Here is my review for the album Chinese Democracy. I would also like to publish your review of Chinese Democracy! Write it and send it to me at my email address, I will publish it! In the meantime, you can read mine here!

Update: Everything written in white are my updates after a year of listening to the album.



Chinese Democracy:

The title song. I have to say it really wasn't one of my favorite when I first heard it on the internet leaks. At that time, the music didn't appeal to me at all. The final version is alot better and really different IMHO than the versions that had leaked over the last few years. The intro is good, doing the job an intro should be doing, that is putting you in the mood to enter this new world of music. This song rocks. When I listen to it, I feel like jumping up and down, singing loud. It's farely rare that a song rocks for me like that. I feel like these guitars are out to get you. That's what I had expected all along from this song and the final version does it. It rocks!

Update: My opinion on this song is just getting better and better.  It's now one of my favorite of the album.  And when I put on the record, I can't skip this one.  I just have to play it.  It defenitly rocks!


Schackler's Revenge:

This song reminds me a bit of some songs on the soundtrack for the movie "Queen of the Damned", but a step higher. The ressemblance is probably because of Axl's deep voice and the middle instrumental part. It has a dark side to it that I appreciate very much. The high pitch guitars are fitting perfectly with the spririt of the lyrics. Definitly one of my favorite song on the album.

Update: Still one of my favorite song on the album. I defenitly relate to the lyrics as well.


Better:

Definitly a hit song. From the first time I heard the leaked version, I thought this song was hit material. The voices at the beginning of the song gives the music an impression of nice smooth rock song. But then the guitars comes around and gives a whole new look to the song. These two sides of the song makes it special. It's the kind of song I just want to keep listening to all the time. The lyrics are fitting perfectly and Axl shows his voice is still just as strong as ever.

Update:  Liking the lyrics more and more.  I always seem to discover new things when I listen to Better. A good way to do that is switching from listening to the album in my car and put it on my MP3 reader, closer to my  hears. I keep hearing new details and I love it!


Street Of Dreams:

I still prefer to call this song by it's working title, "The Blues". Altho the actual title fits it very well. It's definitly a ballad, but I wouldn't compare it to the trilogy Don't Cry-November Rain-Estranged. I feel it more like "Sweet Child O' Mine". The first song on the album where we really hear the piano melody, I can very well imagine it being played only with piano and voice. The lyrics on this song touches me particularly. Some sentences are majestic: "What I thought was beautiful don't live inside of you anymore"...Wow. Final version is amazing, the different leaked versions were already impressive and I couldn't wait to hear the final version. I am not dissapointed at all.

Update: I am now use to the new title.  I do no feel it like a Sweet Child O' Mine type of song anymore. I feel it deeper than that. I really like the end part with "That's what I'd tell you"


If The World:

The leak for this song came out late compared to others and I didn't have the time to make an opinion of it. Which is a good thing because after hearing the final version, and listening again to the leak, I really appreciate the final product, with all the effects and polishing added. Again, the lyrics are beautiful, simple and so true, right to the point. It's a song I often have in my head now. The guitar solo is once again right on.

Update: I still really appreciate this song altho it's not one of the song I listen to the most on the album. Nonetheless, I appreciate the lyrics more and more and it just goes perfectly with the music.


There Was A Time:

Once again, a song that had leaked a couple of years ago and that was not one of my favorite. The final version is of course alot better than the original leak but I have to admit that so far, it's one of the song that I appreciate the least on the album. This may change. I didn't like "Estranged" at first, and now I would not live without it. The best thing for me about this song are the lyrics. They are really, really interesting and are probably what is going to win me over to this song. IMHO, it doesn't look like anything Axl or GNR did before and this is also what makes it interesting.

Update: Well, my opinion changed, like I thought. TWAT is now on of the song I listen to the most on the album. The lyrics did win me over but not only that, the music too. If the world would end today, I would take this song with me! ;-)


Catcher In The Rye:

One of the most complete song on the album, this song has absolutely everything for itself. You can really feel the Queen inspiration, influence. Axl's voice seems to fit perfectly to this kind of songs. Musically speaking, it's just beautiful, well-researched, well mixed. There is alot of work in the song and it shows. What I call the "crazy piano part", just before the "nanana" part, is superb. For me, this song is one of the masterpieces of the album.
Scraped:

For me, lyrically speaking, it's the first extra-positive GNR song, and I was amazed and surprised to see the lyrics. Musically, it's pretty interesting. I wasn't sure at the beginning, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it. And particularly the 2 tone voice-thing. That gives the song it's special little something. This is also a song that is totally new for me. Hadn't heard any leaks before. That makes it even more enjoyable. The ending is awnsome.

Update: I totally enjoy this song now. I often listen to it and I can totally relate to the lyrics.


Rhiad And The Bedouins:

Another song with an intro, that I find a bit too long tho on this one. But one have to admit it makes way for the superb "Oh-Oh" part at the beginning. The lyrics are simple, again straight to the point. Not one of my favorite of the album but a damn great song anyway. ALOT better than the first leak that was heard, the live version of the early 2000s. The solo part is great.

Update: Still not one of my favorite, I usually skip it more than I listen to it. Again, that may change in the futur. I still think the intro is a bit too long and maybe that is what makes me skip it most of the time.


Sorry:

A masterpiece. I can hear a Pink Floyd influence in this song. A totally new sound for Axl and GNR, but also a totally new sound on the album, completly different than all the other songs. The music and the multiple voices tracks are great. The bluesy guitar solo is right on. As for the lyrics, they are pretty interesting. I'm totally curious to know who he is talking about, one or more than one person? I particularly enjoy the part where Axl sings: "It's harder to live with the truth about you than to live with the lies about me". That sentence shows just how much it must be hard to live with the truth he is talking about, you can feel it. And how much the truth can hurt sometimes. Amazing song.

Update: I still totally enjoy this song. I'd love to sit down with Axl and talk about it.


I.R.S.

This song was one of the leaks I always prefered. Once again, I couldn't wait to hear the final version. I love the loud, deep guitars. The lyrics are wrtitten in a way you really want to sing along with Axl. His voice is amazing in this song, especially the ending. Wow. Once again it shows the great shape of his voice. One of the best song on the album.

Update: Same opinion as before, one of the song I can't skip when I put the album on!


Madagascar:

One of the first leaks, we've heard a couple of different versions before hearing the final one. And what a song. Another masterpiece of this album. Definitly a deep song, it is on the same level as other GNR masterpieces. Again, a song that is totally different than any other song on this album. What a cool idea to include the middle part, with the speech by Martin Luther King and also parts of movies, like "Casualities of War", one of the best movie ever on that particular subject that it's treating. Must have taken so much time to find all that was needed to so this part of the song, but it was so worth it. Just an incredible song.

Update: Everytime I listen to Madagascar, I discover new meanings, or at least what I think it could mean, or be about. Defenitly a deep, touching. strong song.  


This I Love:

Definitly my favorite of the whole album, if I have to choose one. More than that, one of my favorite song ever. What an amazing song. I cried like a baby the first time I heard it and I am stil deeply touched in a very special way every time I hear it. The lyrics are beautiful, they mean so much. Axl's voice is simply amazing on this song and proves how amazing a singer he is. You just can't help but feel it in your bones when you listen to his voice. The piano is beautiful, the guitar solo fits perfectly, the instrumental arrangements are perfect. Seems like they are inspired by instrumental movie music, they give a deep sensation to the whole song. The last part, after the guitar solo, makes me feel like time went by and that is where we are now. It's totally worth Don't Cry-November Rain-Estranged and I feel this song belongs with them. I remember the first time I read about it in the 1990s and I couldn't wait to hear it. It was worth the wait. A Masterpiece.

Update: Is there really anything to ad? I don't think so. No words are strong enough anyway to describe what this song does to me.


Prostitute:

Another masterpiece on this album and one of my favorite. Ends the album perfectly, can't imagine the album ending any other way. This song leaked this summer and was my favorite leak of that time. Again, the final version surpasses what we had heard so far. It's musically inspired and inspiring. The lyrics are superb. The different melodies fit perfectly together. This is a song that I can play over and over again.

Update: A song I can't skip, I listen to it all the time, whether I listen to the whole album or not. There again, not much to ad, just a masterpiece.


Album review:

This album is a masterpiece. Every song has a little something that is totally different in each song. It's obvious it has alot of work into it. I can see now why it took so long to make but also where Axl was going with all these musicians. It makes a rich album, with diversity and musically amazing, in a big part because of that diversity. IMHO, Axl gambled and won. This album is surely the best rock album of the last decade. This is what I call music and I find it refreshing compared to al lthe already-served other so-called new music we often hear. Chinese Democracy was definitly worth the wait.