You are not logged in. Please register or login.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
Re: Just listened to Chinese Democracy again...
I still listen to it all the time, I love it for doing cardio exercise, its so varied and I lose myself in it with ease, and that means I'm not focused on my breathing or fatigue. And thats suits me cause I've been too fond of the bottle and weed the last couple of years and have became an unfit, potbellied 30 year old. Ouch 
4 months till Reading, phew...
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Just listened to Chinese Democracy again...
I love you guys. But fuck this 2002 version stuff people keep saying.
I think the FINAL version on CD is better than EVERY demo of the same song.
People say the new versions are busy, but to me the old versions are flat and missing that X factor.
I really enjoy the vibe that bumble brought to the record, i think him, bucket and robin together was a really interesting dynamic to spread around the songs, and much more true to GNR's vibe than bucket/robin alone. They're small changes but pivitol to me.
I think the real reason people don't like the new versions as much sometimes is just over familarity with the demos, or that they've simpliy played out a song too much. It remains a favourite but it's hard to get pumped for a new version. Say Axl re-released a new November Rain now? We'd all be interested to see what he did, but like better or worse than the original there's only so excited we could get about a song we know all the ins and outs of already.
In short, i don't think the album should have come out in 2002, I think the real shame is that the demos and all that ever did. I loved them at the time of course, who wouldn't, they helped with the wait, but if we'd had nothing during that wait, then hit CD finished in 2008 and no one had ever heard ALL of those songs - better, twat, all of it for the 1st time , it would have fucking blown us all away - because it's an absolutely amazing album as it is, in 2008 form.
- elevendayempire
- Rep: 96
Re: Just listened to Chinese Democracy again...
Oh, I agree that musically the final release is better than the 2002-vintage demos that are floating around - literally every single thing that Bumble does added to the songs, from the fretless on Chinese Democracy to the liquid riff in IRS.
But in terms of the news cycle, Axl would've been better off putting an album out in 2002 - it'd been a long time since the last GN'R album, but it hadn't been too long; he could still be painted as the homecoming conquering hero.
But by the time the album did come out, the media had moved the narrative on; Axl was "the sad old recluse who'd dicked around with the album for over a decade."
And he didn't come out and do any press appearances, interviews, music videos; didn't play the media game, so that the negative (or worse, apathetic) voices were allowed to dominate the terms of the debate.
Re: Just listened to Chinese Democracy again...
People say the new versions are busy, but to me the old versions are flat and missing that X factor.
Totally agree!! 
I recently listened to the demos for the first time in ages, thought I had lost them. They now seem flat and missing the extra punch and weight.
I recently bought myself new headphones (Bose QuiteComfort15) and holy shit does CD sound great with good equipment!!
There was a time when I wanted GNR to make a comeback that would put them on top of the charts and back to being the biggest most popular band in the world.
Axl seem to be not very interested in plugging his art in printmedia/TV.
Still, without much promotion and press, they play huge shows all over the world, with the attending fans knowing exactly who's gonna be on that stage and who's long gone.
I'm happy to have gotten CD and the possibility of going to a show pretty soon. If they release any new music in the coming years, that would be great! If not.... well most of us are adults with shit to do and there's plenty of music in the world....
The band seems happy and so does the fans!
- tejastech08
- Rep: 194
Re: Just listened to Chinese Democracy again...
CD could have been better, but I think its still a great album. In a funny way, all of GNR's albums have been imperfect masterpieces, and CD fits that mold perfectly.
I agree. Even Appetite isn't perfect. The electric version of "You're Crazy" isn't anywhere near as good as the acoustic version on Lies. And "Anything Goes" is also a very skippable song for me. With such a great track ending the album in "Rocket Queen," I tend to listen to "Sweet Child" and immediately skip the next two tracks. And it's not like they're bad songs, it's just that the two songs surrounding them are phenomenal. That's kind of how I feel about the likes of "Scraped," "Shackler's," "Riad," and "The Blues." There's too many other great songs on the album for me to spend time on those.
Re: Just listened to Chinese Democracy again...
The demos weren't "flat" That's how the album was supposed to sound until every Tom, Dick, and Harry got to add some unnecessary additions to the album just because they joined the touring lineup.
Tommy did a great job on the demos. Love his tone on specific tracks, and you cant even hear most of it on the finished album.
But fuck this 2002 version stuff people keep saying.
PLEASE. That would be like saying you love the movie Se7en, but fuck David Fincher, Andrew Kevin Walker, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey.
Re: Just listened to Chinese Democracy again...
I like some of the demos better and some of the final versions better. I do agree that the guitars are just way too much.....the drumming and bass got buried. It's a crying shame because Tommy and Brain are a pretty kick ass combo.
