Random thoughts on Chinese Democracy

By Garry Bushell

Parts of Chinese Democracy are sensational. “Shackler's Revenge” is exhilarating but, but, but... many of the arrangements are as over-blown as a burst Macy's Parade balloon, and as bloated as Homer Simpson after twelve hours at a Vegas breakfast buffet. This is an OK album; it has some great moments, but it isn't a classic – and after this long wait and this much expense it had to either be a classic or an anti-climax. The bottom line is the Guns N' Roses who gave us Appetite for Destruction would have knocked out something ten times better than this in a tenth of the time. Chinese Democracy is simultaneously over-produced and unfocused. Axl needs a strong hand to give him direction and discipline. Under his own steam, he comes up with cobblers like “For Your Love” - a song he’s been dicking about with for over twelve years, which ends up sounding like some old Yardbirds tune re-imagined by Andrew Lloyd Webber. God save us from anguished power-ballads and pretentious strings.

Oddly other parts of Chinese Democracy variously recall Kurt Cobain, Hip-Hop electronics and 1990s Industrial guitar. Anything that spends this long in the can inevitably starts to stink of fish. That said there are plenty of decent elements: tough riffs, steroidal power-chords and sawtooth solos. I like the chutzpah of “Scraped”, and the matter / anti-matter mix of “TWAT”. But I’m not convinced by the pleas of “Prostitute”: “It seemed like forever and a day... be kind, I’ve done all I should”. And I'm baffled by the album title. What does it mean? Democracy doesn't exist in China. They cling to the pretence of democracy; they use the word but it means the opposite. Much as many fans would say, Guns N' Roses without Slash is a pretend version of the band they once were. If all things are possible, as Axl assures us in “Scraped”, why not a reunion?

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