It seemed to me Axl was trying to make Chinese Democracy his rock n' roll symphony.

The disparate elements function on different layers like your strings, brass, woodwinds, etc. It doesn't matter that they're layered on top of one another you're supposed to appreciate them individually and collectively.

The problem is the final mix is only listenable on a hi-fi system and even then still flawed. It tries to balance the layers by manipulating them in space and by channel. The result is a wide spectrum mix but one that neutered the vocals and drums. There's a phantom center effect where these elements pale in comparison to say a rhythm guitar or electronic jingle. It would've been smart to make a traditional stereo mix down but Axl does what he wants obviously.

The Oh My God mix is flat to the point where it feels unmixed but Axl's vocals and some aggressive guitars carry the song and if you bring up your levels you're bringing up these prominent elements. I think the new Oh My God sounds more like 70s speed metal than anything industrial.

The analysis of Freese and Brain is pretty on point. Josh is terse and powerful. Brain has a deeper groove with a low/hi contrast. I'm a big fan of Brain through his playing with Bucket but I actually think his drums on CD are pretty underwhelming.

Great points on drums from both. They are different songs, as the '99 demos are earliest affirmed incarnations. What we got were multi-gen covers, partially by the original players. Axl wanted Brain's feel to the drums, while Jimmy Iovine felt Freese's drumming was too industrial. They were snappy and to the point, but the context was a Sean Beavan album with NIN alumni. The concept was Guns w/ industrial flavor. The drumming style fit.

Judging by OMG and the demos, I think Axl, there and then, managed the solo album he started talking about after the UYI tour. It was his understanding on where his (Guns') music should be in '96-99. All the people who pushed him back on that were daft, or failed to understand him at all. Point being, he was committed to that sound at that point in time, album readied. Push him back and he goes into thinking mode again, listening to a ton of music (his band and others), before coursing his vision through his own personality kinks. Which takes him a while.

On the OMG mix, there's the story about in the NYT article.

Mr. Rose fussed over the song so much that he, Mr. Iovine and studio technicians stayed up until nearly dawn adjusting the final mix, according to people involved.

Axl on manic mode, OCD'ing over everything, in a top-flight studio space at Rumbo. If the mix sounds like the work of a madman, it's because it is so. It would've benefited a more placid Axl going through the mix again and loosening it up.

The 2001 Blues is the earliest studio version of the song.

Could anyone help me out with Atlas and General? I've been on MyGNR every day the whole tour and it seems the mods have instantly deleted any posts about links or any "insider" info from other sites about Guns/DC. I had no idea this was all going on.