Axl needs to work on writing simpler songs.

[SR_GR]

I have been thinking about this for a while (maybe I have posted about this earlier?).

What could be interesting is a "lullaby"/soft version of CD sung by Axl of course.

The songs do not sound so complicated when they are performed like this:

Gareth Rhodes

Madagaskar:

His little brother is cute idol material and he can sing:

And something funny, if you have not seen this yet (enough rasp for ya?):

[finck6]

I don't think people expected AFD2 but they surely expected something big considering it was the most expensive album and became a legend during it's creation.

It was comparable to a big budget movie with a bunch of effects but zero story line. People yawned.

zero story line. zero promotion by axl rose too

Christ. What other album had as much anticipation? What other album was talked about as much pre-release?

exactly why axl should have promoted the fuck out of it personally

[finck6]

I don´t think the problem is whether the songs are simple or complex but people´s expectations. A lot of people expected AFD2 and they were disappointed with what CD had to offer.

if that were true. it goes back 2 promotion. why? it's axl's job to change those expectations with promotion and promotion with what the new guns n roses record actually is. again. axl didn't do it. axl didn't promote. the expectations of AFD2 didn't change

Nop, imo, Axl´s job is to compose and perform his music not to try to change people´s expectations. You can´t compose a song thinking of whether people are going to like it or not.

but axl can publicly say chinese democracy isn't AFD2. so expectations are not misunderstood. axl didn't do it though

[iftheworld]

lolwut?

idiotic thread #25709144908

[dalsh327]

If the production on NIN's Downward Spiral and The Fragile was applied to Chinese Democracy, the production wouldn't be an issue. Whether it's because they recorded in a bunch of places or just threw everything and the kitchen sink into the music, or because there were too many engineers, it sounds too busy and cluttered, for lack of a better word.

[finck6]

I would agree if I cared about success for the band, as in getting them in the charts.

Like most stuff in the charts it would be shit. Would you rather Axl write great songs that only the fans will appreciate or stripped down (catchy but nothing great) songs and be more famous, like the Foo Fighters/Green day? Shall Flo Rida feature on a track too?

I'll take Axl's vision and his music over any top 10 selling singles. Unless I'm employed to promote the band, I don't need to worry about getting GNR any more fans or selling more CD's.

i care because of the fact use your illusion 1 and 2 debut #1 & #2 respectively first week sales on billboard top 200 album chart

if axl promoted the new guns n roses record the same way axl promoted the shit out of the illusions months in advance.....chinese democracy would be a MONSTER sales machine in the record books. but again. axl didn't promote the record

when does somebody admit axl didn't promote the record?

you met axl rose. right? you see them live on this tour. right?

if axl rose worked as hard at these live shows you saw axl in with the chinese democracy record back in 2008......things would be a lot different

axl doesn't show the same dedication for new albums as he does for tours. axl's heart is in the 3 hour live show of classic guns n roses hits. axl's heart isn't in being #1 with new guns n roses albums of new material or the promotion of new guns n roses material on new guns n roses albums

Oh I know the promotion was limited. However they done that thing with best buy, which probably limited doing any other promotion in certain ways.

I honestly believe, and you can understand by the rolling stone interview in 2009 and some of the Axl forum chats, that Universal and Interscope fucked the band over dramatically. It isn't in Axl's nature not to promote an album, he described the process as a nightmare. I think it was Axl intention to release the album at the end of 2006/early 2007 after the world tour (the biggest promotion you can do for an album) however something fucked it up and wasn't released until nearly 2 years later, and i'm unsure why that is.

Now what i don't understand is, Axl has ALWAYS played new material on a tour before an album drops, but there hasn't been any new songs on this tour, perhaps this next album is further away that some of us would hope, or Axl is changing his tactics.

Remember, you are talking about the guy who turned down $250,000,000 for a reunion tour/album with the original band. He rarely gives interviews or plays on other peoples songs or guests anywhere else - not exactly getting his name out there to non-gnr fans. I reckon he's been on top of the world (illusions tour) and has nothing to prove any more except for winding down into his old age by touring keeping the legacy alive and releasing something when he and the band is ready and generally having a good time doing it all. It's his project, it's his call.

I also think that most of the fans crying out for a new album weren't around for the original line ups, so we tend to think we have missed out on a lot in GNR history by being born to late. Axl was all over MTV at one point, does he need to be in todays world?

the promotion was limited. axl limited promotion when he told bestbuy 2 take a hike. but it didn't have to be limited. because axl does what axl wants. if axl wanted to he could have big time promoted it. axl didn't want to promote the record. a big "fuck it" to bestbuy and the industry hoping for success

i don't buy the record label fucked guns n roses over. did robin say they did? did bucket? how about brain? or tommy or richard? axl rose is bigger than record labels. when you're axl rose you don't blame record labels. you don't use record labels as the reason why you're not the success today you were in the 90's

what axl is doing is called "deflect." deflect the problem from its source and use someone else as the pig in muddy water

axl's played chinese democracy songs on these tours. but not enough. the setlist is still the same. still more classics than new hits. difference is axl puts more into a live show than he does promoting a guns n roses album

the next chinese democracy record is light years away cause axl and team brazil tell us nothing. give us nothing. say nothing. a do nothing situation for the record. a big "fuck it" to the fans who want a record in 2012

axl turned down a shitload for reunion but the HOF was free. accepting the honor with slash, duff, steven, and matt was free. so was performing with them at HOF. you'd think axl accepts this honor for guns n roses at HOF. that was their induction. it'll never happen again. guns n roses won't be HOF inducted twice

the problem with touring is it's all axl does. tour. tour. tour. how bout a bone? something new? different? hope? change?

doesn't matter when you like guns n roses. if you want a new album you want a new album. it's time for a new album. this year. 2012. delay and deflect doesn't work with the fans today. speaking of tactics....tactics need to be changed. we know the game. time for new tactics. a new album in 2012

axl was a superstar on mtv. 2002 is proof. 1992 is proof. axl can be a superstar again on mtv and the new mtv called FUSE

the fans want change. it's time axl gives it to them

Edited July 3, 2012 by finck6

[jekylhyde]

it sounds too busy and cluttered, for lack of a better word.

This. I love the album, but this. It could be a little more organic or "stripped down".

[WhazUp]

The "complexity" on Chinese Democracy comes from the layering of many, many parts that to me can sound too cluttered at times. The song structures themselves really are not complex at all when you look at chord progressions and basic form structure. It's not like any of these songs are like Thick As Brick in terms of complexity

[Bruno P.]

Disagree. Most of the songs on Chinese were fairly simple in terms of chord structures and riffs. It's only the layers and layers of production that makes it sound complex.

Exactly! I just love how they made so many layers sound good together, even though a lot of what's there isn't really heard and is buried on the mix. I haven't heard anything that complex... apart from the guitars. Yes, the guitar playing is quite complex, but other than that, maybe Axl's vocals on some songs and Brain's drumming on a few songs like Riad and that's pretty much it.

So you guys are trying to say that Appetite is complex? I mean, really? Most cover bands around the world can play all the songs properly, the songs are really basic and nobody had great technique to begin with.

[The Archer]

I would agree if I cared about success for the band, as in getting them in the charts.

Like most stuff in the charts it would be shit. Would you rather Axl write great songs that only the fans will appreciate or stripped down (catchy but nothing great) songs and be more famous, like the Foo Fighters/Green day? Shall Flo Rida feature on a track too?

I'll take Axl's vision and his music over any top 10 selling singles. Unless I'm employed to promote the band, I don't need to worry about getting GNR any more fans or selling more CD's.

Hell yeah,No Fergie on GNR Albums!! Integrity trumps mediawhores imo.

Hear! Hear!

Hi Archer!

Hey, Bro! Long time no see.

[bran]

One thing Chinese Democracy was was complex, I would even say too complex. This is the biggest reason as to why I think most people didn't like it.

If Axl choses to release a new album (which I highly doubt) he should write simpler catchy songs. He doesn't have the guitar skill readily available anymore, so I think he should use Bumblefoot, Fortus and Ashba to help write easy and catchy songs.

I'm going to have to bring up Kurt Cobain.

One reason as to why Kurt Cobain was so successful with Nevermind was because it was catchy and it sampled many different music styles. Territorial Pissings was catchy heavy metal, Polly was acoustic, Come As You Are is soft rock, but all were catchy.

Appetite for Destruction was raw and simple as well.

I think there is a lot to be said about that. The human ear I think appreciates easy and catchy tunes. Axl needs to remember that bigger doesn't always mean better in a musical sense.

Agree or disagree?

strongly disagree

and territorial pissings is nothing close to metal

[sailaway]

One thing Chinese Democracy was was complex, I would even say too complex. This is the biggest reason as to why I think most people didn't like it.

If Axl choses to release a new album (which I highly doubt) he should write simpler catchy songs. He doesn't have the guitar skill readily available anymore, so I think he should use Bumblefoot, Fortus and Ashba to help write easy and catchy songs.

I'm going to have to bring up Kurt Cobain.

One reason as to why Kurt Cobain was so successful with Nevermind was because it was catchy and it sampled many different music styles. Territorial Pissings was catchy heavy metal, Polly was acoustic, Come As You Are is soft rock, but all were catchy.

Appetite for Destruction was raw and simple as well.

I think there is a lot to be said about that. The human ear I think appreciates easy and catchy tunes. Axl needs to remember that bigger doesn't always mean better in a musical sense.

Agree or disagree?

strongly disagree

and territorial pissings is nothing close to metal

HA! Bran,Kurt had a good mind! too bad it didnt stay inside his head

Whenever I see a topic start off with 'Axl Needs To' I write it off as complete idiocy.

[finck6]

i speak truth

[sailaway]

i speak truth

No you are Queenie,a well known hater and cupcake. You spew a lot of stuff but truth isn't your native language.

[finck6]

can't take the heat.....get out of the kitchen