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Re: In Retrospect-the best review?
http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sq … zwkldje~T1
I think it almost captures most people's feeling's, on this board, to a tee.....:mosh:
Re: In Retrospect-the best review?
Yeah, that is a great and honest review.
This all-consuming artistic narcissism has become Rose's defining trait, not letting him move forward, but only to relentlessly explore the same territory over and over again. And this solipsism turns Chinese Democracy into something strangely, surprisingly simple: it won't change music, it won't change any lives, it's just 14 more songs about loneliness and persecution. Or as Axl put it in an apology for canceled concerts in 2006, "In the end, it's just an album." And it's a good album, no less and no more.
Very well put, and my feelings exactly.
Re: In Retrospect-the best review?
That is a good review. I agree with the last sentence alot. I listened to the album a few nights ago for the first time in probably 2 months. It is a good album. Not great, not bad. It's good. The big problem with it for me is that it doesn't warrent repeat listens. It's not an album I can leave in my car for more than two days. I need to put t away for at least weeks on end to be able to appreciate it again on the next listen. For such a long wait that for me is the dissapointment. I would've liked something with a bt more stayng power. But it is good. There's lots of good albums though and yet no previous Gn'R album is simply good. That's the dissapointment.
Re: In Retrospect-the best review?
Not necessarily your case, but in my case I have a bit of that too, and I think it's due to the leaks and live performances.
I've heard CD, Street, Maddy & Riad for the last eight years, and TWAT, Catcher, Better & I.R.S. for the last three. Over half of the album i've already heard and saturated, and to be honest the studio versions didn't sway me. What I liked I already liked, and what I didn't like, stayed not liking.
Re: In Retrospect-the best review?
Maddy was a big let down on the album IMO. It was one of my fave songs, but the studio version just makes the whole song sound bad. Too much sounds. The core element of the song was great. And Axl's voice isn't the best on it. That was a disappointment.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: In Retrospect-the best review?
I still listen to it a lot. I agree that you need to spin something else to clense the pallete every couple of listens...but to be honest although GNR has always been my favourite band...I'm like that with all their albums. I wouldn't listen to UYI on repeat either...i just like to chop and change my cds.
Anyway...i agree with *some* of this review. It's interesting his notes that Axl is singing about similar themes to his previous works, ie, heartbreak, isolation etc. Although, that's axl's gift to be able to vocalise these pains into words and sound so well, so I'm glad he has done that as opposed to writing an album about something he doesn't feel.
Where i disagree is actually the 'good' not 'great' stuff. yes it's true - i've apparently turned into the resident nutswinger - despite that i also love slash etc - but I honestly no bullshit think this album is great. I can understand others may not share my opinion. But that's how I feel. Some of the songs on this album are Axl at his absolute best IMO. I still think Madagascar is one of the most beautiful songs ever, and "This I Love" is just a work of genius to me.
I think hearing all the different leaks and stuff, while it kept us going as fans, has made people become familair with a song or obsessed with an alternate version of a song. Imagine if you'd not heard anything since 2000 and you heard these songs, it would be so much to digest at once, but it would be very happy making. It think a lot of people who feel let down esentially discount Better, Maddy, Twat, SOD and others that are pretty much what we had and then feel let down that there isn't something else. If you think of this album as the true origin of these songs, yet hidden from us until now, then it puts a different perspective. Imagine if you'd heard jungle since 1985 live, but they never released AFD until this year, it wouldn't make AFD less of a kickass album that we'd be polarised about which version was best etc. Anyway...i'm rambling.
I'm a huge fan of the old band, the old records, and for that matter slash, so some might not expect me to be talking like this, but CD shows in my opinion just how tallented Axl is. These songs arn't just 'good'. I hear a 'good' song at the local pub by the house band. This album is far better than that.
