Have some of you not heard CD in its entirety?

[ITG]

If so why?

[classicguns4life]

Because it sucks. I only listen to Guns N Roses albums.

[tberrie007]

jesus..couldnt even get past one response without this garbage. seriously

[bacardimayne]

I've never listened to TSI in one sitting

I only listen to Guns N Roses albums.

lol

[Broskirose]

I've never listened to TSI.

[Iron MikeyJ]

I've never listened to Appetite, is it any good???

[Estranged Reality]

Chinese Democracy is a good album.

Not great, not terrible -- over-reaching at times, a sprawling mess at times, but then some of GN'R's most excessive UYI-era tunes were similar. It is in its own way a natural progression of Axl's direction with the band, and while we can argue all day (and Lord knows we have) about whether that was GN'R, certainly that became the direction of GN'R even by the time of the Illusion tour, so it pretty much is what it is in my book. Still being hung up on it years later is whatever. I think I'm more upset over what's happened since then -- I was fine with Axl continuing on with new dudes and all that, but I'm underwhelmed by what little he's done since the record's release in way of moving forward. Anyway, back to the record... What it both suffers and benefits from is the unevenness. If you're familiar enough with the history of the record, the difference in recording quality of the tracks, the way they're mixed, the vocals, you kind of gain an appreciation for it. But I can see why someone who'd never heard any demos or works in progress would have listened to it and been confused. There's no real order or organic progression to most of it. It sounds cut-and-pasted, chopped up, randomly assorted. And I like it like that, but I can see why it's not to everyone's tastes.

Hope that all made sense. I'm six shots deep into a bottle of Maker's Mark so I'm right at that point where the fun begins.

[saber_]

Because it sucks. I only listen to Guns N Roses albums.

You only listen to old Guns records, but you seem to prefer only talking about new Guns? Golly gee whillakers, somethin just don't seem right there.

Edited April 5, 2014 by saber_

[Nosaj Thing]

In one sitting? No fuckin' way but I listened to all the songs in 2008. Never again.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Nosaj Thing

[SweetRose]

"Raises hand". No,I have not listened to the whole thing. I have listened to snippets of all the songs tho. And it didn't even come close to me.

And it has nothing to do with the old guys not being there. If that was the case,I wouldn't like their solo stuff.

I can remember listening to the Unwanted Illusions stuff. And was left wondering if some of those were Axl songs?And I remember thinking then,"Man,these suck!" And this was when someone had sent those to me on a bootleg cassette back in the 90s!

Axl is no Elton John. (That doesn't mean that he can't write the occasional Eltonesque type of song tho. )And all the weird ass stuff slapped onto songs,that doesn't need to be there. Having one or two songs on an album,like November Rain/Estranged. That's fine,that's ok. That's where old Guns screwed up,by not compromising. And trying to force each other style on the other.

For me,that's why it seemed to work for Illusions. You have the Elton type shit. You have the rockers. Hell,I even liked the corny shit "You Ain't The First". I get the humor in it. It's kinda like the Used to Love Her from Lies.

Variety is good!

[Chuzeville]

I guess I've listened to the whole thing a couple of times, but quickly dispensed with Ryad, Scraped and Shackler... And Better, at the point where Axl starts shouting about anger.

[classicguns4life]

I actually can't understand how any of you have never listened to the thing all in one sitting. Its a little over an hour long, and even if you don't like the album, its not torture. I just don't know how you can be this huge a fan and not at least sit through the album once in full. I get not liking it, but at least hear it all at once and give it a fully formed opinion. If there are seriously people that have never heard the whole thing through thats just crazy. You can't have that much better things to do other than give an hour to listen to a record.

[there is no dana only zool]

yup. first listened to it in its entirety at the detroit listening party & loved it. did that again multiple times on nov. 23rd of 08 and continued to do this for like, 2 years. I fucking love the album, Axl, the old band & new. Super "fanboy" if you wanna call me that. Proud to be so. Fuck everything else, lol.

I actually can't understand how any of you have never listened to the thing all in one sitting. Its a little over an hour long, and even if you don't like the album, its not torture. I just don't know how you can be this huge a fan and not at least sit through the album once in full. I get not liking it, but at least hear it all at once and give it a fully formed opinion. If there are seriously people that have never heard the whole thing through thats just crazy. You can't have that much better things to do other than give an hour to listen to a record.

they're likely just lying to sound like a badass or something.

[Towelie]

theyre likely just lying to sound like a badass or something.

I suspect you're probably right. I have a hard time believing anybody would be invested enough to join a GNR message board and yet not have heard Chinese Denocracy in its entirety. I smell bullshit.

And if they genuinely haven't listened to it all the way through then you can't really take their opinion seriously as they clearly never gave the album a chance and probably decided they didn't like it before they heard it.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Towelie

[SweetRose]

Honest to God!I swear upon my own life,I have not listen to the whole album in its entirety. God strike me dead if I'm lying.

[dimitrisaxl]

Chinese Democracy is a good album.

Not great, not terrible -- over-reaching at times, a sprawling mess at times, but then some of GN'R's most excessive UYI-era tunes were similar. It is in its own way a natural progression of Axl's direction with the band, and while we can argue all day (and Lord knows we have) about whether that was GN'R, certainly that became the direction of GN'R even by the time of the Illusion tour, so it pretty much is what it is in my book. Still being hung up on it years later is whatever. I think I'm more upset over what's happened since then -- I was fine with Axl continuing on with new dudes and all that, but I'm underwhelmed by what little he's done since the record's release in way of moving forward. Anyway, back to the record... What it both suffers and benefits from is the unevenness. If you're familiar enough with the history of the record, the difference in recording quality of the tracks, the way they're mixed, the vocals, you kind of gain an appreciation for it. But I can see why someone who'd never heard any demos or works in progress would have listened to it and been confused. There's no real order or organic progression to most of it. It sounds cut-and-pasted, chopped up, randomly assorted. And I like it like that, but I can see why it's not to everyone's tastes.

Hope that all made sense. I'm six shots deep into a bottle of Maker's Mark so I'm right at that point where the fun begins.

Well said!

[CAFC Nick]

I actually thought it was a given that everyone on the board had listened to CD. Even staunch old-GNR fans I thought would've listened to it the day it came out purely out of curiosity if anything.

[DR DOOM]

One would think so, I usually hold off damning or praising an album by an artist/band I like until I've listened to it a few times and let it sink in.

[Lethalis]

I have heard the whole album multiple times, and even more so the early leaks.

I've also bought the album.

The only thing that happened after all these years is that I have stopped listening to it. Everytime I want to listen to GnR I listen to stuff from UYI or AFD. So, I didn't really last me like the old albums.

And now I'm listening to Duff:

Hah!

[Crash Diet]

Because it sucks. I only listen to Guns N Roses albums.

In this case you should check out other bands too, a lot of great stuff out there

[magisme]

I've listened to it in its entirety, but not many times. Whenever I go back and try to like it, which is often, I do it a few songs at a time. That's all I can take. The album is pretty damn terrible, and on top of that it's no fun, so there's really not much to enjoy about it.

[NicoRourke]

I actually can't understand how any of you have never listened to the thing all in one sitting. Its a little over an hour long, and even if you don't like the album, its not torture. I just don't know how you can be this huge a fan and not at least sit through the album once in full. I get not liking it, but at least hear it all at once and give it a fully formed opinion. If there are seriously people that have never heard the whole thing through thats just crazy. You can't have that much better things to do other than give an hour to listen to a record.

Those saying they haven't listened the album are plain liars. And if they really haven't then they shouldn't trash it.

[Mastodonny]

I have listened to every song with the exception of TIL. I will never listen to that song, it's terrible.

[Iron MikeyJ]

I listen to it every couple of months on vinyl, so obviously I listen to the whole thing. It is a very good album, but not great. IMO it is close to the quality of the Illusions, just came up a little short, my biggest complaint is that it isn't organic enough, that's one of the reasons that This I love is one of my fav tracks on the album, because it is the most organic/elemental/back to basics, where most of the album is not.

My ratings:

Appetite~10

Lies~8.3

UYI1~8.7

UYI2~8.5

TSI~7

CD~8

[Damn_Smooth]

I've listened to it in its entirety, but not many times. Whenever I go back and try to like it, which is often, I do it a few songs at a time. That's all I can take. The album is pretty damn terrible, and on top of that it's no fun, so there's really not much to enjoy about it.

You've been warped by all that "gangsta" rap you kids are listening to these days. Back in my day....