Unofficial Tex Murphy

I've now listened to two new songs from Guns 'n' Roses which are slated to appear on their long awaited Chinese Democracy album. I have to say, it's not looking too good if these two songs are any indication of what to expect. Before I continue though, I just want to make it clear that I was NOT expecting any of the new material to sound like classic GnR, so my disappointment isn't based on being stuck in the 1990s. I heard both Shackler's Revenge and Chinese Democracy, I have to say that these two songs confirm for me that Axl and company shouldn't be recording or touring under the title, Guns n Roses.

The two songs are about as far away from a GnR sound as you can expect. While bands experiment and try new things, I just can't identify any of the GnR spirit in these two songs. Had they have both been referred to as Axl solo songs, I probably would have been more open to them. But, because they are under the banner of GnR, it's only reasonable to judge them as GnR songs, irrespective of the band lineup. So, in conclusion, no, I don't think these songs are worthy of the GnR name. So far, it's sounding like early Linkin Park without the rap influences. Both songs have an identical sound which consists of the production saturated with ProTools technolgy.

However, I will keep listening out and try the remainder of the album as there are still 12 tracks that I have not heard. The two tracks I have heard may very well be the weakest that the album has to offer...and personally, it wouldn't be a bad thing if that were the case. Many bands first singles for an album end up being the albums weakest, so i'm willing to give it another shot so i'll hang around (for now). But yes, for an album that's been in production for all this time with the massive budget, it just hasn't done it any favours i'm afraid.

I've not listened to them yet but I wonder whether it will be any good having taken nearly 10 years to complete. Sometimes you can spend so long on doing something that the final result, after so many tweaks, sounds nothing like what was first intended.

Though having said that, when Use Your Illusion came out, no one liked it then, but everyone still bought it and it grew on them. Personally I don't think they've written a good original song since Izzy left. He did all the songs on the first album and wrote some of the songs on the Use Your Illusions, but their most famous songs on those albums are Live and Let Die and Knocking on Heaven's Door - both of them being covers.

So I finally heard the new GNR album from start to finish.

I didn't like Chinese Democracy, but I liked Shackler's Revenge. It sounded a little like Korn to me. I guess I just really liked the Chorus.

My opinion is that the album gets better as you progress through it.

I really like the songs Sorry, IRS, Madagascar, This I Love, and Prositute.

This I love is probably, in my opinion, the best song on the album. It is a really good Ballad.

What are your opinions?

Also, Izzy Stradlin,, is on this season's MTV's Celebrity Rehab. At one point he is crying and yelling "I want my best friend back! I want Slash!" ouch....

I guess his sobriety didn't stick.
hehe

I didn't really expect much from them after all the years... Little to no touring, nothing but arguments over the songs and the way the album should be done... They just don't have their hearts in it anymore...

I must say also that the album has grown on me after the last few weeks It started off as 'meh', but it's become something more. I love:

- Better
- Street of dreams
- If the world
- Catcher in the rye
- I.R.S
- Madagascar

The album as a whole is pretty good, but those are the killer tracks. Thankfully, the first two tracks that were release in the lead up to the album were the very worst that it had to offer.

Glad to see that you like it now Joel.

Surprised you didn't put This I Love in your list.

I guess i am just a mushy sap. hehe

and it was my mistake about celebrity rehab.

It wasn't Izzy on the show.... it was Steven Adler.

That makes more sense now considering he was kicked out of the band for drugs....

just finished rehab too and got arrested for possession.
He wanted to join GNR again.... i don't see that happening anytime soon.