" in particular have that Queen element on it.
I think it's a great album. I try not to get too bogged down in the semantics of "who" a band are. Given that I'm a fan of Queen, GNR, The Who and Led Zeppelin, it's an argument that would never end for me. I take music for what it is, and this is a bloody good album. I've had Better as my ringtone for the best part of the last 6 months. Just glad it's finally on the shelves!!
The guy fires his band, gets all new replacements, goes on a 17 year layoff between albums of original material, putting only a cover album and a few compilations, plus a couple of brief tours. The album becomes a joke in how expensive and long past overdue it is.
EUREKA!!! It's probably the best album I have heard since Innuendo. It sounds like a life's masterpiece that was made carefully over a decade and a half, perfected to every last detail, and totally perfection down to the very last note. He finally "Buried Appetite." like I heard him say he wanted the Use Your Illusions to do.
It's got heavy elements of Queen, Garbage, Rob Zombie, NIN and the classic G N' R style in perfect marriage with it. I can't understand his lyrics that much and don't care. It's the best American made album I have heard since maybe ever. Guns N' Roses is officially Axl's boat as far as I'm concerned. Slash or Bucketbrain-head-whatever, whomever he chooses to use. The man is Lennon/Mercury/Jagger and he's just now peaking it would seem.
Thank the gods for this once in a decade classic rock album that won't be leaving my cd tray for at least half a year. Hopefully it will inspire Queen and PR to follow this break in album with an ambitious attempt to follow up with their best album made in 20 years.
Even if I heard "Street Of Dreams" (aka "The Blues") for the first time back in 2001, I consider it one of the very best songs from the last few years.
"Chinese Democracy" is definitely a superb album and I bet that it will be a classic!
I've heard some of the songs and I didn't find them to be very good. They were listenable but just didn't sound all that great. I prefer listening to the Cosmos Rocks ;)