gunnari Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Just curious to hear those who did not like this album..Was the music too weird? Overproduced? Axl's weak vocals? Lyrics? Your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Facekicker Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Poor lyricsPoor vocalsPoor productionPoor guitarsPoor songsIt's not complicated. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Coma16 Posted February 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 20, 2014 The only thing I didn't like is that we haven't heard the follow ups yet. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maynard Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I like the demos but the final product is just a complete messy pile of crap. I won't get too much into details cause I'm done discussing the album. It's not the worst album ever made but when you think about the time, money and musicians involved and it results in songs like Scraped, Sorry, CD, it's kinda pathetic. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Guest Len B'stard Posted February 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 20, 2014 I don't think it was weird at all and i think this idea on the part of some that it was too Frank Zappa for the common man to handle is bullshit quite frankly cuz it's not, it's pretty much in the vein of the Guns template, it's just flat and uninspired. The songs seem like parts of ideas over elaborated on. I dunno if anyone here is a writer or has tried writing but you often have a phrase or a passage of an image occur to you and you scrawl it down and save it for later and then when you go back to it, sometimes, if you leave it too long, you kinda lose sight of it's potential and the directions you could've taken it or things you could've tacked onto it, thats what the songs on Chinese sound like. Madagascar sounds like a little bit of a really great song that was lost or something and they could only remember a little bit and just kinda padded out the rest with a bunch of fannying about. Also, subject matter, waaaaay too overblown and tarty, this idea of Axls little black book of enemies essentially being elaborated on in album form is thoroughly dis-interesting. It just seems like it was made by someone really short on ideas.I think Axl suffers from his own expectations from his talent, he's good, he's very good but he's not a genius and he suffers from trying to be one of come off like he is one, his ideas that he has make for good solid top level songs but he goes and destroys them by trying to make them epic and thus exposing their, and by extension his, distinct musical limitations. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsh327 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I think it's too busy in some places, and all the work he put into multilayered vocals was wasted time. Songwriting and playing music isn't rocket science, and I respect people who stand by their work. Putting songs out there trying to hijack members of NIN and trying to make that into a GNR project - he might as well have just given Trent the money and done an album like Halford's "Two". That took less time and Halford pretty much got what Axl wanted. Of course it fell flat commercially except for one or two songs. At least he decided the best thing to do was a Judas Priest reunion, but he wasn't a founding member, but at least it was a cathartic time in his life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnari Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 This review pretty much sums it up for me how I feel about this record Look what he has to say on If The World (4.00 mark)..."What the fuck part 2 motherfucker??What is this?? Yeah motherfucker..What is this, Jay Z??" LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-GenerationX Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I liked it, for the most part. But I don't think its hard to see why people didn't. - The songs sound like a number of ideas put together piecemeal over time. Mainly, because that is what actually happened. It was a disjointed process and sounds it. One of the less organic albums you will ever hear. - Where are the god damn choruses? Even if you take the music in a new direction, simple song structure still applies. I say this all the time, but the most common way to describe new music to someone is to answer "well, how does it go?". Good luck doing that with this one. 'There Was A Time' and 'Prostitute' are 2 of my favorite tunes on the album. How do you explain them to someone? - Along similar lines, not a great collection of riffs, I don't think. Its like they tried to outsmart themselves and come up with this complex things instead of just cranking out a rock song. As I said, I liked it, pretty much. But I have never accepted this "oh, its just too complex for the average listener" routine. Yeah? Bullshit. Its just not a real accessible album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardNixon Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 The only thing I didn't like is that we haven't heard the follow ups yet.+1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) It just goes to show you how lacking Axl is in subject matter/things to be passionate about that when he's not having a go at someone from his past in the album his best inspiration for a song is something as obvious and over-tread as John Lennons murder and Catcher in the Rye, I mean it's something you'd expect from a 13 yr old starting his first band. After 15 years that little has occured to him as subject matter, really?!?! Axl really isn't someone who, by weight of intellect, happens upon meaty subject or contentious subject matter. The closest he ever came to that when he was relaying what is essentially an aspect of his personal expierience in a song like One in a Million, once inside the fame bubble, when not attacking someone from a personal relationship he doesn't really ever have anything to say that isn't...trite for want of a better word. Like Civil War for instance. Good songwriters have a knack of taking something as simple as like, a small scene or a vignette or a mental image and constructing an entire song around it, they have that originality of perspective, the ability to be subtle and suggestive, like take Norwegian Wood by The Beatles, it's basically about an affair but it's written in such a way that its kinda infinitely interesting and subtlely suggestive and clever. Axl has never appeared to have that ability, his songs appear often as an excuse for him to rant or muse lazily, whether we're talking about the ranting of Locomotive or the lazy musing of November Rain...but there's never any delicacy to it, anything intriguing or thought provoking. Love the melodies though Edited February 20, 2014 by sugaraylen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vndam1121 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Because I was told long before the album came out (by the media, ect ect...) that I was not to like the album. And being an American, I fell in line with everyone else and did the "cool" thing to do, and not like the album....Oh I mean, it was way over complicated man. The songs just weren't very good you know? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amir Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 It just goes to show you how lacking Axl is in subject matter/things to be passionate about that when he's not having a go at someone from his past in the album his best inspiration for a song is something as obvious and over-tread as John Lennons murder and Catcher in the Rye, I mean it's something you'd expect from a 13 yr old starting his first band. After 15 years that little has occured to him as subject matter, really?!?! Axl really isn't someone who, by weight of intellect, happens upon meaty subject or contentious subject matter. The closest he ever came to that when he was relaying what is essentially an aspect of his personal expierience in a song like One in a Million, once inside the fame bubble, when not attacking someone from a personal relationship he doesn't really ever have anything to say that isn't...trite for want of a better word. Like Civil War for instance. Good songwriters have a knack of taking something as simple as like, a small scene or a vignette or a mental image and constructing an entire song around it, they have that originality of perspective, the ability to be subtle and suggestive, like take Norwegian Wood by The Beatles, it's basically about an affair but it's written in such a way that its kinda infinitely interesting and subtlely suggestive and clever. Axl has never appeared to have that ability, his songs appear often as an excuse for him to rant or muse lazily, whether we're talking about the ranting of Locomotive or the lazy musing of November Rain...but there's never any delicacy to it, anything intriguing or thought provoking. Love the melodies though Lyrics for Civil War are a bit cheesy (everyone I know who's a fan of the song cringes at that last bit), but I think part of the charm of songs like November Rain and TIL is that they have this innocence and naïveté to them, and I think that's what Axl is going for in those songs. It gets heavier with the Alt Lyrics for Don't Cry, why I prefer them to the more 'poppy' lyrics for the Original version, but that's not to knock good pop lyrics.Love the lyrics to OMG, no clue what he's going on about, though Subject matter and lyrics for Shackler's are interesting, going in the mind of a school shooter.I love CD for the most part, but there are bits here and there which I think could be improved. The first 2 minutes of Catcher are just cacophony, always imagined the song should build up from a simple piano and vocal to a huge outro, like Hey Jude. There could be a couple more good rockers on CD, too (Riad doesn't really cut it and while I like Scraped, it's no YCBM). Only song I really don't like is SOD, it tries to be NR Part II but it just plods along, there's nothing to that song, don't see why some people love the original "Blues" version as well, sounds pretty much the same to me, though I like the added outro vocals to the album version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsh327 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Go listen to Morrissey and have a veggie burger if you really have issues with Axl's lyrics. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-GenerationX Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Go listen to Morrissey and have a veggie burger if you really have issues with Axl's lyrics. "Fuck off and go buy something from the new age section". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post magisme Posted February 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 20, 2014 It's just not good. I don't know where this complicated and complex stuff comes from. It's not complex just cuz it has a bunch of shit layered on top of other shit. It's an eminently accessible album. It's simply poor when you access it. There are a number of good guitar parts, but the rest is uninspired trash. And even if the songs were good, Axl shits all over them with terrible lyrics and vocals. The melodies are crap. The choruses are crap. It's the definition of forgettable. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) It just goes to show you how lacking Axl is in subject matter/things to be passionate about that when he's not having a go at someone from his past in the album his best inspiration for a song is something as obvious and over-tread as John Lennons murder and Catcher in the Rye, I mean it's something you'd expect from a 13 yr old starting his first band. After 15 years that little has occured to him as subject matter, really?!?! Axl really isn't someone who, by weight of intellect, happens upon meaty subject or contentious subject matter. The closest he ever came to that when he was relaying what is essentially an aspect of his personal expierience in a song like One in a Million, once inside the fame bubble, when not attacking someone from a personal relationship he doesn't really ever have anything to say that isn't...trite for want of a better word. Like Civil War for instance. Good songwriters have a knack of taking something as simple as like, a small scene or a vignette or a mental image and constructing an entire song around it, they have that originality of perspective, the ability to be subtle and suggestive, like take Norwegian Wood by The Beatles, it's basically about an affair but it's written in such a way that its kinda infinitely interesting and subtlely suggestive and clever. Axl has never appeared to have that ability, his songs appear often as an excuse for him to rant or muse lazily, whether we're talking about the ranting of Locomotive or the lazy musing of November Rain...but there's never any delicacy to it, anything intriguing or thought provoking. Love the melodies though Lyrics for Civil War are a bit cheesy (everyone I know who's a fan of the song cringes at that last bit), but I think part of the charm of songs like November Rain and TIL is that they have this innocence and naïveté to them, and I think that's what Axl is going for in those songs. It gets heavier with the Alt Lyrics for Don't Cry, why I prefer them to the more 'poppy' lyrics for the Original version, but that's not to knock good pop lyrics.If you're gonna pick that subject for a song you'd better do something with it thats kinda different and he didn't, quite the opposite. Thats the point I was making, i mean, if you were pushed to sit here and basically list all the topics that Axl has picked to base a song upon, song by song, it's really pretty uninspired.Go listen to Morrissey and have a veggie burger if you really have issues with Axl's lyrics. I do, frequently and y'know what? Morrissey has more talent with the written word than a million Axls put together. Morrissey can actually write, songs, prose, letters, poetry, biography, you name it. Morrissey wrote stuff as a kid that is on a par with Axls best efforts, the comparison is embarassing for Axl. Edited February 20, 2014 by sugaraylen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trqster Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 To me it just sounds as an incoherent unfinished album as a whole... It's pretty sad, since it has some great songs in there and a potential mainstream single hit in This I Love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-GenerationX Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 To me it just sounds as an incoherent unfinished album as a whole... It's pretty sad, since it has some great songs in there and a potential mainstream single hit in This I Love. You think? I think it sounds like Andrew Lloyd Webber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H454NLFC Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 If it came out in 2002 people wouldn't haven hated it as much but to wait 15 years for 9 songs puts a bad taste in peoples mouth. Axl used to say he wouldn't ever want to be only remembered for appetite for destruction and be a one hit wonder but he's been doing that for 2 decades. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Facekicker Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Funny the references to This I Love as some sort of potential hit. If only it had been on a more well known album...Oh wait... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 This I Love was fucking awful. If anything could've been a single on that it's Street of Dreams. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maynard Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Funny the references to This I Love as some sort of potential hit. If only it had been on a more well known album...Oh wait... I love how people say CD was not promoted properly... It's excuse #348, if I'm not mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin2002 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) Loved the leaks, still do, but my issues with the actual final product are....- unwanted additional guitar by BBF- unwanted additional drums by Frank- Vocal takes recorded at least 9 years prior (IRS & Madagascar)- Cutting and pasting fails (Vocals on Scraped)- Poor song choices (Rhiad, If the World & Scraped)- the utter stupidity of trying to use/sample that 2 pieces of music for the Rhiad intro and thinking people wouldn't notice!??!- the booklet- Various minor adjustments within songs (removal of some backing vox in Street of Dreams annoyed me, the complete removal of the orginal guitar parts in the first TWAT leak...)- Ruining Catcher in the RyeFor me, only Shacklers, Sorry, This I Love and Prostitute come out in any positive light. Edited February 20, 2014 by robin2002 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-GenerationX Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 This I Love was fucking awful. If anything could've been a single on that it's Street of Dreams. I would have released 'I.R.S.' as the first single and 'Street Of Dreams' as the follow up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mastodonny Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Three words: This I LoveWhere is the NIN meets zeppelin we were told about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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