Guns N' Roses 'Chinese Democracy' - Stop the presses, it's really coming out this time
By Ed Condran
Special to amNewYork
Here's a classic
President Bush ends the war in Iraq. The Chicago Cubs wins the World Series. Guns N’ Roses, aka Axl Rose, finally decides to release “Chinese Democracy.”
Each of those are things that most thought were unlikely to occur in this lifetime.
But shockingly enough, the latter will occur Sunday, which is extra strange since albums traditionally are released on Tuesdays. But the move almost makes sense for Rose since the enigmatic frontman is unlike any other rocker.
Who else could work on a project for 15 years but the reclusive Howard Hughes of rock? “There is no one as meticulous as Axl,” Guns N’ Roses guitarist Tommy Stinson says. “He wants to get everything right. I can’t argue with that.”
Perhaps the megalomania that Stinson alluded to turned off some of the folks who turned down Roses’ well-paid offers to work on the album, such as producers Youth and Moby.
“I did get flown out to Los Angeles to meet Axl and I spent a couple of days in the studio with him and it just wasn’t the right fit,” Moby says. “He’s a really interesting, surprisingly sensitive guy. But not every project is for everyone.”
Sebastian Bach jumped at the chance to sing with his old buddy. Bach’s former band Skid Row opened for GNR in 1991.
“That was one of the greatest times ever as a musician,” Bach says. “It was awesome.”
So was performing on “Chinese Democracy.”
“It was a total blast,” Bach says. “Wait until you hear this album. This version of GNR rocks. There is some incredibly heavy stuff on the album. Axl sounds amazing. It’s a classic album that you won’t forget.”
If you were into Guns N’ Roses riveting “Appetite for Destruction” or either of the “Use Your Illusion” projects, odds are that “Chinese Democracy” is for you.
Rose broke all the rules, which is what few do in the well-mannered rock era. But the wild-eyed boy from Indiana has done as he pleases ever since he moved to the Sunset Strip during the hair metal era.
Rock used to be a circus and there was no better ringmaster during the late ‘80s than Rose. You never knew when he would hit the stage. I covered a show in Philly earlier in the decade in which he never showed. It’s not right but it’s rock ’n’ roll, which by design is unpredictable. It’s one of the reasons Amy Winehouse is so infinitely interesting. You never know what she’ll do. The same can be said for Rose, who has become incredibly eccentric in his latter years.
The man spent a third of his 46 years in 14 different studios working on one project. “Chinese Democracy” is finally out and much of it is wonderfully visceral. The guitar army sound works as much as the lead-howler’s dreadlocks don’t.
Rose penned urgent, provocative and well-crafted material, often including album referential lyrics. Why did it take Rose so long to release the disc? Only Rose could say and don’t count on interviews. Rose doesn’t play the game like everyone else, which makes him that much more interesting than the pack. No matter how you feel about him, it’s difficult not to be intrigued by his songs and his approach.
Even Jesse Hughes lauds Guns N’ Roses . That’s notable since the Gestapo of Rock personally booted Hughes’ Eagles of Death Metal from the GNR opening slot after just one show in 2003.
“I don’t like the motherbleeper,” Hughes says. “But I respect the crap out of Guns N Roses.”
Someone who should be even less fond of Rose less than Hughes, former GNR guitar hero Slash, is careful not to rip his former partner and admits that he’s curious about the sound of “Chinese Democracy.’
“I can’t wait to hear it,” Slash says. “I’m always interested to hear what’s on Axl’s mind. I hope it’s worth the wait”
