as cool as this version of madagascar is, look at what axl has turned the hardcore gnr fanbase into -- a bunch of nutcases clamoring over songs written 2 decades ago. "at 2:32 the rhythm guitar is different!" "the change in axl's pitch makes this the definitive version of this song!"

maybe this is what axl wanted. clearly, he is obsessed with chinese democracy. it's his life's work. perhaps all the nonsense during the saga was to create a mythos around the album that was intentionally designed to get the fans equally obsessed. 100 years from now, nobody will be talking about afd or the illusions -- the most interesting album ever made will be the focal point of the band's legacy.

hell, it worked on all of us. i'll be on my deathbad one day thinking about what the general sounds like. as my life flashes before my eyes, i will breathe my final breathe and utter the words "atlas...s-shrugged...." and then pass away into the afterlife.

sometimes, i wish i never saw that vh1 behind the music special back in the day. being a gnr fan is like being a detroit lions fan. every year, you get your hopes up that things will change, and it's always the same ol' shit.