GNR blurb in NYC paper

[niceguy]

amNY is a newspaper here in NYC. You can find it in subways during the morning commute. It's pretty popular.

Anyway, there was an article about the Pixies today. Included was a chart with bands famous for revolving members. GNR got a mention:

[magisme]

Welcome to public opinion.

[Nosaj Thing]

Very accurate. That's a good newspaper.

[Smoking Baby]

This and the facebook page for that festival Axl is gonna play is the reality outside this forum.

[bumblecool]

This and the facebook page for that festival Axl is gonna play is the reality outside this forum.

Sure

[magisme]

I don't care what he posts, with that avatar and that username, Smoking Baby is my favoritest alt ever.

[Estranged Reality]

Here's where I'm going to defend Chinese Democracy to an extent.

It wasn't a great record for everyone, but it was pretty much doomed to be regarded as a failure before it ever came out: the long-gestating production, high costs, and evolving musical culture, all but sealed its fate. People have been loving to hate on Axl for years, and he's perceived as something of a tyrant by a lot of people (admittedly he's brought some of this on himself by staying so reclusive over the years and not defending himself in the press). So, it was already a punchline for people before it came out; it never had much hope to be greeted without bias. But it had a 60-something rating on Metacritic (which indicates overall positive reviews), it got some good reviews in leading rock mags like Rolling Stone, and it wasn't like it was as embarrassing as it could have easily been (e.g. Cornell trying to make a pop record with Timbaland). Axl pretty much made what most people would expect a GN'R record to sound like in 2008, and I think it's interesting how divisive the responses have been from people over which songs are best/worst. I'm not saying it's the best GN'R album or saying it's perfect, but I like it, I liked it when it came out and I still listen to it on occasion, and just because it was greeted with an apathetic response doesn't necessarily indicate that it was an awful record or anything. My argument here was that it was destined to be met with such a response no matter what - pop culture had already written it off as punchline years before it even came out. I've met so many people who have made jokes about it (when I mention GN'R) even though they've indicated that they never even listened to it. It was never going to be a record that people wanted to brag about listening to or enjoying - even by 2004 when VR was putting out their first album it was already a boxing bag for critics and casual fans.

So it's worth considering that when you see jokes and put-downs on articles and Facebook pages about the band. Axl/GN'R have been cool to shit on for years...Chinese Democracy is perceived as a failure, yes...but a lot of that was established well before the record's release and I'm not saying Axl didn't bring some of it on himself over the years, but at the end of the day I'm going to defend the album because I don't think its quality is as atrocious as a lot of people would like to make it seem. It was what I was hoping for when it came out, and the only sad thing is that it's been six years and we haven't gotten anything new since then.

[magisme]

I think what makes the newspaper's comment a touch smarter than your average media jab at Axl is the use of "mediocre." That word sums up so much about CD for me, and I think probably for a good number of people who gave the album a legitimate chance.

[Smoking Baby]

I have to disagree with ER, although it was a good post. Most of the hype was created by Axl himself when he mentioned terms like "evolution" or not wanting to record a new AFD (although he re-recorded it). The album contains 14 songs, and 2 of them I consider good: Better and TWAT. And I know a lot of people are with me here. I never expected CD to contain something like Scraped, which is a bad song in every aspect, including a glitch. So many years, and so much money, it's like he owed the world to release a perfect record, with perfect production, and 14 solid tracks. We live in an age when anyone can release their music for a few hundred bucks. Maybe people think CD is mediocre cause they never expected bad songs like Sorry. Scraped or SR to be on the record. They are far from the "evolution" promised by Axl.

Criticism would exist since the moment Axl decided to release a GNR album without Slash. But the same criticism would be cut in half if the music actually made people forget about Slash. That didn't happen. Let's not even talk about the tour which focus more on AFD than CD or the lack a follow-up to CD. NuGNR is a failure, and I don't say that with a smile on my face. It's a shame cause Axl is a talented man. It's hard to think how tons of money + talented musicians + all the time in the world did not result in a timeless classic rock album.

Edited January 16, 2014 by Smoking Baby

[ManetsBR]

I love the album, but that was good

[Estranged Reality]

I think what makes the newspaper's comment a touch smarter than your average media jab at Axl is the use of "mediocre." That word sums up so much about CD for me, and I think probably for a good number of people who gave the album a legitimate chance.

Fair enough.

[RichardNixon]

The person who wrote that piece probably never even listened to Chinese Democracy, or just gave is a cursory listen.

[Chewbacca]

Did Sabbath get mentioned there?

[saber_]

Mitch Malloy was never in Van Halen. He hung out with them once, then turned it down.

[Smoking Baby]

The person who wrote that piece probably never even listened to Chinese Democracy, or just gave is a cursory listen.

Or maybe he/she listened to it and gave his/her honest opinion. Unless you believe the press still has an agenda against Axl/GNR in 2014. Let me repeat, 2014.

[RichardNixon]

Mitch Malloy was never in Van Halen. He hung out with them once, then turned it down.

He was offered the gig but turned it down once he saw VH on MTV with Dave at the 1996 MTV VMAs. He knew then that their fans wouldn't accept a new singer. Here' a song Mitch was working on with them that became "That's Why I Love You," which was recorded with Cherone but left off VH3:

The person who wrote that piece probably never even listened to Chinese Democracy, or just gave is a cursory listen.

Or maybe he/she listened to it and gave his/her honest opinion...

Maybe, but I doubt it.

Edited January 16, 2014 by RichardNixon

[kanudo19]

Here's where I'm going to defend Chinese Democracy to an extent.

It wasn't a great record for everyone, but it was pretty much doomed to be regarded as a failure before it ever came out: the long-gestating production, high costs, and evolving musical culture, all but sealed its fate. People have been loving to hate on Axl for years, and he's perceived as something of a tyrant by a lot of people (admittedly he's brought some of this on himself by staying so reclusive over the years and not defending himself in the press). So, it was already a punchline for people before it came out; it never had much hope to be greeted without bias. But it had a 60-something rating on Metacritic (which indicates overall positive reviews), it got some good reviews in leading rock mags like Rolling Stone, and it wasn't like it was as embarrassing as it could have easily been (e.g. Cornell trying to make a pop record with Timbaland). Axl pretty much made what most people would expect a GN'R record to sound like in 2008, and I think it's interesting how divisive the responses have been from people over which songs are best/worst. I'm not saying it's the best GN'R album or saying it's perfect, but I like it, I liked it when it came out and I still listen to it on occasion, and just because it was greeted with an apathetic response doesn't necessarily indicate that it was an awful record or anything. My argument here was that it was destined to be met with such a response no matter what - pop culture had already written it off as punchline years before it even came out. I've met so many people who have made jokes about it (when I mention GN'R) even though they've indicated that they never even listened to it. It was never going to be a record that people wanted to brag about listening to or enjoying - even by 2004 when VR was putting out their first album it was already a boxing bag for critics and casual fans.

So it's worth considering that when you see jokes and put-downs on articles and Facebook pages about the band. Axl/GN'R have been cool to shit on for years...Chinese Democracy is perceived as a failure, yes...but a lot of that was established well before the record's release and I'm not saying Axl didn't bring some of it on himself over the years, but at the end of the day I'm going to defend the album because I don't think its quality is as atrocious as a lot of people would like to make it seem. It was what I was hoping for when it came out, and the only sad thing is that it's been six years and we haven't gotten anything new since then.

Amen

[dalsh327]

GNR's "rotating musicians" is pretty low compared to some other bands.

I think prog rock and metal are genres where lineup changes are the norm.

[vaida]

I never play Chinese Democracy, too busy listening to other music. My lastest album buy is RUDIMENTAL, f-ck yeah! what an album.. the track WAITING ALL NIGHT is great, the female's voice (Elle Eyre) is on fire..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M97vR2V4vTs

..only 59,986,993views

Edited January 16, 2014 by vaida

[dalsh327]

Mitch Malloy was never in Van Halen. He hung out with them once, then turned it down.

He was offered the gig but turned it down once he saw VH on MTV with Dave at the 1996 MTV VMAs. He knew then that their fans wouldn't accept a new singer. Here' a song Mitch was working on with them that became "That's Why I Love You," which was recorded with Cherone but left off VH3:

The person who wrote that piece probably never even listened to Chinese Democracy, or just gave is a cursory listen.

Or maybe he/she listened to it and gave his/her honest opinion...

Maybe, but I doubt it.

I remember a rumor (from a good source) about Chris Cornell being approached to join Van Halen and declining. Chris didn't want to get into what band he declined, but Zakk Wylde confirmed it in his book. Then Audioslave & Timba happened.

Mitch tells his Van Halen story here. Ray Danniels - good for Rush but really bad for Van Halen, and it's consistent with what Dave and Sam said about Ray. He became VH's manager because Ray's sister married Alex, and I think that was wife #3 or #4 for him.

http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/mitchmalloy.html

Edited January 16, 2014 by dalsh327

[RichardNixon]

Chris Cornell would have been a much better choice for Van Halen than Gary Cherone. He was a "relevant" singer and could have brought some younger fans on board.