For almost fourteen years, Axl Rose has been in and out of the public eye. In that time, "Chinese Democracy" has been the most famous album never released. It was the Lochness Monster of rock albums. Many claim to have heard it. Others claimed to know when it would really appear - only to look foolish when the supposed date would pass with no album. You could say that Axl Rose has been carefully orchestrating this hype from has self-induced isolation.
For years, the album had release dates that were scrapped in the eleventh hour. There were leaked singles. There were websites with artwork.
Then, there was silence.
"Chinese Democracy" was becoming the punchline to an odd joke whose point-of-reference was lost on anyone under the age of 30.
When Rose finally did decide to release "Chinese Democracy", he compounded the issue by releasing it in CD and LP formats exclusively to Best Buy. However, it did show up on iTunes, yesterday. This will help an album that many people are approaching with understandable caution. I can see people listening to thirty second samples carefully before investing their money in the entire album.
So,this officially makes 2008 an awfully interesting year in pop-culture. A Philadelphia team (the Phillies) won a world championship, an African-American man became president and now..."Chinese Democracy" finally sees the light of day.
All of them....truly miraculous, in their own way.
What's next?
I might have to play the lottery.
So, will "Chinese Democracy" give Guns N' Roses fans a reason to celebrate?
Or, has too much time gone by for this to matter?
Let's get to it.
First of all, "Chinese Democracy" is one of the most expensive albums ever made and its body count includes every founding member of Guns N'Roses. And, this new version of Guns N' Roses is essentially Axl Rose with an army of hired musicians. The most interesting thing about this collection of songs is how tightly wound it is in subject matter and sequence. The temptation for any other artist would be to spill every idea, no matter how inane, across multiple CDs. The beauty of "Chinese Democracy" is that it is only fourteen songs.
However, that is where the restraint ends. Within those fourteen songs, Rose and company unleash a torrent of music. Each song unfolds with the ferocity of a symphony that is equal parts emotional catharsis and cluster-bomb guitars. Even though Rose "throws it all in there", the album doesn't suffer for it. There are never moments when the excess makes the album feel bloated. But, one thing is clear: If this was the vision Axl Rose had for Guns N' Roses, it was clear that the original format of guitars, bass and drums was never going to cut it. At some point, Rose saw his music as something bigger - and the sprawling arrangements on "Chinese Democracy" reflect this vision. For stretches of the album, the songs sound more like the bigger moments of "Civil War" and "November Rain" than the quiet moments of "Patience". There is nothing here that sounds like the folksy leanings of "Used To Love Her", either.
There is nothing stripped-down here.
"Chinese Democracy" is full of great moments. "Shackler's Revenge", " Better", "Street Of Dreams" and the concert-staple "Madagascar" all pack the signature guitar-driven wallop that G 'N' R fans have come to expect. Rose's voice is certainly up to the task, as well. His jet-engine wail scales great heights and dives into his chest and throat when Rose reduces the thrust of his message to a snarling growl. Songs like "If The World" deftly blend sonic landscapes that include techno-beat drums with plucked Spanish guitar (courtesy of Buckethead) that dissolves into a hailstorm of gutbucket funk.
"There Was A Time" was clearly written by a man with a mountain of regrets. The arrangement twists and turns with swirling wah-wah guitars and choirs that build steadily as Rose growls through a picture book filled with bad memories. It's a sonic "pile-on" that includes strings, choirs and even a mellotron for maximum emotional effect. All the while, Rose's voice works its way from a growl to a wail as he carries on about the notion of "thinking you have it all" and painfully wishing he could back in time. Presumably, Rose is giving his "I wish I had known then...." speech. This gives way to resolve as Rose screams "I don't want to know it now."
It is a powerful moment that is bolstered by the chaotic force of the song's arrangement.
What comes through in almost all of the songs is the notion that Rose survived to make this album. He alludes to the idea of sheer will, often in these songs. It seems that Rose's biggest enemy in the fourteen years since "Use Your Illusion I & II" were the people behind him telling him that he had to do something sooner than he was ready to do it. "Chinese Democracy" could have been released seven times over. The fact that Rose would not be swayed is a testament to his unflinching belief that he would only release the album that he wanted the public to hear. It was more than just risky to wait this many years and hope anyone would actually care enough to listen. Truly, this could have been the greatest record never heard. Rose risked it all to make the album he wanted to make.
Even I was doubtful.
But, Rose did more than prove my doubt wrong - he convinced me....he made me believe that he was right to take his time with "Chinese Democracy". Axl Rose stakes his claim and stands proudly in the face of every person who tried to make him bow to the will of a business that doesn't really care about art or the artist making it.
"Chinese Democracy" is the result of a lifetime of exhausting work. But, what comes across more clearly than anything else is that Rose never did this "for the fans". In many ways, Rose did this for himself. Instead of sounding weighed-down by self-doubt, "Chinese Democracy" is the sound of one man searching for his truth in the face of commerce.
Does he find it?
You tell me.
But, the bottom-line is that Axl Rose and whoever Guns N' Roses is, at this point...have released a great album. It is far better than it has any right to be, after fourteen years. More than a few people thought this thing was going to culminate in disaster. However, "Chinese Democracy" really does exceed expectations...even if it isn't really Guns N' Roses in any traditional sense.
But, the most interesting chapter of this story has yet to be written.
Will Rose be able to tour successfully behind this album?
Does anyone have a right to think a follow-up will appear sooner than this one did?
One thing at a time, folks.
One thing at a time.
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