Music Album Review: Chinese Democracy

Hurrairah bin Sohail | hurrairah@hotmail.com
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Music Review

Grade: B

Finally, the wait is over and Axl Rose has decided, for better or for worse, to let his magnum opus Chinese Democracy see the light of day. With a 17 year delay and annual rumours and speculations about the release of the album, it is safe to say that this record has been the most anticipated and expected album. In fact, the joke on the street was that China would embrace democracy before fans got a hold of Chinese Democracy.

For an album with so much hype around it, it has not made the mark that had been predicted. Lacklustre marketing from best buy, a botched publicity gimmick from Dr. Pepper (who promised a free Dr. Pepper beverage to fans if the album was released this year on time) and no touring in support of the album has seen disappointing sales. The music though, remains faultless.

The sound is un-mistakable Guns ‘n Roses circa Use Your Illusion I & II. With the grand orchestral arrangements and choirs on songs like “There Was A Time”, “Street of Dreams” and “If The World”, you can see that the songs are almost thematic sequels to cuts like “November Rain” and “Estranged”. The songs are a progression of grandiose sounds and complex arrangements.

However, none of the trade-mark Guns ‘n Roses guitar licks and riffs have not be eschewed. Songs like “Better” and “Riad ‘n the Bedouins” exhibit the same menace of old. The only difference is that it takes five guitarists now to do what two did before. Axl’s voice is still between a high pitched growl and a banshee shriek. But the vocal melodies, which range from falsetto to lows through the album, are perhaps the best and strongest of Rose’s career.

As usual, with Guns ‘n Roses, you do not expect deep and meaningful poetry. But that is not to say that Chinese Democracy is full of trite hackneyed lyrics. The album does offer some high points. On “Better” Axl sings “No one ever told me when/ I was alone/ They just thought I’d know Better/ Better.” Now whether this is a sarcastic dig at all the doubters or bleak retrospect at the years spent in the proverbial wilderness is up for debate.

Overall, the album trumps most new albums out there. But on the absolute scale it sounds over produced and over thought out. A classic example is “Better” which has three different bridge sections. While all of them sound excellent, mashing them together makes the song lose the raw feel it needed.

The album either needed less time being processed, or more time being perfected. Maybe if Axl Rose released Chinese Democracy 10 years earlier or 10 years …